Size matters
Whimsical world
School district weighs options after study shows enrollment drop
From hobbit holes to giant sculptures, Wistar turns imagination to art
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the AUGUST 20, 2026
ACLU’s Dorset St. suit part of nationwide initiative
otherpapersbvt.com
VOLUME 50, NO. 34
Spokes people
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
The lawsuit the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont announced at the end of July on behalf of two people whose home was raided by immigration enforcement in South Burlington is not a one-off. According to the ACLU, the case is part of a nationwide initiative using litigation “to hold federal agents accountable for rights violations.” The suit, brought against the Department for Homeland Security, is one of 54 similar cases across the country. “We have a couple different tools at our disposal to hold the federal government accountable for abuses of power, specifically within the context of immigration enforcement actions. But we don’t have infinite options,” Monica Allard, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Vermont, said. José Estrada Jerez and Johana Patin Patin, the two claimants, were in their Dorset Street home during a March 11 Immigration and Customs Enforcement See LAWSUIT on page 12
SouthernInSpIred dIner ClaSSICS BreakfaSt, lunCh, dInner
PHOTO COURTESY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
SBPD’s Bike Patrol Unit includes (from left) DC Sean Briscoe, officer Justin Maki, parks patrol Kyle Neece, officer Abe Kanda-Olmstead and officer Lukas Petruzziello. See story, page 2.
Veterans Affairs to open clinic in South Burlington BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
The Department of Veterans Affairs signed a 20-year lease for a new outpatient clinic at Technology Park in South Burlington. The VA White River Junction Health-
care System expects the new clinic, which will replace the services it currently offers at its clinic in Burlington, to open to patients by 2030. “We’re anticipating that this is really going to improve access for veterans in all of Northwestern Vermont,” Carey Russ, the assistant director at VA White River Junc-
tion Healthcare, said. Right now, the clinic in Burlington serves about 3,300 veterans who live within a 30-minute drive. However, Russ said, there are around 7,900 veterans who live See VETERANS AFFAIRS on page 15
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Page 2 • August 20, 2026 • The Other Paper
Police roll out a squad of new two-wheeled cruisers BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
The South Burlington police department has invested in some new and improved vehicles for officers to patrol the city: bicycles. This month, the city launched a new bike patrol initiative focused on the city center, hoping to help officers maneuver more easily on city streets and bring them closer to the community. The patrol has already begun as an addition to the force’s regular patrols. Depuy chief Sean Briscoe has spearheaded the program. He originally trained for bicycle patrols in the late 1990s when he was starting out in Saratoga Springs, New York. For Briscoe, bike and foot patrols are a natural fit for a concentrated downtown area — something that South Burlington has only developed in the last decade or so. The city is growing, Briscoe said, and the department must develop alongside that. “We, as a police department, have to think of public safety as a whole, and not just try and continue to do things the way we’ve always done them, but look at ways that other cities have seen success in policing these new environments,” he said. As more people gather, walk or ride their own bikes through the city center, Briscoe said, department officials hope to make police officers more accessible and to make the public feel safer. Officers riding by in their cars, he added, are much less likely to connect with people on the street than someone doing safety patrols on a bike or on foot. “You could still get around downtown really well, and it gave
a great opportunity to meet people, to have those conversations, to build the relationships,” Briscoe said of his time doing bike patrols as a young officer. The city has a fleet of three mountain bikes and two electric bikes. The officers will wear bright blue polo shirts and shorts along with helmets and their police gear. The city’s parks patroller, Kyle Neece, has a neon yellow shirt to differentiate him. Briscoe taught the bike patrol course to the interested officers — three police officers, including school resource officer Justin Maki. While some of the training obviously takes place in the seat of the bike, Briscoe said that much of it is about turning amateur bicyclists into experts. They went over bike maintenance, best practice for changing gears and braking, and first aid. There was also police-specific content such as how and when to dismount during a pursuit. Officers, when out on the bikes, are not necessarily going to be making arrests. “If they do have to take somebody into custody, obviously another officer has to come and transport them in a car,” Briscoe said. “They’re not putting them on the handlebars. So, there are definitely practical limitations of what a bicycle officer can do.” However, he added, he thinks that is outweighed by the positive impact they could have — rather than making traffic stops, bicycle officers will be present for more quality-of-life issues that come along with a denser population. There are situations where people might not make a report to the department, he said, but they still
PHOTO COURYESY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
Community service unit officer Justin Maki.
feel unsafe or concerned, such as when someone wanders into traffic or acts aggressively with others. Briscoe said foot and bike patrols will not pull any officers away from their regularly scheduled patrols or duties — they will
only go out when it makes sense. Right now, they’re targeting just the daytime hours, but as more people move in and restaurants pop up in the area, the department might reassess things. “Really the whole intent is to
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A story last week about campaign finances reported Ernest Pomerleau donated to Grossman’s campaign, which he did not. It also listed Tim Barritt as Ram Hinsdale’s campaign treasurer. He no longer is. ••• The campaign finance story also incorrectly added candidates’personal loans to their total contributions. Joanna Grossman raised $27,464, which included more than $5,000 from herself, and Elizabeth Hunt raised $30,885, which included more than $9,000 from herself. ••• Last week’s story about the Chittenden Southeast Senate district primary election spelled candidate Javen Sears’ name wrong.
The Other Paper • August 20, 2026 • Page 3
District weighs efficiency options LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
The South Burlington School District is taking a good, long look at its schools, including the campuses’ efficiency, their enrollment trends and some ways the district could operate better. The school board in July received a study from independent consultant New England School Development Council that gave an in-depth overview of some recommendations moving forward. The board last December approved the $16,000 for the study. The recommendations from the firm — like moving the fifth graders to the middle school — resurfaces some long discussions from years past. The report, in addition to going over the city’s real estate and birth trends, also projects a nearly 241 student reduction in the district over the next decade. Enrollments in grades K-5 are projected to decrease by 78 students; middle school enrollment is projected to decrease by 84 students; and high school enrollment is estimated to drop by 79 students, as students move through their schooling years. Although the consulting firm stressed that these projections become less reliable the farther out they look, they do fall in line with statewide enrollment trends showing that, according to reporting by Seven Days, public schools
over the past two decades have lost The district could then re-dismore than a quarter of their K-12 tribute the elementary aged students — going from around students in some way to the other 98,000 students in fiscal year 2005 elementary schools. to 73,000 in 2025. This isn’t the first time the In total, over the last seven district has considered a reshufyears, enrollment in grades K-12 fling of its elementary school at South Burlington — not includ- students. The conversation about ing pre-kinderdeclining enrollgarten — has however, “People are romantic ment, declined by 4.4%, is one that is despite the city’s very different about their schools. relative growth from just four in population. years ago. People love their Currently, South A commitBurlington is the tee in 2023 community schools. ” state’s second was tasked most populous with studying — Joe Clark moving city. the The New fifth graders to England School Development the middle school, although due Council analysis notes that, given to some board dysfunction at the projected enrollment decline, the time, no resolution was ever there is potential excess capacity moved forward. at all three of the South BurlingAdditionally, in 2021, an ton School District’s elementary enrollment committee composed schools and Frederick H. Tuttle of community members and school Middle School, when compar- personnel pushed to install tempoing the current enrollment to the rary zero-energy modulars classdistrict’s class size policy at each room as a solution for the district’s grade level. elementary schools, which, at The three-part report to the the time and according to school school board offers a few recom- officials, were exceeding the mendations that hinge largely on state-recommended 85% capacity moving all fifth grade students by more than 100 students. from the three existing elemenThe district was also projecttary schools to the middle school ing those over-enrollment trends campus and closing Gertrude to continue in the coming years. Chamberlin Elementary School — South Burlington voters in 2023 or using it for a different purpose like a district-wide, early childSee STUDY on page 4 hood center for pre-kindergarten.
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STOP FOR THE BUS, IT’S THE LAW!
Drivers must stop for school buses with flashing red lights, regardless of the direction they are traveling. This applies to two-lane roads and multi-lane roads without a median. Drivers must stop at least 20 feet away from the bus and remain stopped until the flashing red lights are turned off and the bus begins moving again. • Flashing Red Lights: Drivers must stop when a school bus is displaying flashing red lights, indicating that children are loading or unloading. Some students may need to cross the roadway to gain access to the buses and its imperative that drivers stop for these loadings. • Stop Arm: The stop arm, which extends from the side of the bus, is another visual cue that requires drivers to stop. • Two-Lane Roads: On two-lane roads, traffic in both directions must stop. • Multi-Lane Roads: Even on multi-lane roads without a median, traffic in both directions must stop. • Divided Highways: Drivers do not need to stop for a school bus on the opposite side of a divided highway. • School Yards: Even on school property, drivers must stop for a school bus with flashing red lights.
Illegally passing a school bus in Vermont can result in fines and points on your license. VIEW BUS ROUTES AT: SBSCHOOLS.NET Morning pick-up times are FIVE MINUTES EARLIER than they were last year. All bus schedules are subject to change.
Thank you for your patience; the students’ first day is also our first day. Drivers will be working hard to ensure the safe, equitable transportation of students, while we share the roads. The Transportation Department, South Burlington School District
Page 4 • August 20, 2026 • The Other Paper
South Burlington Police Blotter: Aug. 10-15 Total incidents: 458 911 hang up: 5 Accident: 22 Alarm: 21 Animal problem: 5 Aggravated assault: 1 Simple assault: 1 Agency Assist: K9 assist: 1 Public assist: 14 Community contact: 54 Custodial interference: 1 Dead body: 1 Directed patrol: 36 Disturbance: 12 Domestic: 6 Drugs: 2
DUI: 1 Eluding: 1 Field contact: 23 Foot patrol: 18 Found property: 6 Fraud: 2 Identity theft: 2 Illegal dumping: 1 Intoxication: 1 Juvenile problem: 3 Larceny: 4 Mental health issue: 4 Motor vehicle complaint: 7 NCIC: 4 Operations: 2 Ordinance violation: 6 Overdose: 1
STUDY
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approved spending nearly $6 million to install the temporary fixtures. Now, the board is looking at a very different situation. Superintendent Joe Clark stressed, however, that these recommendations shouldn’t cause panic in the public or school community, since the road before the board in making any determinations is long and would need to involve plenty of community feedback. “I think the number one challenge you’ll face with any of these decisions is community feedback,” Clark said. “People are romantic about their schools. People love their community schools. People love their neighborhood schools.” Clark estimates that, should the school board decide to act on the options, moving the fifth graders likely wouldn’t happen for a whole other year. Reshuffling the rest of the elementary school students would take longer. The board also could also decline to act on any of the recommended options. While it is expected to take up the topic again soon, some board members expressed support for the study.
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The Other Paper • August 20, 2026 • Page 5
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Page 6 • August 20, 2026 • The Other Paper
OPINION We need protections of a data center bill Guest Perspective Ben Edgerly Walsh Let’s start with what isn’t in dispute. The data center bill Gov. Phil Scott vetoed, H.727, was among the strongest such laws written in any state. AI data centers are driving up electric bills across the country, and having major impacts on air, water and climate pollution in the process. And here in Vermont, that now-dead bill that would have addressed each of those issues passed both the House and Senate with overwhelming support from both Democrats and Republicans, before being killed by Gov. Scott and the 52 Republican representatives who voted to sustain his veto. You may hear that the final bill was somehow “worse” than the earlier House version — a fumble, a bill that “shape-shifted” into something that demanded a veto, as one commentary in VTDigger put it recently. The truth of the matter is that the final bill built on what the House started, and protected Vermonters more effectively in almost every way than that initial version. Let’s take a look at what actually changed. On your electric bill, the earlier version the governor preferred directed utilities to “mitigate the risk” that other ratepayers would cover “unwarranted” data center
costs. To “mitigate” means to reduce impacts, not eliminate them, meaning the governor’s preferred bill inherently allowed data centers to pass on even some unwarranted costs to Vermonters. The Legislature rewrote that to require other ratepayers to be “insulated from all costs” tied to data center deployment. On pollution, the Legislature turned vague language into hard requirements. It required data centers to maximize on-site renewable energy. It required them to fund energy-saving projects in surrounding communities, to offset their inherent environmental impact. And it barred them from running on-site fossil fuel generators except in a genuine emergency, preventing the kind of practices that have spiked air pollution in communities across the country. So put the question plainly to every representative who voted to sustain the veto, every organization like Vermonters for a Clean Environment that has since complained about this stronger version of the bill, and Gov. Scott: Which of those provisions made the bill worse? Was it the one that shields your power bill? The one that cuts pollution? The one that delivers benefits directly to any communities hosting data centers? The only way the “it got worse” math works is if weaker See WALSH on page 7
The Other Paper • August 20, 2026 • Page 7
Letters to the Editor Malloy offers an alternative kind of leadership To the Editor: Now that the primaries are over, Vermonters have an opportunity to consider a different direction for our state. For years, Democrats have dominated Vermont’s political establishment and held the state’s congressional seats. Yet Vermont continues to face serious challenges: high housing costs, rising expenses for families and businesses, and an economy that makes it increasingly difficult for young people to build a future here. That should make us ask a simple question: Are we getting the results we need from the people we keep sending to Washington? Congresswoman Becca Balint can point to legislation she sponsored and causes she championed. But representing Vermont requires more than casting votes and making statements. It requires building relationships, finding common ground and using the position to deliver tangible results for Vermonters. Balint’s highly partisan style has often overshadowed that mission. Her February confrontation with Attorney General Pam Bondi, which ended with Balint leaving a House Committee on Judiciary hearing, was certainly dramatic. But Vermonters should ask whether Washington needs more empty partisan political theater. Cutting and running is not effective leadership that Vermont deserves. We need leadership focused on making Vermont more affordable, competitive and welcoming to families and businesses.
That is why Gerald Malloy deserves consideration. Malloy is a West Point graduate, decorated Army veteran and businessman with decades of experience working with government and in the private sector. His campaign has emphasized bringing jobs to Vermont, reducing unnecessary regulations, addressing affordability and working across political lines. That experience matters. Leadership means accepting responsibility, working with people who disagree with you, and accomplishing the mission. Malloy has also made the economic challenges facing young Vermonters a central part of his campaign. He argues that Vermont needs an economy where people can afford to stay, work, raise families and build their lives. This election is about more than party labels. It is about what we expect from our representative. Do we want more partisan fighting and political theater, or do we want someone who will build relationships, work with whoever is necessary and focus relentlessly on results? After years of the same political leadership, perhaps it is time to try something different. Gerald Malloy offers Vermonters that alternative. Vermont deserves a representative whose first priority is not winning the next political argument, but winning results for Vermonters. Vermont must Deploy Malloy! Jacob Trahan South Burlington
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continued from page 6 protection for Vermonters is the goal. The governor also offered another reason for his veto. In his veto letter, he wrote that the bill imposed “new and unnecessary regulatory systems” that were only “seemingly aimed at data centers” and would drive other businesses away. The reality is that the bill was narrowly targeted, at data centers alone, at a time when state after state is tightening regulations on “large loads” across the board, sweeping in any business that draws a lot of power. Vermont’s Legislature deliberately chose not to go that route. H.727 applied to data centers, and only data centers, a single and uniquely power-hungry class of user. It answered the governor’s stated concern before he ever raised it. Lastly, the governor argued “existing Vermont law already provides substantial regulatory authority to prevent harmful impacts.” In essence, “we’re fine, I’m not worried.” That question, whether Act 250 and other Vermont laws already have us covered, was one of the very first things the Legislature dug into when they took this bill up. The answer? Perhaps on paper, but there were clearly gaps. In the context of an industry with numerous players that count their market value well into the hundreds of billions or even trillions of dollars, that can hire armies of
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lawyers unlike an Act 250 district commission or even Vermont’s Public Utilities Commission has ever seen, that is steeped in a “move fast and break things” mentality, the Legislature chose to do everything it could to fill those potential gaps. In essence, seeing massive costs and pollution from AI data centers around the country, the Legislature took a “better safe than sorry” approach. The Legislature handed the governor the strongest data center protections in the country: narrowly written, hard on costs and pollution, leaving every other Vermont business or potential business untouched. Simply put, the governor’s veto of a bill to protect Vermonters from AI data center costs and pollution is baffling. Vermont needs these protections before we suffer the harms people are already experiencing in other states. Data centers aren’t going away, so we’ll be back next session to fight for Vermonters again. In the meantime, if a representative (or governor) tells you the bill they helped kill was actually too strong, ask them the one question they still haven’t answered: which protection, exactly, were Vermonters better off without? Ben Edgerly Walsh is climate & energy program director for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.
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Page 8 • August 20, 2026 • The Other Paper
Supporting belonging builds civic trust, grows leadership alongside communities as they identify priorities and move from ideas to action. Through Denise Smith our Vermont Community Leadership Initiative, we focus on I recently had the opportunity strengthening the infrastructure to participate in the Statewide Civics Bee hosted by the Vermont of leadership itself. That includes providing tools such as our Chamber of Commerce. This Community in Action Leaderprogram, sponsored by the U.S. ship Guide with tips and strateChamber of Commerce Foungies to help leaders frame local dation, helps prepare middle school students for leadership and issues and move community and economic development projects civic engagement. The students forward. And on Oct. 6, formal write an essay that identifies a and informal leaders from across problem in their communities the state will come together at the and propose thoughtful, practical Vermont Community Leadership solutions; from building a youth Summit to learn from one anothvolunteer network to help their er, build skills neighbors shovel and strengthen driveways, to Leadership is the networks addressing youth that sustain local mental health, to rarely fixed or action. rethinking school We see start times. I was formal. It is shared, leadership struck by their everywhere — creativity, probintergenerational the neighbor lem solving skills who organizes and commitment and often shifts. child care when to making a families are stretched thin, the difference. volunteer who shows up year Our work at the Vermont Council on Rural Vermont is with after year to keep a project alive, communities trying to solve prob- the resident who is passionate about protecting clean water, or lems like the ones these young youth who ask, “Why not do this leaders identified. The need for differently?” Leadership is rarely people to work alongside their fixed or formal. It is shared, neighbors and friends is essential to the foundation of our civic intergenerational and often shifts as community work moves from life. Yet across Vermont, we are vision to implementation. No hearing a different reality: fewer people are stepping up to serve on single person carries it alone. It boards, committees and volunteer. moves across people and roles as the work evolves. Our democracy endures Belonging, civic trust and when people feel a sense of civic responsibility to the greater good, engagement and leadership cannot be separated. When people expressed through participation are connected, they begin to see in local associations, boards and what needs to be done. When community life. In “Bowling they are supported with tools, Alone,” author Robert Putnam relationships and encouragereminds us that civic engagement ment, they are more likely to builds the trust and social capital step forward and stay engaged. that makes this possible. These are not abstract democratic ideals; When we invest in belonging, we strengthen civic trust. When civic they are the conditions that allow trust grows, leadership follows. leadership to emerge and be And when leadership is shared sustained making our democracy and supported, communities are possible. As Putnam has long better equipped to meet the chalargued, when civic engagement lenges ahead. The future of our declines, so do the relationships democracy depends not just on that connect us. participation, but on our ability to This is where leadership cultivate the relationships, skills becomes central. Leadership and confidence that allow people does not emerge in isolation. It to step forward together. grows out of belonging, connecIf we want a strong and resiltion, trust and the experience of ient democracy, we must continue being part of something larger nurturing the relationships that than oneself. When people feel sustain it, including developing connected to a place and to one young leaders. Belonging, civic another, they are more likely to trust and leadership grow togethnotice what needs to be done and er, and will continue to shape the to believe they can be the ones to future of our communities. do it. At the Vermont Council on Rural Development, we see this Denise Smith is executive every day. Through our commudirector of the Vermont Council nity-based programs, we work on Rural Vermont.
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The Other Paper • August 20, 2026 • Page 9
Community Notes Rotary tees off 28th fundraiser tournament South Burlington Rotary Club will host its 28th charity golf tournament Aug. 31 at Vermont National Country Club, benefiting the DREAM Program and South Burlington Rotary Charities. DREAM offers six no-cost youth mentorship programs across eight regions, including outdoor programming at its 50-acre Camp DREAM in Fletcher. SB Rotary distributes tens of thousands of dollars to local organizations — including the South Burlington Food Shelf, area Scouting units and the South Burlington Public Library — and supports projects like Green Up Vermont and the Vermont City Marathon. Meetings are 7:30 a.m. Thursdays at the South Burlington Senior Center.
Girl Scouts host Stories and Scoops Girls in pre-kindergarten and older and their families are invited to Stories and Scoops on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Fletcher Free Library, 235 College St., Burlington. The free event will include stories, a craft and ice cream, and
will offer families an opportunity to learn more about Girl Scouts and meet other families. Participants are encouraged to bring a friend, and walk-ins are welcome. To RSVP, call 888-474-9686 or email customercare@girlscoutsgwm.org. More information is available at girlscoutsgwm.org.
Get those dancing shoes on Contra Dance presented by Queen City Contras is Aug. 28 at 6:45 p.m. at Shelburne Town Hall, 5374 Shelburne Road. The Spring Chickens Trio (Jenny Monfore, Chris Hollis, and banjo player) will play. Our caller will be Will Mentor. All are welcome; all dances are taught; no partner or experience necessary. $12 adults over 18, $5 kids 12-18/low-income, under 12 free. Please bring a pair of clean, soft-soled shoes to dance in and a water bottle to keep you hydrated.
New book explores Vermont CCC camps Historian Martin Podskoch’s new book, “Vermont Civilian Conservation Corps Camps: History, Memories & Legacy of the CCC,” will be released in August.
COURTESY PHOTO
Liquid Light, a jam-focused quartet from southern Vermont, will perform Saturday, Aug. 29, at 3 p.m. at The Alchemist Brewery in Stowe.
The book chronicles the history of the 36 CCC camps and supply depots in Vermont, where young men ages 18-25 and World War I veterans built dams, trails, roads, campsites, state parks and forests from 1933-42. Over four years, Podskoch visited and explored the former camp sites and gathered history and
photographs from historical societies, museums, libraries, archives and personal interviews. Families of CCC workers also shared memories and photographs of camp life and work projects. The Civilian Conservation Corps was created in 1933 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal to address poverty and
unemployment during the Great Depression. CCC workers built and maintained infrastructure, planted trees, fought fires and worked on conservation projects throughout Vermont. The program ended in 1942 as the nation mobilized for See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 15
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Page 10 • August 20, 2026 • The Other Paper
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Behind Joplin Wistar’s indigo-trimmed house is a fantastical backyard filled with unique architectural designs: a hobbit hole made with cedar poles, a lotus belle shaped tent and a tree web that acts as a giant hammock, just to name a few.
It is no secret in town that Wistar, 66, embraces whimsy through his imaginative creations. His hand-crafted structures, scattered throughout Shelburne as well as his own backyard, have become distinctive local landmarks that reflect both his artistic vision and the town’s creative spirit. “He’s incapable of doing anything the same way twice,”
said children’s book author Alison James, Wistar’s wife. “He doesn’t even like to take the same road or the same trail when we’re hiking or something. Just needs to always be discovering something new.” Wistar grew up in Pennsylvania and studied human ecology See WISTAR on page 11
News Briefs WPI student completes pro-level research project Benton Cutroni, a member of the class of 2027 majoring in physics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, was a member of a student team that recently completed a professional-level research-driven project titled “Bass Harbor Lighthouse Overlook E26.” According to a press release from the college, all WPI undergraduates are required to complete an Interactive Qualifying Project, usually in their junior year, through which they apply science and technology to address an important societal need or issue. About two-thirds of WPI students complete their IQP at one of the university’s 50-plus off-campus project centers. “WPI’s project-based curric-
ulum engages students as agents of positive change in the world. Working to connect their STEM expertise with humanistic inquiry, community engagement and robust social science methods, the IQP invites students into a global community to apply their knowledge and to solve problems,” Sarah Stanlick, associate dean of The Global School, said.
Red Cross urges people to donate blood The American Red Cross continues to urge donors of all blood types to act now and make an appointment to give blood or platelets amid the ongoing national blood crisis. Since issuing only the second blood crisis in Red Cross history in late July, thousands of donors
have stepped up to help save lives, yet the blood supply remains under severe pressure. Keep up the momentum and help reverse the blood crisis. Book an appointment to give blood now by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Those who are unable to donate can still make an impact by encouraging eligible friends, family members and colleagues to give blood. As a thank-you, all who come to give from Aug. 1-31 will receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card by email. For details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/August. Upcoming blood donation opportunities: • South Burlington: Aug. 27, noon-4:30 p.m., South Burlington Public Library, 180 Market St.
The Other Paper • August 20, 2026 • Page 11
WISTAR continued from page 10 at the College of the Atlantic in Maine. He and James moved to Shelburne 40 years ago. Wistar taught for 30 years at Shelburne Community School, taking yearlong leaves to teach in Japan, Norway and Taiwan. He now runs an alternative school and summer camps in Shelburne. When Wistar isn’t busy teaching kids, he is most likely creating artistic pieces like the ones found in his backyard. Working with kids helps embrace his outlook of trying new things in his artwork, he said. He first started making practical structures like treehouses at Treewild Forest Classroom, a one-day alternative school program that he runs with James. Then those structures became more elaborate. His first art installation was “The North Wind” at Shelburne Farms for Borderlands, an autumn outdoor sound and light theatrical production. Most recently, Wistar installed “Zephyr,” a 16-foot-tall wooden sculpture of the Greek God of the West Wind, outside Shelburne Pond Studios in June. Wistar originally built the creature as a set piece for Night Fires, an annual theatrical performance in Middlebury that celebrates the winter solstice. Shelburne Pond Studios co-owners Katharine Stockman and her husband, Rad Romeyn, agreed to trade Wistar studio space if he installed “Zephyr” in front of the barn. The installation is the only wooden sculpture on the property; the rest are polished aluminum, marble and other materials. “It brings a whole new genre to our sculptures at the farm,” Stockman said. Wistar recently pitched another set design piece for this year’s Night Fires performance, which is set in Greenland. Wistar imagines a 20-foot web-like structure that would surround the stage and project the Northern Lights on it. Wistar doesn’t charge for his
artwork. He says he creates simply for the joy of making things and solving problems. Working with natural materials presents constant challenges, he said, but that’s what keeps the work interesting. Although Wistar thrives in experimentation, he routinely returns to one particular material: grapevine. The strong but flexible plant grows up into trees, leaving many property owners frustrated at its persistence. “I like to make use of things that other people might not appreciate,” Wistar said. The overhead LED strip light that illuminates his living room is attached to a grapevine, adding an earthy ambiance to the room. A bench made from grapevine can also be found near “Strömkarlen,” a river troll that guards the LaPlatte Crossing footbridge, another one of Wistar’s creations. “Strömkarlen” is built out of recycled pallet wood, the same material that sculptor Thomas Danbo uses to make his world-renowned trolls. The Danish artist has installed nearly 200 of his trolls, often in secluded destinations, around the world, sparking conversations of folklore and environmentalism. Another creative that inspires Wistar is Andy Goldsworthy, an English land artist known for his natural sculptures. “My work is kind of eclectic. I don’t really specialize in one kind of thing,” Wistar said. Wistar’s creativity extends beyond his physical pieces of art. Alongside James, he runs Enchantment Camps during the summer and Treewild Forest Classroom during the school year. Both nature-based programs encourage children to explore the outdoors while developing creativity, confidence and a sense of wonder. On one July afternoon, 15 magicians, ages 7 through 16, gathered in Wistar’s backyard “dodeca,” a 12-sided hut with several windows, to share their individual creative projects. One camper read aloud two hand-writ-
PHOTO BY EMILY RODIN
“Strömkarlen,” the river troll that guards the LaPlatte Crossing footbridge, is built out of recycled wooden pallets. Wistar took inspiration from Thomas Danbo’s world-renowned trolls, which were made from the same materials.
ten pages in Spanish. “Welcome to Enchantment Camps, where being geek is celebrated,” James said. The last two weeks of July were spent preparing a musical set in ancient Greece. On July 22, Robin Fawcett, a retired Champlain Valley Union High School theater and public speaking teacher, led a workshop. As she greet-
The South Burlington Dolphins opened their 60th season of youth football on Monday, Aug. 17, carrying forward a tradition that began in 1967. For 60 years, the Dolphins have helped guide and inspire generations of local athletes. According to a press release, founder and president Rene LaBerge has coached more than 3,000 children
imagining something new. Asked how he comes up with his pieces, Wistar responded with his trademark sense of wonder. “Who knows where ideas come from?” he said. Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, and Report for America.
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ed Wistar near the back entrance of the house, she immediately commented on his “purple aura.” In theory, Wistar likes to have one new project each year, even if that means replacing or refurbishing one of his earlier creations. This summer he has been focused on running Enchantment Camps, so his individual projects have taken a backseat. Still, he’s always
over the decades where many have gone off to play at higher levels. Coming off consecutive semifinal runs, the program returns with familiar local alumni leadership, according to a press release. Bryan Belisle, a former Dolphins quarterback, begins his 14th year as football director and head coach of the 7th/8th-grade team. Javen Sears returns for his fifth season
leading the 5th/6th-grade team. The organization also offers winter strength training and summer clinics. Practices start at 4 p.m. at J.C. Park and run Monday-Friday from 4-6 p.m. The season opener is Sept. 5 against the Chittenden South Buccaneers. More information at sbdolphins.com/youthfootball.
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LAWSUIT continued from page 1 raid. The ACLU’s account of the event not only outlines that none of the four adults in the home — Patin Patin, her sister, Jerez and his uncle — were the man that immigration agents claimed they were looking for, but it also alleges physical harm and civil rights violations over which the two are filing the suit. According to the ACLU’s summary, after breaking down the door with a battering ram, a masked officer threw Estrada Jerez to the ground before bringing him back up and handcuffing him. Agents, the account alleges, “did not ask his name, ask for permission, or show a warrant authorizing a search of his person before they emptied his pockets, including his passport card and phone.” According to the ACLU, Jerez is a U.S. citizen, and was left at the home when the agents departed. Patin was also questioned and handcuffed, then detained for five days, according to the account, despite being an asylum seeker with a work permit. Her four-year-old child was present for part of the raid before being removed by South Burlington school administrators as reported March 19. The ACLU submitted the
FILE PHOTO BY SOPHIA BALUNEK
Vermont State Police wearing riot gear at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at a home in South Burlington March 11.
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While Vermont passed a law this year allowing people to sue individual federal officers,
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according to Allard, suing the government instead of an individual is strategic. “(Cases like this) can put pressure not only on individual officers not to use excessive force or otherwise violate rights, but also on the training and supervision of those officers and the policies that are encouraging them to act in certain ways,” Allard said. Bringing so many similar cases at once, Allard added, serves a couple of different purposes. For one, it gets the attention of both the government and the public, raising awareness for the issue. It also leverages the financial burden of court cases and settlements. “The greater and greater the effort that the government has to expend in order to defend the actions of its officers, the more pressure it puts on the government to change those actions,” she said. Allard expects DHS will not acknowledge the suit and, after a six-month waiting period, the case will go to federal court. However, Allard said she doesn’t want anyone to lose sight of the people at the center of this. “These are specific people. These are members of our community who didn’t do anything wrong,” she said. “It is an incredibly brave thing to do to stick your head up, to raise your hand in this administration, and call out a wrong in the name of increasing community safety for everyone.”
The Other Paper • August 20, 2026 • Page 13
Horoscope August 20, 2026
ANSWERS FROM THIS ISSUE
Weekly Puzzles
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Page 14 • August 20, 2026 • The Other Paper
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
Champl 4
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.
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VETERANS AFFAIRS continued from page 1
COURTESY PHOTO
The Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival will perform and hold a discussion at Meach Cove Farms on Aug. 27.
COMMUNITY NOTES continued from page 9 World War II. The book covers camps and supply depots in 36 Vermont communities, including Elmore, Jericho, Montpelier, St. Albans, Underhill, Waterbury and Windsor. Podskoch, a retired teacher from New York’s Catskill Mountains, has written numerous books about the CCC and fire towers in the Northeast and writes a weekly column, “Adirondack Stories,” for five Adirondack newspapers.
Books store lets you read to a therapy dog Children can practice their reading with a furry friend at Phoenix Books Essex, 2 Carmichael St., on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 11 a.m. Specially trained therapy dogs and their handlers provide a calm, supportive setting where young readers can build confidence and practice literacy skills by reading aloud. Spaces are limited. RSVP to read with Maple, a certified therapy dog.
American spirituals and Antonín Dvořák’s E-flat Major Viola Quintet. Tickets are available at lccmf. org.
Spruce Peak hosts annual Homegrown in Vt festival Spruce Peak Arts will present the third annual Homegrown in Vermont Music Festival on Saturday, Sept. 5, at noon at the WhistlePig Pavilion at Spruce Peak. The festival will feature a full day of music from more than 20 Vermont artists, culminating in a performance by Ryan Miller of Guster and Vermont’s Freeway Clyde. The festival is part of Spruce Peak Arts’ initiative to support Vermont musicians and is community funded. It will take place at the base of Mount Mansfield.
Tickets for children ages 5-12 are $10.35; children 5 and younger are admitted free.
Clothes and comedy mix in stage play Carole Vasta Folley brings a staged reading of her comedy “Control Top” to Lost Nation Theater for a two-night run, Sept. 3-4. The 90-minute play, inspired by interviews with hundreds of women, explores women, clothes and reclamation — “and why we rarely have pockets.” Talk-backs follow each show. Masks encouraged, not required. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Lost Nation Theater, 39 Main St., Montpelier. Tickets $20, depending on seating. Info and tickets: lostnationtheater.org.
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trained differently than they are in the private sector, especially around mental health.” Beyond the larger physical space, Russ said part of the draw with the lease in South Burlington is the location. She said it has a lot more parking than the current spot in Burlington’s South End and is close to a highway exit and within a walkable distance from a public bus route. It’s also right down the street from South Burlington’s Vet Center on Gregory Drive. When veterans were returning from Vietnam, Russ said, many of them didn’t feel supported by either the wider culture or the government, and there was a lot of mistrust in the VA. According to Russ, the department set up vet centers to act as a safe gathering space for veterans readjusting to civilian life, and the centers still provide a lot of mental health care and support groups. “It’s not uncommon for a veteran to get mental health care at the vet center but have primary care and everything else at the VA site. So, we have a strong partnership with them,” she said. Once the clinic is renovated, there will still be some outreach work to get veterans in the door. Russ said the White River Junction VA Health System will likely hold town halls and events. “Just really getting the word out that this is going to be an available site for veterans to access primary care, mental health care, and some specialty cares,” she said.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE SOUTH BURLINGTON LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS PUBLIC HEARING - TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026, 7:00 P.M. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 7:00 P.M. to consider an amendment to the Land Development Regulations. The amendment affects all parts of the City unless otherwise specified below. The hearing will be held in person and remotely via Zoom. Participation options: In Person: City Hall, Room 301, 180 Market Street Interactive Online: https://zoom.us/j/93109384546 Phone: (929) 205-6099 (Webinar ID: 931 0938 4546)
Chamber music comes to the farm The Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival will hold an afternoon of music and discussion Thursday, Aug. 27, at Meach Cove Farms in Shelburne. The program will feature a talk by David Serkin Ludwig, dean of the Juilliard School, followed by a concert of
within a 60-minute drive of the new South Burlington location. The plan is to reach those veterans and connect them to health care services. The larger space — over 24,000 square feet — will allow the clinic to expand its services and see more patients. According to Russ, the Burlington clinic offers primary care and some specialties such as optometry and audiology. At Technology Park, the system plans to provide primary care as well as services for mental health, physical and occupational therapies, optometry and audiology. “One of the best parts about the Veterans Health Administration is that the care is all completely interwoven,” Russ said. Unlike civilian health care and insurance, the VA operates with a single system between providers, she said, making it easy to share documentation and communicate. Having those providers under one roof adds to the ease. The VA is especially focused on integrating mental health services into primary care, Russ said. According to research, veterans, especially those who have seen combat, experience much higher rates of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. “We spend a lot of time trying to convince every veteran who’s eligible that, of course, they deserve the care that we can offer,” she said. “We just have different services, and our providers are
The purpose of the hearing is to consider the following: • LDR-26-09: Significant Natural Communities and Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species. Clarifies applicability standards and includes minor changes to review standards of impacts to significant natural communities and rare, threatened, and endangered species (Section 12.09)
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Note: principal sections / articles affected or modified by the amendment are listed above; however, the amendment is located throughout the regulations. A complete table of contents of the articles is as follows:
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1 Purpose and Title; 2 Definitions; 3 General Provisions; 4 Residential Districts; 5 Commercial Districts; 6 Industrial and Airport Districts; 7 Other Districts; 8 City Center Form Based Codes District; 9 Natural Resource Protection District; 10 Selected Overlay Districts; 11.A Street Types; 11.B Civic Space Types; 11.C Building Types; 12 Environmental Protection Standards; 13 Supplemental Regulations; 14 Site Plan & Conditional Use Review; 15.A Subdivisions; 15.B Master Plans; 15.C Planned Unit Developments; 16 Construction and Erosion Control Standards; 17 Administration and Enforcement; 18 Housing Standards; 19 Transferable Development Rights; Appendices; Maps Copies of the proposed amendment are available for inspection at the Department of Planning & Zoning, City Hall, 3rd Floor, 180 Market Street, and on the city website at www.southburlingtonvt.gov. Jessica Louisos, Planning Commission Chair
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Page 16 • August 20, 2026 • The Other Paper
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