The Citizen- 9-17-26

Water woes

Kick it

Thompson’s Point wastewater tampering mystery remains unsolved

Fall sports varsity teams start new season at Champlain Valley

Page 2

Page 10

September 17, 2026

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Weekly news coverage for Charlotte and Hinesburg

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Fireworks to return to Hinesburg

Acorns, trees and forest

BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER

change, the current paid employees would become town employees, and volunteers would still be encouraged and integrated into the system.

Due to a lack of volunteers, the depart-

Fireworks will once again light up the sky over Hinesburg on its Fourth of July celebration next year.

Polli Construction, owned by local resident Steven Polli, is going to sponsor the display.

“While circumstances prevented this year’s fireworks celebration, it also reminded us how important a tradition like this is to the heart of our community, and we want it back,” Polli wrote in a press release about the decision.

Like many municipalities in the region, Hinesburg decided to forgo fireworks this past year when the Pennsylvania-based company Pyrotechnico bought local supplier North Star and raised the minimum price to $20,000. According to the company, the decision was related to new tariffs.

Hinesburg Recreation Director Jen McCuin initially budgeted only $12,500 for the display last fall, in line with past years.

McCuin brought the issue to the selectboard in November immediately after she received a call form the company relaying the price change, but there wasn’t time to fundraise, she said. Every year, if the town wants an order of fireworks, it has to lock in the purchase in January.

At the time, the selectboard decided that the increase was more than the alreadystrained budget could bear.

See FIRE DEPARTMENT on page 4

See FIREWORKS on page 15

COURTESY PHOTO

The Vermont Woodlands Association named Hinesburg Town Forest as its Tree Farmer of the Year. The Town Forest Committee celebrated the award Sept. 12.

Charlotte fire, EMS looks to integrate into municipality MARI HUGLIN STAFF WRITER

The Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department asked the selectboard to integrate its volunteer fire service into the town to reduce costs and provide stable services.

At Monday’s selectboard meeting, presi-

dent of the fire service John Snow presented the possible transition wherein the department would be fully controlled, operated and funded by the town.

The department provides fire and emergency medical service assistance, and is currently run by a volunteer board and receives funds from the town. With the

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Page 2 • September 17, 2026 • The Citizen

Thompson’s Point wastewater tampering mystery remains unsolved MARI HUGLIN STAFF WRITER

The case of a possible vandal wreaking havoc on the wastewater system in Thompson’s Point neighborhood remains unsolved.

In May, almost 20 residents of Thompson’s Point reported that their wastewater systems seemed to have been altered. Initially, town officials thought vandals were to blame.

Now, Vermont State Police are classifying the still open case as “suspicious activity,” according to town manager Bryce Bierman.

“We certainly don’t have any confirmation of who could be doing this. All we really know is that it has happened,” Bierman said.

Charlotte wanted to expand security measures by increasing patrols on the peninsula with contracts between Shelburne police or Hinesburg police. The town currently contracts with the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department for police services.

Negations with the neighboring town departments for increased patrolling in the area are still underway.

Bierman reported no incidents in the last month but is still unsure who or what is causing these issues.

In one selectboard meeting on July 13, chair Natalie Kanner said the possible vandalism was costing taxpayers “many thousands of dollars.”

Selectboard member and liaison of the Thompson’s Point Wastewater Committee JD Herlihy said the incidents are expensive. Though unsure what the total costs will end up being, he said they could be over $10,000. The cost burden, however, would be borne by the residents and users of the system on Thompson’s Point, Herlihy said.

Bierman said these costs include repairs to broken valves, pumps and other systems affected by the activity.

Some residents suspected there was miscommunication between residents and the new wastewater manager Lance Perlee on how to operate individual systems.

Bierman said the town originally considered this possibility but dropped it after further investigation.

“We had multiple instances where something had changed with, say, a breaker or a valve and we had somebody called on site to address that concern, and then later in the evening it would be changed again,” he said. “So, I think that gave us confidence that this was something that was being deliberately done and not a mistake by either operator or leaseholder.”

Herlihy said the operating company is not at fault.

“I would say, to my understanding, there’s no reason to believe that there has been any neglect or performance issues with the service provider Simon Operation Services,” Herlihy said.

PHOTO BY MARI HUGLIN

A line of mailboxes at Thompson’s Point in Charlotte.

Hinesburg Police Blotter: Sept. 7-11 Total reported incidents: 44 Traffic stops: 24 Directed patrol: 5 Special overtime: 2 Ambulance call: 1 Citizen dispute: 1 Lockout: 1 Medical emergency: 1 Crash: 1

Motor vehicle complaint: 1 Information report: 1 Citizen assist: 1 Agency assist: 1 Automobile theft: 1 Welfare/suicide check: 1 Property damage: 1 Selected incidents: Sept. 7 at 8:50 a.m., an officer investigated a break-in with

property damage at a business on Route 116.

Sept. 7 at 9:25 a.m., police conducted a welfare check on Richmond Road.

Sept. 8 at 8:10 a.m., police investigated a reported motor vehicle theft on Route 116.

See BLOTTER on page 6

The Citizen • September 17, 2026 • Page 3

One neighbor suggests Hinesburg press pause for CVU turf field BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER

As Champlain Valley Union School District anticipates fundraising to begin for a controversial artificial turf field at its high school in Hinesburg, one local resident is suggesting the town hit the pause button on permitting.

Joe Iadanza, who formerly served on Hinesburg’s planning commission, has come before the selectboard twice to urge the town to consider interim zoning. The measure, as outlined in state law, allows a municipality to hold off on development while it performs a study or reworks pieces of its bylaws. In the two-year interim period, the legislative body — in this case, the selectboard — controls permitting rather than a development review board.

“It’s a timeout,” Iadanza said.

“The selectboard gets the last word on what is allowed during an interim period so the planning commis-

sion can catch up and understand the larger issues.”

A contingent of residents havsfrequently voiced concerns over the proposed synthetic turf field related to microplastics and chemicals reaching the town’s well — although there is disagreement about whether the field would impact the water supply. This would be a period where Hinesburg could consider zoning related to issues like water quality or the kinds of development allowed in the village growth area, Iadanza said.

If the Hinesburg Selectboard takes up the suggestions, it would not be the first legislative body to do so in order to ward off different kinds of unwanted developments.

“Examples I know of in Vermont where municipalities have at least thought about or actually implemented interim bylaws have typically revolved around a Walmart-type, large big-box development being proposed in

town, and not having the right tools to guide the siting of that on a particular property,” Taylor Newton, the deputy director at Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission said.

Interim bylaws are an emergency measure, Newton said. If a municipality expects a kind of development it has never considered before, interim bylaws allow time for it to create appropriate regulations. It isn’t clear what the state may or may not consider an emergency — that is not defined in the law.

Shelburne instituted interim bylaws during pandemic lockdowns to allow increased outdoor seating at restaurants and more sidewalk sales, keeping businesses open during social-distancing measures.

In 2018, South Burlington put interim bylaws in place that See TURF FIELD on page 5

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FIRE DEPARTMENT continued from page 1

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ment has already moved toward paying many of the emergency medical service members, ambulance drivers, department managers and the fire chief. With around 30 staff members, there are a handful of full-time, part-time and per diem employees, and many of the firefighters remain volunteers.

The other benefits of town management, Snow said, include reduced costs, more possibilities for grant funding, better employment opportunities and benefits and possibility for discussion of regionalizing fire departments.

Snow said the fire department board members unanimously voted for integrating into the town to achieve stability and sustain services. He described to the selectboard a “generational cliff” of volunteers, and that the board will struggle to sustain management and services in the future.

Snow said the department is struggling to keep more experienced volunteers who have the skills to supervise and manage.

More complex and expensive emergency services are also a strain on the current operation, he said.

“We think we’re now at the end of the string and if we’re going to do it right and end up with sustained and stable operations, we think we have to work on it seriously now,” Snow said.

Snow said this is a difficult process, and both the town and department have walked away from similar proposals in the past.

PHOTO BY MARI HUGLIN

The Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service located on 170 Ferry Road.

In 2022, the selectboard first presented plans to integrate the fire department, but the department pushed back. In a separate interview, Snow said the department did not object to the notion of a municipal department but rejected the timetable and method the selectboard wanted. It wanted a transition after two to three months, but Snow recommended 12 to 18 months.

“It’s just a lengthy process to do it right and keep the people and have the services still function throughout the process,” Snow said.

Ultimately, Snow said the decision should be done with more deliberation and in public for transparency with the goal of stable service.

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When the process was first launched by the selectboard in 2022, the decision-making process was questioned over transparency, closed-door executive sessions and keeping the rescue service in the dark about the process. At that time, the nonprofit sent a lengthy press release that said selectboard discussions “should be happening in open meetings within the town rather than in so-called executive sessions.”

This new proposed transition process will take around a year to plan and implement, planning for integration in Fiscal Year 2028.

The only rush is getting the department’s budget in before budget season ends.

The selectboard and Snow agreed there will not be too much of a change to the budget since the town already funds the department, making the transition easy. He said he is willing to work closely with the selectboard to make the transition smooth.

“We want to make this work,” Snow said. “We’ve spent decades keeping things ticking over there and we certainly don’t want them to fail at the handoff.”

Selectboard chair Natalie Kanner is supportive of the transition and said that is a “very real” problem the selectboard must address. She said it’s not a unique problem and other Vermont towns, like Ferrisburgh, are struggling with their volunteer fire departments.

Kanner said it will not be a “radical” change. The department will just have a new structure but will not change its services or personnel — at least in the first year of municipal control.

The selectboard will choose two representatives to organize and manage the possible transition along with two representatives from the fire department. By the next selectboard meeting on Sept.

28, both groups will decide how and when they will meet.

Snow is positive about the situation and said there is a “strong spirit of collaboration” present.

The Citizen • September 17, 2026 • Page 5

OPINION Reverse engineering the concept of ‘public education’ Guest Perspective Bill Schubart What is reverse engineering?

We may define the existing model but we don’t spend time critiquing it, nor do we seek related paragons; we imagine a new one.

We collaborate; we don’t compete with one another.

The “common good” is a mean not an absolute, providing the best possible outcome for the most people, not perfection for all, since the perfect is the enemy of the good.

What is public education?

Public education is the continuum of educational infrastructure a government designs, funds and implements to educate all its citizens beyond the traditional family mandate to raise and educate children.

Education takes many forms as it exists from about three months after gestation to the end of life, beginning in-utero when the fetus becomes aware of sound, hearing the heartbeat and voice of its mother. There’s a scientifically disputed theory that playing Mozart to unborn children will stimulate cognition (“Mozart Theory.”)

Public education policy is designed with the goal of “lifelong learning.” This begins at birth, after which either parent is given a paid six-month leave to care for and bond with their newborn.

After the bonding period, communities offer local facilities where newborns and young children can come to learn, develop and play. These nurseries employ professional early educators with specialized pediatric knowledge and access to family-support services. In the first few years of life, more than one million neural connections are formed each second — a pace never repeated again. Early childhood experiences from birth to age eight affect the development of the brain’s architecture, which provides the foundation for all future learning, behavior and health.

Early educators are also trained to identify adverse childhood experiences and, if needed, enlist trauma-informed therapists to work with children and families to address and remediate problems.

Attendance is optional until age five. After that, attendance is required regardless of family religious beliefs.

Traditional educational terminology ignores the fact that boys and girls develop at different rates.

Crèche, nursery school, pre-k, kindergarten, primary, middle, junior high, high school, college, post-graduate and adult education all assume a consistency of developmental needs.

Lifelong learning is a continuum of educational infrastructure from the uterus to the universe: birth mother, both parents, family, neighborhood, community, region, and into the larger world — an

age-appropriate outward migration.

Integral throughout are science and discovery; play and physical activity; civics and community service; personal health care, anatomy and sexuality; solitude and spirituality; arts and creativity; rote learning (nursery rhymes, dramatics and poetry); wilderness time and the understanding that as one ages and learns, she or he is obligated to participate in the lifelong-learning process, giving back in personal experience (and taxes) to a system that’s imbued them with knowledge and the wisdom of accrued experience.

The idea that a “learned status” is achieved on graduation runs contrary to human development.

How many seniors today return to our educational systems to learn new skills and ideas?

Other than a fair-share tax policy, lifelong public education imposes no additional costs on students, parents or families. No one is denied access to lifelong learning for lack of “tuition.”

Remember, a goal is just that.

No matter how hard we try, there will be residual imperfections.

The perfect does not exist. The “common good” makes the endless cycle of life and death better even as it precludes perfection.

encourage specific developments that might be at odds with a town plan or a neighborhood zone.

“There are a lot of other things that that I think about: We already have some gas stations around this well protection area and near where the wells are. Is that wise?

Would we want more?” he said.

He acknowledged that even if the town spends a couple of years reconsidering its zoning or conducting a study, those new regulations may still allow for the synthetic turf field to be built.

Additionally, Hinesburg’s zoning may not be the last word on what’s allowed in the school district. While CVU sits within

Hinesburg’s boundaries, state law has special provisions for schools and other institutions that municipal regulations can be imposed to the extent that they “do not have the effect of interfering with the intended functional use.” It is unclear whether or not this could be applied to the proposed field.

“I think that interim zoning would allow the opportunity to take a look at things that we really hadn’t looked at before — be they public, private, municipal, whatever — and look at them in the larger frame of: ‘are they endangering other things we need to keep a community together?’”

Iadanze said.

Bill Schubart grew up in Lamoille County and now lives in Hinesburg. He writes about Vermont in fiction, humor and opinion pieces.

TURF FIELD

continued from page 3 restricted development in the southeast quadrant of the city for three years — extending the initial two-year period — in order to revise environmental standards.

More recently, Morristown adopted an interim bylaw that placed a moratorium on data centers and other high-impact use facilities.

While the artificial turf project may be the inspiration for the push to adopt interim bylaws, Iadanza said any regulations the town adopts would not be considered spot zoning — an illegal practice in which towns single out a specific parcel or set of parcels for special zoning, often to prevent or

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Page 6 • September 17, 2026 • The Citizen

Car catches fire in Charlotte MARI HUGLIN STAFF WRITER

A car fire occurred at 285 Fishing Access Road in Charlotte on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Around 5:30 p.m. Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the incident. Shelburne Rescue and Vermont State Police also responded.

Personnel arrived on scene around 5:40 p.m. to find a passenger van fully ingulfed with heavy flames emerging from the vehicle’s engine and passenger compartments. There were no passengers inside the vehicle.

The fire was extinguished and, according to a press release by

the Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue, the vehicle’s owner left the site of the incident temporarily in a boat to escape the smoke.

No injuries were recorded but the vehicle was deemed a total loss.

The Vermont State Fire/ Explosive Investigation Unit and Agency of Natural resources were notified of the incident, and determined the cause of the fire was mechanical and not suspicious.

The Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service emphasized people to not delay in calling 911 when emergencies occur and quickly evacuate burning vehicles.

BLOTTER

continued from page 2 Sept. 8 at 5:08 p.m., an officer assisted another agency in serving paperwork.

Sept. 8 at 7:43 p.m., an officer assisted someone with a civil issue.

Sept. 9 at 8:26 a.m., police investigated a late-reported neighbor dispute.

Sept. 10 at 5:19 p.m., police investigated a motor vehicle complaint on Charlotte Road.

Sept. 10 at 6:18 p.m., officers responded to a two-car crash on Route 116.

Sept. 11 at 8:44 a.m., an officer assisted with a medi-

cal emergency on Hawk Lane.

Sept. 11 at 8:50 a.m., an officer helped someone with a lockout.

Sept. 11 at 7:55 p.m., officers investigated a dispute on Pond Road.

Sept. 11 at 8:53 p.m., officers assisted first responders with a medical emergency on Mechanicsville Road Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney Office and can be amended or dropped.

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The Middlebury Performing Arts Series presents the play “The Ford/Hill Project” Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

Student milestones Just in time for a new school year, here are some late arrivals. The following students received academic honors for the spring 2026 semester. Their colleges sent the news along to the newspaper.

• Kali Turner, of Hinesburg, Ohio University dean’s list.

• Jacqueline Goldsmith, of Hinesburg, Furman University dean’s list.

• Mercedes Williams, of Charlotte, Middle Tennessee State University summer dean’s list.

Middlebury Performing Arts announces 2026-27 season The Middlebury Performing Arts Series presents the play “The Ford/Hill Project” Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

The Middlebury Performing Arts Series’ 2026-27 season includes 12 performances, beginning with “The Ford/

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Hill Project” on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 and continuing through April 2027. The season includes five Vermont premieres, chamber music, dance and performances by artists including Dashon Burton, Imani Winds, Maryna Krut, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Paul Lewis. Performances are held at the Mahaney Arts Center in Middlebury. Tickets for the public go on sale Thursday, Sept. 17, at 10 a.m. Tickets are available at go.middlebury.edu/tickets, by calling 802-443-MIDD (6433) or at the MAC box office, 72 Porter Field Road.

Opera Company of Middlebury announces fall festival The Opera Company of Middlebury will present its 2026 Fall Festival, “Music in Troubled Times,” Sept. 23-Oct. 4 at Town Hall Theater in Middlebury. The festival will feature chamber music, film, conversation and opera Tickets and information are available at ocmvermont.org.

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Page 8 • September 17, 2026 • The Citizen

HOME & GARDEN The patience of saving seeds will be rewarded plant after they’ve matured and allow them to dry. The seeds will rattle inside the pod when they’re It’s harvest time, and we’re ready to remove from the plant. enjoying the fruits of our labors, Place the beans or peas on a paper especially the tasty ones we’ll plate to finish drying completely.

For pumpkin and other types reminisce about this winter. While there’s still plenty to do, there’s of squash, allow the fruit to fully one more task worth adding to mature while still on the vine. your gardening to-do list: seed When ready, cut in half and remove the seeds. Spread the saving.

Saving seeds helps preserve seeds in a single layer on paper heirloom varieties for the future. and allow them to dry completely.

To produce If you save seeds seeds, greens from your favorMake a list of saved (such as lettucite heirloom es and spinach) tomato, you can seeds and where and root vegeplant that same tables (such as tomato next year they’re stored. radishes, carrots — for free. and beets) “Heirloom” and “open pollinated” variet- “bolt” or flower. When the flower ies will grow true, meaning they turns brown, use a cup to catch the produce a plant that’s the same flowerhead as you remove it from as its parent. On the other hand, the stem. Allow it to dry completeseeds from hybrid varieties may ly. You can store either the entire be sterile. If they do germinate, seedhead or just the seeds.

Saving tomato seeds is a the size, color, taste and disease resistance are unpredictable. bit different. Cut a ripe tomato Saving heirloom seeds is the most in half, scoop the seeds and reliable way to grow the same surrounding gel into a container and cover them with water. Stir crop year after year.

Always select a healthy, a few times each day to agitate. mature specimen to harvest seeds.

Saving seeds from beans and See SEEDS on page 9 peas is easy. Leave the pods on the DEBORAH J. BENOIT UVM EXTENSION MASTER GARDENER

COURTESY PHOTO

Pumpkin seeds can be dried and saved for planting the following year — or roasted for snacking.

Solitary sandpipers fly south for the winter The Outside Story Loren Merrill As summer ticks towards autumn, the flow of birds heading south for the winter grows in volume until it becomes a rushing torrent of migrants in September and into October. Millions of birds — hundreds of millions, in fact — will pass through the Northeast’s airspace during this time, as species that bred up north head to warmer locations. But this southbound river of migrating birds all began with a few drops as far back as early July, when a handful of shorebirds from northern arctic and subarctic regions started heading south.

One of those early migrants, and one of the most frequently encountered shorebirds in interior parts of the Northeast, is the soli-

tary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria).

Aptly named, the solitary sandpiper generally travels and forages by itself, unlike most other shorebirds, which tend to congregate in large flocks during migration and on their wintering grounds. The exception for the solitary sandpiper is during the breeding season, when males and females form monogamous pair bonds and remain together for a few weeks.

In addition to being a bit of an outlier with regard to its social life, the solitary sandpiper stands alone among North American sandpipers in its nesting behavior; it uses abandoned songbird nests in Canadian and Alaskan boreal forests, typically in muskeg bogs. Because these birds breed in remote areas that are difficult for people to access, we know very little about their breeding ecology. The avian ecologist

Lewis W. Oring was one of the few to study these birds on their breeding grounds, and his accounts from the 1960s and 1970s (along with those of a few others from the 1920s and 1980s) provide glimpses into this world. Oring found that shortly after arriving on their breeding grounds in May, solitary sandpipers begin looking for appropriate nests.

Males do the nest-searching, and when a possible nest is located, the male calls to the female to inspect the nest for suitability. Oring noted that the sandpipers most frequently used nests of the American robin, rusty blackbird, cedar waxwing, Canada jay and eastern kingbird.

Once the female selects a nest, she does a little neatening up of the nest cup, and then lays, on averSee THE OUTSIDE STORY on page 12

The Citizen • September 17, 2026 • Page 9

SEEDS

continued from page 8 Cover the container with a cloth to deter fruit flies. The viable seeds will sink to the bottom. After several days, skim and discard anything that’s floating. Collect seeds from the bottom, rinse, and spread them on paper to dry completely.

Depending on the size of the seeds, drying time can take one to three weeks (or longer for larger seeds in humid conditions). To test dryness, press large seeds with a fingernail. It should leave no mark.

Press small seeds against a hard surface with the back of a spoon. The seed should crack or shatter with a crunching sound. If they’re not thoroughly dried, wait longer.

Your patience will be rewarded in the spring.

Saving seeds isn’t difficult, but there are some important things to keep in mind.

If seeds aren’t completely dry before storing, they may mold, contaminating other seeds in the same container. Label each packet with the type, variety, and date to avoid future mix-ups or confusion. Store

packaged seeds in a cool, dark, dry location to help ensure seed viability. Storing paper packets in a large glass jar or metal container with a secure lid can help discourage mice or insects.

Make a list of saved seeds and where they’re stored. Otherwise, when spring arrives, you may have forgotten what “safe place” those packets are in. A list in your garden journal can be handy when planning for spring planting and determining what seeds you may need to purchase.

For gardening questions, contact the University of Vermont Extension Master Gardener Helpline online (go.uvm.edu/ gardenhelpline) or by phone at 802-6565421 between 9 a.m. and noon on Thursdays from April to October.

Deborah Benoit is a UVM Extension Master Gardener who volunteers as a garden columnist and participates in Bennington County Extension Master Gardener Chapter activities.

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Page 10 • September 17, 2026 • The Citizen

SPORTS Varsity teams at CVU start new season LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

Boys’ golf Coach: Seth Emerson Last season: Second at the Division I state tournament.

Key returnees: Quinn Vincent, senior; Sam Nostrand, senior; Ben Gramer, senior; Jack Main, junior; Anderson Howard, senior.

Key newcomers: Evan Dore, sophomore; Caden Anderson, first year; Matt Bator, first year; Jacob Osekoski, junior.

Outlook: After placing second in a tight Division I state tournament last year, the Redhawks are once again looking to return to the Division I state championship this season. CVU will rely on returning senior leadership to set the tone for a young group of golfers.

“We don’t have a lot of returning match experience,” CVU coach Seth Emerson said. “Hopefully, as we get toward the big matches, we will become more comfortable.”

CVU will have to replace three of the top scorers from last season’s state championship team as the season progresses if they hope to challenge again.

Girls’ golf Coach: Troy Paradee Last season: Division I state champions.

Key returnees: Rylee Makay, senior; Riley Dunn, senior; Kaiya Gallipeau, junior.

Key newcomers: Too early to tell.

Outlook: After winning the Division I state championship last season, Champlain Valley is aiming for a four-peat this year. The Redhawks return the top golfer from last year, Rylee Makay, and will look to both Riley Dunn and Kaiya Gallipeau to return to last year’s form. CVU will also look to get some new

ABOVE PHOTO BY AL FREY RIGHT BY SOPHIA BALUNEK

Above: CVU’s Melina Kanarick shields the ball from her opponent in a game against Essex Sept. 2, where CVU won 2-1.

Right: Redhawk Sawyer Lake keeps his eye on the ball in the tie game against South Burlington on Sept. 4

players time on the golf course to add to the team’s depth.

“I am expecting some strong performances this year from both Dunn and Galipeau, we will need them to score if we want to return to that championship level again this year,” CVU coach Troy Paradee said. “I believe they are both ready to post good numbers this season.”

Boys’ volleyball Coach: Frank Distler Last season: 6-8, lost in the Division I semifinals.

This season: 1-0 Key returnees: Reid Sadler, senior, outside hitter; Henry Shrier, senior, outside hitter; Zephyr Haines, senior, opposite hitter; Ryan Burritt, senior, setter; Willcox Elliott, senior, middle hitter; John Beaumier, junior, opposite hitter.

Key newcomers: Luke Halverson, junior, setter.

Outlook: The Champlain Valley has high expectations

coming into the 2026 fall season.

With an experienced group of returning players, the Redhawks are looking to return to the Division I final for the first time since 2021.

“Our team chemistry is exceptional, which is what will

differentiate us from the other teams in Vermont,” CVU coach Frank Distler said. “We need to stay focused on the fundamentals and take one point at a time.

We expect to have a great season with our eye on being state champions.”

With 11 of the team’s 14 players coming in as seniors or juniors, CVU will have a lot of leadership to rely on.

See PREVIEW on page 11

The Citizen • September 17, 2026 • Page 11

PREVIEW

continued from page 10

Girls’ volleyball Coach: Joey O’Brien Last season: 7-6, lost in the Division I semifinals This season: 2-0 Key returnees: Rowan Farmer, junior, libero; Maya Lewis, senior, setter; Chapin Grubbs, senior, opposite.

Key newcomers: Samantha Boisjoli, senior, middle.

Outlook: Champlain Valley will look to take a step forward this year in high school girls’ volleyball. The Redhawks bring 10 seniors to this season and will

APPLE ORCHARD NOW OPEN

PHOTO BY AL FREY

Sierra Rainey winds up to launch the ball in the CVU girls’ varsity game against Essex Sept. 2

Mixed results start fall Redhawks sports season LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

Football Middlebury 12, Champlain Valley 7: Middlebury broke a defensive stalemate with 17 seconds to go, scoring a touchdown to beat Champlain Valley 12-7 on Saturday.

CVU had a narrow 7-6 lead heading into the final drive, but the Tigers broke through for a 26-yard passing touchdown to surpass the Redhawks.

D’Marcus Riggs and Alex Jovell teamed up for the lone CVU touchdown, a 29-yard TD. CVU is 1-1 and will face Burlington-South Burlington on Friday at 7 p.m. at Burlington’s Buck Hard Field.

Boys’ soccer Champlain Valley 6, Colchester 2: Stef Arsovski and Max Howard each tallied twice to lead Champlain Valley in a win over Colchester on Wednesday.

Lincoln Ricketts and Boden Russell each chipped in with a goal and Waydon Cherington dished out three assists.

CVU moves to 2-0-1 with the win and faced Essex on Wednesday at home at 4:30 p.m., which was after press deadline

Field hockey

rely on experience as they look to challenge for the Division I state championship. Coach Joey O’Brien is relying on the senior leadership — along with the team’s passion and enthusiasm — to help them weather some preseason injuries.

“They are an extremely experienced group and are some of the most enthusiastic and passionate players I’ve ever worked with,” O’Brien said. “They, and the entire team, recognize that the level of volleyball in the state continues to rise and they are excited to compete against each and every opponent.”

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South Burlington 2, Champlain Valley 1 (OT): Hannah Jones had a goal for the Redhawks, while Cici Kenney made nine saves in goal.

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Matt Bator came in with a 41 and Evan Dore shot a 43.

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Page 12 • September 17, 2026 • The Citizen

THE OUTSIDE STORY

Obituaries

Patricia Anne Barton

Patricia Anne Barton The world became a little less bright last week. Pat Barton passed away peacefully on Sept. 9, 2026, following a sixty-year struggle with Type 1 Diabetes. Her longevity amazed her doctors…but not those who knew her well. There was no way she was going to let Diabetes, or anything else for that matter, dictate her life.

There are givers in this world and there are takers. Pat Barton was, without question, a giver.

Since she was a young girl, Pat always wanted to teach children with disabilities and she never wavered from that goal. From the time she was 13 and baby-sitting special needs children, until she retired from teaching in 2002, she dedicated her life to helping those kids who needed her the most.

There is nothing that she wouldn’t do for her children…and she was just as dedicated when she retired as she was when she taught her first child. Here is her story.

Patricia Anne Barton was born on Oct. 13, 1942, in Highland Park, Michigan, to Wayne and Thelma Peppler. Since her father was an engineer with Ford Motor Compa-

Development Review Board Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 6:30 PM Stewart’s Shops Corp. Conditional use and site plan for the expansion of an existing fueling station and the expansion of the existing convenience store on a 3.32acre property located at the 21 Commerce Street (corner of VT-116 and Commerce St) in the Commercial (C) Zoning District. This is a continuation of the public hearing from the July 7, 2026 meeting.

The meeting will be both in person and remote. See meeting agenda on town website with details on how to participate.

ny, they moved to Dearborn, Michigan, where she spent most of her formative years. Her summers, however, were spent at Glen Lake where her parents had built a cottage. Glen Lake was near Lake Michigan in Northwestern Michigan and was considered to be one of the most beautiful Lakes in North America. Pat loved Glen Lake. She swam like a fish, did tricks on water skies, sailed, and did all the things you would expect a young girl to do on summer vacation. But true to herself, she also ran a camp for children where they played games and learned about the flora and the fauna of the area.

After Pat graduated from high school, she attended Central Michigan University where she met her future husband, Jerry Barton. After her sophomore year, she and Jerry were married, and they moved to Lansing, Michigan, and enrolled at Michigan State where Pat got her teaching degree. Following graduation, Pat became the primary breadwinner while Jerry completed his master’s degree at Michigan State.

It was here that we began to realize the depth of Pat’s commitment to special needs children.

Her first job was in an inner-city school, and when she discovered that many of her children were coming to school without breakfast, she fed them breakfast. When she discovered that she didn’t have enough supplies for the children, she bought them supplies. And, when the parents didn’t come to the teachers conferences, she went to the parents. She piled everything into the car and Jerry drove her from house-to-house in the inner city. She had no fear for her safety.

Jerry, on the other hand…

After Jerry finished graduate school, they moved to Detroit where Pat gave birth to their two sons, Rick and Dave. She did not teach while they lived in Detroit, preferring to devote full time to raising her own children. But when they moved to Montreal four years later, she jumped back into special ed and devoted the rest of her working life to children with special needs.

Pat loved Montreal. She loved the excitement of living in an international city, she loved the culture, she loved the people, and she loved her hairdresser, Ernesto. In fact, for three years after they moved to Shelburne, she would drive to Montreal every few months to get her hair cut...not because she was vain, but because her hair was so difficult to manage.

Unfortunately, when the Parti Quebecois came into power in Quebec, many of Jerry’s clients moved to Toronto, so Pat and Jerry moved to Toronto as well.

Although Toronto was a beautiful city it did not have the interna-

continued from page 8 tional flare that Montreal had, and because Pat didn’t feel that Rick’s educational needs were being well served in Toronto, the family decided to move back to the states and they have lived in Shelburne ever since. Pat loved Vermont and aside from her hairdresser, it met all her personal and professional needs.

She finished her master’s degree at the University of Vermont, taught at Porter’s Point school and then at Mary Hogan School in Middlebury until she retired in 2002.

When she wasn’t traveling with her family or boating on Lake Champlain, Pat made beautiful quilts and wall hangings, she was president of the Quilters Guild, and she was on the board of the American Diabetes Association where she organized their annual bikea-thon. She loved to ski with her family (before she tore her ACL), party with her friends, travel with her husband and dote on her twin grandchildren.

Pat was one of the most selfless, generous and courageous people that you could ever meet. She had a smile that would melt an iceberg and a spirit that kept her going against all odds.

Well done, Pat, well done.

Pat is survived by her devoted husband Jerry, her sons Rick and Dave, her daughter-in-law Sharon Barton, her grandchildren Connor and Mitchel, her sister-in-law Jewel Barton of Winston Salem, N.C. and her children, Jill Huffman and Scott and Eric Barton. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Elizabeth Peppler of Lansing, Mich., and her children, Matthew Peppler and Melanie Williams, her nephew Tony Fink of Madison Heights, Mich., her niece Katie Heffron of Freeland, Mich., her step brother-in-law Charles Smith, his wife Beverly Smith of Saginaw, Mich., and her sister-in-law Geraldine Gage of Manistee, Mich.

Pat was predeceased by her parents Wayne and Thelma Peppler, her brother Jim, her sisterin-law Mary Fink, her brother-inlaw Richard Gage, and her nephew Phillip Barton.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Charlotte Senior Center on Oct. 11 from noon to 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes.org/ ways-to-give.

For the full obituary or to share a memory of Pat, visit gregorycremation.com

age, four speckled eggs. Both the male and female incubate the eggs, but what happens after hatching is mostly a mystery. The young, which are downy and precocial (born alert and mobile, with their eyes open) abandon the nest soon after hatching and likely remain with one or both parents for some period of time before becoming independent. There is no information on the duration of parental care (if any) nor on what happens during the fledgling period. Adults begin migrating first, especially those that lost their eggs or young to predators or inclement weather. These adults are the ones to first arrive in the Northeast in early to mid-July, appearing at almost any source of freshwater, including flooded fields, drainage ditches and other temporary water bodies in addition to ponds, wetlands and riverine systems.

The timing of peak solitary sandpiper autumn (or more accurately, “post-breeding”) migration varies a bit across the region but generally occurs in August. Venture into quiet backwaters of streams, rivers, ponds and wetlands during this time, and you are likely to come across this robin-sized shorebird with long greenish-yellow

legs, a clean white belly, brown back flecked with white and a bold white eye-ring. One of the characteristic behavioral traits of the solitary sandpiper is that it often bobs its upper body when standing in one spot or as it walks along the edge of the water looking for invertebrates, small fish and tadpoles.

When flushed, it often utters a sharp wheet-wheet-wheet as it flutters to a new location. Upon landing, solitary sandpipers have the distinctive habit of keeping their wings raised above the body for a few beats before dropping them to their sides.

By late September, most of these birds will have moved further south, and many will already have reached their wintering destinations in Central and South America.

For the next few weeks, however, we get to enjoy these long-legged loners as they patrol our inland waters.

Loren Merrill is a science writer and photographer with a PhD in ecology. Illustration by Adelaide Murphy Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine and sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: nhcf.org.

Kathleen Fox On Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, Kathleen Fox, passed away peacefully after a long battle with See OBITUARIES on page 15

ILLUSTRATION BY ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL

The Citizen • September 17, 2026 • Page 13

Horoscope September 17, 2026

ANSWERS FROM THIS ISSUE

Weekly Puzzles

Champl 4

RABIES BAIT

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saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost alcontinued from page 2 ways fatal in humans and animals. However, Page 14 • September 17, 2026 • The Citizen treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly The week-long bait drop is a coopera- 100 percent effective when given soon after SHELBURNE DAY tive effort between Vermont and the U.S. a person is bitten by a rabid animal. continued from page 4 Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont to stop the spread of the potentially fatal have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of Shelburne Historical Society will have a disease. those have been raccoons. display and president Dorothea Penar will Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the According to wildlife officials, rabid brain that infects mammals. It is most often animals often show a change in their nor- lead a cemetery tour at 1 p.m. Food venseen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, mal behavior, but you cannot tell whether dors round out the event with everything but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also an animal has rabies simply by looking at from coffee and lemonade to burgers and get rabies. The virus is spread through the it. People should not touch or pick up wild creemees. Kids will enjoy meeting animals from Shelburne Farms, craft projects, and bite of an infected animal or contactemail with itsadvertising@thecitizenvt.com animals or strays – even baby animals. or call 802-238-4980 To advertise

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FIREWORKS

continued from page 1 “It was the 250th, which was ties are built not only through the very unfortunate. I think a lot of homes we build and remodel, but people were especially unhap- by investing in the people who py as soon as people figured out live in them. When families gather a couple of weeks before July 4 together for July 4th Fireworks, that we weren’t children look doing fireworks,” up at the sky McCuin said, in amazement, “Then when adding that people neighbors reconsomething is gone, don’t necessarinect, and everyly follow along one shares a you realize it.” with the budget beautiful expeprocess in the fall. rience,” Polli For some, the lack — Jennifer McCuin wrote. of fireworks came The fireas a surprise. works have Polli Construction is going to been a long tradition in Hinessponsor the fireworks for next year, burg, McCuin said — the town giving the town time to potentially has been hosting its parade and fundraise for 2028. The display is celebration for 50 years. The sense intended as a kind of make-up for of loss from one missing year may missing the 250th anniversary of galvanize people to help fundraise the Declaration of Independence to keep the tradition going this — Hinesburg is calling the cele- coming year. bration “250+1.”

“We all tend to take things for “Our company has always granted, and then when something believed that strong communi- is gone, you realize it,” she said.

COURTESY PHOTO

From left: Fire Chief Prescott Nadeau, Recreation Coordinator Jennifer McCuin, Police Chief Christopher Romance, Town Manager Todd Odit and Steven Polli, owner of Polli Construction.

OBITUARIES

continued from page 12 dementia. Her passing was neither unexpected nor cruel; rather, it is a comfort to know she can now finally rest.

Born in Columbus, Nebraska, Kathy grew up in Hurley, New York, and attended local schools until attending high school at Rogers Hall in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Upon graduation, she attended nursing school in Syracuse, New York. Kathy pursued a career in nursing with a focus on infant care, working in Catholic orphanages in Washington, D.C., until accepting a position at Kingston Hospital and in Kingston, New York. From there she went too Albany, New York, until her marriage.

In 1974 Kathy married George Fox and left New York for Vermont.

They lived in Burlington for over a year before making their home in Charlotte where she lived for over fifty years.

In addition to caring for her the smallest sewing project until undiagnosed learning disability family, Kathy worked as a day care you eventually just did it yourself. to become a nurse, she had fought provider at the Charlotte Children’s Kathy embraced Christmas the school district to fully accept Center throughout the 1980s and fully, decorating the home imme- her daughter as a “mainstreamed” later worked as a house cleaner diately at the conclusion of the special needs student, and she had and in various roles at the Vermont Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade fought on behalf of her son countTeddy Bear Company for many and always tasking George with less times when he may or may not years. finding a tree with pinecones in its have pushed the boundaries of the Kathy was much more than the branches. Her ornament collection rules and regulations of the school sum of dates of employment and was vast and varied, and she treated system. places lived, though: decorating the Christmas tree as an At the time of her death Kathy Kathy loved music and the arts, art form. left behind her husband, George having sung in church and school Kathy gave her time freely in Fox; her children Richard (Erica choirs throughout her youth and support of the Women’s Fellow- Webster) and Carrie; her grandchilhaving enjoyed multiple Broadway ship at the Charlotte Congrega- dren Josephine and Elle; her sister shows with her parents as a teen- Kathleen Fox tional Church, the then-Champlain Amy Kafantaris (Michael); and an ager. She listened to her favorite Association of Retarded Citizens, extended network of family and musical soundtracks, folk singers cookies, cakes, candied nuts and Vermont Special Olympics and any friends across the country. and Irish musicians at every oppor- chocolates. Her Poison Cherry endeavor in which her family was All of Kathy’s friends are 4/29/2019 Brownies were both a family tradi- involved. tunity, and introduced her favorite welcome to attend. groups to her family on vinyl, on tion and a dorm favorite while her Kathy’s final years took much Services will be held on Sept. 26 at Rutgers.

3.5 xson2was AD for Shelburne News Thefrom Citizen CD and even in concert. of this &away her as she at 11 a.m. at Grandview Cemetery, Kathy loved knitting and loathed battled dementia, but she never- Charlotte. In lieu of flowers, donaKathy was a largely self-taught sewing; she would eagerly knit hats theless stayed true to her charac- tions may be made to the Vermont baker and candy maker, keeping 24 Consecutive Weeks $18.00/week for both papers $432.00 the family’s sweet tooth sated with and sweaters but would delay even ter: She had fought through an Alzheimer’s Association.

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