Farmers ask for slower speeds on Dorset Street
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
The owners of Shelburne’s last family dairy farm have a request for the town: get cars to slow down going past their farm.
“We cross our cows morn-
ing and night during the summer. Can we have tractor signs —slow moving? Can we have reduced speed? Something, you know,”
Sylvia Maille implored the selectboard at its meeting July 28. “My husband and my son’s lives are in jeopardy with the speed that is
allowed to go in front of our farm.”
Maille and her son Benjamin were moved to attend the meeting, she said, after an accident involving the town’s mowing tractor at the intersection of Bishop Road and Dorset Street — just down the street from their farm — made
them concerned for their own operations.
According to Andrew Dickerson, the town’s fire chief, the accident occurred when the driver
See FARM on page 4
Female athletes: No white shorts, no worries
BRADY & LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITERS
For anyone with a period, the anxiety is familiar: the worry that standing up from a seat or bending over to pick something up might reveal a red stain, that a tampon or pad might leak and everyone else will notice.
For girls playing for their middle school or high school sports teams, a new initiative from the Vermont Principals Association contends, that worry adds to the reasons why one in three girls quit sports by the time they’re 14 years old.
For Lauren Young, the VPA’s executive director of activities and athletics, there’s one obvious solution: no more white shorts.
On the first Thursday of every month, Young said, the VPA hosts a “Girls and Equity” conversation. The organization invites coaches and athletic directors, primarily women, to talk through the issues that girls might be facing when
See SPORTS on page 10
PHOTO BY SOPHIA BALUNEK
A classic scene unfolds with Shelburne Pond re ecting a blue sky in the background.
Rolling hills
BRIANA
Vermont to give local news priority for state ad dollars
CHARLOTTE OLIVER VTDIGGER
B PARTY
Gov. Phil Scott signed an executive order last week that directs the state to prioritize local news platforms when deciding where to run its ads.
“Vermonters breathe and trust their community news,” Scott said after signing the order, a statement rare for him to make to a room of reporters.
The intent of the policy is for the state to both reach a key audience and sustain its bevy of small-yet-scrappy news organizations. And it’s essential, he said, that a responsible and impartial press corps keeps all corners of the state informed on the happenings of state government.
“While I know this is a drop in the bucket, it’s an important gesture,” Scott said.
Scott’s decision to invest in local news organizations comes as the nation has seen a sharp decline in local journalists per capita. According to a 2025 report from industry software platform Muck Rack and the national advocacy organization Rebuild Local News, the country has seen about a 75% decline in local journalists per capita since 2002 on average.
Amid that national decline, Vermont has maintained the most local journalists per 100,000
people compared to other states. Yet certainly small news organizations across Vermont still struggle to stay afloat. Industry employment has plummeted from 1,446 in 2000 to only 358 in 2023, according to the University of Vermont’s Center for Community News.
“Advertising with these folks is a smart way to reach Vermonters, but it also helps sustain these essential community resources. They are precious institutions,” said Kristen Fountain, interim coordinator for the Vermont Journalism Coalition.
When state employees are considering where to run advertisements, invest in marketing or sponsor events, “we now must look at options for local outlets and prioritize them whenever we can,” according to Rebecca Kelley, the state’s chief communications officer.
Scott’s executive order is similar to a provision in Colorado’s 2026 budget, which directs the state to prefer local media when investing in state ads.
Maryland legislators passed a bill that would have directed half its state advertising dollars to local news, but Maryland Gov. Wes Moore later vetoed the bill.
Vermont usually spends about $4 million to $5 million annually on the types of advertising affected by the executive order, according to Kelley, although the
state doesn’t keep track of how much it spends on local news or broadcast platforms. Under the new policy, the state is directed to create a system to keep track of its advertising dollars.
While the order directs the state to give preference to news organizations, it also gives the state some discretion. State government is directed to use its advertising dollars on local news “whenever feasible and consistent with the best interests of the State,” the order says. And while the order highlights news platforms, it also gives preference to “resident bidders of the state” as well as products that were “raised” or “manufactured in the state”.
Scott, who is seeking reelection, said the policy’s mission tracks with his broader ideology that it’s important to buy local and support businesses in-state.
“Local media face the same challenges as every other sector in Vermont: a shrinking workforce and an increasingly unaffordable cost of doing business in the state,” he said.
Disclosure: The Citizen is a member of the Vermont Journalism Coalition, as is VTDigger. The Citizen editor Tommy Gardner serves on the coalition’s public policy committee, and VTDigger CEO Brendan Kinney serves on the coalition’s board.
PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE OLIVER/VTDIGGER
Gov. Phil Scott signs an executive order to prioritize spending state ad dollars on local news on July 23, 2026.
Party candidates will face their first election hurdle next week
TOMMY GARDNER STAFF WRITER
Shelburne voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, Aug. 11, to vote in Vermont’s primary elections.
While most statewide elections won’t see any intra-party contests, there are contested Democratic races for governor and lieutenant governor.
There’s also plenty of competition at the local and county level — again, among Democrats.
All non-contested party candidates will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot, barring any last-minute write-in campaigns.
Polls are open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Town Center Gymnasium, 5420 Shelburne Road.
Here are the contested races:
• Chittenden Southeast Senate: With five candidates for three seats, two people will be sitting November out. The challengers are Joanna Grossman, D-Burlington; and Elizabeth Hunt, D-Charlotte. The incumbents are Thomas Chittenden, D-South Burlington; Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Shelburne; and Virginia “Ginny” Lyons, D-Williston.
• State’s attorney: Incumbent Sarah George, D-Colchester, faces competition in Bram Kranichfeld, D-Burlington.
• Sheriff: Newcomer Kevin Bloom, D-Burlington, faces incumbent Daniel Gamelin, D-Colchester
• High bailiff: One of Vermont’s most obscure elected positions is one of the county’s most crowded Democratic fields.
The candidates are Augustus Barkyoumb, D-Burlington; Paul McManus, D-Williston; Amy Payne, D-Burlington; Helaine “Lainey” Rappaport, D-Burlington; and Michael “Mikey” Roberts, D-Charlotte.
In statewide Democratic primary contests, there is a three-way race among lieutenant governor hopefuls to face incumbent Lt. Gov. John Rodgers in November. The three Democrats are Esther Charlestin, D-South Burlington; Molly Gray, D-Burlington; and Ryan McLaren, D-Essex Junction.
And there are two Democrats hoping to unseat incumbent Gov. Phil Scott. They are Amanda Janoo, D-Burlington, and Aly Richards, D-Montpelier.
Wastewater
work moves along the Ti-Haul, trees need to come down
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
As Shelburne moves forward with construction work on the sewer pipe that will connect the old wastewater facility on Turtle Lane to the soon-to-be-upgraded facility on Crown Road, some trees are going to have to fall along the Ti-Haul Trail. However, changes to Vermont law in the last several years have added a definition of “shade trees” — trees planted by a municipality or designated as shade trees by the town in the public rightof-way — and mandated a procedure when it comes to cutting them down.
trees as I can,” Hall said.
During the period after posting, two appeals came in. One, from Jay Nickerson, asked to save a single oak tree.
“I have been running and walking along the Ti-path for 8-plus years and this particular tree is part of a beautiful oak grove that has, over the years, become an important part of my running and hiking routine,” he wrote to the selectboard.
“I’d like this to be the earlier process, so that we’re not sitting here with a construction crew.”
With construction along the Ti-Haul Trail to put in the new sewer pipe, the town and builders must assess how trees will be impacted.
“Those trees alongside the trail count and qualify for the purpose of shade tree impacts. And there are some beloved, beautiful, mature trees there,” town manager Matt Lawless said at the public hearing about the trees July 28.
State law dictates that a town’s tree warden post public notice at least 15 days before the removal of a tree. Shelburne’s tree warden, David Hall, Lawless said, consulted with the engineers and flagged some trees for removal. The posting went up July 6.
“I’d really rather we weren’t having to remove as many trees as I think (we have to). And my goal is always to save as many
— David Hall
According to Hall, in his talks with the engineers, they figured out a way to meet this appeal. By moving the path of construction slightly, he said, they’ll be able to remove one tree instead of three.
Another appeal, from Timothy Brosnan, asked that the town reconsider large portions of the removal.
“Currently the trail enjoys a comforting closed ceiling feel provided by the closed canopy in many areas. The removals will remove the canopy for decades to come,” Brosnan wrote.
The operation is focused on horizontal drilling — drilling that moves along underground without opening up a trench or channel. According to Jason Booth of Aldrich and Elliot, the engineering firm handling the project, the tree removal is “focused.” The trees have to be removed in places where builders need to access the drill.
The firm has also designed the engineer-
SOUTHEAST SENATE TEAM
Re-Elect Dan for Chittenden County Sheriff Re-ElectGamelin
EXPERIENCE
Graduate of Champlain College & Vermont Police Academy. Chittenden Deputy Sheriff for 40 years, Sheriff for 3½ years.
INTEGRITY
Professionalism and transparency. Treat every person with respect and compassion.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Modernizing services to ensure safer communities. Providing police patrol services to four municipalities. Delivering security to businesses, non-profits and courthouses.
COMMITMENT
As a lifelong Vermonter, I have been here and will continue to be here to support our community, help it thrive and keep us safe, as I have over the last 45 years.
FARM
continued from page 1
backed the tractor into a pull off on the side of the road. An SUV going “at a high rate of speed smashed into the front of the tractor,” he said, adding that the vehicle was not in the correct travel lane.
In an email to staff after the incident, town manager Matt Lawless informed department heads that highway driver Mike Gill had gone to the hospital with minor injuries. According to Dickerson, a passenger in the car was also transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
“Even our daily work on the side of the road can be dangerous. We carry that every day and do our best to help each other,” Lawless said in the email, adding that he was still working through insurance claims for the tractor.
This same tractor had been in another accident earlier this year, Dickerson said. While it was repaired, this time he estimated the damage had likely totaled the equipment.
According to Benjamin Maille, he has also had a number of close calls. Recently, he said to the selectboard, he had a car cut in front of him while he was turning his tractor, blinker on. The car went into a ditch, trying to avoid hitting him, he said.
“I had to slam on the brakes, and I slid because you can’t stop
when I have six tons of feed in a wagon, plus the weight of the wagon, which is six tons, plus the chopper and the tractor. That’s some serious amount of metal moving down the road. You don’t stop on a dime,” Maille said.
The police department has been working with the highway department to get more 40 mile per hour signs out on the road, police chief Josh Flore said, adding that bicyclists add another complication to traffic concerns in the area.
Flore told the board there would be hurdles if the town wanted to reduce the speed — Dorset Street is a long straight road and a speed study might endorse a continuation of the 40 mile per hour limit. Advisory signs about tractors or cattle, however, might help prove negligent operation in the case of an accident.
Selectboard chair Matt Wormser said that even with signage, he wants the Shelburne Police to start issuing tickets to speeders, an action that has fallen in recent years.
“When people know they’re not going to get tickets, guess what? You know there’s very little consequence for people speeding,” Wormser said. “We as a board would love to see much more active traffic enforcement and see our cops out there.”
Shelburne News
Serving the community of Shelburne A publication of Vermont Community Newspaper Group LLC shelburnenews.com
Advertising Wendy Ewing wendy@shelburnenews.com (802) 238-4980
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WASTEWATER
continued from page 3
ing, Booth said, so that the “cleanout vaults,” which are required for the sewer line, are also going where they’re cutting for drilling access.
“There are some rare and endangered species that we’re trying to avoid. There’s wetland impacts that we’re trying to mini-
mize that are along that pathway as well. So, it’s almost like threading the needle, and we’re trying to do as best we can with all the parts and pieces,” he said.
The selectboard voted to move forward with the limited removal reccomended by Hall.
For Hall’s part, he requested
that in the future the town take on the consideration of trees earlier in the process.
“I’d like this to be the earlier process, so that we’re not sitting here with a construction crew waiting to go while we’re going through the appropriate process of hearing appeals,” he said.
General Manager Katerina Werth katerina@stowereporter.com
Billing inquiries Leslie Lafountain leslie@stowereporter.com (802) 253-2101
Advertising submission deadline: Friday at 5 p.m. advertising@shelburnenews.com classi eds@shelburnenews.com
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Contact: PO Box 489 Stowe, VT 05672 (802) 253-2101
The Shelburne News is published weekly and mailed free to residents and businesses in Shelburne and rack distributed at select high traf c locations. The Vermont Community Newspaper Group LLC assumes no responsibility for typographical errors in advertisements and reserves the right to refuse advertising and editorial copy.
PHOTO BY SOPHIA BALUNEK
Contruction crews last month work on sewer system upgrades at the Ti-Haul Trail entrance off Shelburne Bay.
OPINION
Forestry markets support more than meets the eye
tions. That means a lot of things.
Recent news coverage about the end of pulping operations at Finch Paper has understandably focused on how it is bad for logging contractors and the forest products industry. As organizations and associations focused on the future of Vermont forests, we agree — those impacts are significant. But the story is more than that: This is bad news for everyone who cares about sustaining Vermont’s forests.
Yes, producing logs and fiber to turn into products we need is often a goal of forest management, but so are the following benefits: improving wildlife habitat, biodiversity, climate resilience, recreational trails, carbon storage, protecting against pests and diseases, addressing introduced invasive plants, managing fire danger and improving the overall health and diversity of forests.
Our organizations may prioritize the benefits on this list differently, but we agree on one thing: Without buyers for the wood that forest management generates, good forest management activities become economically difficult, or impossible, to carry out. And without sustainable management, we believe Vermont will lose the forest benefits we care about, and — worst case — significant acreages of forest.
This is why the Finch news is bad for all Vermonters, even those who may think they don’t care about, or even oppose, “logging.” As VTDigger reported, Finch was one of the last remaining buyers of hemlock pulpwood from Vermont. Overall, the mill purchased an average of approximately 2,000 tons of both softwood and hardwood roundwood a week from our state. There are no other options that can quickly replace this market for low-grade wood, which is a part of all forestry opera-
Near term, it means Vermont will lose logging and trucking contractors, as well as foresters, the people who manage the forests, harvest wood and truck wood to mills. It means Vermont landowners will have fewer — or no — market options when they want to improve their forests through management: fewer people to do the work and fewer ways to pay for it.
Longer term, it will mean that less forest management happens in Vermont, including on the more than 2 million acres enrolled in the Current Use Program, which keeps forestland undeveloped. Substandard practices such as “high grading” forests for higher quality saw log timber may be the result of limited wood markets. Poor management practices might be the short-term solution to making ends meet, with serious long-term costs in the form of degraded timber stands that require time and money to remedy. As a result, this increases the pressure on some landowners to seek other sources of income that may involve parcelization, development or permanent forest conversion. This is an outcome that unites us in concern.
Vermont, New England and the United States rely on wood for building materials, paper, packaging and fuel. With over 75% of its land under forest cover, Vermont should be a wood-producing powerhouse — not a state increasingly reliant on timber shipped in from away. Yet due to investment, trade and policy factors that have been building for decades, that wood is increasingly coming from other parts of the world. As part of a broader approach, we call on innovators, researchers and policymakers to take the Finch news as both a warning and an invitation. Vermont has an opportunity to invest
Shelburne Museum stays open after hours on select summer evenings with live music, food trucks, access to galleries, and fun for the whole family!
5:30–7:30 p.m. August 27. Admission is free!
With live music from: Ray Vega Afro-Caribbean Jazz Ensemble
Guest Perspective
Rob Riley
Get the facts from the source
To the Editor:
Letters to the Editor
It is deeply disappointing that a targeted disinformation campaign has surfaced to distract voters (“Setting the record straight on Joanna Grossman’s advocacy,” letters, July 24).
I implore you not to give in to propaganda seeking to lower our political discourse. If you have concerns, hold the line and get the facts directly from source: me. See joannaforvermont.org/issues.
I hope you take some comfort in knowing I will not be bullied by this, or anything.
Joanna Grossman Burlington
Elizabeth Hunt focuses on nding real solutions
To the Editor:
Vermont remains a wonderful place to live, but our state’s core infrastructure and institutions continue to face serious challenges. We lack a sustainable funding mechanism for education; housing remains unaffordable for many; and the health care system is in crisis.
With the state primaries fast approaching, it is time to take a critical look at all the candidates running for the Senate as well as for state office and state representative. And, it is time to consider change, to consider new candidates with fresh ideas and the energy to bring those ideas to the table.
Elizabeth Hunt is a candidate with real-life experiences that will guide her work in the Senate. She is wife and mother who has been willing to step up and serve her community, and she is ready to serve Vermont the same way. As a practicing primary care physician who has also served on many state committees focused on improving public health, Elizabeth Hunt brings working knowledge of our health care system, knowledge that will help shape the debate in the State House. I have visited with her on the campaign trail, and I believe her fresh approach to our housing and education crises, as well as to health care, will set us on a path of finding real solutions.
Elizabeth Hunt deserves our vote.
John Brumsted Shelburne
Shelburne resident Susan Grimes sent in a photo from last Wednesday’s weekly race at the Lake Champlain Yacht Club in Shelburne where she was on the race committee boat. “It’s been a great stretch of weather to be out on the lake,” she said.
continued from page 5
in a wider mix of forest products and markets — from advanced wood products and innovative fiber manufacturing to modern and efficient wood energy and other emerging uses for low-grade wood. Creating diverse, resilient and appropriately scaled markets will provide stability and help Vermont’s logging and trucking contractors, mills and forest products businesses thrive while giving landowners practical options for caring for their forests. In doing so, we can support rural commu-
nities, wildlife habitat, climate resilience, outdoor recreation and the many benefits Vermont’s forests provide.
Signatories of this commentary are: Rob Riley, president, Northern Forest Center; Danielle Fitzko, commissioner, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation; Dana Doran, executive director, Professional Logging Contractors Northeast; Kate Forrer, executive director, Vermont Woodlands Association; Jamey
News from Pierson Library
Fidel, vice president, Vermont, National Audubon Society/ Audubon Vermont; Steve Hardy, president, Vermont Forest Products Association; Tracy Zschau, president & CEO, Vermont Land Trust; Jed Lipsky, Vermont House of Representatives, I-Stowe; Abby Long, executive director, Northeast Kingdom Collaborative; Tara Miller, forest & wildlife program director, Vermont Natural Resources Council; and Eve Frankel, state director, The Nature Conservancy in Vermont.
Visit the Pierson Library at 5376 Shelburne Road for the following events. To register, call the library at 802-985-5124.
• Shelburne Songwriting Session, Tuesday, Aug. 11: 5-6:30 p.m. You’ll receive a songwriting prompt at the top of the session to inspire direction and creativity, along with some tips and tricks from your instructor, Connor, and the rest is up to you. Bring your guitar, electric keyboard, favorite journal or whatever else might ignite your creative juices.
• Water Security and Nutrient Transport with Ben Kelley, Wednesday, Aug. 12: 7-8 p.m. University of Vermont graduate student, field scientist and data analyst Ben Kelley will leverage a decade-long monitoring effort of nutrient transport with machine learning from Self-Organizing Maps to present findings on the state of our water and what we can do to understand and reduce nutrient pollution.
• Considering When to Take
Social Security, Thursday, Aug. 13: 8:30-9:30 a.m. Should you take Social Security early, wait until full retirement age or delay benefits longer? Join representatives from the financial advisory firm One Day in July as they break down the factors that can help guide that decision. They’ll discuss how timing impacts your monthly benefits, common considerations for individuals and couples and how Social Security fits into an overall retirement plan.
• You Choose Dinosaur Movie Night, Thursday, Aug. 13: 5-8 p.m. It’s another five dino features to choose among from your cinema-loving pals at the Pierson Library. The library will fire up the old popcorn machine, order a couple of pizzas and have everyone watch together the first eight minutes of five different dinosaur movies from different decades and genres. After that, viewers will vote together on the movie they wish to finish watching. All movie options are rated PG-13 or lower.
• Shelburne Day Festivities: Tristan Cunningham brings the circus to Shelburne, Saturday, Aug. 15: 10:30-11:30 a.m. L.A.based award-winning actor and circus performer extraordinaire, Cunningham got her start right here as part of Vermont’s own Circus Smirkus. Experience the thrill and comedy of the circus and see big-time talent on a homestate stage.
• Shelburne Day festivities: Ice Cream and Zydeco with Ernest James Zydeco, Saturday, Aug.15: 2-5 p.m. Close out the summer reading series with the big dance-y, bluesy, Louisiana sound of Zydeco. Enjoy free scoops of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (while supplies last) on the library green and drop in for a concert by Ernest James Zydeco. It all culminates at 5 p.m. when in-house wizard Ydrrgl the Wise slithers in from the Nth Dimension to draw the big winners for this year’s Summer Reading Contest.
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Community Notes
Teddy Bear hosts 45th birthday bash
Vermont Teddy Bear, Vermont Flannel and Local Maverick will host a Birthday Bash on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory in Shelburne. The event celebrates the 45th anniversary of Vermont Teddy Bear and the 35th anniversary of Vermont Flannel with family activities, food vendors, lawn games, a DJ, face painting and an evening drone light show.
Organizers say the drone show, in particular, should be a showstopper, the likes of which is rarely seen in Vermont. Information and tickets are available at localmaverickus.com.
The Birthday Bash is part of A BEARy Vermont Event Series, which aims to create community events throughout the year while providing opportunities for Vermont businesses, makers, artists and organizations to connect with residents and visitors. Additional dates include Oct. 10 and Dec. 5, and there are plans to make it an annual event.
Age Well luncheon planned
in Shelburne
Age Well and St. Catherine of Siena will host a community
luncheon for adults 60 and older on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at St. Catherine of Siena Parish Hall, 72 Church St., Shelburne. Check-in begins at 11:30 a.m., with lunch served at noon. The menu includes riblet, confetti rice, mixed vegetables, whole-wheat bread, a craisin-date cookie and milk. A suggested donation is $7. Reservations are due by Aug. 6. Call 802-662-5283 or email pniarchos@agewellvt.org for information or to register.
Mads Tolling brings violin to Shelburne Farms
Two-time Grammy-winning violinist Mads Tolling will present “In the Loop” at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at the Shelburne Farms Coach Barn, 1611 Harbor Road. Using looping technology and effects pedals, Tolling creates layered solo performances blending jazz, classical, pop and folk influences. The program features works ranging from Duke Ellington and Jimi Hendrix to Astor Piazzolla and Django Reinhardt. Information: shelburnefarms.org.
Gallery showcases Myers jazz prints
J. Kenneth Fine Art and Atelier Frame & Design are present-
ing “Swingville: Works from the Malcolm Myers Estate” throughout August at J. Kenneth Fine Art, 145 Pine Haven Shores Road, Suite 1160, Shelburne. The exhibition features prints from the celebrated American intaglio artist’s Jazz Series, created between the 1950s and 1980s. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays or by appointment.
Yiddish musicians perform in Burlington
Internationally acclaimed Yiddish singer-songwriter Daniel Kahn and violinist Jake Shulman-Ment will perform at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, at Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, 188 N. Prospect St., Burlington. Presented by the Lost Mural Project, the concert will feature English supertitles and celebrate Yiddish music and culture. Tickets and sponsorship information are available through the Lost Mural Project.
Kelly Brush Ride marks its 20th anniversary
The Kelly Brush Ride returns to Middlebury College on Satur-
COURTESY PHOTO
The oldies but goodies will roll into Waterbury this weekend, with the Vermont Antique & Classic Car Meet.
COMMUNITY NOTES
continued from page 8
day, Sept. 12, celebrating its 20th year of raising funds for adaptive sports and ski racing safety. Riders of all abilities can choose from four supported routes or participate remotely through Oct. 24. The annual event includes a postride celebration with food, live music and exhibitors.
Richmond Farmers Market hosts Kids’ Day
The Richmond Farmers Market will hold its third annual Kids’ Day from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14. Activities include live music by G’Raph and Beccazoo, a magic show by Tom Verner of Magicians Without Borders, giant bubbles, mini golf, crafts, games and family activities. Information: richmond-farmers-market.square. site.
‘Vermont Barns’ exhibition opens in Greensboro
Artist Rett Sturman’s exhibition, “Vermont Barns,” is on display through Sept. 6 at the Highland Center for the Arts, 2875 Hardwick St., Greensboro. The collection of oil paintings explores Vermont’s agricultural landscape and the relationship between barns, farms and the people who shaped them. Gallery hours: noon -4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
Cruisin’ Route 100 rolls back into Waterbury
Discover Waterbury will host Cruisin’ Route 100 Aug. 7-9 alongside the Vermont Antique & Classic Car Meet. The weekend features a scavenger hunt with prizes, a Friday block party
“Vermont Barns” is on display through at Greensoro’s Highland Center for the Arts.
at Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Saturday’s CiderFest, a ribbon-cutting at North Country Donuts and special promotions at participating businesses throughout Waterbury and Waterbury Center. The free scavenger hunt challenges participants to find hidden vintage toy cars at locations along Route 100. A full schedule is available at discoverwaterbury.com.
Summer speaker series dives into documents
The Vermont State Archives and Records Administration, a division of the Secretary of State’s office, hosts “Lost Graves: Burials on the Grounds of the Vermont State Hospital, 1891-1913,” with Vermont Representative Anne Donahue, Aug. 10.
Joseph C. Oppenlander
Obituary
On July 17, 2026, Joe departed this world with much reluctance for “living had been good.” He had a full and interesting life enjoying many years boating on Lake Champlain and traveling both domestically and internationally. He served his country in the U.S. Army at the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama and had a long career
as a dedicated professor of civil engineering at the University of Vermont. Thanks to all who have supported Joe and his family, especially the staff of Elderwood and the McClure Miller Respite House. The family is planning a celebration of Joe’s life at a future date. Contributions in Joe’s memory can be made to the McClure Miller Respite House Fund or Shelburne Rescue.
Shelburne Parks & Rec News
Shelburne Parks and Recreation offers the following events and activities:
• Summer Concert Series finale with Quadra, hosted by Vermont Teddy Bear, is rescheduled to Tuesday, Aug. 11, 5-8 p.m.
Dinner and dessert will be available from several food trucks which will tempt your taste buds. Relax and enjoy a glass of wine from Shelburne Vineyard while catching up with friends and neighbors. Bring your lawn chair or blanket to sit on and enjoy the show!
5-6 p.m.: Food trucks open. Tours with Vermont Teddy Bear, visit with “Ted” Vermont Teddy Bear mascot, free face painting, bubbles and sidewalk chalk activities.
6-8 p.m.: Quadra performs. For the kids, a bounce house and mini golf will be available.
• Hit the courts at Davis Park after school to brush up on your tennis skills this fall. Join coach Jay for instruction, practice and improve your game while having fun. Bring your own racquet, sneakers and water. This
program is outdoors and weather dependent. Min. 4, Max. 12 participants.
Registration opens Friday, Aug. 7 and ends Sept. 2.
Days/dates: Wednesdays, Sept. 9-30: 2-3 p.m. Cost: $110. Grades: 5th-8th grade in the fall. Instructor: Jason Hammel. Location: Davis Park Tennis Courts.
• Safe Sitter Course: This course will prepare teens to be safe when they’re home alone, watching siblings or babysitting. The course offers four main content areas: “Safety Skills,” “Child Care Skills,” “First Aid & Rescue Skills” and “Life & Business Skills.” Lessons are filled with fun activities and role-playing exercises. Teens will practice choking rescue and diapering as well. Limited space with a max of nine participants.
Registration opens Aug. 31 until Nov. 13. Class date: Monday, Nov. 23, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Grades: 6th-8th. Instructor: Williston Recreation Staff. Cost: $60 residential/$70 non-res. Location: Shelburne Town Municipal Building, Meeting Room 2.
COURTESY PHOTO
they participate in school sports. Most importantly, Young said, the group has also been hearing from the girls themselves.
Different girls’ teams from schools around the state have shared about their lived experience, Young said, and have covered issues from harassment to small crowd sizes.
“Then (there’s) this whole thing around period anxiety and being comfortable in their uniforms,” Young said. “Which, man, that goes back decades for me — having a uniform that fit and I felt confident in.”
The VPA has made available small grants for schools interested in phasing in darker shorts for their girls’ teams. With support from the National Federation of State High School Associations and the GRL Initiative (Young’s organization promoting women’s leadership in sports), the state association is helping schools buy new shorts for their teams — they’re also getting a discount on uniform bottoms from BSN Sports.
“When I put the requests out for what people needed, I was just overwhelmed with how many people took me up on the offer,” Young said.
She said the VPA needs about $20,000 more dollars to complete the requests for this year.
Lamoille Union High School Athletics Director Tim Messier was one of those who responded to the call.
“I literally just heard from one of the vendors who’s working with the VPA today,” Messier said Monday morning.
Messier, who has been the high school’s athletics director for 35 years, is a staunch supporter of Young and the initiative. He jumped on board quickly to get a batch of darker colored shorts ordered for the fall season. The only downside, he said, is that this initiative started gaining real traction during this summer season, when most people are
away or on vacation. He’s now looking forward to getting the conversation rolling during a fall sports season orientation later this month.
“What we decided here at Lamoille was to emphasize the concept of choice and options,” Messier said, adding that the school had already ordered replacement white and blue uniforms due to usual wear and tear, particularly for soccer uniforms. “And then in contact with the VPA and the vendor, they suggested for a color match that black would probably go best with our present home and away uniforms.”
He said the conversation should always center around what the student athletes are most comfortable in, and now, they
will at least have that choice.
“As I told one of my coaches, it just means it’s another set of shorts that we distribute in the beginning that they’ll have in their gear bags,” he said.
Stowe High School Athletic Director Tim Albertson said that when he arrived five years ago, the girls’ soccer team began wearing only black shorts. The next goal: finding comfortable dark shorts for the girls’ basketball team to wear with their white tops.
Stowe’s girls’ soccer coach, Tyler Post, said he initially broached the topic with Albertson, recognizing that when it rains, white shorts can become see-through. Post said the conversation and decision to switch was a no-brainer.
“The girls fully supported doing that,” he said. “I don’t even know if any of them voiced being super uncomfortable about it, but we also realize, what’s the point if anyone even feels slightly uncomfortable about this?”
Champlain Valley Union High School is also replacing the shorts for the girls’ soccer and basketball team uniforms this year — girls on all the other teams, such as volleyball and Ultimate, already wear black bottoms.
Renee Breault, the school’s activities director, is one of a handful of women athletic directors in the state. Breault said both she and Tucker Pierson, the coach for the school’s field hockey and girls’ lacrosse teams, have been regular attendees at the VPA’s Girls and Equity meetings.
While she said some of the girls are skeptical of getting rid of the white shorts on their away uniforms — they’re worried about how it will look — Breault wants her students to feel comfortable in their bodies while they play. That goes for all athletes.
“We often have both males and females that might not be comfortable in the size uniform that is either left over for them or that’s available to them,” Breault said.
Sometimes it’s just the size, but it might also be the cut. For example, Breault said, wrestling singlets are often ordered in a cut that doesn’t take breasts into account. However, wrestling is
The Champlain Valley Union girls wear their home white uniforms in a soccer game against Essex last year.
SPORTS
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growing in popularity among girls — Vermont this year is, for the first time, adding girls-only wrestling competitions.
According to Young, helping schools get rid of white shorts is just one piece of the puzzle.
“We can do this one thing, but then we really need to start teaching girls about their bodies,” Young said, pointing to the fact that most sports research is focused solely on men.
She said, for example, girls and women are eight times more likely to have an ACL tear, but there isn’t any research into why. She wants girls to feel comfortable vocalizing to their coaches what might be going on with their bodies.
There’s also a cultural change that needs to happen, Young said. Along with reports about period anxiety, the VPA has also been getting reports from athletes about misogynist or homophobic remarks at games aimed at shaming girls’ bodies. While she’s been working with schools to
address these things, there’s more progress to be made.
“We can’t keep putting girls out into environments where they’re battling so many different things, and who knows what the rest of their day looks like, or the rest of their life looks like,” she said. “This is the one place that they’re supposed to go out and do the thing they love and enjoy it.”
Messier likened the shorts initiative to broader conversations about the culture within school sports, things like placing more emphasis on the socio-emotional health of student athletes and realizing the truth in the adage, “it’s OK to not be OK.”
“One thing I’m proud about, and I think every school works hard to do, is to provide our students and student athletes the ability to connect with at least one adult in the building,” he said. “And if they’re not comfortable with an adult, they’re often very comfortable with their peers, and that’s where the connections they have are so significant.”
FILE PHOTO
Merrill Jacobs drives the ball down court versus St. Johnsbury in March 2024.
PHOTO
CVU’s Alexandra Montgomery makes a bucket from the lane in a winter 2024 game against the St. Johnsbury Hilltoppers.
Summer track team earns silver at states
The Champlain Valley Summer Youth Track Program finished its season with a second-place team finish at the Vermont Recreation & Parks Association State Track & Field Championships, held July 18 at St. Johnsbury Academy.
More than 110 area athletes participated in this summer’s program, with approximately 40 athletes participating in the state meet. Most of them came from Hinesburg, Charlotte, Shelburne and Williston.
Athletes scored points in nearly every discipline, including sprints, middle- and long-distance races, hurdles, jumps and throwing events.
The team captured eight individual state championships, 13 runner-up finishes and numerous additional top six finishes across all age divisions.
Individual state titles went to Oakley Thomas (50 meters, boys 7-8), Addie Powden (80-meter hurdles, girls 11-12) and Matthew Ritchie (discus, boys 13-15).
Standout performances included double event champions Paige Buckle (100 and 200 meters, girls 7-8); Rory Dolbec (400 and 800 meters, boys 9-10); and Lily Ellen Wilfong Vo (800 and 1,600 meters, girls 13-15).
Valley relay teams earned top six finishes.
“The second-place standing is something we’re incredibly proud of, but what stands out even more is the culture these athletes have created,” program director Catherine Moller said. “They cheer for one another, celebrate each other’s successes, and support teammates at every event. Watching them grow as athletes and as leaders throughout the summer is the greatest reward.”
Complete state meet results are listed below.
• Boys 7-8: Oakley Thomas, 1st, 50 meters; 2nd, 100 meters.
• Girls 7-8: Paige Buckle, 1st, 100 meters, and 1st, 200 meters; Amelia Ouellette, 3rd, 800 meters, 4th, 200 meters, and 4th, long jump; and Karina Haines, 3rd, long jump.
• Boys 9-10: Oliver Powden, 6th, 200 meters; Rory Dolbec, 1st, 400 meters, and 1st, 800 meters; Walter Burris, 2nd, 400 meters, and 2nd, 800 meters; Julian St. Peter, 2nd, discus, and 5th, 800 meters; George Geeslin, 6th, long jump.
• Girls 9-10: Pippa Escorpizo, 3rd, 800 meters, 3rd, long jump; and 4th, 100
The team’s success extended beyond individual events. All five Champlain
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Oliver Powden participates in long jump for the Champlain Valley summer track team.
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Runners race down the track during the summer track state championships last month in St. Johnsbury.
continued from page 2
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.
The week-long bait drop is a cooperative effort
and livestock can also get rabies.The virus is spread through the bite of an infected animal or contact with its RABIES BAIT
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.
saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost al ways 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.
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
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.
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 continued from page 4 face burne-Hinesburg head the Golf depending land. Rotary’s
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 display lead dors from creemees. from
Addie Powden listens for the starting signal during the state summer track championships..
meters; Abigail Zaikowski, 2nd, softball throw; and Aida Camp, 2nd, 400 meters.
• Boys 11-12: August Chevalier, 2nd, 100 meters, and 2nd, 200 meters; Jay Geeslin, 6th, 400 meters; Roman Strayer-Benton, 2nd, 800 meters, and 5th, discus; and Alex Haines, 2nd, shot put, and 2nd, discus.
• Girls 11-12: Mattie Santoro, 5th, long jump; Danica Moller, 3rd, 800 meters, and 5th, high jump; Addie Powden, 1st, 80-meter hurdles, and 4th, discus;
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Caera Crosby, 2nd, 80-meter hurdles, and 2nd, 100 meters; Anna Clauss, 2nd, 400 meters, and 2nd, 800 meters; Iris Tallman, 5th, 400 meters; and Rayah Palmer, 6th, 100 meters, and 6th, 200 meters.
• Boys 13-15: Matthew Ritchie, 1st, discus; Eli Bursey, 3rd, high jump, 5th, discus, and 6th, 80-Meter hurdles.
overwhelmed?
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• Girls 13-15: Rachel Torrey, 4th, discus, and 5th, shot put; Lily Ellen Wilfong Vo, 1st, 800 meters, 1st, 1,600 meters, and 3rd, high jump.
Payments must be POSTMARKED or RECEIVED in the TOWN OFFICES by MIDNIGHT, August 18, 2026. Late payments are subject to penalty and interest. Payments can be left in lock box at Police Department Dispatch until Midnight, August 18, 2026.
PLEASE NOTE: The Police Department cannot provide any information regarding your tax account or receipts for payments.
If any questions please call 985-5120 O ce hours for payment in person are Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
