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High turnout for midterm elections in Charlotte and across the state
A decomposers’ haunt is a rotting pumpkin: the process of decay
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November 12, 2026
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Author publishes book on Black female historian
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MARI HUGLIN STAFF WRITER
Tri-Valley Transit is asking for $7,000 less. Two, however, are hoping to receive greater allocations for projects next year. The trails committee requested $2,000, a four-fold jump from its current $500 allo-
Charlotte resident and author Bill Fox has written a biography of an influential female African American archivist, Ruth Anna Fisher, who worked to preserve American history in the 1920s and 1930s, despite facing social challenges of the time. The biography, “Envoy to the Archives: Ruth Anna Fisher and Hidden Transatlantic History,” explores the life and career of Fisher and how she helped shape United States history and archiving. Fox, a retired university president and professor, knew Fisher when he was growing up in Washington D.C. in the 1950s and 1960s. His father was friends with Fisher, and she was a familiar face at family celebrations and holidays. She died in 1975 but left an impact on Fox. “This is a book that found me,” Fox said. “It kind of came to me a little bit like jazz. If you’re going to listen to jazz you’ve got to
See BUDGET on page 12
See AUTHOR on page 15
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An old barn in Charlotte stands against blue November skies.
Hinesburg committees, agencies make budget bids BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
As Hinesburg drafts next year’s budget, the town’s committees and boards, along with outside agencies that serve the town, have made arguments and appeals for their own funding.
Last week, the selectboard reviewed a series of presentations from committee heads about the successes of their work and what they’ll think they’ll need to continue. Most of the organizations and committees — including the Hinesburg Community Resource Center and the conservation commission — asked for level funding.
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Voters fill out their ballots on Nov. 3 at town hall.
High turnout for midterm elections in Charlotte and across the state MARI HUGLIN STAFF WRITER
Charlotte consistently has a high voter turnout rate with this year being no exception — 74% of registered voters cast ballots in last week’s midterm election. Around 80% of voters participated in the 2008 election and 71% in 2022. Charlotte Town Clerk Mary Mead said Election Day and early voting went smoothly this year and Charlotte even sent its results into the secretary of state’s office before 8 p.m. on election night. Mead said that turnout appears high because Charlotters care about the results and have trust the system will represent their voice. “Obviously we care and we think we have a word,” Mead said. “We think we have a say, and we’ re going to say it.” Across Vermont, voter turnout was also high, especially in-person, according to the Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas. She reported, unofficially, that voter turnout across the state clocked in over 60% for midterms with the previous high being around 58%. She said this was probably due to the national political climate where people showed up to vote to show their dissatisfaction with the current government. “It looks like record turnout for a midterm election, and I think that’s a great story to tell because it’s really my goal that every eligi-
ble voter is able to cast a ballot,” Copeland Hanzas said. The secretary of state said there was a lot of anxiety leading up to the election about interference because of narratives pushed by the federal government attacking the legitimacy and process of elections. Copeland Hanzas said there was no interference on the day and worked hard to make sure this narrative took hold in Vermont. “Vermonters find voting day to be you know just a really inspiring day,” Copeland Hanzas said. “It’s a day when we all get a chance to do our civic duty and to cast our ballot for the person or people that we think will take us in the right direction.” Re-elected Democratic Rep. Chea Waters Evans said she was excited by the high voter turnout numbers. One reason Vermonters show up to the polls is because they have confidence the system works fairly and that their vote will count, she said. “People in this town are so engaged,” Waters Evans said. “They are so thoughtful. They are so eager to participate in democracy, and I love it so much.” This year, Waters Evans said she was also excited for the high rates of young people showing up to vote and voting for the first time. She said many young people were engaged with the elections having spoken to one of her nieces and some of her sons’ friends
about politics weeks ahead of the election. “Voting is one of those really concrete ways where you can see like results of what happens when you vote,” Waters Evans said. Waters Evans is grateful for being reelected and wanted to clarify that she is a representative for everyone. She hopes legislation can keep on moving forward especially with the added benefit of a supermajority for Democrats but continue to work for a better Vermont for all Vermonters. “I just hope people know that this is representative government and it works to represent everybody, not just the people who agree with us,” Waters Evans said. In 2028, Copeland Hanzas hopes the state can send official voter guides in the mail. The voter guides, which were available online this year, would share information about candidates and the offices they are running for. An issue with the print vendor prevented the state from successfully sending out the guides this year. Overall, Copeland Hanzas said she was proud that even though there was a tremendous amount of anxiety surrounding this election, Vermonters came out in higher numbers than they ever had before. “That’s just a testament to how much Vermonters value democracy and value being able to use their vote as their voice to say what they want their state and federal government to do,” Copeland Hanzas said.
The Citizen • November 12, 2026 • Page 3
Choose whether weatherization is right in Hinesburg this winter BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
A drafty house is not unusual in Vermont. The state has some of the oldest housing stock in the country. Floorboards creak, doors shift on their hinges and that draft someone feels by their windows might be costing them an arm and a leg in fuel. Before someone can dive into weatherization — sealing their attic, replacing their windows or adding insulation — in an attempt heat their home more efficiently, they first need to know where the issues are. In Hinesburg, the energy and climate action committee has made free energy audits available to lowand moderate-income households, helping them triage where and how they might make long-term improvements. The committee is still looking for five more households to partic-
ipate. For a family of four, household incomes up to $155,700 to qualify. For a single person, that number is $109,050. For Chuck Reiss, a member of the committee who volunteers to do the assessments — he owns a green building company in town — the work also doesn’t stop at weatherization. “We don’t go in and just pump insulation into people’s attics,” he said. “You really want to understand how to get to net zero. We’ll do that for you.” Reiss has been performing the audits as part of a $25,000 grant the committee received through the Public Utilities Commission. The basic program, he said, focuses on weatherization and finding out where someone can cut back on energy usage. Then, Reiss, along with fellow committee member and architect Steve Smith, does an “energy load” assessment — what someone’s home actually needs to
heat or cool it. The order of operations here, Reiss said, is important. “If you seal your house first, you will know what size heat pump you need, right? If you don’t, then you may put in a heat pump that’s way too large for what your house needs, particularly if a house that’s really leaky,” he said When Reiss performs an energy audit, he starts by looking at the top and bottom of the house. If hot air is leaking out, cold air coming in, and your furnace or boiler is working in overdrive, those are the most likely culprits. Often, that results in sealing an attic or a band joist, the outer rim at the bottom of a house’s frame, stopping cold air from moving in through the basement and hot air from escaping through the roof. “Then we go around and look at See AUDITS on page 4
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Hinesburg sees jump in voter participation BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
Hinesburg saw a 10% rise in the number of registered voters who cast ballots this year compared to the last midterm election. In 2022, 59% of registered voters in Hinesburg turned in ballots. This year, 69% of voters participated, a trend mirrored statewide (see story, page XX). This comes, however, with a significant drop in the voter rolls. The town lost 191 regis-
tered voters — all of them in the Chittenden-4 legislative district, which covers the vast majority of town. In the western sliver lumped with Charlotte in Chittenden-5, 72 voters remained. The loss in voters in Hinesburg represents 4.5% of that district. It’s unclear whether that change stems from lapsed registration or a change in population. While the town did see an additional 300 votes cast compared to the last midterm election, the large jump in participation rate may not repre-
sent the full picture of the town’s voting habits. Hinesburg voters did have important issues driving them to the polls, however. The race for Chittenden-4 was contested, ultimately going to newcomer Kelsey Pasteris, D-Hinesburg. The town also spoke loudly in its vote against a local option tax. In particular, on the potential additional 1% sales tax — three-quarters of which would have come back to the town — less than a third of those who weighed in voted in favor.
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Page 4 • November 12, 2026 • The Citizen
Hinesburg Police Blotter: Nov. 2-6 Total reported incidents: 49 Arrests/citations: 4 Traffic stops: 19 Directed patrol: 5 Driving under the influence: 3 Special overtime: 3 Suspicious person: 2 Agency assist: 2 Motor vehicle complaint: 2 Property/homes watch: 2 Abandoned vehicle: 1 Unconscious person: 1 911 hangup: 1 Juvenile problem: 1 Fingerprinting: 1 Family fight/domestic: 1 Welfare/suicide check: 1 Wanted person: 1 Untimely deaths: Nov. 6 at 3:34 p.m., Marissa Branard, 47, of Colchester, at a home on North Road. Selected incidents: Nov. 2 at 5:15 p.m., police investigated suspicious activity reported on Pond Brook Road. Nov. 2 at 7:47 p.m., police investigated a motor vehicle complaint on Thistle Hill Road. Nov. 2 at 7:58 p.m., police arrested someone for driving with a criminally suspended license and ignition interlock device required. Nov. 3 at 11:00 a.m., an officer attempted to locate a wanted
individual on Pond Brook Road. Nov. 3 at 11:06 a.m., police conducted a welfare check on Oscar’s Lane. Nov. 4 at 9:45 a.m., officers assisted Chittenden County Sheriffs with an eviction on Pond Brook Road. Nov. 4 at 11:17 a.m., police arrested someone for suspicion of DUI Drugs. Nov. 5 at 10:25 a.m., police investigated a motor vehicle complaint on Buck Hill Road West. Nov. 5 at 11:25 a.m., officers assisted first responders with a medical emergency on Hawk Lane. Nov. 5 at 4:36 p.m., an officer assisted Shelburne police with a motor vehicle complaint. Nov. 5 at 7:57 p.m., police arrested someone for DUI. Nov. 6 at 8:10 a.m., officers investigated a 911 hangup on Sherman Hollow Road. Nov. 6 at 9:52 a.m., police arrested someone for driving with a criminally suspended license, and suspicion of DUI drugs. Nov. 6 at 4:30 p.m., police investigated suspicious activity reported on Hayden Hill West. Nov. 6 at 5:41 p.m., officers investigated an abandoned vehicle on Tyler Bridge Road.
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Vermont Farm Show will return next spring BEAR SAVAGE VTDIGGER
The Vermont Farm Show, a historic meeting place for farmers since the 1930s, is set to return next spring with the first show in seven years taking place April 16-17 at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction. The show, which attracted farmers and vendors from Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and elsewhere, stopped in 2021 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Originally geared toward dairy farmers and maple producers, it used to be a trade show and a place for agriculture and labor associations to meet. Now, the show’s new organizers want to expand the focus to include education and engagement for the wider community connected to agriculture, not just farmers themselves. “The re-envisioned event will bring together farmers, producers, industry, and the public for an experience that honors tradition while embracing innovation,” the Vermont Farm Show Foundation wrote in a press release. “This truly marks a new chapter for the Farm Show.” The foundation, a nonprofit that has taken over as organizer of the show, says its goal is to preserve the legacy of the event and build agricultural knowledge and community for farmers and nonfarmers alike. Kim Stinson, the foundation’s director, said that in the years the farm show wasn’t running, it was going through significant changes. In 2024, the Vermont Farm Show’s board of trustees set in motion an engagement process that asked the public, the industry and farmers across the state what they needed and wanted from a reimagined farm show. In the years following, the show changed its tax status and was granted 501(c)3 nonprofit status this year. “It was determined that yes, Vermont wants a farm show. This is important,” Stinson said. “Our agriculture is a cornerstone of our state’s identity, so here we are.”
PHOTO BY BOB LOCICERO/VTDIGGER
Samual Jones, 3, of Milton, looks at Alison the cow with his dad Greg Jones, as Louie Terwilliter from Vermont Technical College looks on at the Vermont Farm Show.
The farm show was also a cornerstone of agriculture in Vermont and grew over time to accommodate the changing industry in the state. The show outgrew its original home in Barre and moved to the Champlain Valley Expo in 2012, where even more space was filled with exhibitions. The nonprofit foundation credits the diversifying agricultural sector at the time for the show’s expansion. The show was one of the “most important gatherings” of the year, said Amanda Ryan, director of operations with the Vermont Farm Bureau. Ryan said the Farm Bureau is pleased that the show is back on. The bureau has exhibited at the farm show in the past and plans to participate in 2027. Lindsey Brand, marketing and communications director for Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, said many of the association’s members are excited the show is coming back and that NOFA-VT staff and members will be in attendance in the spring. Ryan said the farm community was suffering the loss of the show, and she’s “curious what the reboot looks like.” According to Stinson, the reboot will include more interactive elements, including hands-on exhibits, workshops and panels.
She said there will be products to sample and buy, equipment demonstrations, and perhaps an outdoor component, since the show will be held in the spring. Traditionally, the show was held in January. Stinson said the board hopes, based on feedback during the engagement process, that hosting it a little later in the year may help people traveling from farther afield to avoid potentially harsh winter weather. And she said the longer spring days help, too. While the original farm show was an annual multiday event, the foundation is looking beyond the show to try to meet the needs of the agricultural community in different ways. “Instead of just having an annual show once a year, we’re really looking at the year-round aspect of, what can the Vermont Farm Show Foundation do to support agriculture year-round?” Stinson said. She also pointed to the much broader network of Vermonters connected to the farming community, like mechanics, electricians and grocery workers. She hopes the upcoming show strengthens and celebrates that network. “There’s so much connection in every aspect of the Vermont economy that connects back to agriculture,” she said. “It almost looks like a giant food web. Like, how are we all interconnected?”
set up a fan sealed to the door of the house, aiming outward. As the fan blows, he’ll measure the barometric pressure inside the house. How much he needs to turn up the fan to reach a certain pressure tells him what the energy load of the house is. It can also point to more leaking — Reiss will take an infrared camera around during the process to look for moving cold or hot air. That part, the energy load assessment, is linked to Zero Energy Now program, which helps people create a plan to move off of
fossil fuels. Reiss knows that the assessment might just be the beginning of a long road for a homeowner. He had one client in Richmond — outside of this grant — with a house over a century old. It took her 12 years to complete her weatherization and then net zero upgrades like heat pumps and solar panels. “We’re trying to educate people about the process,” he said. “If it’s not going to be net zero at the end of this particular phase, it can be down the road.”
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continued from page 3 the windows. Are they leaking? Are the doors leaking? Is the attic hatch leaking?” he said. While an assessment doesn’t fund the work of weatherization, Reiss noted that for lower-income folks there are programs to help get the work done. Efficiency Vermont, for example offers coverage of $7,000 or 75% of the cost of weatherization, whichever is more, to do air sealing and other weatherization. After its done, Reiss will do what’s called a “blower door.” He’ll
The Citizen • November 12, 2026 • Page 5
OPINION
EARLY DEADLINES
The turnaround: Growing a community in the cul-de-sac In Musing Carole Vasta Folley Our cul-de-sac experienced a transformation this year, all thanks to our industrious neighbors Jenn and Cass, who decided to spruce it up. It was an act of generosity and vision that turned a sad circle of grass into something unexpected. The term cul-de-sac is, of course, Carole Vasta Folley borrowed from the French. Who else could express the term’s original anatomical meaning, “a diverticulum ending blindly,” with such flair? After all, doesn’t cul-de-sac have a certain je ne sais quoi, especially when its literal meaning is “bottom of a sack”? Can you imagine telling visitors, “We’re the house at the bottom of the sack”? Or not to park in the sack? Face it, realtors nationwide must have sighed with relief when cul-de-sac came into use. Our cul-de-sac used to sport one tree, another trying hard to be a tree, and a large rock besieged by dying Juniper. A shrub commonly used by developers galore as low-maintenance groundcover, these had given up their evergreen and looked more like hellscaping than landscaping, as if fungal blight and root rot were ornamental. We’d often meet our neighbors on this island of grass surrounded by pavement where we’d talk about our dogs and our lives, generally in that order. And yes, sometimes we’d even discuss the dreary condition of the ground beneath our feet. That is, until one day this past summer, when out my front window I spied change. The kind that happens when one or two people decide to make a difference. Apparently, that’s all it takes to evoke transformation because possibility engenders passion and, before you know it, your husband gets involved too. Jenn and Cass began by digging out the dead Juniper and
the abundance of weeds that had had their day. Jenn bought and planted gorgeous hydrangeas, rose colored, coincidentally matching the optimism of their task. Cass planted lavender to bookend the large rock. My guy planted irises, daisies and mint until his aspirations grew into bushes and trees. Suddenly, there were two crab apples, a lilac and a Diabolo Ninebark promising burgundy and purple hues for years to come. Together, the three mulched around the new growth and talked about the kids who’d likely want to jump off the rock. It was decided that pavers were necessary, stepping stones to make easy access for little gymnasts. My husband painted the slabs in vivid colors, one a rainbow, the other a rainbow heart. Both messages of inclusion and unity. But by far, the most impactful part of the transformation was an old-fashioned hunter-green metal A-frame double swing that Sean helped Cass carry from our neighbors’ backyard to place inside the circle. The swing belonged to Jenn’s parents in years past and harkened to a time when sitting on one evoked iced tea and sunsets. A moment to sit a spell, together. In an echo of “build it, and they will come,” sure as Kevin Costner’s baseball diamond brought players out of the cornfield, people came. The now welcoming
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cul-de-sac drew people from our street, nearby streets, and even other neighborhoods. Better still, it brought out families. Parents would swing while watching little ones cavort around and atop the rock. Soon, an extra chair was added. Then older kids came too. Our favorite: a pack of neighborhood boys would congregate regularly, enough so we grew to know them by name and often hung out with them too. Look out our front window at any hour, light or dark, and the cul-de-sac is alive. It’s a theater of small, human moments. People connecting with nature, with each other, and sometimes, with the quiet space inside themselves. The trio responsible for this transformation teasingly call it a park. A joke due to the small size of our cul-de-sac circle. But that’s the thing about circles — they widen. As more and more people spent time in this circle, you couldn’t help but see community forming right before our eyes. Cul-de-sacs are often called dead-ends. But not this one. It is alive and flourishing, cultivating the very connections that bridge the gap from isolation to belonging, all the while turning me into we.
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Carole Vasta Folley is an award-winning columnist, essayist and playwright. Visit carolevf.com.
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Page 6 • November 12, 2026 • The Citizen
Letters to the Editor Let’s get ahead of data center industry To the Editor: Vermont has a long tradition of protecting our natural resources and ensuring economic development serves the public good. As data centers expand across the country, we should build on that tradition, not assume our existing laws can address every challenge the industry presents. In a recent commentary (Vermont has the tools to keep data centers in check, Oct. 15), the author argues that Vermont’s existing laws are enough. Vermont does have strong environmental and utility regulations, but large-scale data centers are a new and rapidly evolving industry, raising challenges our laws were not designed to address. State agencies have authority to regulate these projects, but authority alone is not enough. Policymakers must provide clear direction about how that authority should be used. The impacts of data centers are still emerging. Their demands on electricity systems, water resources, land use and local communities continue to evolve as the technology changes and development grows. Utilities argue that data centers could lower electricity bills by spreading infrastructure costs across more customers. Maybe. But experience elsewhere shows that the industry’s enormous appetite for electricity and water can push electricity bills higher. Strong regulations can help ensure Vermont families are not left paying the price. The investment behind these projects is unprecedented. Companies are spending billions of dollars to build facilities that consume extraordinary amounts of power and water. Vermont should ask whether our regulatory framework is prepared not just for today’s projects, but for the larger projects that may arrive tomorrow.
This is not an argument against innovation or economic development. It is an argument for getting the rules right before problems arise. Vermont has always been at its best when it plans ahead, sets clear expectations and ensures growth benefits local communities. We have an opportunity to get ahead of this industry rather than react to its consequences later. Vermont doesn’t need to wait for Washington. We can do what Vermont has long done well: take a careful look at emerging risks and ensure our laws are strong enough to protect our communities, our wallets and the natural resources that define this state. Adam Aguirre Montpelier Adam Aguirre is a staff attorney at Conservation Law Foundation.
Thank you; now, let’s get to work To the Editor: What a week! I’m feeling incredibly grateful, a little exhausted and more hopeful than ever about what we can accomplish together. Thank you for the vote of confidence in the re-election of your local legislators. We’re deeply honored to continue representing our communities and grateful to everyone who showed up at the polls. As Senate majority leader, I’m also thrilled that Vermonters have returned a working Democratic majority to the state Senate. That comes with both an opportunity and a responsibility: to deliver meaningful results for the people who have placed their trust in us. We heard you loud and clear. Vermonters need to feel positive See LETTERS on page 7
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The Citizen • November 12, 2026 • Page 7
How will Governor Phil Scott define his legacy this term? Guest Perspective Bill Schubart In an historic Vermont win, five-term, incumbent Republican Gov. Phil Scott, long considered one of the most popular governors in the country, clinched a sixth term in the recent midterm election and did so in a predominantly progressive blue state. Pundits have offered many reasons for Gov. Scott’s beating his challenger, Amanda Janoo, including many Vermonters’ goal of maintaining a firewall around the progressive agenda of Vermont’s liberal legislature — now a supermajority in both legislative chambers. A long-standing tradition in Vermont politics believes that dialogue and compromise among opponents produces better statutory and policy results. So, in what will be his legacy term, Gov. Scott has a crucial choice to make: Will he define his gubernatorial legacy by being a naysayer, exercising his veto pen against progressive initiatives of which he doesn’t approve as he did in the last term? Or will he spend his next two years working with the Legislature — which
now has the capacity to override his vetoes — to address the pain points Vermonters struggle with? Gov. Scott’s favorite nemesis, “affordability,” is little more than an ill-defined political meme that only takes on meaning when its user articulates its component causes and then charts a path to effective policies that could provide relief. These policies then become the fodder for debate and compromise between the executive and legislative branches, with input, if needed, from the judicial branch: the three components of government that must work effectively together to address the issues that are only accelerating for Vermonters in the current stand-off. In his next term, Gov. Scott has the opportunity to define his legacy by leading a broad effort to find solutions to the challenges that currently make life difficult for Vermonters of all ages. One key underlying issue transcends the current debate about raising taxes to fund solutions. What if instead we were to look strategically at how we might raise tax revenues more equitably across the economic spectrum and then how we might spend those
LETTERS
continued from page 6 change in their everyday lives, or our work is not done. That means making it easier to afford a home, raise a family, access health care, and provide our children with an excellent education. It means moving beyond the political noise and focusing on practical solutions that make life better, more affordable and more hopeful. As a mom of two toddlers, I feel both the urgency and the promise of this work every day. And after a long campaign season, I’m taking a little downtime with my family, enjoying the small moments that remind me why this work matters so much. But January will be here before we know it, and when we return to the State House, we need to be ready to turn the trust Vermonters have placed in us into progress they can see and feel. Between now and then, we want to hear from you. Share your vision for Vermont. Send us your ideas, your stories and your concerns. Tell us what’s working, what’s not, and what would make the biggest difference for you and your family. Whether you voted for us or not, your voice matters, and we want it to help shape the work ahead. Elections are important, but what we do between them matters
even more. Thank you for believing in me, in our communities, and in what’s possible for Vermont. I’m excited for the work ahead, and deeply grateful that we get to do it together. Kesha Ram Hinsdale Shelburne
revenues more efficiently? If we were to reimagine a tax code that takes into account “affordability,” it would look different from what our tax code looks like today. For starters, it would reflect not only income and assets, but also age, family circumstance, property tax discounts for home-sharing, community service, local primary care, discounts for first-time buyers etc. Let’s not waste time discussing how to improve and expand on what we’re already doing. This only adds expense and complexity. Instead, we must start afresh and explore new models for our current challenges: housing,
which to prepare and articulate alternative solutions to Vermont’s key challenges. The governor and the Legislature would then partner and accept responsibility for bringing them to fruition, monitoring their success and failures, adjusting as necessary and completing the process of reinvention. The old ways have failed us. Let’s try new ones. “The test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members.”—Pearl S. Buck Bill Schubart grew up in Lamoille County and now lives in Hinesburg.
Community groups and state help people keep and access their benefits Guest Perspective Alison Lamagna, Connie Beal and Tawnya Kristen Recent news coverage has explained the scope and potential impact of new Medicaid rules affecting 50,000 Vermonters, including the added strain they could place on the state’s already stressed health care system. But one important part of the story needs more attention: Vermonters can dial 211 for free, community-based assistance. New Medicaid rules come on top of changes to 3SquaresVT that went into effect earlier this year and have affected Vermonters’ access to food assistance. Accord-
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healthcare, public education, public transport, agriculture and food systems, the environment and criminal justice. Let’s find and create new, more efficient models that deliver these basic elements of a functional, “affordable” society. How? Gov. Scott would partner with legislative leaders to create small, focused working groups to explore and reimagine new solutions for each. The working groups would be convened from academics and students at the Leahy Institute, Vermont nonprofit and business leaders, public servants and community constituents. They’d be given a finite period during
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ing to the Public Assets Institute, since H.R. 1 — also known as OBBBA — became law in July 2025, nearly 10,000 Vermonters have lost Medicaid coverage. More than 5,000 have lost food assistance, including almost 2,000 children. Behind these numbers are Vermonters facing complicated notices, paperwork and eligibility rules. A trained benefit assister can help people understand what has changed, identify possible exemptions and take the next step toward maintaining or applying for benefits. Support is available by dialing 211. Some rules affecting immigrants in Vermont took effect Oct. 1. Beginning Jan. 1, additional eligibility rules — including work requirements and twice-yearly reviews—will apply
to new applicants and gradually expand to an estimated 49,000 low-income adult Vermonters as they renew their coverage. Grant funding from the Agency of Human Services is supporting a statewide coalition providing benefit assistance. Vermont 211 serves as the front door, connecting Vermonters with the organization best suited to their needs. Assistance is free, available in multiple languages and offered in trusted community settings where Vermonters already receive other services. The coalition brings together organizations with statewide reach and deep community connections: Vermont Care Partners, Vermont CommuSee LAMAGNA on page 12
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Page 8 • November 12, 2026 • The Citizen
COMMUNITY NOTES Community Notes Grange collects winter clothing for farmworkers Friday, Nov. 13, through Friday, Nov. 20, Charlotte Grange Hall, 2858 Spar Street, Charlotte. The Grange is again collecting men’s, women’s and teens’ clothing in smaller sizes (no XL). Donations may be left in weatherproof bins outside the Grange Hall. Someone will be available inside Tuesday from 9 to 11 a.m. and Friday, Nov. 20, from noon to 3 p.m. Needed items include machine-washable, durable clothing; hooded sweatshirts; denim, canvas or Carhartt pants, particularly sizes 32x30 and 34x30; work clothes; fleece or heavy-cloth vests; jackets and coats; socks; lined hats, preferably waterproof; winter work boots (men’s sizes 8–10 and women’s sizes 6–8); and hand and foot warmers.
Holiday bazaar returns to Hinesburg The United Church of Hinesburg will hold its annual Holiday Bazaar Saturday, Nov. 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., offering treasures from Grandmother’s Attic and the Jewelry Corner, handmade items in the Arts & Crafts Center and a selection of homemade baked goods. The baked goods table will feature baked beans, pies, breads, cookies and the church’s traditional “brown bobbies.” Homemade soups and sandwiches will
be available for dine-in or takeout beginning at 11 a.m. Cash, checks and debit and credit cards will be accepted. A local wreath maker will also sell wreaths in the parking lot, accepting cash or checks. St. Jude Parish will hold its Christmas Craft Fair the same day, offering another opportunity for holiday shopping in Hinesburg.
Vermont job fair connects employers, job seekers Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Delta Marriott, Williston Road, South Burlington. The Vermontjobs.com Job Fair will feature hundreds of local job opportunities with employers in health care, education, manufacturing, finance, nonprofit organizations and other industries. Admission is free for job seekers. For information about attending or reserving an employer booth, visit VtJobfair.com or email Paul@VermontJobs.com.
Harvest festival supports area food shelves Shelburne Vineyard will host its 14th annual Harvest Festival, Saturday, Nov. 14, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Shelburne Vineyard, 6308 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, benefiting Feeding Champlain Valley and the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf. Admission is free with a donation of nonperishable food or a cash contribution to support neigh-
COURTESY PHOTO
Waterbury’s Zenbarn, with the friendly staff and owners above, will celebrate its 10th anniversary this weekend.
bors experiencing food insecurity. The festival will feature local artisans, makers and vendors selling handmade goods, along with raffles, seasonal treats, mulled wine, estate wines and cider. Activities will extend into a heated tent, providing space for visitors to gather, shop and enjoy the afternoon. For information, visit shelburnevineyard.com/events-list/ harvest-festivall.
Thanksgiving hymn-along returns to opera house The fourth annual Thanksgiving Community Hymn Sing
returns Sunday, Nov. 22, at 3 p.m., to the Vergennes Opera House. Choir members and instrumentalists from more than a dozen area churches have been rehearsing since September to lead the audience in traditional hymns and contemporary worship songs. The Champlain Brass Ensemble will open with four Thanksgiving hymns, followed by a trio performance by Julie Cousino, Ashley Loven and Aarin Malzac. The 40-voice Addison County Gospel Choir will perform three selections before inviting the audience to sing along, accompanied by a worship team of piano, guitars, bass and drums. Song-
books will be provided. Admission is free, with donations accepted to support the opera house. Reservations are strongly encouraged because previous events have filled the theater. For tickets and information, visit VergennesOperaHouse.org/ events.
Memorial honors those killed while walking Local Motion will host a gathering Friday, Nov. 13, at 3 p.m., Pine Street bike path adjacent to See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 9
The Citizen • November 12, 2026 • Page 9
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645 Pine St., Burlington, at the ghost bike memorial for Shiloh Skalka, in recognition of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, honoring the seven people killed while walking, biking and rolling on Vermont roads this year. Families of crash victims, advocates and local leaders will gather at Skalka’s memorial, where six additional ghost shoes, painted white, will be displayed in memory of those killed while walking. Signs bearing victims’ names, candles and flowers or other tributes brought by community members will accompany the memorial. Confirmed speakers include Local Motion Executive Director Christina Erickson; Amy Cohen, founder and president of Families for Safe Streets and mother of Sammy Cohen; Jonathan Farrell, executive director of COTS; and Christian Skalka, Shiloh’s father. For information, visit localmotion.org/ world_day_of_remembrance_2026.
Williston Christmas Bazaar supports local charities Saturday, Nov. 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Williston Federated Church, 44 North Williston Road, Williston. The church’s Christmas Bazaar will feature crafts, original artwork by Nancy Stone, baked goods, granola from Partners in Adventure, pickles and relishes from Williston Village Farm, plants, attic treasures and soups to go. Proceeds will support local charities.
CVU Turkey Trot gallops back into town The CVU Student Council invites the community to participate in the sixth annual Turkey Trot, Saturday, Nov. 21, at 10 a.m., Champlain Valley Union High School, 369 CVU Road, Hinesburg. Participants can enter raffles for prizes donated by local businesses. Bringing
canned food for the food shelf earns additional raffle tickets, with two cans equal to one ticket. Registration is through the Hinesburg Recreation Department at hinesburgvt. myrec.com.
DCF seeks adoptive families for youth in state custody November is National Adoption Month, and the Vermont Department for Children and Families is encouraging more Vermonters to consider adoption and help children and youth find adoptive families. When a young person enters foster care, the department’s first goal is to safely reunify them with their family. When that is not possible, DCF works to find an adoptive family that can provide a safe, stable home and a lifelong commitment. As of October, 50 youth in DCF custody were awaiting adoption without an identified adoptive family. Adoption can look different for every child. For some, it means joining a family they already know. For others, it means building a new relationship with a family ready to make a lifelong commitment. What matters most is that children and youth have people who support them, believe in them and will be there as they grow. “These 50 young people are waiting for a family to say, ‘We’re here, and we’re not going anywhere,’” said deputy commissioner Aryka Radke. To learn more about foster care and adoption in Vermont, visit dcf.vermont. gov/fsd/adopt.
5th annual Northern Nosh Jewish food festival The fifth annual Northern Nosh Jewish Food Festival will return Sunday, Nov. 15, inviting Vermonters of all backgrounds to enjoy an afternoon of food, entertainment and Jewish cultural traditions.
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Page 10 • November 12, 2026 • The Citizen
OUTDOORS
A decomposers’ haunt is a rotting pumpkin The Outside Story Maggie Weng Halloween is over, but the spookiest part of the year is yet to come. Soon, the jack-o-lantern on your doorstep will begin to droop and wither. Although you may recoil from the unwanted visitors that swarm, crawl and ooze through its oncetoothy grin, a rotting pumpkin highlights the most important players in autumn’s drama. Decomposers shepherd our forests and gardens from summer lushness to winter austerity, returning nutrients to the soil and readying it for the rebirth of spring. Decay begins as soon as the knife pierces the pumpkin’s gooey flesh. While you’re standing in the kitchen scooping out seeds to clean and roast later, air rushes in carrying a microscopic cargo of bacteria, yeasts and fungal spores. As oxygen flows over the exposed interior, oxidation reactions begin to occur, causing its bright color to fade as sensitive pigments break down, along with cell walls and other structures. Combined with evaporation, this leads to a general sagging and puckering of the pumpkin’s once-sturdy shape. Meanwhile, the end of a pumpkin’s life is the beginning of a whole new ecosystem. Lush carpets of growth unfurl their textures across the pumpkin’s interior. Each of these biological cities is composed of a different organism, from bacteria to molds or slime molds, which are technically neither plants, animals, nor fungi. Although it is hard to distinguish between species even with a trained eye, they harbor diverse functions that contribute to each colony’s particular microenvironment, the way New York City is known for pizza while Baltimore specializes in crab. Actinomycetes, a class of bacteria found primarily in soil, which help break down tough, woody compounds — like pumpkin stems — produce the compound geosmin associated with fresh earth after rain. Molds, meanwhile, are delicate spore-producing structures created by fungi, cousins to the mushrooms you might see on a walk. Unlike bacteria, their colonies represent a single multicellular organism that grows outward along its boundaries, guided by the tips of lacy hyphae that feel out new terrain. In addition to this microscopic wonderland, insects and animals arrive seeking a nutritional windfall. As they consume the pumpkin, they help break it into small-
ILLUSTRATION BY ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL
er components, providing more surface area for decomposition. Some creatures, like earthworms, millipedes and woodlice (also known as pill bugs or roly-polies) feed directly on decaying plant material. In contrast, flies visit to lay eggs, whose larvae hatch in an edible orange nursery. But even there, danger lurks: Spiders spin their shimmery webs, lying in wait. Although they may seem superfluous, the presence of these predators shows us that decomposition is not just a simple process, a factory conveyor belt of organic matter breakdown, but is instead a complex food web in its own right. Left to its own devices, the pumpkin as we know it will disappear entirely, its matter having been recycled back into the soil. Unless it is thrown in a landfill. There, unlike in a compost heap, the breakdown
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of organic matter happens in the absence of oxygen. Instead of earthworms, flies and fungi, specialized bacteria called methanogens take over the process, producing both methane and carbon dioxide. This process of decomposition is much slower, occurring naturally in places like peat bogs, where food and even human remains have been discovered, largely intact, after hundreds of years. The decay of organic matter in landfills produces between 8 and 10% of the world’s global greenhouse gas emissions and results in sludge. Instead of nourishing the next generation of crops and spring growth, it is a highly toxic brew that must be managed and contained. Our culture has instilled a fear of decay in most of us, using sanitization and artificial preservation to prevent the foretold end: rot, collapse, ruin. Yet no such story
exists in nature. The process of decomposition is a flourishing of its own that keeps the wheel of the seasons smoothly turning. Without decomposers, we would soon become buried under the staggering weight of our own waste: there would be no room or nutrients for new growth to appear. Decomposers close the loop, keep the cycle from stagnating, and in their own way look to the future, showing us the possibilities that arise from letting go. Maggie Weng is a writer and scientist currently working as a NASA postdoctoral fellow. 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.
Buying and shopping locally helps independent businesses, which in turn helps all of us shape our community’s distinct flavor, personality and character.
The Citizen • November 12, 2026 • Page 11
It’s not too late to grow leafy greens indoors You can also grow vine-ripened tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) indoors this winter if you select The gardening season is over, compact dwarf varieties like Red but that doesn’t mean an end to Robin (6 to 12 inches high), Yellow garden-fresh edibles. With a little Bush Cherry (12 to 24 inches high) investment in space, time, and or Dwarf Arctic Rose (36 inches equipment, you can grow an indoor high). The mature size of the plant garden throughout the cold weath- will determine the size of the container needed. A micro-dwarf er months. You’ll need containers with variety can be grown in a gallon drainage holes and a drip tray, container, while a larger variety sterile potting soil (not garden will need a five-or-more-gallon container to soil), seeds and, in accommodate most cases, a grow Provide 16 to 18 its roots. light to replace or The article supplement natural hours of light, “Seed Startlight. ing Basics” If you’re a salad keeping grow lights (go.uvm.edu/ lover, consider seedstartingbagrowing loose leaf 2 to 4 inches above sic) provides lettuce (Lactuca information on sativa), aruguthe plants. starting tomato la (Eruca sativa), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), endive seeds and others. Once seedlings (Cichorium endivia) or a combina- are ready to transplant, you’ll need tion of your favorites. Select a shal- the appropriate-sized container, low container 2 to 6 inches deep, sterile potting mix, a support to the depth depending on whether keep vines upright when heavy you intend to harvest baby greens with fruit and a grow light. Select a location with temperaor grow them to maturity. Fill the container with moist- tures of 70 to 80 degrees FahrenPHOTO BY DEBRA HELEBA ened potting mix. Scatter seeds heit (above 60 degrees at night) about an inch apart. Cover with away from cold or hot drafts. This pie tin came with a container, a perfect vessel for starting indoor greens. Be sure to poke holes in the pin tin for drainage. The cover a thin layer of soil and mist with Provide 16 to 18 hours of light, acts like a humidity dome needed to sprout the seeds. water. If the container comes with keeping grow lights 2 to 4 inches a humidity dome, put it in place. If above the plants. For answers to your home Deborah Benoit is a UVM Water when the top inch of soil flowers gently or use a cotton swab not, cover the planter with plastic wrap or enclose smaller contain- dries out. Fertilize every two weeks or small paintbrush to transfer gardening questions, contact the Extension Master Gardener who pollen. Depending on the variety, University of Vermont Extension volunteers as a garden columnist ers in a clear plastic bag. Sprouts according to package directions. Since you’ll be growing toma- in as little as 45 days from trans- Master Gardener Helpline online and participates in Bennington should be visible within a week. Remove the humidity cover and toes indoors without the benefit of planting you could be harvesting (go.uvm.edu/gardeninghelpline) County Extension Master Gardenthroughout the winter months. er Chapter activities. move the container to a well-lit pollinators, shake the stem or tap tiny tomatoes. location. For a continuous crop of greens, stagger planting by beginning a new tray at two-week intervals. Leafy greens can be grown on a south-facing windowsill that gets The local stories that shaped your week — emailed to you every Friday morning. bright light, but since most greens grow best with 12 to 14 hours of light daily, a grow light to supplement or replace natural light will produce better results. Place grow lights 2 to 4 inches from the top of the plants to ensure sufficient light. If you can’t adjust the height of your grow light, place books or some other stable support beneath the container to bring it closer Before the weekend begins, take a moment with the news that knows to the light source, removing the your community. Our weekly email newsletters deliver one-page height boosters as plants grow roundups of headlines from the Lamoille and Chittenden County papers taller. Water as needed to keep soil — easy to read, easy to trust, and easy to make part of your Fridays. moist but not wet, and don’t allow the tray to sit in standing water. Baby greens should be ready to eat in about a month. Cut outer leaves when they’re 3 to 4 inches tall, leaving the center to continue growing for cut-and-come-again harvesting. Leafy greens do best at temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid cold drafts from windows or doors, and hot, drying drafts from radiators, Sign up for News Updates: vtcng.com/users/admin/mailinglist stoves or heating vents. DEBORAH J. BENOIT UVM EXTENSION
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Page 12 • November 12, 2026 • The Citizen
BUDGET
continued from page 1 cation. The affordable housing committee increased its request from $500 in the current budget to $41,000 —in previous years, however, the committee received $5,000. Trails committee chair Marcy Stabile said the $1,500 increase represents a match for a grant the committee is hoping to apply for to continue work on the Sullivan Trail bridges. Those bridges, and the boardwalk the committee has been working on behind the ball fields, Stabile said, would start the ball rolling for the committee to receive other grants — ones that don’t need matching funds. “The idea behind all of these maintenance upgrades are to make them more accessible for people,” Stabile said, noting bikes and strollers struggle with the current setup and making the trails usable for more recreational activities provides more grant opportunities. “Some of the puncheons are just two planks of wood, and some of them are broken or have holes in them, and they’re slippery,” she said. According to affordable housing committee chair Carl Bohlen, the $41,000, combined
with $9,000 from the housing reserve fund will be used as grant funds to Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity in building 10 homes across two different upcoming developments. “It’s the first time we have asked for money to directly support an affordable housing project,” Bohlen said at the Nov. 4 selectboard meeting. “The housing crisis is here. It hasn’t disappeared. I’d maintain it’s probably getting worse. Costs go up and having housing and affordable housing is one way to make our community thriving. And without that, it’s hard.” Both developments with the Habitat homes have already been permitted, Bohlen said, but he’s noticed that projects across town have had trouble moving forward. He said the committee wants to help ensure affordable projects slated for building actually get built. Selectboard member Dennis Place, however, remained skeptical. “My problem with this is, people are struggling to pay their taxes that live here now,” Place said. “Now they have to help subsidize this project. Why do you feel that that’s fair?”
LAMAGNA
continued from page 7
COURTESY PHOTOS
‘That’ll do, Donkey’ Hinesburg Community School’s middle school theater program will present “Shrek the Musical JR.” Nov. 20-21, featuring students in grades 6-8.
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nity Action agencies, Vermont Parent Child Centers, the Vermont Aging Network Consortium, Vermont Network, Connecting Cultures, SASH (Support and Services at Home), Hunger Free Vermont, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, United Ways of Vermont - Vermont 211 and Working Bridges. The Working Bridges program shows how this assistance reaches people where they are. Its resource coordinators support more than 30 workplaces across northern Vermont, meeting one-on-one with employees to explain Medicaid and 3SquaresVT changes, respond to notices and connect with other resources. They also help employers understand the changes and communicate clearly with employees. Together, we are helping Vermonters maintain health coverage, access food assistance and connect to other essential resources. If you receive a notice, have questions about your eligibility, or need help applying for benefits, dial 211 to connect with trained local support. This is not simply a state government concern or a problem
only for the Vermonters directly affected by benefit changes; it is a critical moment for our communities. The decisions and changes unfolding now will have far-reaching implications for both economic stability and individual health and well-being. No single organization or sector can address these challenges alone. Strong partnerships among health care providers, community-based organizations, employers, human service agencies and other local partners are essential to ensuring individuals and families can access the resources and support they need. By working together, we can identify gaps, reduce barriers, and strengthen the systems that support the health and economic vitality of our communities. Alison Lamagna is executive director of United Ways of Vermont/Vermont 211. Connie Beal (United Way of Northwest Vermont) and Tawnya Kristen (Green Mountain United Way) oversee Working Bridges, a joint program of their two respective United Ways.
The Citizen • November 12, 2026 • Page 13
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AUTHOR
continued from page 1 let it come to you.” The roughly 300-page biography highlights Fisher’s work with the U.S. government archiving colonial history and breaking barriers as the daughter of a man born into slavery. Raised in Ohio, she graduated from Oberlin College, taught at Tuskegee University before starting work in London and then Washington D.C. at the Library of Congress. She lived through America’s Jim Crow era, experiencing overt racism and sexism. She copied around a million primary source documents, and her work helped create the National Archives in 1934. F i s h e r exchanged letters with Harlem Renaissance and Black philosophers like W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington, Harold Laski and J. Franklin Jameson. She documented many records relating to British colonial history, the Royal African Company and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. “This is a story of someone who saw it through and didn’t give up, but had a lot of reasons to give up, and you know it’s a courageous life, and I think I think people can take inspiration from that,” Fox said. Fox began researching the book in 2022 after he wrote a small profile on her in his retirement and wanted to preserve and celebrate the memory of her work and impact. He combined his memories with institutional files, census records, newspapers, photos, letters and other material he
collected relating to Fisher’s life. Many of her personal files and photos were lost in her London apartment after it was bombed in WWII. Fox said the book celebrates the labor Fisher put into her work which was formative in how American historians preserve and tell the truth about the past. He said history must get the facts right with ample, reliable sources, and Fisher needed to be creative, check her sources, double check her sources, ask the right questions, analyze, interpret and think critically to accurately preserve America’s past. “Accuracy and truth are values that matter to Ruth Anna Fisher, and I believe her life is a brave example — well, sacrifice — but example of what it takes to get the story,” Fox said. Right now, Fox said, history is under threat as historians are pressured to retire or curate a sweeter, whitewashed version of America’s past. Currently, there is no confirmed librarian of Congress after the previous one was fired by President Donald Trump. The author acknowledged that he is a white man writing and researching the history of a Black woman and said he was “obsessively worried” if he was the right person to write this book, admitting he is not an expert in women’s or Black history. But, since he had written a biography before and was interested in Fisher’s story, he went for it. “I worked really hard to overcome my deficiencies based on who I am, and I hope I’ve succeed-
COURTESY PHOTO
Charlotte author and historian Bill Fox published “Envoy to the Archives: Ruth Anna Fisher and Hidden Transatlantic History” in August.
ed,” he said. “If not, others can come along and maybe tell a better story.” Fox graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1975 and went on to teach there, becoming its president for 12 years. He has a master’s degree from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from
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George Washington University and taught history at a variety of other universities. His publishing
history includes three other books, multiple essays and was an editor of a volume book series collection.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE Town of Hinesburg Development Review Board Tuesday, December 1, 2026 at 6:30 PM Town Hall, 10632 Route 116 Matt Giroux and John Little, Final Plat Subdivision Revision 328 Place Road West, Tax Map ID# 16-20-18.100: Request for a subdivision revision pursuant to Section 7.7 of the Hinesburg Subdivision Regulations for a change to the existing building envelope on a 3.8-acre property located in the Residential 4 (R-4) Zoning District. Daniel Cassidy and Erin Chicoine, Final Plat Subdivision Revision - Enos Road Lot 2 and Lot 3, Tax Map ID#s 17-2236.110, 17-22-36.120: Request for a subdivision revision pursuant to Section 7.7 of the Hinesburg Subdivision Regulations for review of stormwater designs related to a previously approved 3-lot subdivision. The collective area of Lot 2 and Lot 3 is ± 6.96-acres and the lots are located in the Residential 4 (R-4) Zoning District. The meeting will be held both in-person at Town Hall and remotely. The meeting agenda will be available on the town website at www. hinesburg.org with details on how to participate.
Page 16 • November 12, 2026 • The Citizen
Start your holiday shopping at Wild Meadows!
MARKETPLACE HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS 2026
Books (of course) plus cards, stationery, fun gifts, ornaments and more!
Nov. 27 – Plaid Friday & Nov. 28 – Small Business Saturday FREE Wild Meadows tote with $75 book or gift purchase! * * While supplies last. Not including cafe items.
Nov. 30 – Cider Monday FREE hot or cold cider in our café!
Sun. to Wed. 8am - 6pm; Thurs. to Sat. 8am - 8pm
27 Market Street, Williston
SANTA PARADE & TREE LIGHTING FRI, NOV 27 Parade 12pm City Hall Lighting Ceremony 5:15pm Join beloved local characters and community members as they spread cheer along the Marketplace. After, Santa will entertain visitors at Homeport until 4pm. Join us that evening for the culminating event, the spectacular tree-lighting ceremony on Top Block. Kicking off with carols and a performance of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Then, at 6pm sharp, 100,000 lights will bring our beautiful 30+ foot blue spruce tree to life.
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Celebrate the season with a collection of festive, familyfriendly experiences for all ages.
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SUN, NOV 29-DEC 20 10am-2pm on Top Block
North Pole Express Mailboxes NOV 27–DEC 13 Top Block & City Hall Block
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FRI, NOV 27–THURS, DEC 31 Daydream Art Supply
Snowflake Hunt
NOV 27-SUN, DEC 20 11am-3pm, kick off at Homeport
Santa Visits
SUN, NOV 29–DEC 20 10am-2pm at Homeport
Supported by
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