The Other Paper - 2-22-24

In the running

Pine v. evening

Former U.S. diplomat seeks council seat

The tale of two grosbeaks

Page 2

Page 18

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South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977

the FEBRUARY 22, 2024

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VOLUME 48, NO. 8

State eyes South Burlington for new youth treatment site

Vantage point

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

PHOTO BY JANICE RUSSOTTI

Shelburne Bay as seen from South Burlington.

South Burlington is on a shortlist of cities and towns being eyed by the state for a new juvenile treatment facility, although the proposed locations of the facility remain under wraps.

Chris Winters, the commissioner of the Department for Children and Families, recently told lawmakers that the state was eying properties in South Burlington and Vergennes to build a new facility. Department employees have had several meetings with South Burlington officials, city manager Jessie Baker said, to discuss their exploration of a site in South Burlington.

The facility would house youths in the state’s justice system

who have shown destructive behavior or are a risk to themselves or others.

“To date, our conversations have focused on our municipal capacity — primarily public safety and infrastructure capacity — to support among our most vulnerable young neighbors in South Burlington,” Baker said. “(Police chief Shawn Burke) and I believe we have this capacity.”

The Department for Children and Families’ request for proposal for developers of a facility closed on Feb. 9.

Nya Pike, the communications and operations manager with the department, said that the responses to the request for proposal are See JUVENILE CENTER on page 16

Orchard Elementary School principal retires after 15 years LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Principal Mark Trifilio has been a familiar face around the halls of South Burlington’s Orchard Elementary School for 15 years. Now he is setting off on a new adventure: retirement.

From the moment that Trifilio first stepped into the elementary school, he says he focused on creating an atmosphere of connection, and he still remembers his first days in the halls that would become like a second home to him.

“I had been a principal for 13 years before moving into Orchard,

so I was feeling a little confident.

Of course, that all changed on the first day, but I still tried to do something different for the very first assembly,” he said, recounting his first day when he attempted something a little out of the box.

“We all left the assembly with all students and staff standing in pairs

throughout the hallways locking hands to make one long arch.

Each student and staff member got to walk through this tunnel as it consumed itself.”

It was a big risk, he said, but the tradition has continued throughout the years with some small variations.

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“It was such a crazy thing to try at the time. No one really knew me yet, but it was so much fun,” he said. “We do it the last day of the school year to honor the fifth graders and other students and See TRIFILIO on page 16

Shelburne Road, S. Burlington Maple Tree Place, Williston

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Page 2 • February 22, 2024 • The Other Paper

Former U.S. diplomat seeks seat on council COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

Join Me at The University Mall

Saturday, February 24th 10 am to Noon

To share Conversation and Ideas

One cup of salt is enough for a driveway or sidewalk.

Mike Scanlan, running for a two-year seat on the South Burlington City Council, is hoping to bring his experience as a U.S. diplomat onto the council and tackle some of the more important issues facing Vermont’s second largest city.

Scanlan is among six candidates vying for three open seats on the council. No incumbents are running for reelection.

Planning commissioner Laurie Smith and former 2022 council candidate Linda Bailey will vie for the three-year term vacated by council Chair Helen Riehle, while Scanlan will face Julian Keenan and Lydia Diamond for council vice chair Meaghan Emery’s two-year seat.

Elizabeth Fitzgerald, meanwhile, is running unopposed for a two-year seat vacated by Tyler Barnes in October. Barring a write-in campaign, she will likely take over the remaining year of that term.

Whoever wins will join councilors Andrew Chalnick and Tim Barritt on the council of five.

Scanlan is the last candidate to be interviewed by The Other Paper prior to election day on March 5. Fitzgerald, Smith, Keenan, Bailey and Diamond were all previously interviewed.

In his announcement, Scanlan said he bought a home in South Burlington in 2016 while living abroad. He retired recently from a 30-year career as a diplomat in countries of the former Soviet Union “as they sought to democratize after a long, authoritarian past.”

“There, I championed participatory government and the importance of citizens working together and compromising for the common good,” he said. “For me, this was the American recipe for good governance, security and prosperity.”

Now in Vermont, Scanlan says he has plenty of priorities he wants to tackle, from safe streets to good schools, green parks, bike trails and affordable and middle-income housing.

“Without managed development that grows the tax base, we will not even be able to maintain our present level of services, let alone achieve our lofty goals for our city.

But if we harm the environment and fail to address climate change, we will also have failed,” he said. “Many countries in the world have achieved a sustainable balance ensuring quality of life while minimizing carbon emissions, and so can we.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Mike Scanlan

Where do you fall on that? How would you vote on those?

Mike Scanlan: Since having chosen to participate in this election, I have been going around to the different neighborhoods in the city, knocking on doors, to get a sense of what people find important or happy with, or see as challenges. It’s become quite clear to me that there are different sentiments based on the neighborhoods.

What I see is we need to find a way to capture all the voices, whether that be a ward system, whether it be a hybrid system of perhaps five wards and two at-large, or some combination thereof. I think your question is a very salient one. We need to find a way to reach out — people I have seen are extremely busy, 20 percent of the population votes, all the committees that people are active in are in the evening, that creates pressure for people who have long days of work and children to take care of.

So, I think we need to address that.

I see the role of the city council not to come in and say, you know, this is the way things should be. But to basically be sure that we hear all the voices and through collecting all the voices come to a solution that maximizes the appeal to as many people as possible.

If you’ve been following the education spending drama in the Statehouse you know that the common level of appraisal, which reflects the housing market, is having a huge effect right now on everyone’s pockets through the school tax.

What do you make of the city’s approach to housing, and its efforts to preserving affordability? What would you change, if anything, about that approach?

MS: There’s no question affordability of housing is a key issue, perhaps the driving issue. But the solution lies with being sure

This new council will have to decide on the current at-large elections versus ward elections, among other changes.

Visit rethinkrunoff.org to learn more…

Correction

See SCANLAN on page 4

We misidentified Truman Sienicki in a photo caption last week. We’re re-running the item this week. See page 7.

The Other Paper • February 22, 2024 • Page 3

PHOTO BY SOPHIE ACKER

A dog and puppy have fun on frozen Lake Elmore on Jan. 27.

House proposal would ban pet store dog and cat sales HOLLY SULLIVAN COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

Vermont could ban pet stores from selling dogs, cats and wolf hybrids under a bill in the House agriculture committee.

The legislation, H.567, is sponsored by Rep. Emilie Krasnow, D-South Burlington, who introduced it to committee members Jan. 31. The bill, Krasnow said, aims to prevent Vermont from becoming a place for puppy farms or mills — commercial dog breeding operations that raise animals in poor conditions.

“There are seven other states that have this bill now, and the Maine bill has been working since 2019,” she said, adding that the Vermont bill is modeled after the one in Maine.

Multiple states in the Northeast are considering similar legislation: Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New Jersey.

“Why that’s so important is because we don’t want to be open for business for these puppy mills and pet stores to come to Vermont that would be pushed out of other states,” Krasnow said.

Similar concerns bubbled up in Connecticut after New York’s ban on pet sales. The New England state was seeing a rise in pet store openings last fall, according to the Hartford Courant.

References came up in committee to a lone pet store in Vermont that sells these animals, which through a grandfather clause in the bill would be able to stay in business.

“We are lucky that the puppy-selling pet store industry is small in Vermont, with only one known store selling puppies,” Krasnow told committee members Jan. 31. “That store will be able to continue to do so while we avoid an influx of bad actors who are looking for safe havens and who have track records of importing puppies from Midwest puppy mills and bringing so many issues to the communities they sell puppies in.”

Krasnow assured committee members the bill would not impact stores that already do not sell puppies, “responsible breeders” or “the $136 billion pet retail industry that is focused on pet products and services.”

The bill has drawn criticism from groups that represent the pet industry and breeders, which say it will only make the black-market boom.

Patti Strand, president of the National Animal Interest Alliance, wrote to committee members on Jan. 30, summarizing the organization’s “strong opposition to H.567 in its current form.”

The bill will fail to protect pets due to “the unintended consequences of shutting down one of the public’s remaining sources of pets,” Strand wrote.

Taylor Livelli, government affairs manager for the trade group Pet Advocacy Network, agrees with Strand’s sentiment.

Until 2022, the group was called the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council.

“While well-intentioned, retail pet sale bans will not stop bad breeders who are unregulated, unlicensed and are not held accountable to any animal care standards,” she wrote in a Jan. 31 letter to committee members.

Livelli said H.567 “will only boost the unregulated black market for pets.”

In her letter, Livelli discussed California’s experience with passing a similar bill, claiming the state saw an “over 350 percent” increase in reported puppy scams and a surge in sick dogs “acquired through unregulated sources.” Livelli cited what appeared to be an article title — but without a link or source name — and the website of the Better Business Bureau, which tracks reports of business scams.

Krasnow remains optimistic about H.567’s positive impact on the pet community.

“I’m not personally concerned that (the bill) would create an underground illicit dog and cat market here,” she said to committee members Jan. 31.

Krasnow said the bill has gained support from local organizations, the Humane Society and state representatives.

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

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Page 4 • February 22, 2024 • The Other Paper

SCANLAN continued from page 2 that everyone’s at the table talking about it. Everyone I’ve met when I’ve gone door to door is so happy to be in South Burlington. But I’ve also heard concerns about the affordability of staying in South Burlington. So, the solution must fall within the framework of cost that we can bear. We’re a city that has different neighborhoods and we are a city that is blessed with many, many services, but there’s a cost. We have many, many aspirations, including providing housing, which I think is central, especially this “missing middle” question, but that requires everyone to sit around the table and compromise.

This will require the reality that we can’t have everything, and what I have found is everyone I’ve met is cognizant that this involves compromise, that it doesn’t mean that everyone will get what they want. It does mean that if we’re going to hold on to what we have and nurture it, it is going to require a compromise. Is it about increased efficiencies within the community to keep costs down? Is it about greater efficiencies with other

municipalities like we did with emergency responders, or with Green Mountain Transport to help create economies of scales? Is it about growing the tax base? Is that related to more housing or more commerce? All those questions are on the table. But the key thing is being sure that when we reach that compromise, it is a compromise that makes everyone feel that they are a part of it. But it’s a tough solution and tough challenge, and we’re all going to have to participate in making those compromises to achieve a sustainable environment for us to solve problems.

There’s a budding conversation in Chittenden County about the need to share the expense of services among municipalities.

Do you see us shifting away from a strictly local approach toward a more regional approach, and what does that mean for Vermont’s tradition of local governance?

MS: It’s about finding that compromise that creates a sustainable environment for us. We all

want our unique communities, and there’s no question about that.

But can we find ways to cooperate with other municipalities to all have economic benefits in terms of reducing costs and still hold on to our unique identities?

I’ve seen this in other places where compromises do not mean you lose your identity. I think it’s these incremental solutions of increased cooperation and efficiency, whether it’s within South Burlington, or between municipalities, that will help us address what is clearly one of the biggest challenges: the increasing costs of living in South Burlington for many of our residents.

The issues of homelessness, drug addiction, and their connection to petty theft have obviously been on everyone’s mind in the post-pandemic years in the Burlington area. What role does a municipality like South Burlington have in tackling this? What can the city do here in treating the root causes of crime, and addiction and homelessness?

MS: It’s multi-faceted obviously. First responders, whether they

be police or paramedics or the fire services, need to be fully staffed, there needs to be a sense of presence. I know everyone’s excited about City Center, but they want City Center to develop in a vibrant way, without some of the challenges that Burlington has confronted in recent years. It’s about empathy and providing services to those who are finding themselves in challenging situations.

There is no one simple solution, but what there is a husbanding of resources, increasing the dialogue internally within South Burlington, as well as between the municipalities and then collectively we will find a solution, because it is only through dialogue that you have more ideas come to the surface, and it’s only through shared responsibility that we can put in the resources necessary to address this issue.

On the city’s climate initiatives, the city is using ARPA money for next fiscal year, but it could be an expensive endeavor in future years. Would you support tax increases in future years to fund these initiatives?

MS: This is the discussion and the decision that the community needs to make — the entire community. What are the tradeoffs we are willing to do, between services, achieving the aspirations we laid out and the cost of those that we’ll have to be bearing to do all these things? Again, what has been very clear to me as I’ve gone around and knocked on doors in different neighborhoods, is that there’s a different sense of what are the needs. We will have to find a compromise. Do we maintain the current services? Do we expand the services into some of these aspirational issues? If so, what are the tradeoffs we’ll make?

That is a decision for the community to make. I don’t believe it’s for me to come and say, “This is what we should do.” It’s about bringing those people together and saying what collectively are we willing to engage in? What are the tradeoffs we’re willing to make? It is for the community to be a part of this process, and that’s my feeling, that’s been my experience as mediator — it is being sure that the community is the driver of whatever decisions are made.

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South Burlington Police Blotter: Feb. 12-18 Total reported incidents: 219 Directed patrols: 10 Public assists: 12 Field contact: 6 Animal problem: 2 Noise ordinance violation: 2 Restraining order violation: 1 Overdoses: 3 Agency assists: 8 Traffic stop: 14 Motor vehicle complaint: 7 DUI: 1 Stolen vehicle: 4 Larceny from a vehicle: 5 Suspicious events: 19 Juvenile runaways: 1 Juvenile problems: 2 Disturbances: 8 Domestic incidents: 5 Mental health issue: 1 Welfare check: 10 Property damage: 12 Trespass notice: 5 Larceny: 4 Retail theft: 10 Burglary: 1 Fraud: 2 Threats: 3 Alarm: 14 911 hang up: 3

Build community LOCAL? WHY GO

Vermont Community Newspaper Group

Arrests: Feb. 16 at 12:23 p.m., Anna M. Wells, 33, of South Burlington, was arrested on an in-state warrant on Dorset Street.

Feb. 17 at 2:10 a.m., Katrina A. Lemire, 52, of South Burlington, was arrested on an in-state warrant on Shelburne and Allen roads and charged with driving with a criminally suspended license.

Feb. 17 at 2:41 a.m., Maxwell Nedd, 22, of Burlington, was arrested on Airport Road near Airport Parkway and charged with driving under the influence, first offense.

Feb. 17 at 4:42 a.m., Olivia A. Hines, 30, of South Burlington, was arrested on Williston Road and charged with violating conditions of release and resisting arrest.

Feb. 17 at 10:56 a.m., Tyrone JT Pinder, 32, no address given, was arrested on Williston Road and charged with grossly negligent operation, eluding a police officer, grand larceny, operation without consent and

violating conditions of release.

Feb. 18 at 2:31 a.m., Gavin Mcewan, 32, of Burlington, was arrested on Williston Road and charged with excessive speed.

Previous incidents: Katelynn Charbonneau, 28, no address given, was arrested on Dorset Street and charged with retail theft stemming from an incident on Dec. 8.

Dylan H. Chase, 38, of Billings, Mont., was arrested on Shelburne Road and charged with operation without consent stemming from an incident on Feb. 3.

Joseph R. Robar, 37, of Hinesburg, was arrested on Williston Road and charged with violating conditions of release stemming from an incident on Feb. 11.

Note: Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney Office and can be amended or dropped.

Buying and shopping locally helps independent businesses, which in turn helps all of us shape our community’s distinct flavor, personality and character.

The Other Paper • February 22, 2024 • Page 5

OPINION Bill would hold state government accountable, ensure wiser spending vidual legislators and individual committees.

Several of the report recommendations Rep. Jessica Brumsted focus on process. We need to set up checklists and timelines to ensure all key legislaEvery year, the Legislature convenes tive reports and deadlines are met and are for five months at the Statehouse in easily accessible to the Legislature and the Montpelier. Our committees take detailed testimony, debate and revise bills and bring public. We need to ensure that committee members (and staff) formally review past them to the floor for a vote. legislation, legislative reports and relevant During any given session, perhaps 100 data before enacting new legislabills win final House and Senate tion. We need a more systematic passage and are signed into law way to review the previous year’s by the governor. These range budget data — across multiple from tiny technical corrections committees — and historical — updating an errant phrase in budget data, too. Have the funds Vermont statute — to the “Big been spent as intended? If not, Bill,” which appropriates more why not? than $8 billion in state spending We’re also interested in for the coming fiscal year. requiring a performance note for Once a bill becomes law, all legislation that’s a priority in many ways, the Legislature passes the baton to the executive Rep. Jessica Brumsted or costs more than a threshold dollar amount. This document branch. Across dozens of state would include a clear statement agencies and partner organizations, the statutes are enacted, the rules and of legislative intent, overall goals and anticipated change; data that needs to regulations are written, the policies and be collected to measure results; and an programs are developed, and the dollars estimate of anticipated savings, return on are spent. investment or quantifiable benefit resulting As policymakers, we need to know from adoption of the legislation. how well this system is working. Are On top of this, we would like to provide Vermonters getting the results they expect training for all members of the General and deserve? How do we hold the LegisAssembly on the importance of governlature and our state government accountment accountability, how to use data to able while giving our hard-working state inform decisions and measure outcomes, employees the tools and resources they and how to embed this work into all need? legislation. We also hope to establish a The Legislature has many oversight dedicated Joint Government Oversight and tools. First, all new administrative rules, Accountability Committee. Among other which lay out exactly how a program or duties, the committee would investigate policy is going to work, are developed by cases of significant oversight failure — a public process and reviewed by a joint House-Senate committee before implemen- like juvenile justice or the EB-5 scandal — and make recommendations about how tation. the state could avoid such serious problems Second, we request and review many studies, reports and updates. Finally, public in the future.

By way of example: In 2023, the testimony — asking hard questions and Legislature passed Act 76, a landmark bill getting honest answers — is the heart of that invests significant additional funding our daily committee work. into Vermont’s long-struggling child care But it’s an imperfect system, and system. The act takes effect in stages, with one the Legislature continually seeks to the first investments in July and September improve.

2023, more funds rolling out to providAct 53, signed into law in June 2023, ers this month, and expanded financial established a Joint Committee on Governassistance for families in April and October ment Accountability. In December, our 2024. final report offered a series of commonThe new law tasks Building Bright sense recommendations that will allow Futures, the state’s early childhood legislators and the public to keep closer track of what happens after a law is passed. public-private partnership and official legislative and administrative early childThe House and Senate are working together to enact those recommendations in 2024. hood adviser, with tracking outcomes of Act 76.

The bill (H.702) would establish a more systematic approach to government accountability, reducing the Legislature’s See BRUMSTED on page 10 reliance on institutional knowledge, indi-

VOTE FOR

EXPERIENCED, COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP

Laurie Smith

South Burlington City Council ENDORSED BY

From the House

www.SmithForSBCouncil.com

Helen Riehle, City Council Chair Meaghan Emery, City Council Tim Barritt, City Council Andrew Chalnick, City Council Larry Kupferman, City Council Paul Engels, Planning Commission Francis MacDonald, Planning Comm.

Michael Mittag, Planning Commission Frank Kochman, DRB

Paid for by Smith For Council, 50 Central Ave, S Burlington, VT 05403 Laurie@SmithForSBCouncil.com

Page 6 • February 22, 2024 • The Other Paper

Letters to the Editor Vote Julian Keenan for city councilor To the Editor: Julian Keenan represents everything a community like South Burlington needs for a vibrant and sustainable future.

He is a young father who deeply cares about families and understands the key issues of housing, education, budget and conservation and sustainable growth.

Keenan is passionate about addressing access to affordable and high-quality housing while adhering to environmentally sound principles. He understands the importance of fiscal responsibility, and the impact of taxes on community growth, infrastructure and schools.

He is committed to the updated city plan and preserving the existing language in the land development regulations.

Maintaining the environmental initiatives and conserving open space are important to him and his young family. He moved here so his family could enjoy the warmth of South Burlington and raise a family in an ideal environment.

Keenan does not believe that unchecked growth and endless sprawl will benefit residents now or in the future. He wants there to be a balance between addressing the housing shortage with apartments, smaller condos and duplexes in busier core areas, like Market Street, while making the existing open spaces accessible for all residents with safe multiuse trails.

He will bring his experience as a consultant for Forrester Research and Broadridge Financial Solutions, along with his work as a dedicated member of the natural resource and conservation commit-

tee, to the city council. We need leaders who are invested in our city, and see a sustainable future for all of us, especially new and younger families.

Please vote for Julian Keenan for South Burlington City Council.

John Bossange South Burlington

Smith can balance business, action on climate To the Editor: Laurie Smith is the clear choice for South Burlington City Council. Our community would be incredibly fortunate to have someone with his intelligence, temperament and breadth of experience join city council.

Smith currently serves on the South Burlington Planning Commission and is an author of the recently passed city plan, which lays out a vision for that community that abounds in optimism and hope, but which is also evidence-based and grounded in pragmatism. He is well known for his work on the commission as someone with deep knowledge and a natural ability to listen carefully and consider the voices of all stakeholders. He is the right candidate to help the council stay the course and implement this bold plan.

As the founder of three businesses — all in Chittenden County — Smith has a personal understanding of the challenges faced by small business owners.

Instead of resorting to divisive rhetoric that positions businesses against climate change action, he is a champion for the city’s exceptional climate action plan.

He understands that this coherent roadmap, rather than vague, contradictory language about economic barriers to addressing the crisis, is essential to ensuring that the economy continues to thrive, and our most vulnerable citizens are protected.

Please join me in electing Laurie Smith for city council on March 5.

Beth Zigmund South Burlington

Bailey will lead city toward sustainable future To the Editor: I proudly endorse Linda Bailey for South Burlington City Council.

Bailey’s advocacy for green tech aligns with our region’s potential for growth. With her pragmatic approach and background in conservation, she is the candidate to lead us toward a sustainable future.

Bailey’s vision for attracting investment and fostering innovation is exactly what our city needs to thrive economically and environmentally.

John Burton South Burlington

Scanlan’s got the right stuff for city council To the Editor: I grew up in Vermont and have been a South Burlington resident for close to 20 years.

I am writing to express my admiration and support for Mike Scanlan. He has a calm composure and positive outlook in everything he does.

His life experience and professional career as a U.S. diplomat lend perfectly to being a topnotch city councilor. He has the time and the desire to serve, and he has proven to me, well before his run, that he can listen and understand his neighbors and the issues in the community.

He will bring an amazing perspective and enthusiasm to serving the South Burlington community. I am so pleased to support Mike Scanlan for South Burlington City Council, and I hope you will join me in voting for him.

Gail Clook South Burlington

Where councilors live not a divisive question To the Editor: While city councilors do not represent districts, where a city councilor lives can be important. Meaghan Emery, among her many contributions, has served as the de facto “champion” of the Chamberlin neighborhood.

Because we are losing her, I believe it is crucial for a Chamberlin resident to serve on the South Burlington City Council.

No other neighborhood deals with the consequences of the removal of 200-plus homes due to the airport’s buyout program and the daily stress of living near the F-35 flight path.

Two candidates, Linda Bailey and Lydia Diamond, live in the Chamberlin neighborhood. My vote goes to Linda Bailey. Her long career in private sector sales demonstrates a capacity to work with people from all walks of life. She will also bring the

experience of being unable to attend college immediately after high school. She later earned an associate degree from Community College of Vermont, attending part time while her children were in elementary school.

Her life experience, proven human relationship skills and knowledge of city affairs will be a tremendous asset on the council.

During the Feb. 15 forum, candidates Laurie Smith and Julian Keenan characterized as divisive a question that mentioned a large majority of recent city councilors have been residents of the southeast quadrant and some sections of the city are more affluent than others.

Consider the following: The large gap between typical household incomes found in the southeast quadrant and other parts of the city, and that many recent city councilors live there, are documented facts. Is it fair game to censure a question chosen by the South Burlington High School debate team who hosted the forum? Other candidates shared conversations where residents voiced perceptions that the city does not hear their concerns or understand the challenge of paying increasingly unaffordable tax bills.

While Smith and Keenan may not view the facts cited in the question as relevant to city policy, their “divisive” label suggests an unwillingness to take seriously the views of city residents who do.

In closing, I extend my gratitude to all current city councilors and all candidates for election to the city council. Plus, I encourage you to join me in voting for Linda Bailey on your March 5 ballot.

Sandy Dooley South Burlington

Linda Bailey

For South Burlington City Council on March 5 The South Burlington Business Association Supports: A balanced approach that promotes sustainable growth while protecting our natural resources A safe, diverse and welcoming community A city with housing options for all A growing and vibrant economy A transparent city government

Grippo gives thumbs up to freshman drummer To the Editor: It is truly a pleasure to write a story of an amazing student who set a goal so high for himself and in the process succeed by January. I am writing to you about a South Burlington High School freshman, Truman Sienicki.

Truman has been studying jazz music with me for about three and a half years. He has also studied drumming privately with Caleb Bronz.

This year, he has volunteered to help mentor the Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School jazz band,

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LETTERS continued from page 6 for which he played with during his stay there. He plays and tutors the group on Thursday mornings at 7:30 a.m.

Truman is an outstanding student in all his subjects, as his teachers will attest to. This school year he and I discussed the possibility of auditioning for the Vermont All-State Jazz Band.

As leader of the South Burlington High School jazz ensemble for the past 30 years, I have seen many great musicians go to the all-state band, but only a few have made it as a freshman.

Truman set his sights on the audition on Jan. 13 at CVU high school. Last week, as the results came in, Truman scored well enough to be selected to the jazz ensemble with a score of 102 out of 140.

I am very proud of and grateful for a wonderful young person like Truman to know and teach. A bright future lies ahead.

Dave Grippo South Burlington

Smith will address affordable housing needs To the Editor: We strongly support Laurie Smith for the three-year term on South Burlington City Council.

We have known Laurie for almost 14 years as a neighbor in Queen City Park and have enjoyed numerous community and civic activities concerning our neighborhood together.

He is pragmatic, sensitive to issues and neighbors, trustworthy and very knowledgeable in all areas of governance and record keeping (he is the auditor for our fire district), as well having life-long experience as a business owner with decades focused on sustainable building.

As he states on his webpage,

we support Smith’s efforts particularly to “increase access to affordable and quality housing in the city while using environmentally sound principles. Going forward, development of housing in South Burlington must focus on being sustainable and affordable.”

Larry Kupferman Susan Schoenfeld South Burlington

Keenan’s got a stake in S. Burlington’s future To the Editor: Julian Keenan is the obvious choice for the two-year seat on the city council. His head and heart are in the right place. He is a young father with a stake in South Burlington’s future.

He knows we need to conserve what’s left of South Burlington after decades of unfettered development. He also knows that climate change is eating away at Vermont’s environment and will soon destroy our cherished natural heritage.

I was locked in a tough threeway race last year when I ran and now, he is, too. He will need every vote he can get. Join me in voting for the environment. Join me in voting for Julian Keenan.

Paul Engels South Burlington

Fitzgerald will make great addition to council To the Editor: I am writing in support of Elizabeth Fitzgerald and endorse her candidacy for the South Burlington City Council.

I have known Fitzgerald for many years and have always appreciated her professionalism and candor. She is very

knowledgeable about the city, the highly desirable protocols of running a meeting, and always gives others the opportunity to speak. She is someone who knows how important it is to hear different points of view while representing her city and respectfully acknowledges those members of the community as they voice their concerns and opinions.

Fitzgerald has served the city of South Burlington for many years. She knows the school system well and understands how to prioritize the needs of both the city and the schools, especially in terms of capital investments.

She sees the big picture and has a strong vision.

She has many years of experience developing budgets supported by the community and always takes into consideration the needs of the facilities and neighborhoods as she does so. She is respectful and willing to listen.

Elizabeth Fitzgerald will serve us, the citizens of South Burlington, very well. She will be an excellent addition to our city council.

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Vote for Linda Bailey for city council To the Editor: I write to express my enthusiastic support for Linda Bailey’s candidacy for the South Burlington City Council three-year seat. Having worked closely with her in recent years on initiatives addressing affordable housing and other pivotal local challenges, I’ve witnessed firsthand her unwavering dedication, integrity

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Page 8 • February 22, 2024 • The Other Paper

LETTERS continued from page 7 and collaborative spirit.

Bailey’s pragmatic and informed approach, underpinned by her rich experience on the natural resource and conservation committee and her active engagement in city governance, positions her as an ideal candidate to contribute effectively from day one. Raised in Vermont, her values of common sense, frugality and community promise us leadership that is both inclusive and forward-thinking.

Bailey’s commitment and insightful perspectives exemplify the kind of responsive and responsible governance South Burlington needs. I see her vision for a thriving, inclusive South Burlington where future generations will prosper as both commendable and essential.

I urge my fellow residents to support Linda Bailey for city council.

Peter Plumeau South Burlington

Smith committed to smart growth, climate impacts To the Editor: Last month the city council voted unanimously to adopt the new city plan after over a year of citizen input via public discussion, meetings, online comments and more.

This is an ambitious plan that provides a vision of the challenges and opportunities facing the city over the next decade.

Then the 2024-25 tax increases (especially for the schools) were announced. How, then, do we embrace the possibilities of this vibrant city while recognizing the fiscal limitations?

I think our first job is to elect

experienced, knowledgeable, skilled individuals to the council who have demonstrated the ability and heart to tackle tough issues collaboratively. That is why I am supporting Laurie Smith.

Smith has lived in Vermont for over 47 years. He founded a woodworking company in 1977, followed by a design-build construction company from which he retired in 2013. He currently serves on the planning commission, which drafted the city plan.

He has years of experience with municipal entities and the Act 250 Commission regarding commercial redevelopment, residential subdivision development and individual residential projects. His experience in local business and construction would be an important asset on the council.

He is also committed to sustainable growth and addressing the impacts of climate change.

Smith is a person of integrity and kindness who genuinely cares about others. He is a wonderful listener and good at identifying the areas of common agreement.

Please join me in voting for Laurie Smith for city council.

ful, she is a forward-thinker who welcomes all voices and views.

Her many years of service on the school board make her an ideal representative on the council as they partner with the board on shared issues and concerns.

As South Burlington continues to grow and face a myriad of complex challenges, we need representatives with the knowledge, skills and demeanor to tackle them on our behalf.

Elizabeth Fitzgerald is just such a candidate.

Darrilyn Peters South Burlington

Bob Bramley South Burlington

Fitzgerald possesses skills, know-how for the job

South Burlington council chair endorses Smith

To the Editor: I am writing in support of Elizabeth Fitzgerald for South Burlington City Council. I met Fitzgerald a year ago and believe that we could not find a better candidate for the council to represent the community.

Not only is Fitzgerald incredibly knowledgeable and thought-

To the Editor: I take enormous pleasure in endorsing Laurie Smith for the three-year seat on the city council. I am always impressed with the caliber of residents who agree to run for the city council. Smith is no exception.

In my 12 years I have seen a lot of different personalities,

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Tim Warren South Burlington

18.26 percent increase?

Vote school budget down To the Editor: An 18.26 percent tax increase? Are you kidding me?

So, what can we do about it?

Vote against the school budget tax increase. We’ll have to do this every time the budget comes up for a vote. Ever wonder why the voting ballots never specify a tax increase? They always hide the facts in some sort of per pupil spending malarkey.

talents, a variety of understanding of the issues and approaches to tackling city governance. But rarely does an individual come forward who brings as much to the table as Smith.

Four words come to mind when I considered him: integrity, thoughtfulness, good listener and collaboration. He has the right temperament to work collaboratively. He will bring a broad spectrum of real-life experiences to the council.

I have observed Smith’s demeanor during planning commission meetings and appreciate the thoughtful way he asks questions and comes to consensus that can best serve our community. He is a listener, respectful of other points of view and has the long-term vision so necessary for good government. His personal integrity is exactly what is needed for the council to continue its great work of balancing the multiple needs and wishes of South Burlington.

Please join me in electing Laurie Smith to the South Burlington City Council. Thank you for participating in democracy by voting early or on March 5.

Helen Riehle Chair South Burlington City Council

Business group supports water tower project To the Editor: On behalf of the South Burlington Business Association, I am writing to express our strong support for the South Burlington water tower project.

As representatives of the local business community, we believe this project is crucial to ensure

a reliable and sustainable water supply essential for businesses and residents, alike, to thrive.

The proposed water tower will provide numerous benefits to our community. It will offer more water storage, ensuring there is enough water in the high-service area for the foreseeable future, estimated at more than 50 years.

This increased storage capacity will also allow us to meet regulatory requirements and provide more water storage in the event of an emergency, such as a pump or pipe failure, or during large water usage for firefighting.

Furthermore, the project will improve maintenance and redundancy. With two tanks, maintenance can be more easily completed by temporarily taking one tank offline while still maintaining the water supply. Additionally, while the project will not increase pressure beyond what is provided today, the second tank will provide greater operational flexibility so that the system can be operated toward the higher end of operating pressures when needed.

We understand that some residents have raised aesthetic concerns about the water tower’s design. However, we believe that the long-term benefits of this project far outweigh any visual impact. The design of the water tower can be carefully integrated into the surrounding landscape to minimize its impact on the area’s aesthetics.

The financial impact of this project is reasonable considering its long-term benefits. With an estimated $5.75 million loan over a 30-year term at 4.40 percent interest, the annual loan payment would be $349,000. To cover this payment, rates would increase by $4.82 per 1,000 cubic feet of water, resulting in an annual increase of $38.66 for the average residential user. This modest increase is a worthwhile investment to ensure a reliable water supply for the community.

We urge residents to support the South Burlington water tower project. It is a vital investment in our community’s future that will ensure a reliable water supply for generations to come and support the growth and prosperity of local businesses.

John St. Hillaire South Burlington

Step up and vote for new city councilors To the Editor: We are writing to encourage you to consider voting for See LETTERS on page 10

The Other Paper • February 22, 2024 • Page 9

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Page 10 • February 22, 2024 • The Other Paper

Students encourage voters to pass school budget From the School Board Rama AL Namee Junior Gracie Morris South Burlington residents, along with many others throughout Vermont, cast their ballots on Town Meeting Day. This is an annual opportunity for community members to have a say in the quality of their public schools via the school budget.

However, this year’s election is anything but ordinary. While the Legislature has yet to clear up the confusion around Act 127 for districts around the state, the needs of South Burlington students remain constant.

If the proposed school budget for fiscal year 2025 fails, the school district warns of reductions in course offerings, athletics and co-curricular offerings, and increases in class sizes at the middle and high school. At

South Burlington elementary schools, budget cuts will mean curriculum impacts and decreases in instructional support. Districtwide, students will see reductions in social-emotional learning supports.

These changes will alter students’ lives and opportunities within the South Burlington School District and beyond. With the current budget in place, South Burlington High School students have access to 24 different sports teams and designated time each Friday to immerse themselves in 45 different clubs and activities.

Both the middle and high school have high-level arts, choral and instrumental departments and numerous classes of varying difficulties and topics. In past years, the school budget has enabled elementary school students to work face-to-face with specialized literacy and math teachers, as well as other specialized faculty.

If the fiscal year 2025 school budget does not pass this year,

students can expect these opportunities, that are loved and utilized daily, to suffer extreme reductions. These cuts will result in far less opportunities for students of all ages to thrive academically, socially and in areas of personal interest.

Having the privilege to be on the South Burlington School Board as student representatives has enlightened us to the inner workings of the community. With this experience has come the chance to work closely with many members of the district’s administrative team and school board.

At a school board meeting early in the budget drafting process, the topic of fiscal responsibility while meeting the needs of students was brought up. Many who were present at the meeting emphasized this concern and have since diligently worked to create a budget that keeps student life similar to where it stands, while keeping taxpayers in mind.

While the specifics regarding

While this kind of data-gathering and check-back is hardly new to the Legislature, we’re interested in making sure it’s embedded into all our work — every day, every committee and in every important bill. We need to systematically review past legislation and ensure it’s working the way Vermonters need it to work. We need to use that information to generate new ideas.

We need to infuse oversight and accountability into our citizen’s Legislature, so we can say with assurance that the laws we

pass in the Statehouse are being rolled out effectively by the executive branch, that your tax dollars are being spent wisely and that your state government is working — for you.

BRUMSTED continued from page 5 In just the first few months, 202 new child care slots opened across four programs alone — a sample size of what’s happening across the state. In the five programs surveyed, all five are increasing compensation for early childhood educators.

In the months and years to come, Building Bright Futures will continue to track hard, quantifiable data — the result of accountability measures that were built into Act 76 and will be used to inform future child care policy in the Legislature.

Rep. Jessica Brumsted of Shelburne is vice chair of the House Committee on Human Services and co-chaired the Summer Government Accountability Committee. The committee’s final report was delivered to the Legislature on Dec. 13, 2023, and is posted at legislature.vermont.gov.

budget legislation around the state remain cloudy, we encourage those reluctant of the proposed budget to connect with those who designed it. Our experience with our district’s leadership team makes us confident that student-focused, educated and clear-headed decisions led to the current budget.

We wholeheartedly stand with the district budget and encourage South Burlington voters to vote yes on the proposed budget for 2025.

Senior Rama AL Namee and Junior Gracie Morris are student representatives on the South Burlington School Board.

LETTERS continued from page 8 Mike Scanlan, Linda Bailey and Elizabeth Fitzgerald for South Burlington City Council. These three South Burlington residents bring a diverse and knowledgeable perspective to guide South Burlington into these challenging times.

We would encourage you to explore more about each of candidates online, and you can also read about each of these candidates from their interviews in The Other Paper (otherpapersbvt.com).

Make your opinion known in a meaningful way, cast your vote on Tuesday, March 5, or use the convenient early voting options.

Thank you for participating in this most important foundation of our democratic society.

Peter and Marta Taylor South Burlington

Smith gains support from city councilor To the Editor: I am writing in enthusiastic support of Laurie Smith for the city council.

As we face some of the

most difficult challenges of our generation, Smith has the wisdom and experience to lead South Burlington to a bright future. He is a careful listener, shows deep respect for opposing views and tirelessly seeks solutions that are both balanced and measured.

Most important, he values the things that our community needs to ensure that future generations can thrive, and he understands that clean water and air and a stable climate are necessities, and not mere wants.

Smith has demonstrated his commitment to community service through his roles on a neighboring development review board, as an auditor for the Queen City Park Fire District and on the South Burlington Planning Commission.

His lifetime of creative problem solving as a self-employed entrepreneur ensures that he has the skills to collaborate on pressing problems, and the sense of accountability and purpose to ensure that our dollars are spent wisely.

Smith is that rare individual who lives his values both publicly and privately — he designed a straw home that won a Best of the Best Award from Efficiency Vermont, and his own home is net zero.

I hope you will cast your vote for Laurie Smith this election. He will be an excellent addition to our city council, and I would look forward to working with him.

Andrew Chalnick South Burlington City Council

Join the Pack

South Burlington Boys Youth Lacrosse Sign-ups are Open! Teams Now Forming!

Grades 3/4, Grades 5/6 and Grades 7/8 All Levels of Experience Welcome. bit.ly/SBLax2024 For insurance purposes, NVTYLL requires a valid USA Lacrosse membership to participate.

South Burlington Youth Baseball and Softball has been providing a safe, healthy way for kids to make friends and stay active for over 40 years.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for ages 5 to 12

Sign up today at www.sbybs.com • Scholarships available for all league ages • Your child will improve their game and learn important life skills

If it’s important to you or your community look for it in The Other Paper.

The Other Paper • February 22, 2024 • Page 11

FY25 South Burlington City Budget TOWN MEETING DAY BALLOT ITEMS | MARCH 5, 2024 What does the FY25 City Budget do for South Burlington residents?

Water Tank Expansion Bond Vote Explained

Continues commitment to service delivery

Project benefits

For the construction of an additional 2.1 million gallon welded steel water tank at the existing site on Dorset Street

• Completes implementation of the second ambulance ($220,000) • Adds a Highway position ($77,000) • Increases in sidewalk maintenance ($38,000) • Adds a part time Library position ($23,500) • Increases funding to the Housing Trust Fund ($25,000)

Continues investments in School safety • Reinstates the SBPD Youth Services Sergeant ($107,000) • Funds school crossing guards at 50% ($30,000) • Directs capital funds to infrastructure improvements on Dorset Street at the Middle School and High School ($100,000)

Takes first financial steps to implement the adopted Climate Action Plan • General Fund capacity for a Climate Director and targeted consulting needs ($190,000) • Funds Green Mountain Transit increase ($63,000) • Allocates ARPA funding ($417,000) for: • Electric lawn mower • Charging stations at DPW • Weatherization and window replacement • Public Transit Study • Active Transportation Projects

FY24

FY25

General Fund

$31,140,318

$35,251,108

13.20%

Non-property Tax Revenue

$11,752,019

$14,207,968

20.90%

To Be Raised by Property Tax

$19,388,299

$21,043,140

8.54%

$0.4916

$0.5202

5.82%

Total Estimated Tax Rate (with Pennies) Impact (with Pennies)

FY24

• Can more easily complete maintenance by temporarily taking one tank offline

Pressure • The project will not increase pressure beyond what is provided today, but the second tank will provide greater operational flexibility so that the system can be operated towards the higher end of operating pressures

Assuming a $5.75M loan, over a 30-year term, at 4.40% interest: • Our annual loan payment would be $349,000* • In order to make this loan payment, our rates would increase by $4.82* per 1,000 cubic feet of water • This would result in an annual increase of $38.66* for the average residential user *These values represent a worst-case scenario and do not include project cost reductions related to grant funding

% Change Tax Rate Change

FY25

Maintenance & redundancy

Estimated impact on rates

FY25 General Fund Budget Changes FY25 General Fund Budget

• More water storage • Will provide enough water in the high service area for the foreseeable future (50+ years) • Allows us to meet regulatory requirements • Provides more water storage in the event of an emergency (pump/pipe failure, large water usage for firefighting, etc.)

Proposed Annual Increase In Utilities Utility

$0.0286

Difference

Avg Condo

$1,457.14

$1,543.03

$84.85

Avg House

$2,150.18

$2,278.76

$125.31

Annual Increase for South Burlington Homeowner

Stormwater

$2.88

Sewer

$33.82

Water

$27.59

FY25 proposed total annual increase to average homeowner = $64.29

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING & PUBLIC HEARING

POLLING PLACES — OPEN 7 A.M.–7 P.M.

March 4, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. | 180 Market Street, South Burlington More information and virtual option at www.southburlingtonvt.gov

District CHI-8: City Hall Senior Center District CHI-11: Middle School District CHI-9: Middle School District CHI-12: Orchard School District CHI-10: Chamberlin School

Page 12 • February 22, 2024 • The Other Paper

COMMUNITY Community Notes

Epic A.J. by Grayson Dailey

Help keep Vermont’s woodlands healthy If you love your woodlands, enjoy seeing wildlife and want to learn how a healthy forest can enhance wildlife habitat, provide recreational and timber benefits come to a Spring Vermont Coverts cooperator training on an upcoming weekend in 2024.

Learn about managing your woodlands and reaching out to others in the community by attending. This program connects participants with resource professionals, landowners and others while learning how to improve woodlands for forest health, resilience and wildlife.

Training will be held May 17-19 at the Shutesville Hill Wildlife Corridor in Waterbury and Stowe, and Sept. 13-15 at the Kehoe Conservation Camp in Castleton.

To learn more, see a sample agenda or download an application visit vtcoverts.org or contact Lisa Sausvilleat lisa@vtcoverts. org.

Grab and go meal in Shelburne, March 12 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, March 12.

Meals 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 beef round, boiled potatoes, cabbage and carrots in beef stock, wheat roll and butter, leprechaun cake with frosting and milk.

To order a meal contact Kathleen at agewellstcath@gmail.com or 802-503-1107. Deadline to order is Wednesday, March 6. 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.

Do some winter birding at Ethan Allen Homestead

Winona Smith Scholarship opportunities now open

Join the members of the Green Mountain Audubon Society for some winter birding in the fields and forests of the Winooski River floodplain at the Ethan Allen Homestead on Saturday, Feb. 24, 8-10 a.m.

Starting out from the parking area near the museum, the group will head out on surrounding trails in search of a variety of avian species. The outing will cover less than two miles over mostly flat terrain.

Participants should dress for whatever conditions the day brings. To ensure an enjoyable birding experience, this trip is limited to 20 participants.

To register, go to bit.ly/4bK7foI.

The League of Women Voters of Vermont Education Fund is now accepting applications for its Winona Smith Scholarship program.

Created in 1998 to honor the legacy of league leader Winona Smith, the scholarship is awarded annually to local high school seniors who embody the characteristics and qualities Smith displayed of civic participation and community service.

Three $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to students who demonstrate financial need, scholastic achievement and are highly recommended by their teacher.

Applications, due on May 1, can be completed online at lwvofvt.org. Students need to

submit two 500-word essays, one concerning voting rights and the other on the impact of a recent civic, national or world event. A letter of recommendation from a teacher is also required (bit.ly/ lwvteacherrec).

The scholarship can be applied toward education in an accredited vocational-technical or trade school and two- or four-year college or university. Scholarship recipients will be announced June 1.

Last year, Winona Smith Scholarship scholarships were awarded to students from Thetford Academy, and Windsor, Otter Valley Union and Middlebury Union high schools.

Questions can be directed to Becky Miller, lwvofvt.edfund@ gmail.com.

Showcase explores range of STEM topics STEM Showcase 6.0, presented by University of Vermont STEM Ambassadors, offers a fun, hands-on learning opportunity for students in grades three to nine interested in exploring science, technology and engineering.

The March 23 event will be held on the UVM campus in Burlington from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Although free, registration is required as space is limited.

Registrations will be accepted until March 20, or until the showcase is filled.

Students may sign up for two workshops, which include “3...2...1...Blast Off! Recyclable Rockets,” “Lift and Force: PaperPlane Olympics; Biomimicry: Where Nature Inspires InvenSee COMMUNITY NOTES on page 13

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Earlier this month, Nate Cloutier of Cloutier Wealth Management joined South Burlington High School students during their personal finance class to discuss the process of building and protecting long-term wealth.

“Students understand the importance and relevance of personal finance,” the school’s personal finance teacher Drew Gordon said. Cloutier added that “it’s important for students to understand what options and opportunities are out there for them. By focusing on the why behind saving and investing, and that time is an investor’s most valuable asset, it’s then that we can work toward maximizing their financial goals.”

COMMUNITY NOTES continued from page 12 tion,”; “Robo Dance Off: Robots Groove; Slime Defenders: The Power of Antibodies,” and “Digestive Power and Medicine Coating: Exploring Engineering and Anatomy.”

To register, go to go.uvm.edu/stem6.

Shelburne church hosts blood drive in March Make a “paws-itive impact” and give the lifesaving gift of blood at the Shelburne community blood drive sponsored

by St. Catherine of Siena Parish.

Get a $10 e-gift card to a pet supply merchant of choice when you come to give blood in March. Donors will be automatically entered for a chance to win a $3,000 gift card to use as a treat for themselves or a trusted companion. There will be five lucky winners nationally.

The drive will be held Tuesday, March 19, from noon-5 p.m. in the church parish hall, 72 Church St., Shelburne.

To give, call 800-733-2767 or visit redcrossblood.org.

Federated Garden Clubs host trip to Boothbay garden In the quest to offer scholarships to college students and place a Blue Star

Memorial Marker in the northwest part of Vermont, Federated Garden Clubs of Vermont is hosting a Coastal Main Botanical Garden adventure on June 24-26.

Take a two-day coach trip to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine, with host Charlie Nardozzi, a nationally recognized writer, speaker and TV and radio personality.

The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens has been ranked as one of the best public gardens in the US. featuring diverse natural ecosystems, dramatic topography and innovative plantings. Some of the themed gardens include a Five-Senses Garden, children’s garden, rhododendron garden, a woodland meditation garden, kitchen garden and butterfly house.

The bus leaves from Burlington with stops for pick-up in Montpelier and White River Junction.

There will be a stop at the Moffatt-Ladd House in Portsmouth, N.H. On return, a stop at the 30-acre Bedrock Gardens in Lee, N.H., the private garden of sculptor and horticulturist Jill Nooney and her husband, Bob Munger.

To find out more information go to vermontfgcv.com.

See COMMUNITY NOTES on page 15

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Page 14 • February 22, 2024 • The Other Paper

Student Milestones Amanda H. Pettengill of South Burlington was named to second honors on the Clark University dean’s list for the fall 2023 semester.

George Karnedy and Carley Roberts, both of South Burlington, were named to the dean’s list for the 2023 fall semester at Emerson College. Both are majoring in media arts production.

Caitlin Lyford-Byrne of South Burlington was named to the fall 2023 dean’s list at Curry College.

Nora Clear, daughter of Tim and Alesia Clear of South Burlington, earned dean’s list honors at Providence College for the fall 2023 semester.

Tulasha Pradhan of South Burlington was one of 16 Saint Michael’s College students recently selected to receive a Global Citizenship International Internship scholarship, which is funded by a grant through the Freeman Foundation. Pradhan is a member of the college’s Class of 2025 majoring in public health and minoring in health equity.

The scholarship program, which is run through the College’s Center for Global Engagement, will place selected students in internships in Seoul, South Korea and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam during the summer of 2024 with help from The Education Abroad Network.

Austin C. Reichard of South Burlington received dean’s list honors for the fall 2023 semester at Fairfield University.

The following students from South

Burlington were named to the Community College of Vermont fall 2023 student honors list: Razak Abubakar, Melanie Dube, Renee Guy, Sohayla Mahmoud, Katlyn Morse, Myah Oakes, Jody Rand, Odalys Velez-Perez, Jena Whittaker and Michael Wolfsen.

The following students from South Burlington were named to the Community College of Vermont fall 2023 president’s list: Fathima Babu, Elizabeth Hayes, Madison Hogaboom and Sabian York.

The following students from South Burlington were named to the Community College of Vermont fall 2023 dean’s list: Liliana Coulman, Maria Morgan and Chelsea Yamungu.

Carter Higgins of South Burlington, a first-year student at Hamilton College, was named to the fall 2023 semester dean’s list.

Addison White of South Burlington was being named to the president’s list for the fall 2023 semester at Vermont State University.

The following students from South Burlington made the fall 2023 semester dean’s list at Vermont State University: Zadoc Yaovi A. Aklama, Brianna Belisle, Neil Fitzsimons, Kristen Flynn, Jaydenne Garbarino, Christopher Guido, Matthew Guyette, Ayoob Musanovic, Raz O’Connor, Emily Poon and Tenzin Yeshi.

Samantha Elmadjian of South Burlington graduated from The University of Tampa in December. Elmadjian received a

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Ramesh Kumar Bonala of South Burlington graduated from Trine University at the end of the second summer 2023 term. Bonala earned a degree in Master of Science in Business Analytics.

Abigail Greenip of South Burlington has been named to Southern New Hampshire University’s summer 2023 dean’s list.

The following Southern New Hampshire University students from South Burlington were named to the summer 2023 president’s list: Ryan Berrios and Chip Viau.

Thabitha Moruthane and Rebecca Kayembe, both of South Burlington, graduated from the University of Hartford this fall.

Elizabeth Hayes was named to the summer 2023 dean’s list at the Community College of Vermont.

Fathima Babu, Faith Baker, Alayna Masker and Quanah Tokarski, all of South Burlington, were named to the summer 2023 honors list at the Community College of Vermont.

Madeleine Magnant of South Burlington spent fall break serving others through James Madison University’s alternative fall break program. Magnant volunteered with Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity.

Hamilton College student Lilly Truchon of South Burlington was named to the New England Small College Athletic Conference fall all-academic team for field hockey. Truchon, a sophomore, is a graduate of Saint Paul’s School.

Ethan Perkinson of South Burlington was named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at the Villanova School of Business.

Harysh Magesh of South Burlington made the fall dean’s list at Georgia Tech.

Aaron Murakami of South Burlington was named to Springfield College dean’s

list for the 2023 fall semester. Murakami is majoring in exercise science.

Benjamin Mazza-Bergeron of South Burlington has been named to the fall 2023 dean’s list at Stonehill College.

Olivia Crocker earned fall 2023 dean’s list honors at Roger Williams University.

Davis Cota of South Burlington made the dean’s list at the University of Connecticut for the spring 2023 semester.

Annie Chalnick and Andrew Stein, both of South Burlington, made the dean’s list at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the fall 2023 semester.

William Hatch of South Burlington graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the College of Charleston.

Ava Marie Goyette of South Burlington has been named to Clarkson University’s dean’s list for the fall 2023 semester.

Brett Bohlmann of South Burlington has been named a presidential scholar at Clarkson University for the fall 2023 semester.

Jade McGahey of South Burlington was named to the president’s list for the fall 2023 semester. She attends Florida Atlantic University and is majoring in criminal justice and sociology.

The following students from South Burlington were named to the fall 2023 president’s list at Southern New Hampshire University: Abigail Greenip, Ryan Berrios and Carson Cherry.

Nora Clear, daughter of Tim and Alesia Clear of South Burlington, has earned dean’s list honors at Providence College for the fall 2023 semester.

Shayna Larrow of South Burlington has been named to the dean’s list at James Madison University for the fall 2023 semester. Larrow is majoring in general psychology.

News Briefs Water bill assistance program ends next month Do you need help paying an overdue water or sewer bill?

The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program can help. Eligible households have until March 15 to apply.

The program pays for overdue water and sewer bills, including back charges and fees associated with the outstanding balance. In addition, the program may be able to provide a one-time future payment.

Payments are made directly to your water or sewer provider.

To be eligible, you must be a customer of a public drinking water or wastewater utility. In addition, gross household income must be below 60 percent of the state median income based on household size. For a household of four, this would be $66,396. Renters are eligible for this program.

To apply, mail the application and your current water or sewer bill to Economic Services Division, Application & Document Processing Center, 280 State Drive, Waterbury VT 05671. The application can be found at dcf.vermont.gov/benefits/hwa

or by calling 800-339-6433.

This program is administered by the Vermont Department of Children and Families using funding provided by the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, the program has paid over half a million dollars in water and sewer bills, and there are still funds remaining. However, all funds must be spent by the end of March, or they will be returned to the federal government.

Bobcat tests positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza A bobcat and two red-tailed hawks found dead in Cornwall have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza virus infection, according to preliminary lab results shared with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department on Feb. 15.

The department is now awaiting the results of a confirmatory second test, which may take several weeks to receive.

The avian influenza virus has been circulating in Vermont since 2022 and See NEWS BRIEFS on page 15

The Other Paper • February 22, 2024 • Page 15

NEWS BRIEFS

Obituary

continued from page 14 has been reported in wild birds including hawks and eagles as well as domestic fowl.

The bobcat that tested positive this month is the first detection of virus in a mammal from Vermont.

It is uncommon in mammals, however, there have been detections in mammals in many other states including Connecticut, Maine and New York.

Although mammals infected with avian influenza virus infection are always of interest to wildlife officials, the risk to people from viruses remains low according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Our recommendations to Vermonters are the same as they’ve been since HPAI was first detected in our state — mainly, to avoid direct contact with wild birds,” David Sausville, wildlife management program manager with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, said. “Observe wild birds only from a distance and practice good hygiene around domestic fowl. Practice good biosecurity by keeping domestic fowl and other pets away from areas where wild birds gather, like bird feeding stations or duck ponds.”

More information on best practices around wild birds is available on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website.

Time to nominate Vermont Tree Steward Awards The Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program is accepting nominations for its 2024 Vermont Tree Steward Awards.

The deadline for nominations is March 29.

The annual awards celebrate individuals and organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting and nurturing Vermont’s trees and forests.

Award recipients will be announced in April and recognized at a special ceremony at the Vermont Arbor Day conference on May 23.

To submit a nomination for one or more categories or to view the list of past award winners, go to go.uvm.edu/tsa.

Categories are the Hamilton Award, given in honor of a former Charlotte tree warden, that recognizes a current or past tree warden who has significantly advanced the goals of urban and community forestry through effective conservation planning, sustainable forestry practices, public education and increased citizen engagement.

The Leadership Award recognizes any individual who demonstrates strong leadership and dedication to organizing and carrying out an urban or community forestry project.

The Unsung Hero Award recognizes an individual or group for their ongoing behind-the-scenes efforts to make a difference in a local urban and community forest.

Nominees for the volunteer award, group or community, includes any organization, team, ad/hoc group or community that has shown outstanding dedication and commitment in introducing or sustaining an urban and community forestry project in their community.

Learn more at vtcommunityforestry. org.

COMMUNITY NOTES continued from page 13

Be a pest detector; free training offered Early detection of the emerald ash borer, hemlock woolly adelgid and other invasive forest pests will help minimize economic and ecological damage to Vermont’s forests.

The Vermont Urban and Community Forestry program is offering a free, selfpaced, four-week online course for outdoor enthusiasts, trail managers and others who spend time in the woods who are interested in becoming a Vermont forest pest first detector. The course runs from March 16 to April 13, although participants will have access to class materials until year’s end.

The deadline to register is March 13.

Course details and a link to registration can be found at vtcommunityforestry.org/ pests.

Participants will learn how to identify and report invasive forest pests, determine management strategies and explore actions in their communities and on local trails.

The course will cover several different pests including hemlock wooly adelgid, Asian long-horned beetle, emerald ash borer, spotted lanternfly, jumping worms and oak wilt.

In addition to the eight self-study modules, three live Zoom sessions with forestry professionals will delve into some topics in depth including beech leaf disease and forest health and methods to treat ash trees on trails for the emerald ash borer.

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Vermont Community Newspaper Group: Stowe Reporter • The Other Paper • Shelburne News • News & Citizen • The Citizen

Gloria M. Iafrate Gloria Maria Iafrate, 91, of South Burlington died peacefully in her home on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024.

Gloria celebrated family every day of her life. Large family gatherings were her favorite, where she cooked and baked her way into people’s hearts. Those who love her have so many happy memories sitting around the table eating, laughing, and playing Pokeno.

She volunteered countless hours in her daughters’ schools and for the community. A city Gloria M. Iafrate girl at heart, she was an accomplished bowler, a recreational golfer, liked a competitive game of cards and appreciated a good mystery book. An avid Boston Red Sox fan, she enjoyed watching their games. And because of her incredible sewing skills, her daughters had well-dressed Barbies.

Gloria was the beloved wife of Pasquale F. Iafrate for 69 years.

She was born in Providence, Rhode Island on May 22, 1932, to parents Amato and Maria (Scorpio) Corsetti, and was the youngest of seven children — Lucia Corsetti of Warwick, R.I., and the late Mary Boffi, Victoria Rignanese, Yolanda Mazzeo, Bernardo Corsetti and Louis Corsetti.

Gloria graduated from Central High

School in Providence. An accomplished seamstress and dress designer, she worked as a supervisor at Wentworth Manufacturing Company.

On April 1, 1952, the man of her dreams skated into her heart at a roller rink. Gloria and Pat wed on Oct. 2, 1954, and moved to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for Pat’s job at IBM and started their family.

In 1966, IBM transferred the family to South Burlington.

Gloria is survived by her daughters, Patricia Newman and her husband, Kendall of Carmichael, Calif., and Annette Harton and her husband, Kelley of South Burlington; and cherished grandchildren and great-granddaughter, Elise (Newman) Eye and her husband, Noah and their daughter, Erowyn, Scott Newman and his wife, Lauren, Megan Harton and Mia Harton.

Friends and family may pay their respects on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at Ready Funeral Home South Chapel, 261 Shelburne Road, Burlington. An interment of ashes service will follow at Resurrection Park, 200 Hinesburg Road, South Burlington.

Arrangements are in the care of Ready Funeral & Cremation Services. To share online condolences, please visit readyfuneral.com.

Page 16 • February 22, 2024 • The Other Paper

TRIFILIO

continued from page 1 staff that are moving on.”

For Trifilio, the passion for becoming an educator and administrator blossomed at a young age and has followed him nearly all his adult life.

“When I was in high school, I got a chance to volunteer working in a teen club for young adults with disabilities and it was really eye-opening,” he said. “I felt like I was giving but I was also getting back so much, as well.”

For six years he taught as a special educator before transitioning to elementary classrooms for another six years After teaching for 12 years, he jumped into administration, he said, noting that the leap was a natural next step as he began to focus more on community engagement.

But times have not Mark Trifilio always been easy, he said, especially during the COVID-19 era and as other outside pressures continue to have a massive effect on elementary school students’ mental health and developing minds.

“I think we really are not aware of how much anxiety that children have, and I think it’s a phenomenon that continues to grow,” he said. “I also think it’s a really big challenge on social media, and it’s pretty overwhelming, and I don’t really think adults really know the impact that social media has on our students.”

Trifilio said he’ll even miss the mundane aspects of his job, but it is the loss of connection to students and the relationships forged over the years that will hit him the hardest.

“These last couple years, especially

through COVID, there are some really tough mornings and then when you’re up early, it’s cold and dark outside, but as soon as you open those doors and students come in it’s like, ‘Oh, this is a great day,’” he said.

Although he will no longer be walking the hallways, as students age and as time passes, the walls of the South Burlington School District begin to expand, and regular visits to the grocery store are often met with a friendly wave from a student who remembers him from all those years ago. Those are the connections he will carry with him forever.

“What I really love is when I see people outside of school or when I run into students at the high school and I don’t even recognize them anymore, or when they’ll just say hello on the street,” he said. “I’m just so thankful that we had that moment and that they still remember me, and I always remember them too.”

As he makes his way into retirement, the book he’s keeping close by on his nightstand, Somerset Maugham’s “The Razor’s Edge,” is a reminder of all that he has learned since being a 20-something stepping into a career in education and a look into all that is to come as he finds a new way to engage within the community.

After all, being an educator means a commitment to lifelong learning, he said.

“The book’s title is not what it sounds like, it’s really a novel looking at life and balancing materialism and spirituality,” he said. “I read it back in my 20s and wanted to come back to it again.”

JUVENILE CENTER continued from page 1

under consideration, but that the department is “unable to release further information about the sites being considered until one has been selected and we are under contract.”

The state’s previous facility, the Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in Essex, opened in 1986 and housed children ages 10 to 17 but closed in October 2020 because of a dwindling number of young people receiving services. The facility was also the target of federal lawsuits that alleged staff there used restraints against children being held at a facility and used isolation techniques and excessive force.

The state ended up paying $4.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by seven youths who were previously held in the facility.

They had claimed that staff there used excessive force, cruel and unusual punishment, and retaliation against those who reported abuse, according to previous reporting.

An earlier lawsuit, filed by Disability Rights Vermont, challenged the use of restraints at the facility. The state, in an April 2020 settlement, agreed to make

changes in the treatment of youth in custody.

Following the facility’s closure, the state has struggled to find beds for children in the system. The state had plans to open a juvenile boys detention center in Newbury, but that project faltered after the town’s development review board said the town didn’t have the resources — such as such as police, fire and ambulance response — to meet the facility’s needs.

The Vermont Agency of Human Services, which oversees the Department for Children and Families, appealed that decision to Superior Court and, later, to the state’s Supreme Court, which in December gave the project the green light.

The Supreme Court ruling allows the state to build a facility there, but, according to earlier reporting, officials with the department have said they are continuing to explore other options and are aiming to move away from a central facility to having multiple options.

Four potential sites would provide 27 beds under a state plan. The facilities would be run by private contractors.

The Other Paper • February 22, 2024 • Page 17

Bird watching PHOTOS BY LEE KROHN

Clockwise from top, a northern cardinal poses for the camera. A dark-eyed junco. A house finch couple waits their turn for the feeder.

Page 18 • February 22, 2024 • The Other Paper

Pine and evening: tale of two grosbeaks The Outside Story Susan Shea Last February, several evening grosbeaks, which we rarely see here, visited our feeder. About the size of robins, the males were yellow with black and white wings, a black tail and a bright yellow band above the eyes.

The females were silver-gray with tinges of yellow and similar coloration to the males on the wings and tail. Both sexes sport a massive, conical bill — the origin of the name grosbeak — used for extracting and cracking seeds.

A member of the finch family, the evening grosbeak nests primarily in coniferous forests in northern New England and New York, southern Canada, the Rocky Mountains and as far south as Mexico at high elevations. These birds feed on a wide variety of tree seeds, buds and small fruits.

Conifer and maple seeds, elm and ash buds and the seeds of chokecherries and apples are among their favorites. Evening grosbeaks store extra food in gular sacs, stretchy areas of the throat. They ingest grit from roads to help digest seeds, and they will break maple twigs in order to drink sap. In summer, these birds feed on insects and insect larvae, especially spruce budworm.

When seed crops fail in their breeding range, or when populations of evening grosbeaks are

ILLUSTRATION BY ADELAIDE MURPHY TYROL

high, large flocks may fly south or east in winter in search of food, a phenomenon known as an irruption. Chattering flocks or small groups of these highly social and gregarious birds wander about, feeding in forests and at backyard feeders.

Evening grosbeaks are numerous and widespread, but according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, popula-

tions decreased by 74 percent between 1966 and 2019. Partners in Flight, a global bird conservation network, reports that this species has experienced the steepest population decline of all North American land birds. I’ve noticed this decline first-hand: In the 1990s, evening grosbeaks came to my feeder most winters, but in the past two decades, I’ve only seen them three times.

Population declines may be due to logging and development in the boreal forest, to disease such as West Nile virus and to reduced numbers of spruce budworm and other forest insects they feed on, partially due to aerial spraying.

Forest experts predict that balsam fir will recede from the Northeast over the next century due to climate change, which will likely further impact evening grosbeak populations.

Pine grosbeaks are also occasional winter visitors to the Northeast. About the same size as the evening grosbeak, this plump finch has a longer tail and a short, curved bill. Males are pinkish-red with a dark gray tail and wings, marked by two white wingbars.

Females are light gray with olivegreen heads and similar coloration to the males on wings and tails.

Pine grosbeaks breed further north then the evening grosbeak, into northern Canada and Alaska.

They are circumpolar in distribution, ranging across northern Europe and Asia. Body size and color vary geographically. In North America, these grosbeaks nest in open coniferous forests across most of Canada and in high-elevation forests of the Rockies.

In winter, pine grosbeaks may stay in their breeding habitat or move to nearby low-elevation deciduous forests with abundant seeds. Like evening grosbeaks, in years when food is scarce, they may fly south or east. Pine grosbeaks sometimes travel to take advantage of plentiful mast crops, even when adequate food is avail-

able in their breeding range.

A 2023 study in Sweden by Svein Dale found that irruptions of these grosbeaks coincided with peaks in rowanberry crops: flocks moved south to feed on this fruit and then returned north in mid-winter when the food was gone.

The few times I’ve observed pine grosbeaks, I’ve seen small groups feeding on crab apples or cherries in ornamental trees near buildings. Their diet is predominantly vegetarian: seeds, fruit and buds. Strong, stubby bills easily crush seeds and nip off buds. Flocks often stay near a tree with abundant fruit until it is all consumed. In summer, pine grosbeaks catch insects and spiders, especially to feed to their young.

Pine grosbeaks seem to be faring better than evening grosbeaks. According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, their populations held steady between 1966 and 2019, and Partners in Flight ranks this species as low conservation concern.

Evening grosbeaks have been sighted in Vermont and New Hampshire this year, particularly in the Upper Valley, so keep your eye out for these colorful winter finches.

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.

The Other Paper • February 22, 2024 • Page 19

Carbon markets and how they affect forests Into the Woods Ethan Tapper If you’re tuned into what’s happening with forests in our region, you may have heard that we can manage forests for carbon and be paid for it. But what are “carbon markets,” and what do they mean for the way we manage our forests?

The idea of carbon markets is to create a marketplace where carbon emitters pay for practices that sequester and store carbon somewhere else, thus balancing their emissions of carbon or other greenhouse gasses.

The units of carbon that emitters purchase through carbon markets are called carbon offsets.

There are two types of carbon markets: regulatory (compliance) markets and voluntary markets. In regulatory markets, such as in California and in Europe, greenhouse gas emitters are issued “allowances” — essentially permits to produce a certain amount of emissions – which can be sold or traded. If they produce greenhouse gas emissions beyond their allowances, emitters are allowed to purchase some carbon offsets to lower their net emissions and bring them into compliance. In regulatory markets, greenhouse gas allowances are gradually reduced, thus lowering overall emissions over time.

By contrast, voluntary carbon markets sell offsets to emitters that wish to volun-

tarily balance their carbon emissions. By purchasing voluntary carbon offsets, a carbon emitter like a person, a government agency or a corporation can claim to have reduced their net greenhouse gas emissions, or even to be “carbon neutral.”

Forests naturally sequester and store carbon, and so both voluntary and regulatory carbon markets have looked to forests as places to generate carbon offsets. While producing carbon offsets for regulatory markets is more lucrative, it generally isn’t feasible for forests in our region – the forest carbon markets that you’re likely hearing about in Vermont are producing offsets for the voluntary carbon market.

In essence, forest carbon markets pay for forest landowners to do, or not do, practices that lead to a higher-than-normal amount of carbon being stored in their forest. Practices may include planting trees (afforestation), reducing deforestation, and improved forest management practices like letting trees grow bigger and older before harvesting them. The higher amount of carbon stored in the forest after the landowners do (or don’t do) these practices, as compared to forests engaged in “business as usual,” is called additional carbon — that’s the amount of carbon that can be sold to someone else as a carbon offset. The trickiest part of these carbon markets is proving this additionality: that the carbon offset being sold to an emitter represents real, additional carbon stored in a forest

that wouldn’t have existed without the instead of engaging in responsible forest carbon market. management on his own land – his entry For instance, if “Bob” doesn’t manage into a carbon program has actually caused his forest for the next twenty years, he can more carbon to be emitted. say that the greater amount of carbon in his Carbon markets may also be a force for forest (as compared to other forests in his good — promoting more carbon-friendarea, managed under “business as usual” ly practices in the woods, providing an practices) is additional and economic incentive to can be sold as an offset. keep forests as forests Forests naturally Unfortunately, forest and giving landowners carbon markets can’t judge money that can be reinsequester and store Bob’s intent. If Bob wasn’t vested in the responsigoing to manage his forest ble stewardship of their carbon, and so for the next twenty years forest. But, like timber anyway, the carbon market markets, they aren’t both voluntary and hasn’t changed his behavinherently good or bad ior or led to any more — the benefits of forest regulatory carbon carbon being stored in carbon markets will Bob’s forest. In this case, markets have looked depend on the nuances of one could argue that Bob how they are applied in has actually made things our forests. to forests as places a little worse: after twenty For more information years the same amount of about forest carbon and to generate carbon carbon dioxide will be in carbon markets, check offsets. the atmosphere as would out these articles by have been there anyway — Ali Kosiba in Northern the only difference that the carbon market Woodlands magazine. made is allowing an emitter to claim to have lower net carbon emissions.

Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden County Another concern to be aware of leak- Forester for the Vermont Dept. of Forests, age: storing carbon in one place and emit- Parks and Recreation. See what he’s been ting carbon somewhere else. If Bob starts up to, check out his YouTube channel, heating his house with fuel oil instead sign up for his eNews and read articles of firewood from his land — or buying he’s written at linktr.ee/chittendencounty lumber from forests somewhere else forester

It’s Summer Summer Camp Camps Sign-Up 2024 GUIDE Time!

Promote your program in our Summer Camps guide for targeted exposure to a local audience of kids and parents as they make plans for the upcoming summer season. This advertising section is a go-to guide for summer camp and recreation seekers, making it the ideal place to outline your offerings and secure more early enrollments.

Publication Dates: March 7, April 4 Deadlines: February 29, March 28 Contact: Stowe Reporter/News & Citizen at 802-253-2101, Shelburne News/The Citizen at 802-985-3091 or The Other Paper at 802-864-6670 for information or to advertise your camp (ask about multi-paper, half-price color and Burlington Area Newspaper Group deals).

To learn more or reserve your space, talk to us today!

STOWE REPORTER NEWS&CITIZEN

Page 20 • February 22, 2024 • The Other Paper

SPORTS

Data and GIS Analyst JOB SUMMARY

The City of South Burlington is looking for an innovative, strategic, and dynamic team member to be our next Data and GIS Analyst. Perform office and field work related to the gathering, input, updating, and development of City’s data resources to inform operational and policy decision making.

The Analyst works across departments and leads efforts to build and maintain strategic systems and structures to allow for open government and to inform decision making aligned to our community goals. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s degree in a related field, plus a minimum of three years’ experience with creating, managing, analyzing, and visualizing data in a geographic information system, equivalency considered.

APPLY NOW Review of applications will begin on February 26, 2024, and will remain open until filled.

To learn more about the position, see a detailed job description and to apply, please visit governmentjobs.com/careers/southburlington.

The City of South Burlington is an EOE.

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COURTESY PHOTO

An early photo of Kevin LePage of Shelburne from the Thunder Road Milk Bowl.

Vermont Sports Hall of Fame announces 2024 inductees 91 MAIN STREET, STOWE ~ 802.253.3033 ~ STOWE@FERROJEWELERS.COM @FERRO_JEWELERS_STOWE ~ FACEBOOK.COM/FERRO.JEWELERS WWW.FERROJEWELERS.COM

Champions of racetracks and Nordic trails, record-setters in football and the links, top scorers from hoops, ice hockey and soccer, an award-winning broadcaster, the hall’s first lacrosse player and three legendary high school coaches make up the 12 newest inductees of the 2024 Vermont Sports Hall of Fame.

The inductees are record-set-

ting football and track athlete, David Ball of Barre and Orange; five-time Vermont Men’s Amateur golf champion Shawn Baker of Brattleboro; state and national champion Nordic skier Andrew Johnson of Greensboro, a two-time Olympian; high school and collegiate ice hockey standout Jim Larkin of Wallingford, also a member of the U.S. Junior Nation-

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al Team; auto racing champion Kevin Lepage of Shelburne, who competed at NASCAR’s highest level; a women’s soccer star who was all-state in high school and all-region in college, Kristi (Lefebvre) Huizenga of Colchester; Division I women’s lacrosse All-American Alyssa Trudel of Shoreham; Dr. Kim Silloway of St. Johnsbury, a hoops star in the state and then in the Atlantic Coast Conference; and legendary high school coaches Gail Jette of Middlebury, Donald Maley Sr. of Burlington and Brattleboro’s Andy Natowich.

Award-winning sports broadcasting veteran George Commo of Burlington is this year’s Mal Boright Media Inductee.

The class will be formally inducted at the 2024 Vermont Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Celebration at the Delta Marriott Burlington Hotel on Williston Road in South Burlington on Saturday, April 27. The evening begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. and the induction ceremony follows dinner at 6:30 p.m.

More information can be found at vermontsportshall.com.

Proceeds from the event go to Prevent Child Abuse Vermont. Past dinners and other fundraisers have raised over $33,000 to support the group’s work statewide.

The Other Paper • February 22, 2024 • Page 21

Horoscope February 22, 2024

ANSWERS FROM THIS ISSUE

Weekly Puzzles © 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.

Page 22 • February 22, 2024 • The Other Paper

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Bill would create superfund for natural disaster recovery NORAH WHITE COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

which would use a federal Environmental Protection Agency tool to calculate emissions.

Vermont has suffered from 19 Legislators are discussing a bill that would require large companies to pay for climate-related disasters since 2017, said environmental harm they caused by fossil Miller, costing Vermonters significantly.

One example is the catastrophic floodfuel emissions. That money would make up what lawmakers are calling a climate super- ing Vermont faced last year, forcing resifund to help pay for natural disaster recov- dents out of their homes and costing them thousands in damages. ery in Vermont.

“This is going to impact our health, our It has become obvious to most Vermonters, said Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, one of tourism, our scenic beauty, not to mention the sponsors of the bill, S.259, that fossil our homes and overall economy,” Ram fuel companies continued to push for the Hinsdale said.

Those costs extend use of their energy prodto recovery efforts by ucts well after they knew “For just our program, government groups. the damage that it would “For just our cause to the climate and we’re looking at over program, we’re looking tried to bury the research at over $10 million just for as long as they could. $10 million just to help to help landowners,” “You make a mess, Bob Thompson, state you clean it up,” Johanlandowners.” conservation engineer na Miller, energy and the U.S. Departclimate program director — Bob Thompson, for ment of Agriculture in for the Vermont Natural Resources Council, said. state conservation engineer, Vermont, said.

The bill would put “This is all about ensurinto effect a master plan ing that the largest fossil U.S. Department of for the use of the superfuel companies — who have long known for Agriculture in Vermont fund, legislative counsel Michael O’Grady said decades the harm they in a judiciary committee meeting Feb. 8. caused — are held accountable.”

The fund would pay for infrastructure The bill, which has 20 sponsors in the Senate Committee on Judiciary, would trig- projects “designed to avoid, moderate, ger an assessment of the greenhouse gas repair or adapt to negative impacts caused emissions of companies engaged in fossil by climate change and to assist communifuel extraction or refinement from Jan. 1, ties, households and businesses in preparing 2000, to Dec, 31, 2019. Any companies for future climate-change-driven disrupwhose products were responsible for the tions,” according to the bill.

Examples of funded infrastructure release of more than 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gasses during those years projects would be stormwater drainage upgrades, sturdier roads and bridges and would be handed a fine.

To figure out each payment demand, renovated sewage treatment plants — all of the state would look at how much a given which may help flooding victims.

Supporters hope the superfund would company contributed to greenhouse gas emissions during that 20-year period. The help landowners pay for their own recovery state would also determine the total cost to as well as climate restoration.

Stephanie Brackin, a spokesperson for Vermont from fossil fuel industry emissions over that time, and then ask the company to the Agency of Natural Resources, said the agency will be monitoring the bill as it pay for a matching percentage.

So, if a company contributed 10 percent evolves. of the total emissions calculated under the The Community News Service is a bill, it would be asked to give the superfund an amount equaling 10 percent of the costs program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to to Vermont.

The fund would be managed by the provide content for local news outlets at no Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, cost.

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Neagley & Chase adds two to team Neagley & Chase Construction in South Burlington has hired Nicole BetanCourt as a project estimator and Christina Seward as the firm’s human resources director and office manager.

“In a highly competitive job market we are fortunate to find skilled, dedicated people like Nicole and Christina who bring additional depth and expertise to our team,” company vice president Rob Higgins said.

With more than a decade of industry estimating and purchasing experience, BetanCourt will assist the estimating team

in developing detailed cost estimates, supporting competitive bid efforts, maintaining cost databases, and furthering industry relationships. BetanCourt lives in Williston.

Seward will be responsible for overall office administration, management of HR activities, accounting department assistance, IT coordination, marketing assistance, and fleet management. She has prior experience in both healthcare and manufacturing industries. Seward lives in Milton.

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Page 24 • February 22, 2024 • The Other Paper