After years of talking about it, couple opens new Hinesburg eatery Page 2
Cop talks
renewed after town contract falls apart
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
Hinesburg and Richmond are once again pondering the future of their police departments, after a joint policing contract fell apart in recent months.
The contract broke down when Hinesburg’s police chief left for Richmond and Richmond decided at the last minute to rescind its offer of employment, leaving both departments leaderless.
While officer Frank Bryan agreed to step in as Hinesburg’s interim police chief, this series of events has left both towns with depleted forces and confusion over the state of their contract, which included shared police coverage and a shared chief.
Last week, the two towns’ selectboards met for the first time since the breakdown of the inter-municipal agreement they’ve had since 2023. The meeting served as a reset, with both boards agreeing they are still interested in sharing services and hashing out what a new contract might look like.
See POLICE on page 12
Hinesburg housing projects receive funding boost
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
Two Hinesburg housing developments have been awarded a total of nearly $2.3 million by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board for their affordable housing projects.
The awards are the largest the board designated in this round of funding, and the only money earmarked for affordable housing rather than conservation out of the
seven projects receiving funding.
$1.7 million will fund a portion of Champlain Housing Trust’s Windy Ridge project, between Riggs and CVU Roads. The project will create 36 housing units, three of which will be designated for households experiencing homelessness.
The other $690,000 will go toward the six-unit townhouse development on Mechanicsville Road, in the works by Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity.
Funding from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board can be competitive. Executive director Gus Seelig said he has applications totaling about $40 million dollars, with only about $13 million left to award this fiscal year.
“The two developers here, Habitat and the Champlain Housing Trust, have always put forth terrific projects, terrific project ideas, and however intense the competition is, they’re highly
valued partners,” Seelig said.
The plan for Riggs Meadow, the portion of Windy Ridge that the funding supports, is for a neighborhood development on land donated by NRG Systems. The 36 units will be rentals and a mix of 12 one-bedrooms, 14 two-bedrooms, and two three-bedroom apartments. According to Champlain Housing Trust chief executive offi-
See HOUSING PROJECTS on page 16
COURTESY PHOTO
Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services, Inc., last week presented 144 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to the Charlotte Food Shelf. See related, page 4. S’more cookies
Couple over the moon to open their new restaurant
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
Sydney Sloan and her partner Jack Barron joked for years about opening a restaurant together. In January, when Dumb Luck Pub announced it was leaving its space on Ballards Corner Road in Hinesburg, the couple decided it was time for the idea to move out of joke territory.
“We were kind of like, all right, let’s do it. When else are we going to get the opportunity?” Sloan said.
Sloan started working at Dumb Luck when it opened in 2022 and has been the pub’s general manager for the last year and a half. She and Barron have over a decade of experience in the restaurant industry, both front-of-house and in the kitchen.
This week, the couple will open Moondog Tavern in the same Ballards Corner Road space. The restaurant is named after Sloan’s parents’ beloved dog, Moon.
“I’ve always called him my soul dog. I’ve loved all the dogs I’ve had growing up, but, oh my gosh, I love him,” Sloan said.
Sloan and Barron said they’re excited to keep the space open as a restaurant and continue to serve the regulars they’ve gotten to know over the years. They’re also locals, having grown up in Richmond and
South Burlington, respectively.
“I think we have a really great group of regulars who I know will continue to come, and they’re patient when it comes to changing things over,” Sloan said.
Initially, at least, many things will stay the same about the space. Dumb Luck closed at the end of March, and Sloan and Barron planned a few days to turn everything around into Moondog Tavern. Sloan said it helps that it’s the same space where she’s been working for years.
“Coca Cola knows our system pretty well. The POS system that we’re going to use is the same,” she said.
They plan on making a few small changes to the menu. Barron will run the kitchen and plans to introduce items like smash burgers and change the type of fries they offer. Eventually, he wants to do more specials and get creative with the menu.
“I love weird sauces, making crazy sauces,” Barron said. He also plans on experimenting with different soups or having lasagna as a special or menu item.
Sloan said they might also have her mother make a guest appearance in the kitchen to make chilly — she’s been making
See MOONDOG on page 12
Philo Ridge Farm to reopen doors to the public with new vision
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Philo Ridge Farm may have been closed to the public for the last year, but the team has been working around the clock on a new vision for the farm’s 500 acres of pastureland, forests and diversified produce gardens.
Last week, the farm’s founders announced they had successfully completed Philo Ridge’s transition to a nonprofit organization,
establishing the farm as a permanent community asset dedicated to the future of food and agriculture in Vermont.
The new nonprofit, the Philo Ridge Farm Foundation, will focus on promoting organic regenerative agriculture through hands-on research, education, dining, and community engagement.
This milestone marks the completion of a transition that began in November 2023, when the farm first announced its intention,
in an effort to ensure the property remains a multigenerational resource for farmers, researchers and the community.
“When we started this project in 2012, our goal was to establish a thriving farm,”
Philo Ridge Farm co-founder Diana McCargo said. “After more than a decade of learning and growth, we are proud to formalize our commitment to supporting the future of food and agriculture in our state.”
The farm will welcome the public back
to the farm this summer and will reopen both its dining facilities and market — popular hot spots that brings hundreds of people to Charlotte every year.
Throughout the transition period, the farm has continued to operate with a focus on land stewardship, infrastructure improvements and research initiatives. The team is just
COURTESY PHOTO
Sydney Sloan and Jack Barron opened their new Hinesburg restaurant, Moondog, this week.
See FARM on page 16
Newspaper group wins big at regional journalism contest
The Vermont Community Newspaper Group took home 35 reporting, design and photographer awards — including 15 first-place finishes — at the New England Better Newspaper Competition.
The accolades included a nod to staff writer Aaron Calvin, who was named the 2024 New England reporter of the year.
The awards ceremony, put on by the New England Newspaper and Press Association, was held Saturday night in Portland, Maine, and capped off of the 2025 New England Newspaper Convention.
NENPA represents more than 450 news organizations throughout New England and typically receives thousands of entries to its Better Newspaper Competition. The 2024 awards competition included work published from August 2023 through July 2024.
The Vermont Community Newspaper Group publishes five community weeklies — the Stowe Reporter, News & Citizen, The Other Paper of South Burlington, The Shelburne News and The Citizen of Charlotte and Hinesburg. It also publishes the award-winning Stowe Guide & Magazine, as well as an annual wedding magazine and special themed newspaper supplements.
Reporter of the year Aaron Calvin, 33, started with the company in April 2021, and primarily
covers Lamoille County and Stowe for the News & Citizen and Stowe Reporter, while writing features for the Guide. He previously worked as a journalist in Iowa before moving to Vermont four years ago.
The Cambridge resident has made a name for himself juggling beat reporting while nabbing major scoops that have been picked up by statewide news agencies and bringing state and national topics to the local level.
Calvin’s haul this year included four first-place awards. He won for two Stowe Reporter stories, both in the Business/Economics Reporting categories — “As climate changes: Making snow key to resorts,” Jan. 11, 2024; and “Resorts withdraw connector lift proposal,” Oct. 3, 2023.
And he had two first-place Stowe Guide & Magazine pieces — “Notched,” about the history of the Smugglers’ Notch section of Route 108 in the History Reporting category; and “It’s Miller Time,” about the late photographer Peter Miller, in the Obituaries category.
Reporter Liberty Darr nabbed two first-place awards, one in the Sports Story category for The Other Paper (“Tell-tale heart: Pickleball racket in South Burlington prompts resident petition,” June 27, 2024); and one in the Human Interest Feature Story category for the Shelburne News (“Other side
of the tracks: Mailles run last family-owned dairy in Shelburne,” Feb. 22, 2024).
Tommy Gardner won a firstplace Human Interest Feature Story award for his News & Citizen story about last year’s total solar eclipse (“Solar eclipse wows northern Vermont,” April 11, 2024).
Rounding out the first-place newsroom award-winners was photographer Gordon Miller, who won for his Stowe Reporter photograph of first responders rescuing a man from rising flood waters, in the Spot News Photo category.
The company also won big in the design and production categories.
Kristen Braley had three first place finishes for ad design: “Most Creative Use of Small Print Space” for Hannon Home Center and “Real Estate Display Ad” for Red Barn Realty, both for the Stowe Reporter; and “Best Health Ad” for Dorset Street Dermatology, for The Other Paper.
Katerina Werth had the top “Local Display Ad, Color,” for her work in the Stowe Reporter on advertisement about Stowe’s shortterm rental ordinance, a hot-button issue for much of the past year and a half.
Werth shared a first-place nod
PHOTO BY ANGELO LYNN
The Vermont Community Newspaper Group team with a sample of first-place reporting and design awards.
Hinesburg Police Blotter: March 20-31
Total incidents: 43
Traffic stops: 25
Arrests/citations:
March 26 at 5:43 p.m., Jacob Smallarz, 27, of Colchester, for driving under the influence on Route 116.
March 28 at 2:04 p.m., Gary Bevins, 57 of Starksboro, for driving with a criminally suspended driver’s license on Route 116.
March 31 at 10:17 p.m., Sophie Ferrone, 26 of South Burlington, for excessive speed on Silver Street.
Selected incidents (including some from last week that did not fit in the paper):
March 20 at 11:57 a.m., police investigated suspicious activity at Champlain Valley Union High School.
March 20 at 2:47 p.m., an officer responded to CVU to investigate an issue staff was having with a student.
March 20 at 6:05 p.m., an officer assisted Bennington Police Department with an investigation.
March 21 at 11:24 a.m., police investigated a 911 hangup on Ballard’s Corner Road.
March 21 at 9:18 p.m., police investigated suspicious activity on Route 116.
March 24 at 8:52 a.m., police investigated a report of property damage to a motor vehicle.
March 24 at 10:15 a.m., officers responded to a juvenile problem
on Mechanicsville Road.
March 24 at 4:13 p.m., officers responded to Leavensworth Road for the report of an out-of-control juvenile.
March 26 at 7:00 a.m., an officer investigated an alarm activation on Route 116.
March 26 at 9:31 a.m., police investigated suspicious activity on Mechanicsville Road.
March 27 at 11:32 a.m., police investigated a report of fraud.
March 27 at 1:45 p.m., police investigated a late reported assault at CVU.
March 27 at 3:00 p.m., police assisted three individuals with fingerprinting for employment purposes.
March 28 at 2:35 p.m., police conducted a welfare check on Kelley’s Field Road.
March 28 at 5:37 p.m., police investigated an alarm activation on Charlotte Road.
March 28 at 5:51 p.m., police recovered a stolen trailer out of Colchester and returned it to its owner.
March 28 at 6:24 p.m., someone reported a traffic hazard on Pond Road.
March 31 at 9:18 a.m., the Hinesburg police received three reports of vehicles broken into overnight on Lyman Meadows.
March 31 at 11:15 a.m. someone turned found property over to the Hinesburg police department.
March 31 at 1:05 p.m., Hinesburg
The Citizen
Serving the community of Charlotte & Hinesburg A publication of Vermont Community Newspaper Group LLC thecitizenvt.com
Advertising Wendy Ewing wendy@shelburnenews.com (802) 238-4980
Advertising Director Judy Kearns judy@otherpapersbvt.com (802) 734-2928
Editor Tommy Gardner tommy@stowereporter.com (802) 253-2101 x25
Staff Writers
Aaron Calvin
Liberty Darr
Patrick Bilow Briana Brady
Production/Design
Stephanie Manning stephanie@shelburnenews.com Kristen Braley kristen@stowereporter.com
Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services, Inc., last week presented 144 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to the Charlotte Food
Present for the event were several members of the fire and rescue squad, food shelf volunteers Peggy Sharpe and Emily Adsit and Charlotte Girl Scouts Troop #30066 leader Cindy Bradley. A former fire chief organizes this event annually, with hopes of growing the donation each year, and this was another successful year. Members contributed their own money to buy the Girl Scout cookies from the local troop. The Charlotte Food Shelf accepts food and monetary donations to help those in need. For more information or to donate, visit charlotteucc.org.
General Manager Katerina Werth katerina@stowereporter.com
Billing inquiries Leslie Lafountain leslie@stowereporter.com (802) 253-2101
Advertising submission deadline: Friday at 5 p.m. advertising@thecitizenvt.com classifieds@thecitizenvt.com
Editorial submission deadline: Friday at 12 p.m. news@thecitizenvt.com
Calendar submission deadline: Friday at 12 p.m. news@thecitizenvt.com
Contact: PO Box 489 Stowe, VT 05672 (802) 253-2101
police assisted Richmond police with the recovery of a stolen car at a Richmond Road home. The car was believed to be connected with a burglary in Richmond. March 31 at 2:45 p.m., an officer investigated a report of a coyote that attacked a person on Leavensworth Road.
March 31 at 3:48 p.m., on Wile Street, police recovered an abandoned vehicle with a stolen license plate attached.
March 31 at 5:29 p.m., police conducted a welfare check on Kelley’s Field.
Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney office and can be amended or dropped.
EASTER BRUNCH WITH FAMILY, FLAVOR & MUSIC
Enjoy a heartwarming Easter brunch with live music, great food, and cherished moments with family and friends in our beautiful atrium.
SUNDAY, APRIL 20
TWO SEATINGS ( 10:30-11:00 AM & 1:30-2:00 PM )
ADULTS $65 | AGES 5-12 $28 | UNDER 5 FREE Prices do not include taxes and gratuity.
A TASTE OF VERMONT’S FINEST
COURTESY PHOTO
Shelf.
Sweet deal
OPINION
Sending people onto streets is no way to trim budget
From the House
Rep. Chea Waters Evans
The dust has settled after crossover, and I’ll touch on education really quickly and then I’m going to talk about the mid-year Budget Adjustment Act and how incredibly horrible I think it is that our governor wants to make a bunch of kids homeless.
Everyone was wondering when we’d get an education plan and now look — we have three! The governor has a plan, Senate Education has a plan, and House Education has a plan. I’m assuming that the eventual course of action will be some compromise between the three, but I’ll stand by my earlier assertion that I’ll be shocked if there’s a realistic, comprehensive one by mid-May, which is when we’re supposed to adjourn. The details of the three plans differ wildly, with one common thread: fewer school districts, fewer schools, larger classes. We’ll see where that gets us.
Okay, the Budget Adjustment Act. Every January when we come back to the Statehouse, we re-assess the budget (“the big bill”) from the previous May and see where we need to make some changes. This year’s Budget Adjustment Act featured money to extend the state’s hotel/motel program that serves as temporary housing for people who would otherwise generally be unhoused.
The program itself is expensive, not well conceived and was never meant to serve as a permanent solution to the problem of home-
lessness. However, I don’t think we need to choose sending people out onto the streets as the hill we’re going to die on.
I don’t even understand it. The governor is cool with buying down our property taxes for the next two years with almost $80 million, but he can’t take two of those millions to keep pregnant people, children, people with disabilities, seniors and people with mental health challenges off the streets?
The plan is, literally, to give them tents. To hand families tents and say, here you go, no one wants you in their communities sleeping in a tent, but go find somewhere to sleep with your children and hope for the best, even though many of the homeless camps are places challenged with violence, drug use, crime and danger for adults, let alone children.
Who are we if we’re willing to take a little property tax boost (and believe me, the boost you get from $2 million taken off that $70-something million is negligible) at the expense of the most vulnerable people in our communities?
I don’t care if they’re suffering from substance use disorder — they’re sick. I don’t care if they’re having mental health struggles — they’re struggling. I don’t care if you think they should get a job — maybe they should, maybe they can’t.
But I do know this: none of us want to be in their shoes. Many of us could end up there, through one series of disasters after another. And if we can’t recognize that when we help those who are suffering, we’re helping our entire state, then we need to get a little perspective.
I don’t know what’s going to happen when they start phasing people out of the motel/hotel program, but I do know we don’t have housing, we don’t have room for everyone in the shelters, and we don’t have a
Here are some ins and outs of
housing improvement grants
Guest Perspective
Rocky Martin
Thinking of adding an Accessory Dwelling Unit or new apartment? Maybe renovations/improvements to existing or vacant apartments? The Vermont Housing Improvement Program has grant funding for eligible projects.
This program was started in 2020 and has been successful in helping to create almost 1,000 affordable housing units across the state, with many participants saying it was an essential piece of the puzzle to complete their project.
plan for how to help people get back on their feet after the motel/hotel program comes to an end.
If you’d like to help, call the governor. Call him every day! You’re allowed to! He’s your governor! He won’t answer the phone — don’t worry, this isn’t his personal cell or anything — but you can call his office and let them know what’s important to you. And if you support putting kids out on the street,
call and let him know that, too. I’m sure he’d appreciate your support. The number is 802-828-3333.
My number is 917-887-8231 and my email is cevans@leg.state.vt.us. Please be in touch.
Chea Waters Evans, a Democrat, represents Charlotte and Hinesburg in the Chittenden-5 House district.
An Accessory Dwelling Unit is a separate living unit on the same lot as a single-family residence. A recent law change allows any single-family residence to also have an ADU if it complies with local zoning regulations. It could be a part of the existing building, an addition or a completely separate structure. It has to have a kitchen and bathroom to provide a separate living space.
The Vermont Housing Improvement Program provides grant funding up to $50,000 for the creation of an ADU or rehab of existing three-bedroom units, and up to $30,000 per unit for the renovation of a one- or two-bedroom existing or vacant apartment, or creation of a new unit.
Like any good government program, it has rules and regulations to follow. Here is a partial list of some of the requirements.
• Participants are required to provide a 20 percent match of the grant award. If the grant is $50,000, a $10,000 match is
Rep. Chea Waters Evans
How appeals drive up housing costs
Guest Perspective
Lindsay Kurrle
Too often in Vermont, popular and necessary housing construction is derailed, delayed or diminished by a small number of folks abusing the appeals process who have no direct skin in the game and are reluctant to welcome new neighbors.
While appeals are valuable in certain cases, they also drive up costs, affecting every homebuyer, renter and builder in Vermont. When the project involves public money, appeals also drive-up costs for taxpayers.
The Alice Holway Drive Project in Putney is an example of all those things. Windham & Windsor Housing Trust and Evernorth are working to build 25-units of mixed income apartments there. Funders include the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, the Vermont Housing Finance Agency and the Vermont Department of Economic Development’s Community Recovery and Revitalization Program, all of which fund projects with taxpayer dollars.
The housing project is within walking distance of the Putney Community Garden and Putney Farmers’ Market. It’s in a Designated Village Center. It will offer residents access to public transportation and nearby amenities and services. And, according to Windham & Windsor Housing Trust, “deed restrictions are put in place to ensure that the mission of affordability remains permanently.”
The Alice Holway Drive project has been in the works since March 2022 and is expected to finally break ground this spring after delays largely attributable to four appeals filed by two Putney residents. The Vermont Supreme Court rejected their fourth and final appeal last November, clearing the way for construction.
Elizabeth Bridgewater of Windham & Windsor Housing Trust tells the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development that, while there
have been substantial design changes to simplify construction and save money, legal fees and increased construction costs during the three-year delay raised the hard construction budget by over $2 million. That’s about $80,000 more per apartment today than it would have cost had the project not sat idle for three years due to appeals.
Other changes during that time also increased costs. Most notably, construction loan interest rates have more than doubled. Once again, this is an increase that could have been avoided had this project broken ground in 2022 instead of 2025. Today the overall price tag for this 25-unit mixed income housing development now sits at $15.4 million. It is completely unacceptable to allow two people to deny dozens of others housing while simultaneously reducing the impact of investments made by all Vermont taxpayers.
This is not just a Putney problem. The outdated appeals process championed by some is worsening the housing crisis by denying homes to Vermonters in the throes of a crisis, eroding the impact of taxpayer dollars designated by lawmakers to build affordable housing and discouraging private investment, without which Vermont cannot achieve its housing goals.
Consider the numbers. According to the Statewide and Regional Housing Target Report, the Windham Region, which includes Putney, needs 2,500 to 3,700 additional homes by 2030. Fighting for three years to block 25 units is no way to get there.
It’s undeniable that Vermont needs more housing options. We need them for young people just getting their start, families with school-aged children, older people looking to downsize, individuals and families experiencing homelessness, workers who drive our economy and people who want to move here and share the Vermont experience with us.
WHY GO LOCAL?
expense of housing. Inaction will waste even more taxpayer dollars and prolong our housing crisis instead of solving it. Half measures or minor tweaks will be insufficient. Meaningful reform of the appeals system is needed immediately.
Lawmakers are understandably focused on education finance reform, but that can’t be at the
Gov. Scott’s PATH for Vermont housing proposal outlines several strategies that would create more housing. Here is what we are proposing when it comes to appeals reform:
• Reduce frivolous appeals by requiring appellants to show how their property is affected by the alleged violation of land use regulation or comprehensive plan.
• Raise the threshold for petition appeals from any 20 people to 20 percent of the municipality.
• Require Vermont Superior Court to hear residential housing appeals within 60 days.
• If the court rejects the appeal, the appellant may be liable for up to $50,000 of developer’s
Shape the community’s character
legal fees.
I urge you to contact your legislators today. If we can make meaningful appeals reform, we can add to Vermont’s housing stock more quickly, make affordable housing even more affordable and give taxpayers a better return on their housing investments.
Lindsay Kurrle is secretary of the Vermont Agency for Commerce and Community Development.
The business next door donates nearly twice as much as big-box stores and online retailers to local non-profits, events and teams.
Vermont Community Newspaper Group
Public safety in Vermont requires rebalanced priorities
Guest Perspective
Jennifer Morrison
Last fall, Vermonters delivered a clear message. They want meaningful change on the issues impacting their daily lives — property taxes, education, housing, and affordability.
One common concern unites all these challenges: the need to ensure the safety of our communities, downtowns, neighborhoods, and personal property.
I have spent nearly 35 years living and working in Vermont, not only as your commissioner of Public Safety but also as a mother, coach, neighbor, police officer and policy advisor. My commitment to vibrant, attractive and safe communities runs deep. Yet, many of our communities face significant public health and safety challenges that threaten our shared way of life.
When I reflect on what I’m hearing and seeing across the state, I think about a pendulum that has swung too far in one direction and needs to be rebalanced. On one end is an overly punitive system that can overlook the potential for rehabilitation and the rights of individuals. On the other end is an approach so lenient that repeat offenders aren’t held accountable for the harm they inflict on our communities. Today, our policies have drifted too far toward leniency, and the damage — measured in undermined trust, diminished social cohesion, and degraded public spaces — can no longer be ignored.
Gov. Scott’s proposed omnibus public safety bill takes a commonsense, measured approach to restoring balance. It recognizes the close ties between public health
and public safety and tackles substance use, mental health and community well-being all at once.
Healthy individuals build stronger families, and strong families support thriving schools. Safe neighborhoods attract residents and visitors, fueling local businesses and energizing our downtowns. In short, these efforts create a foundation for a robust, resilient community.
Over the past two years, we’ve worked productively with the Legislature to address persistent problems. Now, we must build on that partnership by providing the right tools to hold a small number of individuals accountable — those whose repeated actions disproportionately damage local businesses, neighborhoods and public spaces. Our proposals include commonsense reforms:
• Enhanced accountability: Bail revocation for repeat offenders and improved pre-trial supervision ensure that those who repeatedly harm our communities face timely and proportionate consequences.
• Fair treatment for adults: Repealing policies like “raise the age” reaffirms that adults must be held to the full standards of accountability under our laws.
• Balanced intervention:
Ending “catch-and-release” practices and improving access to recovery and mental health services at critical intervention points ensure that our measures are both just and effective.
These reforms are essential at a time when Vermont is facing rising drug trafficking, increased violent crime and the resultant uptick in gun violence and homicides. When serious offenders perceive our state as a soft target, our communities bear the cost — and that must stop.
At the heart of these reforms
lies our shared social contract. This contract is the unspoken agreement that binds us as Vermonters. It represents our mutual commitment to support one another, hold each other accountable and ensure that our rights come with responsibilities.
It promises that our communities will be safe havens where every individual — whether a resident, a visitor, or someone seeking help — can thrive. Our proposed measures aim to renew that contract. They are not merely punitive steps but a
MARTIN
continued from page 5
required. The project must be completed within 18 months of the signed agreement. Grant funds will be disbursed on a reimbursement basis; you complete the project in stages and submit for reimbursement.
• Participants must agree to rent at or below the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Market Rent for the duration of the 5 or 10-year period. In Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties, that rent, including all utilities per month, is currently $1,441 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,887 for a two-bedroom unit.
• Five-year grant award recipients must make an effort to work with organizations to find renters exiting homelessness or refugee households.
• Ten-year grants are called forgivable loans and require recipients to rent at or below HUD Fair Market Rent rates for the duration of the loan. If completed, the loan is forgiven and not repaid.
balanced response that combines accountability with compassion, enforcement with opportunities for rehabilitation.
By reaffirming our commitment to the social contract, we are pledging to safeguard our parks, neighborhoods and downtowns, not only as spaces of economic opportunity but as symbols of our collective trust and responsibility. When every individual knows their actions have consequences and our community will stand by those in need, we create a foundation for a safer, healthier and more
vibrant Vermont.
We owe Vermonters our best efforts to uphold this promise. By enacting these measures, we can recalibrate our approach to public safety and renew the social contract that underpins our shared quality of life. Together, let’s create a Vermont where every corner of our state reflects the security, respect and opportunity we all deserve.
Jennifer Morrison is commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Safety.
• Construction plans must be submitted to the Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety for approval. All building code and life safety systems must be in place and approved by the Division of Fire Safety. Applicable permits and inspections will be required.
• Since projects must be completed within 18 months of being awarded, applicants should have needed permits in place or expected within a short timeframe. A detailed scope of work with contractor estimates and timing should be developed and included with the application. This is a very competitive grant program, so applicants should apply with as much detail and specifications as possible.
A Hinesburg resident had this to say about the program: “With the grant, we were able to build a small addition and renovate our basement so that my son and his family could cohabitate with my wife and me. Even though the grant is considered taxable
income, it was enough to lower the overall cost to a reasonable amount. Given the current high cost of construction, we wouldn’t have been able to build the complete project without it. Both the Town of Hinesburg and the Champlain Housing Trust were a big help with the grant process.”
In Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties, the Vermont Housing Improvement Program is administered by Champlain Housing Trust. For more information, including all requirements, or an application, email vhip@getahome.org or call 802-810-8217. The Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety, Williston office can be reached at 802-879-2300 or 1-800-366-8325. As always, a good place to start with any building related questions is Hinesburg Zoning Administrator Jim Jarvis at 802-4824213 or jjarvis@hinesburg.org.
Rocky Martin is a member of the Hinesburg Affordable Housing Committee.
CVU Empty Bowls dinner combats food insecurity
The Second Annual Champlain Valley Union Empty Bowls Dinner invites the community to join in a global movement against food insecurity on Thursday, April 10, at 6 p.m. at Champlain Valley Union High School. This grassroots event, inspired by the Empty Bowls movement, raises funds for the Hinesburg Food Shelf at the Hinesburg Community Resource Center, a volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to helping neighbors in need.
Last year’s inaugural dinner raised $6,200 for the resource center.
Each ticket includes a handmade ceramic bowl crafted by local volunteer potters, a dinner featuring bread from local bakeries, craft soups donated by local restaurants and ice cream provided by Sisters of Anarchy. A guest speaker from the Hinesburg Food shelf will address food insecurity in Vermont.
The ceramic bowl will serve as a lasting reminder of your impact on the bowls that go empty every day in Vermont.
There will be a silent auction for products from local businesses, additional pottery bowls and wooden cutting boards crafted by
COMMUNITY
Community Notes
CVU woodworking students.
Tickets must be purchased in advance at tinyurl.com/34zjjnzy and are $20 donation per adult or $10 donation per child under 12. Please bring a non-perishable food item for the donation bin at the entrance. Monetary donations are tax-deductible.
Be part of Ariel’s, Flounder’s world
The Lyric Theatre Company presents Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” at the Burlington’s Flynn Theater.
Performances run April 10-13, with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m., evening performances Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and a final performance Sunday at 6 p.m. Saturday’s evening performance will feature American Sign Language translation for the hearing impaired, and the Sunday matinee will be audio-described for patrons who are blind or visually impaired. Tickets range from $20–$55, with student and senior rates available.
Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories and the classic animated film, with music by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken, lyrics
by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, and a compelling book by Doug Wright, this fishy fable will capture your heart with its irresistible songs, including “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and “Part of Your World.”
Safety Team teaches risk-mitigation techniques
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and The Safety Team, a Vermont-based nonprofit providing violence prevention and trauma recovery programs, will host “Fostering Safety in an Unsafe World,” a free interactive presentation, on Monday, April 14, at 6 p.m. at the Mainstreet Landing Performing Arts Center Film House, 60 Lake St., Burlington.
The event will include a presentation, a video and easy-to-learn strategies and techniques. A live demonstration by The Safety Team — all trained martial artists, many with black belts and beyond — will be followed by a Q&A session. Participants will receive a handout with strategies to prevent violence and bullying.
Registration is encouraged but not required. Register at forms.gle/ hCmhob6CtX7BaiGBA
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center,
an American is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds. Vermont’s 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that almost 40 percent of high school female students in the state have experienced unwanted sexual contact — a rate four times higher than that reported by male students.
“Once you are equipped with knowledge, greater awareness of risks and a few simple physical skills, you can practice boundary
setting while claiming your voice and healing from trauma,” said Christine DiBlasio, founder of The Safety Team, a psychologist with 30 years of experience and a fifth-degree black belt. “There is nothing more gratifying than witnessing powerful healing and transformation.”
COURTESY PHOTO
Ariel and Prince Eric share a moment in Lyric Theatre Company’s “The Little Mermaid.”
Founded 20 years ago by DiBlasio and a group of advanced female martial artists and professionals, The Safety Team has conducted hundreds of workshops and helped thousands of women and girls. For more information, contact Genie Henry at genie@ thesafetyteam.org or 802-985-9551.
Cyclist to spin tales of his adventures
Joe Cruz, a bicycle traveler, writer, photographer, and chair of the philosophy department at Williams College, will be at the Champlain College Alumni Auditorium, 375 Maple St., Burlington, on April 18 at 7:30 p.m. for an evening of tales from his past journeys. Come to be inspired, experience adventure, and dream about big bike rides.
The event is free to attend but you are asked to RSVP to reserve a seat. A virtual option is available for those wishing to attend from out of town, state, or country.
Cruz took his first bikepacking trip in 1988 and has since cycled the world, aiming to meet people, find stories, and experience cultures and history. He and his wife split their time between southern Vermont and New York City.
To register or receive the virtual meeting link, visit tinyurl.com/2mv2svwkVenue.
Group seeks conservation-themed essay for scholarship
In keeping with its commitment to protecting Hinesburg’s working landscape, recreational lands and natural systems, Responsible Growth Hinesburg is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating senior and Hinesburg resident who has demonstrated commitment to these same values. The scholarship will support the student’s further training in an environmental area.
The deadline for applying for this schol arship is May 1, 2025. To be considered, the student must submit an essay describing:
• Why it is important for citizens to engage in local activities that improve or conserve the important qualities of Hinesburg.
• How their own involvement has benefited them so far and affected their enjoyment of Hinesburg and its surroundings.
• How they plan to continue that involvement in the future.
Email essay submissions and pose any questions to Natacha Liuzzi at nml1961@ gmail.com.
CVU hosts climate action plan talk
Don’t miss your chance to weigh in on the 2025 update to Vermont’s Climate Action Plan at Champlain Valley Union High School on April 15 at 6 p.m.
Climate council members will listen and consider public input when revising the plan, which is due July 1. Background materials will be emailed a few days before the meeting. Refreshments provided.
Register at climatechange.vermont.gov/ climate-action-plan-2025-update.
Storytellers line up for Mad River slam
On Saturday, April 5, the Valley Players Theater will present the 5th Annual Mad River Story Slam at the Valley Players Theater, 4254 Main St. (Rt. 100), Waitsfield. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and will be hosted by Valley Players board members Doug Bergstein and Susan Loynd.
This year’s theme is “Relationships” and features true stories about exploring the many facets of relationships — love, family, friendships and everything in between. Storytellers scheduled to appear are Charlotte Robinson (Warren), Wendy Freundlich (Montpelier), Shevonne Travers (Waitsfield), Danielle Dukette (Fayston), Larry Guild (Waitsfield), Dennis McSorely (Burlington), Carrie Youngblood (Montpelier), Marci Robinson
(Warren), Sarah McDougal (Warren), and Sue Richardson (Beverly, Mass.).
“There is no better way to understand someone than to hear one of their stories,” Bergstein said.
For tickets and more information, go to valleyplayers.com or call 802-583-1674.
Storytellers participated in two workshops in preparation for the show to learn tips from Doug Bergstein and experienced storyteller Susan Loynd. In these workshops, storytellers learned about the storytelling process and got feedback to refine their story for the Slam.
Lake Hortonia, Vermont
CVU grad sees green and gold era for Cats
LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
When Catherine Gilwee stepped on the court in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on March 22, the green and gold she was wearing didn’t just represent her school — it also represented her home state.
“I just love that I’m from Vermont and I love that I get to stay close to home and play for a school that I love in a state that I love,” Shelburne native Gilwee said. “It meant so much to me to be able to do that on the big stage and do it with my amazing teammates.”
Gilwee scored 13 points for the No. 15-seeded University of Vermont in a 75-55 loss to No. 2 North Carolina State, a defeat that in many ways still felt like a win for the program.
While the tournament’s other No. 15 seeds were losing by nearly 70 points, the Catamounts hung with Wolfpack — trailing by just 2 points at halftime.
Eventually, the tournament’s seeding was proven true as UVM ran out of gas and N.C. State’s talented roster pulled away. But the three quarters of tight basketball has reentered the Catamounts into the national conversation and Gilwee was front-andcenter in that effort.
“I was just really proud that we came out with that chip on our shoulder and not just backing down to them because they were N.C. State and we’re Vermont,” Gilwee said. “I was super proud of our performance. We stuck with them for the first three quarters, and no one expected us to do that.”
Gilwee played at Champlain Valley Union High School for four seasons, helping lead the Redhawks to a 30-0 record in her final two seasons. She was named the Gatorade high school girls basketball player of the year in 2021 and the Burlington’s Free Press’ Miss Basketball.
Gilwee had no expectations entering UVM and the women’s basketball program. But the 5’8” guard played in all the Catamounts’ games in her freshman and sophomore years, averaging 10 points her second season and earning a spot in the NCAA tournament.
“If you were to ask me when I was coming into UVM what I saw my four years looking like, I definitely didn’t think my freshman year would’ve gone as well as it did,” Gilwee said. “All the years since then, I think it’s been even better than I could have imagined.”
SPORTS
The team’s 2023 tournament performance helped them coming into this year, Gilwee said. The Catamounts were able to take away lessons from the loss to Connecticut two years ago that they took into their matchup against the Wolfpack.
“We came out with a little bit more confidence this year,” she said. “It wasn’t as much of a shock walking into this game as it was two years ago when we played UConn.”
After missing her junior year to injury, Gilwee came back strong this season and helped lead the Catamounts to a resurgent season. The program posted a 21-13 record,
won the America East title and garnered national notice for their tournament performance last weekend.
All of that felt like a step forward for a program on the rise.
“What was exciting was I know that we didn’t play our best game,” Gilwee said of the team’s loss to NC State. “It’s not like we played a perfect game, and we lost. We didn’t even play a perfect game and, if we had, we could have won that game. It’s super helpful for the future and just continuing to grow and learn how to be locked in and just limiting our mistakes.
“I think as long as everyone has the
same mindset and is on the same page, we could accomplish a lot in the future.”
Through it all, Gilwee has had local fans cheering her on, from the Redhawks fans who watched her develop as a CVU player on the court to the local kids who she gets to mentor in the same way former UVM players did for her.
“It was just awesome to see how much support we have and just how many people really care about the UVM program,” Gilwee said. “I just love how it’s such a tight-knit community and I love how everyone supports everyone and all those people reaching out means so much to me.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
Catherine Gilwee, right, during the first round of the NCAA tournament against North Carolina State.
Phil Scott extends motel stays for some families with children
CARLY BERLIN VTDIGGER
Gov. Phil Scott took executive action last week to extend motel voucher stays for unhoused families with children and certain people with acute medical needs through June 30.
Without the extension, this group of unhoused Vermonters would have faced a cliff next Tuesday, when the voucher program’s loosened winter rules will expire for the season. Democratic legislators had sought a three-month extension for all people sheltered through the program, a move Scott and fellow Republicans fiercely opposed.
Scott’s order came down just hours after Senate Republicans blocked an attempt to advance a bill that would have provided an extension for all 2,300 people currently receiving motel vouchers. The blockage essentially ensured that all unhoused people in the program would be subject to strict time-limits on their stays beginning on April 1.
“While I’ve been opposed to the Hotel Motel program because it doesn’t serve those in the program well, I have also been clear that we have an obligation to protect children and Vermonters who are most vulnerable,” Scott said in a statement last Friday. “This executive order does just that without unwinding the important progress we’ve made.”
The extension will apply to just over 400 households, according to Amanda Wheeler, Scott’s press secretary. State data shows 1,439 households are currently sheltered through the program.
Those eligible for the extension are families with a child under the age of 19, and “medi-
cally vulnerable” individuals. The order defines “medically vulnerable” as being “homebound”; requiring a lifesaving device that needs access to electricity, like an oxygen concentrator; in active treatment for cancer, “severe kidney/renal disease, or severe liver or heart conditions”; receiving Medicaid or Medicare-eligible “home-based” nursing services; or women in their third trimester of pregnancy.
This eligibility criteria leaves out a broad swath of people currently eligible for the emergency housing benefit, including Vermonters over the age of 65, people fleeing domestic violence, people displaced by flooding, and more.
That means those individuals will still be subject to restric-
REPAIRS
tions on the motel program come April 1: an 80-day allotment on motel stays, along with a 1,100room cap on the program. Many people housed in motels already used up their 80-day limit for the fiscal year last fall, which resulted in a mass wave of evictions from motels between September and December. (The restrictions were eased for the winter months.)
In the fall, some families with young children leaving the motels ended up pitching tents. That prompted considerable public
outcry, including from some legislators who had agreed to the new restrictions last year as a way to scale back the motel program’s pandemic era expansion. Service providers and advocates demanded Scott take executive action, but at the time, he declined to do so.
Last week’s order came after weeks of heated exchanges between Scott and Democratic leaders in the Legislature over the immediate future of the motel voucher program, tied to an annual budget adjustment bill.
Scott vetoed lawmakers’ first attempt at the legislation two weeks ago, citing concerns about increased spending — along with his disapproval of the three-month voucher extension.
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate conceded to Scott’s spending asks but held firm in their position to extend eligibility for the voucher program through June 30, proposing to do so with existing state funds.
Scott and Republican legislators fiercely opposed the full extension, arguing that the voucher program is a “failure” that has “warehoused” people instead of helping them. Still, Scott brought forward a counterproposal to Democrats last week, offering to grant voucher extensions for families with kids and people with severe medical needs.
Democrats declined to take up the offer, in a refusal to carve out exceptions among a broadly vulnerable group.
“What we did was to try to stay steadfast behind the idea that nobody should be exited,” said Senate President Pro-Tem Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central, in an interview last Friday before the order came down. “I think very few people in that program do not have major challenges.”
This story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public.
PHOTO BY GLENN RUSELLL/VTDIGGER
Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth speaks about state’s motel housing program at the Statehouse in Montpelier last week.
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“I think when we first got into the agreement, the idea always was to build our department back up, and at some point, we would have four officers, we could be fully staffed, and then we could talk about a shared chief at that point. But we’re sort of at a new starting point right now,” Richmond town manager Josh Arneson said at last week’s joint selectboard meeting.
Richmond’s lone police officer, corporal Matt Cohen, presented the boards three scenarios: completely separate departments; semi-separate departments with officers on each town’s payroll and a shared chief; or a single department.
For the latter, he said, one of the current departments would need to fold, and that town would contract with the other for full policing services. That’s his recommendation.
“This would help reduce costs further. It provides more patrol coverage. We would have shared department expertise and knowledge,” Cohen said. “You have one person managing one budget, one set of policies, one list of equipment that they need. I also think this would lead to higher officer retention.”
A bigger department, Cohen argued, would allow for more career growth. Instead of four patrol officers and a chief, a larger department might mean greater opportunity for higher rank or specialization.
Cohen’s suggestion was slightly different than the kind of regionalization that sometimes happens with school unions or solid waste districts. Under Vermont law, Richmond Selectboard member Bard Hill said, a single regional entity serving multiple towns must be chartered as its own municipality — the same way a school district maintains its own board and lead-
ership, separate from but representative of its member towns.
This option for regionalization is often expensive and cumbersome, and working toward a unified police district might take years, Hill said. However, if one town were to contract with another for full policing services, that arrangement would still fall under the purview of an inter-municipal contract.
Because Hinesburg has invested in its police facilities and has the larger force, the underlying assumption in the room last week was that Richmond would, once again, contract with Hinesburg for services.
Cohen acknowledged his favored set-up would wrest some local control away from the
contracting town, and some officials were hesitant to immediately jump on board.
“To eliminate the department to be in contract with Hinesburg, I think it requires some involvement of the voters,” Hill said.
However, the board members also recognized that Hinesburg and Richmond hold a unique role when it comes to regionalization. Hill described the towns as “the tip of the spear.”
“I’d like to see the state figure out a better model than a municipal district,” Hinesburg selectboard member Mike Loner said, noting the current model of unified districts “takes tax and authority and everything away from the towns.”
However, the towns may need to rely on a contract or agreement while they plan for the future. While much of the discussion last Wednesday revolved around the particulars — how many officers might the towns need in the future? What will they do if one town grows at a faster rate than the other? — underpinning those future decisions were considerations of the role of a police force and government in a community.
Richmond resident Jamie Valyou suggested the boards first hire a new police chief to lead them through the process and come
MOONDOG
continued from page 2
her famous chili for Cochran’s Ski Area for years.
Moondog Tavern will also be open a little later than other establishments in the area. Sloan said they plan to stay open 4-10 p.m.
police chief Anthony Cambridge quit the department to take a job as Richmond’s chief. This move disrupted the contract, which had been drawn up with the understanding that the chief was officially a Hinesburg employee.
Hinesburg officials suggested simply flipping the contract, with Hinesburg paying Richmond for a shared chief and each covering the budget for their own officers. However, that proved to be anything but simple.
Cambridge left Hinesburg weeks before his scheduled departure date, and did so amid allegations he had shredded documents, deleted camera footage and stored weapons at his home.
He has maintained the allegations are part of a smear campaign against him, that the documents he shredded were old tickets and personal documenrs and any deleted footage was inadvertent.
up with solutions, since selectboard members may have no law enforcement experience.
Merrily Lovell, the chair of the Hinesburg selectboard, disagreed.
“We live here in our community. We know what we want,” Lovell said. “We may not know much about policing, but we know what we want. We want a safe place to live. We want it to be friendly.”
For now, the towns have created a working group of Richmond selectboard members Bard Hill and David Sander and Hinesburg selectboard members Dennis Place and Mike Loner to start working out the details.
“I think stability is key right now, after the flux we just went through that, we need to keep some stability inside our department so we can build it. And then, as you guys come up with what view you want and what goals you want to set, go forward with that, we need stability right now,” Cohen said.
Department in flux
The instability Cohen was referring to was the breakdown of the contract as the result of personnel issues.
After Richmond town officials announced last fall the town would seek to hire its own officers, removing the necessity of paying Hinesburg for coverage, Hinesburg
The issue of control was central to the breakdown in the relationship between prior-chief Cambridge and the towns he worked for. In his statement to the Hinesburg selectboard in January, after submitting his letter of resignation, Cambridge emphasized how important it was for him to maintain independent control of the police department.
More recently, in a 2,279word post in a Hinesburg Facebook group, Cambridge outlined a narrative of a souring relationship between himself and Hinesburg town manager Todd Odit.
“There were persistent and ongoing efforts that were undermining my ability to effectively act as chief,” the post read. Hinesburg only voted to switch to a town manager form of government in 2021, two years into Cambridge’s term as police chief. Previously, the town had operated with a town administrator, which reports directly to a selectboard.
A town manager, on the other hand, oversees not only the budget and expenses, but also the personnel, essentially acting as a CEO for a town, leaving the selectboard to focus on policy.
Odit did not comment on Cambridge’s narrative.
The Hinesburg and Richmond selectboard members emphasized the importance of assessing their towns’ dynamics and preventing another contract breakdown as they move forward. This time, they said, they want it to last.
Monday through Friday, and 12-10 p.m. on Saturdays. They opened this week with a limited menu.
“We’re hoping we can attract more people as we keep developing as a business,” Sloan said.
“There’s a lot of young families here. There’s a lot of young people like us. And then there’s really great people who have been here for decades, and they love this location.”
PHOTO BY BRIANA BRADY
Richmond police Cpl. Matt Cohen recommends that Hinesburg and Richmond find a way to operate a single police department.
The many lives of the Eastern newt
The Outside Story
Kenrick Vezina
You’re probably familiar with the basic amphibian life plan: start as a wriggly water-breathing tadpole, then transform into an adult that breathes air.
This is the pattern followed by all our frogs and toads, and our mole salamanders as well. Enter the eastern newt, an amphibian with three different forms, whose ability to transform its body and its lifestyle makes its peers look like amateurs.
All eastern newts begin life as jelly-coated eggs scattered in stagnant or sluggish bodies of water. Larval newts emerge in spring as tiny, drab olive tadpoles with feathery external gills and an appetite for even tinier invertebrates.
Over the course of about three months, they first grow forelimbs then hindlimbs, trade their gills for lungs and develop pebbly skin that’s good at retaining moisture. They also turn a vivid orangered, with a line of black-ringed dots down their back. This is the red eft stage, which is so distinct from their larval and adult forms that they were once thought to be a different species.
In the fall, they move onto land and begin an amphibian version of the Amish rumspringa that may
last anywhere from three to seven years.
They can tolerate dry conditions briefly, but they are by far most active at night and during cool or wet conditions. If you get caught in the woods during a sudden summer cloudburst, you might see dozens of efts emerge from the leaf litter as the threat of dehydration is momentarily deferred. Their traffic-cone coloring makes them easy to spot, but it’s also a warning: they secrete a potent, foul-tasting toxin from their skin.
Eventually, urged by factors we still don’t understand, the efts migrate back to their breeding sites and begin another metamorphosis. Back in the water, their tails broaden vertically into paddles, their skin becomes slick and permeable like a frog’s — to better absorb oxygen from water — and their color fades back to olive with a yellowish belly and a lingering line of red warning spots down their back. They also become sexually mature, and in late winter or early spring, sometimes even under a thin layer of ice, they’ll mate and lay eggs.
Eastern newts are found across the entire eastern half of the United States and well into Canada, with five regional subspecies. In the Northeast, we have the “red-spotted” subspecies. Their huge range speaks to their ability to exploit many habitats, with the only strict
requirement being water in which to breed. This flexibility is possible because of their ability to adapt their life cycles to their environment.
The three forms mentioned earlier is an understatement. After the aquatic larval stage, all bets are off. If aquatic habitat is plentiful and reliable, as it usually is for the “peninsula newt” subspecies of the Florida panhandle, tadpoles may skip the eft stage entirely and quickly develop into sexually mature adults.
On the other hand, if access to water is very unreliable, they may take on an eft-like adult form and only return to water temporarily to breed. The degree of variability in each population, is, itself variable: populations that have evolved in stable habitats seem to have stable life cycles, whereas populations in
areas of frequent drought or other disturbance may change their life cycles dramatically.
Virtually all our “red-spotted” newts go through an eft stage, but members of the same subspecies on the Atlantic Coastal Plain may not, seemingly in response to factors like local flooding or droughts. Even the way different populations circumvent the eft stage varies: some metamorphose into “true” adults with lungs, some may keep their external gills.
Eastern newts can also adjust their development in response to the presence of predators. One experiment found that eggs raised in the same body of water as dragonfly nymphs hatched into larvae with statistically larger tails, presumably to power a swift escape. They are incredible models of polyphenism: the ability to produce several
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distinct forms from a single genetic blueprint. And even if they get injured, they have some of the best regenerative abilities of any vertebrates, able regrow severed limbs and even damaged organs.
There is still much to be discovered about the exact mechanisms underlying their incredible physical malleability. But one thing is sure: no animal you encounter in the woods lives as many different lives as the eastern newt.
Kenrick Vezina is a freelance writer, naturalist, and raconteur based in the Greater Boston area. 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.
ILLUSTRATION BY ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL
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The week-long bait drop is a cooperative effort between Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to stop the spread of the potentially fatal disease.
service directory
Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. It is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get rabies.The virus is spread through the bite of an infected animal or contact with its RABIES BAIT
saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost always fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly 100 percent effective when given soon after a person is bitten by a rabid animal.
So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of those have been raccoons.
According to wildlife officials, rabid animals often show a change in their normal behavior, but you cannot tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it. People should not touch or pick up wild animals or strays – even baby animals.
SHELBURNE DAY continued from page 4 face burne-Hinesburg head the Golf depending land.
Shelburne Historical Society will have a display and president Dorothea Penar will lead a cemetery tour at 1 p.m. Food vendors round out the event with everything from coffee and lemonade to burgers and creemees. Kids will enjoy meeting animals from Shelburne Farms, craft projects, and
Rotary’s
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cer Michael Monte, the average monthly rent for those units will be $1,377, $1,739, and $2,165 respectively.
There are also plans for a commercial building in the neighborhood with a daycare proposed for the space.
The Riggs Meadow rental units are also being built using a low-income housing tax credit. When an entity is awarded this tax credit, it can take an investor on as a partner.
“They could just pay taxes, or they can invest that same amount of money into one of our development activities, and in exchange, they are able to earn earn money off that investment,” Monte said.
Partners stay on for 10 years, Monte said, and during that time, the housing trust acts as the manager of the property. The investor then steps away and is bought out by the trust. Units developed using this tax credit must be considered affordable to people making 60 percent of the median income, and renters cannot pay more than 30 percent of their annual income in rent.
Monte said the $1.5 million award from Vermont Housing and Conservation Board is a meaningful contribution, but also a smaller part of a development that will cost about $20 million dollars to build.
During a March public hearing
Do you have spring planting or digging projects?
on the project in March, Champlain Housing Trust planning director Javier Garcia said that the housing trust had applied to Vermont Community Development Program for funding through a federal block grant. That program will review the application in June.
So far, the Hinesburg Development Review Board has approved Windy Ridge’s preliminary plat, although the sketch plan for the Habitat for Humanity project is still awaiting approval after the review board discussed the sketch plan in January.
While these two projects are focused on specific forms of affordable housing, they are part
of a much larger plan for increased housing in the town. Monte suggested that the developers’ decision to invest in the area indicate Hinesburg has made itself an attractive place to build.
FARM continued from page 2
wrapping up a full lambing season, which begins around the second week of spring every year, and turns the centuries-old Old Black Barn on the edge of Mt. Philo Road into a haven for 50 birthing ewes and a whole new world for the 100 or so baby lambs.
Research and education have been central to Philo Ridge Farm’s vision since its founding. Through years of data collection and partnerships with local and national organizations, the farm has studied and documented how organic regenerative practices can have a
“Certain communities will lean forward,” Monte said. “Some will lean forward with both zoning and with other kinds of changes that kind of make development happen.”
If you plan to do any type of digging on your property, you or your contractor must contact Dig Safe™ at 811at least 48 hours prior to digging.
Dig Safe will notify member utilities, who will locate of buried facilities they own and ensure they are clearly marked. If you plan to work within 18 inches of the marked lines, please make sure it is dug by hand.
How to Detect a Gas Leak
Smell: Natural gas is normally odorless. VGS adds an odorant similar to the smell of rotten eggs, so it can be easily recognized.
Sight: You may see a white cloud, mist, fog, bubbles in standing water, or blowing dust. You may also see vegetation that appears to be dead or dying.
Sound: It may result in an unusual noise that replicates the sound of roaring, hissing, or whistling.
Move immediately to a safe location. Call VGS at 800639-8081 or call 911 with the exact location. Do not smoke or operate electrical switches or appliances. These items may produce a spark that might result in a dangerous condition. Do not assume someone else will report the condition.
Be safe
Scan the QR Code or visit vgsvt.com/be-safe for more safety information.
continued from page 3
with Greg Popa in the “Pure Advertising Niche Publication” category for the Stowe/Green Mountain Weddings magazine.
And the design team collective took home a first-place prize in the Contests category, for its work in the “4393 Readers’ Choice Awards.”
The Vermont Community Newspaper Group also took home a passel of second- and third-place newsroom and production awards. That includes a second-place Best Niche Publication finish for Greg Popa and the Stowe Guide, perennial award winners in that category. And it includes a third place for the Stowe Reporter team in the Advertising General Excellence category:
On the reporting side:
• News Feature Photo, second place: Miller, for Morrisville’s Memorial Day parade in the News & Citizen
• Arts & Entertainment Reporting, second place: Avalon Styles-Ashley, for “Sculpted,” in the Stowe Guide
• Human Interest Feature Story, second place: Gardner, for “Stowe teens train as fire fighters” (Stowe Reporter, Dec. 7, 2023)
• General News Story, third place: Calvin, for “Awe, romance and traffic mark Stowe eclipse” (Stowe Reporter, April 11, 2024)
• Local Personality Profile, second place: Gardner, for “Surf’s Up,” in the Stowe Guide
• Climate Change or Weather Reporting, second place: Calvin and Gardner, for “Widespread flooding déjà vu for Lamoille
net positive impact on the environment. This commitment has been foundational to the farm’s mission from the beginning and will continue to guide its future path under the new non-profit model.
“We believe a key part of Vermont’s agricultural future is to keep working lands working,” Peter Swift, the farm’s other co-founder, said. “As a nonprofit living laboratory, we will provide opportunities to explore innovative and ecologically sustainable farming practices, deepen our understanding of food systems, and feed our community.”
County” (News & Citizen, Dec. 21, 2023)
• Local Personality profile, third place: Darr, for “Chittenden County forester taps into new path” (The Other Paper, May 16, 2024)
• Obituaries, third place: Gardner, for “Friends, colleagues remember smilin’ Brian Kellogg” (News & Citizen, Oct. 12, 2023)
• Obituaries, third place: Gardner, for “JB McKinley finishes his last Page,” Stowe Guide
• Sports Story, third place: Styles-Ashley, for “SprigSlog,” Stowe Guide.
For production and design:
• Local Display Ad, black and white, second place: Werth, for Stowe Family Dentistry, Stowe Reporter
• Local Display Ad, black and white, second place: Braley, for Stowe Family Dentistry, News & Citizen
• Real Estate Display Ad, second place: Braley, for Gerry R. Real Estate, The Other Paper
• Best Holiday Ad, second place: Braley, for Denton Auto, News & Citizen
• Overall Design and Presentation of a Special Section, third place: Stowe Reporter team, for RIDE 2024
• Local Display Ad, color, third place: Werth, for “Coming Together,” News & Citizen
• Local Display Ad, color, third place: Braley, for Stowe Communication, Stowe Reporter
• Illustration/Infographics, third place: Werth, for the RIDE supplement’s map of trails and advertisers
NENPA