The Other Paper - 4-18-24

On the ball

Common Roots seeks ARPA money

Common Roots, the South Burlington-based nonprofit farmstead, is asking the city for an allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funds to help the organization purchase land for a new facility.

A $400,000 allocation of ARPA funds would go toward the purchase of a 1.3-acre lot on Spear Street and Allen Road that the organization says would help them reach financial sustainability and decrease its reliance on philanthropic contributions.

Robin Jeffers, the former facilities director with Nordic Farms who is working on behalf of Common Roots, said the plan is to develop a new building and market on the parcel to offer a year-round farm market with nutrition education, aculinary kitchen and child education space. Currently the organization operates as a seasonal farm stand.

“With this opportunity, we believe that we can expand our sales engine and that

See COMMON ROOTS on page 20

Ethics panel: no violation against Sen. Ram Hinsdale

An ethics complaint filed in February against Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale citing her husband’s work in real estate was dismissed by a five-member committee last week. The committee, the Senate Panel on Ethics, operates in near secrecy, and members of the committee were unable to discuss the complaint. They found there was no conflict between Ram Hinsdale’s work on legisla-

tion and her husband’s work. Jacob Hinsdale operates Hinsdale Properties, which has a sizable portfolio of rental properties in Burlington and elsewhere.

Because the committee did not find probable cause that an ethical violation occurred,

the chair of the panel, Sen. Brian Campion, wrote, the “report is closed and shall remain confidential.”

See HINSDALE on page 16

PHOTO BY AL FREY

South Burlington’s Oakley Machanic outmaneuvers her Champlain Valley opponent Saturday in a 9-5 win.

COREY

COREY MCDONALD STAFF WRITER

Saturday, April 20

Facing district cuts, teachers, staff, students voice concern

In the wake of a second budget defeat, South Burlington School District teachers, staff and students packed a board meeting last Wednesday night to show support for programming and positions at risk of being cut.

Teachers sported matching red South Burlington Educators Association T-shirts while parents and students took to the mic to voice concern over the looming cuts to programming.

The $69.5 million budget lost by 150 votes.

The second budget cut off nearly $1.7 million from the district’s initial $71 million proposal, which saw an expected tax-rate increase of 23 percent drop to 14.5 percent.

Of that $1.7 million decrease, the board proposed to cut $848,186 in staff and programs, including a net reduction of 4.4 full-time equivalent positions, and a reduction of $814,705 to the district’s capital reserve fund, down from the $1.9 million allocated in the original budget.

While no new budget was outlined last week, the board plans to discuss a new budget at

its meeting this Wednesday after The Other Paper went to press.

Superintendent Violet Nichols said the district has two more attempts to pass a budget by June 30. On July 1, without a budget in place, the district would only be authorized to borrow up to 87 percent of the current 2024 budget of $62.5 million.

“The community would have to pay interest on only 87 percent,” Nichols said. “But 87 percent of $62.5 million is a significant amount of money, not

PHOTO BY LEE KROHN

Sarah Dopp: legacy of a ‘small player’

Sarah Dopp called herself a “small player,” yet her entire life was devoted to helping others, both human and non-human. Those of us who were privileged to know Sarah, realize that we have lost a truly great woman. In her soft-spoken way, she continually reminded us of the preciousness of the natural world and importance of preserving open spaces.

In 2003, Sarah formed a group devoted to that: the South Burlington Land Trust. Over the past 21 years, Sarah, in partnership with like-minded people in the land trust, worked tirelessly for the people and the natural environment in the city. On Friday, June 14, the board of the South Burlington Land Trust will devote its annual meeting to honoring Sarah and show how her persistent efforts resulted in lasting benefits for all of us.

she had not been able to save. Even though Sarah was unable to preserve many of the rural lands that she fought for, she kept showing up and speaking up even in the face of defeat.

Sarah was never flashy or bombastic, and she shied away from hyperboles and exaggerations. She took a calm measured approach. Sarah believed in relationships and personal connections, and she spent a lot of time speaking one-onone with landowners and farmers about the intrinsic value of their lands for the greater good.

The land trust was able to share a little of Sarah’s thoughts and convictions at her funeral on April 12 at the First Baptist Church of Burlington. Here is an excerpt from the eulogy delivered by Rosanne Greco of the land trust.

On June 2, 2003, the following appeared in the Burlington Free Press: “A meeting to recruit volunteers and participants for the new South Burlington Land Trust will be held at 7 pm on Tuesday in the multipurpose room of the South Burlington High School. For more information contact Sarah Dopp at 985-3581.”

This was how Sarah started the process of forming the South Burlington Land Trust. In a Free Press article, she said, “I just feel very, very strongly about the importance of keeping green space around us. I think it is what keeps Vermont unique, and I think there’s almost a spiritual value of having undeveloped areas where we say, ‘nature reigns here.’”

There is not enough time to speak about everything Sarah has done on the land trust nor is there time to talk about what Sarah has done for the city of South Burlington. Without a doubt, South Burlington would look very different today were it not for Sarah. So many areas in South Burlington — where wildlife still live, where birds still nest, where trees still stand, where meadow grasses still blow in the wind, where open lands still purify our soils and drinking waters — are there in large part because Sarah fought to preserve them. Without Sarah and her tireless efforts, they would have been destroyed. We did a rough calculation of the open lands in South Burlington that are still in their natural state largely as a result of Sarah’s work. It comes to 758 acres.

But Sarah was not always successful. In fact, it was just the opposite. Her heart broke looking at the areas in South Burlington that

Sarah never sought notoriety or praise for herself. Yet, she did receive awards. One of the most impressive was the Green Mountain Environmental Courage in Leadership Award given to those who don’t give up and keep trying to fix our environmental problems. The South Burlington Land Trust was chosen for their efforts — led by Sarah — to save the 110-acre Wheeler Natural Area from becoming the site for a new police station. But Sarah did not work alone on that. Many others worked alongside her.

When Sarah established the South Burlington Land Trust, she gathered together a group of like-minded people because she believed there was power in that, saying “We’re in a better position if we band together, rather than being just one or two people wringing their hands when the next development comes along. Before, a lot of us felt just kind of powerless and out there by ourselves.”

In her acceptance speech for the Hildene award given to Vermonters who have made extraordinary contributions in land conservation and historical preservation, Sarah said, “This may be the whole ‘point’ of the award in my case: to recognize even the modest efforts of a small player. There are lots of them across Vermont, making important contributions to our communal quality of life and the future of our state.”

Sarah was a modest person, and she was small in stature. But by no measure was she a small player. Rather, she played a huge part in preserving hundreds of acres of open lands which, because of her, will continue to feed the bodies and souls of the people who live in and who visit South Burlington.

On behalf of these human beings, as well as the thousands of other animal and plant beings living in South Burlington, we thank you, Sarah.

The annual meeting of the South Burlington Land Trust honoring Sarah Dopp will be held at the Ridgeway Estates Clubhouse, 1 Concord Green, just off Swift Street, in South Burlington on Friday, June 14, at 5 p.m. All are invited.

Please join us! Two participation options are available: In-person at Dealer.com or virtually by livestream. Learn more and register for free by scanning the QR code or visiting our website. www.howardcenter.org 802-488-6912

SUBSTANCE USE AND OUR COMMUNITY

A panel discussion about substance use and how we can work together to create a safer, healthier community with Howard Center clinical staff: moderator

Beth Holden, MS, LCMHC, LADC, and panelists John Brooklyn, MD; Dan Hall, LADC; Heidi Melbostad, PhD, and others. Followed by Q&A.

May 2, 2024 | 6:30-8:00 pm Dealer.com, 1 Howard Street, Burlington, VT

Sarah Dopp

Total reported incidents: 203

Directed, foot patrols: 31

Public assists: 11

Animal problem: 4

Noise ordinance violation: 3

Agency assists: 8

Traffic stop: 10

Motor vehicle complaint: 7

Intoxication: 2

Larceny from a vehicle: 2

Suspicious events: 17

Missing persons: 2

Juvenile problem: 2

Disturbances: 10

Domestic incidents: 2

Welfare check: 2

Property damage: 10

Trespass notice: 8

Larceny: 2

Unlawful mischief: 2

Retail theft: 10

Fraud: 1

Threats: 4

Simple assault: 1

Alarm: 12

Selected incidents:

April 14 at 7:21 a.m., a fraud complaint was reported to police on Williston Road and is under investigation.

Arrests:

April 9 at 8:42 a.m., Jamie R. Blake, 35, of Essex, was arrested on Dorset Street for misdemeanor retail theft.

April 9 at 3:50 p.m., Maggie J. Johnson, 28, of Burlington, was arrested on Dorset Street for disorderly conduct.

April 10 at 5:15 p.m., Mabior

A. Jok, 39, of Winooski, was arrested on Shelburne Road for simple assault.

April 10 at 11:21 p.m., Todd A. Wells, 46, of South Burlington, was arrested on Harbor View Road for possessing or making burglar’s tools and unlawful mischief.

April 12 at 5:18 p.m., Marissa M. Wheeler, 32, of Milton, was arrested while driving on Shelburne Road for driving with a criminally suspended license.

April 13 at 9:51 a.m., Devin F. Legassie, 33, no address given, was arrested on an in-state warrant.

April 14 at 2:55 a.m., Alex M. Patin, 27, of Ecuador, was arrested on Dorset Street for 1st degree aggravated domestic assault, domestic assault committed within the presence of a child and interference with access to emergency services.

Previous incidents:

April 3 at 3:50 p.m., Michael T. Gbenusola, 41, of Colchester, was arrested on Dorset Street for unlawful mischief.

April 5 at 11:37 a.m., Eric J. Badore, 40, of St. Albans, was arrested on Hannaford Drive for misdemeanor retail theft.

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

Vermont Sports Hall inducts Barry Stone

Barry Stone of South Burlington is the 2024 David Hakins inductee to the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame, given to an individual or group for exceptional promotion of sports, athletics and recreation in the Green Mountain State.

Sports hall chairman John Maley and the board made the announcement this week. This induction honors Hakins, a founding member of the group and former publisher of Vermont Life magazine. The South Burlington resident died in 2013.

Stone has been involved in sports and athletics in the state and the region for over six decades since coming from New York City to Burlington to attend the University of Vermont in the 1950s. He was a reserve guard for the Catamounts men’s basketball team graduating in 1956.

He has been a director or chair on many boards representing athletics organizations, both nationally and in Vermont. Stone was the past chair of the Vermont’s U.S. Olympic Committee and served on the national finance committee of the U.S. Olympic Committee. He also was a past chair of the International Skiing History Association.

A lifelong avid tennis player and skier, Stone was a past president of the Burlington Tennis Club, where he and Ted Hoehn were instrumental in the organization of the Jeff Stone Memorial Tennis Tournament that ran for 25 years until 2009.

Held in memory of the late son of Barry and his wife Carol, the

tournament in its final decade raised significant funds for the non-profit Stern Center for Language and Learning, and the Jeff Stone Foundation for tennis camp scholarship funds for local youths. Tennis players of all ages from the Northeast participated in the tournament each year, with many of the best in the region.

Stone joins 12 others this year from the courts, links, rinks, gyms and fields who are the newest members of the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. The other inductees were announced earlier this winter.

The class will be formally inducted Saturday, April 27, at the Delta Marriott Burlington Hotel on Williston Road in South Burlington.

Learn more about this year’s inductees, including Stone, or get tickets for the dinner and reception

at vermontsportshall.com.

Proceeds from the event go to Prevent Child Abuse Vermont. Past dinners have raised just over $33,000 to support its work across Vermont.

Established in 2013, David Hakins inductees include Ray Pecor of Burlington and the Vermont Lake Monsters (2013); auto racing promoter Tom Curley of Waterbury (2014); Ernie Farrar of St. Albans for the Vermont Golden Gloves (2015); mountain climbing pioneer and promotor Helmut Lenes of Shelburne (2017); legendary media member Mal Boright of Williston (2019); Mickey & Ginny Cochran of Cochran’s Ski Area in Richmond (2020); sportswriter Ted Ryan of Shelburne (2022); and Thomas Dunkley of South Burlington, the “father of Vermont gymnastics” (2023).

COURTESY PHOTO

Barry Stone with his family.

OPINION

S. Burlington makes progress getting people out of their cars

Spring is in the air, and it is wonderful to see folks getting outside to jog, take a walk or ride a bike.

Today, South Burlington has 22 miles of shared use paths and over 50 miles of sidewalks. Safe, connected and well-maintained shared use paths and sidewalks, along with safe crosswalks, are the keys to getting more of us — adults and students — out of our cars and into the fresh air.

To improve safety, South Burlington added two new crosswalks and pedestrian refuge islands along busy Williston Road last year and established a school zone at the Rick Marcotte Central School, along with a four-way stop at the Market Street and the Rick Marcotte school access road.

be programmed so that when the walk button is pushed, the normal phasing of traffic is pre-empted, with pedestrians and cyclists getting priority for crossing. I look forward to seeing some of the busier intersections utilize this functionality.

Collaborative efforts between the city and the school district, spearheaded by a joint task force led by Local Motion that I am pleased to participate in, are actively working toward enhancing student safety. The task force has already provided important feedback that will make it safer to cross Dorset Street near the high school.

Next up will be identifying appropriate locations for crossing guards and establishing best practices for their recruitment and training. The city and school district have already allocated funds and agreed to share the costs of up to six new crossing guards.

A new school zone, with lower speed limits, was recently approved on Dorset Street in front of the middle and high school, and the city ramped up spending on shared use path and sidewalk maintenance for fiscal year 2025. The sidewalk maintenance budget alone went up from $2,000 to $40,000.

Looking ahead, the construction of a pedestrian-bicycle bridge over Interstate 89 is set to begin in 2025. The bridge will connect to the shared use paths on Quarry Hill Road and shared use paths planned for the south side of Williston Road.

Getting folks out of cars and into the fresh air is not only is good for the body and soul, but also reduces carbon emissions.

Getting folks out of cars and into the fresh air is not only is good for the body and soul, but also reduces carbon emissions. The city’s ambitious Climate Action Plan targets a 60 percent reduction in transportation emissions by 2030 (from a 2019 baseline). Reducing vehicle miles traveled is critical to achieving that target. Also critical is replacing fossil-fuel vehicles with electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Also in 2025, construction is anticipated to begin on the Spear Street path, from Swift Street to the University of Vermont Forest Building, the Dorset Street path from Old Cross Road to Sadie Lane, and the Hubbard Recreation and Natural Area path from Nowland Farm Road to Upswept Lane.

In 2026, construction will begin on a new shared use path along Hinesburg Road from Williston Road to Kennedy Drive.

For these projects, I am so grateful to city staff for securing over $19 million in state and federal grants, significantly leveraging Penny for Paths dollars.

The new signals on Dorset Street take a big step forward in safety as all intersections now include exclusive pedestrian phases, meaning all vehicles will be stopped while pedestrians are signaled to cross Dorset Street or any of the side streets.

The new push-to-walk buttons can also

To help facilitate the transition to electric vehicles, the South Burlington Energy Committee presented to the planning commission in March a proposal to require all new buildings to have electric-vehicle-ready spaces in contrast to anticipated Vermont statewide rules that require only electric-vehicle-capable spaces.

A capable space has room in the circuit breaker panel and conduit, or a pathway, to the parking space. A ready space has, in addition to a circuit breaker, wires from the breaker to each relevant parking space, and, possibly, a receptacle.

For residential buildings, each single family or multi-family building would be required to have an electric-vehicle-ready space for each unit, along with spaces for 25 percent of the remaining parking spaces (capped at 40 spaces).

For commercial buildings, the number of electric-vehicle-ready spaces would vary depending upon the type of facility;

Andrew Chalnick

Councilor Corner

Andrew Chalnick

Lyons offers thoughts on controlling education spending

From the Senate

Sen. Ginny Lyons

Recent town meeting votes against school budget proposals were not a just a wakeup call about property taxes. It was a reminder that the school funding system needs major repair.

While districts and voters are making changes to next year’s budgets, the Legislature is working to avoid catastrophic increases in property taxes related to school funding. The loss of federal pandemic funds that sustained education funding, increases in health care costs and overall inflation have placed a burden on local school boards.

nizations and others to access grant funding. The grants provide funding outside of school budgets to support kids’ mental health. That law was recognized as a national model by the National Afterschool Program.

My work to reduce health care costs includes efforts to lower prescription drug prices and reduce the administrative burden of prior authorization on providers. I am working to improve social supports for kids in schools without adding cost to school budgets.

Societal changes place more and more stress on kids, teachers, administrators and staff. Student mental health concerns increased dramatically during the pandemic. I wrote a law for schools, community members, teachers, counselors, social service orga-

The social service support grants and Vermont’s Afterschool Program can help reduce stress on teachers and students alike. They offer a way to respond to everyday behavioral and societal challenges that affect school culture. These social service supports in schools do not use education fund dollars and offer an example of providing local property tax relief. Others have suggested that school meals be paid for with sources other than the education fund as another way to provide such relief.

School funding is a complex byzantine labyrinth that perplexes many school board members, legislators and community members alike. How can a school board connect local spending with statewide or local property tax determinations when the funding formula is so dense? How can equitable outcomes result when students in some districts have access to more resources than others?

Some ask if money equates with improved student outcomes.

There is at least one proposal before the Legislature that begins to untangle the web and improve transparency. A simple description of that proposal is that schools receive base level funding or payment per pupil. If schools decide to spend more, local property taxes could be added.

Other states rely on different school funding formulas. It can help to review those programs. As that evaluation goes ahead, we should not lose sight of including income levels when determining school funding taxes.

People on lower or fixed incomes could become harmed or leave Vermont without that consideration. One example to accommodate those on fixed incomes is New York’s STAR Program, which offers property tax relief to senior residents. Could a similar program simplify the education funding formula?

Vermont’s population is small compared to many city school districts across the country. We could develop regional districts based on cost of living. Regional administrative districts might increase purchasing power or provide teacher contracts consistent with each region’s economy, while maintaining local decision making.

The Legislature is considering how to improve transparency, cost and equitable access to public education. Vermont schools are the heart of our communities.

Preserving local engagement and family participation in local school districts is critical to preserve Vermont values in public education. It could be time for a structured statewide public engagement about the future of schools, best practices, funding, student outcomes, local control, state oversight, responsibility

and accountability. Your voice is important to this process. Please stay connected.

Ginny Lyons, a Democrat from Williston, represents South Burlington, Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne and several other towns in the Chittenden-Southeast Senate district.

Ready, aim, fire:

Vermont S.259 misses the mark

climate impacts of their products. For instance, one paragraph reads:

Vermont legislators are trying to rewrite history in a misguided attempt to pin responsibility for the unfortunate weather events of summer 2023 on the fossil fuel industry through S.259, an act relating to climate change cost recovery, when the real culprit is the world’s free-market economy where nations and their people have chosen growth and a rising standard of living post World War II.

Perhaps we would also enjoy reliving the pre-industrial “good ‘ole days” of the early 19th century, when two-thirds of America’s economy was agrarian, farmers worked 16 hours a day on the family farm and infant mortality was 40 percent.

Would the modern world eschew the benefits of plastic products and their impact on everyday life, not only in the developed world but also in the young countries of Africa and Asia? Like Vermont, do African nations seem to expect the industrialized countries to rectify all the alleged negative effects of climate change?

Would they likewise accept a bill from those parts of the world that sourced and processed the fossil fuel products, and which have advanced their own economies and contributed to their improved health and living standard for the past century or so? It could easily be argued that both developed and developing nations benefited in great measure by the production of fossil fuels and their byproducts.

The 2021 Vermont Superior Court complaint upon which this Senate bill rests is replete with broad accusations about how the fossil fuel industry, as early as the 1950s, chose to misrepresent the

“Defendants’ misrepresentations and omissions about their fossil fuel products were and are likely to mislead Vermont consumers and were and are material in that they were and are likely to affect Vermont consumers’ decisions with regard to the purchase or use Defendants’ fossil fuel products.” However, there is scant, if any, mention of the progress that combustion or conversion of petroleum products have facilitated for humanity as a whole and for Vermonters in particular. Absent the oil and gas industry’s “deceptive” marketing practices, perhaps Vermont’s farmers would have chosen to hitch up their horses for plowing, households would have elected to keep heating their homes with wood or coal, or commuters might have elected to get to their jobs at General Electrics or Ben & Jerry’s via bicycle, the “clean” options available at that time.

How would our state’s robust tourist industry have fared without millions of out-of-state visitors driving cars, riding buses or flying here in jet planes to ski or walk the Green Mountains? The point is, until a decade or so ago, there have been no attractive, affordable alternatives to fossil fuels to power transportation, commerce, agriculture and industry in our state — or anywhere else in the world.

Comparisons in the court complaint to the tobacco industry’s deceptive marketing practices are disingenuous. These products are, to a large degree, discretionary and consumed on a much smaller scale than energy. An individual can choose a reasonable alternative, consume less or quit altogether.

Sen. Ginny Lyons

Guest Perspective

Charles Miller

Act 127 overdue, and good law

To the Editor:

Vermont stands as a beacon of community values. Yet, beneath this facade, the education system has harbored inequities for decades that undermine these very principles. Enter Act 127, a legislative commitment to Vermont’s constitutional guarantee for equity, opportunity and fairness for every child in the state.

For decades, Vermont’s education funding system, while well-intentioned, has inadvertently perpetuated inequities across diverse landscapes. Rural, impoverished and diverse districts have borne the brunt of this outdated model, struggling to provide the same level of education as their more affluent counterparts. This isn’t just a funding issue; it’s a matter of the constitutional

CHALNICK

continued from page 5

for instance, manufacturing and storage facilities would have 10 percent of parking spaces be electric-vehicle-ready, whereas hotels and motels would have 50 percent of parking spaces so equipped.

Installing electric-vehicle-ready infrastructure during new construction offers substantial cost savings as compared to retrofitting. According to the EV Charging for all Coalition, it costs between four and 12 times as much to retrofit a multi-family building than it does to install charging up front. A study from Denver cited by the energy committee showed savings of $2,800 to upgrade a parking space in a large multi-family building from capable-ready to vehicle-ready during new construction, as compared to a retrofit.

In addition to these savings, state programs like Charge Vermont can help to offset installation costs.

Unless installed during construction, the many obstacles to installing electric-vehicle-ready infrastructure in larger multi-family buildings would make it unlikely that most multi-family properties would have electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the foreseeable future.

These obstacles include — in addition to significantly increased costs of retrofitting — having to obtain approvals, negotiate permits and deciding who will pay for the wire, circuit breaker and outlet/junction box between tenant and owner. By prioritizing

guarantee Vermont makes to its children about the value of their education.

Act 127, informed by comprehensive research and community advocacy, introduces a more equitable approach to school funding. By revising the weighting factors that determine financial allocations, it ensures that additional resources are directed where they’re most needed, to the students facing the greatest challenges and to the schools that serve as their lifelines.

Some may question the timing or specifics of Act 127, especially in a period marked by financial uncertainty and social challenges. However, it is precisely during such times that our commitment to equity and justice must be strongest. Act 127 isn’t just a piece of legislation; it’s a declaration of our collective values, a testament to a belief in the transformative power of education.

Letters to the Editor

As we navigate the implementation of Act 127, the Coalition for Vermont Student Equity calls upon educators, policymakers and community members to engage with this process actively. This isn’t a time for complacency but for vigorous advocacy and thoughtful dialogue. We must work together to ensure that the promise of Act 127 becomes a reality for every student in Vermont. Addressing these issues is integral to the overall goal of educational equity.

Marc B. Schauber Dover Executive director Coalition for Vermont Student Equity

Wildlife bill gives politicians too much power

To the Editor:

electric-vehicle ready infrastructure in new construction, we can aim for a more equitable transition to electric mobility, ensuring that lower-income households, who stand to benefit the most from reduced fuel and maintenance costs, are not left behind.

Feel free to reach out to me to learn more or discuss any of the above. Together, let us continue to work toward creating a safer, more sustainable and more inclusive community for all.

Andrew Chalnick is vice-chair of the South Burlington City Council.

Under political pressure from animal rights groups, in coordination with a national organization, Senate bill S.258 was passed and is now in the Vermont House. This bill would remove the authority for rulemaking from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board and transfer it to the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife.

This moves rulemaking authority from a democratic forum to technocrats. Worse yet, the Agency of Natural Resources, being part of the administration, is subject to powerful influence by whomever the sitting governor may be at the time — either personal or partisan influence.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board was created when the Legislature, after some disastrous decisions concerning the deer

herd, decided it did not have the expertise, experience or firsthand knowledge for setting hunting and fishing rules and regulations, so it created a separate citizen-populated board to handle the task. This was a very important step for bringing decision-making closer to rule by citizens, the essence of democratic government. The board has done an outstanding job with what they were tasked to do.

Years ago, the Water Resources Board underwent this same transformation, to the detriment of Vermonters, in the decisions made since then. Recently there was a demonstration of the role of the governor in proposed rules on wake boats against the wishes of almost all feedback from Vermonters.

All this has come about due to the political pressure from animal rights groups whose goals, for the most part, would be to end all hunting and trapping, notwithstanding their claims to the contrary. Those goals are what keeps those organizations alive.

Their strategy is to do anything that would weaken the influence of hunters and trappers on rulemaking. This would be like putting right-to-lifers on the board of Planned Parenthood. Please oppose it.

Ray Gonda

South Burlington

Language programs worth saving at SB High School

To the Editor:

I am adding my voice to those who are dismayed by the proposal to cut many programs at South

Burlington High School. Specifically, I would like to advocate for retaining German and Japanese instruction.

I taught German at South Burlington High School for 18 years and was proud to carry on the legacy of my predecessor. When I left, I knew that the German program would be in the best of hands — those of Polly Vanderputten — who I know is an effective and much-loved teacher.

The German program has a long and valued history. I am still in touch today with many former students for whom German was a crucial piece of their high school experience. Some of these students went on to major in German in college. These people are now teachers, college professors and business people who use German regularly.

German is one of the most widely spoken languages in Europe. The International Educator exchange with our partner school in Germany is set to celebrate its 50th year, one of the oldest exchanges in the country. I chaperoned exchange trips, and I can attest that they were life-changing experiences for South Burlington students.

Both the German and Japanese programs at South Burlington have served to enrich the lives of hundreds of students and to promote international understanding. As our American society becomes increasingly tied to the rest of the world, aren’t our language programs worth preserving?

John Luce Burlington

Senate ethics committee misses mark on conflict complaint

Guest Perspective

John Bossange

On Feb. 13, 14 Vermonters filed a conflict-of-interest complaint with the Vermont Senate Ethics Committee accusing Sen. Ram Hinsdale, chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs, of advancing and promoting the financial interest of her family’s vast real estate holdings by helping craft and approve language in a bill she sponsored that will benefit her family’s fortune.

The complaints alleged that Hinsdale violated Vermont Senate Rule 71, Permanent Rules of the Senate, which states that “no Senator shall be permitted to vote

MILLER

continued from page 6

Historically, until the past decade or so, such choices were not available for critical fossil fuels. Electric vehicles, fuelcell and other motive sources are finally able to compete with gasoline-powered vehicles in the marketplace, electric heat pumps have become efficient, affordable alternatives, and wind, solar, hydro and other alternatives are able to compete against fossil fuels for power generation.

The substitution of cleaner natural gas — made more widely available and cheaper by virtue of the energy companies’ research and development — for coal and oil has contributed to the reduction in greenhouse gases.

Energy companies have not stood idly by when it comes to

upon any question in which he or she is directly or immediately interested.”

I was the lead contact representing the Vermonters who signed the complaint.

Surprisingly, the Senate Committee on Ethics, chaired by Sen. Brian Campion, conducted a preliminary review and did not find probable cause that an ethical violation occurred. There was no investigation.

The committee’s short letter was written in careful lawyerly prose, which comes across, as short and precise, but for a proud Vermonter like me, as cold and terse, with no acknowledgement of citizen involvement or concern for the reputation of the Vermont Senate.

Interestingly, the language

in the Vermont State Ethics Commission is much broader and more expansive in defining a conflict of Interest when compared to the language used by the Senate committee. The complainants chose both the form and language from the State Ethics Commission because it uses the statement “the appearance of” a conflict of interest, and not just a direct conflict or interest.

We applied their standard, using the ethics commission document that asks: “Would a reasonable, average person with knowledge of all relevant facts think you have a conflict of interest?” The answer is an obvious yes. Perception and appearance are critical, so we filed the complaint.

That meant little to the Senate committee. They used their own conflict of interest document to excuse Hinsdale from any violation. When you read through the rules of the Senate committee document, it is easy to see where the “excuses” and escape hatches are for Hinsdale and others to continue to advance personal interests through legislative actions.

I can imagine there are some legislators who are landlords and may make additional, secondary income. However, there are few in Chittenden County, and probably the entire state, who make their living as the Hinsdales do. Hinsdale’s husband Jacob manages their dozens and dozens of properties for his mother, Irene Hinsdale. With the passage of Act

47, the skids are well greased for more profitmaking as defined in the conflict-of-interest document.

The bigger picture here is that developers, real estate agents and lending institutions will build anywhere, build anything and charge anything to reap the financial benefits from the housing crisis. Additionally, the Hinsdales will continue to subdivide older single-family homes and traditional duplexes built decades ago for families and where families could live today. Those could be more affordable homes and duplexes and they are now mostly smaller student rental units benefiting the Hinsdale empire.

Chopping them up into expensive apartments and smaller rooms will continue to deny a family looking to buy a place to live.

improving fossil energy operational efficiencies and finding alternative fuels. They have invested considerably in methanol, ethanol, algae-based fuels and fuel cell technologies, for instance. Finally, driven by their resource development expertise and pipeline infrastructure, big oil and gas is ramping up its involvement in carbon dioxide capture and conversion technologies.

So, absent any economical energy alternatives, to imply that “deceptive marketing practices” by oil and gas companies have somehow nefariously persuaded Vermont consumers to choose fossil fuels to heat homes and provide their means of transport over the more expensive alternatives seems specious at best.

To quote from a 2023 slate. com article, “Can We Sue Our Way Out of the Climate Crisis?”: “But our entire economy does not run on tobacco. The challenge ahead for climate litigation is much, much larger than what it looked like for the tobacco lawsuits.”

Global market forces, too, have militated against earlier development and widespread acceptance of energy alternatives. Those of us who witnessed the so-called Arab Oil Embargo of the early 1970s will appreciate how OPEC could — and still can — manipulate the fossil fuel supply to discourage the development of nascent photovoltaic and wind-powered electric and solar heating initiatives.

Check Locally First

Chances are what you need is available through

Moreover, global energy demand in power, transportation and industry are conservatively projected to increase at least 1 percent per year through 2050, at which time it is forecast that the green alternatives will expand to meet only about 43 percent of that increased demand versus 24 percent today.

Hinsdale and her family are a part of a select group of landlords, developers, real estate agents, bankers and lending institutions that are making millions using the housing crisis as their cover. More specifically, the senator and her family are misusing the important goals of more affordable apartments, more core density and less suburban sprawl, as their cover to grow their family fortune.

As the conflict-of-interest complaint requested, Vermont Senate Pro Tempore Philip Baruth should never have allowed Hinsdale to serve as the chair of the economic development, housing and general affairs committee. Hinsdale should have been reassigned to another committee.

online ordering and curbside pickup or delivery. Our entire community is depending on your support.

Finally, how will the state of Vermont ascribe causality and culpability to any fossil fuel company? Certainly, when they were found guilty of polluting air, water or real estate under OSHA guidelines, they did clean up their messes, either voluntarily or by enforcement. Likewise, they have responded to meet clean air mandates by dramatically reducing particulates from their refined fuels. Similarly, they have invested in fuel and lubricant additives that increase the efficiency of combustion and reduce greenhouse gases as well.

All these metrics are relatively easy to measure at or near point of discharge, but pinpointing responsibility for a weather event or flooding incident at a specific time stretches the credulity of climate attribution analysis beyond belief.

Further, if Sen. Hinsdale understood what this major conflict of interest would eventually do to her reputation and the reputations of her colleagues, along with the public’s perception of the full Senate, she would have wisely requested another assignment, recuse herself from the committee during these discussions, or follow the guidance given by the Vermont State Ethics Commission to clear her name.

WHY GO LOCAL?

Buying and shopping locally helps independent businesses, which

The fossil energy industry and all its users should step up to help defray the cost of global warming while we develop the new technologies to reduce greenhouse gasses and help us achieve desired global temperature targets. But these are policies for the future now that we have a plan for a “cooler” world. The answers lie going forward, not looking for scapegoats in the rear-view mirror ... where we may also see ourselves.

It’s now understood why she did not, and that dark shadow will follow her political career. That same shadow will continue to darken and stain the reputation of Senate’s ethics committee, as well as the many honest, hard-working legislators who continue to serve all Vermonters.

The foxes cannot be guarding the henhouse. Senators will be very reluctant to turn on one of their own colleagues. An independent group of citizens and professionals like the panel serving on the Vermont State Ethics Commission needs to oversee the actions of all elected representatives.

John Bossange lives in South Burlington.

COMMUNITY

Community Notes

Champlain Valley Quilters hold quilt show

Champlain Valley Quilters holds its annual quilt show, “Seams like Spring,” with featured artist Karen Abrahamovich, Friday to Sunday, April 26-28. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and noon-4 p.m. on Sunday.

This judged competition, held at Holy Family Parish Hall, 30 Lincoln St., Essex Junction, features vendors, raffles, a craft table and more. Admission is $8.

Learn more at cvqgvt.org.

Howard Center series

address substance use

Howard Center’s Spring Community Education Series presents a free panel discussion, “Substance Use and Our Community,” with moderator Beth Holden, the center’s chief client services officer in the auditorium of dealer.com, 1 Howard St., Burlington, on Monday, May 2, 6:30-8 p.m.

Panelists include Howard Center clinical staff member John Brooklyn, medical director of the Chittenden Clinic; Dan Hall, licensed alcohol and drug counselor and director of outpatient services; Heidi Melbostad, director of the Chittenden Clinic; and others.

A question-and-answer period will follow the discussion. Attend in-person or livestream the discussion. For information and to register, visit howardcenter.org or call 802-488-6912.

Ethan Allen Homestead

explores Masonry in Vermont

Masonry has always been a presence in the Green Mountain State. From the first settlers to the present, Vermont Masons have made a difference in their communities.

Ira Allen, Thomas Chittenden and other Vermont founders were members of this fraternity. Join Robert Grandchamp, historian and past Master of Mt. Mansfield Lodge #26 for a talk on how Masonry helped shape the early history of the Green Mountain State.

“Masonry in Early Vermont” will be held Sunday, April 21, 2 p.m. at the Homestead’s museum.

Admission is free but donations are

STEM Fair

On Saturday, March 30, nine students in grades six to eight represented Mater Christi School in Burlington at the 2024 Vermont Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fair at Norwich University. Six students were recognized with awards, including Ryan Schreiber of Shelburne, who won the Vermont STEM Fair Engineering Award and Vermont STEM Fair Silver Medal Award. Pictured is Mater Christi School science teacher, Mark Pendergrass, and the students who represented the school in the 2024 Vermont STEM Fair, from left Emery Nichols (Burlington), Wesley Price (Burlington), Asa Jorgenson (Burlington), Beatrice Robinson (South Burlington), and Campbell Clarke (Colchester). Back row, from left, Pendergrass, Thomas Moore (Essex Junction), Ella Botten (Williston), Adele Carta (Burlington) and Ryan Schreiber (Shelburne).

accepted. Reach out to John A. Devino at jdevino1791@gmail.com or 802-863-5403 for more information.

Local cleaning company supports cancer patients

Chittenden County Property Management Co. has teamed up with the national Cleaning for a Reason nonprofit to offer free cleaning services to people battling cancer.

Cleaning for a Reason offers complimentary house cleaning services to cancer patients across the United States and Canada. Since 2015, Chittenden County Property Management and its husbandand-wife team of Elliot and Tanya Glover has supported numerous cancer patients through this initiative.

“Having lost both my mom, Susie, and dad, Elliott Sr., to cancer, I find comfort in giving back amidst grief. Similarly, my wife, who lost her aunt and godmother Tony to brain cancer, is also inspired to support others,” Elliot Glover said. “This support is vital, offering comfort and assistance to cancer patients as they navigate through challenging times.

Through partnership with Cleaning for a Reason, the duo supports two cancer patients’ homes each month for two consecutive months free of charge, and it’s an ongoing service to cancer patients who live in Chittenden County.

“Karen, a cancer patient we supported, gave me a signed book with a beautiful message, thanking us for our work and the impact it made on her. I hold it close to my heart” Tanya Glover said.

Shop all the new spring styles. Enter to win a pair and free gift with Dansko purchase!

April 19-20

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

Tanya and Elliot Glover

Children’s author West talks writing, dragons

Best-selling author Tracey West, creator of the Dragon Masters, Heroes in Training and Pixie Tricks book series will be at the South Burlington Public Library on Saturday, May 4, at 11 a.m. to share her ideas about writing, dragons and other important topics.

She will answer questions at the end of her presentation.

West is the author of more than 400 books for children. She writes out of the home she shares with several dogs and chickens, and her husband, Billy. They live in the western Catskills, where it is easy to imagine dragons roaming the mountains.

Her books, including her most recent release, “Dragon Masters: Cave of the Crystal Dragon,” will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

Preregistration is required as there is limited seating at nliuzzi@ southburlingtonvt.gov

Learn about the worst of the housing problem

As people try to understand the growing problem of homelessness, many people quite naturally look at the homeless themselves and wonder what caused them to fall into this situation. Was it caused by addiction, mental illness, unemployment, poverty or some other characteristic?

WHY GO LOCAL?

Scholars Gregg Colburn and Clayton Page Aldern studied this question in detail and recently published their results in a new book, “Homelessness is a Housing Problem.”

The authors’ approach to homelessness is national in scope and analyzes possible explanations, both individual and structural, and is supported by research and statistics. They ask such provocative questions as why is it that wealthy cities like San Francisco and Seattle have much higher rates of homelessness than poorer cities such as Chicago and Detroit.

The South Burlington Affordable Housing Committee has selected this book for its annual book discussion on Tuesday, April 30, 7-8 p.m., in the South Burlington Public Library. The talk is sponsored by the committee and Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity in collaboration with the library. Copies of the book are available at the library.

Jess Hyman of the and Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity and sociologist Vince Bolduc of the affordable housing committee will lead the discussion.

Discussion will focus on the last chapter of the book, which provides the authors’ suggestions for tackling the problem. Follow this link to learn more: bit. ly/43UkRdy. Call the library with questions at 802-846-4140.

Drive

Hannah

left, an associate

Vermont State University-Johnson,

to write, read and knit in as many public libraries in Vermont as possible. Fun fact: Per capita, Vermont has more libraries than any other state with 187. During National Library Week, for stop No. 51, she visited the South Burlington Public Library to tour the three-year old space and meet library staff. Miller also joined community members for the library’s weekly Knit for Your Neighbors. With “Hen Solo” on her lap, she presented a specially commissioned Read Local knit hat to library director Jennifer Murray. To keep up to date on Miller’s writing, reading and knitting library adventures, follow her at @handknitbyhannah.

South Burlington Chorus, Mad River Chorale join voices for spring concert

Under the direction of their respective conductors, Erik Kroncke and Mary Jane Austen, South Burlington Community Chorus and Mad River Chorale will jointly present their spring concerts in two different venues.

The combined concerts will be held Friday, May 10, 7:30 p.m., at Elley-Long Music Center in Colchester, and on Sunday, May 12, 4 p.m., at the Green Mountain Valley School in Fayston.

The program features two works each by Mozart and Fauré, one work composed in their youth, and one composed after they matured as composers. It will end with a song by Leonard Bern-

the economy

stein featured in the recent movie “Maestro.”

There will be about 100 singers on stage, accompanied by a small string ensemble, including harp.

Selections by Faure include “Cantique de Jean Racine,” where he set playwright Racine’s text to music for a competition at the École Niedermeyer de Paris at the age of 19. The second Fauré selection, his “Requiem,” was composed in his 40s.

Mozart set the text of “Te Deum laudamus” to music at the age of 13, while “Ave verum corpus” is a communion hymn composed in the year he died at 35. Mozart composed this short

work while also working on his opera, “Die Zauberflöte” (“The Magic Flute”).

Bernstein composed “Make Our Garden Grow” as the conclusion for the operetta, “Candide,” based on the novella by Voltaire. The choral groups will sing an arrangement by Robert Page.

For tickets and information, visit sbchorusvt.org for the May 10 performance, or madriverchorale.org for the May 12 performance.

The South Burlington Community Chorus was founded in 1976 and is partially funded by the South Burlington Recreation and Parks Department.

Local businesses employ people who are customers of other local shops, restaurants, printers, accountants, farms, attorneys, etc. ... Maybe even yours.

COURTESY PHOTO

Miller,

professor of education at

is spending her sabbatical on a quest

COURTESY PHOTOS

Author Tracey West comes to the South Burlington library May 4.

For spaces that are too small to have a full garden, consider adding a pot or container with colorful flowers or vegetables to your outdoor space.

Making outdoor spaces work

As warmer weather approaches, it is a great time to consider how you use the outdoor spaces in your life. Whether you rent or own, use public land or private, there are things that you can think about to help make these outdoor spaces work better for you.

Ideally, the landscape you have would match your needs, lifestyle, time and resources.

If you have a small space, like an entry porch or balcony, think about what you like to do in that space, and try to reflect that in your design.

Would adding a chair make the area feel more welcoming? A chair would have the dual purpose of something that you could sit on when the weather is nice, while also providing a focal point. Having two chairs invites conversation and offers a place to gather.

For spaces that are too small to have a full garden, consider adding a pot or container to your outdoor space. One or more containers can be used to grow or hold different arrangements depending on the season.

In summer, they could hold annuals that support pollinators like sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) or zinnias (Zinnia spp.).

In the winter, they could hold evergreen boughs or willow branches. Depending on the sun exposure, your planting container could also be used for growing food like tomatoes, peppers, ground cherries or herbs.

For larger spaces, take an objective look at your landscape and determine what you have the time and energy to accomplish. Perhaps not every garden bed needs to be weeded and mulched perfectly.

Once you decide which areas mean the most to you, you can

page

BONNIE KIRN DONAHUE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT EXTENSION

COURTESY PHOTO

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

design

Noted landscape architect Beatrix Farrand designed an English-style garden for the Rockefellers at their summer home on Mount Desert Island in Maine, adding many stunning architectural features such as the undulating stone wall that surrounds the perennial gardens.

A prominent figure in the history of American landscape design, Beatrix Farrand née Jones (1872-1959) was the mastermind behind the idyllic grounds of the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden on Mount Desert Island in Maine and Dumbarton Oaks Gardens in Washington, D.C., among numerous others.

Farrand was born into a wealthy, well-connected family of the Gilded Age society of New York City. She was close to her paternal aunt, the famous novelist Edith Wharton, and grew up exposed to her mother’s elite social circle, which included Henry James, a wealthy American-British writer.

As a child, Farrand enjoyed gardening alongside her mother at Reef Point, the family’s summer home in Bar Harbor, Maine. Her interest in gardening grew, and despite the lack of formal training in landscape architecture in the 1890s, she forged ahead on her own, enrolling in a drafting course

KWINIASKA RIDGE SHELBURNE

with a private tutor at Columbia University’s School of Mines.

In 1893, she studied horticulture and garden design as an apprentice of Charles Sprague Sargent, then director of the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University.

She undertook a grand tour of European gardens in 1895, further soaking up valuable information. There, she met with renowned landscape designers, including William Robinson and Gertrude Jekyll, leading advocates for wild gardening and cottage gardens. She returned home at the age of 23 emboldened and opened her own practice as a self-titled “landscape gardener,” which she ran from a room in her mother’s house in New York City.

By 1899, her practice was flourishing and her social connections with the elite led to commissions for major luxury estates such as that of the Rockefellers. Her style was described as elegant and restrained with rich architectural details.

See FARRAND on page 13

NADIE VANZANDT

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT EXTENSION

COURTESY PHOTO

Vermont Coverts launch bear ambassador program

Vermont has 16 new bear ambassadors thanks to Vermont Coverts: Woodlands for Wildlife, a conservation organization that educates landowners and others about sound forest management and wildlife stewardship. The ambassadors will address human-bear conflicts and promote strategies for coexistence in their communities.

Partnering with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, the bears ambassador course is tailored to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of bear biology, behavior and strategies for mitigating conflicts. Through a combination of interactive sessions and expert-led discussions, participants gained valuable insights into bear ecology, habitat management and community engagement.

Seeing a black bear in its natural surroundings is exciting. But when bears

end up in human territory like our yards, problems can occur.

“Vermont Coverts recognizes the importance of community outreach promoting coexistence between humans and bears. If neighbors share about taking in bird feeders, securing garbage, and taking other bear aware measures we can help reduce nuisance bear issues,” Lisa Sausville, executive director of Vermont Coverts, said.

The curriculum emphasizes practical strategies for reducing human-bear conflicts while promoting safe and sustainable coexistence. Participants learned how to effectively communicate within their communities about implementing proactive measures to mitigate conflicts.

To learn more about living with bears visit vtfishandwildlife.com and vermontcoverts.org.

FARRAND

continued from page 12

That same year, at the age of 27, decades before women gained the right to vote, Farrand was the only woman among 11 professionals who founded the American Society of Landscape Architects.

At the turn of the 20th century, landscape architecture was a field long dominated by men, especially in the design of public places. Self-trained, yet equally competent, Farrand defied the odds and was hired as the first consulting landscape architect at Princeton University (1912-1943), hired to design the campus’s landscape. Other prestigious institutions, namely Yale, Harvard, Oberlin College and the University of Chicago, followed suit, hiring her to design their grounds.

If you visit the Ivy Leagues, look for Farrand’s legacy in the form of vine-covered wall gardens and native plants and trees that bloom in spring or fall when the university is in session. She favored sugar maples, sweet gums, beech and tulip poplars, seamlessly blending the elements of European formal gardens with the naturalistic beauty of the American landscape. Her goal was to offer an aesthetically pleasing environment for students to thrive.

In 1913, she met her husband, Max Farrand, at a dinner engagement with the Yale University president. A graduate of Princeton’s Class of 1892, he was then chairman of Yale’s history department.

The couple moved to California in 1927 when her husband was appointed director of the Huntington Library. There, Farrand expanded her client-base, taking on new

design projects, such as the courtyard of Dabney Hall at the California Institute of Technology, parts of Occidental College and the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, among others. Meanwhile, she commuted to the East coast to attend to her existing clients.

Recognized as America’s first female landscape architect, her prolific 50-year career led to more than 200 commissions. Her iconic and artful landscapes inspired future generations of women to pursue studies in the field of landscape architecture and design.

Her most famous design is reflected in the Dumbarton Oaks gardens where she transformed, and spent 30 perfecting, the grounds of a Georgian Revival mansion in Washington, D.C.

Some say that her most significant project was the preservation and beautification of the carriage roads in Acadia National Park, commissioned by John D. Rockefeller Jr. However, the extensive and exquisite Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden on Mount Desert Island, an English-style garden with an Asian-inspired landscape designed for the Rockefellers, could certainly rival that as her masterpiece.

Farrand drew inspiration from visiting numerous gardens. Gardeners can do the same by visiting University of Vermont Extension Master Gardener Program demonstration gardens throughout the state. More at go.uvm.edu/emgprojects.

Nadie VanZandt is a UVM Extension master gardener.

COURTESY PHOTO

Vermont’s new bear ambassadors, the result of a partnership between Vermont Coverts: Woodlands for Wildlife and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife.

OUTDOOR SPACES

continued from page 11

prioritize those, and manage the other areas less intensively. Getting comfortable with the presence of weeds can be a really freeing experience.

Related to this, if you have a large lawn that you spend hours mowing every week, it might be a good opportunity to think about how much you actually use. Areas that are not used for walking, playing sports or other activities can be transitioned to gardens or meadow.

Meadows are just as beautiful and require far less maintenance. They can be mowed one time every one to three years to keep woody plants from establishing. Meadows also provide important habitat for insects and food for pollinators.

If your access to the outdoors is a public landscape, like a park or community garden, there are numer-

ous gardens across the state to enjoy. Look for respite at these gardens or even consider getting involved with one.

The University of Vermont Extension Master Gardener program, local garden clubs and community non-profits are great ways to get involved. More information on becoming a master gardener and general gardening information can be found at uvm.edu/ extension/mastergardener.

Before the growing season gets going, take the opportunity to think about what you really need and want out of your outdoor spaces. Small additions or simplifying your approach just might give you more time to enjoy your time outdoors.

Bonnie Kirn Donahue is a UVM Extension Master Gardener and landscape architect from central Vermont.

Slow down for amphibians, state wildlife officials warn

Slow down for frogs and salamanders.

That’s the advice for drivers

in early spring from state fish and wildlife officials.

“Slow down and be cautious when travelling at night in early spring or to take alternate routes to avoid driving roads near wetlands and ponds that salamanders and frogs cross during their breeding season,” Luke Groff, state fish and wildlife herpetologist, said.

Typically, in early spring, many of Vermont’s amphibians leave overwintering sites and migrate to the wetlands and ponds to breed and lay eggs. The timing of this annual event, termed Big Night(s), coincides with melting snowpack, thawing soils, relatively warm evening temperatures and rainfall.

Due to this year’s mild winter, these conditions are expected to align and trigger spring amphib-

ian migration, earlier than usual.

“One of the benefits of checking out amphibian road crossings,” Groff said, “is that you can see many individuals and species in a short period and small area, and some species may not be seen the rest of the year.”

The spotted and blue-spotted salamanders, for example, belong to a group called the mole salamanders because after breeding they retreat underground or under logs or stumps, and are rarely seen until the next spring.

Groff encourages Vermonters to explore the roads near their home and report amphibian road crossings to the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas (bit.ly/3vbV57I). If it is safe to take pictures of migrating amphibians, include them in your report, Groff said.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN RICHARDSON

Jonathan Richardson spotted these little guys on Pond Road at the Shelburne Pond Crossing where frogs and salamanders cross each springtime to go from the woods to the wetlands and other habitats associated with the pond.

SB City Council to consider renaming Overlook Park

South Burlington may soon consider renaming Overlook Park to honor Richard Underwood, the city’s tax assessor for nearly three decades who died in 1998, officials said during Monday’s council meeting.

No action was taken at Monday’s city council meeting. City recreation and parks director Adam Matth gave a brief overview of the history of the park and surrounding land and council chair Tim Barritt said he hopes to put the resolution on a future agenda very soon.

Overlook Park is a small 1.7-acre green space on the west side of Spear Street. Like much of the area, the park is known for its sprawling and scene views of Lake Champlain, Shelburne Bay and the Adirondack Mountains.

But before its sale to the city, it was part of a sprawling 270-acre dairy farm that was owned by John and Aurora Nowland, and later operated by Underwood. The land included both the Overlook

Charlotte A. Teese

Charlotte A. (Harring) Teese, 82, of South Burlington, died on Friday, April 5, 2024, in Berlin after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Charlotte was the first born of Charles and Catherine Harring. She grew up in Scotch Plains, N.J., and graduated from FanwoodScotch Plains High School in 1960. Charlotte married Roger D. Teese in 1963 and together they raised two children in Richmond, Vt., Gregory and Laura.

She and Roger divorced in 1983 but continued to work together to raise their children.

After her divorce, she found fulfillment working in the dean’s office for the University of Vermont College of Arts and Sciences, where she took pride in supporting UVM’s students and faculty. She retired from UVM in 2007.

Throughout her life, Charlotte was known for her unwavering pride in her children, her passion for environmental conservation and her keen interest in local and national affairs, writing many letters to representatives in Congress on issues she felt dear. She loved to read and had a keen

Park and the Hubbard Recreation and Natural Area, as well as several housing neighborhoods, including those on Four Sisters and Nowland Farm roads.

“Some of you in attendance might live in homes that were built on the farm,” Patricia Weaver, one of the daughters of Richard and Marie Underwood said during the meeting.

The move to consider renaming the park was first reported by The Other Paper in November.

That story showed how city officials, after purchasing property now known as Hubbard Recreation and Natural Area from the Underwood family in 2013, reneged on promises extended to the family to name the park after Underwood.

Before the sale, and after their parents had died, the family considered developing much of the land, but “when we realized that wasn’t going to be feasible because of environmental and zoning restrictions, we approached the city with the offer to sell.”

The family asked the parcel to

Obituary

interest in art, history and nature.

In her earlier years, she delighted in ballroom dancing and traveling. She fulfilled her lifelong dream of visiting Italy not once, but twice, and traveled to England, Aruba, Nova Scotia and many states across the country.

Her annual holiday cookie baking was legendary, as she showered her family members with countless dozens of meticulously wrapped treats. With her green thumb, she cultivated stunning flower gardens, bringing beauty to her surroundings. Her love extended to her grandchildren, and she had a special close connection with

be named after their father. Years later, the city named the park after Tom Hubbard, the city’s longtime deputy city manager who retired in 2021.

“We were disappointed and felt disrespected when it happened,” Weaver said.

City councilors during the meeting were sympathetic and said they wanted to do right by the family. Councilor Elizabeth Fitzgerald later asked whether they should consider a city policy around naming parks and buildings.

Councilor Laurie Smith asked Weaver whether naming Overlook Park after her father was good enough.

“The naming of Overlook Park, does that meet your goal? Honestly?” he asked. “It’s important to me that you feel whole when we’re done with the process. If this really does that, that’s fabulous, and if it doesn’t, I think it’s important that we work on that.”

Weaver said her family was “going to ask for what I think I can get and not end up with nothing honoring my father.”

Vermont

“

her special needs granddaughter, Nicole, who predeceased her in 2022.

Sadly, just prior to and during the pandemic, she began suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, which slowly robbed her of her independence and memories. The family is profoundly grateful for the exceptional care given to her by Central Vermont Medical Center and Woodridge Nursing home.

Charlotte is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Laura S. Noonan and Matt Noonan; son and daughter-in-law, Gregory D. Teese and Rebecca Teese; brothers, Robert Harring and Dennis Harring; and grandson, Will Noonan.

She was predeceased by her parents, Charles and Catherine Harring; sister, Barbara Kirschmann; and granddaughter, Nicole Noonan.

In accordance with Charlotte’s wishes, there will be no services. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Vermont in her memory.

Charlotte’s kind, generous spirit will be greatly missed. As as her final wish to all her family and friends, she would say “Please be safe!”

Visit awrfh.com to share your memories and condolences.

Charlotte A. Teese

continued from page 1

The 14 Vermont residents who signed on to the complaint say that Ram Hinsdale’s work crafting Act 47, or the HOME Act, directly benefits her and her husband financially. The law passed last year mandates that duplexes be permitted in lots with water and sewer service that are zoned as single-family.

Through this legislation, Ram Hinsdale “was advocating for what was really in the best interest of her family,” said John Bossange, one of the complainants who has pushed back against efforts to develop housing.

Her role on the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs should be scrutinized, he said.

“They have a vast array of holdings, and this is what they do. They break up homes, divide them like all those single-family homes on Loomis and Pearl streets in Burlington, and they’re making a ton of money,” he said. “For us, that’s a clear violation of a code of ethics and that’s why we filed a complaint.”

tions, and said the Senate ethics panel declined to investigate further “because we all have ties to our communities — our civic organizations, schools, pensions, churches.”

“You could find a conflict of interest and try to exploit that with every single member of the Legislature,” she said.

But questions about the committee’s practice of confidentiality have run into concerns over whether there is enough transparency in the process of reviewing complaints and determining whether they merit investigation.

“We need to take this process seriously and give it its due time,” Ram Hinsdale said. “But if we made it a spectacle, if it was some kind of process where anyone could drag someone’s name through the mud in an open hearing, it would be used against us all the time.”

Meeting in secret

The 14 complainants — Bossange and Rosanne Greco in South Burlington, Bill Stuono and Wolfer Schneider in Charlotte, and

ki, for example — believe Ram Hinsdale has “a legal requirement and professional responsibility” to “address her conflicts of interest by removing herself from the Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs Committee immediately.”

In an email exchange with Bossange prior to the complaints filing, Ram Hinsdale wrote that “someone would have to be both mean spirited and quite poorly read to conclude a major conflict in my work” and said that “what you do for work, who you are married to, what kind of pension you receive, etc. would preclude everyone who serves.”

The group first submitted its complaint to the State Ethics Commission on Feb. 13, alleging Ram Hinsdale violated Vermont Senator Rule 71 that states “no Senator shall be permitted to vote upon any question in which he or she is directly or immediately interested.”

But after several weeks, the group on March 27 issued a press release calling attention to the complaint. Bossange shared the

release, as well as correspondence with Ram Hinsdale and other documents, to several media outlets.

The complaint was forwarded to the Senate Ethics Committee on March 15 — both chambers of the Statehouse have their own panels for their members — and prior to the panel’s decision, senators said they could not discuss the complaint or even confirm its existence.

“Ethics committee meetings are confidential so there is not a whole lot that I can share,” Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky said.

Sen. Randy Brockman, meanwhile, said that “members of the Senate Ethics Committee are constrained by Senate Rules from commenting on the committee’s activities.”

The panel’s chair, Brian Campion, did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Vermont’s framework over governmental ethics concerns is relatively new and is “actually quite behind,” Christina Sivret, executive director of the Vermont State Ethics Commission, said.

That commission, which functions independent of the Statehouse, was created after a report by the Center for Public Integrity ranked Vermont very low in its accountability processes. The state later created a code of ethics for Senate and House members in 2022.

The Senate Government Operations Committee is currently looking into legislation that would create a code of ethics for municipalities and expand the commission’s jurisdiction over municipalities.

The private nature of the process for reviewing complaints, officials say, is to protect the people submitting complaints — people who may have been sexually harassed, for example. But concerns have been raised over whether the existence of a complaint can be confirmed at all.

“The procedure says it’s all confidential so probably most of the senators would tell you they can’t speak about it because of the procedure,” John Bloomer, secretary of the Senate, said. “I don’t know whether that’s good, bad or indifferent. I mean, I’m just being honest with you on that.”

Currently, a complaint is only made public if the investigating committee opens an investigation after a preliminary review, or if the complainant goes public.

Bloomer says there is nothing barring complainants from going public or going to the press, and the state’s ethics commission puts out a yearly summary of how many complaints they’ve received, as well as how many inquiries to file a complaint they’ve received. None of those are tagged to individual

senators, however.

“The idea is not to keep the public from knowing,” Bloomer said, “it’s to make sure that if those who are complaining don’t want it to be made public, it’s not made public by the panel or by the senators who are accused — as a weaponization if nothing else.”

That the existence of the complaints themselves are not made publicly available is of concern, Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, said.

“A more reasonable way forward would be for the commission to make public the existence of the complaint so, at the very least, we all know that a complaint has been filed against a particular legislator,” he said.

But, he noted, that keeping details of a complaint hidden until an investigation is determined necessary might be warranted “in that you don’t want members of the public to be filing meritless complaints against their legislators and abusing the process, which would certainly occur if all the details were revealed.”

Behind the legislation

In crafting Act 47, Ram Hinsdale said her goal was to facilitate infill development, and turn underutilized housing into more efficient spaces that are more affordable for people.

Vacancy rates are stubbornly low and housing prices remain high. Part of the reason for this, experts have said, is the lack of supply in housing units.

“(The complainants) complain about cutting a single-family home into a duplex, or a quadruplex, but 70 percent of Vermonters live in a household of two people or less,” Ram Hinsdale said. “So, the best way to limit development and green space is actually to start looking at underutilized homes.”

The push to relax zoning regulations has been met with stiff resistance from those — like the complainants — concerned with the environmental impact of unchecked development.

The complainants, in their press release, cite the recent conversion of a single-family home in Charlotte in fall 2023 into a quadraplex as “a specific and relevant example of the Hinsdale family making a profit from what Act 47 now allows the family to do.”

Bossange said the ethics committee’s decision “missed the mark.” Perception and appearance of a conflict of interest, or the optics of it all, should be critical to the process.

“If Sen. Ram Hinsdale understood what this major conflict

SPORTS

Girls’ lacrosse, Ultimate win season openers

LAUREN READ

CORRESPONDENT

Girls’ lacrosse

South Burlington 9, Champlain Valley 5: Rachel Kelley scored the 100th goal of her career as South Burlington girls’ lacrosse beat Champlain Valley on Saturday, April 13.

Kelley had four goals to pace the Wolves (2-0), while Sabrina Brunet also scored four times. Elise Smith added a goal.

Victoria Bohlmann stopped 15 shots in goal to earn the win.

The Wolves also won Thursday, beating Rice 13-5.

Kelley and Brunet each had three goals, while Elise Knoth and Smith each chipped in two.

Reese Gordon, Lily O’Brien and

Lucie McCarney each added one as well.

Girl’s Ultimate

South Burlington 15, Mount Mansfield 1: The South Burlington girls’ Ultimate team ran away with a win over Mount Mansfield on Saturday.

The Wolves moved to 2-0.

Boys’ lacrosse Champlain Valley 18, South Burlington 9: South Burlington fell to Champlain Valley Friday, April 12, to open the lacrosse season.

Will Goyette scored four goals for the Wolves, while Will Anderson added two goals and two assists.

South Burlington moved to 0-1.

Green Mountain Bike Club offers intro rides

Are you tired of riding alone on the same bike paths and roads but worried you don’t have the skills for a group ride? The Green Mountain Bicycle Club will offer introductory group rides on select Saturdays in May and June.

Experienced riders will explain the rules of the road and teach novice cyclists how to ride safely in a group.

Rides start at 10 a.m. at the Wheeler lot at Veterans Memorial Park in South Burlington and will travel between 12 and 20 miles. Nobody will be left behind. There will be at least two ride leaders who will teach group dynamics, including signaling and passing, as well as learning to respect (and

be respected by) cars. The pace will be determined by the ability of new riders. Cyclists must wear helmets and have bikes in good working condition. Those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Cyclists should sign up in advance and sign a waiver at bit. ly/3VPMCSI.

The rides will take place on May 4 and 18 and June 8 and 22.

Contact ride leaders for more information: May 4, John Bertelsen, 802-864-0101; May 18 and June 8, Dawn Fragola, 802-238-8752; and June 22, Holly Creeks, 802-233-901.

To learn more about the club, visit thegmbc.com.

Muddy Onion

PHOTO BY AL FREY

Rachel Kelley scores as South Burlington girls’ lacrosse beat Champlain Valley on Saturday 9-5. Kelley, who scored four times, posted her 100th goal of her career during the game.

Orchard School student residency explores diversity of colors, shapes with puppetry

Over two in March, Sarah Frechette, artist and founder of the touring puppet company Puppetkabob, conducted a residency for students in kindergarten to fifth grade at South Burlington’s Orchard School.

The program followed the theme of diversity of color and diversity of shape.

The youngest students created puppet pop masks, while students in grades two and three invented contemporary toy theaters and fourth and fifth graders produced animation thaumatropes and flipbooks.

teacher Susie Ely and many other teachers and staff. The residency was made possible by assistant principal Olivia Kane and funding from the Orchard parent-teacher organization.

Orchard School librarian Donna Sullivan-MacDonald pulled a variety of books fitting the program’s theme to jumpstart ideas and she was supported by art

As a wrap-up, Frechette created a photo booth and took images of the classes with their finished creations for the school community to enjoy.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Orchard School students take part in puppetry residency.

BUDGET

continued from page 2

a dime of which would go to support any students or staff or get any value for the community, to be very clear.”

In addition to the $2.27 million surplus from fiscal year 2022 available to the district to offset expenditures, the district received a final audit of last year’s budget, which has a roughly $750,000 surplus.

On the revenue side, the district had a little over $480,000 more than what was budgeted for secondary tuition, Tim Jarvis, the district’s director of operations and finance, said.

Teacher Kathy Murphy, who has spent nearly 30 years with the district, recognized that cuts may need to happen, but she encouraged the board to shift perspectives on who exactly is getting cut.

Curling Classic

“We have to keep this on education, it’s not a business.”

“The audit was finalized about two weeks ago after this second budget had been warned, so there was no action that could have been taken,” he said.

— Laura Williams

With changes to education funding under consideration in the Legislature, the board has a few options to consider as it moves forward, he said.

“The trade-off of these decisions is really about, how much do you want in the capital reserve fund, how much do you want taxes to increase, and how much education programming and staff do you want to change,” he said. “It’s a blended decision, not one thing or another.”

Most of the meeting was spent hearing from community members and staff, and most voiced overwhelming support for minimizing program and staff cuts.

Without a budget in place on July 1, the South Burlington Educators Association said on its website that nearly 40 full-time equivalent teachers could be cut across more than 50 different positions.

Noah Everitt, president of the educators’ association, told the board that impacts of staffing cuts are already being felt across the district.

“Students will have a different experience in the high school with reduced math offerings, reduced social studies offerings,” he said. “We hear about the numbers and the revenues and it’s super important that we have that clarity, but I also think that it’s super important and it’s couched in what it means to be a student at South Burlington.”

“My understanding of the RIF (reduction in force) notices that went out and the cuts that are proposed is that all of those cuts seem to be at the bottom of our organization,” she said. “We have administrators, giving people RIF notices and saying, “These are tough times,” but to my knowledge, I haven’t heard about any administrative cuts at the executive level. I would say if you come to the decision that you need to make some cuts, I would really encourage you to trim some from the top as well as from the bottom.”

Some students voiced support for language classes, activity blocks and extracurricular programs like Big Picture, and high school student Kelsey Smith took to the mic to rally support for two non-traditional student-facing positions in the district that she feels are fundamental to students’ success in school. One of those is the district’s career development coordinator.

“She plays an instrumental role in creating individualized opportunities for students to explore career paths, which is extremely important as a lot of us feel a sense of uncertainty regarding our future plans,” she said, noting that this staff member helped facilitate a shadowing opportunity for her in the science and health care field.

With such a small margin defeating the vote, some community members said that the board just needs to focus on doing a better job campaigning for the budget, instead of focusing on making more cuts.

“I don’t think we should cut at all,” board member Laura Williams said. “I think we need to stay the course. We need to treat it like a campaign. We need to do better publicity. In my opinion, we have to keep this on education, it’s not a business. This is education.”

COURTESY PHOTOS Howard Center, in partnership with the South Burlington Rotary Club, held its 12th annual Curling Classic fundraiser in March. The event is organized by the club and is an ongoing collaboration between Howard Center, Dragonheart Vermont, Green Mountain Curling Club and Rutland Rocks Curling Club and, once again, continues its annual tradition of good-hearted competition.

Above: Curling Classic participants Mike Sitko and Bill Germer.

Below: Curling Classic participants from the South Burlington Rotary and Dragonheart Vermont.

COMMON ROOTS

continued from page 1

that will bring us the sustainability that we’re looking for, both in increasing the money coming into Common Roots so that it can sustain its public programs and also to help us bring up more equitable wages for our staff,” she said.

Common Roots farms more than 12 acres of land on Allen Road near the South Village neighborhood, as well as 4 acres at Hubbard Park. They tend the Larkin Orchard on Route 116, and lease and manage the Wheeler Homestead.

The organization, in a presentation to the city council Monday night, said that 50 percent of its income is generated from its retail market, which includes farm fresh meals and pantry to go meals. The group also holds food events at the Wheeler House in South Burlington.

But the other 50 percent of its income is generated from donations and philanthropy, something the organization would like to become less reliant on.

“We really feel we need this step for our sustainability,” Jeffers said. “Fifty percent philanthropy isn’t something you can rely on forever.”

In a pitch to the city council, Jeffers said the organization, as well as small farms across the state, are facing challenges from workforce instability, a lack of workforce housing and depressed wages for workers due to the low profit nature of the business.

“Vermont is losing 15 to 20 percent of its farms annually. That’s from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources last year,” Jeffers said. “That’s kind of shocking,

and that means Vermont itself is in danger of losing all of its smallscale farms in the next 10 years.”

The city has roughly $2 million in ARPA money left to spend. Council Chair Tim Barritt at the meeting said that money must be allocated by the end of the year and will consider the organization’s request at a future meeting.

“From my standpoint, it’s really just a question of where this request falls within the priorities of other things that may come in front of the council,” councilor Elizabeth Fitzgerald said.

Asked whether the organization sees a path toward self-funding, Jeffers said its business plan shows it would generate profit in the first year with the land purchase.

“That’s including having a mortgage, so certainly by the time our mortgage would be paid off, we see that we could be sustainable,” she said. “It will require that we have some continued need for philanthropy for some time as we edge forward.”

The construction of the building would be funded through income. Common Roots has commitments from four local building businesses to support the new building’s planning, permitting and construction at several levels, it said in a letter to the council.

Common Roots is also planning bring a child care facility operator on board.

Some at the meeting questioned the potential use of the funds for the organization.

Sandy Dooley, a resident and former city council chair, said that

PUBLIC HEARING SOUTH BURLINGTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD

The South Burlington Development Review Board will hold a public hearing in the South Burlington City Hall Auditorium, 180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont, or online or by phone, on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at 7:00 P.M. to consider the following:

1. Master plan application #MP-24-01 of AAM Catamount Woods LLC to establish a master plan for an existing 87.6 acre lot developed with a parking lot, supporting driveways, and a helipad. The master plan consists of an estimated 275 units of housing in two five-story buildings over two phases, and associated site improvements on 5.7 acres, 870 Williston Rd.

2. Preliminary plat application #SD-24-06 of AAM Catamount Woods LLC for the first phase of a concurrent master plan for an estimated 275 units of housing in two five-story buildings. The first phase consists of a 184 unit, 5 story multifamily building, and associated civic spaces and site improvements, 870 Williston Rd.

3. Site plan application #SP-24-10 and conditional use application #CU-2404 of Heritage Automobile Sales, Inc., to amend a previously approved approximately 40 acre master plan for 551 residential units in housing types ranging from duplex to mixed-use multi-family, a 110-room hotel, a 22,500 sf restaurant/medical office building, a 3,500 sf restaurant with a drive through, a 21,380 sf mixed use commercial building, and approximately 5 acres of programmed and passive open spaces. The amendment consists of using 82 parking spots in the existing parking area to the south of the 21,380 sf commercial building as commercial parking for new and used vehicle inventory for an off-site auto dealer, 17 Reel Road.

public may participate in person or remotely either by interactive online meeting or by telephone:

Interactive Online Meeting (audio & video): https://zoom.us/join

By Telephone (audio only): (646) 931-3860

Meeting ID: 878 6657 4099

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

while she’s a strong supporter of Common Roots’ programming and has contributed financially, she questioned whether this would benefit city residents struggling to make ends meet.

“Other than the possibility of being able to provide more locally grown and healthy food to area

HINSDALE

continued from page 16

of interest would eventually do to her reputation and the reputations of her colleagues along with the public’s perception of the full senate, she would have wisely requested another assignment, recuse herself from the committee during these discussions, or follow the guidance given by the Vermont State Ethics Commission to clear her name,” Bossange wrote in a perspective for this week’s newspaper. “It’s now understood why she did not, and that dark shadow will

food shelves that is now provided, I cannot identify any outcome of providing this grant that would have a positive impact on the affordability needs of our most stressed residents,” she said.

She suggested that the beneficiaries and customers of the organization “appear to be high-income

households living nearby or other high-income households who pass by the location as they commute to and from work.”

But Jeffers pushed back, saying that Common Roots feeds 400 people a week through its partnership with three local food shelves in the area.

follow her political career.” (See related, page 8) Hinsdale says she has kept “a very open discussion with my community about the housing work I do. I try to keep that separate from my husband’s line of work, but we share a last name. People have still elected me knowing that.”

State legislators and officials have faced these sorts of criticisms previously, she said. Gov. Phil Scott in 2017 owned a construction company that regularly bid on state

transportation contract but sold a part of his stake in the company, while other legislators have recused themselves from certain votes to avoid appearances of a conflict when their partners’ work intersects with legislation.

But, in a citizen legislature, “if everyone did that, there would be no one left to vote,” Hinsdale said.

“If everything was investigated because there’s the appearance of a conflict, we wouldn’t be able to function.”

Local historian dreams of starting Burlington history, culture center

“As a Vermonter with Irish, French Canadian and Lebanese roots, I have long bemoaned the fact that our written history rarely includes those with similar or other varied backgrounds,” historian, author and educator Elise Guyette of South Burlington said.

Guyette is co-founder of the Burlington History & Culture Center, along with Chittenden County community leaders Gail Rosenberg, Melinda Moulton and Lisa Evans.

“It is extremely exciting that we are on the road to preserving our history as inclusive, complex and wide-ranging,” she said.

The co-founders are working toward a community-based center that will broaden the historical knowledge and perspectives on Burlington to illuminate the flow of its diverse history. They share a vision that history belongs to everyone, and we all belong in history.

To the end, the group is planning to hold focus and discussion groups, conduct interviews and distribute surveys to hundreds of residents across the city, working in collaboration with varied organizations.

The center is one of eight groups to be awarded the inau-

gural multi-year partnership grants from Vermont Humanities. The grant totals $10,000 a year for three years to gather ideas, topics, perspectives and designs for a new center that will highlight historically underrepresented people whose ideas, traditions and labor formed — and are still forming — the culture of the city. Based on the responses, site and design of the venue will be formulated. Guyette has published books, articles and curricula focused on diverse stories, including teacher’s guides to museum exhibits, artifact kits and theater productions. For three years, she co-directed “Turning Points in American

History,” a million-dollar federally funded Teaching American History grant for Vermont teachers, of which many South Burlington teachers took advantage through educational trips to New York, South Carolina and Minnesota.

Her publications include “Vermont: A Cultural Patchwork,” which she rewrote with a focus on Burlington, and “Discovering Black Vermont,” for which she was awarded the 2010 Richard O. Hathaway prize for outstanding contributions to the field of Vermont history.

She co-founded two walking tours, led educational and history workshops in places as varied as Albuquerque and Durban, South Africa. She is presently on the board of directors for Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh.

The center is now trying to raise an additional $30,000 to meet its first-year goal. For more information about the fundraiser, go to the Chittenden County Historical Society, the fiscal agent for the campaign, at cchsvt.org.

For more information about the Burlington History & Culture Center, contact Guyette at eguy949@gmail.com.

Elise Guyette

ANSWERS FROM THIS ISSUE

CLASSIFIEDS

VEHICLES

2020 NISSAN ALTIMA: AWD, undercoated, auto, 28,580 miles, leather, sunroof, loaded. 4 brand new tires just installed. $24,550, firm. Call (802) 288-8720.

WHERE YOU AND YOUR WORK MATTER

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE TECHNICIAN III - WATERBURY

Want to make a difference in the lives of Vermonters?

The Vermont Department of Health has an exciting opportunity. Come be a part of the supportive, fun, and small Vermont Board of Medical Practice division, where we license physicians, and investigate complaints about medical care. We seek an efficient and organized self-starter to provide administrative support handling mail and phones, maintaining files, and assisting physicians with medical licensing. This position is a full-time, in-office position and offers State of Vermont Employee Benefits. For more information, go to careers.vermont.gov/job/Waterbury-AdministrativeServices-Technician-III-Limited-Service-VT-05677/1139747500/

Application Deadline: March 19, 2024

FACILITIES SUPERINTENDENT

JOB SUMMARY

The City of South Burlington is looking for a skilled and motivated professional to lead and oversee our building maintenance and facilities team. Manage critical complex systems, including HVAC, lighting, security, and other systems. Functional areas of responsibility include contract management, safety, security, energy efficiency, team and project management, purchasing, budgeting, and scheduling staff.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Bachelor’s degree, preferably in facilities management, construction management, public works administration or a related field plus five years of experience with building and facilities management, including contract management, and at least two years of supervisory experience required. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

APPLY NOW

Review of applications will begin May 6, 2024, and will remain open until filled. To learn more about the position, see a detailed job description and to apply, please visit government jobs.com/careers/southburlington. The City of South Burlington is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Highway Foreperson Needed

This is a supervisory position that is responsible for overseeing and participating in the maintenance of the town’s highway infrastructure. A valid VT issued CDL Class A license is required. Required skills include proficient operation of a road grader, excavator, front-end loader, backhoe, and tandem plow truck. The starting pay rage is $33.00-$36.00/hr and is dependent on qualifications and experience. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: snowplowing, heavy equipment operation, scheduling and oversight of contractors, heavy equipment maintenance.

This position provides health, dental, vision and disability insurance; paid time off; pension plan; and 13 paid holidays. For more information visit https://www.hinesburg.org/home/townmanager/pages/employment-opportunities or contact Todd Odit, Town Manager at todit@hinesburg.org or 482-4206

Community Bankers

Buying locally is a commitment to investing in your community. If you don’t do it, who will?

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!

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

Community Bankers

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!)

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!

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!

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

Opportunity for Growth

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

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!

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

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

What NSB Can Offer You

Competitive compensation based on experience. 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.

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!

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 Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC