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September 24, 2026

Hinesburg voters to talk local tax ahead of vote

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BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER

With an impending vote over adopting a local option tax, Hinesburg is giving residents a chance to talk about it in advance of the November election. At an Oct. 7 informational meeting, town officials will explain to voters who may not regularly attend selectboard meetings how the local tax might figure into town budgeting. The tax — an extra 1% tacked on to state sales tax, most of which comes back to the town — is top of mind for town officials. This will be the second time the tax has been a ballot item. Residents rejected it in 2024. This time, however, as the budget has tightened and property taxes have risen, selectboard members are hoping voters will reconsider. The board has preemptively adopted a draft policy to dictate how the town will use the funding — from capital projects to public safety. The informational meeting is in line with how the town has been connecting with voters in advance of Town Meeting Day since adopting an Australian ballot in 2021. The past couple of years, the town regularly has held a meeting in February to take voters through the budget and ballot items before they head to the polls the first week in March. The season might be

BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER

As the school year takes off, Champlain Valley School District is looking at its demographic data to inform decisions around future policy, curriculum or budgeting. Like school systems around the state, Champlain Valley has declining enrollment. Over the past ﬁve years, according to the data presented at the school board meeting on Sept. 15, enrollment across the district dropped by more than 7% — in line with the overall decline the state saw between 2020 and 2025. However, as the total number of students has fallen, the proportion of certain student populations has risen, such as economically disadvantaged students and those in need of special education. “Before we make any of our other decisions or think about any of our other data, I think it’s really important to really zero in on, like, who are our students, who’s our community,” superintendent Adam Bunting said during the school board meeting. PHOTO BY BRIANA BRADY

See MEETING on page 12

Andrea Morgante chats with visitors to Hinesburg’s fall festival, over a pot of soup.

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Page 2 • September 24, 2026 • The Citizen

New Charlotte admin brings nonprofit experience to the town MARI HUGLIN STAFF WRITER

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Charlotte has hired its first town administrator assistant. Rachel Moyer, a Starksboro resident, started work in the new role Sept. 8. She will assist town administrator Bryce Bierman and other town hall staff in various tasks like updating the website, helping residents, dealing with paperwork and updating Front Porch Forum. Moyer’s position is part-time — 32 hours a week with a salary of $27 an hour. She is available in Charlotte Town Hall Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Originally from St. Albans, the life-long Vermonter spent most of her career in the nonprofit sector. She attended the now defunct Trinity College of Vermont and graduated with an associate’s degree in liberal arts. Most recently she worked for Community Heart and Soul, a Shelburne-based nonprofit that helps municipalities identify goals through interviews with residents. Moyer is new to municipal work but believes her experience will correspond to the tasks she will be doing in Charlotte. She said she is familiar with

Rachel Moyer

engaging with residents, working with a variety of town boards and dealing with grants and other types of funding. The new role was introduced because there was more work than one town administrator could take on in a 40-hour week, according to Moyer. She said she will provide some relief for Bierman and other town hall employees taking on smaller tasks while they tackle bigger, more complicated town tasks. “My goal is to make the town employees’ lives a little bit easier by helping to spread the wealth,” Moyer said. She said her goal is to learn as much as possible and contribute

to the team as quickly as possible. She said she enjoys working and communicating with residents. She expects some parts of the job to be challenging because every day is different and depends on what residents and the town are looking to accomplish. “Working for the town fulfills a value for me in that the work I do is in service to others,” Moyer said. She does not have any grand goals or planned changes to make to town hall but if she sees something that could improve, she said she will offer solutions. She expects to help with internal organizational structure but nothing too large. “The current town employees are doing a fantastic job managing everything that the town manages already, but just by virtue of being the new person, sometimes you can see where there can be some changes in organization that could help,” she said. She is familiar with Charlotte – and to pronounce it — often using the trail systems to walk her dogs. Moyer does not expect to take on more work since Mary Mead, the current town clerk, is not running for reelection but will be there to assist the town clerk’s office through the year.

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Political Notebook Jace Laquerre Jace Laquerre is the Republican nominee for Chittenden County state’s attorney. Here is his campaign announcement: Why I’m challenging Sarah George: I’ve lived in Chittenden County my entire life. This is home, and it’s where I want to raise my son. I want him to enjoy the waterfront, walk Church Street at Christmas and listen to concerts in Battery Park. Parents shouldn’t have to worry about whether those simple experiences are safe. When Sarah George took office, she brought new ideas about criminal justice that I believed were worth trying. I still believe in criminal justice reform. But after more than nine years, I believe the results speak for themselves. The experiment has failed. Residents across Chittenden County see public drug use, theft, repeat offenders and disorder.

Businesses are dealing with the consequences. People shouldn’t have to think twice about taking their children downtown or letting employees close up a business at night. George’s office has made a point of not requesting cash bail. I understand the argument for bail reform, but reform cannot mean removing accountability. Treatment and second chances have a place, but when someone repeatedly commits crimes, there must be meaningful consequences. Victims deserve justice, businesses deserve protection and communities deserve to feel safe. Then there is the backlog of cases. George’s office has acknowledged challenges with its caseload and prioritization of property crimes. When cases take years to resolve, victims wait for answers, businesses wait for accountability and defendants wait for resolution. A criminal justice system that takes years to resolve cases doesn’t serve anyone well. When cases are resolved, plea agreements should mean some-

thing. Not every case needs to go to trial, and not every offense requires the maximum punishment. But when someone repeatedly breaks the law, the response cannot simply be another slap on the wrist and another promise to do better. After nine years, Chittenden County needs a change in direction. I know asking Democrats to vote for a Republican is a big ask. But this campaign is bigger than party labels. If elected, I have vowed to resign and allow the governor to appoint a replacement, who could be a Democrat. This is about whether our criminal justice system protects victims, holds repeat offenders accountable, supports law enforcement and gives residents confidence that the law means something. Public safety should not be a partisan issue. Let’s come together to make Chittenden County a safer place for everyone. Jace Laquerre lives in Milton.

The Citizen • September 24, 2026 • Page 3

For many electric car owners, green means go BRIANA BRADY AND LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITERS

More people are switching to electric vehicles, as gas prices continue to spiral upwards, transportation contributes to global warming and advancements in battery technology make the cars a more practical choice than ever before. In Vermont, though, the choice involves a more complex set of considerations — chiefly, where and how to charge the car. Over the last decade, the state’s electric vehicle infrastructure has grown sharply, and there are now more than 500 publicly available charging locations. However, availability of those chargers, or the financial capacity to buy an EV, depends largely on a wavering stream of funding from the federal government and state. As those funds wane, the buildout of electric vehicles and infrastructure may also slow. “It’s a vicious cycle,” Margaret McNurlen, a member of Hinesburg’s energy and climate action committee, said. “People won’t buy EVs if there aren’t chargers, and

people won’t put in public chargers if no one has EVs.” Morrisville Water & Light manager Scott Johnstone said that infrastructure buildout is largely driven by the availability of federal or state money. “Should there be a more systemic way to build out this infrastructure? Probably,” he said. “The question is, who’s going to pay the bill?”

Where are the EVs? According to data from Drive Electric Vermont, as of April, there were 20,967 plug-in electric vehicles registered in Vermont, nearly two-thirds of which were all-electric vehicles powered solely by a battery. Plug-in hybrid models, which use both gasoline and battery, make up the rest. There are plug-in vehicles registered in 99% of Vermont communities. At one point, Lamoille County residents owned more plug-in cars, per capita, than any other county. Since 2014, the number of EVs registered there has grown nearly tenfold, from 72 to 704. According to Drive Electric Vermont’s data, Chittenden County now has the most electric vehicles

per capita — one for every 23 residents. Most charging in Vermont happens residentially — people install chargers at their homes and power companies like Green Mountain Power often offer lower rates for charging during off-peak hours, according to David Roberts, a senior consultant at Drive Electric. However, he said, public charging is still critical. “We know a lot of people who are kind of on the fence about maybe considering an EV. They want to make sure that public charging is there when they need it,” Roberts said. However, between both Chittenden and Lamoille counties, the charging network connectivity is spotty. According to a charging map from Drive Electric Vermont, Lamoille County’s charging infrastructure is largely spread out, with most located at places like gas stations and car dealerships, along with some at park and ride locations and other municipal or education institutions. See ELECTRIC VEHICLE on page 16

Land use regulations to be updated MARI HUGLIN STAFF WRITER

The Charlotte Planning Commission is updating its land use regulations to clarify and simplify the current document. At a selectboard meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 14, town planner Lindsay Kahn presented the proposed amendments the commission would like to make. In 2024 and 2026, Vermont updated its land use regulations first spelled out half a century ago in Act 250. The law provides guidelines for managing the environment and development. The updates included designating a new state review board and simplifying policies. The new Charlotte regulations are meant to guide development in town. The document was last adopted this March, and the commission is looking to make five main changes, including defining roles, streamlining processes, updating references, updating regulations based on new state statues and clarifying language. The planning commission will present a draft of the updates at a public hearing then make changes

before submitting a final draft to the selectboard. The selectboard will have at least one public hearing and make its final changes before presenting the final draft at town meeting. The process will take around a year. Kahn said they are updating the regulations after hearing feedback from various boards across town including the zoning administrator, development review board and conservation commission. The commission has spent the past seven months going to each board and gathering specific regulations that need to be reconsidered and discussed in public. The first update will be adding a conservation commission advisory role and defining what this position entails. The second update centers around simplifying shoreline property owners’ processes. New updates include reducing the requirement for a minimum setback from 50 feet to 25 feet. Another proposed amendment is to add an accessory structure no greater than square 96 feet and allow for demolition with the same requirements. It would also clarify that one accessory structure

is allowed per leaseholder or per property. The third update proposal would center around updating references and guides for owners to use. The amendment would address standards that needed to be met and guidance on best practices on how to treat erosion and runoff. They also want to add updated standards from the Department of Environmental Conservation about the design of stream and road crossings to protect natural habitats. The fourth proposal centers on wastewater management to comply with state regulations. Language would be updated, but there were no new roles or definitions added. The fifth proposal would update language to conform with state regulations surrounding accessory dwelling units also known as ADUs and nonconforming lots. Kahn said the Development Review Board said the town’s language was not as clear as the state’s language, so they will rewrite it with the state’s style.

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Page 6 • September 24, 2026 • The Citizen

OPINION Pets experience pain, there are ways to help Guest Perspective M. Kathleen Shaw DVM, Vermont Veterinary Medical Association September is Pain Awareness Month, it is important to remember animals suffer pain, just like we do: the hard part is they cannot talk to tell us that they hurt. Knowing the first signs of pain in your pet can allow you to seek help to minimize their suffering and to find and treat the cause. Most of us have seen our pets experience sudden, or acute, pain. This includes trauma — cuts, bruises, road accidents or even fractures. You know when your animal is limping that something hurts. You can see the wounds if your pet has been in a fight or if your horse is limping. Your pet has just had surgery; this sudden pain is obvious. But there are other more insidious causes of pain. Two major sources include dental pain and arthritis. Animals don’t brush and floss, and eventually they develop tartar on their teeth. By age 4, 85% of dogs and cats have some degree of dental disease. This is not a cosmetic concern: it is a health one. As the tartar builds up, it pushes up under the gums and causes pain and infection. Over time, the infection spreads to the bone and ligament holding the teeth in place and they will loosen and fall out. This is a very painful process. Imagine

having a toothache for months or years and not being able to go to the dentist for help. Bad breath, drooling, chewing on only one side, dropping food, or not eating well can all be signs of dental disease. Arthritis is another common source of pain. Symptoms include decreased activity, avoiding stairs, reluctance to jump up onto surface and difficulty standing after lying down. Overgrooming or licking a particular area can also be a sign of pain as can avoiding contact or hiding. Arthritis pain can be mistaken for “getting old” or “slowing down.” This includes large animals. They may isolate themselves from their pasture mates, seem “down,” or seem stiff and slow. The good news is that there are ways to help your animals including pain medications, physical rehabilitation, acupuncture, laser therapy, therapeutic massage, exercise and modifying their daily activities. At home, you can do many things to help your old pets. Steps or ramps (or even rearranged furniture) can help them to get to their favorite spots, heated beds, raised food and water dishes, regular brushing and trimming nails, low openings to litter boxes and carpet runners for traction are all beneficial. Don’t let your pets suffer in silence. Talk to your veterinarian and go to The International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (Ivapm.org) to learn more about recognizing and treating pain in animals.

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The Citizen • September 24, 2026 • Page 7

Letters to the Editor Wanted: People looking to make a difference To the Editor: A new school year at Shelburne Community School is underway, and you can feel the energy and excitement in the building the moment you walk through the doors. What would add to the positive vibe? You! Even with the high level of commitment and drive of SCS’s faculty and staff, our students would benefit from additional support from trustworthy adults who provide a consistent presence in their lives. As we begin the school year, we’re actively recruiting caring, committed adults in our community to join our Connecting Youth Mentoring Program and help make a difference in the lives of Shelburne students. Our school-based CY Mentoring Program is unlike any other in the state. We connect adults with middle-school students, and each pair commits to spending 45 minutes together each week of the school year. Each mentor-mentee pair decides how to spend that time. There is no set playbook. That time often includes conversation, game-playing, reading, crafts, baking and exploring shared interests. It’s not overtly about improving academic performance; it’s about building confidence and a stronger sense of self. It’s

about being there for each other. A good mentoring relationship is a two-way street. Both the mentor and the mentee value the time they spend together and learn from each other. With a successful track record of more than 25 years, the CY Mentoring Program proves again and again that a bit of informal tutelage from a respected adult helps make a difference in students’ lives. Over the years, Shelburne’s mentors inspired growth, boosted young people’s trajectories and strengthened the entire community. And here’s a little secret: CY mentors find the experience immensely rewarding. Shelburne students come into the program in two ways: they ask to be included, or parents or school personnel nominate them because they think their child will benefit. Are you ready to make a difference in the life of a youth? Do you want to be part of the verve and positivity coursing through our school? Please consider joining us! If you’re interested in becoming a mentor at SCS or at other schools in the Champlain Valley School District, Contact Shelburne Community School Connecting Youth Mentoring Coordinator Alison Duback at aduback@cvsdvt.org.

Brenna Galdenzi A lobbyist who works for the Vermont Trappers Association petitioned the Fish & Wildlife Board to extend the bobcat trapping season. My first thought: Read the room. In a survey conducted by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, 68% of Vermonters oppose recreational trapping and 62% oppose it for fur or clothing. Check out any social media post that features a bobcat and read the deluge of comments from enamored Vermonters sharing their appreciation for this majestic animal — Vermont’s only wild cat. My numerous trail and security cameras have never captured a single image of a bobcat. Many Vermonters would much prefer to see a bobcat alive than an image of a trapper standing over a frightened, injured bobcat caught in a leghold trap. Bobcats are a cherished native Vermont species, valued not only for their beauty and intrinsic worth but also for the important ecological role they play as Vermont’s apex predator. They prey mainly on rodents and small mammals including mice, rats, chipmunks, rabbits and squirrels. That role takes on added significance in a state dealing with an ongoing epidemic of tick-borne disease. White-footed mice and chipmunks are reservoir hosts for Lyme disease and other pathogens. Ticks that feed on infected rodents can subsequently transmit those pathogens to people. Bobcats are solitary animals whose

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population is partly constrained by available territory. Their populations are also limited by severe winter weather, disease, humancaused threats such as rodenticide poisoning and natural predation of kittens by other predators. Given all of this, the question before the department and board should not simply be whether we can trap more bobcats. It should be whether there is a sound biological reason to do so. The available data do not make that case. The Department's population trend indicated by catch-per-unit-effort data raises concerns about extending the trapping season. CPUE for the past two seasons— 2023-24 and 2024-25 — was 1.56 and 2.20, respectively. Both figures are below the 10-year average CPUE of 2.42. That does not necessarily demonstrate that Vermont's bobcat population is declining. But it certainly does not provide a compelling biological justification for increasing mortality through an extended trapping season. There is another concern that deserves much greater attention: the prevalence of anticoagulant rodenticides, or ARs, in Vermont’s bobcats. Department testing found ARs in 69% of sampled bobcats in 2021-22 and 70% in 2024-25. The precise population-level consequences of this contamination in Vermont's bobcats are not yet known. But uncertainty about the magnitude of a threat is not the See GALDENZI on page 8

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Page 8 • September 24, 2026 • The Citizen

Vermont law often protects the rich and privileged Guest Perspective Dan Jones Recently, I was given an interesting lesson on how privileged Vermonters will use our state’s protective tax laws to shield themselves from needed changes. This lesson was delivered by, what I assume to be, a member of our state’s well-to-do class, on the afternoon of the primary election. I was walking toward our city hall polling site holding a sign for Amanda Janoo. Suddenly a sharp voice stopped me. “Why are you bothering?” She said, “even if that woman gets elected, she is so clueless on her health insurance plan, that it will never work.” She continued, without introducing herself: “This whole idea of taxing second homes more to pay for the idea is stupid! If you have a home here and live in another state it’s easy to get around this.” “Really?” I said. “Wow so?” “That stupid proposal is to tax second homes of out-ofstaters at a much higher rate can’t be enforced. All my husband and I have to do is register our home in Florida as his primary residence and our home here as mine. Presto! We are protected from this stupid tax and you can’t do anything about it! “ she exclaimed. I protested, “But the whole idea is to give all Vermonter’s primary health care and lower all our health insurance costs. What is so wrong with that? Why shouldn’t those with greater wealth help pay their fair share?” “That is full of crap!” she snapped and pointed over her shoulder. “I used to own that drug

store, so I know a bunch about health care. Most people you are talking about are on Medicaid and just game the system to get more extra care. They use the system to get cheap drugs. We don’t need anymore of these health care scams!” With that she marched off, leaving me wondering how we are going to manage in an increasingly threatening future. It seems that at least one person who can support houses in Florida and Vermont finds a proposal to provide for the larger social good as an imposition to be gamed away. Our governmental and tax systems have been supporting such privileged selfishness for too long. Rather than protecting us Vermonters from the threats of deteriorating “affordability,” Gov. Phil Scott has perfected his role as “Protector of the Privileged.” He has fought and bullied our fearful legislators over any attempt to tax higher incomes and luxury and investment houses of the rich out-of-staters. Scott’s claim is that such fair taxes would drive the well-to-do away and hurt the prospects of such income and property taxes as we now collect. Now I don’t know about you, but as I watch the South become insufferably hot and the West burn up, the moderate climate of Vermont looks more and more attractive. I’m pretty sure that, even with increased taxes, our well to do property owners won’t be going anywhere as the larger climate collapses. Without deep changes to tax laws, and political will to support the public good, such reasonable innovations as universal basic health care will be impossible to

create. Instead, Vermont citizens would have to anticipate ever-higher taxes and insurance costs to just keep things in place. To make real change, we need a governor and a legislature capable of imagination and adjustments from the recent norms. We all know Phil Scott is not a reformer. He likes things the way they are and would rather race gas guzzling muscle cars than oversee the policy and tax shifts required to keep regular people alive and healthy in our little state. I am no tax expert, but it is clear that there are a number of loopholes for evading taxes, such as the one example given me by the woman at the polls. We could tighten the tax laws such that current protections, which now allow different marriage partners owning different properties to trick the tax authorities, we could authorize ways of seeing through such dodges. If one partner claims Vermont ownership, then the total income of the marriage should be subject to Vermont income taxes. Oh, and let’s make our income taxes truly progressive on incomes over $500,000 per year. The simple fact is that privileged property owners have protections built into Vermont’s tax laws. This has to change or the rest of us can feel our futures slipping away in constant inflation, failing health care systems and the lost prospects of future prosperity. Our governor along with our complicit Legislature has been protecting the privileged for way too long. They have allowed the sucking of resources the rest of us need, believing Scott’s constant repetition of threats that the rich to pick us their marbles and move elsewhere. This means his protect-

ed patrons continue to take more from our state than they should be giving. It is time for the privileged to pay their fair share. It’s time for a major change

GALDENZI

continued from page 7 same thing as evidence that the threat does not matter. ARs interfere with the body’s ability to clot blood and can compromise immune and circulatory systems, potentially causing fatal internal hemorrhaging. A weakened immune system can leave wildlife more vulnerable to disease, while otherwise minor injuries or parasite infestations can become far more serious. Impacts to bobcats from ARs are now starting to be seen at the population level. Recent research of a bobcat population in the U.S. that has been followed for 30 years concluded “a significant spike in the use of ARs was correlated with a distinct decline in the bobcat population that unchecked would likely drive the population to extirpation.” (i.e., local extinction). Vermont’s bobcats also face other threats such as gammaherpes virus and parvovirus. The department is continuing its research with St. Michael’s College on these viruses but no new data is available at this time. However, data from a 2018 study between the college and the department concluded: “91 percent of the Vermont bobcats studied that were over the age of two years were infected with the virus, as well as 46 percent of bobcats younger than two.” If a bobcat becomes immunocompromised due to severe stress, secondary infections or rodenticide

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in Vermont’s leadership and in its political imagination. Dan Jones is a resilience and sustainability activist in Montpelier.

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poisoning, the virus can activate and cause tumors, lymphomas and carcinomas. Twenty of 29 bobcats tested in 2021-2022 and 31 of 44 tested in 2024-2025 found to have rodenticides in their systems. We should therefore be asking a basic question: Why increase human-caused mortality in a species already exposed to various threats whose effects are not fully understood. Vermont's own statute provides an important standard for these decisions. It states: “The rules shall be designed to maintain the best health, population, and utilization levels of the regulated species and of other necessary or desirable species that are ecologically related to the regulated species. The rules shall be supported by investigation and research conducted by the Department on behalf of the Board.” The purpose of wildlife management should not be simply to maximize opportunities for recreational hunting and trapping. The state has a responsibility to maintain healthy wildlife populations and consider the ecological relationships among species. According to the department’s website, “The state’s bobcat population is currently stable and well distributed. But the department also acknowledges that it is quite likely there are fewer bobcats in Vermont today than there were during much of the early-to-mid 20th century.” If that is the case, perhaps the question the department and board should be asking is not how we can create more opportunities to trap bobcats, but whether they should be doing more to allow this iconic species to fully recover. The department and board have the difficult task of balancing competing interests. Vermont currently provides recreational hunting and trapping opportunities for bobcats. There are also Vermonters who value bobcats for their intrinsic value and want to see them protected. There are people who enjoy knowing that a bobcat might pass through their woods, cross a rural road or perhaps — if they're lucky enough — appear on a trail camera. Those values deserve to be incorporated into decision-making. Brenna Galdenzi is president of Protect Our Wildlife. She lives in Stowe.

The Citizen • September 24, 2026 • Page 9

COMMUNITY

Large Animals Urgent Care General Medicine & Surgery Imaging & Laboratory Dentistry House Calls

Community Notes

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The eighth annual Vermont Climbing Festival will be held Sept. 25-27 at Farr’s Field in Waterbury.

CVU hosts school’s annual Spirit Day Champlain Valley Union High School will hold its annual CVU Spirit Day on Saturday, Sept. 26. The daylong event will feature home games throughout the day, with CVU athletes competing in soccer, field hockey, volleyball and football. Food trucks, concessions, music, face painting and a CVU merchandise booth will also be available. CVU Spirit Day is presented in partnership with the school’s athletic department and Friends of CVU, a volunteer organization supporting the CVU community. A bake sale will be held during the event, with proceeds benefiting the CVU Travel Scholarship Fund, staff appreciation projects and other student and school programs. All are welcome.

Grange holds food drive for farm workers The Charlotte Grange will collect nonperishable food items in support of local underserved farm workers from Oct. 2-11. Donation bins will be on the front porch of the Charlotte Grange, 2858 Spear St. Requested items include: canned Goya black beans, 15 ounces; dry Goya black beans, 16-ounce bags; white jasmine rice, 1- or 2-pound bags; Maseca yellow corn flour, 4-pound bags; apple juice, 64 ounces vegetable cooking oil, various sizes; Goya Adobo all-purpose seasoning, 8- or 16-ounce boxes; ground coffee.

Charlotte Walks holds bonus hike Charlotte Walks will hold a bonus hike Saturday, Sept. 26, at 8:30 a.m. at Raven Ridge, 1279 Rotax Road.

The hike is expected to take about 2½ hours. Raven Ridge Natural Area is on the Charlotte-Monkton border and has been preserved through the efforts of conservation groups and individuals because of its wildlife habitat and location within a wildlife corridor.

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Talk over coffee, muffins at the Grange The Charlotte Grange will host Coffee and Muffins Happy Hour Sunday, Sept. 27, from 9-10:30 a.m. at the Charlotte Grange Hall, 2858 Spear St. Coffee, tea and homemade muffins will be available. The event is free and open to neighbors and Charlotte Grange members. Pardiso Coffee supports the event.

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Climbing Festival returns to Waterbury The eighth annual Vermont Climbing Festival will be held Sept. 25-27 at Farr’s Field in Waterbury, with climbing clinics held at area cliffs in Bolton. Hosted by CRAG-VT, the festival includes climbing clinics, workshops, competitions, a keynote presentation, live music and stewardship opportunities. The weekend begins Friday with outdoor climbing clinics, registration, a climber social and campfire story hour. Saturday includes climbing clinics, a bouldering competition, vendor village, workshops, food trucks, a keynote by climber Tim Emmett and an evening after-party. Sunday features a pancake breakfast, a CRAG-VT trail and stewardship project and additional climbing clinics. Festival proceeds support CRAG-VT’s work protecting access to Vermont climbSee COMMUNITY NOTES on page 11

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Page 10 • September 24, 2026 • The Citizen

SPORTS

PHOTO BY DWIGHT MAZUR

Clockwise, Alex Jovell, Ethan Mazur and Carter Matthews handled the ball for CVU during a Sept. 18 game against the Seawolves.

Football, soccer and field hockey snag wins this week for Redhawks LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

Girls’ soccer Champlain Valley 3, Mount Mansfield 2 (OT): Trailing 2-1 late in the second half, Allie Barrett scored for the Redhawks to tie the game and send it into overtime. Clover Rehbein tallied on a one-timer in the extra period to lift CVU to the win. Charlotte Clark earned the assist on the game winner and Mirelle Howatt-Walker and Eisley Devitt combined for four saves. CVU moves to 3-2-1 with the win and took on Colchester at home on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. after press deadline.

Boys’ soccer Champlain Valley 3, Mount Mansfield 0: Sawyer Lake, Mahmood Rezaie and Stefan Arvoski each had a goal for the Redhawks, who move to 4-1-1 with the win. Waydon Cherington added two

assists and Theo Skapof earned the shutout with three saves in goal. CVU will take on Burlington on Thursday at home at 4:30 p.m.

Field hockey Champlain Valley 6, Burlington 0: The win moves the Redhawks to 3-2 and they will face Essex on Tuesday on the road after press deadline.

Boys’ volleyball Essex 3, Champlain Valley 0: The previously unbeaten Redhawks fell to Essex in straight sets, 25-22, 25-20 and 25-17. Henry Shrier led the team with six kills and four digs, while John Beaumier and Patrick Brady each had three blocks. CVU will look to rebound in the rematch with the Hornets on Thursday at Essex. Tipoff is at 6 p.m.

Football Champlain Valley 20, Burlington-South Burlington 6: Luca D’Agostino scored on a rushing

touchdown and threw a touchdown pass for the Redhawks, while Alex Jovell kicked two field goals and grabbed two interceptions on defense. Finn Thomas recovered a fumble and Hugh Graham also grabbed an interception as defense led the way for the Redhawks. CVU moves to 2-1 with the win and will take on St. Johnsbury at home on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Boys’ volleyball Essex 3, Champlain Valley 1: The Champlain Valley girls’ volleyball team won the first set but could not capitalize on the early lead and ultimately fell to Essex on Friday. CVU grabbed an early lead with a 25-18 win in the first set but the Hornets won the next three 25-20, 25-14 and 28-26 to get the win. The Redhawks move to 3-2 and looked to get back in the win column when they took on Springfield on Wednesday at 6 p.m. after press deadline.

The Citizen • September 24, 2026 • Page 11

COMMUNITY NOTES continued from page 9

ing areas and stewarding climbing environments. Tickets are $55 for the public and $48 for members through Sept. 1, then $70. Children 12 and younger are free; ages 12-18 are $25.

Remembering book: ‘Real Vermonters Don’t Milk Goats’ Onion River Press of Burlington will publish a 43rd anniversary edition of “Real Vermonters Don’t Milk Goats” by Frank Bryan and the late Bill Mares on Sept. 27. Originally published by The New England Press in 1983, the book, illustrated by Howard Johnson, retains its original

humor and has been updated with explainers and lists of “Real Vermonters” born or adopted since 1983. The updates were provided by Christine Hadsel, Mares’ wife, and Jane Smith, former editor of the Burlington Free Press. For more information, contact info@ onionriverpress.com.

All pro, no con, with contra dancing Queen City Contras presents a dance Friday, Sept. 25, at St. Anthony’s Parish Hall, 305 Flynn Ave., Burlington. Doors open at 6:30, with a beginner lesson at 6:45.

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Page 12 • September 24, 2026 • The Citizen

MEETING

continued from page 1 different, but the timeline is the the stormwater system. same — a vote on Nov. 3 means For public safety, the board an October informational meet- specified not only the purchasing. ing or replacing of equipment The draft local option tax for police and fire, but also major policy the board adopted — investments outside of operating edited by board chair Merrily costs. Hinesburg has had its eye Lovell and member Paul Lamber- on upgrading its fire station for son — will only take effect if the years and using the local option town also votes to adopt a local tax to help achieve that has been option tax. The a topic among tax, town managthe selectboard The extra 1% can er Todd Odit during discusestimated, could sions of the tax. be levied on sales, bring in an addiIn addition, tional $300,000 the draft policy rooms, or meals and in revenue to also lists future offset operational emergency alcohol, depending and capital costs. needs and the The extra 1% reduction of on how the town can be levied on municipal propsales, rooms, or erty taxes as votes. meals and alcopotential spendhol, depending on how the town ing options. Should the town opt votes. Each of the three poten- to use the funds for emergency tial taxes will be voted on as its needs — as it might have in the own ballot item. Necessities such flooding of 2024 when tropical as groceries and most clothing, storm Beryl wiped out roads and exempt from state sales tax, are bridges throughout town — the also exempt from local option selectboard will have to warn and taxes. hold a meeting to delineate exactThe budget items slated for ly how the funds will be spent. funding in the draft policy focus To use the funding to reduce on costs that have been growing property taxes, the selectboard concerns during recent years. will meet annually during budget Capital projects and infra- deliberations to determine what structure, which would allow the percentage of the funding will be town to spend money earned from used. the extra 1% tax on the design The informational meeting is and building of necessities such Wednesday, Oct 7. at 6 p.m. in the as roads, bridges, sidewalks and town hall.

TOWN OF HINESBURG PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING OCTOBER 14 6:30 PM The Hinesburg Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 6:30 PM to receive public comment on proposed changes to Section 5.12 of the Hinesburg Zoning Regulations, and other related sections, following the review of a suggested text amendment that was submitted by the public and has been reviewed by the Commission. The geographic area affected would have a townwide effect. Copies of the proposed revisions and a report on how the proposed changes comply with State Statute and the Town Plan are electronically available on the town website at www.hinesburg. org and/or by contacting Zachary Nersinger, Director of Planning & Zoning, at Town Hall via email at znersinger@hinesburg.org or by phone at (802) 482-4209. A list of the section headings with substantive changes follows, as required pursuant to Title 24, Chapter 117 V.S.A. Section 4444 (b). 5.12 - Performance Standards (principal amendment) 10.1 - Definitions (related section) 4.3.4 - Site Plan Review Standards (related section)

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The Citizen • September 24, 2026 • Page 13

Horoscope September 24, 2026

ANSWERS FROM THIS ISSUE

Weekly Puzzles

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saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost alcontinued from page 2 ways fatal in humans and animals. However, Page 14 • September 24, 2026 • The Citizen treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly The week-long bait drop is a coopera- 100 percent effective when given soon after SHELBURNE DAY tive effort between Vermont and the U.S. a person is bitten by a rabid animal. continued from page 4 Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont to stop the spread of the potentially fatal have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of Shelburne Historical Society will have a disease. those have been raccoons. display and president Dorothea Penar will Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the According to wildlife officials, rabid brain that infects mammals. It is most often animals often show a change in their nor- lead a cemetery tour at 1 p.m. Food venseen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, mal behavior, but you cannot tell whether dors round out the event with everything but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also an animal has rabies simply by looking at from coffee and lemonade to burgers and get rabies. The virus is spread through the it. People should not touch or pick up wild creemees. Kids will enjoy meeting animals from Shelburne Farms, craft projects, and bite of an infected animal or contactemail with itsadvertising@thecitizenvt.com animals or strays – even baby animals. or call 802-238-4980 To advertise

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ENROLLMENT

continued from page 1 Town-by-town demographics, according to the data presented, vary across the district. While the total percentage of economically disadvantaged students is rising overall, it’s most significant at Hinesburg Community School. Students whose family income is less than 185% of the federal poverty level make up a third of the children enrolled there — a proportion that has risen steadily from less than a quarter four years ago. Hinesburg, as a result, is the only school that qualifies for federal Title I funding. Across the district, there has also been a steady, if less dramatic, rise in the percentage of students who need individualized education plans. Over the last few years, the district has seen the overall number stay fairly flat, but with a declining enrollment, the percent of the student body that qualifies for special education has gone from around 11% in 2020 to just under 15% this school year. According to the district, this is primarily the result of an increase in autism diagnoses and emotional disturbance classifications related to conditions like depression or anxiety. Other student populations have remained relatively stable. The district remains overwhelmingly white — 85% of students — and has a small population of English Language Learners — around 3%. There’s a bit of a narrative in the community that the district has seen an increase in multilingual students, according to Sarah Crum, the school district’s director of learning and innovation. While there has been a slight increase in newcomers to the United States, that’s not the complete explana-

tion, Crum said. “We are paying more attention. We have seen in the data that our multilingual learners are not feeling the same kind of belonging that some of our other students are feeling. They aren’t necessarily achieving at the same level, and so we have shifted some of our focus,” she said. With all the data to back or reset ideas about the demographics of the district, school fund-

ing and consolidation loom in the background. Many students such as language learners, those who qualify for special education and economically disadvantage students also have weighted status when it comes to school funding. The state formula provides extra funding for the additional services that those students need. Additionally, legislation is pushing Champlain Valley to have conversations with schools

in Addison County about how to share administrative burdens. It began a study with the Mount Mansfield and Harwood school districts on a potential merger. These demographics — and the needs of different student populations — will likely play into those discussions, although it’s still unclear how they may impact decision making. Comparatively, in many ways, Champlain Valley is a

low-incidence district — other districts have higher percentages of students who need specific support services. Crum said that, even within the district, students with similar needs, such as the language learners, are spread out. “Those students are spread out over all six schools and across all of the grades, and we don’t have access to the same number of resources, and so we have to really be intentional,” Crum said.

TOWN OF CHARLOTTE PLANNING COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING OCTOBER 15, 2026 The Charlotte Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on October 15, 2026 at 6:30 PM at the Town Hall to receive public comment on proposed changes to the town’s Land Use Regulations (LURs). This hearing will present draft changes to the Land Use Regulations discussed throughout the first half of calendar year 2026 Planning Commission meetings as well as at the September 14, 2026 Selectboard meeting. As a result of six months of Planning Commission meetings with representatives from the Development Review Board, Conservation Commission, and Thompson’s Point Leaseholders Association, the Planning Commission is proposing amendments to the Land Use Regulations in an effort to streamline property owner processes specifically for those in the Shoreland Seasonal Home Management District, define the Conservation Commission advisory role, and align with state statute. Additionally, the Planning Commission is also suggesting various other technical changes throughout the regulations, which are outlined in the Charlotte Bylaw Revisions Report. To view the proposed amendments online go to https://bit.ly/RedlineLURs or go to www.charlottevt.org then select Our Town and navigate to Town Plan and Land Use Regulations. Public comments are welcomed and encouraged. Comment letters directed to the Charlotte Planning Commission can be emailed to Lindsay Kahn (townplanner@townofcharlotte.com), or mailed to 159 Ferry Road, Charlotte, VT 05445, or dropped off 24/7 at the Town Hall Mail Box. For reference, a list of the affected section headings follows, as required pursuant to Title 24, Chapter 117 V.S.A. Section 4444 (b). Land Use Regulation Sections: Section 2.3 Application of District Standards Section 3.6 Lot, Yard, & Setback Requirements Table 2.1 West Charlotte Village District Section 3.7 Nonconforming Lots Table 2.2 East Charlotte Village District Section 3.15 Surface Waters & Wetlands Table 2.3 West Village Commercial District Section 3.16 Water & Wastewater System Requirements Table 2.4 East Village Commercial District Section 4.2 Accessory Dwelling Table 2.5 Commercial/Light Industrial District Section 6.3 Sketch Plan Table 2.6 Rural District Section 7.6 Water Supply Table 2.7 Shoreland District Section 7.7 Sewage Disposal Table 2.8 Shoreland Seasonal4/29/2019 Home Management District Section 9.2 Exemptions Table 2.9 Conservation District Section 9.3 Zoning Permit Section 3.2 Road, Driveway, Pedestrian Requirements Chapter V. Development 3.5 x 2 Access AD for Shelburne News & The CitizenReview Table 3.1 Min. Off-Street Parking Requirements Section 10.2 Definitions Notice Date – September 24,24 2026Consecutive Weeks $18.00/week for both papers $432.00

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Page 16 • September 24, 2026 • The Citizen

ELECTRIC VEHICLE

HONORING OUR

VETERANS On Nov. 5, The Citizen will be honored to publish photos of the men and women who have unselfishly served our country. Shelburne News

G ORmIoN HOVeN Us terans A ng

Feb. 1962–Jan. 1969

WALTER J. LUCHINI United States Army, SP 4 Years of service: 1963 - 1966 United States and South Korea

ROBERT A. MILLETTE United States Navy; WW II Seaman 1st Class

GEORGE R. NATTRESS United States Marine Corps Pacific Theater

1944-1946

ELEANOR ALEXANDER Jacobson (In Memoriam) United States Navy, WAVE Yeoman Third Class September 1944–June 1946

BILL OAKES United States Army Corporal 1952-1954

DEBBIE OAKES United States Army Sergeant 1977-1980

FLORENCE M. MACALISTER United States Marine Corps Sergeant | WWI 1918-19 HQS, US Marine Corps, Washington, D.C.

EDWARD GARVEY United States Air Force

WM DAVID GERNS, JR S/Sgt, Communications PETER PAUL ZUK ICC(SW) Specialist U.S. Marine Corps United States Navy (Ret.) 764th Radar Squadron, and St. Albans 1st Lieutenant1st Class Petty Officer Henri de Marne , Headquarters, 1955-57 his brother Claude 1944 31st Air Division, MN Served WW2, Japan and Korea Patton’s 3rd army, resistance following French on. before liberati

am ori

ori

M In

JUDITH A. COHEN Captain, Nurse Corps, USNR-R Reserve service 1973-2004

Active duty 1975-1978 National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD

FELIX F. COWEY, JR. Col. Ret. United States Army Korea 1949, 1951-52 West Point 1946

KYLE GRAY MARNE & United States Army PVT. HENRI DE E Private First ClassPVT. CLAUDE DE MARN

WSKI ROBERT S. BORKO Medic Sergeant (SFC) al Guard VT Army Nation 1982-2005

ori em M

ori

MCSWEENEY United States Air Force 1st Lieutenant 4750th Air Defense Wing Yuma, Ariz. 1953 - 1956

AY, SR. LORENZO P. BUSHW April 28, 1960 Active Duty: 1955 Feb. 1953-Feb.

W. DONALD DALTON, SR. United States Navy 1942–1946

C. LOUIS “LOU” DEFORGE United States Army Captain 1967 - 1971

TIMOTHY J KEEFE United States Marine Corps Corporal May 1976 - May 1980

CHRISTOPHER GIRARD United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel 1965-1985

HENRY JOSEPH GIROUX III United States Navy Chief Petty Officer

RICHARD GARROW United States Navy Torpedo Man

LAURIE JACQUES USCG and ARNG 1994-2005

R ROLAND W. WILBU United States Army d Division T/4, 14th Armore WW II 1942-46

D DAVID F. LELAN United States Navy Lieutenant WWII 1944-1955

ROBERT ALLSTON LACLAIR United States Navy Quartermaster April 1943- April 1946

ROGER L. BOURGEA United States Navy Armed Guard Gunners Mate Third Class Served on Tankers and Liberty Cargo ships Dec. 1942 - Jan. 1946

DENNIS JOHNSON A2C USAF 1959 -1963

WILLIAM F. LADD United States Air Force Airman 1st Class 1955-1959

ROBERT K. LAMONDA United States Army PFC 43rd Division 1941-1945

MICHAEL W. LYNCH U.S. Navy, Lt.J.G. 1967-1975 Civil Engineer Corp 79 VT Air Guard 1976-19

THOMAS R. KLEH US Merchant Marines United States Navy Captain 1943-1977

N PERRY D. MELVI 3 U.S. Navy, HM nt 3rd Marine Regime Vietnam War

RAYMOND ‘RAY’ LEBLANC United State Air Force Strategic Air Command Alert Force Feb 1960 - Mar 1968

PETER GADUE G US Army and VTARN 1970-2009

ROSANNE M. GRECO United States Air Force (Ret.) Colonel | 1973 - 2003 Strategic Intelligence Officer & Nuclear Arms Control Negotiator Postings across the US, Europe and Far East

ori

MAN, SR. ROBERT F. WHITE U.S. Air Force E6 1959-1979

ori

MSGR. JOHN R.

RICHARD ARVID

JACOBSON United States Navy

Yeoman 2nd Class October 1943–June 1946

The

MORTON A. LORD United States Air Force Captain

The Other Paper • November 7, 2024 • Page 11

ber 10, 2022 •

Page 14 • Novem

Page 10 • November 7, 2024 • The Other Paper

ROBERT ‘BOB’ LEBLANC United States Air Force 1st Lieutenant, F-100D Pilot Mar 1956 - Dec 1958 Lost on classified mission Posthumous burial Arlington National Cemetary

BLAKE SHANNON B. U.S. Army, Major 1986-2006 Veteran Afghanistan War

ROBERT ERNEST KAIGLE United States Navy World War II, 1943-1945 Korean War, 1950-1951

GORDON KEARNS United States Army WWII

DAVID W. GARVEY USMC, Sargent EOD Specialist 1985-1993

JAMES M. KEHOE VT Air National Guard Chief Master Sergeant 158th FW DET 1 at Langley AFB

TRAVIS J. KEHOE VT Air National Guard Technical Sergeant

PIERRE LEMIEUX United States Marine Corps 4th Marine Infantry Regiment Sergeant, Vietnam Veteran July 23, 1963–October 14, 1966

LOU LERTOLA US Army, US Army Reserve & VTANG 1960–1994 Command Sergeant Major 40 years military service

CHAD LEWBER (w/daughter Leanne) VTANT/US Marine Corps Sargeant, Flight Medic Served in Iraq

N THOMAS C. GIBSO Royal Air Force Squadron Leader 1947-1952, Malaya

IATA BRUCE NUNZ 1st Infantry Vietnam 1967-68

DEAN KIRBY United States Air Force A1C Viet Nam 1970

DAVID WINER Corps Corporal, Marine 1946 March 1944-July Peleliu Campaign

DAVID R. LECLAIR United States Marine Corps Corporal 1976-1980

JR. WILLIAM A. READ ander U.S. Navy Comm or Patrol Gunnery Instruct Squadron 101 Southwest Pacific

If you have a veteran you would like us to honor, please mail or email your photo and the following information by

THURSDAY, OCT. 29 Please include: • Name of veteran • Branch of service • Rank • Years of service • Town of residence

EMAIL PHOTOS AND TEXT TO: stephanie@shelburnenews.com OR MAIL TO: The Citizen, P.O. Box 489, Stowe, VT 05672

continued from page 3

In Chittenden County, the map might look more dense, but the stations still follow a decided curve — along Interstate 89. While Burlington and South Burlington might be dotted with stations, places like Hinesburg, charging stations at Champlain Valley Union High School and a senior and disabled living facility, lack the same vibrant infrastructure. That isn’t by accident. In 2022, the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act established the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program to provide dedicated funding to states to deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure along key interstate and state highway corridors Vermont received roughly $21.2 million over the last four years — slightly delayed when it was frozen by the federal administration last year. The guidelines established in that program focused heavily on proximity to interstates, and state legislation has followed suit — one of the state’s top priorities for funding is that sites are within three miles of an exit or highway intersection.

Tourism

Geography is king

Owning an EV

Morristown town manager Brent Raymond drives an electric vehicle from Williston to his office nearly every day. Often, he needs to charge his wheels at the nearby Union Bank. When he started the job nearly two and a half years ago, the two chargers in the municipal parking lot had been vandalized. Although he had considered repairing and maybe upgrading them, budget restraints nixed that possibility. “Morristown had just previously voted down budgets, and we didn’t have anything in the paving budget, let alone funds for repairing or to upgrade the EV chargers,” he said. The town in April submitted an inquiry form for the NEVI program but hasn’t yet heard back from the state. Raymond is aware of the lack of priority from the state. “If I could find a cost-effective way for the town to do this, I think it would be terrific,” he said. South Burlington provides a contrast. The city — Vermont’s second-most populous — is at the nexus of the busiest exit on Vermont’s interstate system and car dealerships line one of its commuter corridors along Route 7. The city put in 12 public chargers behind its city hall and library and has NEVI funding to build another fast charger at the Blue Mall shopping center along Dorset Street. Funding from Charge Vermont has focused on multi-unit buildings and workplaces, and according to Bettina Miguez, South Burlington’s Climate Action Manager, the city’s zoning requires that multi-unit buildings have the capacity to add chargers. In 2025, six Lamoille County projects were completed with Charge Vermont grant funding. The funding has been so popular in Chittenden County that the grants set aside for projects there has already been used, according to Miguez. However, public infrastructure can be essential for making sure populations like renters or apartment-owners can charge electric vehicles. “By providing on-street public charging in the more densely populated neighborhoods, that’s a way to enable more EV ownership and people who you know don’t have as easy access for charging at home,” Roberts said.

Historically, geography hasn’t been the only deciding factor. Stowe is an outlier in Lamoille County. Stowe Electric Department in 2013 was the first in the county to own charging infrastructure, according to reporting at the time from the Stowe Reporter. That momentum has kept up over the last 10 years, according to the utility’s general manager, Jackie Pratt. “That base network of public charging really was a catalyst here in Stowe,” she said. “Stowe Electric’s EV charging network was really critical in making this a destination for people with electric vehicles. And as a tourism community, I think that really was important for us to be kind of out on the front edge of that.” The utility’s greatest push came in 2015, when Stowe Electric received a $162,000 grant to deploy an eight more chargers. More recently, Pratt said, more chargers are owned by hotels and businesses have come online. Hinesburg resident Holly Pasachow was an early electric vehicle adopter — she bought her first one in 2015, back when the way to charge a vehicle involved plugging it directly into an outlet and she could only go about 90 miles on a full battery. As batteries have gotten better and cars can go farther, Pasachow has become more reliant on the public charging system. Putting in a residential charger is cost prohibitive, she said, and she rolls charging into her life in other ways than simply plugging it in at night. She charges at the high school, sometimes taking a nice walk in the time it takes for the battery to juice up. She’ll also make charging a part of her trips out of town, using an app to locate charging stations. Municipalities are also making the calculation that driving electric is worth investing in. Last year, Shelburne used a grant to purchase a Rivian truck for its stormwater department and install public charging stations at the library. Overall, town manager Matt Lawless said, the choice has been cost effective. According to Roberts from Drive Electric Vermont the cost of powering an EV is about the same as paying $2 per gallon of gas.

EV market If there’s a burgeoning resolution for the chicken-and-egg issue of charging stations and personal buy-in for electric vehicles, Roberts thinks that it might come from market forces. While the rate of new purchases of electric vehicles has dropped since federal and state tax credits dried up and the government-imposed tariffs on imports, a large portion of electric vehicle usage over the last few years has been through leasing. Many of those leases, Roberts said, are about to come up, and more electric vehicles are going to come into the used-car market. According to Roberts, used vehicles make up about two-thirds of sales in Vermont “The batteries are holding up great. Most EVs, the batteries are expected to last the life of the vehicle. So, there’s a lot more options now than there were a couple years ago, even in the sort of more affordable realm,” he said.