The Other Paper - 5-2-24

With the South Burlington school district’s budget in limbo as another re-vote looms, concerned community members, parents and staff are taking to the streets to encourage the city voters to do one thing: Vote.

Drivers headed through and around South Burlington this week are likely to be greeted by sign-waving parents, staff and teachers as they line the streets advocating for schools during what has already been an unprecedented budget year across the state.

The South Burlington School District remains among the handful that have yet to pass a budget for next year, and also remains one of the districts most negatively affected by the shift in the state’s education funding mechanism that took effect this year.

“When we build budgets, we try to look at the current year and then plan ahead and that ability has

PHOTO BY MIKE DEAN

Spring brings an angler to Shelburne Bay on Lake Champlain. Cast off

LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER

Architect and visionary

Marcel Beaudin dies, leaves lasting legacy on Vermont’s landscape

many influential architects who brought the design aesthetic to the state.

“Form follows function.”

Those are the words that renowned Vermont architect Marcel Beaudin lived by during his 70-year career. Although he died in his home at the Residence at Shelburne Bay March 29 at the age of 95 and 11 days, Beaudin and his modernist design legacy live on in the more than 1,000 projects he completed in his lifetime.

When one thinks of the quintessential architectural landscape in Vermont, white church steeples peeking through fall foliage or a perfectly dilapidated barn with a few cows on a grassy knoll come to mind. But what many may not realize is that the booming modernist movement that swept much of the country during the mid-20th century also came to Vermont, and Beaudin was one of

Devin Colman, historic preservationist and architectural historian for the state, first came across Beaudin while earning his graduate degree at the University of Vermont. His graduate research, in part, focused on an exploration and analysis of McAuley Hall on the University’s Trinity campus, a large dormitory built in the late 1950s — under Beaudin’s design hand — that follows closely to what he referred to as international style, also known by many as mid-century modern design.

The term, which tends to leave furniture and design zealots foaming at the mouth, was popularized by architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and largely influenced by the early 20th century Bauhaus style, a German artistic movement focused on sleek, abstract, angular and geometric design with little ornamentation.

“Certainly, he was trained in the international style, the modernist international style, but he wasn’t beholden to it,” Colman said of Beaudin. “But it’s definitely a through line in all of his work. They’re very clean, very pure forms with no extra decorative flourishes. The form of the build-

ing expresses what its function is. The building itself is the aesthetic appeal, not some applied decorative gingerbread work or fancy shingles.”

Knowing the history of Beaudin’s style, it should be no surprise that his sleek design would make its way to Vermont. Beaudin’s family, originally from Québec, was involved with the quarrying and fabrication of granite for nearly four centuries. Beaudin was born in Barre and went to Spaulding High School in Montpelier, where his lifelong passion for design and drafting coalesced while working as a junior draftsman and monument fabricator. At the time, he was also honing his craft by taking courses at the Barre Evening School.

At the time, Barre was an inspirational mecca for creative types and craftsmen, and arguably one of the greatest influences for Beaudin’s illustrious career.

“In the early 20th century, Barre must have been an amazing place,” Colman said. “The granite industry was full tilt, it had scores of artisans from Italy carving granite, making these monuments, making sculptures. There was a

PHOTO BY LIBERTY DARR

Chris Burns, manuscript curator for the University of Vermont’s Jack and Shirley Silver Special Collections Library, sifts through a portion of the collection of Marcel Beaudin’s works.

U.S. Senator Peter Welch visited Shelburne Farms April 24 to discuss Vermont’s maple industry and its many agricultural, cultural and economic benefits. He toured both the farm’s education sugarhouse and its production sugarhouse to hear about programs that are helping students learn about maple sugaring and how important healthy forest ecosystems are to the industry and our lives.

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

Under the direction of their respective conductors, Erik Kroncke and Mary Jane Austin, the South Burlington Community Chorus and Mad River Chorale 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 as mature composers. It will end with a song by Leonard Bernstein featured in the recent movie “Maestro.”

They will be accompanied by a small string ensemble, including harp.

Selections by Faure include “Cantique de Jean Racine.” He set playwright Racine’s text to music at 19 for a competition at the École Niedermeyer de Paris. 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, when he was 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 concluding song 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.

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH BUFFET

in the Beautiful Four-Story Atrium Restaurant and Veranda at the DoubleTree Hotel Burlington

SUNDAY, MAY 12

TWO SEATINGS STARTING AT 11:00 AM (11:00-11:30 AM - 1:30-2:00 PM )

MENU SELECTIONS

Bacon and Sausage

Vermont Cheese Display

Cold Poached Salmon

Dr. Louis Meyers has announced his candidacy for the Senate in Chittenden Southeast.

Meyers hopes to use his many years of experience as a physician to help repair Vermont’s broken health care system and help patients and providers receive the care and support they need.

Whether in health care, housing, education and other areas controlling costs while continuing to maintain high standards will be Meyers’ focus if elected. Learn more at louismeyers.com. Meyers announces bid for Senate seat in Chittenden Southeast

Muffins, Pastries and Croissants

Sliced Fruit Display

Yogurt Parfait

Traditional Eggs Benedict

Breakfast Potatoes

Scrambled Eggs

French Toast with Vermont Maple Syrup

Shrimp Cocktail

Mixed Green Salad Bar

Pesto Pasta Salad

Fresh Roasted Vegetables

Cellentani Pasta with Garlic Olive Oil and

Fresh Julienne Vegetables

Tuscan Chicken

Chef’s Dessert Display and More

COURTESY PHOTO

CRIME & COURTS

George sentenced to 18 years to life in Hinesburg killing

CORRESPONDENT

A former Monkton man has been sentenced to 18 years to life in prison for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his stepfather in Hinesburg in 2019.

Kory Lee George, 36, and his mother Angela M. Auclair, 52, formerly of Williston, have been implicated in orchestrating the nighttime ambush killing of David Auclair, 45, of Williston, almost five years ago.

They were both headed to trial when George entered a last-minute plea agreement in September 2023 that required him to enter a guilty plea and promise to testify against his mother.

David Auclair was shot 11 times, and no shell casings were left behind from the shooting, Vermont State Police said.

He was part of a well-known South Burlington family that operated a large farm on Vermont 116 near the Shelburne line.

George said at his change of plea hearing that his mother was the person who fired all the shots into her estranged husband. It

marked the first time she had been identified in public as the shooter.

Initial reports said Auclair was home when her husband was gunned down.

George and his mother were initially scheduled for a rare joint homicide trial in Vermont starting last October. Up to five weeks had been set aside for the trial.

David Auclair tried to crawl under his 2017 GMC pickup truck to get away from the shooting by his wife, deputy state’s attorney Susan G. Hardin said in court when George pleaded guilty

See GEORGE on page 23

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

Total incidents: 200

South Burlington Police Blotter: April 22-28

Agency / public assists: 15

Directed patrol: 14

Traffic stop: 6

Accident: property damage: 5

Alarm: 13

Foot patrol: 16

Suspicious event: 15

Retail theft: 9

Motor vehicle complaint: 7

Welfare check: 12

911 hangup: 6

Trespass: 8

Found/lost property: 5

Stolen vehicle: 3

Disturbance: 6

Field contact: 4

Threats: 3

Animal problem: 3

Larceny: other: 3

Larceny from a vehicle: 5

Accident: injury: 1

Larceny from a structure: 3

Mental health/suicidal person: 6

Arrests:

Geoffrey A. Gamble, 23, of Milton, was arrested for cruelty to animals for an incident on July 7, 2023, on Community Drive .

Tiffany J. Bedard, 35, of Essex, was arrested for receiving stolen property and false pretenses for a Jan. 17 incident

on Dorset Street.

Jason. M. Moye, 37, of South Burlington, was arrested for unlawful mischief for a March 31 incidence on Shelburne Road.

Tiffany J. Bedard, 35, of Essex, was arrested for two counts of retail theft on Hannaford Drive. The incidents took place on April 2 and April 1 .

April 23 at 10:59 p.m., Raymond W. White, 37, no address provided, was arrested for assault on a law enforcement officer, firefighter, EMS or health care worker at Shelburne Road and Farrell Street.

April 24 at 10:41 a.m., Donald R. Fickett, 43, no address provided, was arrested on an in-state warrant on San Remo Drive. Fickett was also arrested April 2, 2024, for retail theft on Hannaford Drive.

April 24 at 10:41 p.m., Tiffany J. Bedard, 35, of Essex, was arrested on an in-state warrant on San Remo Drive.

April 24 at 4:40 p.m., Gary Lacasse, 73, of Williston, was arrested for violating an abuse prevention order on Brand Farm Drive.

April 25 at 6:34 p.m., Adriane P. Whitfield, 51, of Richford,

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

April 25 at 9:42 p.m., Preston T. Myatt, 35, of Fairlee, was arrested for excessive speed and driving under the influence, first offense, on Dorset Street.

April 25 at 10:59 p.m., Kyle B. Kilbury, 31, of Swanton, was arrested for aggravated assault on Williston Road.

April 26 at 8:11 a.m., James A. Douglas, 34, no address provided, was arrested for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, unlawful trespass and retail theft on Dorset Street.

April 26 at 2:29 p.m., James Vezina, 49, of Winooski, was arrested on an in-state warrant on Dorset Street.

April 26 at 7:05 p.m., Jwan J. Austin, of Detroit, Mich., was arrested on an in-state warrant on Dorset Street.

April 27 at 4:19 p.m., Anthony W. Lewis, 35, of Burlington, was arrested on an in-state warrant on Dorset Street.

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

Kory Lee George

OPINION

Home Bill responsibly balances investment, affordable housing

From the Senate Sen. Kesha

Ram Hinsdale

Recent arguments against increased density in population centers have used the tired refrain of “Vermont is not for sale.” This rhetoric and political opportunism are unworthy of one of the most serious policy issues of our time and creates false enemies out of those trying to build housing that is affordable and accessible for Vermont families.

It is true that Vermont is not for sale, and that is largely because there are no homes to purchase — less than 600 in the entire state — and certainly none that low- and moderate-income Vermonters can afford. That is not something to celebrate or politicize, and it does not create a welcoming environment to keep repeating this refrain.

Shrouded in virtuous pretense, saying Vermont is not for sale is akin to harkening back to a nostalgia for large land holdings and housing exclusivity that has left its legacy in Vermont’s vast racial and generational homeownership gap and homelessness crisis.

Owning a home has long been at the center of closing wealth disparities and building the stability of neighborhoods. With false constraints on the number of houses available on the market nationwide, we have seen the largest increase in the purchase price of homeownership in modern history. This has widened the wealth gap and destabilized communities. Vermont is not only swept up in this trend but is at the forefront in unfortunate ways: We have the highest rate of second homes, the highest number of acres per dwelling, and the largest share of households of two people or less in the entire nation.

What’s more, Vermont is not immune to the political, class-based and racial housing segregation that is leading to the decline of our democracy. During the Great Migration of southern Black farmers who sought greater freedom in the north, Vermont actively recruited Swedish farmers to ensure the vast working landscape remained in white ownership. This was on top of a foundation of anti-Black and antisemitic housing covenants, real estate promotions exclusively welcoming white families and intellectual leadership in the eugenics movement.

Vermont is not among the whitest states in the country by accident, and allowing ownership opportunities in dense, multi-family housing projects is one of the best paths we have to break the shameful trend of reducing Black homeownership

down to a mere 22 percent. Fifty years ago, when Act 250 was just being implemented, it was at 40 percent. White homeownership in Vermont reflects the national average at 72 percent, a 50-point difference. This is not to blame Act 250, but to

ANNUAL MEETING

THURSDAY, MAY 23RD, 5-7 PM

A BUSINESS COMMUNITY UPDATE

The Vermont Futures Project and Tech Hub will report on their impact on business activity in our region.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

• Douglas Merrill (V-GaN Tech Hub)

• Kevin Chu (Vermont Futures Project)

The Vermont GaN Tech Hub is competing for innovation, research and workforce funding to boost production of power-efficient chips. The Vermont Futures Project has set population and housing targets to be part of the upcoming Vermont Economic Action Plan.

Enjoy refreshments, conversation and networking with colleagues and friends!

Members and those interested in membership, please RSVP by May 13 at sbbabiz@gmail.com.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

Networking

The SBBA is South Burlington’s only business organization focused solely on strengthening business in South Burlington. We find strength in numbers, and welcome new member businesses, large and small. For more information: sbbabiz.com

Not a member yet? Join us for networking and dialogue around day-to-day and long-term issues in the South Burlington business community.

Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale

SB schools get kids off to strong starts

To the Editor:

We senior citizens are experiencing a refresher course on the value of the South Burlington School District. Our four kids are middle-aged, productive professionals living coast to coast who credit their South Burlington educations with giving them strong starts.

Our grandsons recently moved here from California. One attends middle school, and the other is in high school. All over again, we are witnessing the intelligence, craft, creativity and caring of an institution with legs, one to treasure and support.

Keep this outstanding system powering forward by voting yes on May 7. Like us, you may be glad down the road that you did.

Alida and John Dinklage South Burlington

Be wary of reinstating spending threshold

To the Editor:

As the chair of the Burlington School District School Board, I am fortunate to witness firsthand the profound impact of educational policies on our diverse community. Among these policies, Act 127 stands out as a beacon of progress in the continuous effort to achieve equity and finally address the inequity across Vermont’s schools.

However, while we navigate the benefits of such transformative legislation, we also face potential challenges that could undermine those efforts, such as the discussions around the excess spending threshold.

Act 127 was a significant milestone passed to rectify the longstanding educational funding disparities. By recalibrating the funding formula to reflect the needs of today’s students more accurately — particularly those in economically disadvantaged or culturally diverse districts like Burlington — it promises to level the playing field.

This act is crucial for Burlington, where the student population is incredibly diverse, with 63 percent of students facing basic needs challenges, as well as New Americans who bring a wealth of culture but also face unique educational challenges.

The success of Act 127 in promoting equity is something to be celebrated and protected. As such, while there is talk of reinstating the excess spending threshold — a policy that could restrict the ability of districts to spend beyond a certain limit — I urge caution. It is essential that any modifications to financial policies are considered through the lens of their long-term impact on educational equity. (Editor’s note: Districts with per-pupil spending that is greater than the excess spending threshold incur “an additional tax for the amount over the threshold.”

The excess spending threshold, if not handled carefully, could potentially penalize those it was designed to protect by capping necessary funding in districts that

are just beginning to find their footing with the passage of Act 127.

Indeed, financial prudence is vital, and we must ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. However, we must also recognize that the path to equity is multifaceted. It involves understanding the unique needs of each district and ensuring that they have the resources to meet these needs. As we discuss the excess spending threshold, let’s ensure that our decisions do not inadvertently halt the progress we are making toward a more equitable educational landscape.

I believe in a Vermont where every child has access to quality education that meets their specific needs, regardless of their background or where they live. Act 127 has started us on this path with modernized pupil weights and an equitable funding formula. As we move forward, let’s continue to champion policies that uphold this vision and approach changes like the excess spending threshold with a careful, equity-focused perspective.

Let’s work together — legislators, educators and communities — to maintain the momentum toward true educational equity. It’s a goal worth pursuing with both passion and caution, ensuring that all Vermont students can succeed in a supportive and fair learning environment.

Clare K. Wool Chair, Burlington School Board

Give new leadership for schools a chance

To the Editor:

I would like to see more openness to new ideas on how to support K-12 education in Vermont without increasing taxes on taxpayers who are already burdened by some of the highest school taxes in the country.

Even though Zoie Saunders has not been a teacher or a principal, I would love to hear her ideas about how to tighten the reins on school spending in Vermont, while improving education results. I’ve never heard that this is easy to do in a large school district like the ones she has experience working in, but certainly there are better ways to use the money we are currently spending on schools to achieve better results.

If we were to start from scratch, we would not build the K-12 education system that we have in Vermont, so if there is not a better time to reimagine our schools, I can’t imagine when that would be.

In South Burlington, as in the rest of Vermont, there is quite a disconnect between school administrators and teachers and the taxpayers about what is necessary for a good education. There seems to be an attitude that administrators and teachers know what’s best, and it’s the taxpayers’ duty — who school boards never listen to except when budgets fail, and still then not really — to pay for it.

With prior year-over-year increases of 3 percent in taxes with little investment in facilities except through special

but

New House bill outlaws breaking into people’s cars — or trying to steal them

NORAH WHITE COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

Entering another person’s vehicle without their consent — or attempting to steal it — will be a crime under a bill moving through the Legislature.

The bill, H.563, has been in the works since the beginning of the pandemic and moved to the Senate after it passed the House.

The bill would fill what supporters say is a gap in the law.

Right now, if someone enters your car, rummages around and leaves without taking anything, they haven’t committed a crime.

“It’s a very common-sense thing that shouldn’t be allowed,” co-sponsor Rep. Thomas Oliver, R/D-Burlington, said in a House judiciary committee meeting Feb. 8.

“People view their car as no

different than a room in their house, and I think they have a right to feel that way,” Oliver said.

Under the details of the bill, a person who enters another’s motor vehicle without consent faces up to 3 months in prison or up to $500 in fines. Repeat offenders could see up to a year in prison and the same fine.

Motor vehicle thefts in Vermont increased by about 250 percent between 2016 and 2022, rising from 173 offenses to 605, according to data collected by the FBI.

South Burlington’s police chief told WCAX in March the city had seen a 425 percent jump in car theft reports from 2018 to last year. Despite the rise, Vermont in recent years continues to hold one of the nation’s lowest ratios of car thefts per 100,000 residents.

Supporters of the bill hope it will discourage car theft and help

lower those statistics in years to come, Oliver said.

The bill also redefines the penalty for driving someone’s vehicle without their consent. Under the retooled offense, an offender who knowingly does so could be sentenced to up to two years in prison or fined up to $1,000. A person who merely should have known they weren’t allowed to take the car, on the other hand, would face the same as if they had just entered the vehicle — up to three months in prison and a $500 fine.

Senate lawmakers continued to hear testimony on the bill in recent days.

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

South Burlington police nab two wanted on more than a dozen outstanding warrants

Tiffany Bedard, 35, and Donald Fickett, 43, led South Burlington police on a brief foot chase before being caught and both arrested on several outstanding warrants.

Police spotted Bedard on Dorset Street but when they attempted to detain her, she and Fickett fled toward San Remo Drive.

Bedard had outstanding warrants for six counts of retail theft, two counts of driving with a suspended license and aggravated operation of a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

Fickett has been wanted by South Burlington Police since

LETTERS

continued from page 6

continual increases in salaries and benefits with no link to performance, no business anywhere could or would be expected to support this.

Spending more and more money for small public schools seems ludicrous while expecting taxpayers to cover the higher per pupil costs, partly because out-ofstate homebuyers are raising property values to the point that we could no longer afford to buy the homes we live in.

I do believe this is a systemic problem in Vermont, caused by the willingness of legislators to keep trying to pay for special services in schools that are needed by a minority of students. Yes, maybe some of these students’ families cannot afford what their

kids need, but why do taxpayers have to pay for things like school lunches and special counseling services and after school sports for the many students whose families clearly can afford it?

Many young people seem to have mental health issues, and yet administrators, for legal or whatever reason, are not able to isolate and effectively respond to the problem kids — and parents — who are causing havoc for everyone else. This is not new

I experienced the same things in school decades ago. Maybe we need to look back at old solutions and have more parents involved in their kids’ education, including paying for extra help that they need, or volunteering in the schools

December 2022 when he escaped custody of officers at University of Vermont Medical Center. He had outstanding warrants for three counts of operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent, escape and aggravated operation of a vehicle without the owner’s consent.

Elder Care

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when it makes sense. How was this dealt with in the past? Is our current legal system part of the problem? Everyone is so afraid of lawsuits that they really don’t know what to do.

Maybe Vermont Education secretary nominee Zoie Saunders worked in Florida and in non-teaching roles, but it’s time for a new approach, so it likely will take a new type of leadership. Let’s give Saunders a chance. We should have brought in Mary Powell when she was available and let her do for Vermont schools what she did for Green Mountain Power. She knew how to work with unions too.

Donna Leban South Burlington

OtherPaperSBVT.com

Bike Rodeo: fun, safety for all ages

Join South Burlington’s parks and rec department and public library for a free bike rodeo and safety check with fun and educational activities for kids and bike and helmet fitting and safety checks for adults and kids on Saturday, May 18, 1-3 p.m.

The bike rodeo is geared toward kids ages 5 and up to learn about biking safely. Several educational stations are planned, including bike inspection, bike and helmet fitting, start/stop/go, snail race, scanning for cars and more. Each station is tailored to a skill that cyclists must have: Stopping at stop signs, balance, safely looking behind for cars, and others. The first hundred kids will receive an event give-away

For bike safety checks, a mechanic from Eastern Mountain Sports will perform free safety checks. This is primarily for adults, but kids and their bikes are welcome if accompanied by an adult. Find out what needs adjusting or replacing and get a few tips on keeping your bike in good working order. Appointments are 15 minutes long. Registration for bike safety check time slots is required. Sign up on the South Burlington Parks and Recreation calendar online

The bike rodeo will take place behind the Library in the Rick Marcotte Central School parking lot.

Meet the cows at Shelburne Farms dairy day

Dairy day at Shelburne Farms is Sunday, May 5, 1-4 p.m.

Head down to the Shelburne

COMMUNITY

Farms dairy barn and meet the spring calves and Brown Swiss cows. Take a wagon ride to the pastures, watch the calves get their afternoon milk, explore the dairy barns, see the cows come down the lane for afternoon milking in “cow parade” style, and view them getting milked in the parlor.

The cost is $5 per car; walkers get in free. No registration is required.

Howard Center panel addresses substance use

The education session, “Substance Use and Our Community, takes place Thursday, May 2, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at dealer.com, 1 Howard St., Burlington. Both in-person and virtual attendance options are available. (Please note the correct day of the week.)

The session is part of Howard Center’s spring community education series.

A panel of experienced clinicians will provide an overview of substance, including programs and services that provide treatment and efforts to create a bridge between people who use drugs and recovery, followed by a question-and-answer period.

This event is free, and attendees are encouraged to share their experiences and contribute to a discussion on how to work together to create a safer, healthier community.

The moderator is Beth Holden, chief client services officer at the Howard Center. Panelists include Dr. John Brooklyn, medical director, Howard Center; Dan Hall, director of outpatient services, Howard Center; Heidi Melbostad, director, Chittenden Clinic, Howard Center; and Dr. Daniel

Community Notes

Wolfson, Start Treatment and Recovery program physician leader, University of Vermont Medical Center.

Participants are encouraged to register early as spaces are limited. Contact pdetzer@howardcenter.org.

Shelburne Town Hall

hosts contra dance

Calling all contra dancers. Queen City Contras is holding a dance at Shelburne Town Hall on Friday, May 24.

Mary Wesley will call to the sounds of Red Dog Riley. All are welcome, all dances are taught, and no partner or experience are necessary.

The cost is $12 adults over 18, $5 kids 12-18 or low-income, and those under 12 get in free.

Dancers should bring a pair of clean, soft-soled shoes.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., beginner lesson at 6:45 p.m. and dancing goes from 7 to 10.

35th annual COTS Walk kicks off on May 5

The 35th COTS Walk will take place on Sunday, May 5, at 1 p.m. in Battery Park in Burlington. It’s the nonprofit’s largest annual event and fundraiser to provide shelter, services and housing to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless in Vermont.

Registration kicks off at 1 p.m. and the walk begins at 2 p.m. The walk takes participants on a tour of eight shelters and facilities that the Committee on Temporary Shelter operates in Burlington. Each stop will provide music, snacks, crafts and education about

the services provided there.

The majority of COTS’s annual budget comes from private donations and the walk is one of its largest fundraising events of the year. This year, COTS aims to raise $210,000.

Those interested can register, sign up to volunteer or donate now at cotsonline.org or by calling 802-864-7402.

Real estate firm adds

new buyer specialist

Buyer specialist Madison Roberge has joined Nancy Jenkins real estate.

Roberge has a multifaceted career background whether her

Admission is free all day. Join us!

Celebrate the exciting new season! Experience inspiring new exhibitions and visit the beloved galleries, buildings, and gardens that make Shelburne Museum a place like no other.

Saturday. May 11, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Free admission, live music, art making activities, garden and gallery tours, and more.

help clients are seeking a new home, investment property, land or vacation retreat.

Being immersed in the world of art, Roberge hopes to channel her creative vision into every home search to help match a client’s unique style and preferences.

“I decided to transition into real estate because I love working with people. I am excited to help buyers live the life they aspire to and where you live has so much to do with that. I am ready to help buyer’s dreams become a reality,” she said.

She has deep roots in Vermont and enjoys exploring Vermont with her loyal companion, her puppy.

COURTESY PHOTO

Madison Roberge

Obituary

Pauline T. Albee

Pauline Tacey Albee, 97, died peacefully in the presence of her loving, devoted son, Kyle and daughter-in-law, Starr on the evening of Maundy Thursday, March 28, 2024.

She was born in Montpelier on Dec. 20, 1926, to Willard and Grace Tacey, the youngest of six children. Pauli grew up in Barre playing sports with her five older brothers.

After graduation from Spaulding High School in 1944, Pauli worked as a telephone operator for 15 years. Her brothers all served in World War II and came home without a scratch.

She married Winston “Larry” Albee in 1959 then moved to Waterbury Center, where their son, Kyle was born. While raising her son, Pauli also took great care of her own mother who lived with them until her death in 1976 at the age of 93.

Larry died in January 1979, leaving her to raise her only child with a combination of love, thoughtfulness, generosity and respect for others.

Pauli moved to The Terraces in Shelburne in 2005, where she instantly gained a wonderful group of friends that she enjoyed socializing with and took part in all their activities. In addition, she enjoyed flower gardening, watching her beloved Red Sox and golf, which she played in her younger years.

Pauli always had a wonderful zest for life. You could always count on her for a quick one liner, and a smile on her face. She was always optimistic, laughed easily and saw the good in others. She was metic ulous in her appearance and took great care to coordinate her daily outfits.

Pauli is survived by her son, Kyle and daughter-in-law, Starr of South Burlington, along with Starr’s parents, John and Judy Nailor of Shelburne; and the Hoyt family of Florida and North Carolina, to whom she was always known as “Aunt Pauli.”

Thanks go out to Dorothy Micklas and the wonderful staff at The Terraces, and the caring staff at The Gazebo, which made her final months very meaningful. A special thank you to Katherine Yantz, her friend and caregiver, because “Kathy always makes everything better.”

A memorial service will be held Satur day, May 18, 2024, 11 a.m. at the Char lotte Congregational Church. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Pope Memorial Frontier Animal Society in Orleans where her beloved feline, Bootsy was adopted. Pauli adored cats and they loved her.

Pauli will be greatly missed. She will always remain our “Sunshine,” who forev er will be loved to the “the moon and back.”

Pauline T. Albee

continued from page 5

point out that its intent of creating “compact village settlements” with working lands in between has been perverted into creating exclusive communities that result in sprawl and a lack of affordability. We also have a tremendous homelessness crisis, and the research consensus is clear: More housing units slow rent increases, and lower rent prices drive down homelessness while also giving people choice at different stages of life.

Finally, as we look to the growing threat of climate change, we cannot turn our backs on climate refugees, and saying we are “not for sale” is akin to saying we are closing our borders as coastal sea levels rise — even as low-lying areas in Vermont become more flood prone. We need to build units densely on higher ground in anticipation of the uncertainty and destruction to come, and there is no amount of

money that can do that without the appropriate regulatory reform to get people to safety.

The Senate’s proposed BE Home Bill, S.311, responsibly balances targeted investment within our limited means and reduces the cost of building housing to make it affordable for everyone. In fact, we have put more money into supporting affordable housing in the fiscal year 2025 budget proposal than the House, and we have done so while trying to encourage much-needed, climate-friendly density in population centers and along transit corridors, as well as choice and clustered affordable housing in rural areas.

The final product will have the agreement of economic and environmental stakeholders alike because they are not mutually exclusive.

So, I ask you, before simply buying into this divisive rhetoric

that some are trying to profit while others suffer, what is the alternative to a Vermont that is for sale?

It is a Vermont that is foreclosed to the many who want to call it home at a rate they can afford. That is

not a future I want for our beloved state, and neither should you.

Kesha Ram Hinsdale, a Democrat from Shelburne, serves the towns of South Burlington,

and Bolton in the Legislature.

This getting older thing is for the birds

In Musing

Carole Vasta Folley

That’s it. The truth is unavoidable. I’m officially old. Truly, I am not ageist, nor do I have anything against aging. Who wouldn’t prefer it to the alternative?

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m still a kid inside or at least in my 20s. Even though I’ve spent the entirety of my life aging, I don’t think I recognized it until I looked in the mirror and saw my mother staring back at me. By the way, get that woman a vacation or at least some retinol cream.

to know that beta blockers aren’t board games and AARP isn’t a sound a character makes in a comic book.

Lately, this aging evidence has been piling up. Unavoidable, irrefutable clinchers that only mean one thing. I’m older. I have crossed some invisible line and there’s no going back. And if I did, who knows, I might trip on it. Apparently, nowadays, I also have to worry about breaking a hip. As if that was ever a good idea.

Here’s a few things that alerted me to my aging:

I think there are elements of aging that may require recalibrating our sense of self. Face it, until now, there are things I never had to think about. Like how to get up off the floor. Or figure out how I got there in the first place. It appears I’m finally old enough

I like birds. When did that happen? No, seriously, I’m now a super fan. The other day I stood mesmerized by a little titmouse flitting about. The fact that I even know the word titmouse is damning. I can’t imagine what I would’ve thought that word meant in my youth.

I have tissues in my purse.

OK, let me fess up. The truth is, they’re in my fanny pack. In admitting that, I want to tell you I could die from embarrassment. But really, that could happen anyways. Any minute.

I can’t open my prescription bottles. Nothing makes you look more like an oldster than flailing about the kitchen trying to open something. That along with texting with one finger, reusing paper towels, sporting comfy shoes, arguing with my husband about his cassette tape collection, and actually enjoying Ricola cough drops. The very same ones my 92-year-old mother-in-law keeps in her fanny pack. Alongside her tissues. Oh my god.

At restaurants, I’m flummoxed when they hand me the early bird menu and inform me it’s 5 p.m. That’s when I used to eat lunch! I’m dumbstruck until I get excited that they have rice pudding.

Thank goodness many people get better with age. You hope we all become more our true selves, wiser, with broader perspectives.

That we freak out less about life’s quirks and, more challengingly so, our own and other people’s quirks. That instead, we have more practice focusing on what matters.

At restaurants, I’m flummoxed when they hand me the early bird menu and inform me it’s 5 p.m. That’s when I used to eat lunch!

Like fine wine, aging causes us to be smoother, gentler. Sometimes increasingly more valuable. I like the wine analogy way better than cheese. Although it does seem to apply to some people I know. Like aged cheese, they’re harder, sharper and quite crumbly. Worse, some are moldy. Trust me, stick with the fermented grapes.

Back to birds — can’t help it — the other day I spied the most brilliant cardinal. He was perched on an evergreen, plump in scarlet vibrance. Instantly, I was reminded of my friend’s parents who

passed. Cardinals make her think of them. So, whenever I see one, I think of her mom and dad too. Because that’s the other thing about getting older, we lose many we love. Maybe it’s why I’ve fallen in love with birds later in life. There’s something about their flight that harkens to feelings of passage and transition. Just like aging. My past selves have flit away, uncatchable, and yet they’re in the ether too. Like the flock of redwing blackbirds I watch from my desk when they flutter away in the evening as the sun gracefully descends towards the horizon.

Carole Vasta Folley is an award-winning columnist and playwright. Visit carolevf.com for more info.

Carole Vasta Folley

Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg, Milton, Burlington, St. George, Westford, Underhill, Jericho, Richmond, Winooski, Williston, Essex

180 Market St., South Burlington 802-846-4140 • southburlingtonlibrary. org for information about any programming, cancellations or in-person changes. Some events may change from in-person to virtual. Some events require preregistration.

Hours: Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Email sbplinfo@southburlingtonvt.gov.

KIDS & TEENS

Babytime

Wednesdays in May, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

For infants to 12 months and their caregivers. Board books, manipulatives and baby-appropriate toys will be available for exploration and play.

Lego builders

Fridays in May, 3-4:30 p.m.

News from South Burlington Library

Projects geared to kids ages eight and up, or ages six and up with an adult helper. Each week, builders explore, create and participate in challenges.

Middle school makers: Cooking

Thursday, May 2, 4-5 p.m.

Students in Grades five to eight will be making Dorie Greenspan’s world peace cookies.

Music & movement

Thursday, May 4, 10:30-11:15 a.m.

Join Miss Emma as she leads singing, movement and jam sessions for kids from birth to age 5.

Dragon Masters

author Tracey West

Saturday, May 4, 11 a.m.-noon

West is the author of the Dragon Masters series and is the author of many books based on cartoons and video games,

WARNING

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

ARTICLE I BUDGET

Shall the voters of the City of South Burlington School District approve the School Board to expend Sixty-Eight Million Eighty-Two Thousand Two and 00/100 Dollars ($68,082,002.00), which is the amount the School Board has determined to be necessary for the ensuing fiscal year?

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

The legal voters of the City of South Burlington School District are further warned and notified that a public information meeting will be held to discuss Article I on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at 577 Dorset Street, South Burlington, VT.

including Pokémon and LEGO Ninjago. She has written more than 400 books for kids. Preregister by emailing nliuzzi@ southburlingtonvt.gov.

Musical storytime with Ms. Liz

Tuesday, May 7, 10:30-11 a.m.

For infants to age 4.

Craftytown

Tuesdays, May 7 and 21, 3-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, 1-2:30 p.m.

Arts and craft fun. May 7: Still life watercolors. May 21: name bunting. Kids book club for K-2

Thursdays, May 9 and 30, 4 p.m.

A book club for our young readers and their parents to read, share and explore the book of the month. Projects vary each month but could include making art, reading together and writing letters. Books provided and registration is required.

Toddlertime

Tuesdays, May 14, 21 and 28, 10:30-11 a.m.

Weekly storytime for toddlers and their caregivers.

Free play art

Tuesday, May 14, 3-4:30 p.m.

From painting to print-making and from collage to sculpture, explore different projects and mediums. Geared to kids ages 8 and up, or ages 6 and up with an adult helper. May 14: cardboard tube scribblers.

Afternoon games upstairs

Thursday, May 16, 1-3 p.m.

An afternoon of games, music and connection hosted by the Colchester Peer Growth & Lifelong Learning group. Light refreshments and snacks will be served.

Liens and titles and points, oh my! Our home loan wizards are by your side every step of the way. Ready to begin? Apply online anytime.

Free prequalification

Down payment assistance available for qualified borrowers* Loans for homes, condos, new builds, renovations, and more

*Limited funds are available. First-come first-served.

DEBORAH J. BENOIT

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT EXTENSION

There’s more to consider than fresh eggs when raising chickens at home. For gardeners, that includes keeping both chickens and plants safe and productive.

Chickens love to dig in the dirt and that can be a problem. Take advantage of their natural tendencies by allowing access to the

garden when they can do the most good and denying access when they can do the most harm.

Concerned about bugs, ticks and other pests? Chickens devour them. In the spring they’ll happily aerate the soil hunting for tasty treats.

PHOTOS BY GORDON MILLER

Having a flock of chickens can be beneficial to gardeners as they will eat bugs, ticks and other pests and aerate the soil as they hunt for tasty treats.

CHICKENS

continued from page 12

They leave behind droppings high in nitrogen and work them into the soil. They’ll scratch up or pull out young weeds and incorporate compost to help prepare your garden for the coming growing season.

If you plan to add a new garden bed in a grassy, weedy area, chickens confined in a fenced enclosure or chicken tractor will clear the area completely.

Once you’re ready to plant, ban them from the garden. They’ll eat newly sown seeds and emerging seedlings. Their scratching in the soil can damage tender roots.

In the blink of an eye, they’ll defoliate young plants, dooming your planned crop before it’s had a chance to grow. More mature plants may not suffer significant harm from allowing chickens access to the garden, but chickens won’t hesitate to peck at an interesting looking cucumber or vine-ripening tomato.

While protecting crops from chickens’ mischief is important, so is protecting chickens from the dangers the garden can present. If you’ll be treating the garden with fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides or other chemicals (organic or otherwise), they may be harmful

to the chickens, so it’s best to keep the birds at a safe distance.

In addition, be sure to practice good biosecurity by keeping your chickens away from areas where wild birds gather, such as bird feeding stations and duck ponds, to avoid transmission of avian influenza and other diseases.

Food crops such as tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and eggplant are all part of the nightshade family and eating them can be harmful to chickens. Other crops unsafe for chickens to consume include rhubarb, onions and dried beans. At the end of the growing season, after you pull up the plants that aren’t chicken-friendly, let the flock loose in the garden to clean up remaining plant material.

If you grow berry bushes or fruit trees, chickens can help clean up fallen fruit and insect pests. Of course, like other birds, chickens love blueberries and similar fruit. Watching a chicken eyeing a ripening berry on an overhead branch and jumping straight up to grab a beak full is sure to bring out a laugh — and thoughts of how to preserve the berry harvest.

Portable fences can discourage chickens, and row covers or bird netting can provide a barrier

between chickens and a forbidden feast. Wire cloches can protect small plants.

If you prefer to keep all your plants safe and chickens out of the garden but would still like to use chickens for pest control, consider a double fence spaced about four feet apart around the garden. The flock can patrol the area between the fences and intercept any pest crossing their path on its way to the garden. Bird netting across the top will keep chickens contained and on patrol.

Chicken manure is a great benefit for gardeners who own chickens. Because chicken manure is considered “hot” and can damage plants, coop litter and manure need to be composted before use. It makes a good addition to your compost pile, or it can be applied to the garden in the fall and allowed to compost over the intervening months until spring. For more information on composting chicken manure, see go.uvm. edu/poo.

Soil amendment, pest control, fresh eggs and a touch of humor. What more could a gardener ask?

Deborah J. Benoit is a UVM Extension master gardener.

Try these energy saving tips

April was Earth Month and Vermonters celebrate the unique tradition of Green-Up Day on Saturday, May 4. With spring cleaning on everyone’s agenda, Efficiency Vermont has tips that can help you tidy up and plan for warm weather. Taking steps now could even help reduce your energy bills and save money.

Here are a few tips to green up your home and keep a little more green in your pocket: Spring forward by investing in clean technology. Need to replace a major appliance?

Check for energy-saving options. Consider an air purifier to fight the pollen that’s just around the corner, a dehumidifier to dry out

ALL KINDS OF MOTHERS SALE! MAY 7-11

10% OFF FRAMES, CANDLE HOLDERS AND TABLE LINENS SHARE JOY WITH THOSE WHO HAVE NURTURED YOU!

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from spring showers or a smart thermostat to keep your home at the perfect temperature no matter the season.

Work efficiency into your spring-cleaning routine. Regularly cleaning common appliances

See GREEN UP on page 14

design

and systems in your home can optimize their performance. That means they use less energy and save you money. Clean out dust from bathroom fan covers and from under your fridge.

Sweep or vacuum near any vents, ducts or registers. Clear out dust and grease from kitchen stove hoods and exhaust fans. Brush away lint and other debris from your clothes dryer’s exhaust hose and filter, and any exterior vents for your dryer, heating system or water heater. Keeping these systems clean with regular cleaning will maximize their efficiency.

Plan for big-picture savings Ready to weatherize after an all-too-chilly winter? Or maybe you’ve heard how heat pumps are all the rage — not just for heating, but also a summertime superstar because they can cool your home,

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

too? No matter what your home needs, spring is the perfect time to think ahead.

Start with a virtual home energy visit to get expert advice on improvements big and small for your living space. If your heating system is getting close to retirement, learn about how heat pumps could meet your home’s heating needs and bring the added benefits of air conditioning to your home at the same time.

Schedule annual maintenance for your heating and air conditioning system. You should have a professional clean and service both indoor and outdoor components of your home’s heating, ventilation or air conditioning system once a year. This can ensure your furnace, boiler, wood or pellet stove or heat pump is working and ready for next winter

— or the next chilly day. Because heat pumps also provide air conditioning, spring cleaning is key to getting them ready to keep you cool all summer.

Join a Green Up Day event near you: Spend some time — solo or with a group — picking up litter or otherwise cleaning your town. You can also download the Green Up app to find groups and areas that need cleaning up. You can even join a Guinness World Record attempt for the longest litter pick-up team ever. Green Up activities help Vermont’s natural landscape and waterways and raise awareness about the benefits of a litter-free environment yearround.

Spruce up the filters in the machines that keep you warm all winter. Spring cleaning is a great time to check on your heat pump,

woodstove, furnace or boiler. Replace or clean any filters on your heat pump, ductwork, air purifiers and related systems to ensure they work well and efficiently. You should clean or replace these filters every few months or more frequently if you have pets, if the machine is near your kitchen, if you live on a dirt road or if you use it frequently. You should also clean out any ductwork in your home. If you have portable air purifiers, clean and consider replacing those filters, too.

Electrify your lawn care. Whether you’re replacing old gas-powered tools or investing in new equipment for upcoming projects, battery-powered or plug-in lawn care tools like electric lawnmowers, leaf blowers or trimmers are the way to go. They’re quieter and cheaper to operate — electricity costs less than gas — and charging a battery or plugging in is usually easier than keeping a gas can at hand.

Electric tools are also much cleaner and greener compared to their gas-powered counterparts. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, using a gasoline-powered lawnmower for one hour emits as much pollution as driving a car 45 miles. Keep in mind some electric lawn care rebates available in Vermont.

Manage your home’s moisture. Moisture and water in your basement can be a serious hazard to the health of your home and to the people living inside. It’s best to take care of any dampness, condensation or standing water sooner rather than later. Follow these steps to fix a wet, damp, or leaky basement. If you think you may already have mold, follow Centers for Disease Control guidelines to clean it up. Addressing the underlying moisture problem will help save energy and money overall, and a dehumidifier can help remove any remaining moisture in your home. Make sure it’s Energy Star-certified and take advantage of Efficiency Vermont’s rebate (with extra savings for renters). Swap your light bulbs for something greener. LED bulbs use a lot less energy than traditional incandescent light bulbs or even compact fluorescent bulbs. That can save you money over the bulb’s lifetime. Speaking of lifetimes, LEDs last a lot longer. The Department of Energy estimates an LED bulb can last for up to 50,000 hours, compared to 10,000 hours for fluorescents and just 2,000 hours for incandescent bulbs.

Learn more at efficiencyvermont.com.

We

to prevent ‘secret deaths’ in our forests

One of the great joys of being a forester is developing a deep and complex relationship with the vital and beautiful biotic communities that we call forests. It’s a double-edged sword: Building a more in-depth understanding of forests also forces us to confront some harsh realities.

When I walk in the woods, I see forests that are young and simple, invaded and degraded, missing vital pieces and parts. I see both a complex community of living things and a world of things that are missing. I call these missing things the secret deaths in our forests — all the things that never had a chance to exist.

It’s easiest to visualize these secret deaths in a parking lot. Every parking lot — everything that’s not a forest or a wetland — in Vermont is the site of a cleared forest or a drained wetland. When that forest was cleared, some trees were killed. However, what has transpired since, and what will continue into the indefinite future, is a far greater loss: the trillions of living things of thousands of different species that will simply never exist because that parking lot will never be a forest, and never provide habitat for them — again.

While it’s harder to visualize while walking in a forest I am also surrounded by secret deaths. Nearly all of Vermont’s forests are young and simple; most having regenerated from agricultural land within the last century. Nearly all

are missing critical habitats and characteristics — big, old trees, dead wood, a gappy, irregular canopy, and different sizes and ages of trees — that have defined them and provided habitats for biodiversity for millennia.

Our forests have lost or functionally lost numerous tree species to non-native pathogens, have been invaded by non-native invasive plants that undermine forests’ diversity and resilience, have lost wildlife species and seen new species introduced. When I walk in the woods I am overwhelmed by the abundance of life, but also by how much life is missing: the living things that cannot exist because our forests lack the basic attributes that these species have adapted to for thousands of years.

As forest managers, forest stewards and forest-lovers, it is vital that we recognize that caring for forests goes far beyond the trees. Managing a forest responsibly also means caring for animals and plants, fungi and insects, soil and waters — the entire forest ecosystem — and safeguarding all these things into the indefinite future. I began my own journey in forestry as someone who just loved trees and forests and wanted to protect them. As I learned more about forest ecology, and the reality of the threats and stressors that our modern-day forests face, I began to see how forest management could help restore ecosystems, help them navigate the incredible challenges of the modern world and help them move into an uncertain future with grace.

I began to see how the death of trees could be an important tool for creating habitats for thousands of species and ecological attributes that had been missing from our landscape for centuries. I started to question what “protecting” a forest truly meant.

We do not have to be bystanders, watching our forests navigate a climate crisis and a biodiversity crisis alone. We can take action to reverse the secret deaths in our forests, but we can’t do that without making some compromises, without doing some things as complex and as bittersweet as cutting down trees. If we look at forests with a more expansive view of forest ecology, and an understanding of how the death of a tree can help contribute to the lives of billions or trillions of organisms, now and in the future, we can see that it’s a small price to pay.

Understanding the secret deaths in our forests is sobering but also hopeful: When I walk through the woods, rather than focus on the secret deaths, I think of what Dr. Gabor Mat calls “the compassion of possibility,” or trying to see the forest not just for what it is missing, but also for what it could be.

If we act, we can reverse the secret deaths, helping forests rediscover their true capacity for life.

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

Bernie Cieplicki Jr. caps family hoops history

JACOB MILLER-ARSENAULT

COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

For Bernie Cieplicki Jr., being named to Vermont’s high school sports hall of fame means more than the wood-framed parchment he’ll receive next month.

The honor caps off his time as the youngest son in the state’s most-storied basketball family — a weight he carried through his standout career at Rice Memorial in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It also comes in a year that marks the 25th anniversary of his father’s death.

Bernie Cieplicki Sr., himself a member of the Vermont Principals’ Association Hall of Fame, grew up playing basketball in Jersey City and attended St. Michael’s College on a basketball scholarship. After college, he started the perennial powerhouse boys’ basketball program at Rice nearly 60 years ago, winning three state championships and over 300 games in his 18-year tenure, topping an 80 percent win rate. The program has since evolved into a dynasty the younger Bernie Cieplicki compared to the New York Yankees.

“If you like the Yankees, you want the Yankees to win or the Red Sox to lose,” he said. “With Rice, it doesn’t matter who you are, the first question you ask is did Rice win or did they lose? And you’re either happy or sad. This has been going on for 60 years since he started the program.”

When Bernie Jr. first picked up a basketball, his dad was right there to coach him, from first through seventh grade. “The only years I never played for a family member (were) eighth grade and college,” he said.

That afforded young Cieplicki certain privileges. “He had keys to a gym, and he had somebody to coach him, so it worked out well for him from that perspective,” said Kevin Cieplicki, one of Bernie’s older brothers who coached him in high school and is a member of the Hall of Fame himself.

The Cieplicki patriarch demanded excellence from his namesake. “The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement,” went a favorite saying. Whenever the younger Cieplicki struggled, his dad was on him.

“I had to be in third grade, going into halftime I missed like four free throws in a row. We’re walking into halftime, and he looks at me and goes, ‘Why don’t you give me your uniform? We should burn your uniform ‘cause you stink right now,’” Bernie Jr. said.

recruit Keith to the College of William & Mary, where he was coaching at the time.

“(Bernie was) the best third-grade athlete I ever saw,” Brennan said. “For a third grader, he can catch, run and throw.”

Soon the two would grow close playing catch and wiffle ball in Bernie Jr.’s backyard. Occasionally Brennan would drive the boy over to Winooski for milkshakes.

When it came time for Cieplicki to decide on where he’d play in college, Brennan was all in on him coming to Vermont. But Cieplicki shocked him by choosing to go away to Fairfield. But a year later, Cieplicki asked to come home.

“In my heart of hearts, I knew he would come back,” Brennan said. “He came back, and it was like he never left.”

Brennan became a mentor to Cieplicki, who described the coach as “one of the greatest influences I’ve ever had that’s not a family member in terms of teaching me about life and about fortitude.”

Fortitude was a recurring theme in Cieplicki’s UVM days in the mid-1990s. The program was far from the established regional juggernaut it is now, and it grappled with more difficult competition than the team’s current America East Conference provides.

Tough as those early lessons may have been, the youngest Cieplicki appreciated them come high school. He played for Kevin and another older brother, Keith. The two drilled him into discipline. “Keith and I coached him for four years in high school,” Kevin said. “We’d coach him during the game, we’d be on his case all night, we’d go home — then my dad would have his turn.”

“I think it was a lot harder for him than it was for us,” said Keith, who like his brothers and father belongs to the principals’ association’s hall of fame. “He worked at it, he was humble, and for having your brother as a coach, he actually listened.”

Bernie Jr. turned star the moment he put on his Rice uniform, excelling in part thanks to the addition of the three-point line in high school basketball during the late ‘80s. He never won a championship, but he

showed up on the biggest stages, dropping 35 points in Rice’s semifinal berths in both 1990 and 1991. By the time he graduated in 1991, winning the inaugural Burlington Free Press Mr. Basketball en route, he was the program’s all-time leading scorer with more than 2,000 points, surpassing Keith, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1985 and is arguably the greatest basketball player to ever come out of Vermont.

Bernie Jr. started his college career at Fairfield University before transferring to the University of Vermont to play under Tom Brennan, the only coach to have ever brought the Cats past the first round in March Madness.

Cieplicki’s precocious athleticism from an early age stood out to Brennan, a close family friend. Brennan first saw it while visiting the Cieplickis’ home in 1977 to

Back then, UVM played in the North Atlantic Conference, an earlier iteration of America East. The league featured teams such as Delaware, Drexel, Boston University and Hofstra, and it was populated by figures like player Malik Rose, who would go on to win two NBA titles with the San Antonio Spurs, and Jay Wright, who coached at Hofstra before embarking on a dazzling career at Villanova.

“We were the foundation because we had to survive the struggles,” Cieplicki said.

Cieplicki honed his craft in college, becoming an elite three-point specialist — shooting around 40 percent from beyond the arc during his time at UVM. “I just knew I had to be good at something because I wasn’t very athletic,” he said. “If you don’t make shots, what good are you if you’re not athletic? So, you have to find one trait that you are really good at, and that was shooting the basketball.”

Said Kevin: “Bernie was a great shooter, there’s absolutely no doubt about that. He could shoot the lights out, and he

COURTESY PHOTO

Bernie Cieplicki Jr., right, shoots over an opponent during a University of Vermont basketball game in the 1990s.

Boys win squeaker in lacrosse matchup

LAUREN READ CORRESPONDENT

Boys’ lacrosse

South Burlington 10, Salmon River 9: The boys’ lacrosse team scored in overtime to lift South Burlington over Salmon River, N.Y., on Saturday, April 27.

Brady Sweet scored his third goal in extra time for the Wolves, while Will Goyette had two goals and two assists. Will Anderson added a hat trick and one assist.

Caden Clayton stopped 14 shots in goal for South Burlington, which trailed 9-7 with two minutes remaining in regulation, before staging the comeback.

Baseball

Mount Anthony 4, South Burlington 2: South Burlington failed in its comeback bid, losing to

CIEPLICKI

continued from page 16

worked hard.”

Scores of dedicated basketball players will go out each day and shoot a bunch of shots. The distinction for Cieplicki? “My brothers would tell me to go out and make 500 shots,” he said.

By sinking 3,000 shots per week, Bernie Jr. shifted from a shot taker to a shot maker. He made 228 career threes for the Cats, good for sixth all time. “(My brothers) were always there for a word of encouragement, and there to keep it real too,” he said.

The Cieplicki brothers bonded by being outside and shooting together in the driveway. “He was in a tough spot because being 10 years younger, for a long time I made him my rebounder,” said Keith. “And then all of a sudden the tables turned, and he got better than me.”

Even when the shots weren’t falling, Cieplicki’s toughness stood out. Brennan recalled one game at the University of New Hampshire when the Catamounts were down by 27 with 10 minutes to go. Brennan had already given up. “I was planning for the next game,” he said.

But Cieplicki led the Cats on an inspired comeback, aggressively attacking the basket and getting to the free-throw line. “It was funny because he didn’t make a three,” Brennan said. “I thought he had to make some shots (for us) to come back.”

As a broadcast analyst in recent years, Cieplicki has continued to cover the Catamounts, an opportunity he cherishes. “I get to be

Mount Anthony Saturday.

The Wolves scored twice in the seventh inning before Mt. Anthony clinched. South Burlington moved to 3-1.

Andre Bouffard drove in two runs and James Chagnon took the loss after giving up three runs on six hits in two-plus innings of work.

It was the first loss for South Burlington, which beat Colchester 4-2 last Thursday.

Lucas Van Mullen had triple for the Wolves, who scored three runs in the fourth, while Bouffard went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Pitcher Nick Kelly got the win.

Softball

Mount Anthony 28, South Burlington 1 (5): South Burlington fell to Mount Anthony in five innings Saturday.

Trinity Rye went 1-for-2 and scored for a run for the Wolves.

the biggest fan for a program that I love,” he said. “It’s so much fun to stay around and be involved and have contact with the coaches and players.”

The program has flourished under current coach John Becker, nationally recognized as one of college basketball’s best-kept secrets. “Now the expectation is you gotta get to the round of 32 or the round of 16 and you gotta win the league,” Cieplicki said.

“What frustrates me is when people complain about one game,” he said, citing the impulsive reactions of a fanbase that has grown accustomed to winning. He added, however, that this instant-gratification environment is a credit to what Becker and Brennan worked so hard to build. “It’s fun to be that voice of reason,” he said.

With his playing days behind him, Cieplicki, now 51 and living in Colchester, remains an avid fan and student of the game. He still cheers for UVM and his high school alma mater, where he served for over a decade as an athletic director.

“There is nothing more prideful than what Rice has done in the last two decades,” he said.

It helps that his family legacy has kept going along the way: Each of his kids won a championship with Rice, too.

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

PHOTO BY AL FREY

Rice’s Conor Reilly gets away from Burlington’s Elliot Laramee during the Green Knights’ 10-9 overtime win over the Seahorses April 19 in Burlington.

Rice beats Burlington

continued from page 1

been so significantly diminished given the incredibly unprecedented changes at the state level this year,”

superintendent Violet Nichols said at a board meeting earlier this month. “We want to acknowledge that’s part of the massive impact and, as some of you know, South Burlington has been hit particularly hard by these pieces of legislation.”

The district’s newly adopted budget of $68 million up for a vote on May 7 reflects a $359,000 cut in staffing and programming from the last budget vote on April 4. The new budget sees a new reduction of roughly seven staffers, and nearly 47 others remain uncertain whether their jobs will be in place next fall.

That number is expected to grow as all middle and high school coaches and club advisors are expected to receive similar notices this week.

“This budget that is currently being voted on, there’s already been pretty significant impacts,” Noah Everitt, co-president of the South Burlington Educators Association and 12-year staffer with the district, said. “There’s been a reduction in math teaching, reduction in some of the support services around technology coaching, reading and mathematics coaches at the upper levels, health education at the elementary school, and then, most recently, the reduction in another technology coach and a board-certified behavior analyst.”

Since 80 percent of the district’s budget is staffing and programming, every vote after this one, he said, is just a question of how much more programming and staffing will get reduced. But should the district be forced to cut the maximum number, “school is essentially untenable,” he said.

“Technically the state could

allow us to continue to operate, but class sizes will be very high. Teaching will be very difficult, and learning will be even harder,” he said.

Although the district technically has two more attempts to pass a budget, by July 1, without a spending plan in place, the district would only be authorized to borrow up to 87 percent of the current 2024 budget of $62.5 million.

Supporters of the budget this week have planned several outreach and campaigning events to sway a majority of voters. The educator’s association is certainly in support of the current budget, Everitt said, but the other hope is to at least get a substantial voter turnout. While the first Town Meeting Day vote had nearly a 30 percent turnout rate, turnout for the second vote in April dropped to 19 percent. The second budget was defeated by 150 votes.

Aside from the association and teachers working to organize “honk and wave” events at different busy intersections this week, a grassroots parent organization, which has dubbed itself, SOS, short for Save our Schools, has also organized its own sign making and advocacy events.

For parent Jen Lawrence, a newer resident of South Burlington and member of the parent group, her call to action was learning that South Burlington’s German teacher had received a notice that her position may be eliminated.

Three of her children graduated from South Burlington High School in 2023, one of whom is now a junior ambassador through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange in Germany, a passion he cultivated in a classroom at the school.

“It really shook me to think that something like this could happen,” Lawrence said, speaking about the impending reductions.

Lawrence explained that like many of her neighbors, she voted no to the district’s first proposed budget citing the associated 23 percent tax rate increase. But she began organizing with other parents as the realities of programming cuts became more evident.

“It’s all about the quality of the school in an area that is going to create that community. If you have good schools, you’re going to attract people who are going to want to live in your community,” she said, adding she moved to South Burlington in 2021 from Texas solely for the school district.

“This is the future of tomorrow.”

Nonetheless, she said, she and her husband went from voting no

to yes — and now — a very strong yes. In addition to parent and teacher organization efforts, students are also getting into the action. A car decorating event to get out word about the budget and remind the community to vote has been planned for Sunday, May 5, from 9 a.m.-noon in the high school parking lot.

The purpose of the event, said the student school board representative Rama AL Namee, is to engage members of the community while showing just how dedicated the student body is to the district.

“Many students throughout the district realize the importance of passing a budget that supports student learning and activities and want to get involved to show the community that this budget has our support,” she said. “We

hope to display the large student support for this budget and believe this display may result in broader support in our town.”

But South Burlington school district is not unique in its budgetary struggles this year. The neighboring Champlain Valley School District also was forced to make cuts to its schools this year as voters turned down the initial Town Meeting Day budget. A second vote, associated with an 18 percent tax rate increase for some towns, overwhelmingly passed last week.

Everitt explained that although notices of job and programming cuts are typically just a part of the job as an educator, this year was drastically different from other budget years as the Legislature implemented a new education funding formula known as Act 127, and then altered it just weeks before Town Meeting Day.

The South Burlington School District was considered one of the districts most negatively affected by the new law.

Aside from just the local effects of the changing laws, it’s stirring even bigger questions for education professionals.

“There is an understanding on that side, too,” he said. “Most educators in Vermont, if not all, live and work in communities, either that they’re serving or right around there. In this case it’s very different because it’s not like it’s just South Burlington that failed. It was a massive budget failure. It really changes from, ‘This is a local South Burlington issue’ to, ‘Wait what are we doing as a state and as a profession?’”

The new budget is associated with a 9.55 percent tax increase,

COURTESY PHOTO

Students with the parent group SOS during a sign-making event last week.

LIBRARY

continued from page 11

Kids’ Friday movie

Fridays, May 17 and 31, 3 p.m.

May 17: “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” is a 1971 musical fantasy based on the book by Mary Morton. May 31: “Toy Story.”

Bike Rodeo

Saturday, May 18, 1-3 p.m.

Join the South Burlington Parks and Recreation Department and library for a free bike rodeo and bike safety check, with fun and educational activities for kids and bike and helmet fitting and safety checks for adults and kids in the Rick Marcotte Central School parking lot. For those 5 and up. Sign up with the rec department.

Read to Emma the therapy dog

Wednesday, May 22, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Sign up for 10-minute slots to read to Emma by emailing sbplkids@southburlingtonvt.gov.

ADULTS

Knit for your neighbors

Thursdays in May, 2-5 p.m.

Yarn, needles and crochet hooks supplied. Knit or crochet hats and scarves to help keep your neighbors warm. All finished projects will be donated to the South Burlington Food Shelf. Special guest Hannah Miller, an associate professor of education at Vermont State University-Johnson, is spending her sabbatical on a quest to write, read and knit in as many public libraries in Vermont as possible. She shares her adventures in South Burlington on May 11. Tech help by appointment

Fridays, May 3 and 17, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Tuesdays, May 7 and 21, 1-4 p.m.

Sign up for a free 40-minute appointment to get some one-on-one help and learn new skills.

Cookbook club

Tuesday, May 7, 5:30-6:45 p.m.

This month’s cookbook is “Salamati: The Persian Kitchen” by Hamed Allahyari Berens, a heartwarming story of resilience, homesickness and good Persian cooking in 70 accessible recipes. To attend, sign up at the circulation desk or email sbplprograms@southburlingtonvt. gov. Books are available at the library.

Mandarin conversation circle

Tuesdays, May 7 and 21, 11 a.m.-noon

Learn and improve your Mandarin and make new friends with volunteers from Vermont Chinese School. Drop-in. No registration.

Stories from the Vermont Queer Archives

Thursday, May 9, 6-7 pm.

Objects such as banners, T-shirts and buttons in the Vermont Queer Archives at the Pride Center of Vermont reflect currents and changes in the lives of Vermont’s LGBTQ community. Meg

Tamulonis, volunteer curator of the archives, discusses how these objects mark various milestones, from Pride events to legal rulings, and why some parts of the queer community aren’t well-represented.

Morning book group

Thursday, May 9, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

This month’s selection, “Fifty Words for Rain” by Asha Lemmie, tells the story of the child of a married Japanese aristocrat and her African American GI lover. Nori is an outsider from birth, only to conceal her.

Spanning decades and continents, the book is a dazzling epic about the ties that bind, the ties that give you strength and what it means to be free. In-person or Zoom options.

English conversation circle

Mondays, May 13 and 27, noon-1 p.m.

English as a Second Language discussion group, facilitated by staff.

English language learner movie night

Tuesday, May 21, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Are you an English language learner? Looking for more opportunities to practice English? The library is screening the Oscar-winning short film, “The Neighbors’ Window,” the story of a mother of young children who has grown frustrated with her daily routine and husband. The film contains elements of sex and nudity, profanity, alcohol, drugs and smoking.

Greening small spaces

Wednesday, May 22, 5:45-7 p.m.

Dive into the art and science of maximizing your limited outdoor or indoor space with this presentation on small space and container gardening led by a master gardener David Sweenor.

Evening book group

Thursday, May 23, 6-7 p.m.

The May selection is “When the Emperor Was Divine” by Julie Otsuka, a commanding debut novel paints a portrait of the Japanese internment camps unlike any we have ever seen.

Spare, intimate, arrestingly understated, the book is a haunting evocation of a family in wartime and an unmistakably resonant lesson for our times. In-person and Zoom option.

Board games brunch

Saturday, May 25, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Want to play board games with a fun, friendly crowd? This event is open to all ages, best for 18 and up. Join the Friendly Tabletop Gamers in the digital lab. Registration required.

Legislative forum

Monday, May 27, 6-8 p.m.

Join representatives Emilie Krasnow, Martin Lalonde, Kate Nugent, Noah Hyman and Brian Minier and senators Ginny Lyons, Kesha Ram Hinsdale and Tom Chittenden to discuss what’s being debated in the Statehouse.

Vermont’s Charm

continued from page 2

full art school to train draftsmen on how to design and depict the sculptures and monuments that the carvers would then fabricate.

I think it really must have been an exciting place to be. It was probably a pretty good place for someone like Marcel to flex those muscles and realize, ‘Hey, I’m good at this.’”

Without an architecture school in Vermont, Beaudin set his sights on New York City, where he enrolled at the School of Architecture at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, a school staffed with teachers who were disciples of the design greats from Harvard School of Design: Edward Barnes, Huson Jackson and Sidney Katz, to list a few.

Before entering college and working as a junior mausoleum designer in the city, Beaudin crossed paths with Le Corbusier, a Swiss-French architect who was a pioneer in the modernist movement and, at the time, in the United States designing the United Nations complex.

“It took less than ten minutes in his studio to decide to become an architect,” Beaudin said in a 2005 interview with Bill Lipke, a professor of art history at the University of Vermont.

Many great architects have come out of Vermont, Colman said, but what is most interesting about Beaudin is that although he found success in other places, he

REPAIRS

still came back home, practicing here for more than half a century. In fact, his second love, sailing on Lake Champlain, provides a more complete understanding of his sleek, elegant approach to architecture with some of his buildings mirroring the design of boats.

“I think Marcel had a distinctive feel for the Vermont context,” Colman said. “He certainly always had a very modernist approach and instead of looking backward for inspiration to previous historic styles of architecture, he looked forward — what are the new technologies, what are the new materials, what are the new ways of living that I can incorporate into my building.”

enthralling stories of Beaudin’s life.

“He was sharp to the end, in good spirits, telling stories,” he said.

Family ties

While her father’s design legacy is something she sees almost everywhere, his storytelling is something his daughter Becky Beaudin will miss the most. She recalled growing up in a home on Shelburne Point designed by her father that housed the family of seven until 1970, when the family moved to Main Street in Burlington.

by Beaudin.

“I mean, every conversation was a lecture in design and architecture,” she laughed, reminiscing on her memories of him. “I learned so much from him. His other passion was sailing, and we always felt like those two passions really aligned, because things were very functional. He was not into embellishments.”

During his time as a Vermonter, Beaudin found residency in Burlington, Shelburne and South Burlington, where he served on planning commissions and became a sort of community figure.

A good example and arguably the most well-known Beaudin design is the Burlington Boathouse, completed in 1988. It’s a design Colman says bridges the gap of referencing a historic building built decades earlier but using a fresh approach to complete a more contemporary design.

In addition to hundreds of private homes, other prominent architectural projects of Beaudin’s include the design of the new Community Sailing Center, originally housed in Burlington’s old Moran plant on the waterfront that came to life in 2018, All Saints Episcopal Church in South Burlington, and the Creamery Building in Shelburne.

Colman spoke with Beaudin quite a few times throughout his career, the last time about eight months ago while he was recording a podcast about architects in the state and where he was able, for the last time, to hear the

“To grow up in such a magical setting was really wonderful for us,” she said.

Being the only the girl in the family, she said she used to follow her dad around “like a puppy,” and distinctly remembers his routine summertime swims in the lake after work, a place he loved almost as much as his drafting office.

Beaudin, she said, spent a lot of time with his work, but when he was there, he was a very “loving person in his own way.” When the family came into hardship as her brother Marc battled mental illness, her father always kept track of him, she said.

“One of the interesting things about my dad, even though he didn’t seem to always be there, he knew so much about each of his kids and what they did, he was really paying attention,” she said.

“He’s my greatest inspiration, you know. I loved my father.”

His stepdaughter, Sheryl Shaker, also lived in a home in Connecticut that was redesigned

As Colman puts it, his design drafts, which are currently being archived by the special collections library at the University of Vermont, are a reminder of Vermont’s built environment and stand as a testament to the miracle of architecture.

“Really, it’s incredible that anything gets built,” said Colman, speaking about the process of design.

But more than anything, they are a retrospective look into the mind of a man who helped launch Vermont’s great landscape into the modern world.

“I always remind people that the 20th century happened here also,” he said. “We don’t live in the 19th century. There’s a whole segment of the built environment that reflects the 20th century, which was probably the most pivotal century of progress and growth in the United States ever. We really can’t overlook it. We can’t pretend it didn’t happen. I think Marcel’s buildings really fit nicely into that context.”

ABOVE: UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT ARCHIVES, RIGHT: BURLINGTON CITY ARTS, Above: A rendering of the Burlington Boathouse, which Beaudin is most known for.

Right: A photo of Marcel Beaudin taken in 2005 featured in a Burlington City Arts catalog from a retrospective show titled, “Decades of Design: Marcel Beaudin.”

GEORGE

continued from page 4

last fall.

The bullet-riddled body of the victim was found July 11, 2019, at the LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest trailhead parking lot off Gilman Road in Hinesburg. The victim was lured to the scene for his execution through a pre-paid burner cellphone that was traced to a Milton store where George bought it, state police said.

Auclair later pleaded guilty to accessory to first degree murder in January. She was scheduled to get the same sentence of 18 years to life as her son, but in April she petitioned a judge to allow her to withdraw her guilty plea. She also wants to fire her lawyer.

Judge Kevin Griffin had initially said he would try to schedule the sentencings for George and his mother on the same day so family members of the victim would need to travel only once from out-ofstate for the hearings.

That plan fell through when Auclair pulled the plug on her plea deal.

“It’s about as bad as it gets,” Griffin told George on Monday

BUDGET

continued from page 18 down from 23 percent and 14.5 percent associated with the first and second failed budgets. The new rate may change, however, given the uncertainty with the state education fund’s overall yield formula.

While support of the budget has been the loudest at open board meetings and public hearings in recent weeks, those opposing the budget have taken to social media and other forums to advocate the district adopt an even leaner spending plan.

about the execution-style murder of a family member.

George, a five-time felon, also was convicted separately in federal court for illegal possession of a firearm in connection with the homicide.

During the investigation, Vermont State Police detectives said they determined George was in illegal possession of two firearms — the stolen 9-mm Beretta used in the homicide and a stolen 12-gauge shotgun, records show.

George pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing the stolen shotgun at his Monkton home where he was living in August 2019. It had been stolen with several other firearms from a camp in St. Lawrence County in upstate New York that April, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reported. Evidence indicated George rented a truck before heading to the New York camp for a burglary.

Federal Judge Christina Reiss sentenced George to 89 months in federal prison on the gun count in November 2021. As part of

the plea agreement, he is serving his federal sentence in a Vermont prison, and it is likely to run concurrently with his state time.

A nearby doorbell camera at a Hinesburg home captured the sound of 14 shots. George’s defense lawyer Daniel M. Sedon said evidence showed only one gun was used at the scene.

The homicide investigation pointed to George as the apparent shooter after he stole firearms from a Colchester home of James Synott the night before the shooting. George broke into the unattended home on Arbor Lane while his mother fulfilled plans to meet the homeowner and David Auclair for dinner at the Lighthouse restaurant in Colchester. Synott was a mutual friend.

The Auclairs were in a rocky marriage, and police said Angela Auclair had a romantic interest in another man who would visit their home on Vermont 116 in Williston.

That man drove George to Colchester for the home burglary to steal guns, state police said.

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

Everitt explained that what the association is trying to do is make people aware that what they’re choosing when they vote directly correlates to the experience a child will have in school.

“As far as ‘fearmongering,’ I think we’re trying to do our due diligence to inform and advocate for both the profession of teaching students in South Burlington and through that whole state,” he said. “If this was a normal cycle, and the district was saying, ‘Look, we just don’t think we can afford

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 21, 2024, at 7:00 P.M. to consider the following:

1. Conditional use application #CU-24-05 of Cosentino and Manning to amend a previously approved conditional use approval for a single family home. The amendment is to increase the amount of the building that is proposed to be set back less than five feet from the side lot line, 11 White Place.

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

Interactive Online Meeting (audio & video): https://zoom.us/join By Telephone (audio only): (646) 931-3860 Meeting ID: 894 4566 2247

A copy of the application is available for public inspection by emailing Marla Keene, Development Review Planner, mkeene@southburlingtonvt.gov. May 2, 2024

these services,’ I think we would have a very different local debate. But that’s not what has happened. “What’s happened is that the money for education funding has been redistributed by the state and local taxpayers have been asked to vote on whether they are willing to pay for the system they have.

I don’t think that has really been well communicated by the Legislature.”

A public hearing for the budget was held May 1 after The Other Paper went to press.

ANNOUNCEMENT

GREEN UP DAY: Weather permitting. Sat., May 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the corner of White St. and Barber Terrace in South Burlington near Chamberlain School. You are invited to pick up and drop off Vermont Green Up Bags to help beautify our neighborhood. Learn what you can do for Green Up Day at green upvermont.org/resources. Shop our Multi-Family Yard Sale and enjoy music, a bubble machine & more!

VEHICLES

2020 NISSAN ALTIMA

SR, AWD: Auto, undercoated, 28,550 miles, loaded w/ sport seating, sunroof, new Cooper A/S tires, “clean” title, $24,550. Call (802) 864-4366 afternoon/early evenings.

Community Bankers

Community Bankers

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Community Bankers

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS® There is no better time to join our Team!

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

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

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

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

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Opportunity for Growth

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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!

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What NSB Can Offer You

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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!

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

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Water

If this o er were any better, we’d be putting money right in your hand:

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Act