The Other Paper - 5-18-23

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the South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977

Sail away

The Northern Vermont

Maine

against 14 Maine high school teams. Emaline Ouellette of Stowe and Lex Gerlack of South Burlington in bow number two lead the fleet off the start. They won two of the 11 races and finished 4th overall. Established in 1997, the Community Sailing Center hosts the only high school sailing team in Vermont. All students from area high schools (public or private) and home schools who have sailing experience and are in good standing at their school are welcome as team members. The team practices three to five days a week after school, with weekend regattas both at home and away.

SoBu housing boom continues in city center

More than 200 more residential units could soon be built in South Burlington’s City Center under plans proposed by Snyder-Braverman, a Shelburne-based residential development company with a large presence in the city, who has proposed building three mixeduse buildings off Garden Street.

If approved, the development of the property would include the connection of Garden and Market streets via a new city street cutting through the property. Currently, drivers who take Garden Street to stop at Trader Joes or Healthy Living do not have access to the road.

The application still has a way

to go with the city’s development review board, and only submitted its sketch plan application to the board on May 2. But it represents a continued development in South Burlington’s City Center — the city’s downtown hub where shovels have already broken ground on several other residential developments.

“As I sit here at City Hall, I can hear construction happening next door on Market Street — fascinating earth movers and excavators and many, many of our hardworking neighbors are laboring each day to realize the community’s vision for our new downtown,” Jessie Baker, South Burlington’s

See HOUSING on page 20

Burton-Higher Ground litigation awaits ruling from judge

Plans to buildout a performing arts center at Burton’s Queen City Park Road headquarters remain tied up in environmental court as

Burlington and South Burlington neighbors next to the facility claim it would have negative effects on their quality of life.

More than three years after the music venue was first proposed, Burton and Higher Ground are

still awaiting approval for both local zoning and Act 250 permits. Both were appealed by a group of residents, the Citizens for Responsible Zoning, and both cases were argued in Vermont Superior Court in April.

POWER SALAD, Anyone?

Post-trial memos are due on June 5, and Superior Court Judge Mary Teachout is expected to issue a ruling this summer, said James Dumont, the attorney representing the group.

“Our group’s concern is that

Fresh Greens, Tofu, Roasted Carrots & Broccoli, Hemp Seeds

the impact on South Burlington resources will be significant, (as well as) the inadequacy of permit conditions put in place to protect

See HIGHER GROUND on page 23

PHOTO BY ALAN OUELLETTE

High School Sailing Team sent four teams of two sailors to Sail

in Portland on May 14 to compete

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

Good news

Community newspapers win New England press awards

TOMMY GARDNER STAFF WRITER

The Vermont Community Newspaper Group took home several top journalism and advertising design awards — including the top prize for the Stowe Guide & Magazine — at an annual New England newspaper contest.

The Better Newspaper Competition, hosted by the New England Newspaper and Press Association, was held in Waltham, Mass., on Saturday, as part of the weeklong New England Newspaper Convention.

Newspaper group publisher and editor Greg Popa won first place for the Stowe Guide & Magazine in the competition’s Best Niche Publication category. The Guide had previously placed first in the same category from 2010-2022, with one third place showing.

“We are fortunate to have such a talented group of writers and photographers who provide content for our magazine — many of whom also write and shoot pictures for our newspapers,” Popa said. “These continued first-place awards are really a testament to their skill and talent. I’m proud of them all and feel fortunate to work alongside them.”

Journalism awards

Among the competition’s first place journalism awards, the judges recognized two different reports of a devastating fire that destroyed the Percy family’s iconic Stowe dairy barn in early 2022. Aaron Calvin won first place in the General News Story category for his Stowe Reporter story “130 cows, historic barn lost in Percy farm fire.”

Rob Kiener placed first in the Human Interest Feature Story category for “A town responds,” which covered the aftermath of the Percy farm fire for the magazine.

Also winning a top spot was Tommy Gardner – first place in Crime and Courts Reporting for his News & Citizen series about an Elmore man who killed his wife and himself.

The newspapers also won numerous second- and third-place reporting awards:

• Gardner tied — with himself — for second place in the Business/Economic Reporting category. The stories were “Dairy dazed: Farmers look past Horizon,” a series about dairy farmers left in the lurch by a national organic dairy conglomerate; and “Liquor merchants educate customers on Russian vodka ban,” a story about how Vermont stores pulled the product from their

shelves in the early days of the war with Ukraine.

• Gardner placed second in the Sports Story category with “Raiders repeat as tennis champs,” about the Stowe High School girls’ tennis team beating South Burlington two years in a row.”

• A Stowe Reporter series about the traffic jams last winter along Mountain Road garnered Gardner a silver in the Transportation Reporting category.

• Gardner finished second to Kiener in the same Human Interest Feature Story category with “A Buffalo Man,” a Guide story about a New York guy who dressed in a dirndl and traveled to Trapp Family Lodge for Oktoberfest.

• Avalon Styles-Ashley, a former reporter for The Other Paper, won second place in the category Racial, Ethnic or Gender Issue Coverage for her reporting in the OP on a former South Burlington High School teacher under investigation for racial harassment.

• Kiener placed second in Arts & Entertaining Reporting for his Guide piece, “Man of Steel,” about sculptor David Stromeyer.

CHARTER COMMITTEE

• Should South Burlington have a Mayor?

• Should South Burlington expand its City Council and/or School Board?

• Should South Burlington elect City Councilors and/or School Directors by District?

• Or should they run City-Wide/at-Large?

The Charter Committee would like your feedback!

Learn more about the Charter Committee’s efforts to date: tinyurl.com/sbgov

Complete a survey on possible governance structures for South Burlington: tinyurl.com/sbgovsurvey

And participate in the upcoming community forum!

• May 25, 2023 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the Auditorium at 180 Market Street

• Styles-Ashley and Calvin shared a third-place award in the Health Reporting category for “Staffing shortage creates disparity in nursing pay,” an in-depth look at hospitals’ reliance on traveling nurses that ran in all Vermont Community Newspaper Group publications.

• Calvin won third place in the Obituaries category for his Stowe Reporter piece “Marvin Moriarty remembered: Olympic skier, bar brawler, fashion influencer,” the title of which really tells it all.

• Calvin placed third in Government Reporting for his News & Citizen coverage of the drama behind the scenes at Cambridge’s Varnum Memorial Library.

• Calvin’s series of News & Citizen stories about the village of Johnson refusing to divulge information about upheaval in the water and light department resulted in a third-place finish in the Right-to-Know category. The newspaper also won a victory by prevailing in a public records lawsuit against the village.

The Stowe Reporter, News & Citizen and Stowe Guide & Magazine also collected a passel of second- and third-place photography awards.

Photographer Gordon Miller collected the most awards, earning awards for Spot News (the Percy barn fire); General News

(kids on a slip-and-slide); Feature Photo (an angler fly fishing in the mist); and two different Portrait Photo entries (a primitive biathlete competitor and a self-portrait of artist Jamie Rauchman).

• Paul Rogers got second place in the Photo Story category for “Man of Steel.”

• Nathanael Asaro took third in the Pictorial Photo category for a photo of “Mystical Mansfield.”

• Publisher Popa was in the right spot at the right time to snap a third-place Spot News photo of a truck stuck in Smugglers Notch.

Advertising design

The Stowe Reporter and News & Citizen production design team also took home several awards, matching the newsroom in the number of first-place awards, with four.

The team won first place in the Themed Multiple Advertiser Page(s) category for the popular Stowe Reporter section “What’s on the menu?” And the team also won Best Holiday Ad for Wolcott Garage’s ad in News & Citizen.

Production manager Katerina Hrdlicka got first in Best Real Estate Ad for her work with Academy Mortgage Company. Designer Kristen Braley won for Automotive Display Ad for her work with Lamoille Valley Chevrolet, located between the roundabouts in Hyde Park and Morrisville.

The designers won second and third place awards in the following categories.

• The design staff with Advertiser Campaign (Body Lounge) in the Stowe Reporter, as well as color Local Display ad for FiveStar.

• In the News & Citizen, the staff got nods for black and white Local Display Ad (Caledonia Fair) and Special Section for RIDE, the annual mountain bike supplement.

• Braley took home four design awards: Best Holiday Ad (Empower MedSpa for Valentine’s Day); black and white Local Display ad (Body Lounge); Real Estate Display Ad (Pall Spera); and Best Health Ad (Empower MedSpa).

• Hrdlicka also nabbed an award in the Advertising Sales Media Kit category for the rate card sent to would-be advertisers.

“It’s great to be recognized by your peers, particularly after the last three years of COVID-19. Hopefully our communities know how hard this team works to serve them,” Popa said.

PHOTO BY LISA LYNN

Tommy Gardner, Kristen Braley and Liberty Darr at last weekend’s New England press association awards.

Holly Rees promoted to city clerk

KAYLYN BILLS COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

Sparkly pink unicorns, Hershey’s kisses wrapped in tie-dye foil and wooden blocks with inspirational quotes wrestle for space with neat stacks of labeled file folders on Holly Rees’ desk.

Rees, director of the South Burlington Recreation and Parks Department, sifted through her to-do pile of papers on a recent weekday morning behind a shiny purple name plate that reads “Girl Boss.” She looked for the agenda for her staff meeting later that day while catching up with her department co-workers, who munched on the Dunkin’ Munchkins she brought them that morning.

Rees has run parks and rec in the city since 2018, but before

that, she worked seasonally for the department for 32 years, starting when she was a summer camp counselor at age 16. On Monday, May 15, Rees was promoted to a new job: South Burlington city clerk.

Rees, 48, has dedicated most of her life to serving the South Burlington community. She organizes city clean-up days and handles the tennis court nets that don’t meet proper standards. She steps in when city soccer coaches don’t show up and addresses vandalism in city parks. Just this month, she had to order new flags to replace the ones at Veterans Memorial Park that were chopped down and stolen — just weeks before the Memorial Day service there.

Soon, she’ll channel those juggling skills into the manage-

ment of the city’s records and communications.

“Holly will do anything for anyone,” said Donna Kinville, the current city clerk, who was elected to the office in 2001. “She’s very optimistic and a very team-oriented go-getter.”

As leader of the parks and rec department, Rees is a constant presence out and about in South Burlington.

“We’re like the spokespeople for the community outside of these walls,” she said. “But really the clerk’s office is the ambassador of the city at city hall.”

Kinville plans to retire this summer and will train Rees on the job, starting Tuesday, May 30. Rees will carry out Kinville’s

Spring rabies vaccine drop on tap

State and federal officials will hold a special bait drop this month to address a local wildlife rabies outbreak in Chittenden County.

This effort is in addition to the statewide bait drop that occurs annually in August. Beginning Thursday, May 11, rabies vaccine — in the form of a sweet-smelling oral bait that is attractive to raccoons and skunks — will be dropped from a low-flying helicopter and placed by hand in residential areas.

Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals and without post-exposure treatment is fatal to both humans and animals. In Vermont, rabies is usually seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats and woodchucks, but pets and livestock can also get the disease if they have not been vaccinated for rabies. The virus is spread primarily through the bite of an infected animal.

Since March 2022, 28 animals tested positive for rabies in Chittenden County, including 19 raccoons, seven skunks and two bats. In October, U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services responded to the uptick by hand vaccinating more than 700 raccoons, skunks and foxes before releasing them back into the wild.

“We typically expect to see only one or two rabid animals in Chittenden County in a year, most commonly in bats,” Natalie Kwit, state public health veterinarian for the Vermont Health Department, said. “This bait drop will help prevent further spread of rabies among wildlife, protecting people and domestic animals who may come into contact with them.”

Officials are still learning why more animals are testing positive

for rabies but said ample alternative food sources in urban areas like greater Burlington present challenges in enticing the animals to eat the oral vaccine.

The spring oral rabies vaccine bait distribution will continue through approximately Friday, May 19, in Chittenden County.

Residents of Colchester, Malletts Bay, Starr Farm Beach and the New North End of Burlington, Milton, Brookside and Essex may see low-flying helicopters dropping the bait. This effort will distribute approximately 37,800 baits before being repeated in August as part of a larger rabies baiting project.

The bait packs are not poisonous and are not harmful to people, pets or wildlife. If you find a bait pack, please don’t touch it unless necessary. Leave the bait undisturbed so it can be eaten by wildlife. If the bait must be moved, use gloves or a plastic bag. If your pet eats a bait, or if a child brings one home, let officials know by call-

ing the Vermont Rabies Hotline at 1-800-4-RABIES (1-800-4722437) or call the toll-free number printed on the bait.

If you are bitten by an animal, wash the wound very well with soap and water and contact your health care provider immediately.

If your pet or farm animal was bitten by a wild or stray animal that might have rabies, contact your veterinarian. State law requires dogs and cats to be vaccinated for rabies — even barn cats. Always feed pets inside the house and keep them indoors at night. If they are outdoors during the day, keep them on a leash or in an enclosed space. Pets that roam free are more likely to be exposed to rabies.

If you see a wild or stray animal acting strangely, or are concerned about rabies exposure, call the Vermont Rabies Hotline. Do not touch or pick up wild or stray animals — even baby animals — or try to make them into pets.

To learn more about rabies in Vermont, visit bit.ly/3O27O47.

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CRIME & COURTS

South Burlington Police Blotter

South Burlington

Police Blotter: May 7-14

Agency / public assists: 25

Suspicious event: 22

Directed patrol: 19

Disturbance: 16

Alarm: 15

Welfare check: 14

Noise violation: 10

Traffic stop: 9

Motor vehicle complaint: 7

Trespass: 7

Retail theft: 7

Unlawful mischief: 5

Animal problem: 5

Larceny from motor vehicle: 5

Accident: property damage: 5

Total incidents: 251

Arrests:

May 13 at 7:50 a.m., James R. Falkenbush, 50, of Williston, was arrested for bad checks on White Street.

May 12 at 2 p.m., Zachariah R. Parker, 45, of Swanton, was arrested for aggravated operation without the owner’s consent and possession of stolen property on Dorset Street.

May 11 at 6:57 p.m., Jerricka C. Maynard, 29, of Winooski, was arrested for retail theft on Dorset Street.

the

May 10 at 11:04 p.m., a 13-year-old was arrested for simple assault on Dorset Street.

May 10 at 10:20 p.m., Robert W. Harris, 63, of South Burlington, was arrested for violating an abuse prevention order on Shelburne Road.

May 10 at 10:20 p.m. Monique L. Lafountaine, 38, of Williston, was arrested for violating an abuse prevention order on Shelburne Road.

May 10 at 7:35 a.m., Joseph W. Wright, 45, of Syracuse, N.Y., was arrested for violating conditions of release on Shelburne Road.

May 10 at 7:35 a.m., Ashley R. Skidmore, 36, address unknown, was arrested for unlawful trespass on Dorset Street.

May 10 at 12:33 a.m., Ashley R. Skidmore, 36, address unknown, was arrested for violating conditions of release on Dorset Street.

May 9 at 2 p.m., a 13-year-old was arrested for felony unlawful mischief on Swift Street and

Speaker picks LaLonde to chair state impeachment committee

MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

Rep. Martin LaLonde, D-South Burlington, has been named to chair the seven-member committee investigating possible charges for wrongdoing against Franklin County State’s Attorney John Lavoie and Sheriff John Grismore.

LaLonde, a lawyer, chairs the House Committee on Judiciary.

Rep. Mike McCarthy, D-St. Albans will serve as the vicechair of the tri-partisan committee. McCarthy chairs the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs.

The other Franklin County appointee is Rep. Carolyn Branagan, R-Georgia — one of two Republicans on the committee. She is a former state senator. The other Republican is Rep. Tom Burditt of West Rutland. He is vice-chair of House judiciary.

The other two Democrats are Rep. Matt Birong of Vergennes, vice chair of House Committee

on Government Operations, and Rep. Karen Dolan of Essex Junction.

The final member is Rep. Kelly Pajala, I-South Londonderry.

House Speaker Jill Krowinski made the appointments public on Tuesday morning. She said she thought the appointees bring a wealth of experience and dedication to the Special Committee on Impeachment Inquiry.

“Their expertise in legislative matters, legal affairs, and commitment to upholding the integrity of Vermont’s law enforcement system will be invaluable in conducting a comprehensive and unbiased investigation,” she said.

She did not say why separate committees are not being used. The inquiries are for separate issues.

Grismore has been charged with simple assault on an intoxicated prisoner who was handcuffed and shackled to the floor at the sheriff’s office in St. Albans.

Lavoie is facing claims from

an investigation into improper and insensitive comments made about staff members or in front of the employees.

There has not been an impeachment in Vermont since 1976 when the Senate rejected the charges filed by the House against the Washington County sheriff.

“The committee will diligently review all relevant evidence, interview witnesses and carefully assess the allegations against Sheriff Grismore and State’s Attorney Lavoie. Their primary objective is to ensure justice and maintain the public’s trust in the legal institutions that serve the people of Franklin County and the entire state of Vermont,” Krowinski said. “It is imperative to note that the Special Committee on Impeachment Inquiry operates independently from other branches of government and will conduct its proceedings under established protocols and laws. Krowinski encouraged citizens with relevant information to come forward.

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

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Billing inquiries Leslie Lafountain leslie@stowereporter.com (802) 253-2101

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

SB businessman pleads guilty in federal gun, drug case

MIKE DONOGHUE CORRESPONDENT

A South Burlington businessman and landlord has pleaded guilty to lying to a licensed gun dealer during the purchase of a firearm that he intended to provide a drug dealer last year, federal court records show.

Keith Aaron, 52, admitted to the crime during a hearing in U.S. District Court in Burlington last Friday. He signed a seven-page plea agreement with the prosecution.

Aaron made false and fictitious written statements while buying a Canik 9-mm handgun at the Powderhorn Outdoors Sports Center in Williston on May 18, 2022, records show.

Aaron has shown a poor history of complying with court orders, including multiple reports of drug use while on pre-trial release, records show, and he was initially detained after his arrest last November because the prosecution noted he abused multiple controlled substances.

Under the agreement, Aaron faces up to a maximum of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release after his discharge and up to a $250,000 fine.

However, if Aaron follows through with his agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the

government cut him a deal to recommend him for the Federal Drug Court in Burlington.

Judge Christina Reiss told Aaron there was no guarantee that he would get to enroll in Drug Court and ordered a pre-sentence report to learn more about Aaron’s life and his business dealings.

She set the sentencing for Aug. 28.

In the meantime, Reiss agreed to release Aaron pending his admission again to Valley Vista, a residential drug treatment rehabilitation center in Bradford once a bed was available.

Aaron said he believes this will be his last chance to have a relationship with his sick father, who said he didn’t want to be his business partner if he remained in trouble.

Aaron also said he and his wife are getting back together. He told the court that staying clean is his top priority and that his time in detention helped him to focus on

what matters.

“I’ve decided it was time to grow up,” he told the judge. He also said he was selling off his properties. “I’m not cocky anymore.”

Aaron, who operates Bing Enterprises, falsely claimed on the gun purchase form that he was the actual buyer of the firearm to deceive the licensed dealer, the indictment said.

Assistant U.S. attorney John Boscia, deputy chief of the criminal division, told the judge the gun was intended for Tajon Lytch, 33, who reportedly needed protection.

Winooski police recovered the gun when officers responded to a domestic complaint on East Allen Street in July 2022, Boscia said. Winooski officers responded about 4:14 a.m. following a complaint from the female victim. It came about two hours after another complaint from an anony-

Shelburne Road.

May 7 at 11 p.m., Sonja L. Potter, 44, of South Burlington, was arrested for aggravated disorderly conduct and noise in the nighttime on Farrell Street.

May 7 at 4:54 p.m., Gregory P. Barreda, 47, of Burlington, was arrested for assault and robbery and felony unlawful trespass on Lime Kiln Road.

Selected incidents:

May 7 at 9:12 a.m., police are looking into a report of a larceny from a structure on Shelburne Road.

May 7 at 5:53 p.m., a suspicious event was reported on Market Street.

May 7 at 10:02 p.m., a disturbance was investigated on Hinesburg Road.

May 8 at 2:05 p.m., someone broke into a vehicle and took some items on Duval Street.

May 8 at 4:51 p.m., another larceny from a home, this time on Bay Crest Drive, was reported.

May 8 at 5:29 p.m., police tres-

passed someone on Williston Road.

May 9 at 11:22 p.m., a burglary is under investigation from an incident on Dorset Street.

May 9 at 4:29 a.m., a noise disturbance was reported from Farrell Street.

May 9 at 6:05 a.m., police took a report of someone violating their restraining order on Dorset Street.

May 10 between 8:53 and 10:14 a.m., police were called for four suspicious events on Logwood Street, Farrell Street and two incidents on Dorset Street.

May 10 at 7:59 a.m., a report of domestic assault on Logwood Street.

May 10 at 7:21 p.m., police investigated a drug possession incident on Williston Road.

May 11 at 5:41 a.m., police performed a directed patrol on Pheasant Way.

May 11 at 9:12 a.m., a report of stalking on Timber Lane.

May 11 at 9:42 a.m., someone reported illegal dumping on

Midas Drive.

May 12 at 9:35 p.m., someone was reported to have overdosed on Scotsdale Road.

May 12 at 3:28 p.m., a disturbance was reported on Country Club Drive East.

May 12 at 3:40 p.m., threats were investigated on Hinesburg Road.

May 12 at 4:25 p.m., a juvenile problem was reported on Victoria Drive.

May 12 at 5:59 p.m., animal bites person on Bayberry Lane.

May 13 at 6:36 p.m., police conducted an operation with youth services on Irish Farm Road.

May 13 at 11:10, police were called out for a noise complaint on Garden Street. A second noise complaint came in from the same address at 3:18 a.m.

May 14 at 2:48 p.m., problem animal on Community Drive.

May 14 at 10:57 p.m., police checked in on a report of a suicidal person on Lime Kiln Road.

“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.”

— Eugenia A. P. Cowles

BLOTTER

continued from page 4

See AARON on page 20

OPINION

City council tackles ARPA funds, wetlands, climate

Councilor Corner

Andrew Chalnick

I am excited to submit my inaugural Councilor’s Corner article. It has been a busy and productive few months.

One highlight was attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony for 303 Market St., a project that will bring 61 new rental units to city center and make significant progress in addressing our shortage of workforce housing. As the bicycle and pedestrian network is built out, it will be exciting to see how these new tenants utilize it, contributing to a vibrant and diverse city center.

I was also honored to attend the fire department’s badge and installation ceremony for new officers and firefighters and was grateful to be able to recognize these dedicated, hard-working men and women and their families.

The council recently consid-

ered and approved for public hearing a modification of the Class II wetlands buffer boundary for pre-existing small and medium-sized lots. After interim zoning, these lots became subject to the newly expanded 100-foot wetland buffer, rather than the 50-foot buffer around which these lots were designed. The modification — if enacted — would revert the buffer to 50 feet for these smaller, pre-existing lots.

Discussions about how to allocate the remaining $2-millionplus in American Rescue Plan Act funds have been ongoing, and while no decisions have been made, robust dialogue has identified several worthwhile opportunities.

The council has also been actively engaged at the state level, trying to ensure that the omnibus housing bill does not inadvertently override important natural resource protections that South Burlington and other towns have established.

As of this writing, I am pleased to report that the House passed an amended version of the bill that includes changes requested by South Burlington that should preserve natural resource designations.

Near and dear to my heart is moving this city forward on its climate action goals.

Accompanying the recent release of the first comprehensive Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report from the United Nations since the 2015 Paris Agreement, the U.N. Secretary General said “today’s IPCC report is a how-to guide to defuse the climate time bomb. It is a survival guide for humanity ... This is a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe … In short, our world needs climate action on all fronts — everything, everywhere, all at once.”

These are chilling words. Fortunately, the city now has a Climate Action Plan that details the actions we need to take to

do our part to address climate change. One of the key strategies for achieving or climate targets is the electrification of heating and transportation.

Toward this end, the city enacted an ordinance requiring all new construction to use renewable energy as the primary energy source for heating systems. To help ensure the new ordinance is successful, I anticipate that the city will host in early June a forum for professionals to learn about the requirement, discuss design considerations and hear about best installation practices.

Meeting electrification targets will necessitate significant additions of new carbon-free energy. To accomplish this, the climate plan contemplates the city adding, by 2050, at least another 63k MWh of new renewable energy capacity to our existing 22k MWh of capacity.

South Burlington already requires solar-ready zones for new commercial building and the city council recently considered and scheduled for a public hearing a

new ordinance to require that new commercial buildings install solar energy systems that maximize the use of their solar ready zones. There are exceptions for buildings that are shaded, that already have an on-site renewable energy system or that are just not suited for solar because of obstructions or other factors.

Exceptions would be made for systems that would otherwise be relatively small. Also, systems would not need to produce more energy than a building would reasonably be expected to use.

Committing to work toward the ambitious renewable energy targets set out in the Climate Action Plan will also allow the city to receive a determination of energy compliance from the state under Act 174, affording the city “substantial deference” with respect to both its land conservation measures and specific policies adopted by the city with respect to siting of renewable energy facilities.

I look forward to continuing to work on climate action and other city priorities and would love to hear any of your ideas.

Andrew Chalnick

Legislature updates laws on mental health and criminal justice

From the House

Rep. Martin LaLonde

During the final weeks of the 2023 legislative session, the House Committee on Judiciary focused on issues related to mental health in the criminal justice system. The committee updated laws related to competency to stand trial and set the stage for opening a forensic facility to secure certain individuals charged with an offense and facing a mental health crisis.

Individuals who have been charged with a criminal offense and are either afflicted with a mental illness or have an intellectual disability may not be competent to stand trial. The central question with competency is the defendant’s mental health status at the time of the trial.

A defendant is incompetent to stand trial if they are unable to understand the criminal charges or are unable to participate meaningfully in their own defense. A person found incompetent to stand trial can be recharged with the crime later if the person regains competency. This differs from a defendant being found not guilty

New Higher Ground a bad fit for SoBu

To the Editor:

During the week week of April 17-21 neighbors individually spent up to 40 hours each in the Vermont Superior Court’s environmental division. The reason? The Citizens for Responsible Zoning was challenging the operating permits issued to Burton Snowboards to operate a 1,500-seat venue for Higher Ground on its property on Queen City Park Road in Burlington.

Our group’s concern is that the impact on South Burlington resources will be significant, and the inadequacy of permit conditions put in place to protect the neighborhoods from noise and traffic.

The noise and traffic engineering studies are based upon modeling that may prove to be unrealistic when applied to real life. The parking lots have a capacity of 426 cars, yet Burton’s own traffic study shows that there will be a minimum of 500 cars for a sold-out show. The proposed venue has 1,500 seats.

When you include the 100 or more people, bar, security, tech, talent as well as Talent Skate Park

by reason of insanity, which concerns their state of mind at the time of the offense rather than at the time of trial.

When a defendant’s competency is raised in a criminal proceeding, a mental health professional must perform a competency evaluation. Currently, it may take months before such an evaluation can be conducted. Such delays have existed for years but were exacerbated during the pandemic.

Having to wait for a competency evaluation impinges on the defendant’s right to a speedy trial. Delays not only hurt defendants, who may end up awaiting trial in prison for a crime they did not commit, but also victims and victim’s family members. People naturally seek closure, and delays on the path to justice may cause further pain and harm.

The Legislature passed S.91 to reduce wait times for the initiation of competency evaluations. At the present time, only a psychiatrist may conduct such evaluations. The bill would expand the availability of examiners by also allowing doctoral level psychologists with training in forensic psychology to conduct competency evaluations.

Letters to the Editor

it becomes a situation where parking is only adequate if all arrivals have three or four people per car. The traffic engineer stated in court that the parking is inadequate by 100 cars. They went on to say that the overflow parking will be the responsibility of the cities of Burlington and South Burlington.

Noise engineers could not conclusively state that bass frequencies will not travel into nearby homes on Central and Maple Avenues, Arthur Court and Redrock condos. When questioned in court, Burton and their representatives said that they would not accept a permit condition that stated they would be in violation of their permits if bass sounds impacted neighbors or if overflow cars were parking in the neighborhoods.

How does this affect South Burlington? From June 2018 to June 2019 — pre-COVID-19, a year with a full concert schedule — South Burlington’s fire and police departments responded to 137 calls to Higher Ground on Williston Road. Overflow parking at Red Rocks Park will bring litter as well as other impacts on this natural area.

In documents presented during the permit application process, Burlington police chief Jon Murad

The bill would limit the circumstances under which a court may order a subsequent competency evaluation. In determining whether to order a subsequent evaluation, the court must consider any clinical evidence provided by the treating physician indicating that the defendant’s competency may have changed. The bill would also permit the court to issue an arrest warrant for a defendant who has received notice of a competency evaluation but failed to appear for it.

Without any repercussions for failure to appear, many defendants do not show up for one or even multiple competency evaluations, at a significant cost to the state, and extending wait times. The bill would additionally ensure that mental health documents are expeditiously shared with the examiner conducting the competency evaluation. These and other provisions will help reduce the waiting time for evaluations, which also will help with the current overall court backlog.

When a defendant is deemed to be incompetent to stand trial, the individual may be committed to the custody of the Department of Mental Health or, if the person has an intellectual disability, to the Department of Aging and Independent Living. Another bill,

S. 89 would lead to the opening of a forensic facility for certain individuals in the custody of those agencies.

The bill puts Vermont on a path to open a facility that would house individuals who have been charged with a violent crime, are deemed not competent to stand trial, and still present a significant risk of danger to themselves or others if not held in a secure setting. The facility would also house individuals who have been adjudicated as not guilty by reason of insanity.

There is general agreement that Vermont needs a forensic facility. Vermont’s system of care does not account for individuals who do not need hospital-level care but do need intensive mental health support, sometimes including involuntary medication. A forensic facility would serve that need.

The bill proposes to locate the nine-bed forensic facility within the existing Vermont Psychiatric

Care Hospital, but several steps must be taken before the facility is ready to house individuals by the summer of 2024. The departments of mental health and aging will start a rule-making process related to the use of restraints or involuntary medication in a forensic facility. Also, a working group will examine whether commitment to a forensic facility is appropriate for Vermonters with intellectual disabilities and, if so, will propose legislation setting forth the procedures and criteria for considering whether individuals should be committed to such a facility.

If you have any questions about this or other issues that the Legislature addressed during the session that ended last week, contact me at 802-863-3086 or at mlalonde@leg. state.vt.us.

Martin LaLonde, a Democrat, represents South Burlington in the Chittenden-12 House district.

specifically said, “The BPD offers it’s unconditional support of Burton’s conditional use application.” A recent article in Seven Days suggests the police staffing is not adequate to police Church Street. How will they patrol or respond to Burton at 2 a.m.? Their unconditional support is likely to only be on paper.

At the current Higher Ground in South Burlington, the tax revenue from the venue ameliorates some of the community impacts. At the proposed location in Burlington’s South End there will be continued impact on South Burlington resources. Hundreds of cars exiting to Queen City Park Road and the intersection at Shelburne Road in the early morning will demand attention. Noise from people going to cars parked both on and off site will disturb neighbors as will bass sounds from the venue.

Your neighbors in the southwest quadrant are looking for both community and municipal support with our concerns over this development.

Wendy Bratt

Doug Goodman

Michael Turner Central Avenue residents South Burlington

Rep. Martin LaLonde

Ascenion Lutheran Church welcomes new pastor

AARON MILLER STAFF WRITER

Rev. Devon Thomas, who served three congregationalist churches in the Lamoille County area, is departing his shared post for one full-time job at Ascension Lutheran Church in South Burlington.

Thomas will end his tenure at the three churches at the end of May before beginning immediately in Chittenden County.

Thomas — known by some as “Rev. Dev” — served as pastor at The Second Congregational Church in Jeffersonville since 2018, and he has also served the congregations at the United Church of Bakersfield and Fairfax. He had previously presided over the Waterville Union Church until 2021 when he had to leave due to budget cuts and moved on to the Hyde Park Congregational Church.

Serving three churches simultaneously, Thomas said, has helped him gain a broader understanding of the church in rural communities and see firsthand the way communities look out for one another and how they reach out to those in need.

“The thing that I’ve seen across the board is that people really do have good hearts, they want to do what’s best for each other, but

we don’t always know how to do that,” Thomas said. “So, it’s good to have folks who are sort of keeping an eye out and trying to actively lift people up. I hope that the churches that I serve will continue to do that in some shape or form. You don’t need to do it perfectly, but I just hope they keep doing it.”

A third-generation minister born in Connecticut, Thomas has spent most of his life in Vermont and grew up in Underhill. With the Green Mountain State consistently clocking in as one of the least religious in the nation, he noted that pastors face both the burden of keeping together often small, struggling churches while being free to explore their faith in ways they might not be able to in other places more confined by tradition.

“You’re really on the front line of that struggle to keep churches alive in our communities, and you see the things that people are struggling with and struggling with connecting to our communities in a way that makes people want to be engaged,” he said.

In his five years in the threechurch rotation, Thomas was forced to pivot to remote services and to help shepherd his churches through the social upheaval of 2020, navigating contentious issues within his congregations following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police offi-

School District navigates contracts for employees

From the School Board

Alex McHenry

One of the most important roles of the school board is to negotiate contracts with the three bargaining units in the district: the South Burlington Educators Association (teachers), SBEA Support Professional Unit (support staff) and the South Burlington Administrators Association (principals and activities director).

strike can be stressful for those in and around the education community, but it is important to remember that negotiators on all sides are caring adults who are putting in their best efforts, often as volunteers, to help make our schools the best they can be at a cost the community is willing to pay. There is no bad guy, and negotiators respect one another.

cer that renewed the outcry against racism in the justice system.

“Some people, in response to a lot of the social issues, wanted to dive right in, and I was right on board with that, but other people wanted to stay out of it. There were a lot of the conversations that were coming up, and they were not conversations that some people in the church wanted to have,” Thomas said.

To navigate during this turbulent time, Thomas turned to issues of poverty, affordability and housing to engage churchgoers in good works that everyone could connect with and support, which led him to form more of a relationship with homelessness aid organizations in Hyde Park and Morrisville.

“When the pandemic hit, it forced a lot of people to see the things that were working in our communities, and the things that people really wanted to talk about in our communities and the things that people didn’t want to talk about,” Thomas said.

While he said he’ll miss the rolling hills of Lamoille County, Thomas has married and started a family in the time since he started here five years ago, and when the opportunity to serve one community full-time and enjoy health benefits, he knew he had to take it.

Melody Tobin, a member of the Jeffersonville church, said they’re

Contracts with bargaining units usually span one-to-three years, with longer contracts rare. Usually both sides of a negotiating group aim for multi-year contracts, but when time is short or there is a desire to negotiate future years later, a one-year contract may be the most that can be agreed upon. The advantage of a multi-year contract is the peace of mind that comes with knowing the expenses and incomes in future years. Multiyear contracts can also help the district by making budget development more predictable. When negotiations begin there is often mutual optimism about working together for a contract. This optimism doesn’t disappear, but having to face competing issues of cost and benefit of salaries and benefits can turn the tone from optimistic to contentious. When it appears that there is too much difference between the two sides, a mediator may be called in to help reach an agreement.

If mediation doesn’t bring the sides to an agreement with teachers or administrators, the board could vote to impose a contract for one year. The teachers’ and administrators’ bargaining units may vote to strike, and support staff bargaining units may enter binding arbitration with an outside party.

Reading about contentious negotiations and the threat of a

waiting for the church’s deacon to return from vacation before determining how they will proceed with recruiting a new pastor, or if they’ll continue sharing one with the Hyde Park church.

Tobin said the church was well led by Thomas, and although it was tough to see him go the congregation wished him and his family well.

“I will miss the warmth,

When negotiations do get contentious, the subject of finding a better way to settle contracts is often discussed. Other states have different models from Vermont’s strike and imposition model, such as binding arbitration, in which a neutral party hears from both sides and settles the differences with both sides required to accept it. The disadvantage to that model is the unpredictability of the arbitrator’s decision.

In the past several months the board has negotiated agreements with the teachers’ and support staff units that cover the remainder of the current school year and the next two years. In these agreements both sides made concessions and earned gains that were acceptable to both sides.

The board gained concessions from the teachers’ union of more modest current-year salary increases that will allow greater salary increases in our support staff unit. This goal was especially important due to support staff being paid less than their peers in neighboring districts, which has led to increased turnover and inconsistency that hampers student success.

The board has been working with the administrators’ unit since the fall. We hope to wrap up before July 1, when the new contract year begins.

welcome and compassion ‘Rev Dev’ offered all who attended his services,” Kathy Johnson, a member of the Jeffersonville church and Cambridge community columnist for the News & Citizen said. “It didn’t matter if the attendance was weekly or once a year, in-person or virtual, the feeling of inclusion was the same. This was particularly true, and important, during COVID.”

Alex McHenry is the chair of the South Burlington School Board.

PHOTO BY GORDON MILLER

As pastor of the Waterville Union Church and the Second Congregational Church of Jeffersonville, Rev. Devon Thomas holds a riverside baptismal service in the Lamoille River in Cambridge in 2018.

May is bike month:

Speed

May is National Bike Month. Here are seven tips to help get you get a jump on this year’s cycling season.

Commute

Friday, May 19, is bike to work day and May 15-21 is bike to work week. Set yourself up for commuting success by scoping out your route and time yourself before you biking on a school or workday.

Even one day a week of non-car use cuts down on traffic and reduces greenhouse gas. To level up, invite or challenge co-workers, neighbors and friends to join you. Beware, the endorphins and joy of regular biking can be habit forming and your car may get left behind.

Family rides

South Burlington Bike and Pedestrian Committee and recreation department members have mapped out three rides for families: The Almost Level Route, Tour du Playground and Bike to Hike. Maps and directions are available on the city website at bit.ly/41OZXe1. Pack a picnic or favorite games to enjoy on your outing.

The Almost Level Route is one large 14-mile loop, made of smaller loops of approximately two miles each. To accommodate newer cyclists, stick with the shorter loops.

Tour du Playground links five playgrounds along 6-9 miles, your rest stops are pre-planned for you. Bike to Hike loops through wooded areas in city center and connects to the Awasiwi trail. For extra fun, let kids use the maps and lead adults.

Sharing

Sharing truly is caring. If you are a cyclist, use hand signals, follow the rules of the road and act predictably. Equip your bike with a bell, rearview mirror and lights to help you see and be noticed and safe. Wear bright colors and a helmet when out on the road and try to make eye contact with motorists before crossing at intersections.

When sharing the road with motor vehicles, cyclists should stay to the right and travel single file, but they are allowed the entire driving lane when they need it such as when turning or navigating unsafe shoulder conditions. If you are driving, expect to encounter people on bikes sharing the road and provide a minimum of three feet when you are passing. You may need to wait a short time before safely overtaking someone who is riding and even slow down.

For cyclists, call out to pedestrians when you are passing or ring your bell. Pedestrians should avoid zoning out with earbuds when on the shared-use path. Listen for the cyclists who call out and kindly move to your right.

Speed is fun, many of us like it, some of us really love it. Part of sharing and safety is being mindful of speed. Cyclists, slow down when you pass pedestrians. This gives pedestrians time to respond to your call and improves their comfort and safety. Drivers should slow down for everyone. A car striking a pedestrian at 40 mph has an 85 percent chance of killing that person, at 20 mph, the chance drops to 20 percent. Slower speeds and attentive driving are literally lifesaving. Drive like your loved ones are the cyclists and pedestrians you share the road with.

Connect

South Burlington has approximately 24 miles of shared use path. With the Penny 4 Paths initiative we continue to improve path connectivity, you might be surprised where you can get to by bike. Can you find routes to shopping, dining, Veterans Park or a friend’s house? Feeling more adventurous? Try a trip to Pine Street in Burlington or the Colchester Causeway. Savor the freedom and free parking of being car-less.

Art Hop

Thanks to the work of Katie O’Brien-Barritt and other artists, South Burlington is home to more than 50 decorative utility boxes. The locations of these and other art installations are mapped out for you on the city website bit.ly/3NqFSX3. Take in a leisurely ride through the city’s outdoor gallery. Pause and admire the art. What details do you see when you have time to stop and look instead of driving past?

Learn

The library is sponsoring a do-it-yourself bike maintenance for safe riding event on Saturday, May 20, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This workshop, geared for teens and adults will focus on the mechanical aspects of a bike important for safe riding. There will be a demo and time for questions. In August, the library will host Local Motion’s e-bike lending program for library card holders.

I hope these ideas allow you to create great bike adventures. Happy cycling, be safe and have fun.

Havaleh Gagne is chair of the bicycle and pedestrian committee. She has lived in South Burlington since 2008 and can often be seen biking with her dog Murphy.

Clean & Green is a regular feature, initiated and managed by the South Burlington Energy Committee, and will feature a variety of perspectives from members of city committees and commissions, city staff and outside organizations on environmental issues facing the city.

Drop the keys, leave the car in the garage and get pedaling

COURTESY PHOTO

Diane Von Furstenberg, Shoshanna, Alice & Olivia, Shona Joy, Trina turk, Halston, Hutch, Julie Vos, Monique L'huillier, Toccin, Mac Duggal, Ted Baker, Joseph ribkoff, soia & kyo...

Business Notes

Duo

launches ReFrame

Lab to help business thrive

South Burlington resident

Peter Plumeau and Michelle Hobbs have launched ReFrame Lab LLC, a consulting partnership that helps private, public and nonprofit organizations unlock their full potential and achieve greater success.

ReFrame Lab helps leaders ask the right questions to identify the right problems to solve with a “blend of design thinking, leadership and strategic management,” according to a press release. “We provide clients with solutions to

the day-to-day challenges associated with growth and guides leaders and teams to more effective strategic alignment of resources, processes and investments.”

Hobbs and Plumeau founded ReFrame Lab to leverage their combined 55 years of experience in leadership, strategy and design to focus on improving organizational performance and maximizing success.

“We’re excited to help organizations unlock their full potential to solve their most complex challenges,” said Hobbs.

For more information, visit reframelab.co.

SELF LOVE

Supporting families

Community Notes

Burlington Garden Club awards annual scholarships

On April 25, the Burlington Garden Club presented two University of Vermont seniors, Aiyanna Vargo and Abby Chastaine, each with a $500 scholarship award. Aiyanna Vargo and Abby Chastaine have been studying horticulture, landscape design and soil science under the direction of professor Mark Starrett.

They have been working at Clausen’s Nursery in Colchester for several years and recognizing their dedication and service, owner Chris Conant completed the ceremony by delivering two floral bouquets.

Burlington Garden Club scholarship chairwoman Margaret Bartholomew said both students plan to stay in Vermont.

Touch base with schools at Donuts and Discussion

The South Burlington School District invites the community for Donuts and Discussion on the third Friday of every month at its central offices, 577 Dorset St., from 9-10 a.m.

Join the superintendent and school board members for conversation, coffee and doughnuts this month on Friday, May 19.

Age Well hosts Grab and Go meal

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, June 13.

The meal will be available for pick up in the parking lot at 72 Church St. from 11 a.m. until noon and are available for anyone 60 or older. Suggested donation is $5.

The menu is meatloaf with brown sauce, mashed potatoes. Mixed vegetables, wheat bread, apple crisp with topping and milk.

To order a meal contact Kathleen at agewellstcath@gmail.com or 802-503-1107. Deadline to order is Wednesday, June 7. If this is a first-time order, provide your name, address, phone number and date of birth.

If you haven’t yet filled out a congregate

meal registration form, bring a completed registration form with you or send one to: Age Well; 875 Roosevelt Highway, Ste. 210, Colchester VT 05446. Forms will be available at meal pick up.

Learn about restaurant tickets to dine at participating restaurants at agewellvt.org.

Talk explores role of ‘elite’ women and ‘ business of slavery’

Ethan Allen Homestead Museum offers the talk “Elite Women in the Business of Slavery” on Sunday, May 21, at 1 p.m.

St. Michael’s College professor Dr. Alexandra Garrett explores how socially elite women of the revolutionary and early federal eras participated in commercial enterprises through the institution of slavery.

Admission is free. The talk will also be available via Zoom. Go to ethanallenhomestead.org to register.

Register now: basinharbor.com/news-events/5k/

COURTESY PHOTO

Margaret Bartholomew of the Burlington Garden Club with scholarship winners Aiyanna Vargo and Abby Chastaine.

Come join Basin Harbor on Saturday, June 17th , for a great 5K race along the shores of Lake Champlain. The race begins at 9:00 am.

H ME

O

garden design estate real

The best local guide to home, design, real estate and gardening

Want to get a garden head start? Think cold frames

BONNIE KIRN DONAHUE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT EXTENSION

Utilizing cold frames in early spring is a great way to jump start the vegetable growing season.

Cold frames are wood boxes with slanted, transparent glass or plastic tops that are placed directly on top of the soil in your garden. These boxes allow the sun to filter in, warming the air in the box. This creates a greenhouse-like environment with moist air and warm soil that encourages plant growth.

As the days get warmer, there is a risk that the cold frames could get too hot and damage your plants. To prevent this, the lid can be propped open to help moderate the air temperature. You can keep a thermometer in the box to track the temperature.

If you are germinating seeds — especially warm season crops like tomatoes, peppers and zucchini — try to keep the air temperature between 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Cool season crops like lettuce, spinach and peas prefer air temperatures to be lower, about 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fresh, leafy vegetables like leaf lettuce, spinach, kale, arugula and Swiss chard can be easily grown in cold frames. Seeds can be planted directly into the ground, or in trays set on the soil surface. If your goal is to grow full heads of lettuce or kale in your cold frame, you may not have as much room as you would if you started seedlings.

For seed and plant spacing, check the seed packets or websites. I like planting lettuce seeds densely in rows so that I can eat what I thin out. This also can be done for other leafy greens such as spinach and kale. While it takes patience to thin out and wash the tiny plants, young greens are a delicacy.

Radishes and scallions also are great vegetables to start in cold frames. Simply follow the spacing instructions in the seed packets or plant them in trays. Thinning the plants over time can provide snacks for you. Radishes may not appreciate being transplanted, so consider this if you plan to grow them in containers.

Just like in summer, make sure to water the plants when the soil is dry. You can test this by check-

ing whether the soil is moist at a depth of a quarter inch under the surface. If it is moist, you won’t need to water. If it is dry, it is time to water.

While seed packets may say that leaf lettuce or greens take 50 days or more to mature, if you are happy eating smaller plants, you will have greens to eat much sooner. The same goes for scallions. Radishes will be ready to harvest in as soon as three weeks.

Cold frames can be made from scraps that you may have laying around, including pieces of lumber, old windows (make sure the glass and finishes are lead-free) or a roll of see-through plastic. Check out this resource for tips on how to build your own cold frame: bit.ly/3LCqEf0.

If you’re excited about getting your garden started this year, give cold frames a try, and soon you’ll be eating fresh vegetables out of your garden.

Bonnie Kirn Donahue is a UVM Extension master gardener and landscape architect from central Vermont.

PHOTO BY BERNADETTE KAUFMANN

Leaf lettuce, spinach and other leafy greens easily can be grown in cold frames by planting seeds directly in the ground or in trays set on the soil surface.

Follow these tips and grow great tomatoes

visiting bit.ly/42k5tpl.

A vegetable garden is not complete without tomatoes. Local farm stands will soon be offering a wide selection of tomato transplants for your garden. Try a few different varieties.

Most modern tomato varieties are hybrids. They’re vigorous, tolerant of some diseases and with fruit that are uniform in size and shape. Open-pollinated varieties, including heirlooms, offer a wider range of flavors and colors although they may be more vulnerable to diseases, yield less fruit than hybrids and can be prone to splitting.

Determinate tomato plants are bushy. They grow and flower until they reach three to four feet tall then stop. That condenses the harvest period and limits the need for pruning. You can use small stakes to support them.

Indeterminate varieties grow all season, producing fruit for months. They benefit from early season pruning and tall stakes. Semi-determinate varieties are in-between. They don’t sprawl but aren’t bushy either.

Before planting, a soil test will reveal whether you should add lime and how much fertilizer. You can have your soil tested through the University of Vermont Agricultural and Environmental Testing Lab by

Many garden soils already contain plenty of phosphorus from previous compost, manure or fertilizer use. It’s common to find that only nitrogen and potassium are needed. Tomatoes are heavy feeders of both those nutrients.

Good drainage is important. If your soil tends to be wet, making raised beds can help. Water-logged soil promotes diseases such as Phytophthora that cause root rot.

Crop rotation helps avoid plant diseases. Moving your tomato plot a long distance each year is ideal, but even moving over a few rows can help. If root or leaf diseases are severe, you can skip a year of tomato growing to allow diseases to die off.

Be patient. Planting early usually doesn’t have much benefit, since tomatoes grow slowly when it’s under 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If nights get into the low 50s, the crop may be injured, which shows up as light-colored blotches on the leaves.

Set tomato transplants deeply in the soil, especially if they’re leggy. Roots will form along the stem, so you can bury plants up to the lowest leaves if necessary. Plant late in the day or during cloudy weather to limit transplant shock. Water in well and use

See TOMATOES on page 14

DR. VERN GRUBINGER UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT EXTENSION

TOMATOES

continued from page 13

small stakes if it’s windy.

Watering whenever needed in the summer promotes good growth and helps avoid blossom-end rot of fruit, a calcium deficiency. Since calcium moves with water through the plant, dry soil can lead to a calcium shortage when fruit is forming.

Wet the soil deeply when it doesn’t rain. Sandy soil needs watering every few days. Those with a lot of silt and clay retain moisture longer. Put your hand in the soil to see if it’s drying out. Don’t wait until your plants wilt to irrigate.

Straw, wood chips or plastic mulch reduce evaporation from soil, so less irrigation is needed. Mulch also reduces soil blowing and splashing, which helps prevent leaf diseases such as early blight and Septoria leaf spot. These are promoted by leaf moisture.

Staking, pruning and wide spacing of plants encourage good air movement to keep leaves dry. When watering, don’t wet the foliage.

Prune indeterminate plants to avoid a tomato jungle. Aim for two main stems per plant by pinching off suckers at the base, up to the one below the first flower cluster. Remove suckers when they’re a few inches long to avoid making large wounds.

Cutting plant tops off late in the season will allow green tomatoes to finish ripening before frost but stops most new growth. Determinate plants usually don’t need pruning, but you can keep plants smaller by removing the lowest suckers if you wish.

ANDREA KNEPPER UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT EXTENSION

Basil is an easy-to-grow annual herb that thrives in Vermont summers and has several culinary uses. Many varieties are readily available. Plant some in your garden this summer to enjoy yearround.

Plant basil seeds directly in the garden after all danger of frost has passed and water thoroughly. Enrich the soil before planting with compost. The seeds will germinate quickly, in 5-7 days. Wait until the soil has warmed and air temperatures average in the 70s before planting basil transplants.

Basil loves sun and heat but may need afternoon shade if planted in an exceptionally sunny spot. The plants need to be kept moist but do not overwater as the roots

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are prone to rot. Pinch back leaves once the plant reaches about six inches tall. To do this, look for a point where two leaves branch off from a stem. Clip just above this point. Continue pinching back to encourage bushy growth and leaf production — but avoid harvesting more than one-half of the plant.

Genovese basil, or other sweet basil varieties, are the go-to varieties for pesto. If you end up overrun with basil and want to try something different, try storing some in your freezer. This adds a spicy touch to pasta, soups and vegetables. Any variety can be preserved this way.

To freeze basil, add oil to prevent the leaves from turning black. Trim and clean the leaves. Add the leaves and olive oil to a food processor and process until

the basil is finely chopped. Put the mixture into small ice cube trays to freeze. Remove the cubes when frozen and store them in a freezer-safe container.

Basil also can be dried for later use. Using a food dehydrator preserves the vibrant color. Separate individual leaves along trays and follow the instructions for your dehydrator.

In addition, clean leaves can be dried in the oven. Spread the leaves on parchment-lined baking trays. Set your oven to its lowest temperature setting, below 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Check frequently for dryness and remove when leaves crumble easily.

Some other varieties of basil to try this year are Thai, lemon and cinnamon. All can be grown and dried using the methods described above. However, they have slightly different culinary uses.

Thai basil has a subtle anise or licorice flavor that enhances the flavors of Asian dishes. The fresh leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. Add to salads, stir-frys or simmer in curries. Dried Thai basil can be added to your cooked meals.

Lemon basil has a subtly tangy citrus flavor. Try blending it into salad dressing, using it as a garnish or muddling it in cocktails or lemonade. Lemon basil is best used fresh.

Cinnamon basil is another interesting variety that adds a sweet, cinnamon-y flavor. Fresh or dried leaves can be added to baked goods, steeped for tea and used as a garnish. Try including some cinnamon basil in baked applesauce for a twist on your usual recipe.

View additional resources on growing and using herbs at bit. ly/41rcy6f.

Andrea Knepper is a UVM Extension master gardener.

Dr. Vern Grubinger is a UVM Extension vegetable and berry specialist.

PHOTO BY AXEL MELLON/PIXABAY

Planting tomatoes in late May when temperatures have warmed up will help ensure a healthy crop of juicy red tomatoes in August.

COURTESY PHOTO

Basil is easy to grow and provides a multitude of uses.

Keep forests healthy: Celebrate the nuances

On a recent episode of the “On Being” podcast, journalist Amanda Ripley was quoted as saying “real life is not a bumper sticker.” I was struck by how true this is for forests and for forest management.

As much as we would like to believe that taking care of forests is simple, in truth it is nuanced and complex and often unintuitive. Celebrating nuance means having the courage to go beyond simple narratives and polarities, to ask tough questions about what it means to care for forests at this moment in time.

One example of where nuance is often lacking is in the discussion of mycorrhizal networks, sometimes called “the wood wide web.” Through the research of Dr. Susan Simard and others, it has been shown that these underground fungal networks can connect trees’ root systems, facilitating resource-sharing, communication and a number of other emergent and adaptive properties.

This has led some to anthropomorphize trees — thinking of them as people — and to mythologize forests — thinking of them as utopias. When we do this, we misunderstand the true nature of forests: that mycorrhi-

zal networks are one piece of dynamic and imperfect communities which are defined by resilience, which celebrate death and change, and which need our help. Taking care of forests means having the courage to recognize that they are nothing like us, that it is more powerful to see them as they are than to weave comfortable and convenient narratives around them.

Another discussion that is often missing nuance is the discourse around old growth forests. Old growth forests are amazing: they support biodiversity, store lots of carbon and provide an array of other benefits to forest ecology and to us. Old growth forests are exceedingly rare in Vermont, and there is broad consensus in the conservation community that we need to both protect existing old growth forests and to leave some forests unmanaged to develop into old growth on their own.

Where this discussion gets derailed is when the importance of old growth is taken to mean that forest management is bad, and that the answer to all our problems is to leave forests alone.

Old growth forests are not valuable just because they are old — they are valuable because of the characteristics that they have:

It’s Been A Hell Of A Ride!

AFTER FOUR DECADES

“THE BUGGYMAN” ANTIQUE SHOP HAS CLOSED!

——————————THANK YOU——————————

• To all our customers for their patronage and friendships for the past four decades

• To the thousands of Vermont homes and farms where we bought our antiques and 2,000+ horse-drawn vehicles from • And especially, to the Union Bank for their sage advice and support over the decades — true to their motto: “Stay Local. Go Far.”

SAVE THE DATES! TWO DAYS ONLY!

End of an Era Antiques Auction

AUCTION OF THE BUGGYMAN ANTIQUE SHOP INVENTORY AND “WAREHOUSE TREASURES”!

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

MAY 27-28, 10A.M. TO 3P.M.

On site at The Buggyman, Route 15, Johnson, VT (Preview: May 26, 10a.m. to 3p.m.)

Widely acclaimed as one of the better antiques shops in Vermont and certainly one of the friendliest, Richard Degre “Vermont’s Favorite Country Auctioneer” will be selling furniture from every period: objects of virtue, porcelain, glass, pottery, country smalls, art and wall hangings, lighting, rugs, linens, replace items, military, childhood items, books, ephemera, photography, special estate collection of enterprise, coffee grinders and on and on. The “unusual” — and everything in between — that you would expect to nd in a four-decades-old antiques business, especially so, at “The Buggyman.”

PHOTOS AND LISTING ON DEGRE AUCTION SERVICE (auctionzip.com/VT-Auctioneers/15937.html)

PHOTO BY ETHAN TAPPER

Marked stump with oak seedling.

Into the Woods Ethan Tapper

‘Pleased to meetcha,’ chestnut-sided warbler

The Outside Story

Susan Shea

While planting the vegetable garden last May, I heard a repeated bird song emanating from the adjacent raspberry patch: “Pleased, pleased, pleased to meetcha.” Finally, the small songster perched near the tip of a raspberry cane, its tail cocked. The bird’s yellow crown, black mask, olive back with black streaks, and white breast with rusty side patches were clearly visible — the striking markings of a male chestnut-sided warbler. Breeding females are similarly colored but lack the black eye mask.

Chestnut-sided warblers migrate north each spring and nest throughout the Northeast, north to Atlantic Canada, and west across the Great Lakes states and southern Canada to North Dakota and Saskatchewan. Their breeding range extends south in the Appalachians as far as Georgia.

Unlike many warblers, which prefer mature forests, chestnut-sided warblers thrive in early-successional habitat in rural areas — overgrown fields, regenerating deciduous forests and woodland edges. They benefit from forestry practices that encourage diverse vegetation and shrub growth.

The song of the chestnut-sided warbler is more complex than that of most warblers. While there are two basic song patterns, there are several different variations within each category. The male warbler in my raspberry patch was singing to attract a female. Once nesting begins, males do not sing as often and switch from the “meetcha”

song to a whistled, unaccented song used to defend territory and in aggressive encounters with other males.

In “The Singing Life of Birds,” author and ornithologist Donald Kroodsma describes listening to a dawn chorus of chestnut-sided warblers at a power line cut in a Berkshires woodland. Although the birds were all singing the “meetcha” song, he was able to differentiate individual males by their songs and to draw a rough map of their territories. His auditory observations were confirmed by the different patterns on sonograms made from his sound recordings. Kroodsma described this early morning singing as a massive competition for females among neighboring males.

In addition to his song, a male chestnut-sided warbler courts a potential mate by spreading his tail and wings and raising, lowering and vibrating his crown and flight feathers. He then guards the female as she builds the nest, and he will chase other males that enter their territory. This is with good reason; DNA analysis has shown that about half the young of a nest are typically fathered by other males, often neighbors.

The female builds the nest between 1 and 6 feet from the ground in a crotch of a small tree or shrub such as blackberry or alder. She constructs the nest from strips of cedar bark, grapevine, or other plant fibers and lines the cup with fine grasses and hair. She lays three to five cream or greenish-white eggs speckled with brown or purple and incubates them for 11 to 12 days. The nestlings hatch sparsely covered with

PUBLIC HEARING SOUTH BURLINGTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

The South Burlington Development Review Board will hold a public hearing in the South Burlington City Hall auditorium, 180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont, or online or by phone, on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 7:00 P.M. to consider the following:

Final plat application #SD-23-07 of 600 Spear FJT, LLC for a planned unit development on an existing 8.66 acre lot developed with 7,000 sf storage building and single family home. The planned unit development consists of one 6.10 acre lot containing 32 dwelling units in four-family buildings, a 1.80 acre lot containing the storage building and existing single family home proposed to be converted to a duplex, and a third lot containing proposed city streets, 600 Spear Street.

Board members will be participating in person. Applicants and members of the public may participate in person or remotely either by interactive online meeting or by telephone:

Interactive Online Meeting (audio & video): us06web.zoom.us/j/86347877699

By Telephone (audio only): (646) 931-3860, Meeting ID: 863 4787 7699

A copy of the application is available for public inspection by emailing Marla Keene, Development Review Planner, mkeene@southburlingtonvt.gov. May 18, 2023

down and helpless. Both parents feed the young meals of regurgitated insects and caterpillars many times each day. The babies develop rapidly. When a little older, the parents offer their young small insects. Ten to 12 days after hatching, the nestlings are ready to embark on their first flight. The parents continue to feed the fledglings until they are a month old.

Ninety percent of the chestnut-sided warbler’s diet year-round is insects, caterpillars, fly larvae, and spiders, with seeds and fruit comprising the remaining portion. In fall, chestnut-sided warblers migrate by night to the secondgrowth forests, thickets, and shade-grown coffee plantations of

INTO THE WOODS

continued from page 15

things like dead wood, canopy gaps, trees of different sizes and ages and old trees, each of which provides unique habitats and properties. Nearly all of Vermont’s forests are young, many having regrown from pastures within the last 60 to 100 years. Most are missing these attributes and developing them naturally may take centuries. In a climate crisis and a biodiversity crisis, we need forests with these characteristics now. We cannot afford to wait.

To this end, forest management can be a vital tool, helping create many of the attributes of old growth in just decades. We also need to acknowledge that our forests face an unprecedented array of threats and stressors and are moving into an uncertain future.

As a result, many of our forests may never become old growth on

Central America, where they can continue to find insect prey, sometimes joining mixed-species flocks of resident birds.

As farm fields in the Northeast and beyond were abandoned and reverted to second-growth woodland during the early 20th century, the chestnut-sided warbler population grew. The species is now one of our most common warblers. Still, following the trend for most songbird species, this population has declined in recent decades — by 45 percent between 1966 and 2015, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. In addition to the usual stressors of habitat loss, building strikes during migration, pesticide use

and climate change, this warbler has likely been affected by the maturation of northeastern forests. In our many young forests, the distinctive song of the chestnut-sided warbler prevails. If you follow the song and watch closely, you may catch a glimpse of this colorful little bird.

Susan Shea is a naturalist, writer, and conservationist based in Vermont. Illustration by Adelaide Murphy Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine and sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, nhcf.org.

their own. As they navigate climate change, non-native invasive plants, pests and pathogens, forest fragmentation, deforestation, deer overabundance and more, inaction may be an expression of negligence. If we hope to protect forests’ function, their biodiversity and their ecology, we will need to manage them.

Another topic which often lacks nuance is forest carbon. While, in theory, unmanaged forests store more carbon than managed forests, a forest’s ability to sequester and store carbon in the long-term is a function of its holistic health, its resilience and its adaptability. What we need is resilient carbon: carbon that is stored in diverse, multi-generational, healthy forests.

Managing forests, even when it causes some carbon to be released in the short-term, can help forests

respond to legacies, threats and stressors, build resilience and adapt to climate change, thus safeguarding their ability to store carbon in the future.

What does it mean to love a forest? Celebrating nuance means having the courage to wade in uncertain waters, to recognize that what forests require from us in this moment is often complex and unintuitive, challenging and strange. Forests, and what it means to take care of them, will never be as simple as a bumper sticker, but that’s what makes them beautiful.

Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden County Forester for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. See what he’s been up to at linktr.ee/chittendencountyforester.

ILLUSTRATION BY ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL

Appreciation week

SB high school hosts Teen Lit Mob

South Burlington High School hosted the 6th annual Teen Lit Mob May 5. Students from 13 schools participated in the event, Vermont’s only teen literary festival.

The festival aims to connect hundreds of teen readers and creators to authors and illustrators; connect teen readers and creators to each other; celebrate young adult

literature and its fandom; represent, honor and affirm underrepresented voices and identities in teen literature and readership; and promote the Green Mountain Book Award.

COURTESY PHOTO

It was staff appreciation week and South Burlington School District superintendent Violet Nichols visited all five South Burlington schools and the bus depot to personally give everyone who works in the district a note of appreciation and a treat.

Green Up day

COURTESY PHOTO

In advance of Green Up Day, the preK class at Gertrude Chamberlin did its part, picking up around the school.

COURTESY PHOTO

South Burlington High School librarian Genevieve Gallagher (center) and students Micah Allen, Gracie Lawrence, Naba’a Ali Hussein, and Aspen Mae Stoll-Pietila at Teen Lit Mob.

Wolves team sports roll past competitors

hits in six innings of work. Kelly added two RBIs, while James Chagnon and Sam Mazza-Bergeron each drove in a run.

Baseball

South Burlington 7, Colchester 6: Andre Bouffard hit a two-run home in the bottom half of the fifth inning to give South Burlington a lead and they held on for a win over Colchester on Saturday.

Nick Kelly got the win for the Wolves, pitching 2.2 innings and giving no runs on three hits. Brady Havers and Kiefer McGrath each had an RBI for South Burlington, who traded leads with the Lakers before jumping ahead for good in the fifth.

South Burlington also grabbed a close win over Champlain Valley, beating the Redhawks 11-10 on Thursday.

Bouffard and Lucas Van Mullen each had a home run in that win, helping the Wolves build up an early lead that they needed after CVU’s comeback effort.

Evan Lamothe got the win for South Burlington, giving up three runs on eight

With both wins, South Burlington moved to 10-2.

Track and field

Vermont track and field teams descended on Burlington High School for the 50th Burlington Invittional on Saturday and South Burlington had a few standout performances.

Armani Lee and Vaughn Larkin led the way for the Wolves in the boys competition. Lee came in first place in the 100-meter dash and third in the 200-meter race, while Larkin was first in 110-meter hurdles, second in the pole vault and second in the 400-meter race.

Carter Higgins (second in 110-meter hurdles and third in 300-meter hurdles) and Aidan Lybarger (second in discus and third in shot put) also had strong days for South Burlington.

Austin Simone (800-meter race), Liam

Lybarger (freshman 100-meter race) and Odin Cloutier (freshman 1500-meter race) all added fifth-place finishes.

On the girls side, the Wolves were paced by Regina O’Leary who came in fourth place in the 100 meter hurdles and fifth place in the triple jump. Mia Carmoll was fourth in the 300 meter hurdles and Samantha Chittenden was sixth in the high jump.

Softball

South Burlington 11, Colchester 0: The South Burlington softball team got a complete game effort from Emily Borrazzo in the circle and scored 11 runs on nine hits to get the win over Colchester on Saturday.

Borrazzo allowed just four hits and struck out 15 batters for the Wolves, while Trinity Rye went 2-for-4 with a triple and Hannah White was 2-for-2 at the plate.

South Burlington moved to 6-4 with the win.

The Wolves also got a win on Thursday, beating Champlain Valley 14-2.

Boys’ tennis

Three South Burlington star athletes named to hall of fame

Three former student-athletes who displayed all-star talents in athletics in South Burlington have been inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Vermont Principals’ Association.

Morgan Valley and her younger sister, Ashley, helped Rice Memorial High School win state championships in basketball and soccer, while Rebecca Bright was a threesport standout for South Burlington High School.

They were among 12 people honored at a banquet at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and

Conference Center in Montpelier May 12.

Ashley Valley was a remarkable student-athlete in the Class of 2001 at Rice, leading the basketball team to three Division I girls’ basketball championship and two straight undefeated seasons. She scored over 1,000 career points.

Ashley also was a prolific striker for Rice’s soccer program, leading the team to both a DI and a DII state championship.

See HALL OF FAME on page 19

South Burlington 5, Essex 2: The South Burlington boys tennis team swept the doubles matches and got three wins in singles to grab a victory over Essex on Saturday.

Will Bradley, Mateo Duracak and Jay Eagle each got a win in singles for the Wolves, who won their second match in a row.

Nicolas Charlebois and Robin Hokenmaier got a win in doubles, while Tate Nightingdale and Spencer Higgins teamed up for the another.

South Burlington moved to 3-7 with the win.

Girls’ lacrosse

South Burlington 16, Middlebury 4: Miranda Hayes scored her 100th career goal for South Burlington in a win over Middlebury on Friday.

Rachel Kelley had six goals to pace the Wolves, while Hayes tallied twice in the win

to get her milestone score. Mia Kaczmarek. Ava Goyette and Sabrina Brunet all added two goals for South Burlington, who moved to 9-3 with the win.

Victoria Bohlmann earned the win in goal with seven saves.

Boys’ lacrosse

South Burlington 17, Burr and Burton 10: The South Burlington boys lacrosse team won its fourth game in a row, beating Burr and Burton on Friday.

Rex Jewell had five goals and one assist in the win for the Wolves, who move to 9-1. Will Hershberg added a hat trick, while Will Goyette chipped in two goals and two assists.

Evan Knoth stopped 11 shots in goal and Ryan Sweet had one goal and four assists. Will Anderson added two goals and three assists as Brady Sweet notched two goals and two assists.

Girls’ tennis

South Burlington 5, Rice 2: The South Burlington girls tennis team grabbed three set wins in singles and doubles to grab a narrow win over Rice on Thursday.

Bridget Simone and Taylor Larose used a 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 victory in doubles to secure a point for the Wolves, while Evie Clifford also got a three-set win in singles (2-6, 6-3, 10-8).

Winnie Adamson and Ella Maynard wins in singles and Ayowunmi Adeyuwi and Stella O’Brien’s win in doubles helped clinch the win for South Burlington (5-2).

Girls’ Ultimate

South Burlington 13, Burr and Burton 9: Ten different players scored for South Burlington as they beat Burr and Burton in girls ultimate frisbee on Thursday.

Sydnee Ambrosino, Katie Ford and Lily Hankes all scored for the Wolves, while Sunny Wickenden, Meredith Lambert, Lucy Flemer, Nora Helsop, Liz Toupin, Sophie Smith and Aurelia Wickenden each added goal.

PHOTO BY AL FREY

South Burlington’s Vaughn Larkin finishes first in the 110 meter hurdles at the Burlington Invitational Track and Field Meet held on May 13 in Burlington.

PHOTO COURTESY VPA HALL OF FAME Morgan Valley, Ashley Valley and Becca Bright are seen after their inductions into the VPA Hall of Fame.

REES

continued from page 3

term until Town Meeting Day next March, when city voters will decide whether or not she’ll stay in the position.

“She has this bubbly personality that people see,” Kinville said, “but people don’t see the back side of it, where Holly’s very meticulous, and she has got her standards and the ability to understand things and understand the complexity of how one decision affects the next. She has this very serious back side to her that a lot of people don’t see.”

At the start of her staff meeting that recent weekday, Rees asked, “What color describes you today?” Each team member named a color, and some had even brought charts to explain their choices.

Rees picked champagne pink. She said she felt effervescent, bubbly, excited and celebratory — she told her team about her promotion at the end of the meeting.

Another lighthearted question turned surprisingly serious: “Ice cream or creemees, and why?” An amusing debate ensued. Rees then moved into the more productive discussion. The team brainstormed plans and possible trouble spots related to upcoming events, including the Memorial Day service, the weekly SoBu Nite Out food truck gathering, lacrosse tournaments, track meets and Touch a Truck, when kids can get close to the city’s big vehicles.

Rees takes a weekly tour around South Burlington to inspect all of its parks. On a recent morning, she acted as tour guide, describing the history of each stop in great detail. She is particularly proud of Veterans Memorial Park because many local orga-

HALL OF FAME

continued from page 18

At the time, she set the record for goals scored at Rice, including three goals in the state title game over Champlain Valley Union. She went on to play basketball at the University of Connecticut and was a member of three national champion teams.

Morgan Valley was a star student-athlete for Rice’s Class of 2000. Morgan helped lead the basketball team to two straight undefeated seasons, scoring over 1,000 career points. She was standout soccer goalie for Rice, which won the state soccer crowns as a sophomore and in a 4-0 shutout in the title game as a senior over CVU.

Considered by some as the most accomplished basketball player of all time from Vermont, Morgan went on to play 108 games and

nizations have contributed to its features, including ice rinks, little free libraries and the memorial itself — representing community collaboration, she said.

“Community building has always just really been near and dear to my heart,” Rees said.

Rees grew up on Keari Lane, off of Spear Street, and now lives in the Laurel Hill neighborhood with her three high-school-age daughters, two of them twins.

As a camp counselor, Rees led the “playground programs” free summer activities in the mornings for kids to socialize. At the time, Rees wanted to become a physical education teacher. She played field hockey in high school and hoped to play in college. She went to University of Delaware for a year but, deciding she wasn’t ready for college, returned to South Burlington.

Soon after, Rees took a philosophy class at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester and loved it. The campus was close to home and her brother went to school there.

Rees graduated from Saint Michael’s college with a degree in philosophy, figuring she could do anything with the degree. She went to work as a resident services coordinator at Cathedral Square, which provides housing primarily for low-income seniors.

After she had her twins, Rees’ mother took care of them while she went to work. Just before the girls celebrated their first birthday, their grandmother developed carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists from bottle-feeding the babies at the same time. Her mother told Rees that can happen “with moms of twins.” Rees said she broke into tears and thought,

“But I’m the mom of the twins,” she recalled. “I’m not spending enough time with my kids.”

That’s when she walked away from the job to focus on raising her children.

When her youngest daughter went to preschool, Rees returned to the workplace as a caregiver at Pillsbury Manor, a senior housing complex. One morning, while reading The Other Paper, she saw a job listing at the parks and rec department for a program supervisor. When she called about the position, her old boss from her camp counselor days, Tom Hubbard, answered the phone, she said. The department let her work evenings and weekends so she could stay home with her preschooler in the morning.

“It was great because I was able to feel like I could balance being a mom of young kids, and they grew up in an environment where they came to everything,” Rees said. “If we were short soccer coaches, I was on the soccer field. If we were short lacrosse coaches, I was on the lacrosse field. So they grew up engaging in every sport. Then, volunteerism became a big part of their lives.”

Rees’ oldest child, Rees Baker, recalled recently that his mother often talked about her job at home and incorporated him in her work duties. She’d run ideas by him and his friends about how to improve the parks, Baker said.

“There were definitely times where, if I wanted a ride somewhere, I’d have to go to a dog park meeting or go just to make sure all the basketball hoops are up and running the way they’re supposed to be,” said Baker, now 22.

EARLY ADVERTISING DEADLINES

She’s “very determined,” he added.

Rees already has plans to combine bits of her old job with her new one. At the dog parks that she currently oversees, for example, Rees said she might set up stations for dog license registration — which the city clerk handles — at the park entrances.

At first, Rees hesitated to apply for the city clerk position, because she enjoys meeting her South Burlington neighbors out in the world, she said. It gives her a strong sense of community.

On Town Meeting Day,

though, she shadowed Kinville and gained greater insight into the clerk position.

“It was great to see people coming out — sometimes grandparents with their grandkids, or sometimes couples on a date — to come out and vote,” she said. It let her see her community, she said, “in a whole different way.”

Kaylyn Bills is a reporter with the Community News Service, a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost.

was a part of three national championship teams at the University of Connecticut. She now serves as an assistant coach for UConn.

Bright was an all-star field hockey goalie and reached the Final Four each season as a basketball player, including winning a state title her senior year (1991). She was a state champion in shot put and discus in 1994 and 1995, competing in the New England track and field championships three years in shotput and discus and one year in the triple jump.

Bright received a full scholarship to play basketball for the University of Rhode Island becoming the program’s third leading scorer in program history with 1,665 career points. Bright is in the South Burlington High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Honoring Heroes Memorial Day

ISSUE DATE: Thursday, June 1

All Display Ads, BANG/Combo Ads and Classified Ads

AD DEADLINE: Friday, May 26, Noon

We’re closed Monday, May 29, to observe the holiday.

Community Bankers – Chittenden County

Temporary Positions Available

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

There is no better time to join our Team!

Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest banking institution headquartered in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all. Consider joining our team as a Temporary Community Banker!

Relevant Skills:

• Customer Service

• Cash Handling (we’ll train you!)

Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com

HIOUSING

continued from page 1

city manager, wrote in her monthly newsletter.

University of Vermont Health Network employees and their families earlier this month began moving into a new building specifically for Network employees.

The building, at 303 Market St., was built in partnership with the university and Snyder Braverman to lease out apartments to employees with the hospital — which has struggled for years to retain its workforce because of Chittenden County’s housing shortage.

Chittenden County has for the past year held a rental vacancy rate of around 1 percent and has some of the highest costs for homeownership in the state.

Another development in this partnership would be built next to the first and is queued up to open

in early 2024. In March, city officials joined officials from the University of Vermont to break ground on Catamount Run, another partnership with Snyder Braverman, to build 295 apartments specifically for university graduate students, as well as staff and faculty.

“Additional housing capacity is a critical need for our local communities and for our growing economy,” Helen Riehle, chair of the South Burlington City Council said when announcing the groundbreaking ceremony. “We’re so pleased to welcome new residents from UVM to City Center. This is a very good development for South Burlington, and we’re thrilled to see the project getting underway today.”

Projects are also underway at 224 Market St., 286 Market St,

Community Bankers - Chittenden County BUILDERS I MAKERS I DOERS

There is no better time to join our team!

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest banking institution headquartered in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all. Are you looking to start or continue a career in the finance industry? Consider joining our team as a Community Banker!

Job Responsibilities & Requirements

This frontline position is crucial in creating a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience for NSB customers. The successful candidate for NSB customers. The successful candidate will have exceptional customer service and communication skills.

The Community Banker will be responsible for receiving and processing customers’ financial transactions as well as opening and maintaining customer accounts and services. We are looking for someone who can develop and maintain relationships with our valued customers, protect bank and customer information, and uphold customer confidentiality. A high school diploma, general education degree (GED), or equivalent is required. If you have customer service, previous cash handling, or banking experience we encourage you to apply!

Opportunity for Growth

NSB has training opportunities to engage employees and assist with professional development within our company. The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in an environment that promotes growth, join our team!

What NSB Can Offer You

Competitive compensation based on experience. Well-rounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity. Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program. Commitment to professional development. Opportunities to volunteer and support our communities. Work-Life balance!

We understand the importance of having evenings and weekends with our friends, families, and the communities we serve!

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com or mail to:

Northfield Savings Bank Human Resources

PO Box 7180, Barre, VT 05641

and 339 Garden St. — located in between City Hall and Garden Street, which will include 161 new apartments and condominiums along with some commercial space.

And yet another development, underway at 112 Garden St., would see 121 new homes built as well as a cafe and day care center. Housing and commercial development is beginning to come

Obituary

to fruition after years of zoning work to turn the city center into a downtown hub.

The city in July 2021 finished construction for a new building to house city offices, the South Burlington Public Library, and the Kevin L. Dorn Senior Center. A pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Interstate 89, meanwhile, would facilitate connection between the city center and Burlington.

AARON continued from page 5

mous caller about a domestic incident, but the woman claimed nothing physical happened, police said.

The victim mentioned Lytch had a gun that had been obtained by another person, Winooski police said, who learned Aaron, who was staying at the apartment at the time, had bought the gun.

Aaron was asked to retrieve the firearm, which police found was loaded with one live cartridge in the chamber and 15 live rounds in the magazine within the gun.

U.S. Homeland Security Investigations arrested Aaron in Winooski in November 2022 following the joint investigation with city police.

Snyder Braverman’s newest proposal would subdivide the existing 6-acre lot to the east of Healthy Living into three separate lots. In total, the three buildings would bring 213 residential units and 27,000 square feet of non-residential space.

No timeline for construction has been set. Snyder Braverman did not respond to a phone message seeking comment.

There will be a burial service for Donald Albert Bean at the Hinesburg community cemetery on Mechanicsville Road on Friday, May 26, at noon.

A reception will follow at the Osborne Parish Hall at the Unitarian Church on Route 116 in the center of town.

After his arrest, federal magistrate Kevin Doyle twice rejected initial efforts to spring the defendant from pre-trial detention because of his active use of regulated drugs, 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 shortly after his arrest.

He was later released but detained again after failing to abide by drug treatment and using controlled substances, record show. In early January he was released to Valley Vista and completed the program Jan. 20.

Four days later, the U.S. Probation Office reported a sweat patch to detect drug use had been removed, court records show. Aaron claimed his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend had removed it, assistant U.S. attorney Wendy Fuller wrote in court papers.

Three days later, Aaron tested positive for numerous controlled substances and when confronted, he again blamed his ex-girlfriend for spiking his soda, Fuller said.

Donald A. Bean

Donald A. Bean

ARIES

March 21 - April 20

Aries, try to rectify an imbalance in a relationship with another person close to you this week. It’s never too late to make amends, and the rewards are fully worth it.

TAURUS

April 21 - May 21

Taurus, friction can be overcome with patience and perseverance. Take an even-keeled approach and give things time to simmer. Change will come.

GEMINI

May 22 - June 21

The brighter you shine, the more things will come your way this week, Gemini. Wear a big smile on your face and get out into the thick of things.

CANCER

June 22 - July 22

Cancer, you may have to change your way of thinking to get on the same wavelength as some others this week. Be open-minded to new experiences.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 23

Important lessons about balance could come your way soon, Leo. You need to nd that happy medium between work and home responsibilities.

VIRGO

Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

Events this week could leave you a little dazed and bewildered, Virgo. Nothing seems to be going to plan and that could get on your nerves. Figure out a way to de-stress.

LIBRA

Sept. 23 - Oct. 23

Libra, your urge to take action comes on strong this week. Figure out a project you can put your efforts behind as soon as possible and then dive in with maximum effort.

SCORPIO

Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Use this week as an opportunity to tend to your own needs, Scorpio. Indulge in a spa treatment or play hooky and go on a road trip all by yourself.

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

Sagittarius, your desire to get ahead is very strong over the course of the next few days. Now you only need to gure out the venture that you will take on.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

Others may be begging for your attention, Capricorn. But this week is all about self-healing for you. Focus inward to bring about any personal change you desire.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 18

You can accomplish a great deal when you happen to get moving, Aquarius. This week the struggle may be nding the motivation to take the rst step.

PISCES

Feb. 19 - March 20

Pisces, take a break from reality by reading a good fantasy book, watching a movie or enjoying a stage show. You can use the respite.

CLUES ACROSS

1. Relative biological effectiveness (abbr.)

4. Chinese philosophical principle

7. Branch

8. Jewish spiritual leader

10. Slang for requests

12. “So Human An Animal” author

13. Rocker Billy

14. British Air Aces

16. Type of tree

17. “Tough Little Boys” singer Gary

19. State attorneys

20. Goddess of fertility

21. Localities

25. Beloved singer Charles

26. Clue

27. Ridge of jagged rock below sea surface

29. Helsinki neighborhood

30. Farm resident

31. Ocean

32. Where ballplayers work

39. Unable to hear

41. Cool!

42. Cape Verde capital

43. One point north of due east

44. Kilo yard (abbr.)

45. Middle Eastern nation

46. It yields Manila hemp

48. People operate it (abbr.)

49. Regenerate

50. Not healthy

51. Chinese sword

52. Mild expression of surprise

CLUES DOWN

1. Unit of angle

2. Headgear to control a horse

3. Clots

4. Follows sigma

5. A woman who is the superior of a group of nuns

6. Greek units of weight

8. Radio direction nder (abbr.)

9. Systems, doctrines, theories

11. Stony waste matter

ANSWERS

14. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!

15. Hostile to others

18. U.S. State

19. Not wet

20. Something one thinks up

22. Where beer is made

23. Clumsy person

24. Belonging to us

27. Canadian yers

28. Greek goddess of the dawn

29. Snakelike sh

31. Unhappy

32. Fruit

33. Not good 34. Zero degrees Celsius 35. Goo Goo Dolls’ hit 36. Crawls into the head (folklore)

37. Legally responsible

38. Move in a playful way

39. Regarded with deep affection

40. Partner to owed 44. Native American tribe 47. Head honcho

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

Eat and Be Hoopy!

have those animals mal an it. animals

continued from page 2

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

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‘Bloom Time Festival’

the neighborhoods from noise and traffic,” said residents Wendy Bratt, Doug Goodman and Michael Turner, South Burlington residents who live near the proposed facility.

Burton Snowboards first received approval from the Burlington Development Review Board in September 2020 to bring Higher Ground to its unused warehouse on its Queen City Park Road campus. The plans call for turning nearly 12,000 square feet of warehouse space into an outdoor plaza, food court, indoor skate park and music venue, which would hold up to 1,500 people — 400 more than can fit into Higher Ground’s current South Burlington home on Williston Road.

Act 250 OK’d the plan 2022, but both approvals were quickly appealed by the citizens group.

Dumont, the attorney representing the residents, says Burton, while receiving conditional use review for the project, still has not satisfied Burlington’s noise ordinance.

“Burton’s position is that ... you don’t have to comply with the noise ordinance if you go through conditional use review. But in other cases, particularly one case that went to the Supreme Court, both the noise ordinance that was in that town and conditional use review were imposed,” Dumont said. “Standards, such as noise ordinance across the country, are viewed as supplements to conditional use review.”

“There’s no case in the country where any court has ever held that if you go through conditional use review, you don’t need to satisfy a noise standard,” he added. “What Burton is seeking in this case would be unique and unprecedented in the history of American zoning law.”

Justin Worthley, Burton’s senior vice president of people and culture, said in a statement that the company is “confident in its careful design of the project, believes the concerns raised by a small group of opponents are misplaced, and looks forward to a decision from the Environmental Court in the pending appeal of the project’s zoning and Act 250 permits.”

While the case is centered in Burlington, the city of South Burlington “is a party

ecosystems and the resources and actions available to protect biodiversity. Bring

658-6554 for more info.

in the case and at this stage is monitoring the proceedings,” South Burlington city attorney Colin McNeil said.

Residents in Queen City Park and on Central Avenue in South Burlington have said that noise and traffic engineering studies that were submitted by Burton in court “are based upon modeling which may prove to be unrealistic when applied to real life.”

Dumont said they had witness testimony during the trial from a resident of Patchen Road, near the current Higher Ground facility on Williston Road, that said the music keeps them up at night.

Expert testimony from Burton conclud-

ed that noise levels at the new facility would not adversely affect the quality of life for residents in the area and said noise levels would be “comparable to existing nighttime sound levels in the area.”

Residents disagree and say the analysis does not take “low frequency noise” into account.

“It may address the flute music, it may address the electric violin, or the voice, but it’s not going to address the bass notes — the bass notes which disturb people late at night,” Dumont said.

Overflow parking at the venue and at Red Rocks Park, the residents said, will “bring litter as well as other impacts on this

natural area.”

“Hundreds of cars exiting to Queen City Park Road and the intersection at Shelburne Road in the early morning will demand attention. The noise from people going to cars parked both on and off site will disturb neighbors as will bass sounds from the venue,” they said. “Your neighbors are looking for both community and municipal support with our concerns over this development.”

Residents have indicated they plan on appealing to the state Supreme Court should the judge rule in favor of Burton. VTDigger contributed to this report.

PHOTO BY KITTY WERNER