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October 29, 2026
Hinesburg explores rescue service, budget items
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Charlotte requests bids for new beach building
Goodbye, fall
MARI HUGLIN STAFF WRITER
Beachgoers may soon have a new bathhouse to enjoy the sun, sand and Lake Champlain as Charlotte gets closer to choosing how they want to build a new structure. The Town Beach Bathhouse Working Group has officially requested bids for renovations or an entirely new building at the Charlotte Town Beach, replacing the current beach house that’s over 50 years old with aging infrastructure and insufficient privacy, according to the request for proposals. “We’re not looking for fancy, but we are looking for something that’s very functional and going to serve us for the next 50 years,” Maura Wygmans, chair of the working group, told the selectboard on Oct. 12. Wygmans presented three options for a new bathhouse: major renovations to the existing structure; demolish and build a new bathhouse in the original footprint; or demolish and build a new structure in a different loca-
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
Hinesburg’s fire department is proposing an ambulance rescue service for the town using $750,000 of start-up funding from a donor. The town selectboard heard from its three most expensive departments last week to begin preparing next year’s budget — which is currently projected at $4.4 million, although that’s liable to change. The plan for the ambulance service came along with some increases to staffing in the highway and police departments, and unknown costs associated with the contract with Shelburne Dispatch. For the first year, the ambulance service — excluding the physical ambulance — would cost the town nothing. Over the course of the next six years, fire chief Prescott Nadeau told the board, the town would slowly take over PHOTO BY SOPHIA BALUNEK
See BUDGET on page 15
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Page 2 • October 29, 2026 • The Citizen
School district sets spending, will include staff cuts BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
As it plans for next year’s operating budget, the state’s largest school district has set a target of $112.5 million. If that number makes it to town meeting day ballots in March, it will represent a 4.3% increase to the current budget, but Champlain Valley School District officials say it would also mean $2.5 million worth of cuts, including an estimated two dozen employees. “Whatever you choose has some pretty serious impact for us and for our faculty and staff and for our students,” superintendent Adam Bunting told the school board as he laid out the timeline for identifying those potential reductions. The $112.5 million is not a final figure. The district still must make calculations around some of its biggest line items — such as special education. It held a community forum after press deadline on Oct. 27. Additionally, state calculations around the tax rate and weighted students may also impact the final result. However, the initial budget
sets a target for the school board and establishes what it’s willing to ask of taxpayers and the sacrifices it’s prepared to make in terms of programming and personnel. School district finance director Nicole Lee presented the board with a range of budget options. Were the district to move ahead with a level-service budget — one that keeps all current programs and services going, accounting for negotiated raises and health care costs — Lee calculated a cost of $114.9 million. That budget, she said, would have gone over the excess spending threshold set by the state. The state established the threshold in its 2024 reform, and the rate is set each year by multiplying the rate of inflation and an additional 18% with previous average per-pupil spending across the state. If a district exceeds its threshold, the excess amount is counted twice when the state calculates the district’s tax rate. Per the schedule set by the state, this coming year will be the last year that the extra percent increase will be 118% — in 2028, that target will drop to 115%. The
Ring around the Rosie
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Some ghostly decorations play outside in the cool fall weather.
state anticipates getting rid of the threshold when it establishes a foundation formula, which would put per-pupil spending decisions in the hands of the state. While the school board chose not to pursue a budget in excess of the state threshold, it also opted for holding off on deeper cost-cutting. A budget with a 3.2% increase, another option presented by Lee, would have resulted in a $111 million dollar
budget, but around $3.6 million in cuts — which, Bunting told the board, would likely result in around 36 layoffs. The desire to spend or cut may not be evenly felt across the district. While directors from Williston said that they’d been hearing from people in their community that the appetite for further cuts is low, Hinesburg director Keith Roberts said that he was not as confident that budgets would be supported going forward. While 4.3% may seem to
exceed national inflation rate of 3.2%, board members noted that it’s much closer to the Northeast Region consumer price index. According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the northeast regional rate is currently 4.2%, driven largely by fuel costs. However, inflation also still outpaces wage. The same bureau reports that wages in Chittenden County have only increased by 3.4% in the last year. The district plans to hear a budget presentation on special education on Nov. 3.
Charlotte, Hinesburg voters head to the polls on Tuesday Voters will head to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots for a slate of political candidates — if they haven’t already voted early. In addition to statewide races, proposed constitutional amendments and the biennial contest for Vermont’s lone representative to Congress, here are the races of importance for local voters. • State Senate: Chittenden Southeast (three seats): Thomas Chittenden, D-South Burlington; Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Shelburne; Virginia “Ginny” Lyons, D-Williston; Bruce Roy, R-Williston; Javen Sears, R-South Burlington; Rohan St. Marthe, R-Jericho. • House, Chittenden-4 district: Kelsey Pasteris, D-Hinesburg; John Kingston, I-Hinesburg • House, Chittenden-5 district: Chea Waters Evans, D-Charlotte • Chittenden County state’s attorney: Sarah George, D/P-Col-
chester; Jace Laquerre, R-Milton • Chittenden County sheriff: Daniel Gamelin, D/R-Colchester • Chittenden County high bailiff: Paul McManus, R-Williston; Sean Miller, I-Burlington; Amy Payne, D-Burlington Chittenden County assistant judge (two seats): Connie Cain Ramsey, D/R-Burlington; Anne Nichols Williams, D/R-Burlington • Chittenden County probate judge: Gregory J. Clennon, D/R-Burlington Each town has justices of the peace up for election, and Hinesburg has a 1% local option tax up for vote via Australian ballot on Nov. 3. The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Hinesburg Town Hall, 10632 Route 116 • Charlotte Town Hall, 159 Ferry Road
The Citizen • October 29, 2026 • Page 3
Shelburne fires police officer who made pit stop with prisoner was not due to Collins needing a restroom during an emergency. It was for other reasons. “We, as emergency respondA Shelburne Police officer, who officials say left a hand- ers, have all had the misfortune cuffed prisoner alone in a locked of needing to use the facilities at and unattended cruiser outside a the wrong time. The issue is how St. Albans convenience store for we manage the emergency and about eight minutes, has been report our actions when they fall outside General Orders. Officer fired by the town. Shelburne Officer Matthew Collins had several failures while Collins also may have attempt- handling this situation,” the chief ed to assault another department said. Collins had been rehired by member who had urged him to self-report the misconduct, Shelburne Police in May 2025 according to the findings in an with the standard one-year internal investigation report probationary period. However, obtained by Vermont News First. Flore extended that probation for another six Collins made months, records the emergency “The issue is how show. stop during an Once police Aug. 4 prisoner we manage the officers earn transport to use their tenure, a public bathemergency and normally at room during the 12 months, 50-minute drive report our actions.” they cannot from Shelburne be dismissed to the Northwest — Josh Flore under Vermont State Correctionlaw except for al Facility in St. negligence, dereliction of duty Albans Town. Police Chief Josh Flore recom- or conduct unbecoming an offimended on Aug. 28 that Collins, cer. Without tenure they can be who has worked three different removed for no stated reason. Collins, who has a master’s stints for Shelburne Police during his roughly 23-year law enforce- degree in education, worked 18 ment career, be dismissed with- years for University of Vermont out a hearing. Shelburne Town Police Services. He worked at Manager Matt Lawless subse- Shelburne Police from February quently ordered Collins terminat- 2019 to August 2021 and served as the first full-time School ed on Sept. 8. Flore said he based his Resource Officer at Champlain dismissal decision in part on an Valley Union High School. He independent internal investiga- did private security work at tion conducted by South Burl- Porter Medical Center and UVM ington Deputy Police Chief Sean Medical Center before getting Briscoe, who concluded Collins re-hired in Shelburne by then-pohad failed to file an accurate lice chief Mike Thomas. Collins told Vermont News police report about the prisoner transport and had deactivat- First there is no appeal possible. ed his body-worn and cruiser He said he paid union dues but cameras during the unauthorized was not entitled to representation stop in St. Albans. Briscoe said because he was still on probaCollins did not report the stop, tion. Lawless did not meet with the deactivation of his cameras, Collins before the firing, he said. Collins, 59, said the town or anything out of the ordinary provided one month of health during the prisoner transport. Collins said in a phone inter- benefits after the dismissal. Flore had placed Collins on view last week he believed the dismissal was extreme and some paid administrative leave on Aug. lesser discipline could have been 7 pending the outcome of the imposed considering the circum- internal investigation. The chief stated in public stances. He said on the night in ques- records Collins was on a perfortion he had gone to work while mance improvement plan, but did sick because he did not want to not say why an officer with more leave Shelburne Police and the than two decades professional community short-handed. It was experience had his probationary unfortunate that he needed a bath- period extended. Flore, in recommending room break while transporting a prisoner, he said. He said he had dismissal, wrote that he thought hoped to stop at a portable toilet Collins had violated five generat a construction site on Interstate al department orders plus a town rule that prohibits fighting, 89, but did not find one. Flore said the investigation engaging in horseplay or acts that MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT
endanger safety of employees. According to Briscoe’s investigation, Collins was assigned to take the prisoner to the Northwest State Correctional Center in St. Albans Town by himself. The report also relied on convenience store video footage, which showed Collins head directly to the bathroom. Store video showed Collins was gone for about eight minutes and nobody approached the cruiser during that period, but the area was busy with people nearby. The rear lights of the patrol car were left on. Collins pulled out of the parking lot at 9:35 p.m. and a minute later the vehicle cameras were turned back on. The police cruiser, a F-150 pickup, was equipped with a half cage to detain prisoners in the back seat. It also had a shotgun and a rifle locked in a rack in the vehicle. Collins acknowledged they could be accessed with the push of a bottom. Briscoe said Collins, in retrospect, acknowledged he could have called for assistance from another police agency to watch the prisoner while he attended to his personal needs. Collins said he thought he lacked time.
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Squad room tussle Briscoe also had found that while no misconduct complaint was initially filed for a tussle with Officer Daniel Delgado in the police squad room, the deputy chief said he found that a serious problem. After he returned to Shelburne, Collins confided in Delgado about the trip and detour, the report notes. Collins disclosed he had a restroom emergency and he had to stop or he would soil himself. He admitted he de-activated all his cameras and left the prisoner unattended. Delgado advised Collins he needed to self-report the incident immediately. Collins became agitated and repeated things like “I can’t lose my job,” the report said. The incident between Collins and Delgado is also in the internal investigation, which notes Collins “roughly grabbed his left arm and attempted to use an ‘arm bar’ and force the arm behind Delgado’s back. Collins attempt was unsuccessful as Delgado is a much stronger person.” The internal investigation states Collins struggled when asked about his confrontation with Delgado, “stating that if he had any contact with Delgado it must have been in a joking manner.”
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Page 4 • October 29, 2026 • The Citizen
Hinesburg Police Blotter: Oct. 19-23 Total reported incidents: 50 Traffic stop: 29 Suspicious person: 4 Directed Patrol: 3 Welfare check: 2 Crash:Police 2g merger talks Alarm: 1 restart Fraud: 1 Motor vehicle complaint: 1 d meetho1 Citizen r Aussie fassist: oppttss fo Charlotte Special overtime: 1 ad admit urg Womaann in Hinesb usbannd kill husba
dive into s ce rescue
Prosecutor charged case
Housing needs Page 4
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Attorney seeks against teen
to move
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ALD MCDON onsible for a EY MCD COREY the group respons to switch to a on District W STTAFF WRITER dent-led petition of government School in form Valley lain Va town manager has LIBERTY DARR $105 million Selectboard he selectboard The Champ approved the budget, and — a move the The Charlotte STTAFF WRITER ously osed. The board pposed. oppo oppose Monday after it unanim yearr,, sending tax increase, to as una has issued an apology public comment strenuously polll vote against the school ing next a straw spendin COREY MCDONALD Three Charlotte Selecctboard attempted to limit 18 percent g Day. Day at a public took at a meetingg in August. rough ng a roughly idea for STTAFFaWRITER candidates and one for the library own Meetin from certain residentsregarding Town T To gi ive an apology allengi week voters for a very challen “I’d like to give #"! " ! ! 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" side incumbent Louise MccCarren mi 10 million $10 a meeting. ti Selectboard S l tb d Chair Ch i and d Natalie N li K Kanner, who h ar re b h both Merrily Lovell in December said vying for the two-year seat. McCa afffectto, MAZUR ce premiumss bu ere responding that she, departments selectboard were member rren was present for most of the DWIGHT busiand in health insuran s, towns, PHO BY PHOTO wns, and volu of calls volume its second their managMaggie Gordon, town # " " " " as well as COREY MCDONALD increase school district state. d team earned and compared nts, points, er To Todd Odit anddata police Chief remaining last few question ns. the March, other ount Mansfiel STTAFF WRITER the departing many throughout ed last Ma oved Anthony Cambridge metwidth withof Champlain Valley/M Matthew Bijur, who waas also approv g than that to the bandwid d nesses alike budget, safety stra- " ! in spendin fff . ck. 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Selected incidents: Oct. 19 at 7:57 a.m., an officer investigated a report of someone refusing to leave a residence on VT Route 116.
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responded with the fire department to an aided case at a Hawk Lane residence. Oct. 22 at 11:11 p.m., officers responded to a dispute at a VT Route 116 residence. Oct. 23 at 8:08 a.m., an officer investigated lost property at a Kelleys Field residence. Oct. 23 at 8:13 p.m., officers investigated a possible suspicious person near Birchwood Drive.
so that’s something of paramount importance,” Wygmans said. If the structure stays in its original footprint, a path will need to be paved to connect it to the parking lot. If the structure is moved, the water line and septic must be extended to the new location. The third option would place the building closer to the parking lot and picnic tables, making it more accessible and visible. Wygmans said that if the building is moved, the foundation of the original structure could be used as a pavilion or covered picnic area. The redesigns would add new bathrooms, changing rooms, outdoor showers, storage for recreation activities and an office all within 500 square feet.
The working group wants calculated costs for all three of these options before recommending the best solution to the selectboard. In 2025, voters agreed to set aside $40,000 in the capital budget for improvements during town meeting. Wygmans said the group is looking for a firm that can give them renderings, updated designs, concrete costs and assistance with fundraising and grant writing. In 2025, around 950 beach passes were sold with an estimated 10,000 visitors that year according to a study done by the working group. Before 2025, the bathhouse had been closed for multiple years due to issues with the septic system and pump.
Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney Office and can be amended or dropped.
continued from page 1
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ing juveniles on North Road. Oct. 21 at 6:55 p.m., an officer conducted a welfare check on St. Cyr Lane. Oct. 21 at 9:06 p.m., officers investigated a report of unknown persons in the area of Hollow Road. Oct. 22 at 1:24 p.m., an officer investigated a motor vehicle crash on Pond Road. Oct. 22 at 2:01 p.m., an officer investigated a 911 hangup call on Sherman Hollow Road. Oct. 22 at 3:20 p.m., an officer conducted a welfare check on Mechanicsville Road. Oct. 22 at 5:49 p.m., officers
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Oct. 19 at 12:47 p.m., officers investigated a burglar alarm at a Red Pine Road residence. Oct. 20 at 3:15 p.m., an officer investigated a report of online fraud on Pikes Point Road. Oct. 20 at 3:25 p.m., an officer investigated a motor vehicle complaint at Buck Hill Road. Oct. 20 at 9:03 p.m., an officer assisted an individual picking up personal belongings from a residence on VT Route 116. Oct. 21 at 12:51 p.m., an officer investigated a traffic crash on CVU Road. Oct. 21 at 6:18 p.m., an officer investigated an incident involv-
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tion closer to the parking lot. The project originated because the current bathhouse does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, including having wide enough doorways, accessible stalls, consistently working sinks and a paved ramp, according to previous reporting from The Citizen. Additionally, the beach house has cracked floors, siding and a roof that needs replacement, no potable water and no tempered water. The group must weigh the three different renovation options and the costs to make the bathhouse more accessible. “Obviously this whole project started because of accessibility,
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The Citizen • October 29, 2026 • Page 5
OPINION Make sure 1%’s tax cut exists before claiming it Guest Perspective Bill Shouldice With election season here, taxes are all over the news and social media and sometimes it’s hard to know what’s accurate. Recently, I’ve gotten into work in the morning all fired up about something I saw online — so I ask the experts on my staff at the Department of Taxes what they make of it. Most of the time, their answer is a polite version of, “That’s total garbage, Bill, and you really need to stop looking at Facebook so much.” But when a claim shows up often enough, in enough places, it starts to feel true. That’s exactly when it’s worth slowing down and factchecking. Since Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or OBBBA, in 2025, I’ve seen lots of posts about how Vermonters could be impacted on their federal taxes. One hot take that keeps coming up — and seems to have gotten even more momentum recently — is the idea that OBBBA gives the top 1% of Vermonters an average tax cut of $57,000. This federal tax cut figure is usually paired with a call to make Vermont’s wealthiest pay more state income taxes toward funding new initiatives. After all, they just saw a massive federal tax cut, right? Well, as my staff and the Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal staff explained this past session, that’s not what actually happened. High-income taxpayers did see a federal tax cut from the first Trump administration’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, back in 2017. During the 2018 legislative session that followed, Vermont legislators responded — raising state income taxes on those top earners to “recoup” or “claw back” some of those federal tax cuts. What the OBBBA did last year was extend those existing tax cuts rather than let them expire. That popular $57,000 figure actually relates to the average tax increase high earners would have seen if the 2017 Trump tax cuts had expired. Getting specific: Vermont’s highest earners don’t suddenly have $57,000 in their bank accounts that they didn’t before the OBBBA happened. And if we want to fund a new initiative here in Vermont, the truth is that it will require a new and very real tax increase on Vermonters. How much to tax high earners is a debate worth having, but the facts are important. For one, wealth and income aren’t the same thing, and a surcharge on the highest income filers will not necessarily hit “the wealthy.” In Vermont, our tax data consistently shows that high income tends to be a one-time event —
like selling a business or farm. In fact, of all the Vermonters who earned enough to make it to the top 1% in the past decade (reporting income of roughly $500,000 or more), almost half reached that income level only once over the ten-year period. Only about 700 filers hit that mark every year. For many Vermonters, selling their farm or business is their retirement plan. So when advocates call to tax “the wealthy,” they are really proposing that the state take an even larger bite out of the money older Vermonters are counting on to support them for years to come. Whether we’re talking about “one-time events” or one of the 700 consistently high-income individuals, these Vermonters are already paying some of the highest income taxes in the country. Some people point to the 4% surcharge on income over a million dollars that Massachusetts enacted in 2023 and claim that Vermont should try something similar. Well, you might be surprised to learn that a Vermonter making a million dollars in 2026 is already paying about $30,000 more in state income taxes than they would in Massachusetts, even with their new “millionaire tax.” In fact, they already pay more than they would in all but four other states in the country. Even at ten million dollars of income, that person is still paying more in Vermont than they would in Massachusetts. But, unlike Massachusetts and other high tax states like New York and California, Vermont just doesn’t have the kind of industry where people earn that kind of income on a regular basis. In a given year, Vermonters with income over $500,000 currently pay about a third of all the income taxes the state receives. The top 10% pays about 65%. The bottom 50% of filers contribute a little less than 3%. Overall, Vermont has one of the most progressive state tax systems in the country. We also are one of just twelve states in the country with an estate tax, which is the only type of tax that truly applies to accumulated wealth. I get it — taxes are confusing and who really wants to go deep on tax policy? No doubt it’s a lot easier to take a headline or a social media post and run with it — I have certainly been guilty of that. But to have productive conversations on improving our tax system or paying for new initiatives, we need to separate the facts from the spin. Vermont voters and taxpayers deserve that from us. Bill Shouldice IV was appointed commissioner of the Vermont Department of Taxes by Gov. Phil Scott in February 2025. He and his wife live in Stowe.
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Friday, 11/6 or 2/5, 8:30-11:15am 8th grade students are invited to spend a half day on campus: attend short classes, meet our teachers, connect with other prospective students, and experience Rice firsthand.
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Page 6 • October 29, 2026 • The Citizen
Society is putting seniors out to digital pasture Guest Perspective Michael Strauss I am nearly 87 years old. I spent my professional life as a professor at the University of Vermont and am reasonably comfortable with computers. I now teach for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UVM, the Davis Studio in South Burlington and on ZOOM. I use an iPhone, iPad, a Mac Studio desktop computer, laptops and digital cameras in this work. Yet I increasingly confront systems I cannot navigate — not because I am incapable of understanding them, but because they have become needlessly complicated and because the human beings who once helped us seem to have disappeared. Passwords become passkeys. Verification codes arrive on one device while I am working on another. A bank, credit-card company, insurance company, medical office, government agency or enormous corporation such as Facebook directs me to a website. The website sends me to an automated assistant. The automated assistant sends me to another page. Sometimes the cycle begins again. Recently, I spent days trying to resolve a problem with Facebook. I placed an ad intended for people in Vermont, but Facebook distributed it across the United States for a month. The charge ran to many hundreds of dollars. When I tried to correct the error and request a refund, I encountered automated systems, inaccessible or malfunctioning
pages and repeated instructions to try again later because human assistance was unavailable. After three days, I finally received a call from a representative. He asked for permission to attach Facebook code to my website, which I declined. His actual purpose, it turned out, was to sell me more advertising. I wanted a refund. For that, he said, I would have to return to the chatbot. Eventually I found myself in the extraordinary position of watching artificial-intelligence systems stand between me and the people and institutions with which I was trying to communicate. I took screenshots of Facebook’s chatbot responses and uploaded them to Perplexity AI, seeking guidance on how to respond. That led only to another circle of dead links and instructions to repeat what I had already done. And I am one of the lucky ones. Through my pastoral-care work, I spend much time with older people, some of whom are beginning to experience the ordinary cognitive changes that can accompany aging. I see how difficult the digital world can become for them. Tasks that once required a telephone call or a visit to an office may now require remembering a password, finding a verification code, distinguishing a legitimate message from a scam, navigating menus, understanding unfamiliar terminology and moving successfully among several screens or devices. These abilities are increasingly See STRAUSS on page 7
The Citizen • October 29, 2026 • Page 7
Journalism Club to discuss Vermont election coverage The second meeting of Vermont’s new Journalism Club will focus on how local and state reporters covered the 2026 elections. Readers and reporters will convene just two days after the midterms at Wild Meadows Books & Café in Williston on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. They’ll discuss Vermont’s highly competitive statewide and legislative races — and how voters get the information they need to make informed choices. Featured panelists will include VTDigger state government and politics reporter
Shaun Robinson and Vermont Community Newspaper Group editor-in-chief Tommy Gardner. The event will be moderated by Boston Globe reporter Paul Heintz. Sponsored by the Vermont Journalism Coalition, Wild Meadows and the Williston Observer, Journalism Club is a monthly gathering that brings together news producers and consumers to discuss the reporting process. It takes place on the first Thursday of the month at Wild Meadows, 27 Market St. in Williston. RSVPs are appreciated but not required.
SPINE-TINGLING? SPINE-TINGLING
End the month with author events! Friday, October 30, 6 p.m. Join us for conversation and book signings with Amber Roberts, author of Haunt Your Heart Out and Lindsay Lovise, author of Gingerbread Bones.
STRAUSS continued from page 6 becoming prerequisites for participation in ordinary life. That should concern all of us. We have constructed essential institutions around the assumption that people will retain certain cognitive and technological abilities indefinitely. But they will not. Memory may decline. Vision and hearing may worsen. Manual dexterity may change. New terminology may become harder to learn. The ability to hold several unfamiliar steps in working memory may diminish. None of this means that an older person has ceased to be intelligent, independent or capable of making decisions. Yet digital systems can treat that person as though he or she no longer belongs. We are putting seniors out to digital pasture. There is a cruel irony here. The people who most need access to health care, insurance, banking, Social Security, pharmacies and other essential services are often those most likely to have difficulty navigating the increasingly complicated digital gateways to those services. At the same time, we are systematically eliminating the alternatives. Telephone numbers disappear from websites or lead only to chatbots. Local offices close. Human representatives become difficult — or impossible — to reach. “Customer service” becomes a chatbot. Even reaching a human being may require successfully navigating the very digital system with which one needs help. This is usually defended as efficiency. From the institution’s point of view, perhaps it is. But efficiency for an organization can become exclusion for a citizen. There is also a larger question of dignity. A society should not require its citizens
to demonstrate technological competence in order to obtain medical care, question a credit-card charge, communicate with an insurance company or gain access to their own money. We rightly require physical accommodations for people who cannot climb stairs. We would not tell an 87-year-old who uses a wheelchair that the bank is on the third floor and that, unfortunately, there is no elevator. Yet we are increasingly constructing the cognitive equivalent of buildings without elevators. Digital technology itself is not the enemy. It has brought enormous benefits, including important benefits for older people. The problem is making it the only door. Every essential institution should maintain a genuine human alternative: a telephone number answered by a person, an accessible office or another straightforward way to obtain help without negotiating a maze of passwords, passkeys, verification codes, apps and automated agents. This is not merely an issue for today’s elderly. Younger people should pay attention, because, if they are fortunate, they too will become old. The digital abilities that seem effortless at 35 or 50 may not seem effortless at 85 or 95. And the technology they will confront then has not even been invented yet. We have spent decades making buildings physically accessible. It is time to think just as seriously about making our institutions cognitively accessible. No one should be put out to pasture simply because the doorway to ordinary life has become a password.
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Page 8 • October 29, 2026 • The Citizen
COMMUNITY Community Notes Shelburne Age Well luncheon is Nov. 10 St. Catherine of Siena and Age Well will host a luncheon for adults 60 and older Tuesday, Nov. 10, at St. Catherine of Siena Parish Hall, 72 Church St. in Shelburne. Check-in begins at 11:30 a.m., and lunch will be served at noon. The suggested donation is $7. The menu includes turkey breast, whipped potatoes, gravy, bread stuffing, carrots, a dinner roll, pumpkin pie and milk. Registration is required by Nov. 5. To register, contact Pam Niarchos, nutrition coordinator, at 802-662-5283 or pniarchos@agewellvt.org. Tickets are also available at the Age Well office, 875 Roosevelt Highway, Suite 210, in Colchester. Restaurant tickets are available for a suggested $8 donation.
Halloween program includes Paul Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” selections from Hector Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique,” music from Michael Abels’ film score for “NOPE,” and Danny Elfman’s “Suite from Nightmare Before Christmas” A free preconcert conversation, Musically Speaking, will begin at 2 p.m. with Crust and Vermont Public classical host Helen Lyons. In November, the VSO’s Jukebox quartet will perform four concerts — including Friday, Nov. 13, at Burlington Beer Company — featuring music selected by audiences from 16 possible pieces. The quartet features Brooke Quiggins-Saulnier and Joana Genova on violin, Stefanie Taylor on viola and John Dunlop on cello. Matt LaRocca hosts and curates the series.
Investment group offers talk on financial decisions
It’s toddler time, take a Halloween art class
InTrack Investment Management will host a pair of panel discussions, Thursday, Oct. 29, 6-7 p.m. at the Pierson Library Community Room, 5376 Shelburne Road, Shelburne; and Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Charlotte Senior Center, 121 Ferry Road in Charlotte. The discussion will cover financial decisions that can shape family finances and long-term plans, including when to claim Social Security, turning savings into dependable income, planning for rising health care costs, family gifting and philanthropy. The event is intended for working professionals, business owners, retirees and people who have inherited assets. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions and experiences to share. The panel will feature InTrack hosts Myron Sopher, Matt Sopher, MBA, and Matthew Johnson, CFA. The firm has worked with Vermont families since 1992.
Inklings Children’s Books in Waitsfield will host a Halloween art class for toddlers Friday, Oct. 30, from 10 to 11 a.m. Children ages 18 months to 4 years and their caregivers can make Halloween decorations. Costumes are welcome. The cost is $15 per child. Inklings Children’s Books is at 106 Mad River Green in Waitsfield.
Social Band presents fall choral concert Burlington-based chorus Social Band will present its fall program of choral music, featuring premieres of two newly commissioned works by Sara Doncaster and Saigelyn Green, along with music by local composers and recently composed pieces in the shape-note tradition.
Vets Town Hall hosts storytelling events COURTESY PHOTO
The Katarina String Quartet will give a free concert Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Mahaney Arts Center in Middlebury.
The concerts will combine choral music, poetry and the robust harmonies of shapenote singing. Social Band performs a cappella music, encourages new compositions, particularly by local composers, and organizes concerts around themes that weave poetry and song together. The concerts are scheduled for: Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at College Street Congregational Church, 265 College St., Burlington. Sunday, Nov. 8, at 3 p.m. at Charlotte Congregational Church, 403 Church Hill Road, Charlotte. Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at Rich-
mond Free Library, 201 Bridge St., Richmond. The suggested donation is $20. For more information, visit socialband.org, email amity@socialband.org or call 802-355-4216.
VSO celebrates Halloween, launches Jukebox tour The Vermont Symphony Orchestra will celebrate Halloween with a matinee concert Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts in Burlington, followed by a four-stop November tour marking the 10th anniversary of its Jukebox quartet. Led by Music Director Andrew Crust, the
Vets Town Hall, a Vermont-based nonprofit, will host 10 community storytelling events in Vermont and New Hampshire Nov. 6-15, inviting veterans and their family members to share their experiences. The free, nonpolitical events are open to everyone, including people with no personal ties to the military. Veterans can speak about their military service and its impact on their lives. All perspectives are welcome. Locally, the South Burlington Vets Town Hall will take place Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m. at South Burlington Public Library, 180 Market St. The Charlotte event is Monday, Nov. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at Charlotte Grange Hall, 2858 Spear St. For more information, visit vtvetstownhall.org/events or email vermont@vetstownhall.org.
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The Citizen • October 29, 2026 • Page 9
Ben & Jerry’s ‘university’ gives the scoop BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
Several people wearing visors and rainbow tie dye aprons stood behind the counter at Ben & Jerry’s corporate offices in South Burlington last week, listening carefully as Vivian Evans, the ice cream behemoth’s retail project manager, took them through the steps to create the perfect hot fudge sundae. “Whenever you’re taking an order from a customer or a fan, remember we get all of our information up front. Make sure they feel at home. Find out if they want hot fudge or hot caramel, whipped cream and what dry toppings they might do,” Evans said. One by one, a row of sundaes started to pile up at the counter at the end of the ice cream station. While Ben & Jerry’s founder Ben Cohen has made headlines over the past year demanding more autonomy from new parent company, Magnum, when it comes to political action, on an operational level, things have chugged along at the company. The apron-clad class in front of Evans was at the offices for Scoop University, an occasional days-long training event that draws managers and franchise owners from across the country. Over four days, Evans said, attendees learned everything from how to make a three-ounce mini scoop to understanding business operations. There is also a dash of politics mixed in. “You don’t just assume someone knows how to make a sundae or a milkshake. Also, when you think of Ben & Jerry’s, there’s values tied into everything, right? So, if we take a stance on the environment and we say we’re going to use wooden spoons in the scoop shop, and this is what we believe in, there’s a lot of information that’s helpful (here),” vice president of public relations Sean Greenwood said. Greenwood said part of attracting and choosing franchisees involves a willingness on their part to take on some of the political messaging, whether that’s using wooden spoons for ecological reasons or scooping a flavor named after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the proceeds of which supported children’s summer camps focused on racial justice. “We don’t want it to catch them off guard,” he said. “We’re very clear about that as we go through the vetting process, so, by the time they get here for this, there shouldn’t be any surprises.” Greenwood said he has been employed at Ben & Jerry’s since 1988. Like many employees, he started as a tour guide. While the scoop students down-
PHOTO BY BRIANA BRADY
Scoop University attendees came from franchises across the country to learn about running a Ben and Jerry’s scoop shop.
stairs made shakes, upstairs, in the research and development kitchen, Anita Campos worked on mixing a chocolate coating for ice cream testing. She moonlights as an honorary flavor guru but also started as a tour guide. Her mom worked at the factory around the same time as Greenwood in the 1990s. Another research and development worker nearby piped up that she, too, had
started as a tour guide. Whatever is happening at the ownership level, the employees at Ben & Jerry’s might be used to not only giving tours but taking a stance. For those who worked there for a long time or before the company was bought by Unilever in 2000 and then spun off as part of Magnum in 2025, it could become part of their everyday understand-
ing of their jobs. In the offices upstairs — Ben & Jerry’s only moved into the new building last January — Green-
wood pointed to posters of differSee SCOOP on page 15
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Page 10 • October 29, 2026 • The Citizen
PHOTOS BY SOPHIA BALUNEK
Ghosts and gouls galore Sunday’s Charlotte-Shelburne-Hinesburg Rotary Halloween parade drew in dozens of unique floats and countless costumes donned by wearers of all ages.
The Citizen • October 29, 2026 • Page 11
OUTDOORS
ILLUSTRATION BY ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL
The zombie millipede takes its final climb The Outside Story Declan McCabe Picture this: while walking in the woods, a fungal spore lands on your skin, perhaps in a crease at the crook of your elbow. This particularly infectious fungus invades your body’s systems before busting out all over. Prior to emerging from your every joint and orifice, the fungus targets your nervous system and hijacks your free will, compelling you to depart the forest floor’s safety for high, exposed branches from which the fungus broadcasts spores to infect your friends and family. Thankfully, no such fungus infects humans, but in 2017, Professor Kathie Hodge and colleagues at Cornell University described fungi infecting the cherry millipede (Apheloria corrugata) which ranges along the Appalachians west to Oklahoma and Nebraska and northeast to Vermont and Massachusetts. Millipedes and their faster-moving centipede cousins belong in Myriapoda, a subphylum of arthropods. Millipedes have two pairs of legs per segment while centipedes have one. Cherry millipedes are flatbacked millipedes (order Polydesmida) and can grow to a hefty (by millipede standards) 2 inches long. As their common name suggests, these millipedes are flat on the back surface, distinguishing them from the cylindrical snake millipedes (order Julida). Arthrophaga myriapodina, the fungus that infects them, translates roughly to mean “joint eater of millipedes.” The fungal infection begins when a spore lands on a millipede and grows internally. The millipede becomes uncharacteristically bold, abandons its favored leafy food source and habitat, and climbs to an exposed perch above the forest floor where it dies. The fungus pushes beige pustules out between the millipede’s body segments and forcibly discharges spores that complete the life cycle. If arthropod zombification by a fungus
sounds familiar, it may be because entomopathogenic organisms called “cordyceps fungi” (fungal division Ascomycota) infect insects, including carpenter ants, house flies and fruit flies. Infected creatures then behave in ways that favor fungal spread from stalked fruiting bodies to other hosts. These completely unrelated fungi have converged on dramatically similar mind-altering strategies to disperse their tiny zombie-makers. A paper on fungi-altered house fly behavior was published in 1855, the zombie ant description followed in 1865, and female-mimicking male cicadas under fungal influence were described in 1879. The cherry millipede infection is surprising in part because it went unnoticed for so long, despite the wide distribution of both species of millipede and fungus. But Hodge noticed that these millipedes often end up puffy, dead and in very non-millipede-esque locations, such as fence posts, tree snags and sunny branches. If you find one in a similarly surprising location, look for fungus pressing out between and separating body segments. Eventually, their dried-up husks fall asunder like discarded armor on some macabre medieval battlefield in miniature. Sadly, this grim fate is a common end for these spectacular millipedes. In studying this fungal infection, Hodge cited millipede specimens from as early as 1886, with additional specimens from herbaria, or plant collections, from the early 1900s; in this second instance, collectors were interested in the fungus, not the millipede. It is common practice to collect both the fungus and its host to better document fungal biology, so there is evidence of zombified millipedes from more than 100 years ago. More than just being victims, however, millipedes are tough in their own right. All millipedes in the genus Apheloria are shiny See THE OUTSIDE STORY on page 15
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Page 12 • October 29, 2026 • The Citizen
SPORTS Redhawks teams inch closer to title dates LAUREN READ CONTRIBUTOR
Girls’ soccer Division I semifinals (3) Champlain Valley at (2) Mount Mansfield, Wednesday at 3 p.m. Champlain Valley shut down Rutland in Saturday’s Division I quarterfinal matchup to advance to the next round in the high school girls’ soccer playoffs. The Redhawks beat the Raiders 2-0 after holding them to zero shots on goal. Allie Barrett had a goal and an assist for CVU (11-2-3), while Charlotte Clark added a goal. CVU will now travel to Mount Mansfield to take on the No. 2 Cougars in the D-I semifinals. While MMU (12-3) finished with the higher seed, the Redhawks beat them in their two regular season matchups. If they can make it 3-for-3, CVU will advance to the D-I finals for the third year in a row. They would face the winner of No. 1 Burr and Burton (12-3) vs. No. 4 St. Johnsbury.
Boys’ soccer Division I semifinals (3) Champlain Valley at (2) South Burlington, Tuesday at 3 p.m. The Champlain Valley boys’ soccer team got two quick second half goals to advance past Mount Mansfield on Friday in the Division I quarterfinals. CVU (11-3-1) moved on to take on No. 2 South Burlington in the D-I semifinals on Tuesday, after press deadline. Waydon Cherington paced the Redhawks in the win over MMU, scoring twice in six minutes to give the team the lead. Sawyer Lake and Ezra Ziter each chipped in with an assist. Theo Skapof made three saves in goal. CVU now takes on South Burlington. The two teams tied in their first matchup, then the Redhawks handed the Wolves one of their two regular season losses. The winner will take on the winner of No. 1 Burr and Burton vs. No. 5 Essex in Sunday’s D-I championship game.
Girls’ volleyball Division I semifinals (3) Champlain Valley at (2) BFA-St. Albans, Tuesday at 6
p.m., after press deadline. Champlain Valley advanced to the Division I girls volleyball semifinals with a win over Colchester on Wednesday. CVU traveled to take on No. 2 BFA-St. Albans (14-1) on Tuesday in the semifinals. The Redhawks (10-5) beat Colchester 3-0 to advance to the next round. Chapin Grubbs had seven kills and six aces, while Emma Cote added 10 kills. CVU won the first 25-12, the second set 25-18 and the third set 25-15. CVU now takes on BFA-St. Albans, who beat them twice in the regular season. If they can pull off the win, they will advance to the D-I final. The Redhawks will take on the winner of No. 1 Essex vs. No. 4 Mount Mansfield.
Boys’ volleyball Division I semifinals (3) Burlington at (2) Champlain Valley, Wednesday at 6 p.m., after press deadline. Champlain Valley dispatched No. 7 Montpelier on Wednesday in the Division I high school boys’ volleyball quarterfinals to advance to the semis. The Redhawks (12-3) took on No. 3 Burlington Wednesday in the D-I semifinals at home at 6 p.m. CVU beat Montpelier in straight sets, winning 25-15, 25-18 and 25-8 to book a spot in the semifinals for the 10th year in a row. Burlington and CVU met twice in the regular season, with the Redhawks getting a 3-2 win the first matchup and a 3-0 win in the second. They looked to make it three in a row on Wednesday. If CVU gets the win, they will take on the winner of No. 1 Essex vs. No. 4 South Burlington in the D-I championship on Sunday.
ABOVE PHOTO BY DWIGHT MAZUR/BELOW PHOTO BY AL FREY
Above: Redhawk Ethan Mazur dashes down the field in Friday’s win against Bellows Free Academy, 42-20. Below: Girls’ Volleyball Quarterfinal versus Colchester on Oct. 21, 0-3.
Field hockey (3) Essex 2, (6) Champlain Valley 1: The Champlain Valley field hockey team fell to No. 3 Essex on Friday in the Division I quarterfinals, wrapping up its season. Emma Hambel had a goal for the Redhawks, while Emery Thompson handed out the assist. Cici Kenney stopped 10 shots on goal. Champlain Valley finishes the season with a 7-8 record.
Cross Country The CVU boys repeated as
cross country champions over the weekend, but the girls were knocked of their perch. Coverage of the meet will appear in next week’s paper.
Football Division I quarterfinals (8) Champlain Valley (3-5) at (1) St. Johnsbury, Friday at 7 p.m.
The Champlain Valley football team will head to unbeaten St. Johnsbury to open the Division I playoffs on Friday. The Redhawks (3-5) took on BFA-St. Albans last week, getting the 42-20 win to head into the postseason on the right track. DeMarcus Riggs had two rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns for CVU, while Alex
Jovell returned a punt 70 yards for a TD. Carter Matthews rushed for 78 yards and grabbed two TD passes. Now the Redhawks will take on top-seeded St. Johnsbury on the road, looking to pull off the upset and hand the Hilltoppers their first loss. CVU fell 42-7 in the only regular season matchup between the two teams.
The Citizen • October 29, 2026 • Page 13
Horoscope October 29, 2026
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Page 14 • October 29, 2026 • The Citizen
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The Citizen • October 29, 2026 • Page 15
BUDGET
continued from page 1 maintenance and funding. The presentations mark the beginning of budget discussions in the town, which by January will set a budget for voters to decide on Town Meeting Day in March. “As we enter budget discussion season, this sounds like a perfect opportunity for community members to reach out and express themselves around, you know, how you are feeling? You want more highway work? You want less?” board member Paul Lamberson said.
Fire and emergency services Historically, Hinesburg has contracted with Richmond Rescue for medical transport services. This year, it is costing the town $67,000 for the contract and $15,000-$20,000 in rescue vehicle replacement funding — line items would be applied to the eventual cost of the service and the ambulance itself. “My husband suffered sudden cardiac arrest on May 10 of this year, and as any emergency physician or EMT knows, the two drivers of outcome are time to respond and equipment. Richmond Rescue is a 28-minute drive from the rescue house to our house on Drinkwater Road,” Carol Austin said at the meeting, in support of bringing a service closer to home. That night, she and her sister told the room, it took 31 minutes for Richmond Rescue to arrive. According to her Austin’s sister, the person who arrived was young, and didn’t have a defibrillator. “In my firsthand experience, it just is not working. And if you multiply that times the growth that’s happening in the population, I believe our town is at serious risk. So, I fully support this. My husband, Dr. Robert Martell, 63-year-old athlete, died that night,” Austin said. The timeline Nadeau laid out would use just over $437,000 of the donation in the first year, split between start up and operating costs. The remainder of the donation will be meted out over the next six years, with the town gradually taking on more operating costs. Conservatively, Nadeau told the board, he expects the service to bring in about $200,000 a year in fees or subscriptions, bringing the annual cost to the town to about $209,000 a year, starting in 2033. These calculations do not include the capital cost of the ambulance, which Nadeau estimated at $425,000. “It’s not just an ambulance service that this donor is looking to put in place, or that I am proposing that we put in place. It’s a staff station with two responders around the clock, 24/7,” he said. The total budget proposed for fire and EMS for the next fiscal year was $823,631.
Highway Hinesburg’s highway department is also hoping to add another staff member. Right now, highway foreman Dillon LaForce told the selectboard, the town employs four people on its staff. They also plow and maintain 67 miles of road. That ratio, LaForce said, falls short of nearby towns. According to a matrix provided by the highway department, Richmond has six employees for its 52 miles, Shelburne employs five with 59 miles of road and Starksboro has four employees and 31 miles to maintain. Right now, LaForce said, the water and sewer department has been lending a hand to plow the sidewalks. “I would like the board to consider — similar to what we did with the sixth full-time police officer — budgeting a fifth full-time highway department employee with that person starting Nov. 1 of next year. All we would need to include in the next budget is 60% of what the actual salary and benefits would be,” town manager Todd Odit said. In total, the budget for next year’s highway department would be $942,000 compared to this year’s
$987,000. In part Odit said, this would be because more employees opted into benefits as well as an additional $50,000 for paving, not just because of the extra person.
Police The police department is expecting an increase in staffing costs next year as it anticipates its first full year with six officers in a while, proposing going from $954,000 to $1 million. However, chief Christopher Romance said, this will also come with increased service. “Once we get the sixth officer, I plan to bring back some weekend patrols,” Romance said. The police have already increased their patrols recently, starting at 7 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. and staying on until 11 p.m. rather than 9 p.m. Currently, state police provide coverage on the weekends, but only respond to emergency calls. A great unknown in the police and fire budgets is the cost of Shelburne Dispatch. The Shelburne Selectboard, as it has discussed its own budget and capital planning, has talked extensively about feeling cost-burdened by the dispatch center. The center, in total, costs
SCOOP continued from page 9 ent flavors from over the years with messaging focused on issues from criminal justice reform to supporting Black communities. Most recently, the company put out a flavor called Razz Up! in support of voting rights — partnering with the ACLU, Black Votes Matter and other community organizing groups — and took employees to Washington D.C. where they held a large sign that reads “Fudge Fascism.” In a photo in front of the
reflecting pool, Greenwood is visible, just under the “G” he’s holding above his head. “For us, while we can be a good partner of the Magnum company, and I think be a good brand for them, we’re still a business — we’re not just a brand that that you’re using to sell stuff. We still have feelings here and are passionate about trying to do these things that we care about,” Greenwood said.
over a million dollars to run, and in recent years, Shelburne has provided more than $700,000 in funding. The dispatch center provides services for Shelburne and Hinesburg police as well as 24 and 20 fire and rescue departments, respectively. Shelburne has indicated that it is interested in raising rates, but according to Odit, has yet to provide hard numbers. “We don’t know if there are any other agencies that would take us on if Shelburne discontinued dispatch, which is also something that they’re thinking of due to their high costs. So that is the unknown that we can’t factor into the budget at this time,”
Romance said. The town has also removed the Howard Center’s Outreach Program as a line item in the police budget and the town is considering dropping it altogether. The cost of the program, which makes a counselor available when police have interactions with people who might need services, went up this year from $9,000 to $14,000. While the town still plans to utilize the center’s first call program which brings clinicians to the scene to provide evaluations, it is still evaluating outreach. “That money can be better well spent, I’m sure, elsewhere,” Romance said.
THE OUTSIDE STORY
continued from page 11
black with bright yellow, orange or pink markings, signaling danger to would-be predators. Warning colors are sometimes just bluff and bluster, but the cherry millipede is absolutely not bluffing. It is armed with benzaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide, the scent of which contributes to its common name. Each millipede’s cyanide content exceeds 30 times the lethal dose for a pigeon-sized bird, although its distasteful nature means that few birds would ever consume one. It can be a challenge to determine the species of brightly colored and odoriferous millipedes, even with a microscope. Each species has several color morphs, and some closely resemble each other. More than 50 milli-
pede species across three genera rely on bright colors to communicate the message: “Eat me and you’ll be sick or dead.” Bright colors, strong smells, and even cyanide, however, are no match for a fungus that lacks eyes, a nose, and apparently eats cyanide for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Declan McCabe teaches biology at Saint Michael’s College and is the author of Turning Stones: Discovering the Life of Water (Down East Books, 2024). 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.
Town of Hinesburg Special Meeting Tuesday, November 3, 2026 via Australian Ballot
FOR RENT
The legal voters of the Town of Hinesburg, Vermont are hereby warned and notified to meet at the Town Hall at 10632 Vermont Route 116 in Hinesburg, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 to transact the following business by Australian ballot. Said voting by Australian ballot will begin with the polls opening at 7:00 A.M. and closing at 7:00 P.M.
Brand New Apartment Building
ARTICLE I: Shall the Town assess a one percent (1%) tax on sales pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §138(b)?
72 James Way, Shelburne, VT 1-2 Bedroom Apartments | Monthly Rent: $1,725–$2,525 • All units in a newly constructed building • Rent includes: trash/recycling, snow removal, water/sewer, heating/cooling • Tenants pay only electricity and cable/internet • Pets allowed (up to 2) with a $500 deposit per pet • Security deposit equal to one month’s rent
SPECIAL: First month FREE and no rent increases for 3 years for leases signed before November 30th! Application available. Call us at 802-891-9647 or email us at Management@shenkenterprises.com to Schedule your tour today!
ARTICLE II: Shall the Town assess a one percent (1%) tax on rooms pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §138(b)? ARTICLE III: Shall the Town assess a one percent (1% tax on meals & alcohol pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §138(b)? Signed and dated this 16th day of September 2026, and as attested to by: s/s____________________ Merrily Lovell, Chair s/s____________________ Maggie Gordon, Vice-Chair s/s____________________ Paul Lamberson
s/s____________________ Dennis Place s/s____________________ Michael Loner s/s____________________ Attest: Heather Roberts, Town Clerk
Page 16 • October 29, 2026 • The Citizen
HONORING OUR
VETERANS
On Nov. 5, The Citizen will be honored to publish photos of the men and women who have unselfishly served our country. Page 14 • November 10, 2022 • Shelburne News
HONORING The Veterans Among Us
If you have a veteran who you would like us to honor, please mail or email your photo and the following information by
ROBERT F. WHITEMAN, SR. U.S. Air Force E6 1959-1979
LORENZO P. BUSHWAY, SR. April 28, 1960 Active Duty: Feb. 1953-Feb. 1955
ROBERT S. BORKOWSKI Sergeant (SFC) Medic VT Army National Guard 1982-2005
PVT. HENRI DE MARNE & PVT. CLAUDE DE MARNE Henri de Marne and his brother Claude, Patton’s 3rd army, WW2, 1944 following French resistance before liberation.
PETER PAUL ZUK U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lieutenant Served 1955-57 Japan and Korea
DAVID F. LELAND United States Navy Lieutenant WWII 1944-1955
ROLAND W. WILBUR United States Army T/4, 14th Armored Division WW II 1942-46
PERRY D. MELVIN U.S. Navy, HM 3 3rd Marine Regiment Vietnam War
BRUCE NUNZIATA 1st Infantry Vietnam 1967-68
THOMAS C. GIBSON Royal Air Force Squadron Leader 1947-1952, Malaya
MICHAEL W. LYNCH U.S. Navy, Lt.J.G. Civil Engineer Corp 1967-1975 VT Air Guard 1976-1979
PETER GADUE US Army and VTARNG 1970-2009
SHANNON B. BLAKE U.S. Army, Major 1986-2006 Afghanistan War Veteran
DAVID WINER Corporal, Marine Corps March 1944-July 1946 Peleliu Campaign
WILLIAM A. READ JR. U.S. Navy Commander Gunnery Instructor Patrol Squadron 101 Southwest Pacific
THURSDAY, OCT. 29 Please include: • Name of veteran • Branch of service • Rank • Years of service • Town of residence
EMAIL PHOTOS AND TEXT TO: stephanie@shelburnenews.com OR MAIL TO: The Citizen, P.O. Box 489, Stowe, VT 05672 If you have submitted a photo in a previous year, you do not need to resubmit.