The Other Paper - 09-29-22

Mountain

Field

Linked to near fatal overdose

SB businessman faces federal drug charge

MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

A South Burlington businessman who reportedly provided a line of cocaine that caused a brush with death for his house keeper now faces a federal drug distribution charge.

Bruce Erdmann, 63, has struck a deal with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Vermont to plead guilty to a felony drug charge, federal court records indicate. He has agreed to admit to the charge of knowing ly and intentionally distributing cocaine on March 12, 2021, according to his signed plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court.

The court clerk’s office has not set a date for Erdmann to formally enter his guilty plea. The woman, who was from Shelburne,

spent months in the intensive care unit and was initially not expected to survive, South Burlington Police reported in court papers.

Erdmann’s home was the site of a series of other drug overdoses in 2021 —includ ing two fatalities on back-to-back days, police said. Erdmann provided a “large line of cocaine” on March 12, 2021, to the family’s 59-year-old housekeeper, then-De tective Cpl. Sarah Superneau said in a state court affidavit.

The woman ingested the cocaine and a few minutes later passed out for five hours without Erdmann or his wife, Ellen, calling 911 for medical assistance, reported Super neau, who now works for the Vermont Attorney General’s Office.

See ERDMANN on page 16

Pedestrian bridge final design presented at next workshop

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

South Burlington is moving forward with a final design concept for its pedestrian bridge set to be presented at an Oct. 13 city council meeting.

Designers for the bridge, which will cross interstate 89 near the exit 14 inter change, originally presented three options

— a land bridge, a “Vermonty” design, and a modern one — in August.

Now, the city is set to move forward with a single design incorporating elements from each proposal.

“The community gave feedback on the designs they liked, different design elements and now the architects and engi

See BRIDGE on page 5

DINE-IN

PHOTO BY GRACE FLOWERS

Grace Flowers captured this scene of a late summer forest in Chittenden County.

Sun ray

Shelburne Road, S. Burlington Maple Tree Place, Williston

Beta tested

Local grocery chain wins ‘business of the year’ award from chamber

Healthy Living was named the 32nd recipient of the Deane C. Davis Outstanding Business of the Year Award by Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Cham ber of Commerce.

Presented. at a 50th anniver sary celebration for the magazine, the award honors sustained growth and “an acute awareness of what makes Vermont unique.”

Store founder Katy Lesser wanted to bring healthy, natural foods to the family table when she opened Healthy Living in South Burlington in 1986. In the

three decades since, the brand has expanded to include locations in Williston and Saratoga, N.Y.

Lesser co-owns Healthy Living with her children, Eli and Nina Lesser-Goldsmith, who live in Charlotte and serve as CEO and COO, respectively. Together they have created 350 jobs, supported the economies of Vermont and New York, and worked to fuel a passion for healthy food, health and well-being and establishing a sense of place where people gather to shop, eat and work.

The company gives back to

nonprofits quarterly and just this year became one of the first retail ers to join the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership, encour aging shoppers to buy local and support participating producers.

“This award means so much to us, because it acknowledges our core values and celebrates them,” Lesser said. “Deane C. Davis became governor at age 68, which shows that you really can switch careers and make an impact. That’s what I did as a young mom in the 1980s, and I’m still learning every day.”

THE

Man took $185K from repair shop

Embezzler on probation, judge orders restitution

MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

A man who authorities say swindled a well-known South Burlington auto repair shop out of about $185,000 has avoided going to prison after admitting in U.S. District Court in Burlington to a federal fraud charge.

Corey Dike, 36, of Essex, was placed on federal probation for five years by Judge Christina Reiss. He pleaded guilty in March.

Dike was also ordered to make $111,817 in restitution to Auto bahn Body Works on Berard Drive off Airport Parkway. Once he has paid Autobahn, Dike must also pay $25,280 in restitution to Chase Bank, Reiss said.

Dike obtained money from Autobahn through false and fraud ulent pretenses between Janu ary 2018 and March 2020, court records show.

When first confronted about the scheme, he made payments to Autobahn that included several used vehicles and car parts, Assis tant U.S. Attorney Eugenia A. P. Cowles said.

The judge ordered Dike to pay at least 10 percent of his gross monthly income as a term of his sentence. She waived any interest payments.

Dike hoped by acknowledging the fraud early and not forcing the government to seek an indictment from a grand jury that he would get

ABOVE

some acceptance of responsibility for the crime.

Under the federal sentencing guidelines, Dike could have faced between 15 and 21 months in jail, Cowles wrote in court papers.

“The total loss figure of over $180,000 is significant for a small Vermont busi ness,” she wrote.

Defense lawyer Jason Sawyer proposed Dike, who previously lived in Colches ter, be placed on probation for three years. Besides his partner, Ashley Kemp, Dike also has three children, ages 2 to 8.

“He feels deep shame and remorse for his actions and deeply regrets his choices,” Sawyer said in his sentencing memo.

Dike also submitted letters of support from friends.

Under the plea agreement, Dike acknowledged he issued more than $160,000 in fraudulent checks and charged more than $25,714 to a credit card owned by Patrick Ayer, documents show.

Patrick and Terese Ayer are the owners of Autobahn.

Dike pleaded guilty in March. Reiss released him on conditions, including that he not use drugs.

As part of the plan to defraud his then-employer out of money and property, Dike admitted he wrote unauthorized checks to himself and his partner, Ashley Kemp, and placed unapproved charges on the owner’s credit card, according to court records.

When Dike was confronted by the owners the initial plan was that in addition to the early repayments, which totaled about $60,000, he would continue to work at the shop and make more restitution, Sawyer said.

Dike was terminated a week later and subsequently got a job at as a FedEx delivery driver for two years, Sawyer wrote in court papers.

Advanced Autowerks in Willis ton later hired Dike as a fulltime mechanic, Sawyer said.

Dike could have received up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised released when discharged, and a fine of up to $250,000.

The felony charge lists only one of the unauthorized misappropria tions — a $2,037 charge made to a Canadian auto parts manufacturer, Fabless Manufacturing, on Oct. 22, 2019 — when the purchase was for Dike’s personal use and not the benefit of the company.

Richmond

PHOTO BY BRIAN JENKINS

The South Burlington Business Association, in collaboration with the Burlington Business Association, held its annual summer mixer at Beta Technologies at the Burlington International Airport on Sept. 15. Members gathered for an evening of networking, conversation and tours of the facility, while enjoying beverages and food. The SBBA, which has over 100 members, is committed to fostering South Burlington’s business environment through regular educational meetings, communication and deliberation on issues affecting the business community. For information about membership, contact Julie Beatty at sbbabiz@gmail.com or sbbabiz.com.

“He feels deep shame and remorse.”

— Defense lawyer Jason Sawyer

Credit union opens branch, corporate headquarters

Vermont Federal Credit Union has opened its eighth branch and new corporate campus at 275 Kennedy Drive in South Burlington. “We are thrilled for this opportunity to expand our presence in South Burlington and support the many residents, businesses and community organizations that make the city a vibrant and thriving place,” said CEO Jean Giard. The new 40,000 square foot corporate campus will be home to approximately 100 employees and all Vermont Federal Credit Union internal departments. The retail branch will bring a full array of banking capabilities and services to the local community. “The buildout and renovations were a huge accomplishment for our team,” said Giard. “Our new facility truly demonstrates our commitment to the Vermont community, and we invite you to visit and experience the new building.” Vermont Federal Credit Union is an $850 million-plus financial institution, with eight locations currently serving over 49,000 members. Members are part of a cooperative, meaning they share ownership in the credit union and elect a volunteer board of directors. More at vermontfederal.org.

Local, state, federal police form gun violence task force

A group of local, state and federal law-enforcement agen cies have formed the Chittenden County Gun Violence Task Force to combat what it calls escalating gun violence in the state’s most populous county.

The Burlington Police Depart ment, in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire arms and Explosives and numer ous local, state and federal agen cies formed the group to “address the rapid and disturbing increase in firearm-related violent crime” in the county, according to a press releases.

Task force investigators will share techniques and resources, including crime gun intelligence, “to target individuals who are actively involved in or associated with firearm-related violence in Chittenden County.”

According to Burlington Police Department statistics, from 2012 through 2019, gunfire incidents in Burlington averaged two per year. In 2020, the number rose to 12, and to 14 in 2021. In 2022 to date, police said, there have been 23 gunfire incidents, including sever al gun-related killings.

“Tackling the unacceptable gun violence we’ve seen over the past three years will take a unified

strategy,” said acting chief of the Burlington Police Department Jon Murad. “Our patrol officers respond to these incidents, and they and our detectives often make great arrests, but there’s more to do if we want to take back the initiative. All law enforcement partners need to aggregate foren

sic evidence. We need to identify offenders. We need to track trends and develop intelligence. We need to investigate crimes that relate to and sometimes lead to gun violence, like trafficking in narcot ics and illegal guns.”

See TASK FORCE on page 5

COURTESY PHOTO

South Burlington Police Blotter

Agency assists: 14

Alarm: 13

Motor vehicle complaint: 12

Welfare check: 11

Accident with property damage: 11 Directed patrol: 11 Public assists: 10 Retail theft: 9 Suicidal person: 15

Mental Health Issue: 7 Stolen vehicle: 6 Domestic: 4

Dead body: 1 Total incidents: 194

Top incidents:

Sept. 18 at 2:01 a.m., police investi gated a DUI on Williston Road.

Sept. 18 at 11:21 a.m., police death with a mental health issue on Shelburne Road.

Sept. 18 at 7:33 p.m., a noise complaint emanated from Mayfair Street.

Sept. 19 at 6:52 a.m., a problem animal was dealt with on Duval Street.

Sept. 19 at 9:44 a.m., someone reported that they’d been the victim of a larceny on Hayes Avenue.

Sept. 19 at 10:47 a.m., police inves tigated a burglary on Shelburne Road.

Sept. 19 at 11:18 a.m., police looked into a report of identify theft from someone on Willis ton Road.

Sept. 19 at 2 p.m., an officer

performed a child safety seat check on Gregory Drive.

Sept. 20 at 7:51 a.m., police took a report of an accident for insur ance purposes on Dorset Street and, over the course of the next hour, took three more: two more on Dorset Street, and one on Shelburne Road.

Sept. 20 at 2:58 p.m., police checked on the welfare of someone on Shelburne Road.

Sept. 21 at 8:14 a.m., an officer directed traffic on San Remo Drive.

Sept. 21 at 10:59 a.m., lost — or found — property was reported on Larkin Way.

Sept. 21 at 12:54 p.m., someone was making threats on Williston Road.

Sept. 21 at 4:52 p.m., an accident on Dorset Street and Song bird Road resulted in proper ty damage. A second property damaging accident occurred about 30 minutes later at Kirby Road and Airport Parkway.

Sept. 22 at 11:32 p.m., police inves tigated a report of domestic assault or abuse on Greening Avenue.

Sept. 22 at 1:57 p.m., a report of unlawful mischief came from the area of University Mall.

Sept. 22 at 7:10 p.m., threats were made on Dorset Street.

Sept. 22 at 8:56 p.m., a juvenile was causing a “problem” at Jaycee Park.

S. Burlington police arrest three for suspected fentanyl trafficking

South Burlington Police have arrested three people for fentanyl trafficking in connection with a routine traffic stop on the inter state Sept. 22.

Police say they stopped Jamie Masi, 46, of Barre City for a traf fic violation around 11:06 p.m. and found she was in violation of court-ordered home confinement stemming from 2020 charges of heroin trafficking, heroin sales and violating a previous condi tion of release.

Sept. 23 at 10:56 a.m., police served paperwork on Greening Avenue.

Sept. 23 at 6:14 p.m., police checked on the welfare of a Shelburne Road resident.

Sept. 23 at 10:27 p.m., anoth er domestic call, this time on Williston Road.

Sept. 24 at 12:03 a.m., someone tried to elude police near Shel burne Road and Swift Street.

Sept. 24 at 11:10 p.m., someone was making too much noise on Victoria Drive, which was followed by two similar reports over the next hours, one on Fall Street and another on Williston Road and White Street.

Sept. 24 at 1:49 p.m., police performed a sex offender regis try compliance check on Greg ory Drive.

Sept. 24 at 7:33 p.m., boom! Police

A passenger, Daviel Rivera, 38, of Springfield, Mass., was also found to be in violation of conditions of release stemming from a 2022 arrest by Winooski police for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer involv ing a firearm and cocaine posses sion. He also had another active warrant for operating a vehicle without owner’s consent from the Berlin Police Department.

During the traffic stop, police said they “identified indicia of

got another report of a fireworks ordinance violation, this time on Mills Avenue.

Arrests:

Aug. 18 at 9:12 a.m., Damian R. Delisle, 29, of Swanton, was arrested on charges of credit card/ATM fraud and identity theft.

Sept. 21 at 11:32 p.m., Robert J. Merchant II, 49, of Burling ton, was arrested for domestic assault.

Sept. 22 at 11:06 p.m., Daviel Rivera, 38, of Springfield, Mass., was arrested on an in-state warrant, selling, dispensing, transporting or traf ficking drugs (fentanyl), and violating conditions of release.

Sept. 22 at 11:06 p.m., Jamie L. Masi, 46, of Barre City, was arrested for violating conditions

drug trafficking” and brought in the state police K9 unit. Follow ing a vehicle search, police said they found what they suspected to be fentanyl.

Along with a third passenger, Santos Cordova, 46, of Worces ter, Mass., all three were charged with fentanyl trafficking.

Cordova was issued a citation to appear in Chittenden Superior Criminal Court on Dec. 1.

Both Rivera and Masi were jailed for lack of $2,500 bail.

of release and selling, dispens ing, transporting or trafficking drugs (fentanyl).

Sept. 22 at 11:06 p.m., Santos Cordova, 46, of Worcester, Mass., was arrested for selling, dispensing, transporting or traf ficking drugs (fentanyl).

Sept. 22 at 3:02 a.m., Cher S. Sheltra, 46, of South Burling ton, was arrested for violating conditions of release.

Sept. 23 at 10:27 p.m., Jason M. Blow, 39, of Colchester, was arrested for domestic assault and felony unlawful mischief.

Untimely deaths: Sept. 21 at 3:18 a.m., police responded to Bayberry Lane for the death of Mary Barrett, 74, of South Burlington. The medical examiner’s office is determin ing cause and manner of death.

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Faith

An inspiring one day conference with world renowned social scientists, faith leaders and physicians to discuss the importance of science, faith and family in a time of social upheaval.

Featuring Dennis Prager, radio host and other national leaders.

Go to www.restoringourfaithsummit.com to register.

TASK FORCE

continued from page 3

The task force will pool investigato ry and technological resources, facilitate information sharing and create shared strat egies to combat gun violence, according to the group.

Perpetrators of firearm-related violence will be referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office or the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office, both of which are members of the task force.

“Gun violence is a public health crisis, and we need common sense and proac tive solutions for gun safety and violence prevention to help save lives,” said Chitten den County State’s Attorney Sarah George. “This is a shared responsibility, and I am committed to being a part of a joint effort to address the gun violence in our commu nity head on, and from all angles. This task force will help address the violence in our community and aid in our ability to hold those responsible, accountable.”

Additionally, the ATF Burlington field office expects to receive a network acqui sition station to speed up the entering of

BRIDGE

continued from page 1

neers are going back and putting all of that feedback together into one proposal that will be presented to the community on Oct. 13 for final inputs,” city manager Jessie Baker said.

The $14.5 million East-West Crossing project would create a pedestrian and cyclist access bridge over one of the busiest and, arguably, one of the most chaotic thorough fares in Chittenden County and would help move pedestrians between Burlington and South Burlington.

“This will give people choices about how they want to travel, wheth er it’s for work or leisure,” said Ilona Blanchard, the city’s community devel opment director and the project’s manager. “We’ve been working on building up our network for walk ing and biking, Burlington has been working on build ing up their network, and Williston has been building up their network … Having this intersection with an easy, very safe path across (I-89) closes that gap in the network.”

The city has partnered with the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Feder al Highway Administration on the project. Designers in August presented community members with options for a land bridge, the most “organic” design with “planting and earth works” incorporated into it, Blanchard said, as well as one with a “sleek and polished” modern look, and one option that employed a “Vermonty” trestle design.

“We got a lot of really great input at the public meeting in August, (but) there were also focus groups, and we reached out to various communities and organizations to just get lots of different perspectives on the bridge and the path,” Blanchard said. “Over all, most people were just really excited to have the project moving forward.”

Plans have been in the works for years

ballistics evidence in gun crimes. It is the only interstate ballistic imaging network in operation in the country.

The Burlington acquisition station will be the first of its kind in Vermont and will directly support the Chittenden County Gun Violence Task Force, as well as the greater Vermont law enforcement community, by linking firearm-related crime scenes togeth er and providing leads in a timely manner.

Other local partners include police departments in South Burlington, Milton, Winooski, Colchester, Williston, Essex and Shelburne. Other state and federal partners include Vermont State Police, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, Warden Service Division, Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Investigations Unit, University of Vermont police, Drug Enforcement Admin istration, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Air and Marine Operations.

For more information, go to bit. ly/3r3aX6K

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE SOUTH BURLINGTON COMMUNITY:

3000 KIDS CANNOT BE WRONG

The South Burlington Dolphins have been South Burlington’s youth football team for over 5 years. Established by Coach Rene LaBerge in 1967, the Dolphins have served to provide thousands of South Burlington kids with a fun and nurturing athletic program that teaches them both teamwork and discipline. The Dolphins have also served as an important feeder program for South Burlington High School football by teaching kids the fundamentals of the sport before they move on to high school.

— studies on the proposal started in 2016 — but it was accelerated in November 2021 when the city was awarded a $9.7 million federal transportation grant.

That grant will cover 67 percent of the cost, and the city will cover 30 percent using tax increment financing. The city will still need to ask voters for a bond, which will later be paid off using TIF funding.

Tax increment financing is a tool that allows municipalities to take out debt to build public projects, then pay off the debt using future tax revenue from development built in a certain district — in this case, City Center.

The bridge is a key component in plans to promote development in City Center, where the University of Vermont earlier this month announced a joint venture with development compa ny Snyder-Braverman to build nearly 300 housing units.

The remaining 3 percent, or roughly $500,000 of the cost, will have to be covered through other sourc es of funding.

Baker said the city council hopes to present a final presentation during its Nov. 7 meeting. If everything goes according to plan, construction should take place in 2025.

“The purpose of this project,” the South Burlington Planning Commission said in a statement, “is to create a safe, visible, comfortable, convenient, direct and attrac tive year-round crossing for pedestrian and bicycle travel across I-89.”

The path would flow next to the Staples Plaza and run through the Quarry Hill neigh borhood.

The city will hold its final community workshop at City Hall on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. Blanchard said there will be in-per son translation services, child care available, and a light meal before the event.

Those of us who have played for Coach LaBerge can attest to the fact that the safety and well-being of his players was always his top priority. Additionally, his coaching style emphasized fun over winning. While it may be counter intuitive, that emphasis actually led the Dolphins to be one of the most successful youth football programs in Vermont.

To say that Coach LaBerge has put his heart and soul into the program is an understatement. He has volunteered his time and spent thousands of dollars of his own money on the program, to include buying equipment for the kids to use. Through his leadership, the Dolphins have provided a welcoming and inclusive environment for generations of elementary and Middle School kids in South Burlington, regardless of their background or financial situation.

Recently, a small group of individuals within the community sought to form their own football team, because they disagreed with Coach LaBerge’s coaching philosophy. To do this, they sought to undermine Coach LaBerge’s standing in the community by smearing him with baseless allegations.

That’s not only wrong, but outrageous. That’s why we, the undersigned, decided to take out this ad in support of Coach LaBerge and the Dolphins. We hope you will join us in supporting the Dolphins and, if you have kids in elementary or middle school, we strongly encourage you to give the Dolphins a try. For us as former players, it was an experience we will cherish the rest of our lives.

Tyler Abate, Peter Anderson, Tony Arcovitch, BJ Barrett, Jason Barron, Nick Barup, Kiya Batmanglidj, Solomon Bayer-Pacht, John Beard, Brett Beers, Bryan Belisle, Camden Benoit, Mathieu Bergeron, Michel Bergeron, Jeff Bergeron, Ann-Marie Bergeron, Aiden Brigham, Matthew Brunelle, Evan Cassidy, Chris Cassidy, James Clancy, Stephen Conklin, Tanner Contois, Randall Corey, Ronnie Corey Jr, Vince Dattilio, Andrew Demar, Derrick Deming, Andrew Dennison, Taylor Devarney, Shawn Farrell, Nick Fischer, Matthew Foisy, Paul Foley, Paul Frail, Patrick French, Jay Goldberg, Jeff Goodwin, David Grass, Preston Grippo, Tad Hoehl, Eric Imobersteg, Mike Jabor, Tyler Jackson, Peter (PJ) Johnson, Raymond (Hunter) Johnson, Doug Johnson, Jefferson Jones, Rob Joy, Sasha Kapriyelov, Brian Kokins, Joel Kynoch, Jake Labelle, Bob LaBerge, Michael LaBerge, Bryon Ladd Jr, Bryon Ladd Sr, Kevin Lambert, Mark LeClair, Alec Leclair, James LeClair, Joe LeClair, Gordon Lewis, Dale Long, Ryan Lunny, Owen MacDonough, Steven Macomber, Chris Mahl, Jay Mahl, Patrick Mahoney, Matthew Maille, Dave Manago, Cyrus Marsano, Brad Martin, Dev Massimi, Dustin McGrath, Taysean Metz, Gary Milo, Travis Mott, Moran Mumma, Cameron Nolting, Tim Norris, Alec O’Neil, Scott Oliaro, Paul O’Neill, Todd O’Neill, Kevin Papariello, Matthew Parisi, Kyler Parrow, Justin Parrow, William Pettengill, Jason Pidgeon, Troy Porter, Joel Rivers-McMahon, Larry Rutherford, Barry Sageman, Eric Sansone, Ryan Sargent, Ray Savage, TJ Sawyer, Javen Sears, Tucker Shea, Silas Shepard, Ben Shungu, Michael Simoneau, Jerall Sinclair, Sean Slattery, Maxwell Smith, Lukas Snelling, Kevin Sokal, Ryan Steele, Tom Tavares, Nancy Tavares, William Thompson, Nickolas Titus, Josh Varney, Matt Villanti, Elmore Wallace, Lance Weed, John Wells, Anthony Whitehill, Kyle Williams, William Wisell, Kevin Yeadon, Ethan Young, Jason Young

“This will give people choices about how they want to travel, whether it’s for work or leisure.”

— Ilona Blanchard

OPINION

Vermont must change how it confronts opioid abuse

Guest Perspective Ryan Landvater

Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George should not have been so lenient in her prosecution of Bruce Erdmann for the multiple deaths that occurred in his South Burlington home a year ago.

This criticism is not with out significant deliberation and recognition that, as a member of the public, I lack the full details to which the state’s attorney is privileged. Nevertheless, I offer a different perspective outside as I am a physician with both public health experience and training in forensic pathology. I write neither out of spite nor anger toward Erdmann for his admittedly wanton disregard for the safety of his friends and family, but rather as a plea to see a future Vermont without these completely unneces sary tragedies.

The state attorney’s stance on drug charges appropriately emphasizes rehabilitation and reintegration rather than the puni tive mentality of the post-Reagan era. However, this stance fails to appropriately distinguish between the decriminalization of substance use, an established psychiat ric diagnosis to which certain segments of the population are naturally more predisposed, and the irresponsible endangerment of individuals who struggle with substance use.

What do I mean by this? An imperfect analogy would be intoxicated driving. Alcohol use is certainly not illegal, and we know driving while intoxicated poses a risk to the driver, the passengers in the car and the general population. Societally, we have appropriately outlawed driving after drinking excessively. It makes sense.

Most adults, and frankly even teenagers, plan ahead to avoid the unnecessary risks of driving while drunk. We do not prosecute passengers who are intoxicated, and we have two federal amend ments that prove the outlawing of alcohol use is a bad idea. We do, however, aggressively prosecute intoxicated drivers as they place the lives of others at risk.

Changes in how we confront opioids must change. This is especially true with the increas ing prevalence of high-potency

synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. You do not need to look much farther than the morgue. From experience I can tell you there are two populations that are seen with greater frequency than any others: the elderly with multiple comorbid conditions and the young healthy 20-something with a single prob lem — opioid abuse.

There is a plethora of socio economic factors that underlie the root of this crisis as well as, in my opinion, the criminal conduct of individuals such as the Sacklers, the family behind Purdue Pharma. Nonetheless, these forces are only responsible for the substance use itself, not the true tragedy it brings: the death of our friends and our family.

We cannot easily fix the former issues, but we can do some thing about the latter. There is no simple solution for that first group I mentioned, the elderly with comorbidities, but we have a pock et-sized life-saving drug for the latter. It’s called Narcan (nalox one), a safe and effective opioid overdose antidote that fits in your pocket. If we had a medicine like Narcan for things like heart attacks or trauma in automobile accidents, it is no exaggeration to say medi cine would change overnight.

against Sarah George and her leniency with Erdmann is this: Erdmann had shown a disregard for the safety of those within his home on two separate instances prior to Miller’s death. He opted to buy quiet irresponsibility and the avoidance of minor drug charges, but he paid for it with the irre placeable safety of those to whom he supplied fatal or near-fatal substances, knowingly or other wise.

For this irresponsibility, which led to two deaths and a third neardeath, he is charged with only misdemeanors. I would like to be clear on this point: this mentality does not destigmatize substance abuse, it destigmatizes irresponsibility.

We must use a bold-point marker to draw a clear distinction between substance use and irresponsible abuse.

Would you treat a drunk driver who caused the death of a passenger or another motorist

with the same leniency? I suspect not.

To the Legislature: As a medi cal doctor I both strongly support safe use sites while simultaneously supporting severely increasing the penalties for drug charges in locations that do not have Narcan easily accessible. In locations with sober monitors and Narcan, I encourage greater amnesty.

Brian Miller, 29, of South Burlington, who died of a drug overdose at Erdmann’s home on June 29, 2021, was one of the closest and dearest people in my life, which is a sentiment echoed by an uncharacteristically high number of current Chittenden County residents and those who grew up here. It is difficult to describe to you how profoundly Miller’s death has affected me and those close to him. I do not want to hide from the fact that he suffered from and fought against substance use for a substantial portion of his life.

Destigmatizing substance use and reducing the shame associ ated with a psychiatric disorder allows for greater rates of treat ment and recovery. After his death, I now carry Narcan in my glove compartment to have ready anywhere I go.

The heart of my criticisms

We must use a bold-point marker to draw a clear distinc tion between substance use and irresponsible abuse. Within this distinction lies the difference between a chronic, but treatable disorder, and a fatal one that strips us of our closest family.

To The Other Paper readers: Regardless of how you feel about illicit substance use, consider pick ing up free Narcan from one of many locations listed at Addiction Help Vermont’s website, including the Howard Center in Burling ton. You may never know what circumstances may arise in your life and intervening at the right moment could be the most life-al tering decision you ever make for a friend, family or stranger.

Ryan Landvater of Willis ton is a graduate of University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine and a resident physician in pathology at the University of Michigan.

Avoid misinformation: Get facts on elective abortions

Guest Perspective

A lot of misinformation is being circulated regarding the abortion-rights amendment known as Article 22 or Proposal 5, which will appear as a ballot measure on Nov. 8. As a member of the Legis lature and a physician practicing obstetrics and gynecology for 40 years, I would like to offer my perspective.

In addition to being a member of the Legislature, I serve as the division chief of general OB/GYN at University of Vermont Medical Center, the division responsible for providing termination of pregnancy services at the medical center.

Through these roles, I have learned the policies, health impli cations and political landscape surrounding abortion rights in our state. In summary, legislative restrictions on reproductive rights are a huge risk to women’s overall health.

Pregnancy terminations are very safe procedures, and the earli er in pregnancy they are done, the safer they are. When legislatures

restrict access to reproductive health care, including abortion, we see a large overall increase in maternal morbidity and mortality. This is why the passage of this amendment is so important. It will change nothing about current restrictions regarding pregnancy terminations in Vermont, but only prevent the political imposition of new restrictions in the future.

Perhaps the most common and disturbing piece of misinforma tion being circulated surrounding Article 22 is the idea that it will remove all restrictions on abortion and “enshrine elective pregnan cy termination up to the time of birth.”

This is blatantly untrue.

There currently are and there will continue to be restrictions on abortion procedures in Vermont. What will be enshrined in our Constitution is that politicians (the Legislature and the governor) will not determine what restrictions should be placed on abortion procedures, but rather that these restrictions will be left — as they are now and as they should be — to hospitals, professional medical organizations and the Board of Medical Practice, which set stan

dards of care with which Vermont providers must comply.

The Board of Medical Practice can revoke a physician’s license for a single episode of “failure to conform to the essential standards of acceptable and prevailing prac tice.” As such, practitioners are held to evidence-based standards. Additionally, state regulations require that every pregnancy termination be reported to the state, and if beyond 20 weeks, reported with a completed death certificate that requires extensive background information about the parents and medical situation.

There is not currently, nor will there be due to this amendment, any provider or facility in Vermont doing elective terminations beyond the gestational age of 21 weeks, six days, with 22 weeks being the currently accepted threshold of viability.

Terminations after 21 weeks and 6 days are very rarely performed in Vermont, and those are done only in the hospital setting at University of Vermont Medical Center. Hospitals are very highly regulated and maintain clear guidelines prohibiting elec

tive terminations from 22 weeks onward.

A pregnancy termination beyond 21 weeks and 6 days in Vermont only occurs in very specific circumstances, including for severe fetal anomaly, a fetal condition incompatible with life or a dangerous, possibly life-threat ening maternal health reason.

If termination is requested beyond 21 weeks and 6 days, an ethics consultation must be obtained to review the indications before the induction of labor or termination can be done. If the ethics committee does not agree, the termination is not done. We only do three to five terminations after 21 weeks and 6 days per year at University of Vermont Medical Center.

The amendment will not change that.

Some Vermonters may wonder: Why is it important to make this constitutional change if we already have laws protecting reproductive rights in Vermont?

In the last legislative session, there were no less than five proposed bills that would have restricted reproductive rights in

Vermont. One stated specifically: “This bill proposes to narrow the right to reproductive choice.” Without the proposed constitu tional amendment, we can expect continued attempts to restrict reproductive rights in every legis lative session.

Passage of Article 22/Proposal 5 by popular vote on Nov. 8 would be the final step of this multi-stage process to amend the Vermont Constitution. The measure was originally approved by the House and Senate in the 2019-20 legis lative biennium and, as required, was passed again by both cham bers in the 2021-22 biennium.

These were critical steps to protecting the right to access reproductive services in our state, but they will be meaningless if this amendment is not passed by a popular vote on Nov. 8.

Rep. George Till of Jericho is a board-certified obstetrician-gy necologist who has served in the Vermont Legislature since 2008. He is also an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Vermont School of Medicine.

George Till

Burlington, Vermont

COMMUNITY

Community Notes

Learn about Vermont’s Ethan Allen Homestead

Visit the Ethan Allen Home stead Museum, with a guided tour of the 235-year-old Allen House, visit Negöni Alnôbaakik, a recon structed Abenaki village, view the exhibits and explore the recon structed 18th century colonial garden on Friday, Oct. 7, 10-11:30 a.m.

To register, call 802-425-6345. Either plan to meet at the Ethan Allen Homestead or coordinate with others to carpool from the center.

Cost is $10. Registration required by Wednesday, Oct. 5. Questions? Visit charlottese niorcentervt.org.

Knights of Columbus host pancake breakfast

Join the Knights of Columbus DeGosbriand Council # 279 on Sunday, Oct. 9, for an old-fash ioned all-you-care-to-eat pancake breakfast, 9-11:30 a.m., in the

parish center of St. Joseph’s cathe dral, 29 Allen St., Burlington.

The feast will feature bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, blue berry pancakes, French toast and more. Coffee, juice, butter and real Vermont maple syrup are included.

Admission is $10 and $25 for a family of four. The breakfast benefits seminarians or religious aspirants.

Upcoming breakfast dates include Nov. 6, Dec. 11, Jan. 8, Feb. 12, March 12, April 16 and May 14.

Contact David Ely, davide ly1986@gmail.com or 802-8625109, for more information.

Grab and go meal in Shelburne Oct. 11

Age Well and St. Catherine’s of Siena Parish in Shelburne are teaming up to provide a meal to go for anyone age 60 and older on Tuesday Oct. 11.

The meal will be available for

See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 9

turn

COURTESY PHOTO

The Vermont Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired held Dancing with the Burlington Stars after a two-year hiatus on Sept. 11 at the Flynn Theatre in Burlington, selling more tickets and raising more money than ever before, organizers say. The event featured local celebrities and dance professionals to help Vermonters who are blind or visually impaired to be more independent, cultivate adaptive skills and improve their quality of life.

pick up in the parking lot at 72 Church St. from 11 a.m.-noon.

The menu is chicken cacciatore, wheat rotini, peas & carrots, wheat bread with butter, strawberry shortcake with cream, and milk.

To order a meal contact Sheryl Oberding at soberding@yahoo.com or 802-825-8546.

Deadline to order is Thursday, Oct. 6.

Participants must register and forms will be on hand at meal pick up or download it at bit.ly/3LkbQBi.

An Age Well representative will be available to purchase $5 restaurant tick ets to dine at any participating restaurants. More at agewellvt.org.

Howard Center holds World Mental Health Day event

Join Howard Center on Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 6-8 p.m. for a World Mental Health Day event with featured speakers Dr. Alice T. Chen and Ferene Paris Meyer.

Chen is a board-certified internal medi cine physician and a national leader in physician advocacy, community organizing and public health. Meyer is a storyteller and founder of All Heart Inspirations.

Chen will draw on her years of experi ence and expertise to discuss the causes of burnout, particularly those present in health care and social services settings, physi cal and mental symptoms, and strategies for addressing burnout in all facets of life, including the workplace.

Meyer empowers those navigating mental health to be their authentic selves and has personally found storytelling to be healing and transformational in her own experience with anxiety and depression.

Advance registration is free but required for this virtual Zoom webinar. More at howardcenter.org.

Age Well seeks substitute volunteers

Age Well needs you!

The social services agency needs substi tute volunteers for its meal programs, particularly in Shelburne and Burlington.

Since 1974, Age Well has been part of Vermont’s area agencies on aging, coor dinating services and care for older adults throughout Addison, Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties.

Age Well provides services and resourc es to older Vermonters such as Meals on Wheels, community meals, restaurant ticket programs, special events, care and services coordination and health and wellness opportunities like tai chi.

All programs and services are offered at no cost.

Age Well is looking for substitutes who can serve as on-call volunteers in the case of last-minute cancellations. The time commitment is based on your availability. Delivery is typically between 9-11 a.m.

Email volunteer@agewellvt.org or call 802-662-5249 if you are interested.

Endangered Indiana bat colony found in Hinesburg

State wildlife officials Tuesday confirmed they’d located a large summer colony of the endangered Indiana bat in the northwestern part of Vermont.

Vermont Fish and Wild life Department reported that data from the 2022 field season confirm the national conservation significance of the colony.

The colony, located on conser vation land in Hinesburg, consists of over 700 bats. The species is federally endangered.

“This finding is exceptional because we have not document ed a surviving summer colony of over 100 Indiana bats in Vermont since the devastating declines caused by white-nose syndrome in 2008-2009,” small mammal biologist Alyssa Bennett said. “In Hinesburg this field season, we counted as many as 300 bats in a single roost. That is similar to historic numbers at this site, and

three times greater than anything we have found in Vermont over the past decade.”

In addition to its size, two other factors make the Hinesburg colony especially important as biologists continue to study the Indiana bat’s response to whitenose syndrome and work to sustain and recover the species, she said.

First, bats in the Hinesburg colony are making use of bat houses. This is unusual for the species across its range and has not previously been documented in Vermont. In addition, bats were tracked back to large tree roosts on conserved land.

Bennett says this is evidence that habitat improvement efforts made more than a decade ago may be paying off.

Second, Indiana bats are found in the midwestern to east ern U.S. — Vermont’s Champlain

Valley represents the northeastern extreme of their range. The Hines burg colony is the most northeast erly known population of Indiana bats, which have only been found summering below 1,200 feet in Vermont.

However, climate change modeling for this species suggests that as lower elevations warm, the species may be pushed further northeast and to higher elevations.

“This colony’s size, use of bat boxes and persistence at the extreme of the Indiana bat’s range means there may be new opportu nities for conserving this species in Vermont and the northeast,” Bennett said. “Are Indiana bats moving further north and east as summers become warmer? Are there other colonies that could benefit from habitat improve ment? Thanks to this year’s find ings, these are the questions we’ll be working to answer in 2023.”

A love for drawing and words was instilled in Amy Huntington at a very early age.

“My favorite memories as a child are of painting on bumpy paper with watercolors,” the prolific author and illustrator said. “I would color my way into a world of my own.”

Huntington spends a lot of time every week drawing and painting in her sketchbooks. “My sketchbooks go with me wherever I travel, and that’s where some of my story ideas begin,” she said. “At home you’ll mostly find me in my studio, next to the kitch en, writing stories and making pictures.”

Huntington has illustrated 16 books and has written and illus trated six of her own.

She will talk about and sign copies of her new book, “How to Make a Mountain: in Just 9 Simple Steps and Only 100 Million Years!” at the South Burlington Public Library on Saturday, Oct. 8, at 10:30 a.m.

From shaping peaks and craft ing a glacier to nurturing her own plants and animals, Huntington outlines the nine simple steps that cover everything one needs to know to make their very own mountain.

In this book, kids will learn

how to crush a piece of continent into a mountain range, freeze and melt glaciers, carve ravines, valleys, rivers and mountain lakes, foster plants and develop a fertile layer of soil, and fill their mountains with a wide variety of animals that will work togeth er to keep mountain ecosystems healthy

Huntington lives in Vermont with her husband, two cats, some hens, one rooster, and some sheep. Her children have already flown the coop!

She will also lead a collage art project following the signing and her books will be on hand for purchase.

More at amyhuntington.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VERMONT FISH AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT

Indiana bats are a federally endangered species across their range, and wildlife officials in Vermont just confirmed finding a large summer colony in Hinesburg.

COURTESY PHOTO

Amy Huntington

News from South Burlington Public Library

South Burlington Public Library 180 Market St., southburlingtonlibrary.org

For information about any programming, cancellations or in-person changes, call 802-846-4140 or email southburlingtonli brary.org. Some events may change from in-person to virtual. Some events require preregistration. Masks are encouraged.

Hours: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

KIDS & TEENS

Toddlertime

Every Tuesday through Dec. 13, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Babytime

Wednesdays through Dec. 14, 10:30-11 a.m.

Lego builders

Wednesdays through Dec. 28, 3-4:30 p.m.

Braille demonstration

Friday, Sept. 30, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Learn about braille, take home an alpha bet card, write your name. Kids under 4 need supervision. With Stephanie Bissonette from the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in South Burlington.

Draw together

Tuesday, Oct. 4 and 18, 3-4:30 p.m.

Use Wendy Mac’s magically inspir ing drawing program virtually in the Katie O’Brien Activity Room. materials and watercolor paints supplied.

Kids’ Book Club

Thursday, Oct. 6 and 27, 4-5 p.m.

Kids in kindergarten through second grade and their parents can join this book club for kids. September title is “Hundred Dresses” by Eleanor Estes. Preregister.

Music and movement

Thursday, Oct. 6, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Join Miss Emma of Music for Sprouts and Mr. Chris and Friends as she leads sing ing, movement and jam sessions on the first Thursday of each month. Up to age 5.

Friday movie

Friday, Oct. 7, 3-4:30 p.m.

Afterschool movies in the Katie O’Brien Activity Room.

Author, illustrator Amy Huntington

Saturday, Oct. 8, 10:30 a.m.-noon

Huntington talks about her new book, “How to Make a Mountain in 9 Easy Steps and Only 100 Million Years.” Collage craft and photo slideshow follows.

Craftytown

Tuesday, Oct. 11 and 25, 3-4:30 p.m.

Free projects geared to kids grade 5 and up; others need to be accompanied by an adult. Oct. 7: Make newspaper cats. Oct. 25: leaf crowns.

Middle school makers

Thursday, Oct. 20, 4-5:30 p.m.

A different activity each month. For students in grades five to eight.

ADULTS

Chess club

Every Saturday through Dec. 17, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Join the Chittenden County Chess Club for a game or just to watch. All welcome.

Tech help

Friday, Oct. 7 and 21, 10 a.m.-noon

Monday, Oct. 17, 5-6:30 p.m.

Join us every other Friday morning in the digital lab for 1:1 assistance and to learn new skills. An evening session is planned for October. Register, space is limited.

Cookbook club

Tuesday, Oct. 11, 5:30-7 p.m.

Choose a recipe to prepare, get a free photocopy and sign up to share your cooking with the rest of the group. October’s book is “Big Food Love” by Katherine Earnhardt.

Poetry group

Tuesday, Oct. 11 and 25, 11 a.m.-noon

Come share your poetry in a supportive, comfortable setting.

English conversation circle

Tuesday, Oct. 11 and Monday, Oct. 24, noon-1 p.m.

English as a Second Language discus sion group, facilitated by an experienced instructor Louis Giancola.

Morning book group

Thursday, Oct. 13, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Discussion of “Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, now an original series on HBO. The publisher writes: “Set in the eerie days of civilization’s collapse, the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.”

Puzzle swap

Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2:30-5 p.m.

Bring a puzzle you’ve already completed and leave with a new puzzle to put togeth er. Bring any 250-plus-piece general adult puzzle(s) that you would like to trade during the event.

Excel workshop

Thursday, Oct. 20, 6-7 p.m.

Participants will learn to master condi tional formatting, tables and formulas to use Excel efficiently.

Italian book club

Monday, Oct. 24, 10:15-11:15 a.m.

“Una Donna Puo Tutto, 1941: Volano le Streghe della notte,” by Ritanna Armeni.

Evening book group

Thursday, Oct. 27, 6-7 p.m.

Poet laureate Joy Harjo offers a vivid, lyrical and inspiring call for love and justice in “Poet Warrior,” a contemplation of her trailblazing life. In the second memoir from the first Native American to serve as U.S. poet laureate, Harjo invites us to travel along the heartaches, losses and humble realizations of her “poet-warrior” road. Copies available to borrow; both in-person or Zoom.

SPORTS

Field hockey team beats back Mt. Abraham

LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

Field hockey

South Burlington 5, Mount Abraham 1: The South Burl ington field hockey team moved to 4-1-1 with a win over Mount Abraham Thursday.

Ella Maynard paved the way for the Wolves with two goals and one assist and Sabrina Brunet added one goal and one assist. Ava Goyette and Sawyer Bailey each chipped in with a goal.

Kayla Kim had an assist and Izzy Redzic made four saves for South Burlington.

Girls soccer

Champlain Valley 2, South Burlington 1 (OT): Champlain Valley scored late in regulation to force overtime and then scored the game winner in the extra session to beat South Burlington on Friday, Sept 21.

Rachael Kelley scored to give the Wolves the lead, but CVU scored on a penalty kick with seconds remaining in the second half to force the game into over time.

The Redhawks scored five minutes into OT to get the win in a rematch of last year’s Division I

title game.

Alisa McLean and Taylor Desjardin teamed up to make 10 saves in goal for the Wolves, who fall to 3-2-1.

Boys’ soccer

South Burlington 1, Mount Mansfield 0: South Burlington scored in the first half and held off Mount Mansfield for a win in high school boys’ soccer.

Evan Richardson had the goal for the Wolves, while Andrew Chandler stopped five shots to earn the shutout.

South Burlington moves to 5-1.

Girls’ volleyball

Champlain Valley 3, South Burlington 0: Champlain Valley took three straight sets over South Burlington to get the win on Wednesday.

The Wolves move to 0-4 with the loss.

Football

Colchester 12, South Burlington-Burlington 7: The South Burlington-Burlington co-op foot ball team scored late in the fourth quarter but could not complete the comeback in a loss to Colcester on

Immediate Openings for

House Managers

The Flynn is looking for House Managers to join our front-of-house team as we begin our season of fabulous shows! We’re looking for people with energy, management skills, and enthusiasm for the arts to keep show-nights running smoothly and give patrons an excellent experience. Must be at least 18, reliable, great at problem solving, upbeat, and able to be on your feet for extended periods of time.

$17/hr, Part-time, variable schedule, evenings and weekends

Detailed job description and more information on our website: https://www.flynnvt.org/About-Us/Employment-and-InternshipOpportunities

No phone calls, please. EOE

STATE OF VERMONT

VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT -- ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION

JAM Golf, LLC

Case No. 4C0923-5A,4C0694-7A BlackRock Construction, LLC Env. Ct Docket No. ____________

NOTICE OF APPEAL FROM DISTRICT COMMISSION

Parties taking the appeal: (1) Inverness Homeowners Association (HOA), (2) Glen Eagles HOA, (3) Villas at Water Tower Hill HOA, (4) Neighbor’s Committee to Stop Neighborhood Blasting (the “Neighbor’s Committee”), (5) James Leas

All five of the above-named parties taking the appeal participated in the proceedings of the District Commission (some of whom who sought party status on certain criteria and were denied, but were granted party status as to other criteria), and they appeal the final decision of the District Commission on the Motion to Alter, dated August 25, 2022, the Land Use Permit decision, dated July 20, 2022, and on all prior deci sions of the District Commission in this matter. Copies of these two decisions are at tached.

The statutory and legal bases for the appeal and/or interested person status are 10 V.S.A. §§ 6084-6086, 8503 and 8504, Vermont Environmental Court Rules 2 and 5, and Vermont Rule of Appellate Procedure 2.

The applicants are JAM Golf, LLC and BlackRock Construction, LLC. The property is owned by JAM Golf, LLC. The proposed development is a 32-house development on 7.25 acres, called the Wheeler Parcel, that is within the south-west corner of the Wheeler Nature Park on 550 Park Road in South Burlington, Vermont.

All interested persons are hereby advised that they must enter an appearance in writing with the court within 21 days of receiving this notice, or in such other time as may be provided in Vermont Environmental Court Rule 5(c), if they wish to participate in the appeal.

PUBLIC

Thursday, Sept 22.

Sam Parris had a 2-yard touch

down rush for the SeaWolves’ lone score. A late interception by the Colchester defense sealed the loss. The SeaWolves drop to 0-4.

PHOTO BY AL FREY

South Burlington’s Miranda Hayes and Mount Abraham’s Maris LaPerle fight for possession during the Wolves’ game Thursday in South Burlington. The Wolves won 5-1 and move to 4-1-1 on the season.

Kelly Brush Ride raises $1 million, sets milestone

This year’s Kelly Brush Ride raised more than $1 million for the first time ever and, as a result the Kelly Brush Foundation will be able to award $1 million in adaptive sports equipment grants this year.

“The direct impact of the generosity of our riders, supporters and sponsors can be seen in the fact that we reached a second record in the number of adaptive equipment grants we will be able to give,” said execu tive director Edie Perkins.

On Sept. 10 in Middlebury, more than 900 riders on 77 teams, along with 40 adap tive riders, participated in the ride.

“Hitting the $1 million mark for two key milestones —funds raised and grants awarded—really takes the foundation to the next level. This level of fundraising puts the Kelly Brush Ride among the top char ity rides in the country,” said Kelly Brush, whose family started the foundation follow ing a ski racing accident that left her para lyzed in 2006.

To date, the foundation has awarded

more than 1,400 adaptive equipment grants to people in 49 states for adaptive equipment. The ride also supports the foundation’s ski racing safety program. Each year grants are awarded to nonprofit ski clubs and racing programs for improving race course safety. In 2022, the foundation awarded a record $120,000 in course improvement grants.

CLASSIFIEDS

FOR SALE

string (installed), 16” iron man target, 3 carbon Horton bolts w/quiver, lubes & wax. Have all the manuals. Asking $495.00. Call or text 802-922-8363.

Positions include a sign on bonus, strong benefits package and the opportunity to work at one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont”.

Service Coordinator: Continue your career in human services in a supportive environment by providing case management for individuals either for our Adult Family Care program or our Developmental Services program. The ideal candidate will have strong clinical, organizational & leadership skills and enjoy working in a team-oriented position. $47,000 annual salary, $1,500 sign on bonus.

Residential Program Manager: Coordinate staffed residential and community supports for an individual in their home. The ideal candidate will enjoy working in a team-oriented position, have strong clinical skills, and demonstrated leadership. $45,900 annual salary, $1,500 sign on bonus.

Direct Support Professional: Provide 1:1 supports to help individuals reach their goals in a variety of settings. This is a great position to start or continue your career in human services. Full and part time positions available starting at $19/hr, $1,000 sign on bonus.

Residential Direct Support Professional: Provide supports to an individual in their home and in the community in 24h shifts including asleep overnights in a private, furnished bedroom. You can work two days, receive full benefits and have five days off each week! Other flexible schedules available, starting wage is $20/hr, $1,000 sign on bonus.

Shared Living Provider: Move into someone’s home or have someone live with you to provide residential supports. There are a variety of opportunities available that could be the perfect match for you and your household. Salary varies dependent on individual care requirements. $1,000 sign on bonus.

Join our dedicated team and together we’ll build a community where everyone participates and belongs https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/

https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/

HORTON VORTEC RDX CROSS BOW: ACUdraw, 2017 crossbow with no more than 50 bolts shot. Comes with a new

Champlain Community Services, Inc.

Why not have a job you love?

Make a career making a difference and join our team today!

COURTESY PHOTO

Handcyclists rolling from the start of the Kelly Brush Ride in Middlebury in September. The ride raised more than $1 million for the first time ever.

coopera the U.S. Services

potentially fatal disease of the most often and bats, can also through the with its

saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost al ways 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 nor mal behavior, but you cannot tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it. People should not touch or pick up wild animals or strays – even baby animals.

SHELBURNE DAY continued from page 4

Shelburne Historical Society will have a display and president Dorothea Penar will lead a cemetery tour at 1 p.m. Food ven dors 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

Health Health

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

face painting.

Towards the end, the Charlotte-Shel burne-Hinesburg Rotary invites folks to head to the Little League field next to the Fire Station for the annual Rotary Golf Ball Drop and a chance to win prizes depending on where the numbered balls land. Proceeds from ticket sales help fund Rotary’s many projects through the year.

Nancy Marconi

ARIES

March 21 - April 20

Don’t push yourself too far this week, Aries. That is a sure re way to be overcome by stress and deplete your energy, which you need to get things done. Pace yourself.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

Hold your tongue and try not to get into any heated arguments with people either at work or in your social circles, Taurus. Avoid controversial subjects.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

There’s a strong pull toward wanting to play as well as getting work done, Gemini. Is there a way to delegate some work so you can focus on recreation? Figure things out.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

Cancer, you may have some exciting plans brewing but you might not know how to put them in motion. A friend may offer to help get the ball rolling.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 23

The planets are trying to tell you to slow down and take a day off, Leo. You just have to listen more closely or you could run the risk of burnout in the days to come.

VIRGO

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

Virgo, this week things may get a bit more intense than you anticipated. Intensity doesn’t necessarily mean you will have a bad time. Everything will be exciting and fast-paced.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

Libra, focus on your personal relationships this week, as you may need to modify a few things and do some housekeeping in your social relationships.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Focus on the ner details of life this week, Scorpio. If you have been waiting to have a gourmet dinner or to take a luxurious trip, now is the time to do so.

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 ll each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can gure 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

There’s con icting energy in the cosmos this week, Sagittarius. All of what you think was right may be turned on its head. Some new decisions may need to be made.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

It may be challenging to gure out where you stand with someone this week, Capricorn. You thought you had it all gured out, but the tides have changed dramatically.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18

You’ll continue to face the dif cult decision of whether to tend to your own needs or help someone close to you, Aquarius. It’s a ne line to walk with no easy answer.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

There’s a positive drive guiding you along, Pisces. If you’ve been putting off your to-do list, now you will have the energy to get things done.

CROSSWORD

CLUES ACROSS

composer

English children’s

Midway between east

southeast

leader of

Jewish congregation

women’s

situations

Industrial port in Poland

Type of screen

Peyton’s little brother

Alcoholic beverage

Newspapers need it

Herbal tea

Distinctive practice

Exercise system __-bo

Explosive

Belonging to a thing

CLUES DOWN

Presidential candidates engage in them

Of the Swedes

Meadow-grass

“Rule, Britannia” composer

Hooray!

Greek city

One way to do it by example

Imitated

“Game of Thrones” actress Headey

Swiss river

Drought-resistant plant

A French abbot

One point east of northeast

Get free of

Ellen K. Erdmann, 62, died at the same house June 28, 2021, from acute fentanyl intoxication, her death certificate notes. The next day, a family friend, Brian A. Miller, 29, overdosed while visiting the house to offer condolences to his friend Devin Erdmann, police said.

It was during the Miller death investigation that the medical examiner ordered Mrs. Erdmann’s body seized from the Ready Funeral Home on Shelburne Road for an autopsy and discovered she had overdosed, police said

The next day, city police were summoned back to the home to investigate Miller’s death.

Authorities attributed Miller’s death at the Erdmann home to an acute combination of fentanyl and alcohol intoxication.

‘No medical attention’

The housekeeper during the March 2021 incident “was not provided any medical attention after she lost consciousness. When she woke up hours later, she drove herself home where she had a seizure and was subsequently transported to the hospital,” Superneau wrote.

Hospital lab tests showed the woman had cocaine, along with benzodiazepine and cannabinoids in her system, police said.

A witness told police she went out to dinner with Ellen Erdmann the day after the housekeeper’s overdose and she described what happened, court records show.

The witness reported Mrs. Erdmann said the cleaning woman collapsed on the bath room floor and Erdmann picked her up and put her on a bed, but never called for help because he did not want police involved, Superneau said in her affidavit.

The police affidavit includes a series of text messages, including more than a dozen sent or received by Erdmann’s phone. The housekeeper allowed police to search her phone and some messages from his phone appear to be incriminating.

In one message Erdmann claimed the woman didn’t want help when she passed out. “When you came to in several minutes you didn’t want an ambulance or go to the ER. You said no way I’m going so we listened to you. You got normal in 10, 20 minutes later you were fine.”

The ,woman reported that she was intro duced to cocaine at the Erdmann house around New Year’s Day in 2020 by Mrs. Erdmann, police said. The housekeeper esti mated that she had used cocaine three times before her near fatal overdose, police said.

State charges

South Burlington Police asked State’s Attorney Sarah George to file a series of criminal charges, including two felonies against Bruce Erdmann: illegal distribution of cocaine that led to the serious overdose in March 2021 and a felony charge of posses sion of methamphetamine at the house in June 2021, records show.

George’s office filed four misdemeanor charges against Erdmann in February 2022 for knowingly and unlawfully possessing clonazepam, methamphetamines, methyl phenidate and alprazolam on June 29, 2021. Each charge carries up to one year in prison and up to a $2,000 fine.

Erdmann pleaded not guilty to the four state charges.

During his arraignment, George’s office initially did not seek any conditions of release or restrictions on Erdmann’s behav ior pending his criminal trial.

But Superior Court Judge Eliz abeth F. Novotny, citing a 15-page police affidavit that painted a picture of rampant drug use at the Erdmann house and input from a deputy prosecutor, did impose several conditions of release. She prohibited Erdmann from having contact with the Shelburne house keeper, her daughter and two other women listed as witnesses, and forbade Erdmann from buying, using or possessing any regulated drugs without a legal prescription while the criminal prosecution was pending.

South Burlington Police Sgt. Michael DeFiore, who was assigned to the Vermont Drug Task Force at the time, reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was investigating Erdmann as a person of inter est for getting significant prescription medi cations through the mail, Superneau wrote in February.

When George’s office did not file any felony charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office assigned one of its new prosecutors, Kimberly G. Ang, to pick up the case. Ang got a felony plea deal from Erdman and his lawyer Carlton without convening a federal grand jury.

South Burlington Police responded to the Erdman house for two fatal overdoses on back-to-back days — June 28 and 29, 2021. Mrs. Erdmann died the first day and Brian Miller the following day.

Miller had passed out and was propped against the kitchen wall with his head slumped forward, the public court affidavit stated. Devin Erdmann told police he took a cellphone picture of Miller so he could “see how stupid he looked when he woke up,” Superneau wrote.

Instead, an hour later Miller was dead.

At least eight containers with various drugs believed belonging to Erdmann were seized, Superneau wrote. Four containers belonging to his wife were confiscated as well, police said.

Other trouble

Dr. Randy Miller, Brian Miller’s father, also overdosed at the Erdmann house on July 3, 2021, and was revived with Narcan, state and city records show.

Miller, a local dentist, was taken to the University of Vermont Medical Center, where tests showed cocaine, opiates, benzo diazepine, marijuana and alcohol in his system, records show.

Miller, 64, remained hospitalized until July 6, 2021, records show. The Erdmann house is directly around the corner from the home of Dr. Miller and his son on Spear Street.

The state revoked Miller’s dental license because of improper dispensing of prescrip tions and his own hospitalization for a drug overdose, records show.

Miller, who was the senior member of the state board of dental examiners, signed a stipulation that he would not contest four misconduct charges, records show. He also resigned from the state board.

ERDMANN continued from page 1

Bruce Erdmann