The Other Paper - 3-21-24

Sarah

Paying it forward

Mark Gabel drives bus for South Burlington schools and he often encourages kids to play outside after school with tasks like, “Let’s see who can build a snowman.” Tucker Sutherland took Gabel up on his challenge, creating this snow person. Not only does Gabel encourage kids to be creative, play outside and get fresh air, he is often seen at school board meetings advocating for

bus drivers and taxpayers. “If you see Mark around, please thank him for his dedication to South Burlington,” says Erin Sutherland, who took this photo.

Sivo out as middle school principal Board stands by decision, elementary school principal on leave of absence

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

The South Burlington School Board last Wednesday voted unanimously to not renew middle school principal Scott Sivo’s contract.

The move has caused an uproar in some quarters of the community and left parents concerned over what they have called a “lack

of transparency.”

“The decision, along with other recent unsettling events within our district, has been communicated with little to no explanation, leaving parents, students, and staff in a state of uncertainty and concern,” reads an online petition spearheaded

See SIVO on page 12

$8 million grant closes gap for pedestrian bridge

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

South Burlington was awarded a more than $8 million federal grant for the construction of a long-sought pedestrian bridge over I-89.

The grant, which was announced by Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, closes a significant funding gap for the project and sets a 2026 timeline for its completion.

The project will create a criti-

cal access way along Route 2 for pedestrians crossing I-89. The bridge will run from the Staples Plaza and Quarry Hill residential area to the University Mall property — helping move pedestrians between Burlington and South Burlington without having to cross off-ramps and on-ramps onto I-89.

“It means that people will have a safe way to walk and bike

See BRIDGE on page 12

PHOTO BY ERIN SUTHERLAND

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

Inside of the First Baptist Church in Burlington stands a 160-year E. and G.G. Hook tracker organ, an instrument as integral to the congregation as the church itself. When you enter the building and hear it play, its sound “fills the whole space and shapes the building itself,” says pastor Rev. Karen Mendes.

There are only four of these instruments in Vermont, and its historical relevance often draws visitors for the instrument itself. For decades, the organ was played by Sarah Dopp’s mother, Katherine, who became the church’s Organ Emeritus in 1982 and played the instrument until her death in 1999.

Through Sarah’s 63 years as a member of the church, the preservation of the instrument and innumerable other historical facets of the community and the state, became the driving force of her life. It propelled her work in the Chittenden County Historical Society, Vermont Historical Society and South Burlington Land Trust, among many other local organizations.

“I think all of the work that she did in all of her different arenas came from the same source — that she felt that a person’s life should make the world a better place,” Mendes said.

Dopp, a resident of South Burlington, died suddenly on Thursday, March 7, at the age of 77. Born in Burlington to Katherine and Leroy J. Dopp in 1946, she attended South Burlington schools and graduated from the University of Vermont in 1968. She worked as a medical technologist at the Mary Fletcher Hospital for 50 years.

Dopp worked tirelessly for dozens of organization that were close to her heart and in many ways functioned as her family.

She was a regular volunteer at Meals on Wheels and Age Well Vermont, served as president and supporter of the Craftsbury Chamber Players, and sponsored the Katharine Dopp Organ Recital each year at First Baptist and supported the preservation and use of historic organs around Vermont.

“The central thing about Sarah is her volunteerism,” said Michael Mittag, a South Burlington planning commissioner member and the treasurer of the South Burlington Land Trust. “Quite honestly, I have never met anybody who managed to keep so many balls in the air at once. She volunteered for I would almost say dozens of organizations, and every day of her life she was volunteering.”

Her life revolved around historic preservation. She was an honorary board member of the Vermont Historical Society, and one of the earliest founders of the Chittenden County Historical Society, diligently keeping records and documents of local history.

“Sarah really came from a family that valued history,” said Joseph Perron, the secretary and archivist with the Chittenden County Historical Society. “She was a multigenerational Vermonter, and so I think that gave her a lot of really profound appreciation for Vermont and its history.”

At the Vermont Historical Society, she served on the board in various capacities from 1992 until 2022, when she was named an honorary trustee. She oversaw the response of the organization to the Montpelier flood of 1992, as well as the decision of the historical society to move its headquarters

and its collections out of the pavilion building in Montpelier, and into old Spaulding High School, which is now the Vermont History Center in Barre.

“There was a family connection to Vermont history in general, and I think, through her love of her family and I think wanting to preserve that family story, it extended to preserving this history of Vermont,” said Stephen Perkins, the executive director of the Vermont Historical Society. “The whole idea of how family intertwines with history and affects change, that was very important to to her.”

In her younger years, she worked with Lillian Baker Carlisle, a driving force behind the foundation of the Chittenden County Historical Society who worked with Electra Havemeyer Webb in establishing collections at the Shelburne Museum.

Dopp, along with Carlisle and David Blow, worked over a 10-year span on the three-volume “Historic Guide to Burlington Neighborhoods.”

vation, and often urged community members to conserve their own properties. And in September 2023, Dopp donated 40 acres of her own land in the city’s Southeast Quadrant to be permanently protected — the city’s largest gift of a conservation easement in its history.

historical preservation, those who knew her said she was progressive in her understanding of what history means and “was very expansive in wanting us as an organization to tell everyone’s story,” Perkins said.

She was honored for her work in 2014 with the Hildene Award, given annually to Vermonters who have made extraordinary contributions in the areas of land conservation and historic preservation.

She supported the organization’s work to expand its historical women’s database and was very much an activist in LGBTQ rights, Black Lives Matter, and in and all these ideas of “telling as many stories and accepting as many people as possible,” Perkins said.

“Sarah was really a protege of her and followed in her footsteps,” Perron said, “and I think was really trying to carry on her legacy and was sort of inspired by Lillian’s example.”

A champion of conservation, she was the founder and the “heart and soul” of the South Burlington Land Trust, said Janet Bellavance, the organization’s secretary — a vehicle through which she advocated for the sentiment of place and for the preservation of some of the last remaining natural land in the community.

For years, she advocated tirelessly to protect other lands in the area from potential development and for permanent conser-

“Without Sarah, South Burlington would be a very different place,” Mittag said. “Particularly with farmers like the Leduc family and the Auclair family, Sarah was the person who talked to them about conserving their land, rather than dividing it up and having it sold for development.”

Without her, Mittag said, the area “might look like New Jersey. It would be overdeveloped. Lots that are now open would be paved over — I don’t think it’s a hyperbole to say that.”

But while Dopp advocated for

“She was not stuck in the past, but she had a real reverence for it and wanted Vermont’s story to be told and in an authentic and an honest way, and was kind of working for that,” Perron said. “There’s a huge void that’s going to be left in her absence.”

A memorial service for Dopp will be held at the First Baptist Church in Burlington on April 12 at 10 a.m. All are welcome to attend, Mendes said.

See Dopp’s obituary on page 10.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Sarah Dopp on the land she donated to the South Burlington Land Trust. Dopp with Kevin Graffagnino, the former director of the Vermont Historical Society, and former trustee Lyn Blackwell, during a 2009 visit to the White House.

School district cuts budget New spending plan tops $69.5 million

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

In addition to warning a newly adopted $69.5 million school budget vote on April 4, South Burlington school district superintendent Violet Nichols outlined $1.7 million in cuts to programs, staffing and the district’s capital reserve fund.

The new budget of $69.5 million, which represents an 11 percent spending increase over last year, also applies the $2.27 million surplus that the community voted to allocate to the district’s capital reserve fund on Town Meeting Day as revenue to offset spending instead.

“The decision that we discussed at the meeting last week was the only way that we could lower the tax rate increase impact was really to use the lever of using the fiscal year 2022 surplus allocated to revenue,” Tim Jarvis, the district’s senior director of operations and finance, said.

Although town meeting voters approved allocating those surplus funds to the capital reserve fund, Jarvis said at a board meeting earlier this month that the language on the ballot didn’t technically bind the board to that decision.

“What the voters approved was for the board to authorize using the surplus to put in a capital reserve fund. They didn’t mandate you to do that. They authorized you to do that,” he said.

The cut in spending of $1,662,891 will result in a tax-rate increase of 14.5 percent, 40 percent lower than the anticipated 23 percent tax increase associated with the initial budget.

Of that $1.7 million, the board cut $848,186 in staff and programs, including 3.4 full-time equivalent positions, along with a reduction of $814,705 to the district’s capital reserve fund, down from the $1.9 million previously allocated with the board’s original budget.

The $1.9 million of extra money was made possible by Act 127, a new law that adjusted the state’s previous equalized pupil weighting system and caused headaches for school officials this year.

As districts with new low pupil weights saw dramatic tax rate increases due to the new

formula, the law granted a 5 percent tax increase cap meant to soften the blow to districts that were affected negatively. The law also allowed districts a 10 percent per-pupil spending limit — meaning that the South Burlington school district could have spent anywhere from $63 to $71.5 million with the same exact effect on tax bills.

To maximize that spending cap, the board opted in January for that additional $1.9 million to be allocated in the budget for the capital reserve fund, which at the time, did not negatively affect its expected tax rate.

But a new law that was fasttracked through the Legislature just weeks before Town Meeting Day removed that 5 percent discount and instituted a different percentage discount that increased the city’s expected tax rate even more.

Although some community members have expressed concern over not allocating all the capital reserve fund money back into the budget, the board stressed the importance of the commitment to making continued improvements to its aging schools.

“We didn’t want to take all the money out of the capital reserve fund because we knew that the voters were very interested in ensuring that we had some money put into the capital reserve fund,” Jarvis said. “When we had to reduce the budget by $1.66 million, you can see it’s almost cut in half. Half of that reduction was in staffing and programs and about half of it was in the alloca-

tion to capital reserve fund.”

In addition to eliminating positions — like health and wellness teachers — that were made possible by COVID-19 relief funds, the district also plans to cut three classroom teacher positions in the elementary schools, one special educator position at the middle school, and a math and social studies teacher at the high school.

Other additional staffing cuts include education and multilingual coordinators, an instructional coach and a student engagement coordinator.

The district can also expect a nearly $50,841 cut to curriculum.

“Within our office of learning budget, we have so much set aside for curriculum. So, what it would mean is a reduction based on needs,” Alysia Backman, the district’s executive director of learning, said. “We might have to hold off on something, but it doesn’t mean that the whole line of curriculum has been reduced, it’s a portion of that curriculum.”

In addition to adding interventionist and coordinator positions based on student need, the district added a transportation dispatcher and bus driver position along with $5,000 for each of the five schools to support transportation costs for homeless students.

“Another modification we’ve had is a huge uptick in homeless transportation costs,” Nichols said.

A public informational meeting on the new budget will be held on April 3 prior to the revote on April 4.

Palm

10

4

Maundy

5

Good

Noon

Easter

11

1250

Total reported incidents: 226

Foot patrols: 18

Directed patrols: 10

Public assists: 10

Overdoses: 1

Traffic stop: 18

Motor vehicle complaint: 10

DUI: 2

Larceny from a vehicle: 6

Suspicious events: 8

Juvenile problem: 1

Mental health issue: 2

Disturbances: 6

Domestic incidents: 4

Welfare check: 15

Property damage: 6

Trespass notice: 11

Larceny: 2

Unlawful mischief: 1

Retail theft: 15

Fraud: 1

Threats: 1

Illegal dumping: 1

Alarm: 9

911 hang up: 4

Selected incidents:

March 11 at 3:13 p.m., police responded to a report of a sex crime committed on Market Street.

March 15 at 9:36 p.m., a fireworks ordinance violation was issued on Patchen Road.

Arrests:

March 11 at 9:57 a.m., Bobby Bethune, 24, of Burlington, was arrested on Dorset Street for felony retail theft.

March 12 at 11:33 a.m., Damion R. Kistoo, 31, of Williston, was arrested on Williston Road for driving under the influence, criminal refusal.

March 14 at 2:34 a.m., Kory G. Holmes, 35, of Burlington, was arrested while driving on I-89 for driving under the influence, first offense, and possession of cocaine.

March 14 at 10:30 a.m., Jack A. Hurlbut, 27, of St. Albans, was arrested on Dorset Street on an in-state warrant.

March 14 at 5:17 p.m., Anthony R. Booska, 43, of Vergennes, was arrested on an in-state warrant.

March 15 at 11:22 a.m., Caitlin Elizabeth Dimas, 35, of South Burlington, was arrested on Larkin Way on an in-state warrant and as a fugitive from justice.

March 16 at 4:49 a.m., Gabriello D. Lewis, 23, of Burlington, was arrested while driving on Kennedy Drive and Hinesburg Road for driving under the influence, first offense.

March 16 at 7:17 p.m., Emma Rose Kirouac, 24, of South Burlington, was arrested for domestic assault.

Previous incidents:

March 7 at 6 p.m., Shiloh Jean Parker, 49, of Burlington, was arrested on Garden Street for petit larceny.

OPINION

Restorative justice programs can effectively address criminal conduct

From the House

Rep. Martin LaLonde

Deterring crime depends in large part on having certain and speedy accountability for criminal activity. A well-functioning, well-resourced criminal justice system can lead to prompt consequences for offenders.

But we need not rely solely on the courts to provide expeditious consequences for criminal activity. A well-functioning, well-resourced restorative justice system can also ensure certain and immediate consequences, often with better outcomes for victims and offenders than the criminal justice system. Last week, the House passed H.645, which will improve how Vermont provides restorative justice.

aimed at repairing the harm caused by their crime.

The Legislature has also established a statutory framework for community justice centers “to resolve civil disputes and address the wrongdoings of individuals who have committed municipal, juvenile, or criminal offenses.” Criminal justice centers “shall include programs to resolve disputes, address the needs of victims, address the wrongdoing of the offender, and promote the rehabilitation of youthful and adult offenders.”

Rep. Martin LaLonde

Vermont has long had many powerful restorative justice options to address criminal conduct outside the traditional criminal justice system. Those options may be available before adjudication (before an individual is convicted or enters a plea agreement) or after adjudication.

As to pre-adjudication, the attorney general’s office oversees a diversion program that provides a restorative response for individuals charged with their first or second misdemeanor or their first non-violent felony. Community members support the person charged and help them repair the harm done to victims and the community.

The restorative process requires the charged individual to take responsibility for the crime. It leads to the creation of a restorative agreement under which the responsible party must repair the harm they caused. A significant part of this process builds new skills to help the offender avoid causing further harm.

The attorney general’s office also oversees the Tamarack program, which supports adults charged with a crime who have a substance use or mental health treatment need. Tamarack participants must be willing to take responsibility for their actions and, when appropriate, participate in a restorative process

These centers, which can be either municipal entities or nonprofits, are involved with both pre- and post-adjudication restorative justice programs. Post-adjudication programs include reparative boards that provide community-centered restorative justice processes for offenders who have been required to participate as a condition of probation.

The bill just passed by the House, H.645, would create and codify a statewide pre-charge diversion program. Pre-charge diversion occurs when individuals who commit low-level crimes are referred to community providers of restorative justice instead of court. The bill would allow law enforcement or prosecutors to divert more offenders from the criminal justice system before they are charged with a crime. If an individual does not complete the restorative justice program, they would be referred to the traditional court system.

Some Vermont counties, including Chittenden County, already provide pre-charge restorative justice programs. H.645 would stabilize those existing programs by placing administrative oversight in and funding through the attorney general’s office. By expanding pre-charge diversion statewide, the entire state will benefit from more timely interventions and reduced pressure on the courts.

Restorative justice avoids many adverse collateral consequences to the party responsible for the harm, including loss of employment, government assistance, housing and parental rights. Restorative processes are

also more effective than incarceration at reducing recidivism.

In 2019, the Crime Research Group, which provides criminal justice research in Vermont, produced a report analyzing recidivism rates and costs of the diversion program of the Vermont Attorney General’s office. The report noted that first-time diversion participants without criminal history were much less likely to reoffend than individuals going through the traditional criminal justice system. The same report found that diversion is much less expensive than the traditional criminal justice system.

Victims also benefit from the restorative justice process. Studies show that victims consistently report higher satisfaction with restorative justice programs than traditional prosecutions.

In addition, when given the option, victims tend to opt for a restorative process. Victims want answers, want their voices heard and want a sense of control relative to what happened to them. They do not want the person who caused their harm to cause further harm. A restorative process can better address these needs than the legal process and the courts.

The expansion of restorative justice, as proposed in H.645, comes at a critical time for Vermont. With increased community concerns regarding public safety and the challenges of court backlogs, along with mounting financial pressures in all areas of state services, it is essential that we invest in public safety measures that are both effective and timely.

Community-based providers testified repeatedly before the House Committee on Judiciary about how restorative justice offers a high-impact, lowercost intervention compared to traditional court interventions and does so in a timelier manner, often within weeks of an incident rather than months or years. H.645 seeks to build on these positive outcomes.

If you have any questions or input about the foregoing, please reach out to me at mlalonde@leg. state.vt.us.

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

Faith United Methodist Church Holy Week Services

Palm/Passion Sunday Service with Palms

March 24 • 9:30 a.m.

Maundy Thursday Service with Communion

March 28 • 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Easter Sunday Worship

March 31 • 9:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary

House bill would let government groups get together remotely

From the House

Rep. Kate Nugent

House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs, the committee I currently serve on, oversees many areas, including what policies can be decided upon at the local level and state level, which often means reviewing and voting on municipal charter changes. This committee also makes decisions about how government is organized, including state commissions and composition; how laws are enforced, working directly with sheriffs, the Criminal Justice Council and states attorneys; Vermont’s pension sustainability; professional regulation; administrative agencies and their configuration; cannabis and alcohol regulation; elections; and the National Guard.

By the time a person is in the emergency room or doctor’s office being treated, much has happened to that person because of the environment they have lived in that has led to that emergency or disease. If we can look at and improve the policies underlying the environmental conditions we live in, we can reduce the cost of health care and reduce the costs to taxpayers.

Housing

I wanted to share some brief updates on Vermont’s progress on housing this year:

• Created or improved 1,890 rental apartments or homes statewide.

• Expanded shelter capacity by 198 beds.

• Improved shelter beds by 496.

• Improved access to housing for 224 Vermont households with a member who is disabled.

We have also reviewed the current emergency management system in Vermont, as well as the 911 dispatch system. These areas are the gears that need to work well in the background so that state and local government can function and folks’ lives can continue peacefully and reliably.

Education funding

Though not my specific area of focus, as a taxpayer and representative, I want you to know that I continue to advocate for South Burlington’s residents and high-performing school district and look forward to working with my colleagues to make this law work better and avoid further unintended consequences.

Whatever we do for youth in Vermont should provide everyone with access to high-quality education, not necessarily the same specific education, and we need to have discussions about the future demographics the state, as well as one of the major drivers of increased education costs — health care.

Vermont spent $1 billion in 2022 alone on treating chronic diseases, most of which are caused by behavioral health issues that are preventable. As part of an effort to review legislation with an eye to the impact on the population of the state, I am helping to pursue a focus on public health.

neutral third party, rather than rely on the same entity.

If this bill passes, it will provide a much-needed service to municipalities in Vermont and allow for smoother functioning of local government by providing professional ethics opinions.

Grants and contracts

H.140, of which I am a co-sponsor, would remedy some of the issues that have arisen for nonprofits and contractors with the state by improving efficiency of grant execution and management and allow contractors and grantees to apply a realistic amount of funding to the cost of carrying out state-prioritized programs.

• Created 628 permanently affordable homes and housed Vermonters experiencing homelessness.

The government operations committee is working to strengthen statewide ethics standards, reporting and transparency, and to create a similar option for municipalities to be served by a statewide ethics commission.

• Invested in 58 beds for Vermonters recovering from substance use.

• Partnered with University of Vermont Extension to repair housing for 110 farmworkers.

Municipal, state ethics

Many residents in Vermont do not currently feel served by the way ethics are handled at the local level. The government operations committee is working to strengthen statewide ethics standards, reporting and transparency, and to create a similar option for municipalities to be served by a statewide ethics commission. Vermont historically has had a low rating compared to other states in handling ethics. In Massachusetts, for example, which does have local control — it is a home-rule state rather than a Dillon’s Rule state like Vermont where the Legislature has to allow communities to have power — municipal ethics are managed at the state level. A state-level municipal ethics office allows for citizens to see how their complaints are being handled and resolved by a

Town meetings

The Senate is currently working on a bill that would potentially make permanent changes to how we allow public meetings to take place in Vermont. Since Covid, the Legislature has allowed public meetings to take place electronically and also without a physically accessed location. Many boards and public officials have found that these allowances improved access to public discussions and provided both volunteers sitting on committees and boards and the public with flexibility.

Elections

Our committee this year also made changes to allow communities to re-warn their budget votes as part of dealing with the unintended consequences of Act 127.

Optometrist scope report

We voted out a bill to update and make regulating many professions overseen by the Office of Professional Regulation more efficient. We also heard, separately, a summary of the Optometrist Scope Report and heard initial testimony from ophthalmologists and optometrists about the merits and safety of expanding the scope of work we allow optometrists to

Rep. Kate Nugent

Thoughts on recent school board resignation

To the Editor:

What came to mind when I read Alex McHenry’s statement about his resignation from the school board was “blowing out other people’s candles to make theirs shine brighter.” I attended many school board meetings this past year. I witnessed disagreements and tension, along with references to discussions that occurred with McHenry both in and outside of meetings about efforts to work out concerns. (“South Burlington school board member resigns,” March 6, 2023)

The word “coup” Alex uses in describing the leadership change connotes a planned unlawful seizure of power. This inflammatory language is directed toward former school board member Kate Bailey. Board members Bailey, Laura Williams and Chelsea Tillinghast — a majority of the board — all supported the call to change leadership. According to the minutes of the Aug. 16, 2023, special board meeting, McHenry “discusses how the board chair position requires more time than Mr. McHenry has to offer at this time. He is effectively resigning as School Board Chair to allow someone else with more time to step up.”

The school board members choose the

perform.

This was a controversial discussion that will continue after crossover. We also heard testimony on H.606, which, like non-citizen driver’s licenses, would allow qualified people who have other forms of identification than a Social Security number to be licensed to practice their professions in Vermont. This would help both individuals and the state, where workforce shortages are occurring in almost every sector.

Guard recruitment

Well-organized and executed vaccine deployment to hundreds of thousands of Vermonters, water rescues and flood mitigation, firefighting: These are all ways that Vermont has relied on the selfless service of Vermont’s National Guard in recent years.

And yet, this year, we have also heard about the workforce shortages in the Guard, which are a serious concern that we need to address together as a state. Without the requisite number of members, the Vermont National Guard is in danger of losing its mission, and therefore, reducing or eliminating many of the vital services and jobs that they currently provide to communities, including firefighting, intelligence and other areas.

chair, and the members have processes by vote, to change leadership if deemed in the members’ interest. Having your role questioned as a leader is certainly an uncomfortable situation. Leadership styles vary but the board has critical work to do for the citizens of South Burlington and especially the students. We respect the time and energy board members commit to this important work.

My takeaway from watching school board meetings is communication is a key to school board leadership. School board members, as public servants, are constantly communicating with the public, multiple committees, the superintendent and fellow school board members. It takes humility and courage for a leader to say, “I need more help, I overcommitted.” It takes will ingness and ongoing effort to join in efforts to improve group function.

I end with this from the South Burling ton extracurricular activities mission, “Our athletic teams will strive to win, but the emphasis will be placed on effort, improve ment, respect for coaches, teammates, opponents, and officials, and learning to win graciously and lose with dignity.”

May the adults of South Burlington model this emphasis.

Nancy Hellen South Burlington

We can assist the guard in recruitment by making sure high school students are aware of the opportunities that guard service — which is different from military service — provides. Tuition, camaraderie, skill-building and the chance to make a difference are all great benefits of being part of the Guard. Schools can assist this as well, by highlighting this option along with others for high school seniors who are considering their options post-graduation.

Government accountability

H.702 would allow the Legislature to assess and evaluate the large government initiatives it has put in place more thoroughly and accurately. Most folks seem to agree that after we put programs in place, whether universal school meals or others, evaluation of the impact is as important as the programs themselves. At present, we do not have a great way of evaluat ing the success of these programs. H.702 would help us build in evaluation tools and benchmarks into government programs. You can reach me at knugent@leg.state. vt.us, katenugent@gmail.com or text or call 802-391-4095.

Kate Nugent, a Democrat, represents South Burlington in the Chittenden-10 House district.

News city council needs to build on past successes

Guest Perspective

John Bossange

Congratulations to all six candidates who summoned the courage and commitment to run for the three open seats on city council. Campaigning for public office can be grueling, and the continual public scrutiny keeps most of us away from that process.

Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Mike Scanlon and Laurie Smith won their races and will now join Tim Barritt, the new chair, and Andrew Chalnick, vice-chair.

Under the leadership of Helene Riehle, previous councils accomplished a great deal for the good of South Burlington and set the stage for building on those initiatives. The list of successes is impressive, highlighted by a new city hall and library complex, City Center and Market Street housing developments, a climate action plan, land development regulations, the enhancement of Transfer Development Rights, carbon-free primary heating in all new construction, required photovoltaic systems in new commercial buildings, protected habitat blocks and wider riparian areas, Conservation Planned Unit Developments, bringing BETA Technologies and attracting more small businesses to the city, and working to improve the city’s relationship with the airport, including

noise mitigation for the Chamberlin neighborhood, as well as a long-term, fair tax agreement with Burlington.

Today the council needs to figure out how to revitalize the commercial spaces near City Center, especially along Dorset Street. They also need to promote both more affordable apartments for lower-income individuals and families, and at the same time advocate for more high-end apartment buildings in City Center for seniors currently living in single-family homes who would like to downsize, freeing up their homes for young families.

In addition, developing a village green in City Center will be an essential feature for a vibrant and livable city. These initiatives need to be part of a growth management plan that promotes City Center housing of all types and discourages sprawling, car-centric subdivisions miles from municipal services.

South Burlington should be Vermont’s shining model of smart growth, and not an overdeveloped and sprawling housing hub for Chittenden County.

The new council needs to use the adopted and revised city plan, not just as an advisory or aspirational document, but also as a clear guide toward a sustainable economic, social and environmental future. The plan needs to be a firm point of reference for the council to use when adopting policies and practices to address

smart-growth housing and carrying costs to incentivize businesses to locate along the Williston Road and Route 7 corridors, and to preserve remaining natural lands to help mitigate the climate crisis and to provide a calming, spiritual impact that reminds us why we moved here and enjoy life in Vermont.

The council needs to complete the conservation easements on Hubbard and Wheeler parks, adopt an ordinance to phase-out small gas engines used in leaf blowers, hedge trimmers and string trimmers, encourage the use of electric lawn mowers and approve a tree preservation ordinance when it is presented by the planning commission.

The council should also set requirements for all new buildings to install electric vehicle-ready parking spaces.

The council needs to promote additional environmental imperatives for the weatherization and efficiency of rental buildings, and for regulations that require end-of- life, fossil-fuel heating and cooling systems to be replaced with carbon-free equipment wherever reasonably possible. We need an enhanced nuisance ordinance to include objective decibel-based noise standards, and we need to harmonize the noise standards to our land use regulations.

We desperately need an herbicide and pesticide policy to ensure our drinking water is clean and streams are unpolluted

when they drain into Lake Champlain.

More than ever, this new council needs to focus on community outreach by occasionally meeting with residents, possibly at school facilities. They should coordinate the development of the parks and recreation, bike and pedestrian and active transportation plans to ensure effective integration between these three plans and be sure they fall into alignment with the city’s master plan.

Many of these new challenges will require the council to address multiple areas of need. None of these initiatives should be competing interests. The challenges addressed from previous councils were well managed and used the guidance of broad municipal planning documents.

That should continue.

I have full confidence that under the leadership of this new council, we will rise to the challenge and continue to plan for economic growth in designated commercial enterprise zones, for smart growth housing in a well-defined city core, and for protecting remaining open space and natural lands.

John Bossange is on the board of the South Burlington Land Trust, serves on the city’s natural resource and conservation committee, and represents South Burlington at the Champlain Valley Conservation Partnership.

South Burlington resident, firefighter helps injured skier at Burke Mountain

Kevin McNeill, South Burlington resident and a senior at Rice Memorial High School, was instrumental in helping an injured ski racer during an Alpine ski race at Burke Mountain.

McNeill was at the top of the slope collecting his teammates’ jackets and he could see an skier had fallen during his race. He dropped everything and skied down to help.

The injured student had deeply lacerated his leg and because McNeill volunteers with the Shelburne Fire Department, he could see that the tourniquet was not

the tourniquet, which helped slow the blood loss.

The skier required 50 internal stitches and 30 external staples and is incredibly grateful to McNeill for his help in this critical moment otherwise his injury could have been much worse.

“McNeill has a calm and confident demeanor, a genuine desire to help others, and is incredibly mature for one so young,” according to a press release from the South Burlington school.

“I felt confident in my training and knew I could make a difference,” said McNeill, who has been

Sarah L. Dopp

Sarah Leigh Dopp, 77, of Cheesefactory Road in South Burlington, left us, gently and suddenly, on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

She was born in Burlington to Leroy J. Dopp, Jr. and Katharine (Eckley) Dopp on Nov. 21, 1946. Sarah attended South Burlington schools and graduated from the University of Vermont in 1968. She worked as a medical technologist at Mary Fletcher Hospital for 50 years.

A work exchange program, in her early years there, led her to the United Kingdom, where she renewed her fascination with all things historical. She returned to UVM where she received her Master of Arts in English.

Sarah gave herself, tirelessly, to her friends and the many organizations that were close to her heart. She was the founder and president of the South Burlington Land Trust. As a conservation champion, she donated 40 acres of her own land in the Southeast Quadrant to be

protected forever. She was also the volunteer leader of the Champlain Valley Conservation Partnership. Sarah was a longtime community supported agriculature member of Intervale Community Farm and a devoted supporter of her neighbors at Bread & Butter Farm.

Sarah served as president of both the Chittenden County Historical Society and Vermont Historical Society, where she was a trustee on their board. Sarah was a member of The First Baptist Church of Burlington for 63 years, serving as the church moderator and historian among myriad other roles.

Sarah was a regular volunteer at Meals on Wheels, Age Well Vermont, and she loved UVM women’s basketball. She never hesitated to take on any task, always with grace and cheer. She lived out her faith in all that she did.

Sarah was a great supporter of the arts. She served as president and supporter of the Craftsbury Chamber Players, donating her field to them during COVID-19, where they could perform outside with ease and joy. She sponsored the Katharine Dopp Organ Recital each year at First Baptist and supported the preservation and use of historic organs around Vermont.

Sentiment of place and the land, past and present, was so very important to Sarah Dopp. She kept records and documents of local history for all of us to learn from and value. Her love of the land, history and agriculture in Vermont, as well as her love of music and her great faith were always within her, and she was proud to share it all. Sarah loved reading outside in the sunshine, especially in spring, with snowdrops and daffodils in bloom.

Sarah is survived by her first cousins, Sue Ellen Dopp, Douglas Dopp, Christopher Chase and Katrina Gorsky; and by countless friends.

All are welcome to attend a memorial service at the First Baptist Church of Burlington, 81 Saint Paul St., on Friday, April 12, 2024, at 10 a.m. Those who would like to view the service remotely can receive a Zoom link by emailing welcome@fbcburlingtonvt. com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the First Baptist Church Memorial Fund or the Vermont Historical Society.

Sarah L. Dopp

Dolphins bring on Division I alum this summer

Michel Bergeron, a South Burlington Dolphins football alum and current Division I player at Delaware State University, is joining the Dolphins as their first-ever intern, bringing a wealth of professional experience and enthusiasm.

Since his arrival, Bergeron has been incorporating new elements into the existing athletic training program. Designed by Donald

Driver, the training makes the Dolphins the second program in the country to adopt these latest techniques to ensure player safety and performance.

In his first week, Bergeron helped to raise over $500 for the program.

As an alum, Bergeron understands the essence of Dolphins P.R.I.D.E — Personal Responsibility for Individual Effort — and

Community Bankers

the potential to make a difference. Free summer youth clinics, part of the athletic development camp that runs from June 17 to July 18, will take place Monday through Thursday from 4-6 p.m. at Jaycee Park for athletes in grades K-12. For more information visit sbdolphins.com.

A meet the coaches and registration night will take place May 23 at 4 p.m.

Community Bankers

Community Bankers BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

Community Bankers

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

There is no better time to join our Team!

There is no better time to join our Team!

There is no better time to join our Team!

Community Bankers

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

There is no better time to join our Team!

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

There is no better time to join our Team!

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all

North eld Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all.

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all

Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Taft Corners or Richmond location!

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all

Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Taft Corners or Richmond location!

Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Taft Corners or Richmond location!

Relevant Skills: Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!) Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Taft Corners or Richmond location!

Relevant Skills: Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!) Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

Relevant Skills: Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!) Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

Relevant Skills: Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!)

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

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

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

Opportunity for Growth

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

Opportunity for Growth

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

Opportunity for Growth

NSB has training opportunities to engage employees and assist with professional development within our company.

Opportunity for Growth

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

The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in an environment that promotes growth, join our team!

NSB has training opportunities to engage employees and assist with professional development within our company.

What NSB Can Offer You

What NSB Can Offer You

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

What NSB Can Offer You

The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in an environment that promotes growth, join our team!

What NSB Can Offer You

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

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

Competitive compensation based on experience. Wellrounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity.

Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program. Commitment to professional development. Opportunities to volunteer and support our communities. Work -Life balance!

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

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

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

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

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

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

Equal

COURTESY PHOTOS

Above: From left, Javen Sears, Michel Bergeron and Isaac Girouard inside the Dolphins training room. Right: Michel Bergeron leads a core exercise drill.

continued from page 1

to jobs, to school, to see their friends, to go shopping — they can have active lifestyles,” Ilona Blanchard, South Burlington’s community development director, said. “It closes such a huge gap in our community, both our local South Burlington community and our regional Chittenden County community. It changes the way people will live their lives.”

The $8,094,234 grant was allocated to the city from the Reconnecting Communities & Neighborhoods Grant Program, a combination of two grant programs established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to “support communities that are seeking to address equitable community revitalization and improve access to everyday destinations,” the city said in a press release.

Welch said his delegation

urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to approve the funding.

“I’m pleased we were successful,” he said.

Concepts of a pedestrian and bike bridge over I-89 have been floated for years, but the work began in earnest in 2021, when the city was awarded a $9.7 million federal transportation RAISE grant. A final design for the project was approved by the city council in November 2022.

South Burlington voters approved the use of roughly $4.6 million tax increment financing to help cover the cost, but the city leaders had sought to cover the gap through grant funding.

Prior to securing this grant, the city had applied for several other federal grants, city manager Jessie Baker said previously, but those had been stalled because of inflationary pressures.

many current and

residents living and moving into

and

“The

by parents Thursday morning demanding the board reconsider the nonrenewal decision.

about the issue because Sivo still has the right to contest the board’s action.

Since then, the petition has garnered nearly 450 signatures.

The board announced its decision not to renew Sivo’s contract following an executive session last Wednesday.

Sivo took over as principal of Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School in 2022 after the former principal, Karsten Schlenter, died unexpectedly just before the start of the new school year.

Sivo was formerly the principal of Shelburne Community School but resigned from there to move to the South Burlington School District.

Due to the amount of backlash the board has received since its decision, the board issued a public statement Friday explaining that under law, members are limited in their ability to speak

Members said their decision emanated from a report from district superintendent Violet Nichols outlining “her evaluation and conclusions as to performance deficiencies,” which ultimately led to her recommendation not to renew Sivo’s contract.

“We assert that Superintendent Nichols acted with supreme integrity and conducted a thorough investigation in this situation, and we fully support her decision,” reads the statement signed by board members. “Please be assured that our decision in this matter was not made lightly and that we concluded, on the basis of our superintendent’s report, that it was absolutely necessary to support all students, staff, and families.”

In a personal statement from

Sivo given to The Other Paper, he said he was surprised by the response of the board Friday afternoon, because during his time at the middle school he had never been made aware that he was the subject of an investigation or received any formal performance feedback for this school year.

“I have never been questioned as part of an investigation,” he said. “Similarly, the board reported ‘evaluations and conclusions as to performance deficiencies’ being presented to them in executive session. But to this point, I have received no formal performance feedback for the 2023-24 school year, beyond my letter of non-renewal.”

The board’s response, along with a personal statement from Nichols, asserts that she has

Headlines

SIVO continued from page 12

worked closely with legal counsel, and followed a process that is “fair and reasonable” to ensure that a commitment to equity for all staff, students and families is upheld.

“I have been in conversation with Mr. Sivo throughout his employment regarding his duties. I have given him feedback and suggestions,” Nichols’ statement reads. “Every decision made by the district is made based on what we consider to be in the best interests of our students.”

Regarding the evaluation of staff, the district’s communication coordinator, Julia Maguire, said the district follows an official “administrator evaluation timeline” that is negotiated as part of the collective bargaining agreement for administrators.

The district completed evaluations for Sivo for the 2022-2023 school year, she said, and for the current school year, the district engaged in the “supervision and evaluation process in accordance with the administrator evaluation timeline” to this point.

Evaluations are not finished until June 30, but because Sivo’s contract was probationary, the district reserves the right to non-renew at any time, she said.

The evaluation timeline outlines steps should an administrator be placed on a “performance improvement plan” regarding specific concerns, but due to personnel reasons Maguire could not confirm whether Sivo had been placed on an improvement plan. She said Nichols had met with him and provided feedback throughout that timeline of the administrator evaluation process.

decision, Sivo sent an email urging families on Monday evening to dissuade this action.

“It will not be helpful to me or have an impact on the decisions that have already been made,” he said. “The last week has been a stressful period for our community and the added stress of this type of action will not be helpful. I am flattered by the students’ desire to try to help, and I think it is emblematic of the tight-knit community we have established at (the middle school). But unnecessarily interrupting the learning of over 500 students is not something I will ever support.”

“To this point, I have received no formal performance feedback for the 2023-24 school year, beyond my letter of non-renewal.”

— Scott Sivo

“After those evaluations had taken place throughout the current school year, the district’s counsel then met with Mr. Sivo on March 4 and made him aware that should he not accept the superintendent’s decision, the final decision would go to the school board. That vote took place at the March 13 school board meeting,” Maguire said. Lack of transparency?

Some community members have overwhelmingly voiced that the lack of information has caused “profound concern and disappointment.”

“There was zero transparency from the board or the superintendent,” said parent, community member and petitioner Jennifer Skinner-Cisse. “We have no idea why. There just was no transparency from the board about this. And, when Karsten died two years ago, he left a big hole and big shoes to fill, and Mr. Sivo has done an amazing job. Every experience I’ve had with him has been fantastic.”

Students also sought to take matters into their own hands this week. After learning that students were staging a walk-out Tuesday afternoon to protest the board’s

WARNING

CITY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT 2024

SPECIAL MEETING

The legal voters of the City of South Burlington School District are hereby notified and warned to meet at their respective polling places at the Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School on 500 Dorset Street, the Orchard School on 2 Baldwin Avenue, the Gertrude Chamberlin School on 262 White Street, and South Burlington City Hall Senior Center on 180 Market Street on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at 7:00 o’clock in the morning, at which time the polls will open, until 7:00 o’clock in the evening, at which time the polls will close, to vote by Australian ballot on the following article:

Another parent and community member, Erin Sutherland, had a different opinion than the vocal majority.

“Our board has been through a lot in the last two years, and there’s been lots of changes,” she said. “I do believe that this board is trying to do the right thing. I just don’t believe that Violet and the school board members would make a decision to not renew a contract when we’re in such a difficult time of busing problems, and a budget crisis, knowing that the pool for administrators is very small. I feel like while everyone is upset about the lack of transparency, I think this is a situation where they really can’t be that transparent.”

Elementary school principal

To add to the confusion, the principal of Orchard School for the last 15 years, Mark Trifilio, who was set to retire at the end of this school year, according to a Feb. 21 announcement, he is now on a leave of absence for an unspecified amount of time.

Maguire said the two incidents are not related. It has also been confirmed that Trifilio did not submit a notice of leave to the district.

Trifilio declined to comment, but did say, “he hopes” to be back at Orchard School soon.

ARTICLE I BUDGET

Shall the voters of the City of South Burlington School District approve the School Board to expend Sixty-Nine Million Five Hundred Thirty Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($69,530,000.00), which is the amount the School Board has determined to be necessary for the ensuing fiscal year?

Polling places are at the Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School on 500 Dorset Street, the Orchard School on 2 Baldwin Avenue, the Gertrude Chamberlin School on 262 White Street, and South Burlington City Hall Senior Center on 180 Market Street. Voters are to go to the polling place in their respective District.

The legal voters of the City of South Burlington School District are further warned and notified that a public information meeting will be held to discuss Article I on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at 577 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT.

Dated at South Burlington, Vermont this _____13th_____ day of March, 2024.

South Burlington School District Board of School Directors

Received for record and recorded this _____14_____ day of March, 2024, in the records of the City of South Burlington.

Scott Sivo

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOUTH BURLINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

Scott Sivo leads middle schoolers at an assembly in South Burlington last fall.

The

Jackie Bussjaeger

In the wild, finding a suitable mate is no simple matter, and it’s an extra complicated affair for one familiar resident of the woods and underbrush.

With its chunky build, boldly striped head, and namesake white throat, the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is among the most common and recognizable birds of the northern forest. During the spring breeding season, one doesn’t need to go far to hear its “Old Sam Peabody-Peabody-Peabody” call, or to spot a group of these birds noisily raking for seeds in the leaf litter.

Close observers will notice these sparrows come in two distinct color varieties. Approximately half of white-throated sparrows have black and white stripes on their heads, while the other half show a duller tan-and-brown coloration. It’s not unusual for a bird species to have more than one color morph. The Eastern screech owl, for example, comes in shades of either red or gray. But for white-throated sparrows, there’s a more complex story to this variation.

In almost every case, a white-throated sparrow of either color variation will end up with a mate that has the opposite coloring: white-striped males pair with tan-striped females, and vice versa. Canadian ornithologist James Lowther, studying populations across Canada in the early 1960s, was the first to publish findings that white-throated sparrows will almost exclusively choose a mate of the opposite morph.

Lowther and researcher J. Bruce Falls of the University of Toronto together noticed something even more fascinating: color type seemed to be an exceptionally accurate predictor of an individual bird’s behavior. They noticed that white-striped sparrows of both sexes almost always seemed to show more aggressive behaviors than their tan counterparts.

Both white-striped males and females sing more than tan-striped birds, and males defend their territories more rigorously and invade the territories of their neighbors more often. White-striped males are also more likely than tan-striped males to mate with other females in addition to their nesting partners, a behavior scientists refer to as extra-pair copulation.

Tan-striped birds of both sexes, in comparison, tend to be more nurturing, spending

much of their time finding food and looking attentively after their partner and nestlings. However, the time they spend away from the nest sometimes leaves their mate and territory vulnerable to incursions from threats –including rival white-striped males.

This mixed bag of traits creates quite the genetic love rectangle. A 1993 study by Falls and Jeffrey G. Kopachena found that females of both colors find the attentive tan-striped males most desirable. But the white-striped females, more confrontational than their tan counterparts, snap up tan-striped males almost immediately, leaving the tan-striped females to pair off with the remaining whitestriped males.

In the era of DNA analysis, scientists such as the late behavioral geneticist Elaina Tuttle have found that these characteristics are determined by a chromosomal supergene, tied not only to coloration, but also to a wide range of behavioral traits. This unique genetic quirk means that the white-throated sparrow as a species effectively has four separate sexes. Individual birds need to select a mate from an eligible quarter of the population, rather than the half of the other sex available in other bird species.

But what happens when two same-color birds pair up? These types of pairings have rarely been observed, but as naturalist Kenn Kaufman theorized in a 2017 Autdubon article on this topic, they probably make for unsuccessful parents. Tan-striped couples might fail at defending their territory and protecting their young, Kaufman wrote, while white-striped couples might fail to bring home enough food to keep their hatchlings alive and healthy.

By settling in with a partner of the opposite coloring, white-throated sparrows can have the best of both worlds: one parent who will fiercely defend, and another who will tirelessly provide. So far, this unusual strategy has worked well. For white-throated sparrow offspring, the stripe colors will be split nearly 50/50 in a single brood, preserving the balance of the two color forms – and their associated personality traits — within the greater population.

Jackie Bussjaeger is a writer and naturalist working in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. 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.