...all fall down
As emerald ash borer ruins trees, folks seek to diversify green spaces
Page 3
May Day
Senator recounts efforts to strengthen Vermont’s unions and workforce
Page 5
the South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977
Color by numbers
Fire
at South Burlington senior living facility displaces more than 50 people
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Authorities are investigating what caused a massive fire Friday night at a senior living facility in
South Burlington that displaced roughly 50 people from their homes.
Just after 10 p.m. on Friday, May 2, the South Burlington Fire Department was dispatched to the
Northern Meridian Apartments at 327 Lime Kiln Road. The structure, a four-story, senior hous-
See FIRE on page 13
Schools, producers deal with federal cuts to food funds
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Since 2023, Vermont students have had access to more local products in their school meals, because of a hefty grant from the United States Department of Agriculture. That is, until that program was terminated earlier this year.
The initial grant program, Local Foods for Schools, brought in roughly $334,000 across the state in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and the state’s four food hubs to provide local food to all public schools at no cost to the district.
While the program was touted as a one-time-only program that lasted from 2023-2024, the agricultural community was celebrating a win last October when the USDA announced that it was entering back into a cooperative agreement with the state to keep those funds not only rolling but tripling.
The program under the new grant agreement was now planned to not only account for schools but also early childhood programs, intending to bring nearly $660 million in federal funding nationwide. In Vermont, that number was closer to $1.2 million, with nearly
$1 million of that planned specifically for school districts.
But in March, the federal government under the President Donald Trump administration announced that it was terminating that agreement.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets had estimated that this program would provide approximately 4,000 children in early childhood settings and 83,000 children in schools with local, nutritious food sourced from approximately 100 local farms.
“It was really disappointing,” said Patrick Ackerman-Hovis, director of institutional sales at Food Connects, a Brattleboro-based food hub that worked with nearly 35 schools during the first iteration of the grant. “It was an opportunity to engage with new customers for us and provide food, of course, from farms, but it’s a lot of that food system education also.”
Food Connects is just one of the four food hubs that worked with all the state’s school districts and supervisory unions to bring more local products to the table, but the distribution non-profit originally began 13 years ago as a farm-to-
See AGRICULTURE on page 10
COURTESY PHOTO
Orchard Elementary School students gathered outside Monday with artist Alex Cook to complete a new “You are loved” mural on a brick wall outside the school’s entrace. See story, page 2.
CRIME & COURTS
Police arrest man for drugs, stolen property after searching SB home
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
A South Burlington man pleaded not guilty last week to drug and stolen property charges after police executed a search warrant at his home on Williston Road.
Michael Odell, 50, of South Burlington, was arrested April 29 after police discovered multiple types of illicit drugs, two firearms, two stolen scooters and a stolen electric bike at the property, according to a South Burlington Police Department affidavit.
Police arrived at the property
at 6 a.m. after obtaining a warrant following an investigation into a fatal overdose in Middlebury, from drugs believed to have been purchased at Odell’s home.
Police say since August 2021, they have received numerous complaints regarding suspicious activity stemming from the home. According to police, the complaints include reported overdoses, stolen vehicles, drug-related welfare checks, suspicious events involving drug-impaired people, kidnapping and various other incidents.
Surveillance of the property conducted by police revealed
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that the home “frequently experiences short-duration pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic that is consistent with the sale of drugs.”
Police say Odell, along with one other person, was inside the home at the time of the search. While there, police discovered a Kar 98 bolt-action rifle along with a loaded Eternal 512 12-gauge shotgun inside a closet in Odell’s bedroom, as well as a safe in the same area containing multiple bags of powder and assorted pills that police suspect were cocaine and methamphetamine.
Odell was cited by police for possession of drugs, possession of stolen property and negligent firearm storage.
The Chittenden County state’s attorney declined to charge Odell with any weapons charges but charged him with two felony charges for possession of cocaine and methamphetamine, along with a misdemeanor charge of possession stolen property charge.
Odell pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on conditions. He is scheduled to appear in court again Sept. 17.
South Burlington Police Blotter: April 28 - May 4
Total reported incidents: 237
Arrests: 7
Traffic stops: 15
911 hangups: 6
Crashes: 11
Alarms: 18
Animal problems :5
Agency assists: 6
Public assists: 7
Directed patrols: 20
Disturbances: 8
Domestic incidents: 6
Foot patrols: 14
Found/lost property: 6
Juvenile problems: 3
Larceny: 10
Mental health issues: 6
Motor vehicle complaints: 8
Overdoses: 3
Needle pickups: 2
Retail theft: 11
Suicidal person: 4
Threats: 4
Trespass: 5
Unlawful mischief: 3
Welfare checks: 12
Untimely deaths: April 28 at 1:30, Nancy Mai, 30, of South Burlington, on Twin Oaks Terrace.
Arrests:
Burnett M. Shawn, 33, no address listed, for false pretenses and possession of stolen property,
following an April 2 incident on Dorset Street.
Michael K. Odell, 50, of South Burlington, for possession of stolen property, following an April 16 incident on Gregory Drive.
April 28 at 5:57 a.m., Cole A. Venner, 26, of South Burlington, for first degree aggravated domestic assault, unlawful mischief and interfering with access to emergency services.
May 1 at 11:50 a.m., Dawna M. Perreault, 44, of Grand Isle, on an in-state arrest warrant on Dorset Street.
May 2 at 10:04 a.m., Jennifer A. Boyer, 38, of Burlington, on an in-state arrest warrant on Dorset Street.
May 4 at 4:16 p.m., Zachary William Dalley, 43, of Burlington, for possession of stolen property, retail theft and unlawful trespass on Dorset Street.
May 4 at 4:16 p.m., Rene Marie Dalley, 46, of Burlington, for retail theft 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.
OPINION
Celebrating Vermont’s labor victories this past May Day
From the Senate
May Day, or International Workers’ Day, is a time when we come together to recognize the essential role workers play in our communities and in keeping Vermont strong. It’s a moment to remember that the progress we make as a state depends on respecting the dignity, safety, and contributions of all workers — and that no one gets left behind when we live up to our state’s proud motto of Freedom and Unity.
This year, Vermont has made real, concrete progress for working people. One of the most exciting steps we’ve taken is advancing Proposition 3, which would make Vermont only the second state in the country to protect the right to form a union and collectively bargain in our state constitution. It passed the Senate unanimously — twice — and just received its final vote in the House. The next step is the November 2026 ballot, where Vermonters will decide whether to add this historic protection.
But that’s just one part of the work.
We’ve strengthened protections for state employees, especially those on the front lines of emergency response, to make sure they have the tools and support they need to keep our communities safe. We’ve amplified the voices of our educators as we work to improve Vermont’s schools, ensuring decisions are informed by the people closest to our students. And we’ve supported health care workers fighting for fair wages and the ability to organize in one of the most vital sectors of our economy.
While we know there are challenges at the national level, Vermont has chosen to
step up — strengthening our own Vermont Labor Relations Board so workers here have strong, reliable protections regardless of the political climate in Washington.
It’s also important to acknowledge that immigrant rights are part of this conversation. Our state relies on the contributions of immigrant workers, including farmworkers and essential employees, and they deserve the same fairness and dignity we want for every Vermonter. We’ve worked to ensure that people in our state are treated fairly and that families are not unnecessarily separated or put through hardship.
Because here’s what we all understand: when any group of workers is treated unfairly, it affects the whole community. When families live in fear, or when people don’t have access to fair wages and safe workplaces, we all lose. My neighbor’s challenges are my challenges — and when we come together, we’re all stronger for it.
May Day is not just a day of protest — it’s a day of unity. It’s a reminder that we are all part of the same fabric, that we share common hopes, and that the future of Vermont depends on making sure everyone has a fair shot.
So today, let’s take a moment to celebrate the progress we’ve made — and recommit ourselves to the work ahead.
Let’s remember that “Freedom and Unity” isn’t just a motto — it’s a promise we make to one another, every day.
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.
Joint resolution shows support for transgender and nonbinary people
From the House
Rep. Martin LaLonde
Last week, the Vermont House of Representatives passed J.R.S. 15, a resolution that reaffirms our unwavering commitment to dignity, equality and human rights for all people, especially our transgender and nonbinary neighbors, friends and family members.
This public commitment should be uncontroversial and unnecessary. Unfortunately, it is neither.
The official policy of the United States government is that transgender and nonbinary people are not worthy of recognition and do not deserve protection of the law. Many states also have policies that echo this dehumanization and disrespect, putting their transgender and nonbinary citizens at risk.
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The day after his inauguration, the president signed an executive order that sought to erase legal recognition of transgender and nonbinary people. The order sought to define these individuals out of existence. It went on to require federal agencies to remove all references to gender identity in their regulations and communications.
A later, similarly offensive executive order barring transgender individuals from serving in the military stated that being transgender is incompatible with “an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle.” A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against the military ban, finding that it was “soaked in animus.”
In contrast with these degradations, Vermont has passed laws that recognize
Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale
Letters to the Editor
Educators’ union will share experiences, feedback
To the Editor:
To the South Burlington community, over the past year, the teachers, support staff and related professionals have engaged in a listening tour to build an understanding of the issues facing our students and our work as educators. These undertakings are not done lightly, and not without grave concerns for the learning environments in which we serve.
This effort consisted of interviews with over 75 percent of the employees we represent. It stretched across all five of the district’s schools. This information was then evaluated, and trends were generated from each individual building, and then a district wide group of educators generated a prioritized list of actionable items.
It is important that the community we serve understands our experiences and feedback. To that end, we attended the April 16 school board meeting. At that meeting, we were unable to share our experiences and have considered at length how best to proceed. On May 1, we met with school board representatives and shared our current action plans.
We identified a tier one priority of advocacy around our experiences with central office staff and have started with an evaluation of the superintendent’s performance. In this evaluation, we were able to get over 80 percent participation and will be presenting our findings to the superintendent, school board and the public in the coming weeks.
We also identified some tier two priorities, which are more specific to each working group,
and will be presented by representative groups to specific administrators to address issues such as expectations around response to student behavior and staffing levels.
As a co-president of the South Burlington Educators’ Association, I look forward to working with the students, parents and community of South Burlington to continue a proud tradition of education in South Burlington
Noah Everitt Hinesburg
Noah Everitt is a co-president of the South Burlington Educators’ Association.
Trust in leaders cannot be restored with rhetoric
To the Editor:
This is a response to the recent letter of support for superintendent Violet Nichols by Tim Jarvis (“Superintendent is not hiding things; she can’t discuss them,” April 24).
Thank you for offering your perspective and for your service to the South Burlington School District. However, there are critical points in your letter that cannot go unaddressed.
First, your experience working closely with superintendent Nichols is valid, but it does not outweigh or erase the overwhelming feedback from staff members throughout the district. Many long-serving educators and staff have shared serious, ongoing concerns based on their direct experiences. To dismiss these concerns as simple misunderstandings or personal grievances is both
See LETTERS on page 7
continued from page 5
and protect the civil rights of transgender and nonbinary people — from laws ensuring access to education, housing, employment and public accommodations without discrimination; to policies that allow Vermonters to affirm their identities in vital records; to legislation that safeguards the right to access gender-affirming care and shields families and providers from out-of-state political interference.
Vermont has not only stood by its values, it has led.
Transgender and nonbinary Vermonters are part of the fabric
LETTERS
continued from page 6
insulting and damaging. It ignores the voices of those who have devoted decades to the success of this district.
Second, your assertion that critics lack an “adequate appreciation” for the superintendent’s responsibilities is not only inaccurate, it is deeply condescending. Many of us have worked in public education for 20 to 30 years, both here and in other highly successful districts. We know intimately what effective leadership requires. Your three years of experience in education, while valuable, do not give you the authority to diminish the insights and professional judgment of experienced educators who have spent their careers navigating the complexities of school systems. Third, and most concerning, is
of our communities. They are our teachers, our nurses, our baristas, our students, our colleagues. They deserve to live freely and authentically, without fear of discrimination or exclusion. We made clear in this resolution that in Vermont, they are not only welcomed, but they are valued.
J.R.S. 15 is not only a resolution. It is a reaffirmation. A reaffirmation that the state of Vermont will not waver in its defense of equity. And a declaration that we will keep fighting to ensure every Vermonter, regardless of gender identity, is treated with the respect
and humanity they deserve.
J.R.S. 15 is a promise to transgender and nonbinary individuals that we have their backs, that we’re here to protect them in Vermont. As the resolution states, “all individuals are welcome here and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”
If you have any questions on this or other issues before the legislature, contact me at mlalonde@leg.state.vt.us.
Martin LaLonde, a Democrat, represents South Burlington in the Chittenden-12 House district.
your claim that frustration with the superintendent stems from people “not getting what they want or think they deserve.” This statement is reckless and profoundly disrespectful. The concerns raised are not about personal disappointments. They are about patterns of poor communication, inconsistent leadership, lack of transparency and broken trust. These are systemic issues, not petty grievances. To casually reduce serious, professional concerns to a matter of selfishness shows a stunning lack of respect for the people who work daily to serve South Burlington’s students with integrity and heart.
Trust in leadership is not lost because people didn’t get their way; it is lost when leadership
consistently fails to listen, collaborate and respect the community it serves. Many of us have tried, in good faith, to work within the system, only to be met with disregard and defensiveness. That is why the trust that once existed cannot simply be restored with rhetoric.
We agree that South Burlington deserves strong leadership. But strength is not measured by dismissing dissent. It is measured by the ability to lead with openness, humility and respect — qualities many feel have been lacking.
Meghan Sweet
South Burlington
Meghan Sweet is director of counseling at South Burlington High School.
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Community Notes
Neagley & Case promotes man to project manager
South Burlington commercial construction firm Neagley & Chase Construction announces the recent promotion of Phil Eseppi to assistant project manager. Eseppi lives in South Burlington.
With more than a decade of varied field and project engineering experience, Eseppi has developed subcontractor, estimating, schedule and material management skills. He is a graduate of Vermont Technical College.
“Phil has a great deal of handson experience with new construction, historic preservation and specialized restoration projects,” Neagley & Chase vice president Rob Higgins said. “He brings a valuable boots-on-the-ground perspective to his new role.”
Have some more: school presents ‘Oliver! JR’
The streets of Victorian England will come to life when Shelburne Community School presents the musical “Oliver! JR,” May 23 at 7 p.m., and May 24 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Shelburne Town Gym, 5420 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne.
The show is based on the novel “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens and adapted from the full-length musical by Lionel Bart, who wrote the book, music and lyrics.
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“Please, sir, I want some more.” Through these famous words asking for a bit more gruel, a malnourished orphan named Oliver Twist is cast out of the grim 19th century workhouse where he lives. The young boy eventually falls in with a friendly gang of pickpockets and their leader, Fagin. Oliver quickly discovers he is not fit for a life of crime and finds the life he was meant to live all along.
Tickets: $10 adults, $8 seniors and children. Tickets are available online, with limited tickets available at the door. For more information: shelburnepto.org.
South Burlington chorus announces spring concert
The South Burlington Community Chorus presents “Theatrical Choral Classics” May 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Elley-Long Music Center, Route 15, Colchester. Chorus director Erik Kroncke, who is a performing operatic bass, has chosen some famous choral movements from numerous wellknown operas and musicals.
“I have always had a love and affinity for opera. I was in my first opera at 13 in the children’s chorus for ‘Carmen,’ and I loved how great the music and full out the singing was. It was exhilarating!”
COMMUNITY NOTES on page 9
Student Milestones
The family of Jade McGahey announced she completed her bachelor of arts in criminal justice with highest honors from Florida
Atlantic University on Dec. 13, 2024. She earned a place on the President’s List in recognition of her academic excellence.
COMMUNITY NOTES
continued from page 8
Kroncke said. “As a dramatic performer, I have noticed that in a lot of the operas I do, the best music belongs to the chorus.”
The audience will be sure to recognize many of the pieces from composers Gilbert & Sullivan, Verdi, Puccini, Mascagni, Wagner and Herman.
Price: $20 for adults, $5 for students. Tickets and information at sbchorusvt.org.
The South Burlington Community Chorus is an SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) chorus founded in 1976 and is partially funded by the South Burlington Recreation and Parks Department.
South Burlington student dons red for heart health
Last month’s Vermont Go Red for Women dinner featured volunteers from the Miss Vermont’s Scholarship Organization supporting the American Heart Association and scholarships. People enjoyed a hearthealthy dinner, silent auction, education on maternal heart health, and great conversation. South Burlington High School student Mina December Smith, owner of Love Your Neighbor VT (loveyourneighborvt. org), volunteered, modeling and supporting the Go Red For Women initiative. She will
be walking June 21 for the Vermont Heart Walk, raising funds and awareness.
Test your pedal mettle in Thursday time trials
Have you ever been curious to learn just how fast you can really go on a bike? Starting on May 22 and ending on Aug. 21, you have a chance to push the envelope during the Green Mountain Bicycle Club’s time trial series, which takes place on Thursday nights, weather permitting, throughout the summer.
The club has been running this series for more than 50 years. It’s free and no racing license is needed, but helmets are mandatory. In time trials, racers start one after the other at one-minute intervals to see just how fast they can go. The routes range from flat to hilly with starting locations in Chittenden, Franklin and Lamoille counties.
The courses run the gamut from just under seven miles to more than 16.5. The flattest one has 330 feet of elevation gain, while the hilliest includes a climb of 1,800 feet. This is a great opportunity for novices as well as veteran racers to test their limits, racing against the clock.
For more information, thegmbc.com/ time-trials.
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COURTESY PHOTO
Mina December Smith, South Burlington High School student and owner of Love Your Neighbor VT, Inc.
AGRICULTURE
continued from page 1
school coaching program.
“Many farms have difficulty sometimes selling directly, in bulk or wholesale, to customers, and sometimes schools have trouble buying from farms for a variety of reasons,” Ackerman-Hovis said. “So, recognizing that challenge, we food techs began aggregating food from producers and then became a wholesaler to schools initially.”
Rhonda Ketner, the nutrition services director at South Burlington School District, is one of those people with whom Ackerman-Hovis formed a relationship.
While Ketner said the actual monetary benefit to the district from the grant program was minuscule — roughly $8,000 — the grant bridged the big gap that often deters smaller farms from connecting to
larger distributors and vice versa.
“The biggest problem with being a larger district and connecting with farms is oftentimes a single farm cannot handle the volume that we would require to run certain items and procurement based on USDA regulations,” she said. “But losing that $8,000 was not substantial for us. The connection that we got as a result of the initial grant really was a game changer in us stepping up our game to be able to purchase more local stuff and put more money back into the economy.”
In South Burlington last year, that money was used almost entirely to purchase local beef products, as opposed to pre-cooked commodity beef. Ackerman-Hovis said Boyden Farms in Cambridge was a
main producer of the product.
The other barrier, Ketner explained, is the often tedious and administratively laborious tracking and tracing requirements associated with similar food programs. The USDA program, on the other hand, was much easier to administer with food hubs like Food Connect, ensuring most of the overhead work was completed.
“Sometimes, I feel like I’m stepping over dollars to pick up nickels and dimes,” she said.
Although the agreement has been terminated, Ketner said, that connection is still there. As a result, the district has turned that $8,000 into just over $30,000 in products purchased from the food hub. She noted new products hitting the menu next year include
local yogurt that meets sugar guidelines, along with local sub rolls for creative menu items like meatball subs and Italian dunkers.
“By introducing us and helping us connect with food hubs, food hubs are pushing local products, it’s become a win-win for everybody,” she said.
But aside from the USDA propgram, the school district under Ketner has long been committed to sourcing local products for school meals through the team’s mainline distributor. But she said, she likes working closely with smaller food hubs because of the diversity of products. She noted things like turnip fries and carrot fries, which are pre-cut and offer a massive labor-saving cost.
But it turns out that Ketner wasn’t the only customer coming back for more. Ackerman-Hovis said, of the new customers that Food Connects has partnered with in recent years, nearly 60 percent continued to buy as the school year continued.
“That was really exciting, because there’s still local purchasing happening,” he said. “It was a jump start, an introduction, in some cases, to schools, to buy local without much overhead.”
While the loss of the federal
TREES
continued from page 3
been working for years to prepare for the onset of ash borers. In Williston, it is estimated that around half of the street trees are ash and, in several private developments, it’s almost entirely ash trees. The town has had a plan in place since 2015.
Other places, like South Burlington and Shelburne, have started to tackle the problem more recently. Shelburne developed its plan in 2020 and South Burlington started addressing the issue in 2023.
For municipalities and private landowners concerned about their ash trees, Ranallo and others say that they have two choices:
funding may not have impacted the South Burlington School District as heavily, Ketner does believe the conversation may be a catalyst to continue and bolster already successful state programs, like the state’s Local Food Incentive Grant. The program stipulates that if a minimum of 15 percent of the money a district spends on food is locally sourced, it is eligible to receive a 15-cent reimbursement for every meal. The district is looking at a 20-cent reimbursement per meal next year.
Ketner is taking a more positive approach, and although she spends most days on the kitchen floor cooking up new recipes for students, advocacy is something she is at the forefront of. And the mission remains the same: “Nutrition is the core of education.”
“I think that what it does is it spurs the resiliency in a small state that is very strong and tends to be more community oriented than some other areas of the country,” she said. “I mean, if you give something to somebody and then you take it away, you’re either going to whine or you’re going to grow from it and Vermont always chooses to grow through those hard times. It kind of fuels that fire.”
pre-emptively remove ash trees on their land that might damage property or injure passersby, or inoculate every two or three years. Through inoculation, an arborist will drill a few holes into the trunk of a tree and inject an insecticide that will make the wood poisonous to the small green insect.
“Every municipality takes a different tack for how to handle this,” Gail Henderson-King, the chair of Shelburne’s tree committee, said. “The selectboard is very
See TREES on page 11
FIRE continued from page 1
ing residential complex comprised of 44 units, had flames ripping through the third and fourth floor porch balconies and rising into the attic space, according to officials.
The South Burlington Police Department arrived on the scene in less than two minutes, followed by a team of South Burlington firefighters who arrived four minutes later. The incident reached a three-alarm status with assistance from fire departments in Burlington, Williston, Winooski and Shelburne, as well as the Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department and rescue squads from the University of Vermont and Saint Michael’s College.
No adjacent buildings were affected and most of the fire departments were released by 3 a.m. Saturday.
One resident and one firefighter were transported to the University of Vermont Medical Center for evaluation, along with three South Burlington police officers who were evaluated for smoke inhalation, South Burlington fire chief Steve Locke said.
While initial efforts focused on safely removing the 54 residents affected by the incident, the Red Cross set up a reunification and rehabilitation site with resources at Saint Michael’s College Tarrant Center. Twelve Red Cross Disaster Action Team members also initially responded to the fire.
The Red Cross team was able to secure hotel rooms for those displaced at both the Comfort Inn Suites in South Burlington and the Homewood Suites in Williston.
“We had 55 residents go to those two locations where we began to process them,” Dan Dowling, communications manager for the Red Cross of Northern New England, said.
Dowling, who was at the Comfort Inn the night of the incident, said most of the night was spent ensuring people had the essentials, while also trying to connect those displaced to their loved ones.
“But you have to realize that a lot of these people left in such a hurry that they didn’t have their cell phone,” he said. “We forget our numbers because everything’s on our phone these days.”
By the end of the weekend, Dowling said, most people had been connected with family or had found stable housing through other venues. The Red Cross team was still working with less than five people as of Monday.
While the fire is being investigated by the South Burlington fire marshal’s office, Locke said a cause was not determined, as of press deadline. He said the monetary extent of the damage was not yet known, but the building had significant fire, smoke and water damage.
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MURAL
continued from page 2
after Drouin and the PTO spearheaded another effort to fill the school with paper hearts on Valentine’s Day in hopes of setting the Guinness World Record for the greatest number of hearts made by an elementary school. According to Drouin, if no record exists for a category with
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Guinness, any person or group can dream up a record and apply to become the first. Drouin said the team is still waiting on the official confirmation of their work.
Around that time, they also chalked the word “love” in the same place where the new mural will now be.
PHOTO BY JACQUELINE DROUIN
Orchard school parent Aaron Grander helps his paint crew put on some finishing touches to the mural’s base layer.
zen center yard sale
HARDWOOD FLOORS
RABIES BAIT
continued from page 2
The week-long bait drop is a cooperative effort between Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to stop the spread of the potentially fatal disease.
Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. It is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get rabies.The virus is spread through the bite of an infected animal or contact with its
saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost always fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly 100 percent effective when given soon after a person is bitten by a rabid animal.
So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of those have been raccoons.
According to wildlife officials, rabid animals often show a change in their normal behavior, but you cannot tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it. People should not touch or pick up wild animals or strays – even baby animals.
SHELBURNE DAY continued from page 4 face burne-Hinesburg head the Golf depending land. Rotary’s
Shelburne Historical Society will have a display and president Dorothea Penar will lead a cemetery tour at 1 p.m. Food vendors round out the event with everything from coffee and lemonade to burgers and creemees. Kids will enjoy meeting animals from Shelburne Farms, craft projects, and
