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SB man walks across the country to ‘fix democracy’
Rick Hubbard opened the door to his quaint South Burlington home sporting a printed shirt that perfectly encompassed his mission for the last two years: “Walking to fix our democracy.” Hubbard, 83, was spending the remaining month of January settling back into his nest after
doing just that, except his walk wasn’t just a short jaunt around town spreading awareness about America’s shortcomings. This journey stretched 3,081 miles and across 14 different states, from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. just ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration as 47th president of the United States — timed intentionally for that purpose, Hubbard said.
But the idea for the adventure started brewing long before the 2024 election and this isn’t Hubbard’s first time putting rubber to pavement for a cause he believes in. He isn’t even the first person to walk across the country for a similar mission. His idea was originally spurred
‘Convince us,’ says school union about proposed staff cuts
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Amid another challenging budget year promising the reduction of nearly 15 full-time equivalent positions at South Burlington School District, the South Burlington Educators Association says it is asking for “vision and leadership.”
The $71.5 million budget approved by a majority of school board members in January comes with a slew of reductions to staffing and things like sports and independent learning programs. But the educators association has been sounding the alarm to officials that the lack of vision around how the school will function without these positions and programs could leave an undue burden on other staffers to pick up the pieces.
The message from the union’s co-presidents, Noah Everitt and Beth Adreon, has remained consistent that, while there has been a lot of talk about the yield and other variables in the state’s education funding formula — which has worked against the district in recent years — there has not been “a lot of leadership and vision about what that means for kids, for faculty and for community
members, about education at South Burlington and that really has been the linchpin for us.”
The union has said it is pushing strongly for “yes” votes from the community to move the spending plan forward, knowing that should a budget fail on Town Meeting Day the repercussions could be even more dire, but has expressed concern that nearly 90 percent of the positions being reduced are student-facing positions.
While the educators association represents a large majority of the district’s staff, teachers, particularly those in early elementary education, have taken to the mic in multiple public meetings to air their grievances with the budget process, specifically the reduction of two pre-kindergarten classroom teachers.
“Our district has advertised the demolition of our program as ‘restructuring,’” Alex Dezenzo, a speech-language pathologist in the district, said at a January board meeting. “Restructuring presents a dual meaning for spreading our educators thin and decreasing supports and services, whether
PHOTO BY LIBERTY DARR
Rick Hubbard relaxes at his South Burlington home after spending two years walking across the country ‘to fix our democracy.
Write-in candidate launches bid for vacant seat
School board race draws new seat seekers
The South Burlington school board is poised to have a few new faces behind the table after Town Meeting Day this year, along with two additional seats moving the board from a five-person group to seven.
Budget conversations and proposed tax rate increases have caused a stir for South Burlington residents in recent years. It’s also ultimately what led three candidates to action.
Dan Boyer
For Dan Boyer, a 16-year resident and former assistant coach for the district’s junior varsity baseball team vying for a one-year term, the decision to run was in some ways a last-minute decision.
He had voiced some concerns around the superintendent’s threeyear contract renewal and had heard at the school board meeting in January that there may have not been enough people running for the open seats.
“I was a little upset at the amount,” he said about the new superintendent’s contract. “So, I went to the meeting last week,
and I have read that the board was expanding. I didn’t know that they were having problems trying to find people to run. I found that out at the meeting and, after the meeting, I decided to throw my hat in the ring.”
As a taxpayer, Boyer said he’s stayed keyed into budget conversations in the past since it’s the city’s largest expense. This year, he said while there are state factors that remain out of officials’ control, the $71.5 million budget is posing a large tax increase for people.
He hopes to bring more fiscal responsibility to the board and another voice that can help ensure the board remains open and transparent.
“That we are following the policies, we have realistic goals set, and that we’re getting close to those goals,” he said.
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence is casting her bid for a two-year seat on those same ideals. Lawrence and her family came to Vermont nearly three and a half years ago when a camping trip to North Beach turned into a permanent move. The family chose to live in South Burlington after learning
that the district was touted as one of the best in the state.
Her three triplets, who were scouting for colleges at the time, chose the University of Vermont and her fourth is currently still at South Burlington High School. She praised the school’s German exchange program and other programs that have allowed all her children to find and pursue their passions.
“We got the kids into South Burlington High School, and I will tell you, it was the best decision of our entire lives because our kids absolutely blossomed there,” she said.
While Lawrence hasn’t always been involved in school board conversations, she was a part of a parent and student-led group last year dubbed S.O.S, short for Save Our Schools that advocated for a passed budget, after the district’s spending plan failed twice last year.
This year, she said hearing concerns about the current spending plan and a new superintendent contract ultimately led her to dive in headfirst.
“I really felt that the optics of reducing or eliminating student-facing programming while increasing the superin-
tendent salary was not a good look and it would be very, very difficult to advocate and to get behind,” she said.
With over 30 years of experience as a project manager on a slew of projects within her field, she hopes to help support the board in delivering more information in a transparent way to the community.
“Investing in public education is critical for a community,” she said. “But I think you’ve got to have a multi-faceted way of communicating information to people. It’s really important to be honest and to be truthful and to provide information.”
Passion for the district and its challenges is not solely her own.
Lawrence’s daughter, Carolyn Grace Lawrence, a sophomore and the University of Vermont and alumni of South Burlington High School, has decided to attempt to run a write-in campaign for the second one-year seat that received no petitioners.
Seamus Abshere
Alongside Lawrence for another two-year seat up for grabs is Seamus Abshere, a six-year resident of the city with two children in the district. Abshere was
a member of the superintendent search committee in 2022 and a separate committee that helped secure the new Rick Marcotte Central School assistant principal.
Similarly to the two other new contesters, Abshere believes schools play one of the most vital roles in the economy of a city. His involvement in some aspects of the district along with the want to add to the community ultimately is what pushed him to run this year.
“We can do a lot of work on the school board to listen to what the community is saying, listen to their requests for transparency, but also put out the decisions that we’re being asked to make in a more political way, and I mean political in a good way,” he said. In one sense, he said, decisions made at the school board level should be treated like dinner table discussions because at the end of the day, “we’re in this together.” Budget discussions are challenging for the community, he said, and ensuring that the public is informed is one of the most important tasks of the school
See SCHOOL BOARD on page 16
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CORRESPONDENT
Veteran Vermont police officer
Allen A. Fortin, who became the leading voice and face for highway traffic safety in the state, died at his Hinesburg home Sunday. He was 61.
Fortin, a lieutenant with the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department, won numerous awards for his dedication to highway traffic safety work about drunken driving, proper use of seatbelts, speeding, child safety seat protections, passing stopped school buses, aggressive driving and more. The awards included being honored at a Vermont Statehouse ceremony for his public service in 2017. He served as the full-time traffic safety coordinator for Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and Orleans counties.
Fortin hosted numerous press conferences and public events throughout Vermont for over two decades on every kind of safety issue and was the go-to guy for media members looking for comments and statistics for any news story. He helped coordinate a
news conference as recently as last month at Jay Peak Resort concerning winter driving and sharing the roads with slow-moving vulnerable road users.
“It is hard to guess how many lives Al Fortin saved through his safety messages and enforcement work,” Chittenden County Sheriff Dan Gamelin said Sunday.
Fortin was well known for his honesty and integrity, Gamelin said. Fortin’s favorite word, “absolutely,” went hand-in-hand with his can-do attitude.
He collapsed at his home Sunday morning and first responders were unable to revive him.
Gamelin said survivors include Fortin’s longtime wife, Anne, and their three adult sons, Patrick, Stephan and Sam.
Gamelin said funeral arrangements were being completed as the newspaper went to press. The tentative plan was to have a police escort for the casket from the Ready’s Funeral Home in Burlington to St. Jude’s Catholic Church on Vermont 116 on Thursday for a public view-
See FORTIN on page 4
PHOTO BY TIM BARRITT
sun casts long shadows on the silent fairways at Vermont National Country Club.
South Burlington Police Blotter: Jan. 27 - Feb. 2
Total reported incidents: 223
911 hang-ups: 6
Crashes: 22
Alarms: 11
Animal problems: 12
Agency assists: 13
Public assists: 9
Directed patrols: 12
Disturbances: 9
Foot patrols: 17
Fraud: 4
Larceny: 8
Motor vehicle complaints: 12
Winter parking ban violations: 3
Suspicious events: 7
Traffic stops: 9
Trespass: 10
Unlawful mischief: 4
Welfare checks: 12
Untimely death:
Anne Tsady, 71, of South Burlington. The medical examiner’s office is determining cause/ manner of death.
Arrests:
Jan. 22 at 7:47 a.m., Jennifer A. Boyer, 38, of Burlington, for retail theft on Dorset Street.
Jan. 28 at 11:13 a.m., William
T. Harris, 66, of Winterville, N.C., for violating conditions of release on Farrell Street.
Jan. 29 at 2:23 a.m., Kyle A. Purinton, 34, of South Burlington, on an in-state warrant on Market Street.
Jan. 29 at 2:46 p.m., Eric Rouleau, 37, of Barre Town, for unlawful mischief on Dorset Street.
Jan. 29 at 10:56 p.m., Melinda S. Metcalfe, 51, of Burlington, on an in-state warrant on Hinesburg Road.
Jan. 30 at 3:56 p.m., Luke A. Shelan, 44, of South Burlington, for unlawful mischief on Dorset Street.
Feb. 1 at 7:16 p.m., Christopher J. Lowell, 43, of South Burlington, for driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a crash, negligent driving and cruelty to children, on Dorset Street.
Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney office and can be amended or dropped.
Vermont State Police Blotter: Feb. 2
Feb. 2 at 10:42 p.m., police responded to a crash on Interstate 189 at the intersection of Route 7 in South Burlington. Afterward, police arrested the driver, Julie Schmid, 55, of
Richmond, for driving under the influence. Schmid was cited to appear for an arraignment Feb. 20 in Chittenden County Superior Court. No injuries were reported in the crash.
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continued from page 3
ing. The funeral is tentatively set for Friday.
Specific details, including times and the full obituary will be posted online this week by this newspaper and on Facebook by the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department.
Fortin began his extra focus on traffic safety work initially parttime when he was not serving as the No. 2 person at Shelburne Police. It was a passion he held for two dozen years.
Former Shelburne Police Chief James Warden hired Fortin as a patrol officer in 1989. Fortin worked his way up to sergeant and later lieutenant at the police department. He eventually retired in August 2018.
Fortin jumped at the chance to become the first fulltime safety office in Chittenden County through the sheriff’s office in October 2018. It soon expanded to other nearby counties.
He also served his hometown of Hinesburg as its first part-time police chief (1989-95) while still working for Shelburne. He stayed on in Hinesburg as a part-time lieutenant to help the town’s first fulltime chief, Chris Morrell, until 1999.
In 2019, Fortin was one of six leading candidates to become police chief again in Hinesburg, but the town eventually picked an applicant with less experience as a police officer and no administrative background.
During his career, Fortin also found time to serve the state of
Vermont as a deputy game warden for 24 years.
Fortin, who was assigned at Shelburne Police to a 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift, laughed when he was told he would be working at the sheriff’s office a Monday through Friday day shift with no scheduled nights, weekends or holidays. He still managed to show up for safety roadblocks on some weekend nights to support area departments.
A Hinesburg native, Fortin
moved to Monkton and graduated from Mount Abraham Union High School in 1982.
He served in the U.S. Army for a couple of years before returning to Vermont, where his family opened a restaurant in Hinesburg in the mid-1980s. Fortin became the Hinesburg town constable in October 1987.
Fortin was a master chef and known for his incredible apple pies.
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Allen Fortin worked for Shelburne Police Department for nearly three decades.
Ways and means committee focused on education funding
From the House Rep. Bridget Burkhardt
We are one month into the legislative session, and the House is hard at work on several issues that are critical to the future of our state. I am delighted to be serving on the House Committee on Ways and Means.
For those of you who always wondered, the Committee on Appropriations is tasked with refining and approving budgets for state agencies and other organizations that are funded by the state. Ways and Means is the committee that works on changes to the structure of taxes and fees that raise the revenue to fund those budgets.
funding per pupil plus additional funding based on weights applied to students experiencing poverty, English language learners, and attendees of small schools and schools in sparsely populated areas.
Ways and Means will spend most of the next two years focused on education funding reform. As other articles have already mentioned, the administration’s education reform proposal includes changes to governance, funding, and education quality standards. We have seen a broad overview of the total proposal, and details about each segment are being shared each week.
The proposal for funding reform centers around a change from our current system to a foundation formula. In the most simplified terms, our current system uses sales and use taxes, a portion of rooms and meals taxes, lottery proceeds, and property taxes to generate revenue for the Education Fund. School districts around the state develop budgets for the upcoming fiscal year.
Once the budgets are passed by voters in those districts, the state uses the Education Fund to fund the portion of the budgets not covered by federal or other types of funding. Property tax rates are set at a level to provide enough revenue, given estimated proceeds from the other sources of funding, for the Education Fund to meet the obligations under all of those passed budgets.
The administration is proposing a switch to a new version of an old concept — a foundation formula in which every district receives a base amount of
Vermont once used a foundation formula that was ruled unconstitutional by the Vermont Supreme Court in the 1997 case “Brigham et al vs. State of Vermont.” The court found that the system allowed towns with more property wealth to raise more education funding and provide more opportunities to their students than towns with smaller tax bases. The new proposed formula would be designed to work within the requirements of the Brigham decision.
On Friday, we received the first details of the proposed base per-pupil funding amount. The administration proposes a base amount of $13,200 per pupil plus weights for the categories mentioned above.
As an example, an economically disadvantaged student, who would carry an additional weight of 0.75, would generate a total payment to his or her district of $23,100 ($13,200 plus 0.75 times $13,200 equals $23,100).
towns or districts be allowed to raise additional funds above those provided through the foundation formula, and if so, how does that fit with the Brigham decision?
We will ask these and many more questions as we continue to hear testimony from the administration over the coming weeks and months. Next week we expect to hear more about the governance portion of the administration’s proposal.
In the short term, the governor has proposed a $77 million one-time transfer from the General Fund to the Education Fund for the coming fiscal year to bring down the statewide average increase in property taxes for next year to zero percent.
If the Legislature approves this proposal and based on the proposed school district budget, South Burlington residents would still likely see an increase in our taxes, but it would be much lower than the original projections. The challenge with a one-time transfer is that it delays the problem by a year and creates a potential funding gap as next year’s budgets are being developed.
The proposal contains many more details, but there are still many questions yet to be answered.
Special education would continue to be funded by categorical grants based on the number of students needing services in a district. Career and technical education would be funded by per-pupil payments of $25,000 made to new Boards of Cooperative Educational Services that would allocate those resources among the career and technical education centers. The administration proposes that the changes to the funding formula take effect for the fiscal 2028 budget.
The proposal contains many more details, but there are still many questions yet to be answered. How would revenue be raised to fund the education system? What would be the impact on property taxes? Will
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In addition to education funding, the committee has spent the past few weeks reviewing the Budget Adjustment Act, learning about best and current practices for different types of taxes and fees, and hearing testimony on bills that would have an impact on taxes and fees. The Budget Adjustment Act is an annual bill that is typically passed early in the legislative session. The bill makes changes to the budget that was passed for the current fiscal year based on changes to revenue and expenditures through the first several months of the fiscal year. This year’s BAA is expected to come to the floor for a vote this week. Please feel free to reach out any time with questions or concerns at bburkhardt@leg. state.vt.us.
Bridget Burkhardt, a Democrat, represents South Burlington in the Chittenden-8 House district.
Rep. Bridget Burkhardt
It’s important to navigate challenges with a steady hand
From the Senate
Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale
Like the rest of the country, Vermont faces uncertainty due to the federal funding and hiring freeze. Essential programs — including healthcare, housing, education, and public safety — are at risk. While Washington gridlock dominates headlines, our focus remains on practical, local solutions that serve all Vermonters.
Federal policy shifts may also impact civil rights protections, immigration laws, and economic well-being. But Vermont has always stood for fairness, inclusion, and protecting individual freedoms. No matter what happens at the national level, we are committed to ensuring that our state remains a safe and welcoming place for all.
Education finance reform
Governor Scott’s Jan. 28 budget address outlined key funding priorities, including a major proposal to consolidate Vermont’s school system from 119 districts to just five. This raises critical questions: How will it be funded? What will the impact be on small, rural schools? How can we ensure transparency in the process?
We recognize that reform is needed, but it must be done carefully to avoid negative consequences for students, teachers, and
families. That’s why we encourage communities to engage in these discussions. Education must remain efficient, effective, and equitable for all Vermont students, and that can only happen with strong public input.
Addressing Vermont’s housing crisis
We can all agree that housing affordability is one of Vermont’s most pressing issues. A lack of affordable homes contributes to broader financial strain on families and affects workforce retention across industries. We must work together — across party lines — to ensure that Vermonters have access to safe, stable housing.
Our priorities include expanding housing development while maintaining Vermont’s unique character; investing in infrastructure to improve flood resilience and energy efficiency; and supporting workforce development in construction and trades to meet housing demand.
These steps will not only address the housing shortage but also strengthen our economy and communities.
Healthcare and climate action
Vermont has an opportunity to lead the conversation on healthcare and climate action with practical, cost-effective solutions.
We’ve made progress. Treasurer Pieciak’s plan could eliminate $100 million in medical debt.
Medicaid coverage is expanding, improving access for rural communities. We are advocating for healthcare workers’ wages and workforce protections.
The next challenge is ensuring affordability while maintaining
the financial sustainability of our healthcare system. We welcome community input as we shape policies that balance these priorities.
Vermont’s economy and way of life depend on a clean, healthy environment. But climate action must also consider economic impacts on families and businesses. Our approach focuses on strengthening flood resilience and infrastructure to protect communities; investing in clean water and waste management solutions for public health; and encouraging energy efficiency and innovation while keeping costs reasonable for consumers.
We believe Vermont can balance environmental responsibility with economic stability, ensuring a sustainable future without placing undue financial pressure on residents.
A Common-Sense Path Forward
We are at a pivotal moment. Vermont’s challenges — whether in education, housing, healthcare, or climate — demand practical, results-driven solutions that rise above partisan politics. Vermonters expect us to work together, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.
We will continue seeking
common ground, prioritizing affordability, and strengthening Vermont’s future. Your voices matter, and we encourage you to participate—whether by attending town halls, reaching out to local legislators, or sharing your thoughts with us directly.
Let’s work together to ensure Vermont remains a place where everyone can thrive.
Kesha Ram Hinsdale, a Democrat from Shelburne, serves the towns of South Burlington, Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg, Burlington, St. George, Underhill, Jericho, Richmond, Williston and Bolton in the Legislature.
MAGA Christianity is hypocritical and forgets about compassion, forgiveness
Guest Perspective
John Bossange
Many practicing Christians read their Bible for some historical context to today’s current events and for spiritual guidance. Most importantly, the New Testament can offer comforting words during challenging times.
For that reason, I can imagine many devout Christians joining millions of others who were appalled when the newly-elected president and his MAGA followers criticized the message about mercy given by the Episcopal Bishop Marian Budde at the traditional inaugural prayer service in our National Cathedral.
Showing mercy is an act of compassion and forgiveness, a
characteristic most of us would want to receive from others during difficult times. Further, who would not want to be called kind and thoughtful, two hallmarks of a decent human being?
Showing mercy is an act of compassion and forgiveness, a characteristic most of us would want to receive from others during difficult times.
For Christians, the Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10 highlights mercy in the “Eight Beatitudes.” They are unmistakably clear: “Blessed are the poor, the meek, they who mourn, thirst for justice, the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers, and those who suffer persecution.”
Christians are familiar with
the blessings in the Sermon on the Mount and they know mercy is mentioned and defined throughout the Bible. Matthew 22:40 gives further guidance to live in the spirit of the Gospel: “You shall love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the laws and the prophets. I wonder if this passage still has meaning for MAGA Christians?
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This is why the comments made by President Trump calling Bishop Budde “the so-called Bishop, nasty in tone and not compelling or smart,” and “a Radical Left hard line Trump hater” were so disgraceful and unchristian. Further, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called the bishop’s plea for mercy a “hijacked attempt to promote her radical ideology.”
It gets even more unchristian with the comments made by other MAGA politicians to deport the bishop, and that the cathedral had been taken over by gay female activists with short hair and the face of evil.
Undoubtedly, there are MAGA postings and blogs calling for the bishop to apologize or to be removed from her leadership
Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale
South Burlington High School on the path to mediocrity?
To the Editor:
I’m an avid supporter of education. Never in my 37 years as a South Burlington resident have I even considered voting any way other than a resounding “yes” for the South Burlington school budget. Until now, that is.
People who vote “no” on school budgets generally do so in opposition to tax rate hikes, which is understandable. But education decisions should not only be a matter of keeping expenditures as low as possible. We should be more concerned with providing the highest quality educational experiences possible for our community’s young people. Don’t they deserve the best we can give them?
It appears that the school board Is adhering to some sort of calculus that focuses on program expenditures vis-à-vis number of students served, eliminating those with higher cost-per-student numbers regardless of the educational benefits the programs provide.
Two South Burlington High School programs that have been eliminated in the proposed budget are the Big Picture and the Japanese Language Program.
The Big Picture, which I have only recently learned about, is designed to provide student-centered, real-life, handson, project-based learning for students who may be stifled by traditional classroom education. Student testimonials tell of life-changing experiences that have put students on the track toward successful lives and careers. How wonderful is that?
I have written recently about the many benefits U.S. students gain through experiencing a different communication system and culture, especially a non-Western one. Expanded world views replace ethnocentric thinking. Developing relationships with fellow high school students at their sister school in Japan opens their minds and leads them toward the goal of becoming
BOSSANGE
continued from page 6
position. Unfortunately, I’m sure that she has received death threats that now need to be taken more seriously with the pardons and release of the January 6 insurrectionists who will see words as a justification for violence.
A Christian would not mock another Christian’s call for mercy no matter the time, place or environment, and they would not follow a leader who has been unfaithful in three marriages, convicted of fraud and sexual assault and instigated a riot that led to a takeover of the nation’s Capitol building, killing five law enforcement officers and injuring 174. These are not the behaviors and actions of a Christian.
Showing mercy has always been a challenge. But today, where fear and hate of specific groups of people are all too common in America, it’s been made more difficult by the president and the MAGA party, mocking the basic core tenent of the Christian faith: Mercy.
Fear and anger, as Bryan Stevenson
global citizens. Such experiences should be encouraged and promoted, not eliminated.
The mission statement of the South Burlington School District states that it wants to build “safe, caring, and challenging learning environments, fostering family and community partnerships, using global resources, and inspiring lifelong learning.”
It is clear to me that these two eliminated programs contribute more to these stated goals than just about any other aspect of the SBHS curriculum.
I cannot, in good conscience, support this budget proposal that gets rid of outstanding educational experiences and leads SBHS on the road to mediocrity.
Daniel W. Evans
South Burlington
Students, staff, teachers shouldn’t be only ones making sacrifices
To the Editor:
I am a parent of two kids in South Burlington public schools. I’m not happy about the cuts that are coming, but I recognize we need to make sacrifices to keep taxes in control (at least until our legislators fix the ridiculous state funding system). But students, staff and teachers shouldn’t be the only ones making sacrifices.
Like many, I was frustrated to see both the raise the superintendent is getting, and the school board’s refusal to be transparent about it. She lost a lot of community trust when she pushed out two popular principals with no explanation, and the community deserves input into this process.
Of course, it doesn’t matter now. The contract is set, and people are even more angry about school spending. Ultimately, the pain is going to fall on our hard-working staff and teachers in our schools, and the children of South Burlington will be the ones to suffer.
Peter Henne South Burlington
reminds us in his book “Just Mercy,” can make us vindictive, abusive, unjust and unfair, until we all suffer from the absence of mercy and condemn ourselves as much as we victimize others.
I believe Christians of good faith will be speaking out during these challenging times, just as Bishop Budde did a week ago. A true Christian will not be intimidated by the MAGA cult’s “hijacked radical ideology,” and their attempt to misuse and ignore the sacred passages in the Bible to gain political advantage.
Showing mercy is not a political act. It’s an act for any decent human being to bestow upon another whenever necessary. Mercy is also an act for one who understands the true meaning of being a Christian and one who sees through the hypocrisy demonstrated by MAGA Christianity.
John Bossange is a retired middle school principal who lives in South Burlington.
COMMUNITY
Community Notes
Author, forester to talk “How to Love a Forest”
The Burlington Garden Club hosts Ethan Tapper for a talk about how forests work, the many threats and stressors that Vermont’s forests face, and what it means to care for forests in a changed and changing world.
The talk is Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. at Faith United Methodist Church, 899 Dorset Street, South Burlington.
Tapper, the author of the 2024 book “How to Love a Forest,” served as the Chittenden County Forester from 2016-2024, a role for which he earned numerous awards and distinctions. Now he runs his own forestry company —Bear Island Forestry — and writes and works on his homestead.
NOFA-VT
to host annual UVM winter conference
The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont hosts its 43rd annual winter conference Feb. 15-16 at the University of Vermont.
Saturday is a day of learning and gathering with keynote speakers Dãnia Davy and Tim Gibbons, 40-plus workshops, a children’s conference, and many more activities.
Sunday features a day of in-person, immersive, workshops with a choice of four topics.
This year’s theme is “Growing Together.”
Registration is open on a sliding scale from $0-320. For the most up-to-date information and to register, nofavt.org/ conference.
Several South Burlington students received academic honors for the fall semester. Their colleges sent the news along to the newspaper.
Kiefer F. McGrath, a freshman majoring in business management, was named to the dean’s list at Post University in Waterbury, Conn.
The following South Burlington students were named to the dean’s list for James Madison University:
Shayna Larrow, majoring in psychology; Madeleine Magnant, majoring in psychology. Melissa Ackley was named to the dean’s list at Wilkes University.
Maximilian Bertmann was named to Russell Sage College’s dean’s list.
The following South Burlington students were named to the Vermont State University
Student Milestones
president’s list, for a semester grade point average of 4.0: Matt Guyette, Rafa Landrigan, Ayana Taitt
The following South Burlington students were named to the Vermont State University dean’s list: Jonny Cayole, Ashley Darling, Eva Demetrowitz, Jaydenne Garbarino, Lee Ingadottir-May, Hannah Kaiser, Jason Lai, Christian Lukengu, Trung Hieu Nguyen, Tenzin Yeshi
The following South Burlington students were part of the Vermont State University December 2024 graduating class: Jason Blanchard, Alex Guillen, Emily Poon
The following South Burlington students were named to the University of Rhode Island’s dean’s list: Devon Cherry.
Courtney Coffman, Emma Kelley
Annie Edwards was named to
The University of Alabama dean’s list.
John Terhune and Samantha Kohl were named to the dean’s list at Norwich University.
Nora Clear was named to the dean’s list at Providence College.
Patrick Clear was named to the dean’s list at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Celia Caron was named to the dean’s list at the University of New England.
Andre Bouffard was named to the dean’s list at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
The following South Burlington students were named to the dean’s list at Endicott College: Sabrina Brunet, nursing; Nicolas Charlebois, sport management; Catherine Palmer, education; Kristen Precourt, entrepreneurship and marketing.
Katelyn Marcoux was named to the dean’s list at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
Chittenden County towns lose bikeshare program — again
Bird has flown the coop. If you’re looking forward to warmer weather to zip around Burlington, South Burlington or Winooski on the company’s blue e-bikes, you’re out of luck this year.
The Bird bikeshare program, which launched in the area mid 2023, has opted not to return to Chittenden County this spring, citing financial feasibility issues, according to a press release from the Chittenden Area Transportation Management Association.
Sandy Thibault is the executive director of the association, a non-profit, membership-based organization that works to find better transportation and parking options. She said she hopes the company will reconsider its decision in the spring.
“It is disappointing to lose bikeshare as a mode of travel in our metro area,” she said in an email. “It served as a first/ last mile solution, got people out of their cars and exposed many to biking.”
Starting in July 2023, the company began offering, on average, about 150 e-bikes in Burlington, South Burlington and Winooski. It recorded 50,547 rides over two years, according to the release.
Bird notified the transportation association earlier this month that it would not be returning to Chittenden County due to the financial challenges of operating in a smaller market, according to the release.
It’s not the first time Vermont’s largest county has lost its bikeshare provider. Florida-based company Bolt, which operated the area’s GreenRide Bikeshare program, went out of business in 2022.
Many national bikeshare companies established before the Covid-19 pandemic with funding from venture capitalists have found it “a complex business model” to sustain, said Thibault, who called the model “a valuable 24/7 mode in our transportation network that can fill a void when transit isn’t operating.”
“We will be assessing our previous bikeshare systems with our partners, municipalities, local
bike shops and stakeholders to discuss the next iteration of bikeshare in our region and a timeline,” she said in the email.
Bird, a Miami-based company, acquired its rival Spin in 2023 and filed for bankruptcy at the end of that year. Last year it emerged from bankruptcy under the new private parent umbrella of Third Lane
Mobility Inc., Inc.com reported. It is now the largest micro-electric vehicle operator in North America, according to its website, and partners with more than 350 cities around the world to provide scooters and electric bike rentals.
Adam Davis, a spokesperson for Bird, said in the release, “We are confident in the city’s ability to
build upon the progress made and wish them continued success in making alternative transportation a priority.”
Bird representatives did not respond to further questions.
Winooski Town Manager
See BIKESHARE on page 13
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The Bird bikeshare program has opted not to return to Chittenden County this year.
Wolves ice the Lakers in decisive hockey win
LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT
Boys’ hockey
South Burlington 5, Colchester 1: The South Burlington boys’ hockey team captured a win over Colchester on Saturday.
Trey Smith and Christian Butler each tallied twice for the Wolves, while Colby Reagan added a goal and an assist. Cameron Poor and Lucas Van Mullen each dished out two assists.
Alex Chagnon stopped 21 shots to earn the win in goal.
The win helped South Burlington rebound after a 4-3 loss to Hartford last Wednesday. In that earlier game, the Wolves scored twice in the third period but could not complete the comeback.
Van Mullen had two goals and Butler added one score for South Burlington.
Girls’ basketball
Mount Mansfield 45, South Burlington 21: Trailing by 10 at halftime, South Burlington could not close the gap in the second half in a loss to Mount Mansfield on Friday.
Lexi Paquette had 9 points for the Wolves and Tori Griffin added 6 points in a losing effort.
Boys’ basketball
Rice 70, South Burlington 53: Rice pulled away in the fourth quarter to hand South Burlington a loss in high school boys’ basketball on Thursday.
Paul Comba had 17 points to pace the Wolves, while Oli Avdibegovic chipped in 16 points.
Deng Aguek added 14 points for South Burlington.
Alpine skiing
The South Burlington alpine ski team hosted a race at Mad River Glen on Wednesday, with the boys coming in second place in the team competition.
Jackson Rothman led the way for the Wolves with a fourthplace finish. Dylan Karpinski came in fifth place and Sam Harm followed in sixth place. Jesse Poor was 13th and Max Poor 17th to round out the top finishers.
On the girls’ side, Katie McNeill was the top finisher in 15th and Mira Epstein came in just behind in 16th place.
Mary Duffy Scollins
Mary Duffy Scollins, 81, of South Burlington, died at home on Jan. 28, surrounded by her loving husband and daughters. A constant, radiant source of joy, Mary will be missed by everyone whose life was touched by her warmth and empathy — from the generations of young patients she cared for at the child development clinic to the strangers she seemed to befriend on a daily basis.
Mary was born in Kittery, Maine on Oct. 16, 1943, to Joseph and Mary Duffy. The first of four children, Mary grew up in Watertown, Mass., where she graduated from Matignon High School before attending Emmanuel College and Boston University School of Medicine, at a time when there were still very few women entering medicine.
In June 1968, she married classmate Michael Scollins, and the following year they graduated together. She completed her pediatric residency at D.C. Children’s Hospital, then moved to Burlington to complete a fellowship in child neurology and learning disabilities. She worked for several years in the University of Vermont department of neurology and devoted the remainder of her professional career to serving children with special needs through the State of Vermont’s Child Development Clinic, retiring in 2002. Mary loved working with
Obituary
her team at CDC, and she developed a warm bond with her many patients and their families.
Mary was an avid gardener, and together she and Mike —an amateur woodsman and stonemason — turned their yard into a magical space for their two daughters and, eventually, three grandchildren.
Mary loved music of all kinds, and her home was always full of folksongs, showtunes, ‘50s rock (which she and her siblings sang in 3-part harmony) and classical music from Monteverdi to Messaien. She was especially passionate about chamber music and was a founding board member of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival.
Mary took great pleasure in traveling, particularly to England, where she and her sister Marka could spend hours exploring
gardens, and to various national parks, where she enjoyed hiking and spotting wildlife with the family. In recent years, when travel became more difficult, she became a regular member of the Artemis Gym, where she treasured the support of the friends she made there, among both members and staff.
She was predeceased by her mother and father, as well as her sister Elizabeth. She is survived by husband Michael; daughters Kathleen of South Burlington (with husband Brian Minier) and Anne of South Portland, Maine (with husband Jonathan Ewell); sister Margaret Cubberley of Hayling Island, England (with daughters Frances and Peta and their families); brother Joseph Duffy of Kirkland, Wash. (with wife AnhThu, son Tommy, and his family); and beloved grandchildren Ivan, Cedric, and Isaiah.
A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 10 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Shelburne, followed by an informal reception from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Friends and family of all faith backgrounds are welcome to attend.
The burial will take place after the reception at Resurrection Park in South Burlington. Memorial donations may be made to the
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HUBBARD
continued from page 1
by an 88-year-old woman, Doris Haddock, better known as “Granny D,” who walked across the country in 1999 and 2000 in support of campaign finance reform. Hubbard joined her for part of the trek through Kentucky for one week in 1999.
“What motivated Rick? Well, a woman from New Hampshire,” he said, sitting comfortably in his home office, surrounded by a sprawling bookshelf that mirrors his well-read mind. “She puts me to shame finishing when she was 90. I’m a mere pup at 83.”
He kicked off his walking advocacy efforts on his own in the early 2000s when he walked some 450 miles around three sides of Vermont to similarly advocate for the same issues.
“That got me in to talk to people, so I suppose you could say it’s been in the back of my mind as I got older,” he said.
While his life’s greatest walking feat began in the fall of 2022 when he drove his large RV
BUDGET CUTS
continued from page 1
or not that is transparent to the families we serve.”
Details around what the restructuring of the pre-kindergarten program means have not been made clear. Kristin Romick, executive director of educational support services for the district, said those decisions are likely to be finalized after a budget is passed. Romick assured the board that those reductions would not put the district at risk of being out of compliance with state regulations.
But for some teachers, being in compliance is the bare minimum.
“Now we are spread thin, facing cuts that will directly affect the quality of education that our preschool families will receive,
to Los Angeles to start the cross-continental trek, Hubbard has been a lifelong mover and shaker, both metaphorically and physically.
An attorney by trade with decades of experience in economic consulting, he said he has watched the writing on the wall spell out America’s problems for quite some time. But also, in retirement, he’s kept up not only learning about the nuanced complexities of politics but advocating for ways he thinks the country could — and should — be better.
Physically speaking, Hubbard has spent most of his life active. And even though he is held together “with a lot of electronic parts” in his older age, his body has been primed for a walk like this since his youth. He was involved in starting running groups in Stowe, where he lived for more than 30 years, and participated in different physical activities like biking.
But the walk was, nonetheless, difficult. At times, the journey’s physical exertion coalesced with even greater heartbreak. In
2023, Hubbard suspended his endeavor to be home with his partner and “sweetie” Sally Howe, who was suffering from cancer and later died that same year.
He resumed the walk that year as summer in New England was dwindling.
“Finally, although I’m ‘back,’ some days may be more putting one foot in front of the other, rather than a crusade to save our Democracy,” he wrote in a blog post in August announcing his return.
Hubbard trudged 10 miles a day, five days a week, with an American flag strapped to his back. He spent a lot of time organizing with support groups, talking with people and even managed to have some fun in the meantime. That is, when he wasn’t battling a terrible bout of Covid in Dubuque, Iowa, that stopped him in his tracks for a few days.
While in Colorado, he took on even more miles by hiking a portion of 14,000-foot Pike’s Peak, catching a glimpse of a partial eclipse at around 9,000 feet.
“You can find ways to have a little fun on this kind of a trip,” he said, letting out a laugh. Why?
It’s no surprise that a trek like this would pick up some media attention along the way, and while Hubbard says, “When any old guy is crazy enough to walk across the whole damn country, sometimes the media has a little interest,” that isn’t the real essence of it.
He’s sparked plenty of conversation starting with one notion: the preamble to the United States Constitution. Hubbard argues that, while many of us can cite most of its words by rote, how well has our government done upholding its guiding principles, particularly promoting “the general welfare” of all Americans?
He said he’s talked to people on both sides of the major political parties — a two-party system is also one he views as problematic — and asked a simple question: How well do you think they’ve been doing on our behalf for the last several decades?
which is not being touted in the message from the school board,” Kara McDonough, an early childhood special educator in the district since 2005, said. “We have students in our classroom that are in need of much more than we can provide with staff that we have now.”
With restructuring looming, those teachers say there has been little to no transparency about what this will tangibly mean for preschool classrooms.
“I invite our executive board, who all have a role in preschool directly or indirectly, as well as our building principals, to physically share space with us and talk about our program,” Dezenzo said. “I’ve been asking for two years and people say that will never
Summer Camps
happen. I really hope it does.”
In response to an email sent to all staffers at the district from school board chair Chelsea Tillinghast, Everitt told the board in an email in January the union is aware of the fiscal realities facing the district, but the process for making reductions is even more paramount in a year like this.
“The SBEA has sent emails asking questions, giving feedback, and has met with Superintendent (Violet) Nichols,” Everitt and Adreon wrote. “Although small changes have been made by Superintendent Nichols, the overall message has not been well received or acted upon.”
The union switched its focus to attempting to meet with Tillinghast, and “those offers have been systemically rejected,” they wrote.
“Convince us, put in quality work and explain it,” they wrote. “Superintendent Nichols has spoken of using data to make these decisions: where is it and what were the criteria?”
Separate from budget discussions, the union has undergone a “listening tour,” since last spring to gauge how teachers are feeling overall in the district. Everitt said while these tours are not mandated events, they do occur typically when an organization is trying to get a feel for the experience of its members.
“Beginning last year, my co-president and I were hearing from our membership concerns in a multitude of areas,” Everitt wrote in an email.
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The tour consists of asking educators three open-ended questions: “What’s going great? What’s not working so great? And if you could change anything, what would you change?”
“Exiting the pandemic has been difficult for educators, for a host of reasons,” Everitt said. “We felt that we needed to get a more data-based understanding of what our members were experiencing and then plan accordingly.”
The data will be compiled by a team of trained representatives from each of the district’s schools and presented to the union membership with the next steps.
“I didn’t meet a single person who thought they were doing their job,” he said. “When you’ve got problems with the structure and the financing of our country, the way we run our political system, that has resulted in the division we have in the country, and that’s flowed through to Congress.”
He argues that if both parties are focusing on just that, promoting the general welfare of all Americans, it may be possible for people to cross political party lines and find some agreement.
“You may have to compromise, but you’re both working in the same direction,” he said. What America has come to, in his eyes, is a different situation, one where the rich get richer, the middle-class collapses, and the working class faces low wages, debt, lack of healthcare and too little educational opportunity.
“A majority of those who are representing are more interested in getting re-elected and pleasing the wealthy financial people whose money they need to get re-elected and pleasing their political party than they are in governing to pass legislation that addresses the biggest issues,” he said.
But the problems span political parties and didn’t develop just under one party and not the other, he said. Ironically, his crusade for democracy ended just days before the next presidential inauguration, a transition in power that he said has never been like any he’s seen in his life.
“We’ve never had such a black-and-white contrast setting up,” he said. “But they all take the same oath, and I really think that that’s a good way that people can go on the offensive in terms of addressing this issue because they all take the same oath to do what’s in that preamble.”
While he didn’t get to witness the inauguration in person due to inclement weather and other factors, the fateful ending did cap off, in more ways than one, a courageous fight for democracy. While he has no plans for a future crusade of this same level, he plans to keep up his fight both locally and statewide.
“If there’s a takeaway from my walk, it’s that all Americans, of all ideologies, Trumpers right through to ardent Democrats, we all know it isn’t working,” he said. “We divide like hell as to how to fix it and who we turn to to fix it. But the point is, we all want it fixed.”
OBITUARY
continued from page 11
Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival or to the Stern Center for Language and Learning.
Mary was also a strong advocate for organ donation, having undergone a life-sustaining kidney transplant in 2015. Please consider registering with DonateLife, if you haven’t already. Finally, the Scollins family
BIKESHARE
continued from page 9
Elaine Wang said she understands why the company pulled out of Chittenden County.
“My understanding is that this market is difficult. It’s just big enough that companies think it’s worth a try, but has not turned out to be quite big enough to sustain them,” she said in an email. Unless the market changes significantly with more users or local staffing available, “it will continue to be a challenge to keep a service here,” she added.
Burlington officials said they are “disap-
would like to thank the UVM Hospice team, whose compassionate care allowed Mary to remain at home in her final days, and to pass gently from this world.
Arrangements are in the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To share online condolences, please visit www. readyfuneral.com.
WARNING
CITY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT 2025
ANNUAL MEETING
The legal voters of the City of South Burlington School District are hereby notified and warned to meet at their respective polling places at the Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School at 500 Dorset Street, the Orchard School at 2 Baldwin Avenue, the Gertrude Chamberlin School at 262 White Street, and South Burlington City Hall Senior Center at 180 Market Street on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 7:00 o’clock in the morning, at which time the polls will open, until 7:00 o’clock in the evening, at which time the polls will close, to vote by Australian ballot on the following articles:
pointed” to see Bird leave but would like to work with partners to see a similar program return.
“Bikeshare programs are crucial to keeping our communities connected, and offering a climate friendly, cost-effective alternative for commuters,” Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak said in an emailed statement, adding that the city would be a willing partner to help facilitate a sustainable bikeshare program.
ARTICLE I
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
On the first Tuesday in March, 2025, the voters of the city shall elect, from among the legal residents of the city, two members for terms of three years, two members for terms of two years and two members for terms of one year. Thereafter, the election of school directors shall be for the length of the term of the member whose term is expiring.
ARTICLE II BUDGET
Shall the voters of the South Burlington School District approve the School Board to expend Seventy-One Million Five Hundred Seven Thousand Eight Hundred Fifty-Four and 00/100 Dollars ($71,507,854.00), which is the amount the School Board has determined to be necessary for the ensuing fiscal year?
The South Burlington School District estimates that this proposed budget, if approved, will result in per pupil education spending of $14,486.00, which is 15.76% higher than per pupil education spending for the current year.
Polling places are at the Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School at 500 Dorset Street, the Orchard School at 2 Baldwin Avenue, the Gertrude Chamberlin School at 262 White Street, and the South Burlington City Hall Senior Center at 180 Market Street. Voters are to go to the polling place in their respective District.
The legal voters of the City of South Burlington School District are further warned and notified that a public information meeting will be held to discuss Articles I and II on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at 180 Market Street.
The legal voters of the City of South Burlington School District are further notified that voter qualification, registration, and absentee voting relative to said annual meeting shall be as provided in Chapters 43, 51 and 55 of Title 17, Vermont Statutes Annotated.
Dated at South Burlington, Vermont this ___8th___ day of January 2025.
South Burlington School District Board of School Directors
Received for record and recorded this ___14th___ day of January 2025, in the records of the City of South Burlington.
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SCHOOL BOARD
continued from page 2
board. He hopes to initially help create an atmosphere where people can freely ask questions and get the answers they need to make informed decisions.
“Getting the community to give the school district money should be a political process where we’re proposing a vision and trying to get support for it,” Abshere said. “I think that it’s part of the school board’s job to advocate for the schools in a balanced way.”
Incumbents uncontested
Two incumbents, Tim Warren and Laura Williams, have also cast their bids for a pair of three-year seats.
Warren, who was appointed to the board in 2023 and currently serves at board clerk, said he is running again this year in an effort to take what he’s learned over the last two years and continue working to make schools better for the entire city.
“There have been many times when I have looked back on a decision or a vote and thought about what I could have done differently,” he said. “But with every
meeting, every conversation with parents, teachers, and community members, and every issue we tackle, I continue to learn and become better prepared for the next issue that comes up.”
Warren praised a few accomplishments the board has completed since last year, including passing a budget in a difficult year, onboarding three new members, and implementing school zones at all of the district’s five schools.
He defended his approval of this year’s budget, saying the spending plan is designed to meet the needs of the district but also be mindful of the responsibility to South Burlington taxpayers.
“We are committed to making thoughtful, strategic reductions that maintain educational quality, preserve essential staff and student supports, and align with our long-term priorities,” he said. “As a board member, I believe our budget proposal achieves that balance and is why I voted to approve it.”
Williams did not respond to a request for comment.
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COURTESY PHOTO
The South Burlington youth cheerleading squad joined its middle and high school counterparts as NVAC champions after Saturday’s competition.
Wee cheers