The Other Paper - 12-1-22

Canada geese make their way south, a common sight this time of year.

PHOTO BY GORDON MILLER

City Council wants to regulate fossil fuel use in existing homes

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

The South Burlington City Council is considering adding a charter change to its March ballot that would give them the power to regulate thermal energy systems in existing residential and commer cial buildings.

The proposal by the city’s climate task force mimics language passed by Burlington voters in 2021 and signed into law by Gov. Phil Scott in April. It would not create a specific policy change but would give the city the power to regulate thermal energy systems, opening the door to several possi bilities, such as a carbon tax on property owners using natural gas or other fossil fuels.

“If we can do exactly what Burlington did, I think we’ll be in

really good shape,” said Andrew Chalnick, the vice chair of the climate action plan task force. “I’m sure that conversation will be vigorous and will be vigorously debated — exactly what that policy should look like.”

The council first heard of the proposed charter change during its Nov. 21 meeting. They will decide whether to advance the propos al onto its March ballot during its special meeting on Nov. 30 (held after press deadline) and will have to warn two additional public hear ings on Tuesday, Jan. 3 and Jan. 17.

The move comes less than two weeks after finalizing an ordinance to regulate heating systems in new buildings permitted after Feb. 15. That law requires that newly constructed residential or commer

Local man pleads not guilty in federal gun, drug case

MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

A South Burlington business man and landlord has been arrested on a federal felony charge that he lied to a licensed gun dealer during

the purchase of a firearm for a drug dealer, officials said.

Keith Aaron, 52, pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court to a charge that he made false and fictitious written statements while buying a Canik 9mm handgun

from the Powderhorn Outdoors Sports Center in Williston on May 18, records show.

Aaron, who operates Bing Enterprises, falsely claimed on the purchase form that he was the actual buyer of the firearm to

deceive the licensed dealer, the indictment said.

U.S. Homeland Security Inves tigations, which is handling the case, arrested Aaron in Winooski last week.

Federal Magistrate Judge Kevin

Doyle has twice rejected efforts to spring Aaron from pre-trial detention because of his active use of regulated drugs, records show. Doyle noted the weight of

Shelburne Road, S. Burlington Maple Tree Place, Williston

Managing forests for bats ensures health ecosystems

Scientists from the University of Illinois recently studied the effects of removing bats from a forest, finding that a forest without bats had three times as many insects and five times as much defoliation as a forest with bats.

The researchers postulated that this increased defoliation would increase forest vulnerability — making trees more suscep tible to other stressors at a time when forests are already stressed from climate change, invasive species, deforestation, forest frag mentation and more. This research made me consider the many pieces and parts that make forests work and, more specifically, the role that bats play in forests.

There are over 1,400 species of bats, accounting for about 20 percent of the mammalian species on Earth. Besides being diverse, bats are extremely numerous: About 25 percent of all the mammals on Earth are bats.

Vermont’s bat species can live 20-30 years or more; the little brown bat has been documented to live as long as 34 years. Most species have only one pup (young) per year, making their populations especially vulner able to decline. The United States is home to 50 species of bats, nine of which live in Vermont. Five of Vermont’s bat species are state or federally threatened or endangered.

All of Vermont’s bats are insectivores, eating about half their body-weight — as many as 1,000 insects — per hour. Though there are many predators of insects, bats are the primary predator of nocturnal insects, including many moth and beetle species. In forests, insect defoliation is normal and natu ral, but insects exist in a dynamic balance with ecosystems and with their predators. Too many insects and too much defoliation — such as could be caused by the loss of bats — can create a major imbalance in our forests, with ecosystem-wide implications.

Bat populations in Vermont have been declining for a variety of reasons, but most dramatically from white-nose syndrome, a disease caused by the fungus Pseudogym noascus destructans. White-nose syndrome, first discovered in Albany, N.Y., in 2007, has killed millions of bats, including 90-100 percent of the bats on some sites.

Of Vermont’s nine bat species, six

congregate in large numbers in hibernac ula —– caves and abandoned mines — for the winter, while the other three migrate to southern climes. All nine species spend much of the summer in the forest foraging, mating and raising young. Besides protecting hiber nacula and water sources, managing forests for bats largely consists of encouraging two types of habitat: roosting habitat (where bats sleep during the day and raise their young) and foraging habitat.

In the forest, bats roost under shaggy tree bark, in crevices and cavities in trees, in the foliage of large trees and on sunny cliffs and talus slopes. Active roost trees can be abso lutely full of bats: some harbor hundreds of females with their flightless young. You can improve roosting habitat by leaving or creat ing dead-standing trees, or snags, in a vari

ety of sizes and at different stages of decay. If snags aren’t naturally abundant in your forest you can create some by girdling a few unhealthy trees per acre.

Additionally, retain legacy trees — large and old trees that are allowed to decline and die naturally — and all shagbark hickory, which are a particularly important roosting species for the federally-endangered Indi ana bat. If you are planning on cutting any potential roost trees, avoid doing so from April through October, when bats are active in the forest.

In general, great foraging habitat for bats consists of diverse, complex and multi-gen erational forests. You can encourage habitat like this by cutting small groups of unhealthy trees, which will both create canopy gaps (an important foraging feature for both bats

and insectivorous birds) and encourage the development of new generations of trees. Between canopy gaps, you can improve bat habitat by thinning the forest: cutting unhealthy trees that are in competition with healthier trees. As you manage your forest, make sure to leave plenty of legacy trees, snags and cavity trees.

While it’s easy to forget about them, bats are an important piece of the complex community that is a forested ecosystem. Managing for bats is another way to help safeguard the health and the future of our forests.

Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden County forester for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. See much more at linktr.ee/chittendencountyforester.

Into

Woods

Ethan Tapper

PHOTO BY ALYSSA BENNETT

Man arrested for stalking

South Burlington police arrested a man Monday for stalking.

Christopher ATNIP, 33, of South Burling ton, was arrested for stalking after police say he was following a juvenile near Market and Garden streets on Nov. 28 around 11:11 a.m.

REGULATION

cial buildings utilize a renewable energy source for their primary heating system and domestic water heating system.

Chalnick called that “an important first step,” but said this ordinance goes a step further in transitioning the city’s existing housing stock away from fossil fuels.

“The journey we’re asking you to begin on today will be harder than the last one,” Chalnick said

Human-induced climate change contin ues to be “a threat to human well-being and planetary health,” scientists said in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report released in February. Dangerous disruptions in ecosystems will affect billions of people across the planet as warming inten sifies.

Vermont remains less likely to experi ence the effects than other states. A recent ProPublica report published two years ago listed six Vermont counties out of every county in the nation as the safest in the United States to avoid the effects of climate change: rising sea levels, wildfires, crop depletion, extreme heat, and economic damages.

“One thing I want to point out … climate migration from all these anticipated climate impacts — when coasts flood and fires threaten and drought causes famine — I’m not really sure what we’re going to do when thousands or tens of thousands of folks show up at our door,” Chalnick said. “Not to mention the mass migration to the U.S. from other countries and the social upheaval that that will likely cause.”

The state has set out an ambitious task in its Global Warming Solutions Act, passed in 2020, which legally binds the state to meet climate emission requirements by 2030 — opening itself up to litigation if it doesn’t.

Scott this year vetoed the clean heat standard bill that would have created a fuel credit marketplace aimed at incentivizing eco-friendly ways of heating. Lawmakers failed to override Scott’s veto by one vote, but with a new Democratic supermajority in the Statehouse, efforts at another go may materialize.

Vermont’s contributions

Vermont’s transportation and thermal sectors produce 74 percent of the state’s carbon emissions, according to the annual progress report from the Energy Action Network released in September.

The charter change is a byproduct of the city’s climate action plan, produced by the task force and approved by the council last month. It lays out a roadmap of sorts for the town to meet limitations on greenhouse gas emissions, and specifically focuses on two pillars where the city can feasibly reduce its local emissions: buildings and transporta tion.

According to the task force, 360 hous ing units need to be electrified each year

Police said he had been followed the same person on multiple occasions, “placing the victim in fear for their safety as well as caus ing emotional distress.”

The Other Paper does not release the iden tities of juvenile victims.

to reduce emissions by 9 percent; and 600 homes need to be weatherized each year to reduce emissions by 5 percent.

If approved by voters in March, the quickest the Legislature could take the char ter change up would be 2024, according to Ethan Goldman, the chair of the task force.

“The urgency for today is could we maybe be on a track to consider creating a policy that would be put in front of the voters in March of 2025,” Goldman said.

Some council members expressed reluc tance. Council member Tim Barritt likened the charter change to “an amorphous cloud.” He said residents should now what policy the town wants to craft before approving the charter change.

“I want to have the definitive plan for what the ordinance is going to look like in advance, even if it’s five or six years out, so then we can say, ‘In order to get that, we need to have this thing happen within our charter,’ so that people see very clearly what could be coming,” he said.

Council member Matt Cota was more definitive in his opposition.

“We just heard in the last city council meeting a letter written by the CEO of the largest electric utility in New England plead ing with the president of the U.S. saying we might not have enough electricity to avoid rolling blackouts in New England,” he said, referring to a letter he read after recusing himself due to a conflict of interest.

Cota is the former executive director of the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association, the government affairs director for the Vermont Vehicle and Automotive Distributors Asso ciation, and is the owner of Meadow Hill Consulting, where he works with heating and cooling contractors in the state and “provide(s) management and advocacy assistance to Vermont trade associations in the energy and transportation space.”

“Now you want to put a carbon tax on people that are using an essential commodity to provide heat and hot water for their fami lies. I don’t support it,” he said.

New England power producers have warned of a potential strain on the region al grid this winter as a surge in natural-gas demand in Europe and abroad threatens local supplies, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

Other council members were in favor, however. Meaghan Emery said, in response to Cota, said that if “we do nothing we’ll be having all kinds of blackouts. We have to be responsible now so that our children have easier choices to make than what we would be leaving to them. That’s what is before us.”

Goldman and Chalnick stressed that the any policy decision could be “a multi-year effort.”

“It could be a different council, there could be new technology — all kinds of things could change,” Chalnick said.

Agency/public assists: 25

Alarm: 22

Larceny from motor vehicle: 13

Welfare check: 13

Suspicious event: 9

Retail theft: 7

Noise violation: 8

Accident: property damage: 7

Trespass: 7 Domestic: 6 Disturbance: 6

Total incidents: 220

Arrests: Nov. 21 at 11:21 a.m., Zachary William Dalley, 40, of Berlin,

South Burlington Police Blotter

was arrested on an in-state warrant on Dorset Street.

Nov. 22 at 7:34 a.m., David L. Oleson, 38, of Shelburne, was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident, operation with out owner’s consent and felony possession of stolen property at

Parking ban

Dorset and Market streets.

Nov. 22 at 5:07 p.m., Lila Frank, 28, of Burlington, was arrested for misdemeanor retail theft on Dorset Street.

Nov. 22 at 7:47 p.m., Daniel W. Scholten, 27, of Murrells Inlet, S.C., was arrested for reckless endangerment on Hinesburg Road.

Nov. 24 at 1:46 a.m., Taylor Hayes, 26, of Williston, was arrested for domestic assault on Ander son Parkway.

Nov. 24 at 1:46 a.m., Zephanaiah D. Desormeaux, 32, of Colches ter, was arrested for violating an abuse prevention order and domestic assault on Anderson Parkway.

Nov. 24 at 12:35 p.m., Jack A. Hurlburt, 26, of St. Albans, was arrested for operation without owner’s consent, misdemean or possession of metham phetamine, and misdemeanor possession of stolen property on Central Avenue.

Nov. 24 at 11:36 p.m., James M. Cady, 50, of Burlington, was arrested for driving under the influence, second offense, and driving with a criminally suspended license on Williston Road.

Nov. 25 at 5 p.m., Brian J. Levine, 20, of South Burlington, was arrested for domestic assault on Frost Street.

Nov. 25 at 6:58 p.m., Joshua J.

Maple, 31, of South Burlington, was arrested for misdemeanor unlawful mischief, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest on Dorset Street.

Nov. 25 at 9:09 p.m., Jerry F. Fratus, 49, of South Burling ton, was arrested for disorderly conduct on Shelburne Road.

Nov. 26 at 12:37 a.m., James PC Smith, 30, of Williston, was arrested for driving under the influence, first offense, on Williston Road.

Nov. 27, Roger Tehan Scully III, 36, of Mystic, Conn., was arrested for driving under the influence, first offense, on Interstate 89.

Top incidents:

Nov. 21 at 7:27 a.m., a vehicle was stolen from Oak Hill Driver.

Nov. 22 at 8:51 a.m., police were called out to a domestic situa tion on Farrell Street.

Nov. 22 at 2:41 p.m., someone — or something — was bitten by an animal on Shelburne Road.

Nov. 22 at 5:53 p.m., police performed a needle pickup on Williston Road.

Nov. 22 at 7:47 p.m., threats were reported from Hinesburg Road.

Nov. 23 at 9:09 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from an address on Williston Road.

Nov. 23 at 12:31 p.m., police are investigating a theft from a

South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977 A publication of Vermont Community Newspaper Group LLC otherpapersbvt.com

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Contact: 1340 Williston Road South Burlington, VT 05403 (802) 864-6670

OPINION

The anti-guide for gift giving

In Musing

Carole Vasta Folley

It’s December folks. The season of buying crap no one wants.

Lately, the miracle of Christ mas seems to be scoring the perfect present; a myth if there ever was one. You might as well believe a large, bearded man struggles down your chimney every year. Oh, wait a minute.

Since October, I’ve been beleaguered by a bazillion online holiday gift giving guides.

Apparently, Christmas shopping should begin while wearing my Halloween costume. These guides recom mend an endless list of ludicrous gifts that will end up in next summer’s yard sale.

It’s hard to even know which guide to use. “37 Unique Gifts They Didn’t Even Think to Ask For” or “42 Holiday Gifts for Almost Everyone on Your List.” Almost? Gee, sorry mom.

Scrolling through these guides isn’t only confusing, it’s empir ically a waste of time. Trust me. I’ve been doing it for weeks.

But rest easy merry gentle people, I got this. I’ll simply report which gift guides to avoid, curtailing your spending while reducing excruciating embarrass ment. Call me an anti-elf if you will, but isn’t saving face and money the best present of all?

To start, here’s a clunker: “42 Gifts They’ll Probably Use Every Day.” Point your attention towards the word “probably.” That’ll tell you exactly how often these gifts will be used. Never.

It recommends giving a fiveyear journal. That’s 1,825 blank pages. Six hundred more than “War and Peace”!

Plus, raise your hand if you’re a woman and have received jour nals as gifts your entire life. Tell me, why aren’t men gifted these empty books meant for reflec tion? Does someone think women should write down their thoughts or they’ll forget them? Or that men don’t have any? I digress. Bottom line, no one wants a homework assignment for the holidays.

Another gem on the proba bly list: sweat-wicking workout pants. Who in their right mind would suggest buying your spouse a present that screams,

“Get off the couch you lazy bum!” Unless they are sweatpants designed for gulping a gallon of eggnog, skip it.

Avoid this list: “60 Presents That Won’t Be Regifted.” After all, trying to pass off anything monogrammed is plain awkward. Like when my sister asked what the CVF stood for on the lovely set of towels I regifted, I answered, “Obviously, it’s the airport code for Courchevel, France.”

To which she asked if I’d ever been there. I panicked and yelled, “None of your business! Merry Christmas!”

Also on this list, a “Jeopardy!” desk calen dar. “What is stupid?” That’s what you answer when Mayim Bialik reads “Regifting Last Year’s Calendar.”

This same list suggests more presents that nobody should have to unwrap. Like a terracotta plant pot that reads “Please Don’t Die,” a moisturizing butt mask (don’t ask) and a pizza blanket. No, that’s not a warmer for your pepperoni, it’s a fleece in the shape of a piece of pizza which somehow imparts, “You have no life. Or friends.”

The wackiest list might be “Gifts for Your Stressed Out Friends.” It recommends buying your friend an ice roller — for their face! Nothing says Christ mas more than frostbite. Besides,

save your money, pop a cube out of your pal’s cocktail and go to town. This list also touts bath bombs. You know what’s not calming? Anything with the word bomb.

Definitely stay clear of the guide “61 Gifts for People who Spend All Day at Their Desks.” It basically says, “Happy holidays, you have a fat ...”

A particularly bizarre list is “49 Gifts That’ll Help Save People from Themselves.” It egregiously promotes a water bottle inscribed with the word “poison” and a plastic screaming goat because … well, I actually have no idea why you’d give that. Next summer, I’ll look for one at a yard sale and get back to you.

No matter the title of the list, they all have one thing in common. They claim to save you time. Kind of ironic, isn’t it, when time is the best gift of all. Whether it’s calling a friend, reading to your child, writing your loved one a letter or sitting around the table sharing a meal — isn’t it the time we spend together that fills us? And, better yet, we can only hope this gift of time is regifted again and again.

Carole Vasta Folley’s In Musing column has won awards from the Vermont Press Associa tion, The New England Newspa per and Press Association and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.

Letters to the Editor

Updating old housing preserves history, culture

To the Editor:

I’m writing in response to an article covering South Burling ton’s new heating system regu lations. (“South Burlington joins Burlington, regulates heating systems,” Nov. 17, 2022)

While I greatly appreci ate the intentions of this new heating ordinance, I’d like to call to attention the fact that this ordinance only applies to new construction. Action should also be taken for existing buildings to mitigate the use of fossil fuels in Vermont, especially regarding the much older and inefficient buildings where many Vermont ers live.

I’m currently a student at Bennington College, though

I grew up in Morristown. I’m living in a dorm constructed in the 1930s, where I can feel the cold air seeping in from the old windows in my room — wasting money and energy. I believe the solution should not be starting from scratch, but rather updating buildings like mine in order to preserve our state’s history and culture.

I urge all Vermont municipal ities to consider adopting similar policies to Burlington and South Burlington and consider applying similar ordinances for existing buildings and make older archi tecture more sustainable, lest we risk having to abandon many historic structures in our beauti ful state.

Zayda Kellogg Morristown

Carole Vasta Folley

Local journalism is a cornerstone of democracy and a vital source of informa tion for communities across the country, with newsrooms covering local politics,

high school sports, local business, cultural events and other matters that help a community remain vibrant and connected. However, the industry is facing an existen tial crisis because of the unyielding power of Big Tech platforms such as Google and Facebook.

With less than four weeks left in this

Congress, now is the time for the Senate to pass the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act. The act was favorably reported out of committee in September with strong bipartisan support and now must head to the floor for a vote. It will hold tech giants accountable and provide a necessary lifeline for local papers, requir ing Big Tech to compensate small and local outlets for the use of their content.

Big Tech benefits tremendously from journalism content, yet they refuse to pay local publishers fairly for the journalistic content that fuels their platforms. As a result, local papers are being replaced by tech platforms using black-box algorithms designed to keep users inside their walled gardens — all while charging exorbitant ad fees — up to 70 percent of every adver tising dollar.

The tech giants have built their empires by profiting off the hard work of journalists without fairly compensating them. As local publications struggle to stay afloat, Big Tech has only doubled down on their anticompetitive practices, further consolidating their control over the flow of information.

This is fundamentally unfair, and the Journalism Competition and Preserva tion Act will bring about much-needed change.

The act will benefit small and local publishers exclusively and impose severe penalties if the tech platforms do not negotiate with them in good faith.

ity in how news outlets spend the funds they receive.

News publishers around the world are being compensated by Big Tech. Australia passed a similar policy, the News Media Bargaining Code, for media organiza tions to bargain for payment, which has produced significant revenue — billions of dollars, if translated to the U.S. market — for hundreds of publications of all sizes.

One Sydney journalism professor noted that she hadn’t seen her industry so financially robust in decades. There are so many open positions for report ers, they cannot all be filled, a signal of the improved economic health of the industry. The swift and clear successes of the Australian code — and efforts in other countries such as Canada, the U.K., European Union and more — should serve to encourage the passage of the act in the United States.

Thousands of hometown papers from across the political spectrum, as well as Democrats and Republicans in Congress, support the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act.

The bill has a limited scope of six years to address a broken marketplace, while the broader competitive landscape is fixed through other legislation and the courts. It also incentivizes publishers to hire more journalists and protects constitutional freedoms of speech and the press.

The bill’s scope is limited to compen sation and does not allow for negotiations around up-down ranking or display — it serves only to ensure fair compensation for local news outlets.

The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act has strict transparency requirements on the terms of each agree ment reached between tech platforms and journalism providers and establishes clar

Thousands of home town papers from across the political spectrum, as well as both Demo crats and Republicans in Congress, support the Journalism Compe tition and Preservation Act. Moreover, during highly polarized times, polling data found that 70 percent of Americans support this legislation as well. The act has such broad support because it is, essentially, about basic fairness.

Local papers cannot afford to endure several more years of Big Tech’s use and abuse. The time we have to take action is dwindling. If Congress does not act soon, we risk allowing social media to become America’s de facto local newspa per. The Senate must advance the Journal ism Competition and Preservation Act to the Senate floor for a vote before the end of the year to rein in Big Tech and restore fairness to local journalism — one of the most important checks and balances we have against corporate power and govern ment corruption — before it’s too late.

The News Media Alliance is a trade association representing approximately 2,000 newspapers in the United States and Canada.

Guest Perspective News Media Alliance

Holiday bazaar

COMMUNITY

The Faith United Methodist Church on Dorset Street in South Burlington raised more than $5,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association of Vermont. This gift was made possible as a result of a holiday bazaar held on Nov.12 by the congregation.

Community Notes

Tryout now for Players new ‘swashbuckling comedy’

The Shelburne Players is holding auditions for its March production of “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood,” a swashbuckling comedy by Mary Lynn Dobson.

Auditions are Monday, Dec. 5, and Wednesday, Dec. 7, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Pierson Library

Community Room in Shelburne. Email the director at sureidst john@gmail.com if you need to set up a virtual audition.

Callbacks will take place on Thursday, Dec. 8, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with rehearsals starting on Tuesday, Jan. 17. Performanc es are set for March 17-25.

More information and audition materials can be found at shelbur neplayers.com.

Vermont Fiddlers put on show at opera house

The Vermont Fiddle Orches tra directed by Peter Macfarlane will perform its winter concert on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. at the Barre Opera House. Admission is by donation.

The orchestra will present tradi

COURTESY PHOTO

tional tunes including a mix of tunes from Ireland, Scotland, Appalachia and Quebec, as well as marches, waltzes and a heart-rend ing slow air.

The orchestra is a community orchestra of fiddlers, violists, cellists and other musi cians. For more information visit vermont fiddleorchestra.org.

Friends of SoBu library are looking for book donations

After their successful fall book sale, Friends of the South Burlington Public Library need more inventory.

If you have books that meet the criteria, consider donating them to the sale. Dona tions of books are the only source of supply ing the Friends’ book shop, which benefits the library.

Donations must meet the following crite ria:

• Newly published fiction, preferably not more than five years old, but not more than 10 years old.

• Nonfiction should be five years or newer. Historical nonfiction can be over five years old since publication.

• Children’s books in excellent condition.

• Newborn board books; toddler, preschool and early elementary.

• Books for middle schoolers, teens and young adults.

No VHS tapes or cassette tapes, maga zines, textbooks, religious books, foreign language books for Readers Digest books.

Bring donations upstairs to the Friends Bookshop Monday to Saturday between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. or leave them at the circulation desk during other hours. All donated books must be clean and in good condition.

Natural history hike at Red Rocks Park

Take a tour with a Petra Cliffs nature educator on Tuesday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to noon at Red Rocks Park in South Burl ington.

With wolf trees, glacial erratics, welltrod hiking trails and fern-filled cliffsides, Red Rocks Park is a stellar example of the geology and ecology in South Burlington. This program features the natural history of the area as well as how to identify trees in winter without the aid of the leaves using bark, twigs and growth form.

Register at shorturl.at/erMX2 and get the Petra Cliffs waiver at shorturl.at/cqwOW

Meeting brings Marines together in Chittenden County

Join the Donald G. Cook Detachment on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. for a meeting of active duty and retired personnel of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Meet other Marines in the Greater Burl ington area, share information and learn about the programs offered at the Marine Corps League.

Starting this week, Shelburne Museum’s campus will radiate with the spectacular holiday event, Winter Lights, now in its second season with expanded offerings including a special Ice Bar night. This winter extravaganza begins on Thursday, Nov. 25 at 5 p.m.

Fourteen of the museum’s buildings and gardens have been decorated in multicolored light arrangements for Winter Lights, which runs from Thanksgiving

weekend through New Year’s Day. The campus will be illuminated for the event with the Hershell-Spill man Carousel bedecked, the Ticonderoga floating on a sea of light, Beach Woods twinkling, the Electra Havemeyer Webb Memo rial Building aglow, and more.

Winter Lights runs through Sunday, Jan. 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. on select dates.

Purchase timed tickets at shel burnemuseum.org. For accessi

bility accommodations call (802) 985-0831.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for ages 3-17, Free for children under 3.

The new ice bar at Winter Lights will be open on Thurs day, Dec. 8 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. and features two outdoor ice bars stocked with local spirits, wine and beer. Tickets are $85 for the gener al public, $75 for members and $70 for Barnstormers members.

motor vehicle on Lime Kiln Road.

Nov. 23 at 9:08 p.m., a fraud was reported on Stonehedge Drive. Nov. 24 at 2:39 a.m., police performed a welfare check on

Williston Road. Nov. 24 at 9:13 a.m., officers checked on an unsecured prem ise on Dorset Street. Nov. 24 at 4 p.m., on Kingfisher Court, someone reported a theft

from their vehicle.

Nov. 25 at 12:17 p.m., a fraud report was taken from a Hines burg Road location.

Nov. 25 at 5:36 p.m., a simple assault was reported on Dorset Street.

Nov. 25 at 10:27 p.m., police told Dorset Street revelers to turn down the noise.

Nov. 26 at 4:34 p.m., threats are being investigated on Bower Street.

Nov. 26 at 10:20 p.m., police responded to a report of a suicid al person on Farrell Street.

Nov. 26 at 11:40 p.m., back to Farrell Street, this time for a disturbance.

Nov. 27 at 9:32 a.m., police dealt with a problem animal on Moss Glen Lane.

Nov. 27 at 1:37 p.m., a report of intoxication emanated from Dorset Street.

Deaths:

Nov. 27 at 8:50 a.m., police responded to Quarry Hill Road for the death of James McNamara, 95, of South Burl ington. The medical examiner is determining cause of death.

PHOTO BY ANDY DUBACK

Winter Lights event.

Nov. 18 at 4 p.m., Dustin M. Martin, 34, of Shelburne was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident, driving with a criminally suspended license and giving false information to a police officer after police said he crashed his vehicle on Interstate 89 in South Burling ton and fled on foot. He was taken into custody on Nov. 23. Two other vehicles were involved in the crash, which closed the road for a period of time. There were no injuries.

South Burlington police, fire and rescue crews assisted at the scene.

Nov. 27 at 12:02 a.m., Dylan Hughes, 31, of South Burling ton, was arrested for driving

the evidence was great and Aaron had a history of both alcohol and substance abuse, records show.

“Aaron has abused multiple controlled substances over the course of the past year. Given his apparent immediate dependency on these substances, no conditions will ensure his safety or the safety of the community from him at this time,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia A. P. Cowles wrote short ly after his arrest.

Defense lawyer Frank J. Twarog, who was hired by Aaron, subsequently asked for reconsid eration after he had been detained for three days. He noted Aaron had still tested positive for cocaine a few days after he was lodged at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans, but that by the time the court might release

under the influence, second offense, and driving with a criminally suspended license after a traffic stop on Shel burne Road near Harbor View Drive in South Burlington.

Nov. 26 at 2:34 a.m., a traffic stop on I89 westbound in South Burlington resulted in the arrest of Kevin C. Warr, 25, of Shelburne, for driving under the influence, first offense. He was released into the custody of the Howard Center in St. Albans for detox.

Nov. 25, 8:16 p.m., police arrest ed Donna Provost, 37, of St. George for driving under the influence, first offense, after she was stopped for speeding on I89 in South Burlington.

him, the defendant would be sober.

Twarog also wrote Aaron tested negative for heroin and noted that Aaron was not well received by inmates at the St. Albans prison.

Twarog said inmates beat Aaron to steal his shoes. Aaron was injured and sustained a split lip that the lawyer said went untreated for the remainder of the day. Twarog feared Aaron might be in danger of further assaults if he remained at the prison.

Twarog said Aaron was willing to enroll in Valley Vista, a drug rehabilitation treatment center in Bradford.

Doyle has given the defense until Feb. 1 to file any pre-trial motions. The case will be handled by federal judge Christina Reiss in Burlington.

Know How to Detect a Gas Leak

Stay Safe This Holiday Season and Throughout the Winter Smell

Natural gas is normally odorless. A distinctive, pungent odor, similar to rotten eggs, is added so that you will recognize it quickly.

SeeYou may see a white cloud, mist, fog, bubbles in standing water, or blowing dust. You may also see vegetation that appears to be dead or dying for no apparent reason.

Hear

You may hear an unusual noise like a roaring, hissing, or whistling.

If You Suspect a Leak:

Move immediately to a safe location. Call VGS at 1-800639-8081, or call 911, with the exact location. Do not smoke or operate electrical switches or appliances. These items may produce a spark that might ignite the gas or result in a dangerous condition.

Do not assume someone else will report the condition.

Protect Meters and Vents from Ice and Snow

Don’t push or pile deep snow around meters and ensure whoever removes snow from your property knows meter and appliance vent locations. Use extreme care when clearing snow surrounding, or large icicles above, meters and vents. If your meter gets encased in thick ice, please call us.

Vermont State Police Blotter

Taylor Murray, quarterback for Middlebury College, Jared Lebowitz and Matt Villanti, a right guard for the Army team at a recent celebration for South Burlington Dolphins football.

On Nov. 15, the 2022 South Burlington Dolphins Youth Foot ball program threw a party and recognition ceremony at Zachary’s Pizza to celebrate the completion of its 55th season of football.

The enthusiastic players received recognition and PRIDE — which stands for Personal Responsibility for Individual Daily Effort — for their ongoing support, summed up by eighth-grade student William Pettengill who thanked the coaches who “taught him how to play his position correctly in prepa ration to going on to football at the next level.”

Each player hoisted their trophies, certificates, backpacks and exercise equipment as they cheered and hollered at films of the season painstakingly produced by coach Javen Sears, himself a former Dolphin player who is in his second year on the University of Vermont club football team.

Other coaches, including Bryan Belisle, Matt Villanti and Jerall Sinclair, all former Dolphin play ers, and Jerold Lebowitz, former coach of Ice Storm semi-pro foot ball and a recent football star from Middlebury College turned coach, presented each player with gifts and trophies.

Founder Rene Laberge was also recognized.

training. For further details of the program contact him at oleball coach1@gmail.com. Black Friday through December 23 only

South Burlington Dolphins youth football celebrates its 55th season

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

Visit us online at OtherPaperSBVT.com

Enza Ruggerio, 10, of South Burlington, won first place for girls in this year’s Brazilian jujitsu kids Kumite tournament for her belt, age and weight class on Nov. 12. In addition, Enza was awarded the Best Female Competitor for the tournament. She trains in Williston at Vermont Brazilian Jujitsu Academy under head instructor Julio Cesar “Foca” Fernandez.

Youth rowers compete at regional championships

South Burlington, CVU make strong showings

On Nov. 19, nearly 70 youth rowers from Chittenden and Addison County middle and high schools competed in the Icebreaker Northeast Regional Youth Open-Water Rowing Championship in Fort Point Channel in Boston, Mass.

This race marked the end of a success ful rowing season for high schools in Burl ington and South Burlington, Champlain Valley Union High School and Mount Abraham Union High School as part of the youth rowing program with Lake Cham plain Maritime Museum.

The teams competed alongside some of the best teams from the Northeast including those in New York, Connecticut, Massa chusetts and Maine.

Each crew competed in a series of three sprint races with several sharp turns. The times from all three sprints were then combined into a cumulative time score to determine the winner for each event.

South Burlington had a strong show ing in the novice high school six-oar event where it won by outpacing two crews from New York. Mount Abraham and Burlington High School competed in the intermediate four-oar event.

Mount Abraham challenged the Village Community Boathouse from New York for second place while Burlington High School fought hard for a fifth-place finish.

Vermont teams dominated the inter mediate six-oar event with one of the two crews from Burlington High School taking home the victory with a decisive margin. The other Burlington crew placed third in the event.

Champlain Valley Union High School also had two boats in the six-oar event, placing second and fourth.

In the experienced four-oar event, Vermont was also well represented. Mount Abraham placed second in the event, followed by Burlington in third and South Burlington in fifth.

CVU commanded the competition in the experienced six-oar event and won the overall race.

The day ended with a nautical mile race where 16 boats lined up for one massive start. Vermont teams eclipsed the interme diate six-oar event once again with two entries from CVU and three entries from Burlington.

One of the crews from CVU won the race, followed by all three of the Burling ton High School crews in second through fourth place.

The final CVU crew rounded out the intermediate six-oar event in fifth place. South Burlington placed third in the expe rienced four-oar event.

CVU held the top position in the first six-oar event with a decisive victory.

The boats used by Vermont teams, as well as some used by other competitors, were all built in the boat shop at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum by other local middle and high school students.

This rowing season was a team effort by a community of rowers, parents, coaches, donors and dedicated staff at the museum.

If anyone is interested in joining a youth rowing team or supporting this program, learn more at bit.ly/3gDOdZK.

CLASSIFIEDS

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.

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Sanitation Team

This important team helps Rhino to shine! This is a 2nd shift position; shift hours are 2:30PM-10:30PM. In this role, you’ll be trained on following established sanitation standards and procedures including use of chemicals, hot water, heavy equipment and equipment assembly.

Rhino offers weekly pay, bonuses, and benefits to support you and your family. Please see more on these openings on our career page at rhinofoods.com/about-rhino-foods/jobs-and-careers

*Rhino Foods does run sex offender checks on all employees

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/

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

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Champlain Community Services, Inc.

Why not have a job you love?

PHOTO BY NICK PATCH

Champlain Valley Union High School (left) and Mount Abraham Union High School (right) charging toward the finish line of the nautical mile race to win both of their events.

RABIES BAIT continued from page 2

SERVICE DIRECTORY Email judy@otherpapersbvt.com or call 802-864-6670 to place an ad

week-long bait drop is a coopera tive effort between Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services to stop the spread of the potentially fatal disease.

Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals. It is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get rabies.The virus is spread through the bite of an infected animal or contact with its

saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost 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.

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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 face burne-Hinesburg head the Golf depending land. Rotary’s Piano Lessons Edward Darling South Burlington 802-318-7030

Piano and Composition Lessons Give the gift of music-making Basic, intermediate - children, teens, adults National Keyboard Arts Curriculum References, scholarships available Edward Darling, So. Burlington edwardjohndarling@gmail.com • 802-318-7030

Remote and In-Person Lessons

ARIES

March 21 - April 20

This week no one can help you but yourself, Aries. You have to gure out a way to get to the bottom of a problem on your own. But then the reward will be twice as sweet.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

There are a few obstacles in your path this week, Taurus. But nothing you can’t get around. If you have a few people help you out, your work will be even easier to manage.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

Gemini, when a current plan of attack isn’t working out quite right, you may have to approach it from a different direction. A new angle can bring with it a new perspective.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

You may need to push yourself a little further this week to make up for lost time, Cancer. Hunker down and get things done. There’s

rest to have on the other side of the effort.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 23

Turning a blind eye to a certain situation will not make it go away, Leo. It will only postpone the inevitable, which is getting it handled. Don’t procrastinate any longer.

VIRGO

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

Others may not want to hear the truth, but you’re still going to offer it up, Virgo. Forge ahead even if you may lose some friends in the process.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

Think twice before you act this week, Libra. It’s easy to take the path ahead right now, but there may be some other way to go that could prove more rewarding in the long run.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Scorpio, you are looking for a change but you don’t know what that should be just yet. You may have to try on a few

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!

CROSSWORD

different shoes before you nd the right t.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 23 - Dec. 21

Sagittarius birthday season is in full swing right now, so you are in a festive mood. That will continue right into the holidays, when you may be the life of the party.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

Capricorn, you can change if you want to. It just requires a little effort right now to gure out the path you want to take. Brainstorm a few ideas and you can nd a goal.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18

Keeping secrets will only work for so long. Aquarius. Sooner or later the truth will be revealed and you will need to come clean. Take the high road from the start.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

After a few bumps, you nd your groove, Pisces. Supervisors will recognize your efforts and perhaps give you the notice you deserve.