The Other Paper - 07-21-22

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VOLUME 46, NO. 29

Five Dems vie for 3 senate seats

Lockwood Prize

Candidate views differ on housing, climate change Lyons and did not return completed questionnaires.)

AVALON STYLES-ASHLEY STAFF WRITER

TODD R. LOCKWOOD

Vermont poet and teacher Kerrin McCadden from South Burlington is the recipient of the 2022 Herb Lockwood Prize in the Arts.

See story on page 9.

The race to represent southeast Chittenden County in the Senate is heating up as the primary looms just over two weeks away.

Early voting has already begun and come Tuesday Aug. 9, voters in South Burlington, Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, Williston, Richmond and the other towns in the new Senate district will choose three out of five candidates — three incumbents and two challengers — to send to the Statehouse.

All five are running as Democrats so many of their values are similar, but their backgrounds and priorities on topics like climate change and housing vary. Here are three of the candidates’ thoughts on some of the region’s top issues.

(Steve May and incumbent Ginny

Thomas Chittenden Age: 44 Occupation: Senior lecturer at the University of Vermont Town of residence: South Burlington What are the top three issues facing residents in southeast Chittenden County and how would you propose to address them?

Affordability, impact and threat of climate change and workforce (including child care) needs. Policies that attract investment to increase our tax base with greener new infrastructure to improve See SENATE on page 10

Ho Hum Motel set to become affordable housing AVALON STYLES-ASHLEY STAFF WRITER

Since the walls of Ho Hum Motel went up in South Burlington in 1950, the quaint, no-frills motor inn has changed hands at least thrice, housed tourists from across

the country, been involved in a bullet-riddled murder, survived a pandemic and offered sanctuary for people who are homeless.

Its next and perhaps final role will be to leave the motel business behind and transform into 20 permanently affordable apart-

ments.

Champlain Housing Trust, which leased and then bought Ho Hum in the fall of 2020, has used the horseshoe-shaped motel as one of the state’s COVID-19 quarantine spaces for people who are homeless, people arriving from out

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of state, and others who needed a place to isolate during the height of the pandemic.

“Over the last handful of months, as COVID has changed, Ho Hum has served as a general-purpose motel for people experiencing homelessness,”

said Michael Monte, chief executive officer of Champlain Housing Trust. Since the start of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, about 650 people have been served by the motel, he added.

See HOUSING on page 16

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Page 2 • July 21, 2022 • The Other Paper

Police, fire unions endorse Kenney Office, is looking to unseat State’s Attorney Sarah George in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, Citing the need for both public Aug. 9.

Critics of George say she’s soft safety and criminal justice reform in Chittenden County, nine labor on crime and her implementation of several criminal unions representjustice policies ing police, fire and “There is no end allow people to rescue personresult. It keeps avoid prosecunel endorsed Ted tion or from held Kenney’s bid to happening and accountable. become the next Proponents state’s attorney for happening. So, we of George say Vermont’s largest anecdotes about and busiest court. are looking for some crime on the rise The endorseare not supported ments include closure.” by actual statisboth the South tics and that Burlington Police — Kyle Blake public safety Officers Associofficials are ation and South Burlington Firefighters’ slow to embrace Burlington Firemuch-needed fighters AssociaUnion president reforms to poliction. ing.

The other George, of Williston, announced police unions cover Burlington, Williston, Winooski and the Frater- in January that her office would nal Order of Police in Chittenden not pursue charges resulting from non-public-safety traffic stops such County.

Also supporting Kenney are as driving with tinted windows, a unions representing professional suspended license or broken tailfirefighters and emergency medical light, which disproportionately services in Burlington, Colchester affects drivers and passengers of color. and Williston. www Burlington firefighters The joint announcement came during a news conference at the say accountability is one of the primary reasons the union sided Burlington Hilton Hotel Monday.

Kenney, a former division chief with Kenney when it came to an for the Vermont Attorney General’s endorsement.

MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

COURTESY PHOTO

Ted Kenney is seeking to unseat Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George in the August Democratic primary.

Union president Kyle Blake outlined two significant threats to the safety of firefighters that have not been taken seriously — both involved repeat offenders that he said George has been unable to curtail. In one case, while firefighters were responding to a medical emergency, an offender threatened to steal the large tower truck as it was parked near City Hall Park.

The suspect, well known to Burlington police and firefighters, proceeded to shove a firefighter out of the way and try to climb into the driver’s seat as he said, “I’m taking your fire truck,” Blake reported. He

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was pulled from the truck and fled, but not before allegedly causing havoc in the park.

In the second case, the suspect jumped in front of a ladder truck as firefighters responded to an emergency on North Avenue.

The suspect threw a large plastic toolbox at the front window of the truck, Blake said. The driver swerved to avoid the man and others.

“Both of those individuals we have had multiple run-ins with. I believe Burlington Police Department has had multiple run-ins with. That is one of the reasons why our membership voted for this endorsement,” he said. “There is no end result. It keeps happening and happening. So, we are looking for some closure.”

Kenney, a Williston selectboard member, said he will review each case on its merits and show no

favoritism.

“In my meetings with these unions, we have all understood that the state’s attorney is an independently elected official whose ultimate superiors are the voters.

None of these first responder unions asked for or even hinted about seeking a loyal ally in the state’s attorney’s office. In fact, all these unions repeatedly said that they not only know reform is on the way, but that it must occur, and the old ways of doing things are gone,” he said at the news conference.

“To be clear, I will never be the firefighter union’s candidate or EMT union’s candidate or the police union’s candidate. These women and men made no demands and sought no promises from me other than that I make good faith efforts to collaborate with them, and to hear them out. I made no other commitments,” said Kenney.

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The Other Paper • July 21, 2022 • Page 3

Council sets official tax rate AVALON STYLES-ASHLEY STAFF WRITER

The South Burlington City Council officially set the municipal tax rate at 47 cents last week, a bit higher than predicted when residents voted to approve the budget on Town Meeting Day. The barely-there bump is due partly to a lower-than-expected grand list, which grew about 1.3 percent from last year, and to the city excluding profits from its tax increment financing district.

For South Burlington homestead owners, the property tax rate is $1.76, about a 2 percent decrease from last year. Non-homestead property taxpayers will pay a combined tax rate of $1.92.

The overall tax rate for city operations would’ve been about 45 cents, but the total includes two special funds, Pennies for Paths and the open space fund, which each collect an additional cent on the tax rate. At 47 cents in total, that’s a little over 7 percent higher than last year’s budget, although

officials noted that since the state’s education tax rates are slightly lower this year, the difference is minimal.

While voters approved the city’ general fund budget of $17.9 million in March, the tax rate is not official until municipal grand lists are finalized, usually in late June, after which the state can set education property tax rates, and local municipalities can set their respective tax rates.

Tax installments are due Aug. 15, Nov. 15 and March 15, 2023.

So. Burlington Starbucks first to unionize AVALON STYLES-ASHLEY STAFF WRITER

union membership rate was about double, according to data the agency released this month.

Also unique about the swath of Starbucks stores unionizing is its status in the private sector, which historically has accounted for a much lower union membership rate than public-sector workers, according to the agency. Last fiscal year, the rate of public-sector workers in unions was five times higher than the rate of private-sector workers — 34 percent versus 6 percent.

At the same time demand has skyrocketed, however, unfair labor practice charges — claims of employers violating labor laws — have risen about 16 percent, according to the agency.

Since the first Starbucks stores began unionizing last year, the company has been accused of violating such labor laws by allegedly illegally threatening pro-union workers with income and benefit loss or firing, in dozens of complaints filed by Starbucks Workers United with the National Labor Relations Board.

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Baristas at the Starbucks on Shelburne Road are the latest in the country to join a sweeping unionization movement, and the first of the coffee chains in Vermont to make it official.

A group of the South Burlington baristas began brewing ideas for a union earlier this year and announced their intention to unionize on May 1, coinciding with International Workers’ Day. They asked in a letter to CEO Howard Schultz for better pay and benefits, stable hours and a seat at the negotiation table, and filed for a union representation election with the National Labor Relations Board.

The team prepped for their election on July 14 where the baristas officially cast votes over Zoom before the agency tallied them up to reveal they’d won their bid.

Gaz Romp, Campbell Habetz and a few of their coworkers have been integral in bringing the union to fruition. Almost everyone they

talked to were “gung-ho” about organizing, they recalled, and the community has poured out support for them as well.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders stopped by for a meet-and-greet at the store and voiced his solidarity for the team on social media while the Burlington Democratic Socialists of America organized a “sip in,” stationing themselves in the cafe to show support.

The Shelburne Road cafe joins a wave of other Starbucks stores across the country and in Canada voting to unionize, since the first store in Buffalo voted to do so last December. Over a hundred stores out of the company’s 8,000 locations have formed unions since then or have plans to vote in the coming months.

In just the last nine months, the number of union representations filed at the National Labor Relations Board increased 58 percent, exceeding the total number of petitions filed in all of fiscal year 2021.

This surge is still just a ripple compared to what union numbers looked like in the 1980s, when the

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Page 4 • July 21, 2022 • The Other Paper

Man charged in Colchester shooting is person of interest in Burlington homicide MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

A 19-year-old who is a person of interest in the fatal shooting of a man in Burlington earlier this month has pleaded not guilty to a series of charges including aggravated assault for shooting at a teenager at a Colchester home last year, according to authorities.

Abdiaziz “Drill” Abdhikadir of Burlington had been sought since the fatal shooting of Hussein Mubarak, 21, in the Old North End on July 7, authorities said. Mubarak was shot in the head near Luck Street and Intervale Avenue about 7:40 p.m. and died before midnight, Burlington police said.

On Friday, July 15, at about 3 p.m., South Burlington police and officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives took Abdhikadir into custody at gunpoint during a dramatic car stop of a Mercedes at Hinesburg Road and Kennedy Drive. Burlington Police also assisted.

He also was sought for failure to appear for two South Burlington

hearings, including possession of a stolen handgun, which was loaded, during a traffic stop on July 3, police said.

A review of Abdhikadir’s court record shows “he is designated as the arrestee 23 times by local law enforcement since 2013,” including three assaults, one burglary, a felony domestic assault, two DUIs, three larcenies, two robberies, two incidents of possession of stolen property, two stolen vehicles and four violations of conditions of release.

“The review shows a clear pattern of escalation, starting with minor larcenies and assaults to more recently, robberies, larcenies from persons, and involvement in an attempted homicide” in Colchester last summer, the court affidavit said.

“Abdhikadir is associated with a juvenile gang in Burlington,” University of Vermont police officer Barrie North wrote in court papers. North did not identify which gang is operating in Burlington.

Burlington police have said in

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the past they have been discouraged by department management, Mayor Miro Weinberger and other leaders from using the term gang when discussing the organized groups involved in the sharp increase in shootings, drug trafficking and other serious crimes.

After the South Burlington traffic stop, a judge ordered Abdhikadir jailed without bail over the weekend.

Abdhikadir pleaded not guilty Monday to the aggravated assault for firing multiple shots at close range at a teen at a residence on Prim Road in Colchester about 4:25 a.m. on May 2, 2021. Police said a witness estimated seven or eight shots were fired and six casings were recovered. Abdhikadir and a companion, Nicholas Morgan, 18, fled the scene, police said.

Abdhikadir also on Monday denied criminal charges of possession of a loaded 9-mm Glock with a 31-round magazine and contributing to the delinquency of a minor on July 3 in South Burlington.

Abdhikadir and two companions were found in a stolen car on Farrell Street, South Burlington officer Martin Maloney said in court papers.

There also was a replica of the Glock in the passenger compartment, chief Shawn Burke said.

Mubarak’s death was the first reported homicide in the past two years in Burlington, and the 16th known reported gunfire incident this year in the city.

South Burlington Police Blotter Total incidents: 208 Suspicious events: 16 Welfare checks: 15 Alarms: 14 Public assists: 14 Traffic stops: 13 Larceny: 12 Car crashes (property damage): 8 Retail theft: 8 Mental health issues: 6 Car crashes (with injury): 2 Top incidents: July 11 at 10:25 a.m., police assisted with a mental health issue on Kennedy Drive.

July 11 at 12:30 p.m., someone reported an animal problem on Hawthorne Circle and Bayberry Lane.

July 12 at 11:22 a.m., police responded to Market Street for a reported domestic incident.

July 12 around 2:40 p.m., police assisted a few individuals at the University Mall.

July 13 at 6:02 p.m., a car crash on Dorset Street resulted in some property damage but no reported injuries.

July 13 at 10:21 p.m., someone on Cobblestone Circle complained of a noise disturbance.

July 14 at 11:12 a.m., an officer checked on the wellbeing of a resident at Hannaford on Shelburne Road.

July 14 at 4:37 p.m., police delivered court paperwork to an individual at 324 Garden Street.

July 15 at 9:16 a.m., someone reported a case of fraud on Chelsea Circle.

July 15 at 8:46 p.m., an officer

conducted a traffic stop at the corner of Dorset and Market streets.

July 16 at 2:14 a.m., police responded to Kirby Road Extension for a reported weapons offense.

July 16 at 4 p.m., police delivered a trespass order to an individual from the Swiss Host Motel and Village on Williston Road.

July 17 between 9:13 and 10:05 a.m., an officer conducted three traffic stops at different points on Patchen Road.

July 17 between 7:51 and 9:28 p.m., police patrolled Higher Ground on Williston Road, issuing a trespass order, conducting a welfare check and investigating a report of fireworks.

Arrests: Unnamed juvenile, 17, of Burlington, was arrested April 4 for sexual assault.

Victor F. Galle Jr., 71, of South Burlington, was arrested May 24 for violating an abuse prevention order.

Ashley Dane Oladapo, 43, of South Burlington, was arrested July 12 for domestic assault.

Sunshine M. Gagnon, 38, of Richford, was arrested July 14 on an in-state warrant.

Eric M. Breeyear, 39, of Burlington, was arrested July 14 on an in-state warrant.

Fahad Hilowle, 28, of Burlington, was arrested July 16 for selling liquor to a minor/enabling consumption by minors (misdemeanor).

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The Other Paper • July 21, 2022 • Page 5

OPINION Office of Legislative Counsel helps make Statehouse tick or from an advocacy group, the attorneys check out factors such as constitutionality and cross Rep. Maida Townsend references with existing Vermont statutes.

Credit must be given where The attorneys, who have their credit is far too often overlooked, respective areas of expertise, or not understood at all. At the moment, I think of the Legislative make no judgment as to the merit of proposed legislation. That Counsel and joint fiscal offices, judgment is left to the two entities that I have committees of jurismentioned from time to diction. As committees time, but without elabowork on a bill, often ration. It is past time for rewriting in part or in me to clarify what these whole, it is the original entities do. drafting attorney who Both exist within prepares the language the legislative branch desired by the commitof state government. tee.

Both provide assistance Sometimes one to legislators, assisMaida Townsend rewrite suffices. Sometance without which we Vermont House times, as many as 20 would not be able to do of Representatives rewrites are needed our work. We are, after District 7-4 before a bill is finally all, citizen legislators. voted out of committee.

We are your neighbors, Once out of the original not politicians in any professional committee of jurisdiction, the sense of the word. We each have bill may need to be reviewed by great knowledge about some things, along with a decent supply another committee or two, each of which may have its own amendof common sense, hopefully. ing language. Any bill involving Scant few, if any, have the depth spending must be reviewed by and breadth of knowledge and the appropriations committees, expertise to adequately address the last stop before consideration the range of issues before the on the floor. Appropriations, Legislature in any given year. more often than not, has its own In this article, I will explain the work of Legislative Counsel. I amending language prepared.

Once a bill is on the floor, any will explain joint fiscal office next number of amendments may be month. prepared at the request of any The Office of Legislative members. Additionally, once a Counsel is a nonpartisan office bill is on the floor, the drafting that provides legal and editorial attorney must be present throughsupport for members, commitout debate in case there are any tees and other staff offices of the House and Senate. There are two units: legal and drafting operations.

The legal unit is composed of 17 attorneys and one paralegal. The drafting operations unit includes seven editors and drafting technicians. No bill or amendment is introduced without the preparatory work of both units. After the conclusion of each legislative session, the office is also responsible for preparing and revising the official Vermont Statutes Annotated.

Legislators bring forward issues of concern. It is the attorneys of legislative counsel who transform the concepts into proper statutory format and vocabulary, further refined by the editors. If the legislators have not thoroughly researched the issues, or even if they have, the attorneys do their own research and analysis.

Even if “model legislation” is available from another state

Legislative Update

legal or interpretive questions for which the reporter of the bill may need assistance. Truth be told, some legislators even ask the drafting attorney to help them prepare their floor report.

Our legislative counsel attorneys are consummate professionals. They never complain.

They never even sigh deeply, and they certainly never roll their eyes. Emails on a weekend or at midnight? An answer is forthcoming quickly and thoroughly, and always with further questions or input invited.

Please, just imagine the work-

load. There are 180 legislators — 150 in the House and 30 in the Senate — each introducing multiple bills and multiple amendments. Likewise, regarding the 18 House standing committees and the 15 Senate standing committees. All must have the attorneys’ attention now, which also means the editors’ attention too.

In this current 2021-2022 biennium, there were 746 bills introduced in the House, and 289 in the Senate. The number ultimately passed by both chambers totaled 240. Many of the bills introduced never made

it out of the original committee of jurisdiction. Many other bills introduced never saw more than a courtesy 15 minutes of attention in committee. Yet each one saw hours upon hours upon hours of work by both those units within the Office of Legislative Counsel. No amount of gratitude is sufficient.

Do not hesitate to reach out to me with your questions and concerns: mtownsend@leg.state. vt.us; 802-862-7404; 232 Patchen Road; or Duke’s on Saturday mornings from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Letters to the Editor PAC comes out against Chittenden for Senate To the Editor: Voices of the Environment is a grassroots group of Chittenden County residents concerned about the world that we are leaving to future generations. Our mission is to advocate for policies, actions and candidates that will help mitigate climate change and protect the environment. VOTE sent each of the candidates in the Chittenden Southeast District Senate race a set of questions. Each of the candidates responded and we have reviewed the responses.

Sen. Tom Chittenden requested that Voices of the Environment not consider him for endorsement,

and we will, of course, respect that request. We would like, though, to compare his responses and record with that of the candidates we have endorsed.

Like the other candidates, Chittenden is in favor of a price on carbon and voted in favor of the clean heat standard. These measures are both critical to addressing the climate crisis in Vermont and we are pleased with his stand in this regard.

However, he was against the version of a bill to amend Act 250 that would have provided much needed improvements to Vermont’s environmental protection regulation. This version of the bill had the support of the Vermont Natural Resourc-

es Council, Audubon Vermont, the Vermont Land Trust and the Nature Conservancy.

He also voted against expanding Vermont’s bottle bill. This bill would have kept an estimated 100 million more bottles and cans out of Vermont’s landfills and off our roadsides every year.

According to the Vermont Public Interest Group, the bill would also save nearly 16,100 metric tons of greenhouse gases annually and shift costs from consumers to producers.

As a South Burlington city councilor, he consistently voted against enacting interim zoning in South Burlington, which was See LETTERS on page 7

Elect Lewis Mudge for State Senate in the newly formed Chittenden County Southeast District

• Will advocate for affordable housing that actually meets the needs of lower income families.

• Will help protect Vermont’s green spaces so that future generations can enjoy.

• Will fight for the right for every parent to access affordable child care.

• Will promote economic plans that address our demographic crisis now.

• Will support laws that protect reproductive rights for all.

Visit www.lewisforvermont.com

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Page 6 • July 21, 2022 • The Other Paper

Superintendent excited about new job From the School Board Chelsea Tillinghast

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South Burlington School District’s executive director of learning, Violet Nichols, was unanimously appointed interim superintendent by the school board June 23. It is hard to imagine a better fit for this role. A proud third generation public school teacher, and a strong and competent Chelsea Tillinghast leader, Nichols is ready to hit the ground running for our students.

“I’m excited to support our students and optimistic about my ability to lead major construction projects, navigate financial needs and hire critical roles right off the bat because I’ve been a part of much of the work as a member of the executive team and partnered closely with David as his designee throughout the past year,” Nichols said.

In addition to leading curriculum, instruction and assessment, the technology department, and the English Learning and School’s Out programs, which fall under her office, and serving as the district’s recovery coordinator, Nichols has served as acting superintendent throughout the course of the past year.

Other major work that Nichols spearheads includes leading the district’s continuous improvement planning efforts, managing millions of dollars of grant funding and building the capacity

of educators through the professional learning. She partners with the Champlain Valley Educator Development Center to bring in relevant, high-quality professional learning as a member of its board, representing South Burlington.

You can also find her teaching at the center with Megan Grube, Grand Isle Supervisory Union’s director of learning and technology, where the duo trains new and Violet Nichols aspiring curriculum directors to lead learning for Vermont districts, as well as continuous improvement planning efforts, which Nichols, through her Vermont Curriculum Leaders Association membership, partnered with the Vermont Agency of Education to update in 2021.

Nichols not only teaches, but is a lifelong learner herself, despite having to defer her doctorate at the University of Vermont in educational leadership and policy upon acceptance of the superintendent position and to focus on supporting the district.

She graduated from Eckerd College where she studied sociology, law and justice, and was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, a leadership society, and Alpha Kappa Delta, an international honor society of sociology.

Nichols delivered her college graduation address encouraging her fellow graduates to “seize the day,” a message she has embodied throughout her career

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as a young female leader. After earning her Master of Education in 2012, she taught at a Turnaround school in Lewiston, Maine with a near 80 percent English language learner population. She then taught at a STEM school outside of Los Angeles, where she also served as an administrative designee, or acting principal, when needed.

When Nichols and her husband moved back to Vermont — they are both native Vermonters — she worked as a mathematics instructional coach, earned her master’s degree in educational leadership and curriculum, and completed a principal internship program, often serving as acting principal of Monkton Central School under her mentor and friend, Betsy Knox.

Nichols’s educational leadership experience next took her to Addison Northwest School District, the system that she herself graduated from as a student, where she took the helm of curriculum as director of learning and technology.

Nichols says that due to her ability to continue the work that she’s supported throughout the year, she has a leg up in her new role, and is already involved in much of the district’s important work.

“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work closely with superintendent David Young and our incredible educators and staff throughout the year to support our students, and I look forward to continuing to do so this year in the capacity of interim superintendent and, if given the opportunity, for years to come.”

Nichols says that a focus on “relationships, transparency and collaboration with the incredible educators and staff in the school district” is important to her. She went on to say that she “looks forward to a partnership with the board, district administrators, educators and the community to do great things for our students and community.”

She said she has already begun planning to address how to fill key leadership roles within the district.

Some of the challenges ahead for Nichols and the district include the navigation of impact fees, the addition of zero-energy modulars (ZEMs) at Orchard Elementary School and Rick Marcotte Central School, which are both running out of space, and a variety of other critical projects.

This major construction project at the two schools wil require immediate attention as the enrollment committee had hoped to have them installed in November.

See SCHOOL BOARD on page 8

The Other Paper • July 21, 2022 • Page 7

LETTERS

continued from page 5 an effort to assess methods for South Burlington to better protect its open space. He also disagreed with and voted against critically important environmental protections unanimously approved by the planning commission.

We would like to help voters understand the positions of the current candidates in the upcoming election and have posted all the questions and responses from the candidates in the Chittenden Southeast District Senate race at our website.

Beth Zigmund South Burlington

Support Lewis Mudge for state Senate To the Editor: Charlotte Selectboard member and Human Rights Watch Central Africa director Lewis Mudge has earned my vote — one of three — for state Senate. Getting to know him over the past few months, hearing him speak and answer questions about the many, increasingly difficult challenges that our state government continues to face, has only strengthened my belief that he will be an excellent advocate for the interests of the people of our city and our region and state.

Affordable housing (with a capital “A”), climate action, affordable child care, economic development and a reinforced commitment to democracy — all these combined add up to a big, needed fix that will make us more resilient and more able to address the need for improved mental health services, renovated or new school infrastructure and proven advancements in energy and transportation.

This important work will furthermore require the knowledge, the experience, the focused attention and the integrity that Lewis Mudge will bring to the job. I have no doubt.

Meaghan Emery South Burlington

Toll a proven leader, consensus builder To the Editor: I am writing to urge everyone to vote for Kitty Toll for lieutenant governor. Based on my work with her, I know she has a unique set of skills and interests that make her a standout for the position.

Toll grew up in Vermont as the youngest of 14 children. She spent lots of time visiting the Statehouse with her mom, who was then serving as a state representative. First, as a middle school

teacher and then as a state representative herself (2008-2020), Toll applied her deep knowledge of Vermont and consistently put people above politics.

The role of lieutenant governor is both open-ended and, at the same time, full of opportunity.

The lieutenant governor presides over the Vermont Senate and assumes the role of governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated. Several lieutenant governors have used the position primarily as a steppingstone to higher office. Toll views it differently.

She is committed to working with the governor, House and Senate to improve communication and outcomes that will serve all Vermonters. She is well equipped for the job. As chair of the influential House Committee on Appropriations, Toll stood out as a leader who works within groups that often have trouble finding common ground. She led passage of unanimous budgets that made creation of significantly more affordable housing possible, while funding weatherization projects and clean transportation. As a result, respect for her is strong among lawmakers and citizens throughout the state.

Toll is the candidate who will roll up her sleeves and get others to the table to get the job done. Her focus is on resolving key issues — more affordable housing, climate change, economic growth, family leave, child care, gun safety and reproductive freedom.

The Aug. 9 primary is right around the corner. Note that, while you can vote in person at the polls that day, early mail-in ballots may be requested (at least a week ahead to ensure timely turn around in the mail) through the city clerk’s office or vote in person at the city clerk’s office during office hours right now.

When you do vote, I urge you to vote for Kitty Toll for lieutenant governor.

Helen Head South Burlington

Vote for balanced approach toward justice To the Editor: I don’t often write about political races but there is a primary race that I feel is of critical importance to Chittenden County. If you have concerns about the recent upticks in violent and nonviolent crime in our region, vote in the Democratic primary for Chittenden County State’s Attorney.

This race is between incumbent Sarah George and Ted Kenney. I have heard South Burl-

ington retailers’ concerns over retail theft and threats to their employees by the same offenders with no consequences. The same thing is happening in Burlington, as well as much more violent crime involving guns and the like.

There are obviously many reasons for this — pandemic, drug abuse, homelessness, court system not reopening fully yet — as well as the need for more mental health and other support for perpetrators.

However, the lack of prosecution of repeat offenders and the philosophy of George is of great concern to me. She has invoked a stated policy that anyone stopped for a minor traffic violation will not be prosecuted if other criminal activity is found during the stop.

So, if someone is stopped for lack of inspection of their vehicle, and illegal drugs or weapons are found, those will be confiscated but no prosecution will occur.

George is also one of two listed board members of an organization called the Women’s Justice and Freedom Initiative. This organization on the face has some worthy ideals. However, as you dig a bit deeper, the organization’s website forwards you to a policy position statement called Critical Resistance Abolitionists Toolkit, which is lengthy, but states that murderers, rapists and child molesters should not be imprisoned or presumably confined in any way.

(Editor’s note: The ToolKit does suggest putting people in “safe

spaces” away from others they could hurt.)

We all read about what is happening in other cities like San Francisco, Chicago and New York, among others, where these soft on crime and defund the police policies are causing havoc and outrage from citizens.

Ted Kenney has a wealth of experience and is committed to a much more balanced approach to restorative justice, prosecution of repeat offenders, conditions asked for release of perpetrators, and more.

I urge you to vote for Kenney and urge three of our city councilors, Meaghan Emery, Helen Riehle and Tim Barritt to reconsider their endorsements of George.

Michael Keller South Burlington

Pick Charity Clark as next attorney general To the Editor: Vermont has the opportunity to elect a highly qualified woman as its next attorney general in Charity Clark. We are at a critical moment with so much at stake — reproductive freedom, climate change, increased overdose deaths — and we can vote for experience and meaningful change by electing Clark.

She is a proven leader with eight years of experience in the Vermont Attorney General’s

Office. Her record demonstrates leadership in all areas of the office.

Vermonters, like me, want to see action from our elected officials, not empty promises. Clark’s priorities are thoughtful, actionable and can be initiated on day one.

Clark will use her voice to fight for lifesaving policies across many issues like substance use, reproductive health, gun control and domestic violence. She will work to protect Vermonters from scams and robocalls.

Clark recognizes that addressing global warming must be a priority, and its impacts will be felt forever. She will stand up to any administration that blocks or challenges forward progress on the issue of global warming.

We need an attorney general who can deploy the full resources of the office to fight for reproductive freedom, hold companies accountable, protect our environment and ensure the privacy of our children. Charity Clark is that leader.

Rachel Foxx South Burlington

Krasnow wins support for House run To the Editor: I am writing to express my support for Emilie Krasnow in the Democratic primary for state representative in the Chittenden-9 See LETTERS on page 8

lect

E Re-

Tom Chittenden is an active listener, who engages people with diverse viewpoints, and considers a broad range of perspectives in his decision making.

I appreciate the time he takes to dig in to complex issues. Please join me in voting to re-elect Tom Chittenden to the Vermont State Senate.

-Joan Shannon, Burlington South District City Councilor Endorsed/Recommended by:

thomaschittenden.com Paid for by Thomas Chittenden for State Senate

1600 Dorset St South Burlington VT 05403 802.233.1913 | Thomas.Chittenden@gmail.com

Page 8 • July 21, 2022 • The Other Paper

Alternative justice works better than ‘tough on crime’ approach violent and other serious offenses when it is used as a diversion from criminal court.

Second, overwhelmingly, victims report Kathy Fox higher degrees of satisfaction with restorative processes than traditional criminal As a criminologist who studies the proceedings. They also report feeling the criminal-legal system, it is frustrating to process is fair. The vast majority (90 to 95 hear people refer to “alternative justice” percent) of criminal cases result in a plea — restorative justice, diversion, treatment agreement, in part because our courts and the like — as “soft on system is overburdened with crime.” cases and cannot possibly bring There are several ways in them all to trial. That alone which these assertions are incorshould tell you we have a probrect. First, soft on crime implies lem in the system. that such practices let people The defendant may plead off the hook and are ineffecguilty to some lesser charges, tive. However, research shows as an outcome of negotiations that restorative justice reduces between attorneys. In restorative reoffending, which indicates that processes, victims have the whatever tough on crime options Kathy Fox option of meeting with the person that are imagined as superior are, charged, explaining the extent in fact, less effective in achieving and impact of the harm done and the major goal of crime control.

In fact, the research on restorative justice to seek an apology. For people who think that restorative processes are easy or soft, it has demonstrated reductions in repeat offending, among all kinds of offense types. is not easier to face the person who has been harmed and to be held accountable. It can For example, they found that it reduces

Guest Perspective

be painful but also impactful.

Alternative justice is also significantly more cost effective than traditional systems.

In fact, the report “Does restorative justice affect reconviction?” by Joanna Shapland and other researchers, calculated that the cost ratio of restorative justice compared to traditional criminal system is 1-to-8.

But the most compelling reason to support diversion and restorative justice processes is that programs like pretrial services — Vermont’s Tamarack program, for example — to which Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George sends people, assess people for underlying issues, such as houselessness, poverty, substance use and mental health issues that drive many crimes.

The program connects people to services to get at the root of their problem, otherwise the behaviors are likely to continue or get worse and now they have court fees they cannot afford and a criminal record.

And the programs do have teeth: If a person does not complete the requirements — and there are requirements — then they can still be processed through the criminal courts. The public should realize how putting people through the justice system can increase their likelihood of continued criminal behavior.

I hope people will reconsider their reactions to claims that alternative justice equals a “slap on the wrist.” In fact, it is a responsible, sound and cost-effective option that often leads to better results for community safety.

Kathy Fox of South Burlington is a professor of sociology at the University of Vermont, with expertise in criminology. Her comments do not represent UVM. She is director of the college’s liberal arts in prison program and a researcher for the National Center on Restorative Justice.

SCHOOL BOARD

continued from page 6

When she is not teaching, learning or leading, Nichols enjoys cooking and spending time with her husband, two children and friends on the lake.

As for the search process, she wishes to thank all of those who served on the committee and plans to apply for the fulltime superintendent’s position in the fall.

I would like to express my congratulations on behalf of the board, as well as gratitude to Nichols for stepping up to serve our district at this most critical and challenging time.

Chelsea Tillinghast is clerk of the South Burlington School Board.

LETTERS

continued from page 7

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I met Krasnow at an event at the South Burlington Public Library. We were both serving as volunteers and spent considerable time talking about local issues and our shared concerns about housing, affordability and how much we loved living in South Burlington and Vermont.

She had not announced she was running at the time I met her. I was genuinely impressed with her wealth of knowledge, passion and commitment to Vermont and to our local community.

We need more leaders like Krasnow stepping up to run and I was so excited when she announced her candidacy. She will have thoughtful and inclusive solutions and represent the best of all of us.

I would be proud to have Emilie Krasnow representing our community, and that is why I ask you to vote for her in the upcoming Democratic primary on Tuesday, Aug. 9 Donna Swartwout South Burlington

Krasnow garners support for collaborative approach To the Editor: As a Vermont resident for over 40 years and a homeowner in South Burlington for almost 25 years, I am excited and proud to support Emilie Krasnow in her candidacy for state representative, Chittenden 9 district.

I’ve known Krasnow for at least six

years. We met while volunteering, and I immediately noticed her dedication to Vermonters and quality of life in Vermont.

Her heartfelt passion is obvious, and her words and actions follow.

I’ve met and spoken to many politicians over the years, and Krasnow’s integrity, willingness to listen and collaborative approach are commendable and consistent.

People run for office for many reasons.

Krasnow is running because she cares and is called to service, not for her career or her personal agenda. She’ll address our housing, climate, health care, economic and education crises. When she speaks for equity and inclusiveness, we can trust that she means what she says — from the bottom of her heart.

In addition to personality, passion and dedication, Krasnow brings hands-on experience. She has worked in the Vermont Statehouse. She knows the culture, the players, the issues and the system. She also has experience working with many people and many issues in the South Burlington community.

Emilie Krasnow has what it takes to represent Chittenden 9, and her dedication, passion and experience will allow her to face the challenges that go along with the role. Join me in voting for Krasnow in the primary on Tuesday, Aug. 9, and again on Election Day. Tricia Gustafson South Burlington

The Other Paper • July 21, 2022 • Page 9

SoBu poet gets Lockwood Prize Vermont poet and teacher Kerrin McCadden from South Burlington is the recipient of the 2022 Herb Lockwood Prize in the Arts.

She received a $10,000 prize during a reception July 20 at the Burlington City Arts Center.

The prize honors the state’s most influential artists in visual arts, music, writing, drama, dance, film and fine woodworking. This is the ninth time it has been awarded since 2014.

Last year’s winner was Latin Jazz musician and teacher Ray Vega, also from South Burlington.

McCadden was at the presentation, as well as Herb Lockwood’s brother Todd R. Lockwood, Vermont author Stephen P. Kiernan, Melissa Chestnut-Tangerman, who attended Hamilton College with Herb Lockwood (1977-82), and Vega, along with members and friends of the Vermont writing community.

The following is a tribute from Stephen Kiernan.

‘At the highest level’ In her poem “Second Cut” — which is about haying, but manages to be about many other things as well — Kerrin McCadden, this year’s winner of the Herb Lockwood Prize provides a definition of a poem: “… a thing full of blackbirds bolting from the maple, hermit thrushes, always in pairs, first one, then the second, that hawk sailing over it all, this day so hot, it’s like a painting.”

That definition accurately describes this poet’s verses, too: humble but energetic, keenly aware of nature, mindful of what might be soaring overhead. And all of it informed by the escaping blackbirds of imagination.

McCadden went to St. Michael’s College, and promptly flunked out. After a stint at Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts, she returned to St. Mike’s and graduated on the dean’s list. Later she earned a master’s degree in fine arts from Warren Wilson College.

Her work has appeared in American Poetry Review, the Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day series, Beloit Poetry Journal, The Collagist, Failbetter, Four Way Review, Green Mountains Review, Hunger Mountain, New England Review, Painted Bride Quarterly, PANK, Ploughshares, Poet Lore, Prairie Schooner, Pratik: A Magazine of Contemporary Poetry (published in Nepal), Rattle, The Salon, Sixth Finch, SWWIM and Tinderbox.

Probably there are more.

The length of this list might convince you that this writer is prolific, but her body of work

is not immense: a chapbook called “Keep This to Yourself,” the collection “Landscape with Plywood Silhouettes” and her latest, “American Wake.”

Yet the acclaim she has received would seem more fitting for someone with twice as many books: a National Endowment for the Arts literature fellowship; inclusion in Best American Poetry 2012; winning the inaugural Vermont Book Award; and this year qualifying as a finalist for the Vermont Book Award and the New England Book Award.

Her poems blend muscular directness with apt metaphors. A poem about, perhaps, an ex-lover, begins this way: “Dear train wreck, dear terrible engines, dear spilled freight, dear unbelievable mess, all these years later I think to write back.”

The emotion of these lines occurs with incredible density — disdain for the person, symbolism for the damage that happened and some new feeling that makes the poem possible.

Too much contemporary poetry is secretive, opaque, rendered in a private language. Not McCadden.

She writes poems that seek to be understood.

Excellence has been a hallmark of every winner of the Herb Lockwood Prize. That is one of the key criteria, that this person performs her art at the highest level of quality. The other essential ingredient is that this person has not worked for herself, only, but has inspired and uplifted and used the arts to create community.

This year’s winner has done precisely that, by teaching for 29 years at Montpelier High School, and now at The Center for Technology in Essex. This profession is notable for many reasons. First, with her credentials, she could be a college professor. Instead, she has chosen to work with writers earlier in their development when they are fledglings.

The newness of their work, and their hopes, requires nurturing, empathy, a light touch. Second, teaching is a tough business these days, from the challenges of remote learning to the many nonacademic needs that students bring with them to school, to the recent attacks by archconservative media on classes and schools that accept students as they are.

But when her automotive tech kids stay late in class, because they are all enraptured by the books they are reading, she goes to social media to crow about the joyful rewards of enlarging young minds.

— Stephen Kiernan

COURTESY PHOTO

Poet Kerrin McCadden’s Herb Lockwood Prize.

About Herb Lockwood The Herb Lockwood Prize was founded in 2014 by Todd R. Lockwood and some like-minded friends from the Vermont arts community.

Herb Lockwood was considered an inspirational figure in the Burlington arts and music scene in the 1980s, recognized for a variety of art forms: cartooning, painting, writing, woodworking, sculpture, storytelling and tai chi. Above all, he was a masterful musician.

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Page 10 • July 21, 2022 • The Other Paper

SENATE

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Could you summarize your position on abortion and Prop 5, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment?

An individual’s right to choose is theirs and theirs alone. And nobody else’s. The Supreme Court was wrong to reverse this precedent to now allow states to take people’s individual rights away. I voted in support of Prop 5 in the Senate, and I will be voting in support of Prop 5 on Nov. 8.

How far should the state go in addressing climate change?

Do you think the state’s climate action plan is attainable and what initiatives do you support that will move the state’s energy grid toward sustainability?

The state needs to go as far as we need to go to address climate change. It is an existential threat to humankind. We owe our children a planet cleaner and greener than how we got it. Yes, the state’s climate action plan is attainable and, in my service, I have been proud to support multiple bills that create forest growth protections, massive electric vehicle infrastructure investments and smart growth development rules to foster higher density development in our existing downtowns.

Do you support the clean heat standard, and if so, how will you ensure that middle-income Vermonters aren’t hit with massive increases in home heating costs and weatherization requirements?

I did and I do. Vermont has a track record for successful income sensitivity programs that protect the most vulnerable. In all these discussions, those protections are front and center and achievable through extending existing programs and growing new ones.

The clean heat standard is proposed to assess fossil fuel systems to subsidize cleaner solutions — this funding formula can and should include income sensitization.

Some have suggested that the pay for legislators, at $774 weekly during the session with no health care benefits, should be increased. What are your thoughts on the current compensation model and its effect on who runs for the Legislature?

Anybody doing this to make money is doing it wrong. But the compensation is an obstacle to bringing unheard voices into the Statehouse. I support proposing auto increasing this stipend to track

be relieved with safe, frequent, convenient public transportation between our downtowns.

Thomas Chittenden

with inflation and to income-sensitize it. Elected lawmakers with more income sources should get less of a stipend and elected lawmakers with less income should get enough to enable them to bring their life experiences to the decisions in Montpelier.

The governor signed the Legislature’s new education formula into law, which could mean some school districts like Champlain Valley School District and South Burlington School District will have to face tough financial choices in coming years. How would you explain to a voter/taxpayer your support or opposition to this measure?

Vermont’s Constitution makes clear we all have a responsibility to educate our kids and the education kids get shouldn’t be better just because they live in a town with a major employer, like IBM, or a ski resort. This recent change updates our very complex, but very fair, education formula so that schools with more low-income kids or multi-lingual learners have access to the same taxing capacity as all our school districts.

Housing stock in Chittenden County is at an all-time low with a vacancy rate of 0.4 percent while rent costs and home sales continue to rise. What needs to be done to curb the state’s housing crisis and address this critical need?

Permit reform (state and local), bylaw modernization and public transportation including rail.

Exempting downtowns from Act 250 will reduce the uncertainty and cost of infill development that is keeping investment from Vermont.

Bylaw modernization for our smaller municipalities will create greater consistency and smart development guardrails for more regional consistency.

Last, expanded rail transportation options to connect Rutland, Middlebury, Vergennes, Burlington and more. Rail is greener and many commuters can be productive en route in a train. With fostered smart infill development, housing availability pressures can

What is an issue that you think has been overlooked or needs more attention in broader statewide discourse?

Our school infrastructure. We have, as a state, a massive amount of deferred maintenance in our schools — and there is no more road to kick this can down. We need to end the moratorium on states bonding support for school capital projects and we need to commit more attention on reducing costs in Vermont schools to be able to afford the building upgrades we severely need to keep our kids safe and in modern facilities.

Why should voters pick you over your opponents?

I hope I’ve earned their vote with my track record and my evidenced commitment to service.

And I’d welcome any chance to hear more from them. Reach out at thomas.chittenden@gmail.com.

Kesha Ram Hinsdale

Kesha Ram Hinsdale Age: 36 (on Aug. 2) Occupation: Social equity organizer Town of residence: Shelburne What are the top three issues facing residents in southeast Chittenden County and how would you propose to address them?

Climate change, housing and homeownership, child care.

In my decade in the Legislature, I have tackled these issues by listening to those most affected, bringing them into the legislative process and acting with courage, conviction and consensus. My housing and environmental justice legislation were two of the landmark bills passed this session, and I have earned an EPA Environmental Merit Award for my contributions toward environmental protection.

See SENATE on page 11

The Other Paper • July 21, 2022 • Page 11

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SENATE

continued from page 10 Could you summarize your position on abortion and Prop 5, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment?

I am a staunch supporter of Prop 5 and believe we must codify other rights such as marriage equality in the Vermont Constitution considering we have a Supreme Court that is no longer bending the arc toward justice. I was also proud to serve on the board of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.

How far should the state go in addressing climate change? Do you think the state’s climate action plan is attainable and what initiatives do you support that will move the state’s energy grid toward sustainability?

We must invest in the climate economy of the future that will allow future generations to have a habitable planet. We must also think regionally while ensuring green jobs and environmental benefits are realized by all Vermonters.

Do you support the clean heat standard, and if so, how will you ensure that middle-income Vermonters aren’t hit with massive increases in home heating costs and weatherization requirements?

I support returning to improve the clean heat standard so that it centers the most vulnerable Vermonters while removing the focus on biofuels. We have saved billions of dollars for Vermonters through electrical efficiencies and this model works — we just need to ensure we give Vermonters a full range of choices without penalizing them for choices they don’t have.

Some have suggested that the pay for legislators, at $774 weekly during the session with no health care benefits, should be increased. What are your thoughts on the current compensation model and its effect on who runs for the Legislature?

See SENATE on page 12

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Page 12 • July 21, 2022 • The Other Paper

SENATE

continued from page 11 Like most jobs, we must see increases in wages and benefits to attract quality legislators that can focus on their work. That is currently not the case with the meager pay. This is the biennium we should ensure all Vermonters can serve their state and increase the compensation, benefits and staffing.

The governor signed the Legislature’s new education formula into law, which could mean some school districts like Champlain Valley School District and South Burlington School District will have to face tough financial choices in coming years. How would you explain to a voter/taxpayer your support or opposition to this measure?

Many of us fought for equitable funding in Chittenden County that recognizes the needs of English Language Learners and low-income families. The new funding formula strikes a balance that ensures all students have what they need to be successful and that a town’s wealth does not determine the quality of their education.

Housing stock in Chittenden County is at an all-time low with a vacancy rate of 0.4 percent while rent costs and home sales continue to rise. What needs to be done to curb the state’s housing crisis and address this critical need?

Investment in transitioning commercial and blighted buildings to their fullest potential, first-generation homebuyer grants and appropriate permit reform that ensures density along transit routes.

What is an issue that you think has been overlooked or needs more attention in broader statewide discourse?

Vermont is one of the only states in the country without a state planning office. Along with our counterparts in the House, we tried to introduce legislation to create statewide planning infrastructure.

Without that, we are not generating a coordinated long-term vision for our state’s economic, environmental and social well-being.

Why should voters pick you over your opponents?

Experience, courage and deep listening.

Lewis Mudge Age: 45 Occupation: Central Africa director, Human Rights Watch Town of residence: Charlotte What are the top three issues facing residents in southeast Chittenden County and how would you propose to address them?

It’s important to recognize that the seeds for our current housing crisis were sown in 2008 with the great recession, and that poor planning and leadership helped get us into that situation. We need to have workable plans and stick to them, focusing on density, getting new buildings close to public transportation and making sure people can access green spaces.

Act 250 reform will be back on the agenda. We can make the process better, but we can’t lose sight of its core principles including forest protection.

Child care costs are forcing people to leave the state or keep a parent out of the workforce. We

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programs that focus on weatherization. I would also support a voucher or rebate program to help offset increased costs for those in need. We must do our part on climate change, but we can’t put our vulnerable neighbors in a situation where they are choosing between heat and food.

Lewis Mudge

need equitable access to high-quality and affordable child care for young families, and providers need pay they deserve.

Could you summarize your position on abortion and Prop 5, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment?

I have always supported reproductive rights. This is about trusting women. It’s also about deciding what kind of state we want to be in the face of a movement against reproductive rights. In Montpelier, I will support laws that protect reproductive rights for patients from states that prohibit it.

How far should the state go in addressing climate change?

Do you think the state’s climate action plan is attainable and what initiatives do you support that will move the state’s energy grid toward sustainability?

We will need to enact the Global Warming Solutions Act (with a strict limit on biofuels), continue to protect forests for carbon sequestration, maximize weatherization and find other solutions. We must do all we can to address climate change.

Do you support the clean heat standard, and if so, how will you ensure that middle-income Vermonters aren’t hit with massive increases in home heating costs and weatherization requirements?

Yes, and we can help low- and middle-income Vermonters with

Some have suggested that the pay for legislators, at $774 weekly during the session with no health care benefits, should be increased. What are your thoughts on the current compensation model and its effect on who runs for the Legislature?

Our current model only allows for three types of people: retired folks on a fixed income with their homes paid off, rich people, or people who work and simply burn the candle at both ends. I fall into the last category. I have the utmost respect for our legislators, but I do think we need voices in Montpelier from folks who are in the workforce, who had kids recently in child care and who are paying mortgage bills. It’s one of the principal reasons I’m running.

The governor signed the Legislature’s new education formula into law, which could mean some school districts like Champlain Valley School District and South Burlington School District will have to face tough financial choices in coming years. How would you explain to a voter/taxpayer your support or opposition to this measure?

I think a good legislator needs to balance two things: a conscience and the wants/needs of constituents. I understand why we need to make education spending equitable. Raising taxes is tough, but I’ve found from my time on the Charlotte Selectboard if it’s done openly and explained in the press that most people come around to accept the justifications.

Had I voted on this, I would have first reached out to every selectboard or city council chair and explained this was in the pipeline so constituents could reach out.

This new formula is going to see

some communities in our district face double digit tax increases, even with homestead exemptions.

By 2029 some people are going to be priced out of their towns. Many don’t even know this is coming down the pike.

Housing stock in Chittenden County is at an all-time low with a vacancy rate of 0.4 percent while rent costs and home sales continue to rise. What needs to be done to curb the state’s housing crisis and address this critical need?

We need to address our lack of stock with plans focusing on density while protecting our open spaces; $500,000 homes are not affordable, and we need to prioritize real affordable housing for Vermonters who need it. Increasing housing also increases municipal services and school costs: Orchard School in South Burlington is using trailers as classrooms because it is beyond capacity. We need to address the housing crisis with our eyes wide open and have honest conversations about what kind of county we want to be.

What is an issue that you think has been overlooked or needs more attention in broader statewide discourse?

Many residents in Chittenden County still don’t have access to broadband: this is ridiculous.

As the most prosperous county in Vermont, we need to ensure our workers and students can be connected. We also need more gun-owning Democrats like myself to denounce assault weapons and call for them to be curbed.

Why should voters pick you over your opponents?

I’ve dedicated my life to the defense of human rights by always listening to and engaging with the other side, staying open, humble and honest, and never abandoning my principles. I’m the only candidate who has fought for human rights in some of the world’s most dangerous places. It takes patience and fortitude. I think we could use some more human rights defenders in Montpelier.

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GARAGE/YARD SALES PATRICK STREET NEIGHBORHOOD YARD SALE: Sat., July 23, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Other streets in this airport neighborhood might also be participating.

The Other Paper • July 21, 2022 • Page 13

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Page 14 • July 21, 2022 • The Other Paper

RABIES BAIT

SERVICE DIRECTORY continued from page 2

To advertise in the service

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continued pagefor 4 Vermont seniors In-homefrom support Experienced Caregiver available Friday through Sunday, 8am-8pm, for Cooking, Light Housework, Shopping, Hygiene and Companionship.

Fluent in Mandarin and English. Certied Chinese Massage Therapist.

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Shelburne Historical Society will have a (802) and 373-0738 • (802) 598-5719Dorothea • yumeigao2@gmail.com display president Penar will ymseniorcare.com 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

WE PICK UP

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The week-long bait drop is a cooperative effort between Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to stop the spread of the potentially fatal directory email judy@otherpapersbvt.com or call 802-864-6670 disease.

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The Other Paper • July 21, 2022 • Page 15

CROSSWORD

ARIES

LEO

March 21 - April 20 Financial inspiration could arrive this week, Aries. Instead of repeating old cycles in your life, think of minor tweaks you can make that will have an impact on your bottom line.

TAURUS

July 23 - Aug. 23 Leo, a change in your responsibilities could lead to a pay raise or even a promotion in the days to come. Focus on where you want to be in your career.

VIRGO

April 21 - May 21 Taurus, if you are in a rebellious mood, find an outlet that will not get you into too much trouble. Engage in challenging pursuits, like puzzles or sports games.

GEMINI

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22 A unique experience shared with someone else can make a big difference in your relationships, Virgo. Learn from every lesson that comes your way.

LIBRA

May 22 - June 21 Gemini, your relationship status is about to reach another level. Welcome these changes as they come and enjoy the ride. Don’t hesitate to share good news with others.

CANCER

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23 Libra, if you have been practicing or trying to perfect something, now is the time when you will see some long-awaited progress. Keep the learning process moving along.

SCORPIO

June 22 - July 22 You may have outgrown a career or a community in recent weeks, Cancer. Take your time exploring new opportunities so your next move can be effective.

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22 Someone may want to surprise you this week, Scorpio. You may prefer to know what is coming, but this is a good-natured gesture, so go with the flow this time.

SUDOKU Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 23 - Dec. 21 One minor change in your daily life can make things easier for your family, Sagittarius. Even if this change requires a sacrifice on your part, it could be worth it.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22 - Jan. 20 Capricorn, there are many enjoyable things you can become involved in if you are willing to put in the effort.

Once you do the work, the rewards will come.

AQUARIUS Jan. 21 - Feb. 18 Aquarius, your family life is going to change in a big way in the not-so-distant future.

How it plays out remains to be seen, but the effects will be profound and positive.

PISCES Feb. 19 - March 20 Some surprising information comes to light this week, Pisces. It may change your self-image and how others perceive you.

CLUES ACROSS 1. Eurasian shrubs 7. Strikes and rebounds 13. Group of advisers 14. Modern necessity 16. Top lawyer in the land 17. Philadelphia university 19. Of I 20. Functions as a laser 22. Basketball phenomenon Jeremy 23. Famed island 25. Parent-teacher groups 26. Distributes 28. Self-immolation by fire ritual 29. Ad __ 30. Circulation problem (abbr.)

31. Brother or sister 33. A famous “Squad” 34. Stage actor Anthony 36. Violent seizure of property 38. Saclike cavities 40. Sound units 41. Counts on 43. Dad 44. Woman (French) 45. A digital tape recording of sound 47. Polish Baltic peninsula 48. Recipe measurement 51. Requests out of dire

need 53. Precious stone weight unit 55. The immaterial part of a person 56. Anoint 58. Golf score 59. Supernatural 60. Northwest Territories 61. Can be made suitable 64. A professor’s helper 65. Having a toothlike edge 67. Got atop a horse 69. Judged 70. Static balance between opposing forces

15. Occupies 18. Small island (British) 21. Misuse of the sacred 24. Covers with a thin sheet 26. Most valuable player 27. Title of respect 30. Investigated discreetly 32. Belonging to the bottom layer 35. Black tropical American cuckoo 37. Music genre 38. Indicates one is in mourning 39. Secured forever 42. Bodily cavity 43. A dog is one CLUES DOWN 46. Chose to do something 1. Flowing 47. Annoy persistently 2. Computer department 49. Large hotel rooms 3. Lasts 50. Beg 4. DiFranco and 52. Docket Samsonyan are two 54. Subway dwelling 5. __ de sac rodent 6. Merchant 55. Sources 7. Hosts film festival 57. Mild Dutch cheese 8. State of agitation of fuss 59. Spanish city 9. A way to praise 62. Consumed 10. Opaque gems 63. Ballplayer’s tool 11. McKinley is one 66. Midway between north 12. Smallest interval in and east classical Western music 68. Atomic #3 13. Famed designer Lauren

ANSWERS

Page 16 • July 21, 2022 • The Other Paper

Ho Hum history features series of owners, murder

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In 1951, after a year of planning and construction, former car mechanic Everett Nichols finished building the Ho Hum Motel and opened for business. He lived on site with his wife and son for about eight years before selling to local resident Moe Brown in 1959.

Peter Brown, no relation, took over in 1970 but only owned the motel for a year before he sold and moved to Arizona. It was a move, perhaps, sparked by a local murder that had a strange connection to the little motor inn and Brown’s 1967 Lincoln Continental, touting Vermont vanity plates that read, “HOHUM,” which in 1973 was devoured in flame.

Issues of the Burlington Free Press from that year are splashed with coverage of a murder in a Massachusetts cemetery by a Burlington man who used

to work for Brown, owner of the Ho Hum Motel at the time. Brown testified at the trial that he lent his Lincoln — dubbed, the “Ho Hum car” by the Freeps — to Frank Berard Jr., on trial for shooting a man with a revolver and a shotgun multiple times before leaving his body in a cemetery in Massachusetts.

The Ho Hum car was later driven back to Vermont, where it was set aflame and found charred in Colchester.

That same year, having already skipped out of Vermont, Brown finalized the sale of the motel to resident Wayne Wilson, who also owned the Reed Motel on Shelburne Road in South Burlington, and whose wife happened to be the identical twin sister of former owner Moe Brown, not to be confused with Peter, owner of the late Ho Hum-mobile.

— Avalon Styles-Ashley

HOUSING

continued from page 1 But as the needs of the community have struggle with chronic homelessness. changed along with the pandemic, the housMonte sees South Burlington as a ing trust has shifted its focus back to creating supportive partner when it comes to greenmore affordable housing. lighting affordable housing, having worked Construction plans call for each of the together on a few different projects, includmotel’s two buildings to have 10 studio ing a major influx of apartments, senior or one-bedroom apartments. A long-term housing and condos in the Shaw’s area near tenant bike storage area will Shelburne Road in the be built, as well as a launmid 2000s.

“The vacancy rate dry room. The height of the “South Burlington building or total footprint leadership led that whole right now is 0.4 will not change. A small plan,” Monte said. “For a park between the two buildwhile now, South Burlingpercent. Essentially ings will offer some green ton has had a fairly strong space for residents and will affordable housing stratethat means nothing include cedar hedgerows, gy.” a gazebo, benches and at The state’s housing is available. A least five new trees. crisis has become starker The motel currently has throughout the coronavihealthy vacancy rate 32 rooms, an office and a rus pandemic, and South commercial laundry/mainBurlington’s real estate is 5 percent. This is tenance room. market has gotten tighter, Thanks to the relatively egged on by a reapprais10 times worse than straightforward construcal last year that bumped tion and the city’s supportproperty values up 27 the healthy rate.” ive inclusionary zoning percent on average and a regulations, the project population.

— Michael Monte, growing could be ready as soon as Before the pandemthis December.

Champlain Housing ic, the vacancy rate in “We plan and hope the Chittenden County was 2 apartments will be available trust CEO percent, according to the by the middle of winter,” Vermont Housing Finance Monte said.

Association. That means The plans estimate total cost for the new for every 100 rental units, two were availconstruction and initial fit-up at $685,000, able at any given time. As of now, Chitwhich is covered by funds from the Vermont tenden County has a vacancy rate of 0.4 Housing Conservation Board. percent, Monte said.

This isn’t the first motel Champlain “Essentially that means nothing is availHousing Trust has converted into homes. able. A healthy vacancy rate is 5 percent.

They’ve bought eight different motels in the This is 10 times worse than the healthy rate,” last decade, like the Bel Aire motel in Burl- Monte said, adding that the rate is inflating ington and Handy’s Extended Stay Suites in rent and home sale prices, in some instancColchester, either for the purpose of conver- es displacing people who can’t afford their sion or with that possibility in mind, Monte apartments anymore and adding pressure to said. overburdened social services.

This isn’t even the first Ho Hum Motel Inclusionary zoning rules do not inherthe trust has renovated in South Burlington. ently require development review board Champlain Housing Trust has leased a approval, according to South Burlington second Ho Hum Motel on Shelburne Road development review planner Marla Keene. next to Panera for years and recently convert- Planning and zoning director Paul Conner ed it into apartments to support people who signed off on the plans June 22.