The Charlotte News
Volume lVII Number 13
The VoICe of The TowN
Thursday, february 12, 2015
A Look Toward Summer? Bike Ride and Mowing Down Invasives The Selectboard approves an annual fundraiser, discusses the invasives problem and appoints two to town positions Alex Bunten
Photo: addison Zinner
The CharloTTe News
A Variety of Talent at CCS From left: Evelyn Emmons, Katie Berg, and Alyssana Lasek perform thier skit, “Picture Day!”, at the annual CCS PTO Variety Show last Friday, Feb. 6. This was the ninth year running for the event.
For Town Plan the Devil is in the Details As the Planning Commission looks to submit a final draft of the Town Plan to the Selectboard this fall, an update on where the process now stands Brett Sigurdson The CharloTTe News Last fall saw the Charlotte Planning Commission immersed in its work to revise the Town Plan. Among its tasks: it hosted five workshops to gauge Charlotters’ responses to the initial draft of the cornerstone town document, which hasn’t seen a comprehensive rewrite in over 15 years. Now, with a new year and a bevy of comments on the draft in hand, Town Planning and Zoning Administrator Jeannine McCrumb is looking toward September as a new deadline for submitting the plan to the Selectboard. But first, there are the comments. Since
December, the commission has been engaged in a meticulous review of over 200 comments submitted by roughly 25 community members. At their regular meetings, McCrumb and the commission have debated the merits of each suggestion— some of which center on single words like “all” or “use” or “required” or “encouraged”—giving each comment the weight of all seven members’ consideration. It’s “devil-in-the-details” work, McCrumb said, and it will likely take the commission into May, when she hopes to release a summary of the responses to the public. Given the number of comments and respon-
Town Plan, continued on page 16
A discussion about the logistics of an annual bicycle ride fundraiser got the Feb. 9 Selectboard meeting started. To be hosted Aug. 1 and 2, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society has gone through Charlotte every year since 2012. Initial concerns from the audience were about the size of 150 cyclists going down Greenbush Road and the effect on traffic there. Howie Atherton, one of the organizers, assured the board that because it wasn’t a race the cyclists would be following all normal traffic rules and wouldn’t be riding two abreast. The safety of a planned rest stop area on the northeast corner of Spear Street and Hinesburg Road was discussed briefly before the Selectboard moved on to the appointments for two town positions. Citing the “war between bicyclists and cars” in town, Elysabethe James said her main motivation for seeking a term on the Community Safety Committee was to calm these warring factions. Rachel Stein, a recent Connecticut transplant, was appointed the alternative representative to the Chittenden Solid Waste District Board of Directors. Stein said her interests lie in “the value of what we put in the trash and how we can get that value to come back out.” Very much inspired by Abby Foulk, one of the cofounders of the CCS composting program, Stein hopes to make Charlotte a “beacon example” in waste management. Planning to release its request for town mowing bids before the end of March, the board hopes to find a single contractor for most of the landscaping work around town. As is often the case, invasive species were the biggest concern in talking about how to best mow and brush-hog town lands. Members of the Charlotte Park Oversight Committee were worried that invasives would continue to spread unless the landscaping equipment was cleaned before and after working with invasive species such as wild parsnip or burdock. Selectboard, continued on page 14
Bohemian Beauty Globe-trekking artist Jennifer Blanchard brings her eclectic, vivacious art home to Charlotte
“Color is free. You don’t have to be wealthy or educated to enjoy a riot of color, or what colors do together, the alchemy that happens with a chartreuse and a lavender,” said Jennifer Blanchard, a Charlotte artist with a global perspective. In her living room, joyful African patterns, Indian block print and Guatemalan embroidery cover the sofa cushions—a wonderful contrast against the monochrome of winter in Vermont. Reclined in these pillows, she told stories of her adventures as a nurse in refugee camps and how these experiences informed her aesthetic as a painter and designer. Although she grew up in Connecticut and started out studying for a liberal arts degree, a chance to volunteer in Appalachia as a courier for the Frontier Nursing Service catalyzed a change of plans. Delivering supplies to clinics in the boondocks provided her with a cross-cultural and first-hand experience with families living far below the poverty line. Inspired to continue working in this field, Blanchard decided to switch her major to nursing in
order to work with refugee communities around the world. She would eventually study in an abbreviated masters program at the Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. She described this decision as part of her manifesto—to depart from what was expected or comfortable in her life, in her relationships, and later, in her art. “I think an abandon of convention is something that I would say describes me in general,” she said. “For me it’s joy, and outright expression of joy.” Jennifer Blanchard reclines in a collection of the exotic textiles and Blanchard’s first tour of duty original paintings that characterize Chez Bohème. was in 1985 when she worked If Africa was her color palette, then France with Ethiopian refugees. She has worked with the was her canvas. Settling down in France, she and International Rescue Committee in Sudan, Malawi, her husband had their first biological daughter, Ethiopia and the Philippines. Immersion into these Francesca, and adopted Sophie from Ethiopia and cultures instilled in her a respect for the universal power of color and pattern to enrich human life. Blanchard, continued on page 14 Photo: Jennifer Blanchard
Emma Slater The CharloTTe News
2 • February 12, 2015 • The
Charlotte News
Editorial Socks and Quilt Stitches Down the Line The Charlotte News PublishEd by And for ChArlottErs sinCE 1958 The CharloTTe News is a nonprofit community-based newspaper dedicated to informing townspeople of current events and issues. It serves as a forum for the free exchange of views of town residents and celebrates the people, places and happenings that make the Town of Charlotte unique. Contributions in the form of articles, press releases and photographs pertaining to Charlotte-related people and events are accepted and encouraged from all townspeople and interested individuals. For submission guidelines and deadlines, please visit our website or contact the editor at news@charlottenewsvt.com. The CharloTTe News is published in Charlotte by The Charlotte News, Inc., a Vermont domestic 501(c)4 nonprofit corporation. Distribution is made every other Thursday to all households and businesses in Charlotte and to selected outlets in Shelburne, Hinesburg, North Ferrisburgh, Ferrisburgh and Vergennes. It relies on the generous financial contributions of its readers, subscriptions and advertising revenue to sustain its operations. oN The weB aT:
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“Don’t change anything but your socks for the first year.” This is what the Most Rev. Christopher J. Coyne was advised to do when he took over at the Roman Catholic Diocese in Burlington recently. Angelo Lynn, the editor of the Addison Independent, echoed this sage counsel, “Wait a few months before wading into the heavy editorial issues.” As the new editor of this paper, I am getting a lot of advice. What to do with it all when looking down the line is the real quandary. Of course, I’m not running a religious institution, although we do have a few historical enthusiasts around town. And I’m not managing a mass of publications like Angelo, but we do get the occasional big story (see, the Charlotte Whale, “Deadbeat Dad,” Uncle Sam’s closing down, or TB at CCS, see page 5). As we roll into 2015, you might be wondering what’s on the horizon. With Town Meeting looming, you can certainly expect a few more opinionated letters to the editor and some negotiating of budgets (see CCS Board’s Corner page 7). But what about the wider picture? Each successive editor of The News since 1958 has brought his or her own flair and slant to the paper—what does the new editor have in mind? Will he try to overhaul the design? Will he support one candidate over another at Town Meeting? Is he going to print my political manifesto? Is he going to beg us for money all year again? If not, how will he keep the paper financially viable? These are valid questions. However, in keeping with the advice above, I’ll not rock too many boats too soon. I’ve been spending a lot of my time listening to what all the local “birds” have to say. It’s a language I knew from a distance growing up here, but from this vantage it’s much easier to hear the tweets of Chinese whispers and see the hawks jockeying for their slice of the power line. A dynamic environment, to say the least. In these new and mildly foreign environs, there is one wild idea that I hope to push through the fray—get the town more involved in The News. Against the tide of social media, e-forums and
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PUBLIC MEETINGS
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competing papers, you’d think we might just lie down on the beach and let the waves slowly roll us out to Atlantis…to join the lost generation of print media fanatics. A depressing narrative, indeed, but not an uncommon one. In order to survive as a community paper, we need readers to be engaged with our work and show it with more than their wallets. We need fresh writers, fresh ideas and fresh collaborations. A community paper should be a hub of information, showcasing the zeal of its denizens, providing an archive for the ages and occasionally jiggling the handle of rural idyll. We aren’t doing much jiggling yet, but Town Meeting is yet to come. For now, I’ll tell you what we are doing. On the literary side of things, we are starting a handwriting project called “Scripts and Quips.” We want young and old to showcase their handwriting (from chicken-scratch to flowing cursive), honoring the timeless knowledge of their favorite author or public figure, at the same time preserving what could be a dying art. Put the tablet down and send us a quip in your script (more info on page 9). Having worked in education for many years, I hope to soon run a creative nonfiction workshop for all our contributors. We’d also invite new voices in the town to join. It’s never too early, or late, to pick up a squat pen and dig with it. Finally, social media is an important community tool. If we are going to stay ahead of the curve as an information source, we’ll have to engage more townsfolk there. We reached our goal of 500 Likes on Facebook, but there is still work to be done and we would love to see more youth participation in this aspect of The News. (Like us here if you are so moved.) The closer we get to our community, the better we can represent it, while at the same time pulling the stitches of the town quilt a little closer. To “Thrive at 55,” and not just be a convenient place for local ads with press releases and filler, we are going to have to work together. Sure, I’m only changing my socks, but I’m also trying on a few new colors. Get in touch if you like the hues.
Selectboard Regular Meetings are usually at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Sometimes they begin earlier; check online at charlottevt.org or with the Town Clerk (425-3071). Chair: Lane Morrison (425-2495), Matthew Krasnow (922-2153), Ellie Russell (425-5276), Charles Russell (425-4757), Fritz Tegatz (425-5564). CCS School Board Regular Meetings are usually at 6:30 p.m. at CVU on the third Tuesday of each month. Chair Kristin Wright (425-5105), Clyde Baldwin (425-3366), Susan Nostrand (425-4999), Erik Beal (425-2140), Mark McDermott (4254860).
Planning Commission Regular Meetings are usually at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Chair Jeffrey McDonald (425-4429), Vice Chair Peter Joslin, Gerald Bouchard, Paul Landler, Linda Radimer, Donna Stearns, Marty Illick. Committee meetings are listed on the town website. Check times and agendas online or by phone; for the town: charlottevt.org, Town Hall, 425-3071 or 425-3533; for CCS: ccsvt.us, CSSU office, 3831234.
PostMAstEr: seNd address ChaNges To
The CharloTTe News P.o. Box 251 CharloTTe, vermoNT 05445
TelePhoNe: 425-4949 CirCulAtion: 3,000 CoPies Per issue. CoPyright © 2015 thE ChArlottE nEws, inC. PrintEd by uPPEr vAllEy PrEss
On the cover EDEN WRIGHT, A 7TH GRADER AT CCS, CAPTURED WHAT HE BELIEVES TO BE EASTERN BLUEBIRD ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF
MT. PHILO. IT’S A RARE SIGHT-
ING THIS FAR NORTH IN THE WINTER.
Next issue deadlines NexT issue daTe: Thursday, feB. 29 CoNTriBuTioNs: moNday, feB. 16 By 5 P.m. leTTers: moNday, feB. 23, By 10 a.m.
The Charlotte News • February 12, 2015 • 3
on
Lens the
Land
We are looking for photos to feature in our Lens on the Land series. Email us a high resolution photo and include a 50-word description (max).
Photo: Peter Fenn
JP Seeley, MacKenzie Seeley, Carrie Fenn and Hugh Wilkinson hit the ice off Point Bay Marina, Charlotte.
Letters Charles Russell Announces Candidacy When I first ran for Selectboard 15 years ago, my goals were to maintain the rural working landscape of Charlotte and to bring greater transparency to the workings of the town. By working closely with the Planning Commission on the Town Plan and Land Use Regulations, I have honored the former. In focusing on how the board has operated and communicated both through the town website and at our public meetings, and how we have presented budgets that are as clear and comprehensive as possible, I believe we have achieved the latter. The skills and accomplishments that I have brought to the town as a member of the Selectboard include: 1) support of the many dedicated volunteers who save the town significant tax dollars with their donated time, 2) knowledge of municipal finances providing budgets that are clear, accurate and as low as possible, 3) knowledge of complex land use regulations to ensure balance between landowner rights and the rights of the common, 4) attention to detail, thorough research and analytic skills that support the Selectboard in making well-informed decisions, and finally, 5) a thick skin and sense of humor. If re-elected for three more years, my goals would be to: 1) keep the tax rate low while providing desired services, 2) continue researching ambulance operations to help the Selectboard and CVFRS pursue an appropriate path toward lowering cost while maintaining high quality, 3) help develop and draft financial policies as recommended in our latest audit. With Ellie Russell’s decision not to seek reelection this year, I will be the only member with more than 19 months’ experience on the Selectboard. I would appreciate your support on March 3. Feel free to call or email with questions or comments. Charles Russell Charlotte
Introducing Jacob Spell Russell’s Experience a The Axeman Cometh If any of you are like me, you are Thank you for supporting my petition Benefit to the Town to be included on our Town Meeting day ballot for an open Selectboard seat. With the support of my wife, Virginia, our two thriving Charlotte Central School children, my brother Adam’s family and many caring friends in the community, I am hopeful of winning the opportunity to serve our town in the upcoming election. Subsequent to 15 years as a family visitor to Charlotte, like many others, we were compelled to make Charlotte and its special community values our home. The fabric of the landscape together with an engaged citizenry are hard to come by elsewhere. My academic background includes a degree in history with immersion in foreign studies in Spanish and art history. My work background in government legislative and administrative services has provided a tempered sensibility of life’s practical requirements. I know how to work collaboratively and achieve identified objectives. Your concerns with respect to Charlotte’s policy and political issues are likely similar to mine. Certainly, a shared affection for the place and people of our town are worthy of investing careful thought and good listening skills in guiding sound decision-making. I am always interested in hearing about my neighbors’ visions for our future. Everyone’s ideas are important. Jacob Spell Charlotte The Charlotte News accepts all signed letters of local and national interest. Letters must be 300 words or fewer, include your full name and town, and reach us by the appropriate deadline. Writers will only have letters published once every four weeks. The Charlotte News reserves the right to edit for style and length. Send your letters to news@charlottenewsvt.com or The Charlotte News, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445. All opinions expressed in Letters and Commentaries are those of the writers and not of The Charlotte News, which is published as an independent, nonprofit, unbiased community service and forum.
Charlie Russell has the ability and judgment to distinguish between what’s best for the Town of Charlotte and what might be best for himself or his friends or whoever happens to be bending his ear. He truly represents the town, and that’s good for all of us. Seeing the various sides of an issue is not easy, and it’s an important skill for a public official. Charlie is open-minded and will listen to ideas that may seem unworkable, impossible or just different. He will take the trouble to dig deeper and find out if perhaps they have validity and value for the town. He is not afraid to change his mind as he learns new facts. These are very important qualities to bring to the Selectboard. In addition, Charlie has extensive experience with the minutiae and legalities of the town’s affairs. His good judgment, impartiality, knowledge and expertise are enormously valuable to the town. Let’s make sure we continue to benefit from them. Please join me on March 3 in voting for Charlie Russell for Selectboard! Valerie Graham Charlotte
Letter of Support for Charles Russell I am writing to share my experience working with Charles Russell as a Selectboard member. Although I have recently moved to South Burlington, I lived in Charlotte for 19 years and was a member of the Selectboard for four years when Charles was chair. As a Selectman, I found him to be hard working, fairminded, and willing to go the extra mile to get the job done. If I were still a resident, I would vote for him in March.
John Owen South Burlington
filled with dread by the annual and inevitable event of opening your copy of The Charlotte News, The Citizen or Front Porch Forum, and getting hit head on by campaign mud-slinging. Rumor has it the Axeman is busily sharpening his blade, which he intends to wield in all of these venues, hell-bent on exposing the “manifest arrogance and incompetence” of some of our hardest working and most dedicated public servants. He landed his first cut way back in July, in an attempt to intimidate and denigrate two people who have worked tirelessly for many years for the good of this town. No one took the bait. Now, as the elections loom closer, Axeman and his followers are gearing up for what they hope will be a clear cut. These people are not builder-uppers, they are tearer-downers. It’s not about what they have to offer, it’s about who and what they want to obliterate. It is my hope that the thoughtful people of Charlotte will see these attacks for what they are: a local version of the ruthless, angry, single-minded powerseekers who make the world a place unfit to bring our children up in. It is my hope that during this campaign season, we can collectively keep our eyes on the prize of creating a community we can all be proud to call home, a community where respect and civility are foundational to our discourse and good people are not intimidated from stepping forward to do the hard work of town government because they fear being figuratively and publicly beheaded by the Axeman. Hang in there, folks. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men [and women] to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke
Bonnie Christie Charlotte
facebook.com/thecharlottenews
4 • February 12, 2015 • The
Charlotte News
Town Bites by Edd Merritt “Thirty Schools in 30 Days” features CCS In its series on Vermont education, titled “30 schools in 30 Days,” WCAX TV featured Charlotte Central’s composting program in
L
the shed west of the school. Fifthand sixth-grade teacher Christa Duthie-Fox, with the assistance of Abbie Foulk, directed the building of the shed. This winter, DuthieFox’s students have been bringing compostable materials into it in buckets, mixing them and covering them with leaves that were dropped off by townspeople last year. They study the composting process, learning how it works and collecting a wide variety of scientific data from it. Then they interpret the data and write papers from their interpretations. For more information, see page 6.
Variety Show a Hit at CCS
Addie Bryan and Whitley Pidgeon, CCS 2nd graders, performed a hip hop dance at the variety show on Friday.
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Sam and Max Zinner with Wyatt Hella taking their first steps toward Carnegie Hall.
The Charlotte News • February 12, 2015 • 5
15 Children, 1 Adult Test Positive for TB at CCS Second round of tests show eight children test positive; No ongoing risk of exposure at school state for 20 years, told a crowd of about 50 people that only those with active The CharloTTe News cases of TB can transmit the disease. Those who have been exposed to the As state health officials continue to disease are not at risk of transmitting identify the extent of a tuberculosis the disease, which can be combatted outbreak at CCS, parents on Monday with a long regiment of antibiotics. received notice that eight more chilAccording to the Feb. 9 letter, the dren tested positive for the bacteria. The parents of every child who tested posinews came after a total of 223 students tive have been contacted and told they received skin tests would receive for tuberculosis, their child’s or TB, on Friday, “It is perfectly safe for these specific test Feb. 6. To date, children to be at school, results by Feb. 15 children and 10. The parents one adult have and for others to be around of children tested positive for who tested them, because they are the bacteria since negative were health officials not sick with TB and cannot contactannounced the ed. However, not spread the bacteria.” outbreak on Jan. these children 21. will be re-testIn a letter from the Vermont ed again in eight to ten weeks, as TB Department of Health and CCS’s can remain dormant in a person for that administration, the school community time span. The Health Department will received reassurance that the test results work with the school to schedule re-test do not mean that any of the people who clinics, though those dates have not tested positive pose a risk to anyone been announced. else. A positive skin test result means The first round of TB tests conthat the person was exposed to TB and ducted by state health officials on Jan. has the bacteria in his or her body. 26 revealed six children and one adult “It is perfectly safe for these children tested positive for TB infection. In to be at school, and for others to be addition, one child who was tested by around them, because they are not sick his or her health care provider tested with TB and cannot spread the bacte- positive for the disease. ria,” said the letter. “There is no ongoLaura Hall, a 1st-4th Spanish teacher ing risk at the school. The person who who tested positive for active TB, has has active TB is not at the school, and not been back to the school since her we have not identified any additional diagnosis was announced shortly before cases of TB illness.” the health department announced it to At an informational meeting in the the public. school’s multipurpose room Jan. 22, None of the children at the Freedom Dr. Kemper Alston, an infectious dis- Rains Children’s Center in Colchester, ease specialist at UVM Medical Center where Hall also worked, tested positive who has been a TB specialist for the for TB infection.
Brett Sigurdson
Town Meeting Preparation Counters Needed and Important Information Mary Mead TowN Clerk/Treasurer Town Meeting is on March 3, 2015, with voting from 7 a.m to 7 p.m. by Australian ballot for all town and school officers, the CCS budget and the CVU budget. The actual Town Meeting with discussion and voting on the town budget begins at 9 a.m. in the CCS multipurpose room. Only registered voters present for the actual meeting will be voting on the town budget. The town budget is not voted by Australian ballot. Sometimes there seems to be confusion as to what is on the “ballot” versus what is discussed and voted from the floor. We will be counting by hand, the old-fashioned way, for Town Meeting, and I am looking for counters. The vote tabulator is expensive to program and is only required to be used for the primary and general elections. We will be meeting in the CCS cafeteria after the polls close at 7 p.m. to count. If you would like to help out, please call the clerk’s
office any time at 425-3071. I usually try to get about 50 counters, so your time commitment is usually not more than a couple hours at the most. We work in pairs, so bring along a friend! Ballots are available now. You can either stop in and vote early at the clerk’s office or call and request a ballot be sent to you by mail. Absentee ballots may be requested up until Monday, March 2, at 5 p.m. If you are not on the voter checklist, you have until Wednesday, Feb. 25, to submit your voter application to our office. If you’re not sure whether or not you’re on the checklist, please call our office and we will be happy to check for you. If you have registered to vote though the Department of Motor Vehicles, please call our office to make sure we have received that application. Frequently these applications do not get forwarded to our office. Please call the clerk’s office if you have any questions or concerns as we close in on Town Meeting Day!
Legislative Report by Representative Mike Yantachka
Green Burials and Dead Nickels One of the first jobs a legislature has in January is to make adjustments to the current year’s budget to balance any gap between expected revenues and actual revenues. While budgets are normally the focus of partisan disagreements, this year’s Budget Adjustment Act, dealing with a $19M revenue shortfall, was a pleasant exception. By the end of January the House realigned spending to end the current fiscal year with a balanced, responsible budget and passed the bill on a 135-5 vote. With that important vote out of the way, I decided to devote this report to two bills I introduced. The first is a bill to allow the establishment of “natural burial grounds.” I introduced H.25 after talking with Lisa Carlson, a Hinesburg resident and author, along with Joshua Slocum, of Final Rights: Reclaiming the American Way of Death. I had been aware of only two ways of laying the dead to rest: embalming and cremation. It hadn’t occurred to me that embalming is a relatively recent phenomenon that arose in the U.S. funerary industry in the 20th century. Lisa pointed out that the downsides include the use of toxic chemicals as well as expensive caskets and the concrete burial vaults to hold them and that cremation requires very high temperatures generated by burning fossil fuels. On the other hand, the practice termed “green burial” requires neither and allows us to “return to dust” in the natural way that all other living beings do. This burial method is already allowed by state law, but must take place in specially reserved areas of existing cemeteries. Orthodox Jews as well as Muslims practice this type of burial as a religious practice. H.25 will expand the allowable use of the green burial method in an even more natural way. It establishes the right of a landowner to set aside a section of land where such burials
can be performed with the additional characteristic that would not require a grave marker, but would allow the land, a field or forest, to return to its natural state. It would require that the land be registered as a natural burial ground and the grave site(s) be “platted,” or mapped, for future reference. While most people may still prefer to be buried or to bury their relatives in the usual manner in a traditional cemetery, H.25 will provide an alternative for those who wish their bodies to simply “return to nature.” The second bill, H.104, will reclaim the deposits on unredeemed beverage containers for the state. Under current law, the sale of a soft drink or other deposit beverage includes passing the deposit from the final customer to the distributor. If the beverage container is never redeemed for the deposit, but instead is diverted into regular recycling or the trash, the beverage distributor keeps the deposit. It is estimated that between one and two million dollars in Vermonters’ deposits are abandoned every year. Since we have paid these deposits for the purpose of maintaining a clean environment, my bill would reclaim 80 percent of them to help pay for Vermont’s recycling efforts. The beverage industry will keep the remaining 20 percent for handling costs. Three states—Vermont, Iowa and Oregon—currently allow the distributors to keep all of the unclaimed deposits, while five—Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Maine and Michigan—reclaim some or all of them. In these tight budget times, finding an extra million or two without raising taxes makes sense to me. I continue to welcome your thoughts and questions and can be reached by phone (802-233-5238) or by email (myantachka.dfa@gmail.com). You can find this article and past articles at my website: MikeYantachka.com.
6 • February 12, 2015 • The
Charlotte News
Charlotte Central School Sixth Grade Compost Stewards Morgan Poquette and Sammie Blackmore Contributors Do you have a microorganism farm? We do at CCS! The CCS sixth grade students are managing our school’s compost shed, which is like having a microorganism farm. Billions of bacteria and fungi turn cafeteria food scraps, manure, wood shavings and dry leaves into compost throughout a nine-month decomposition process. By learning what kind of environment the microorganisms need, we know how to maintain ideal conditions for these important decomposers. Some people who don’t understand composting might think it’s magic, but it’s not; it’s science. You want to put in 30 parts carbon (or “browns” like leaves, sawdust and manure) to one part nitrogen (food scraps). If you have at least a cubic yard bin, like we do in our shed, your compost will get hot because the microorganisms are digesting the food scraps. Make sure to monitor the temperature, density, porosity (for airflow) and moisture of your compost pile. We monitor our compost regularly, so we know when to make adjustments for the decomposers to stay healthy. So far this project has been really fun, because we get to see the food scraps turn into compost right in front of our eyes! Also, we get to give classroom presentations about how and why we are making compost. We’re composting to keep food scraps out of the landfill, where they would contribute to leachate (dangerous liquids from rotting food) and methane gas (which contributes to global warming). Also, food scraps still contain valuable energy and have more to give, so why not let them give it? At CCS, we have greatly reduced the amount of organics that we are sending to the landfill. Over the last three years, we have managed to keep about 90 tons
of food scraps and other compostables (paper towels, napkins, plates, foodsoiled cardboard) out of the landfill by sending it to Green Mountain Compost. We realized it would be better to compost closer to home. This year, about 1.5 tons of cafeteria food scraps will be turned into compost on site, at school. We will use the compost we make in our own school gardens! We want to keep using compost in our gardens, so why not make it ourselves? Also, we can show other people how to do this. There is a new law called Act 148 that requires all Vermonters to keep their compostable “waste” out of the landfill by 2020. We have got a big head start at our school. You are invited to come and take a look at our compost shed that is “farming microorganisms.” Studentled compost shed tours will be given on Town Meeting Day, March 3, at CCS. Contact: Christa Duthie-Fox, 6th Grade science teacher, cduthie-fox@cssu.org.
Welcome to the CCS Compost Shed Made possible by grants from CSWD, CCS PTO and the Rotary. Many thanks to volunteers Jim Huntington (and helpers) of New England Housewrights, Mike Clapp and the Shelburne/Charlotte/Hinesburg Rotary, Shea Construction, Highfield’s Center for Composting, Ferrisburgh Central School and CCS custodial staff for the design and construction of this shed. Community members, CCS staff, students and parents have joined together to “take care of this place” by demonstrating sustainable practices that benefit the environment here and beyond. Many have generously donated materials, tools and time. Thanks to all.
Why compost at school? •
•
•
Food waste is a resource. School food scraps, shredded paper, other local “feedstocks” like manure bedding, woodchips, sawdust, yard leaves can be put together into a “recipe” for making compost that will be used in the school gardens. Compost is the biological reduction of organic wastes to humus. We create the right conditions for “decomposers” (microorganisms, other flora and fauna) to do their work. Bins in the compost shed are insulated and passively aerated to facilitate “hot composting.” This “closes the loop” and offers experiential learning for CCS students: they will practice compost ecology and management, conservation of school and local resources, all through community connection and service.
Benefits of Compost? • • • • • • •
Improves soil and plant health Conserves water in soils, reduces run-‐off and erosion Reduces need for chemical fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides Has ability to remediate contaminated soil Keeps organic materials out of landfills Raises awareness of sustainable recycling and waste reduction practices Backyard composting saves money by reducing hauling costs
How will the shed operate? • • • •
Collect food scraps in cafeteria Layer into bins with carbons (leaves, shredded paper, manure bedding) to create “hot compost.” Piles will heat to around 140 degrees over a period of weeks, killing pathogens and weeds. Monitor temperature, aeration, moisture, porosity, density. Then “cure” before use in landscaping and school gardens.
We expect to make 4-‐5 cubic yards of compost per year from cafeteria food scraps.
The Charlotte Central School composting facility and raised beds.
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The Charlotte News • February 12, 2015 • 7
The
Board’sCorner Update from CCS Kristin Wright Contributor
Budget The proposed budget for Charlotte Central School for 2015-2016 is $7,595,996. If the voters approve the application of $180,000 in fund balance to the 2015-2016 budget, the actual amount needed to operate the school will be $7,415,996. This figure is a modest decrease from the current year’s budget. The School Board held numerous meetings in November, December and January to craft the budget. We were provided with the administration’s best estimate of the cost to open the school in the fall with our current staff and programs. This number is referred to as the baseline budget. The baseline is adjusted as various figures become known, such as the actual cost of health
insurance. The baseline is also adjusted if the board chooses to add, delete or reduce any line item, either through its own initiative or on recommendations of the administration (called decision packets). The administration this year proposed decision packets that reduced certain expenditures and increased or added others. After much deliberation and consideration of the input from community members, the board elected to approve all but one of the proposed reductions to the budget and several of the proposed increases. The board did not approve the request for an additional full-time behavior specialist. It approved a part-time licensed health educator, but did not approve the reduction of a half day of a guidance counselor position. The board’s hope is that, as the health educator assumes the health education component currently taught by the guidance counselors, the counselors will have additional time in their schedules to address some of the increased challenges in behavior at CCS. Anticipating the higher standards that will accompany the implementation of the Next Generation Science standards, the board approved the request for additional science supplies ($4,500) and for the Four Winds Program ($3,500). As we prepare for administering the
new state-wide standardized testing and increasingly work toward a curriculum that integrates current technology, the board approved an additional appropriation for software, hardware and Internet connectivity. Members of the community expressed concerns at our final budget meeting about the estimated cost for Chromebooks. The administration, including personnel at the supervisory union, will ensure that the purchases made once the budget is approved are at the best price available. The Charlotte School Board worked hard to develop a budget that meets the needs of our students while being mindful of the impact our decisions have on town taxpayers. We are proud to be presenting a budget to Charlotte that represents a 1.12 percent decrease from the current year. All of our budget materials are available at the School Board tab at ccsvt.org.
Bond For several years the CCS Facilities Committee and the board have been studying the needs and deficiencies in our school building. At present, we have some urgent needs that cannot be covered by our operating budget. The board is seeking approval from the town to obtain a bond in the amount of $409,000 to cover urgently needed
capital improvements. These include a new roof on the 1996 wing of the building (approximately $120,000), repairs to the gymnasium and art atrium roofs ($77,000), a new elevator ($150,000) and new lighting in the 1969 wing ($62,000). It is becoming challenging finding parts and a licensed repair person willing to work on our elevator. We are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act to have a functioning elevator, and the board believes this should be upgraded before the inevitable next major repair is necessary. The lighting in the 1969 wing is beginning to pose a safety hazard and must be replaced. The cost to fund the $409,000 bond over 15 years for a home assessed at $400,000 is estimated to be $26 per year.
Administration The board held a special meeting on Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. in the school library to discuss the administrative structure at CCS. Our co-principal model has been in place since July 1, 2010. With the departure of co-principal Audrey Boutaugh, the board is considering recommendations from the superintendent and input from the community to determine whether to continue with co-principals or select a different administrative model.
CVU Fiscal Year 2016 Budget and Education Finance Reform Susan Grasso
thought that readers would find it of interest too.
Contributor Education is the most important function of state and local governments; without adequate access to it, a child will struggle to succeed in life. This was the argument furthered by Justice Earl Warren in his 1954 opinion in Brown v. Board of Education. Vermont ranks among the top states in the country, based on the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) and other measures of student success, and CVU outperforms the Vermont state average on NECAP (New England Common Assessment Program), SAT and ACT standardized test scores. Such outcomes, however, do not come without a cost, as shown in the following chart of the relationship between educational performance and spending.
Student Population Student population is dropping statewide, but some parts of the state are experiencing much larger declines than the CSSU. From 2000 to 2014, student population declined 15.6 percent in Vermont, but only 4.3 percent in the CSSU. Per Pupil Spending The CSSU expenditure per enrolled pupil between 2000 and 2014 has been consistently and significantly below the Vermont state average. In fact, in FY 2010, CSSU spent less than Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Vermont state-averaged spending per pupil and was just above Maine’s (more recent data is not readily available). TOWN Student Teacher Ratios
The CVU School Board works hard to continue our tradition of providing a high-quality education for our kids that is in balance with our ability to pay for it, exploring all efficiencies to reduce the burden on the taxpayer. This year, for the first time, the Vermont Agency of Education provided Vermont boards of education with a comprehensive data analysis of local school systems to better understand how local factors impact state spending. We were surprised at what some of this data showed and
very significant decline in our anticipated revenue, however, net spending will increase by 1.9 percent. (If this is confusing to you, please take a look at the budget primer we printed last year at goo.gl/ PIBov5.) We note that our net spending increase is well below the assumption used by the Vermont tax commissioner in the development of preliminary state tax rates (3.0 percent for fiscal year 2016). Despite our declining general budget, the CVU tax rate increased by 1.9 percent. (Again, we refer you to the online budget primer.) That rate is used to develop a composite tax rate for your town based on the percent of your town’s students who attend CVU. It is then adjusted by the Common Level of Appraisal to yield your local tax rate. The table below summarizes the
CVU Property Tax Implications – FY 2016 CVU TAX RATE (per $100k assessed value)
% CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR
ADDITIONAL TAXES PER $100K ASSESSED
Charlotte
0.4984
5.93
$27.90
Hinesburg
0.5112
4.63
$23.60
Shelburne
0.4889
-0.60
-$2.90
0.5134
2.91
$14.50
The CSSU student to Williston teacher ratio is higher than the Vermont average (12 vs. 10). It is closer to state averages in New Hampshire (12), Maine (12) and Cconnecticut (13). This information is not intended to suggest that we can’t and shouldn’t find more cost-effective ways to fund our educational system—at both the local and state levels— that are equitable and outcomes oriented and that provide students with opportunities. We absolutely need to. But in this climate of intense debate over education funding reform, our communities need access to data like this to better understand how our local spending decisions and student outcomes compare now and historically with other districts in Vermont and our national and regional state neighbors. How did we do this year? The CVU School Board finalized the 2015-2016 school budget in January and is pleased to share with you that our general budget will drop by 1.9% this year. Given the
final impact for FY 2016: For next time...Our topic will explore special education funding in the CSSU, which was recently transitioned, by state mandate, from our local schools to the CSSU. Please send any questions you have on this topic to sgrasso@cssu.org to inform that article. Thank you! Susan Grasso is a member of the CVU School Board.
Charlotte School Board Representatives: Lorna Jimerson ljimerso@wcvt.com Marilyn Richardson mkrichardson1520@gmail.com
Charlotte News
Charlotte Conservation Currents A Scientific Approach to Invasives for CVU Students Mel Huff Contributor This fall some students in Laurel Billingsley’s natural resources class at CVU got hooked on science. How? They were taught to act like scientists. Some 15 sophomores, juniors and seniors posed questions about invasive species in the Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge, created testable hypotheses, did research, made recommendations for managing the invasives, and presented their results to younger students. The Charlotte Conservation Commission collaborated on the projects. Vermont Invasives, an online “landing site” for managing invasive species, notes that after the 290-acre park property, once a farm, was abandoned, “the meadows and forests ... began to fill with honeysuckle, buckthorn, and Amur maple. Many of the trails are lined with 6- to 8-foot hedges of honeysuckle, and throughout much of the park the forest understory is an impenetrable thicket of invasive plants.” Natalie Franklin, a Charlotte senior, was already interested in environmental science—climate change in particular— before she took the natural resources course. Struck by how pervasive honeysuckle was in the park’s meadow, she focused on its effect on birds. Her research included data from a University of Vermont study and eight years of data from studies at a Pennsylvania college. “The biggest problem is that [honeysuckle] takes over the land of native species. Because honeysuckle is not a native species, it doesn’t have competitors in the area as native species do,” she said. “It’s really easy for honeysuckle to out-
compete other plants.” She noted that research was correct,” he said, but it thorn and honeysuckle. She found that honeysuckle readily adapts to different could mean that native species are losing buckthorn is harder to remove because soils types and different temperatures. the type of soil they require to grow in, the root system is deep and has to Many insects don’t eat honeysuckle, which would in turn explain why inva- be completely dug out to prevent it she said, so when the shrub takes over sives are spreading so fast. from growing back. Mathon considered habitat, the number and diversity of “I didn’t really know how to use that recommending chemical control of the insects drops. That affects birds like [knowledge] to get rid of the invasives,” two species but eliminated that choice chickadees, which depend on insects he said, but he recommended removing because so many people use the park for 80-90 percent of their summer diet. them. (contact with the chemicals can cause Meanwhile, birds like robins, catbirds Katherine Mathon, a sophomore from irritation) and because of the potenand cardinals, which eat berries as well Williston, developed a plan for control- tial for harming wildlife. Ultimately, as insects, thrive. The Pennsylvania ling invasive species in the clayplain she concluded that the most practical, research showed that the population of forest area. effective and—given the possibility of these three generalist species tripled in Mathon said she didn’t even know enlisting volunteers—affordable strategy 30 years due to the spread of honey- what invasive species were until she for managing the invasives was to consuckle. centrate on physically removing Franklin said honeysuckle. the Vermont Using clip art from the study also Internet, she created a slide revealed a sigshow to present to middle nificant increase school students to illustrate the in the population change in tree species growing of catbirds and in the park’s clayplain forest robins in areas before the land was settled to invaded by honwhat’s found there today. The eysuckle, while first slide showed a native forest specialist birds— growing in clay formed by glathose that eat a cial melt. The following slides specific plant or showed the forest cut down to insect—have sufmake way for agriculture, the fered negative land planted with crops and impacts due to other plants that settlers brought the loss of food from their home countries, and, sources. after farming became less prof“I didn’t even itable, the tree species that sucknow honeysuckceeded the crops. Over time, the le was a probsoil had changed so much it no lem,” Franklin CVU senior Katherine Mathon was moved by the sight of this ancient longer supported the original said. “It definitely bur oak at the Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge and developed a species. opened my mind strategy for controlling the invasive species threatening the park’s The slide show illustrated native plants. up a bit.” that “everything has a chain T ó m a s reaction,” Mathon observed. Georgsson, “When one thing changes, the a Shelburne sophomore, was curious and her classmates visited the park flowers, birds, grass and water quality about the pH—the acidity or alkalin- with Robert Hyams, a member of the change.” ity—of soils in the park’s clayplain for- Conservation Commission and the Mathon called the project “a great est: “I was just wondering if the invasive Charlotte Park Oversight Committee. learning process.” Not only did she learn species were somehow changing the Hyams showed them some plants and about the environment and organizing native soils. It surprised me how many told them they were all invasive species. projects, “I also learned to appreciate the invasive species there were in the forest Then, she said, “He pointed out one of natural environment, because it’s so deliitself.” He sampled the soil underneath the remaining native species and it was cate. You don’t appreciate how a small invasive plants, compared those samples this huge tree, and it struck me this tree change can affect such a large area on a to ones taken from under native plants has survived so much and it’s so old. It’s large scale,” she said. and discovered that the soils under some one of the original trees ... so the fact that native species had different pH levels. these invasives are threatening that made The Charlotte Conservation Since he had only three tests he could me feel like I should do something to Commission meets the fourth Tuesday do on four different soils, he found it dif- slow the process down, because to pre- of the month at 7 p.m. Charlotters are ficult to draw firm conclusions about the serve the natural beauty and landscape of cordially invited to attend. meaning of the results, an experience not Vermont is really important.” unique in scientific investigations. Mathon initially did research on both “I wasn’t even completely sure if my of the major invasive species, buckPhoto: Charlotte Park oversight Committee
8 • February 12, 2015 • The
The Charlotte News • February 12, 2015 • 9
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Charlotte News
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As promised at Town Meeting almost a year ago, the Selectboard recently completed its effort to develop a pay system for town employees that is fair, internally equitable and competitive in the market. Below is a description of how we believe we achieved this goal. An important component of internal equity in the workplace is to determine the value of each job. The methodology the Selectboard used was to judge job value based on a variety of commonly used factors, including: • qualifications required for the position as defined in the job description • complexity of the work • degree of independent judgment that the position requires • amount of supervision received • supervisory responsibilities exercised • financial and material accountability • accountability for information Within each factor are a number of rankings describing criteria for measuring the factor, each with a numerical value. The criterion that best fits the job in question is chosen for each factor, and the resulting points are totaled to create a numerical value (points) for each job. This seemingly straightforward process is far from simple. The Selectboard first needed to fully understand each job. This was accomplished through developing updated job descriptions, followed by many sessions with supervisors and employees in order to be satisfied that each job was fully understood and each factor was scored correctly. It was very important to get this right, as the entire pay system is built on the “value” of each job and its relationship to other jobs in the organization. Once this phase of work was accomplished, a paygrade grid was developed. On the vertical axis there are 20 pay grades, with 25 points applied to each pay grade. For example, a job in pay grade 1 would be a job that had 75-100 points, and a job at pay grade 20, 551-575 points. Thus the relationship of different jobs to each other for purposes of pay is established by the value of the job. The horizontal axis consists of 15 steps, each step representing a year of service, thus providing for advancement within the pay grade based on length of service. The next step was to apply dollars to each pay grade. The first pay grade is set at the minimum
wage. Going up in pay grades, each grade starts at 5 percent above the grade below it. Across the grid, the first five steps are calculated at a 1.0 percent step increases plus the cost of living (COL). The next five steps have a 0.75 percent increase plus COL, and the last five have a 0.5 percent increase plus COL. Employees who reach the fifteenth step will continue to receive COL increases. A pay grid of this type is used frequently in government, both at the state and the municipal levels. Once the grid was established it was important to check the results against market data. To do this, members of the Selectboard visited several surrounding towns (Underhill, Cambridge, Fairfax, Ferrisburgh, Hinesburg and Bristol) to learn about job responsibilities for similar positions. We learned from those visits that towns vary widely in the way their offices are structured and the way various duties and responsibilities are divided among employees. For additional data we relied on the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) annual salary survey. Using 2014, data we compared our salaries with towns of a similar size (having populations of 3,000-5,000). The Selectboard found that our proposed median pay determinations in general compared favorably with the VLCT median salary data, although the data for some positions is weak. We did find it necessary to make market adjustments for the assistant clerk/treasurer and the administrative assistant positions. Our consultant agreed. The final step was to place current employees on the grid based on their job and their experience with the town, plus any prior relevant experience. The determination of relevant experience is essential because as new employees are hired it is important that there be a fair relationship between new staff members and more experienced current employees. From the beginning we assured employees that there would be no reductions in pay as a result of this program. When the process was completed we found, as expected, that some jobs were underpaid and some were overpaid. The underpaid employees were placed in their proper place on the grid, and the overpaid employees were placed at the step that matched their current salary as close as possible. This effort was assisted by Frank Sadowski, from the firm Gallagher Flynn; Carol Mader, who led the development of this program in the Town of Richmond; and Stephany Hasse, from Charlotte, who had a lot of experience in salary administration under a similar system at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Salary administration is never easy and salary programs are never set in stone. It will be necessary to monitor the market and to be certain that job descriptions are kept current and adjusted as appropriate. We believe the program provides a fair pay system for our much appreciated town employees and elected officers. Eleanor Russell is a Selectboard member in Charlotte.
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The Charlotte News • February 12, 2015 • 11
OutTakes Commentary by Edd Merritt
Don’t try to make me change my mind with facts... Whenever we come upon one of those intensely right words in a book or newspaper the resulting effect is physical as well as spiritual, and electrically prompt: it tingles exquisitely around through the walls of the mouth and tastes as tart and crisp and good as the autumn-butter that creams the sumacberry. – William Dean Howells
With its crown of snow sitting atop an opening that closely resembles Darth Vader’s mouth, my bird feeder looks like the character from Star Wars perched on top of a tall drinking straw in my backyard. The chickadees, titmice, cardinals and nuthatches are having a field day as they devour the sunflower seeds out of Darth’s skull nearly as fast as we can dump them in. Watching Darth losing his brain seeds while I read the Free Press article about Alan Alda’s talk at UVM stressing the importance of communicating effectively about science, I couldn’t help but think that I’m watching a real OutTake happen before my very eyes. So, what does that have to do with what I’m trying to say at the moment? What’s the possible connection, you ask? Well, to this addled brain, both the birds and I are OutTaking: them the seeds, me the words. In the latter case, my son’s mother-in-law’s comment comes to mind when she says that whatever goes in her head almost immediately comes out through her mouth,
not giving a moment’s thought about how it will impact her audience; she just says it and gets it on the dance floor. That’s probably a bit farfetched as an image, but I’ve had little to do but putt through the house in a wheelchair lately, and these are the things that pop to mind as the wheels spin inside my head as well as on the floor. Granted, this is being written by an English major who chose that field of study, rebelling against his father’s outspoken desire for him to study science. It is also reflective, though, of a quote from Alda: “It’s not only what’s in your head that’s important.” This idea was expanded by his Free Press interviewer who noted, “also important is getting the science out of your head— and conveying the work with clarity and accuracy to the public, to funders, and to other scientists.” There you go! Knowing your audience and communicating with it effectively helps people learn about the natural world surrounding us. And, if we’re to understand what is happening to our planet, the accuracy and strength of that communication is very important. At the same time as I read Alda’s interview, I happened to be re-reading a section of a book on the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision governing abortion. The book, Becoming Justice Blackmun, Harry Blackmun’s Supreme Court Journey, was written by Pulitzer Prize winner Linda Greenhouse ten years ago. She based her observations on Blackmun’s extensive archive and letters. Having known the Blackmuns while growing up in Minnesota, I have followed Roe v. Wade periodically through its continued questioning since the decision was handed down 43 years ago. Greenhouse’s book goes into extensive detail on the importance of communicating the exactitude of the issues that resulted in Blackmun’s opinion— reminding me once again of the impact of language and nuance on what we do. The latest revival of the decision appeared in a Free Press editorial just last week, as the head of Vermont’s Right-to-Life Committee opposed a request for the state to support Roe v. Wade, saying the action was an attempt to “bully” legislators.
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I am not using this column to argue for or against it. I’m more interested in communication matters. What struck me in reading about the selection of Blackmun to render the decision was Chief Justice Warren Burger’s faith in Harry’s ability to separate the minutia of the case in order to “deliver narrowly focused opinions that would discharge the Court’s duty without doing or saying more than necessary.” He also felt that Blackmun’s years at the Mayo Clinic added to his medical knowledge and made him a logical candidate. Separating facts and communicating a decision based upon a close interpretation of them became his major challenge. He asked his family and a medical librarian at the Clinic for some help. Surrounded at home by four women, the justice asked their opinions on the case over dinner one night. Nancy, the oldest, responded first to his question of what they thought of abortion. Nancy, the oldest, responded first to his question of what they thought of abortion. Nancy was bright but rather liberalminded for conservative Rochester— we hit it off pretty well growing up. She gave what her sister called an “intellectually leftish opinion,” balancing “mom’s answer, which was slightly to the right of center.” The youngest daughter, who had not yet “emerged from [her] hippie phase spouted out a far-to-the-left, shake-the-old-man-up response,” causing dad to put down his fork mid-bite and leave the table.
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As most Supreme Court decisions do, Roe v.Wade stood on its language, how precisely it stated the question and how well the language helped those charged with using it to guide their work. I’ve long thought that language— words’ meanings and society’s ability to translate these meanings into belief and action—make the study of English a high-priority learning tool. We should not downplay it as “just one of those liberal arts” that are not nearly as important as more scientific or technical courses and that, along with football, ought to be considered for diminishment in the school curriculum. Language is what holds society together. As we move into a much more technical age, I’m one of those who asks our young robots not to forget that our ability to interact through communication brought humans beyond the Neanderthal stage. It is also “beliefs” based on the misuse of language that seem to be behind much of today’s world’s troubles. Dictatorships and democracies alike use language to gain social ends and promote culture to help meet these ends. Like it or not, it behooves all of us to become more literate. So in the end, “What does it all mean, Mr. Natural?” Give me a good aphorism.
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14 • February 12, 2015 • The Charlotte News
Selectboard
Blanchard
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Regarding the time to cut the invasives, Charles Russell commented that, “It’s a two-year project. You have to get it July 1 and then a month later” so it doesn’t go to seed. Because of the uncertainty about the amount of invasives to be dealt with around town, an hourly rate structure was thought best to deal with the issue rather than including it in a flat rate. Matthew Krasnow, a Selectboard member, thought this a good idea for the board “to get a sense, moving forward, of how much it might cost as an experiment to deal with wild parsnip.” Following an advisory motion from years ago, it was unanimously decided that herbicides “should not be used by contractors without the permission of the board.” The creation of a paid Deputy Health Officer position was next on the docket, but there was some confusion about whether it was needed. Offering $1,300 for the position, while the Health Officer remains unpaid and symbolic, the dynamics of the workload were uncertain—should they keep a “figurehead” as Health Officer but fund a deputy, or should they just start by funding the Health Officer’s position and later see if it required a deputy. The financial attractiveness of the position was a concern, but it was agreed that this would be returned to if it proved an issue for a potential candidate. With Town Meeting approaching fast, the issue of amplifying and moderating public comment at the meeting came to the fore. The board plans to hire CW Stageworks, at the same price as the last two years, to set up four static mics with cords and one wireless. A wireless mic was purchased for under $100 in an attempt to defray the cost of renting it each year for $75. Because of many years of complaint, the setup of the mics was a challenging issue. One iteration was to have four corded mics available for the board, two at each side of the room for public comment and one ‘wandering’ wireless mic. Lane Morrisson, chair of the board, related that Jerry Schwarz, the town moderator, was “not enthusiastic” about this setup. The potential for people to gather at the mics and become a distraction was mentioned, as was the comfort of the speakers waiting in front of 200 people for their chance to speak. Schwarz was ultimately left with the responsibility for moderating the meeting, but the actual setup of mics was still to be decided. The next regular Selectboard meeting will be held Feb. 23, 2015.
Her “coming-out party” as a painter was an exhibition for the Alliance Française in Burundi, entitled “To be a Woman.” Her response to this prompt was a set of two portraits, highlighting women from the demographic she studied while writing a report for Doctors Without Borders on the impact of rape as a weapon of war. A hired driver brought her into the center of Bujumbura and helped her to find women who were street begging. They were thrilled to pose in exchange for money, food and company. Using a frame she commissioned from a local wood-
Guatemala. Blanchard began to study the culture and experiment with her own taste and style. “France was an aesthetic education, because beauty is experienced on a very different level there,” she said. While Americans tend to associate beauty with a standard of perfection, she found that simplicity appeals to the French. “Messiness is a viable means of expression,” she said, although there is a slight delineation between “undone” and “sloppy.” She learned to find comfort with less, observing how objects in a room “speak to each other” or “live together,” and the subtle art of downplay. Fast forward to December of 2006. After returning to the United States to live in Vermont, the family prepared for another move. This time they were headed for Bujumbura, Burundi. There Blanchard began to channel the colors and patterns of Africa, her compas- “Seated Man in Hat” 30” x 36” sion for human struggle and her French sensibilities into the worker, canvas from the market visual arts. In Vermont Blanchard had been and a homemade mix of primer, taking a contemporary portraiture Blanchard conceived a visual tesclass at Burlington City Arts. She tament to their answer of what it is practiced painting portraits from “to be a woman.” The show was a success, and the live models in four-hour sittings. For her, the experience of work- paintings were well received by ing from a live model is far more the women who modeled for them. personal than a photograph. With “[The women] were very moved, thoughtful, bold strokes, she has to as were their children, to see their embrace a changing environment, pictures in this gallery,” Blanchard whether it’s the afternoon light or said. “The whole thing was very a tired model’s drooping eyelids. transformative for me. After that I The end product is a time capsule decided that I needed to keep painting people.” of the experience.
This poignant portraiture is Blanchard’s signature style. The vivacious attitude, confident strokes and playful patterns that fill her paintings spill over into her home decor business, Chez Bohème. With an “eclectic style for the artfully uninhibited home,” Blanchard designs furniture with the radical color choices and textiles such as embroidered “suzanis” from Uzbekistan. While Chez Bohème was located in Shelburne, Blanchard found that the vibrant colors and patterns that she came to adore in Africa also resonated deeply with customers. “I was having so much fun with people’s reactions to these vintage textiles,” she said. “People would cry telling me things. Whatever the color’s magic did to them, it released some inner feelings that they were surprised by, and great conversations would ensue.” Although Blanchard closed her store in Shelburne this winter, she will be reopening Chez Bohème on May 1 from her barn on Whalley Road in Charlotte. In the meantime, her locally made benches and “mix and matchable” cushions have been selling to customers in New York and California and are available through her website, chezboheme.com. In the future, she hopes to expand her online presence and maybe, “as a bohemian would,” take it on the road for some trips to New York. Jennifer Blanchard playfully joins together a diverse set of individuals, whether it’s in her paintings, her furniture designs or her family—cerulean, mustard, magenta and gold; velvet, silk, fur and wool. American, French, Ethiopian and Guatemalan. In her bohemian quest she finds that her art often invites unlikely combinations, and it is made all the more beautiful by them.
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“Young Woman with Scarf” 30” x 30” oil on canvas.
“Woman in Red Finery” 30” x 40.” Oil painting done from a model. She was a Congolese refugee who had recently resettled to Burlington, Vermont.
Photos: Emma slatEr
“Somali Woman, Draped.” 30” x 40” oil on canvas.
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Town Plan continued from page 1
dents, it’s impossible to cite any trends about the feedback, aside from that respondents seemed most concerned with chapters on natural resources, agriculture and transportation. Perhaps the best that can be said is the comments illustrate the variety of views about what the town should look like in the future. They capture feedback that in one line favors the commission’s draft language, but laments it in the following line. For example, some respondents cautioned the Planning Commission to strike a balance between conserving farmland and conserving forestland in the natural resources chapter. And under the agriculture chapter, one respondent strongly encouraged Charlotte to retain its focus on an agricultural economy while another called such broad statements overreach. A few of the plan’s boldest goals were among those that received push and pull from Charlotters. For instance, one comment suggested the commission’s goal of establishing a “Farm and Food Council,” which would create a directory of local ag enterprises and act as a conduit between farmers and state resources, should be changed as it would necessarily have to have broad oversight, qualified members and a budget. Similarly, others questioned the Town Plan’s language calling for looser conditional use restrictions for value-added businesses on farms, a proposal aimed at allowing for more businesses in Charlotte. In these situations, when the commission sees a disagreement on policy, members have debated the intent of the original language of the draft as a starting point and then discussed ways in which it might
tweaked to meet the feedback. It’s all meant to reach some middle ground between reality and aspiration. “The Town Plan is goal driven,” said McCrumb. “You want to have goals that are achievable so that people feel they can accomplish them. At the same time you don’t want to set the bar so low that you never aspire to something different.” Already, the commission has applied some suggestions to the next draft. For instance, McCrumb noted that some feedback on the value of roadside trees in Charlotte prompted her to add a section to the Town Plan for policies on cultural resources such as roads, trees and scenic views and vistas. Further, based on feedback that the town lacks a clear vision statement, the Planning Commission modified one suggested by a respondent. There are likely to be more new additions to the plan. McCrumb has created a Planning Commission subcommittee to explore how the Town Plan should incorporate language directing siting standards for renewable energy projects. The state Public Service Board uses the town plan in determining whether or not a project proposal within a town should be allowed to move forward. The Planning Commission will continue to discuss the comments it received about the plan at the second of its monthly meetings. McCrumb added that she will share on the meeting agendas what section the commission will be covering. And while the time has passed to submit written comments on the draft, she noted Charlotters will still have an opportunity to share their views at the commission’s first public hearing this fall. For drafts of the Town Plan and notes from last fall’s workshops, visit Planning and Zoning’s page on the town’s website,
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Giving Gone Girl a Run for Her Money! The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins Paula Hawkins’ psychological thriller, The Girl on the Train, is a riveting, compulsive read in which memory and imagination become tangled and reality is elusive. At the center of the story is Rachel, who takes the same commuter train to London each day, despite losing her job. She looks forward to the scheduled stop near a cozy suburban neighborhood, where she watches a young couple having breakfast on their deck. Rachel names them Jess and Jason and imagines this perfect pair leading the perfect life that she no longer has. Little does she know that betrayal and murder will lead her to personal involvement with the couple, whose real names are Megan and Scott. A few doors down from the perfect couple live Tom, Anna and Evie— Rachel’s ex-husband, his new wife and baby. This was once Rachel’s home, but her battles with alcohol and frequent blackouts led to Tom’s philandering and their divorce. Tom and Anna have moved on to an idyllic new life, but Rachel still clings to her ex-husband and memories of the
past. Anna resents Rachel’s neediness, drunk dialing and unexpected intrusions. As Tom tries to pacify both women, tensions within the triangle mount. Rachel spirals downward into doubt and self-loathing and has another drink-fueled blackout. This time, all traces of a dangerous memory are erased. Hawkins has orchestrated time and character shifting to create a mystery that is brilliantly mind-boggling. The author has skillfully developed her characters, revealing their strengths, weaknesses and layered lives. The chapters alternate between narrations by Rachel, Anna and Megan. By using all of the women’s voices, Hawkins cleverly twists this tale from three different viewpoints. With its unreliable characters and devious turns, the book has the feel of an Alfred Hitchcock mystery. Two of his classics, Gaslight and Rear Window, come to mind. “The Master of Suspense” once said, “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.” The Girl on the Train withholds and reveals, increasing the anticipation and suspense, and then hurtles to the “bang” like a train.
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The Charlotte News • February 12, 2015 • 17
National American Indian Heritage Month. Here at the Charlotte Library we will strive to bring books about all kinds of people to the shelves of all our readers at all times of the year. Reading is not bound by the calendar and neither is the opportunity to share in the commitment of We Need Diverse Books: “…to the ideal that embracing diversity will lead to acceptance, empathy, and ultimately equality.” If you have suggestions to help create our more diverse collections, please feel free to contact us. ____
Margaret Woodruff Contributor
We Need Diverse Books: February is Black History Month, which, according to Wikipedia, “is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora.” A quick search on the Internet (after Wikipedia) offers a menu of timelines, reading lists and activities to learn and honor this group of Americans. As many of these sites underscore, the celebration of African Americans achievements should stand alongside those of any and all groups of people living in the United States and not just singled out for 28 days a year. One way libraries can help with this is through support of We Need Diverse Books, “a grassroots organization created to address the lack of diverse, non-majority narratives in children’s literature.” As the year rolls on and we move from Black History Month to Women’s History Month and from there to Asian Pacific American Heritage, Older Americans Month and Jewish American Heritage Month and then to GLBT Pride Month, to National HispanicLatino Heritage Month, National Italian American Heritage Month and
UPCOMING AT THE LIBRARY It's not too late! Just in time for Library Lovers Month, the Friends of the Charlotte Library are selling its “Book Lover” Valentine Bag: Lake Champlain chocolates and cocoa mix, a festive mug, reader’s journal, library T-shirt and a “blind-date” book ready to bring anywhere in our Charlotte Library tote bag. Stop by the library to see a sample or call to reserve one for your Valentine: 425-3864. Valentine bags go for $35. All proceeds go to the Friends of the Charlotte Library. Friday, Feb. 13, 10:30 a.m. to Noon Scrabble @ the Library. Join our own Scrabble maven, Susanna Kahn, for an engaging, relaxed morning. Start from scratch or reacquaint yourself with this favorite word game. Refreshments served and game boards provided. Tuesday, Feb. 17, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Preschool Lunch Bunch. Join us for a fun-filled hour at the library with books, poems, songs and crafts. Please bring a packed lunch. (Preschool story hour is designed for children ages 3 to 5 who can quietly enjoy a story time setting with or without a guardian.) Wednesday, Feb. 11 & 18 and March 4 & 11, 3:15 p.m. LEGO Club! A new library club for all Lego enthusiasts. Get your imagination charged up with weekly challenges. Grades 2 & 3 due to limited space. Legos
and Brio trains! If you have any extra Legos, Brio or Thomas the Tank trains, we are always happy to add them to our play area and use for Lego Club. Wednesday, Feb. 18, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Knitters. Join us to knit, chat and compare fiber notes; bring a project or we can provide needles and wool to get you started. Meets every other Wednesday at the Charlotte Library unless otherwise noted. Wednesday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m. Making Mushrooms with Mike Walker. Curious about growing gourmet shiitake and oyster mushrooms for a year-round supply? Learn how to cultivate this delicious superfood in your yard, basement or garage. A five-year veteran of mushroom cultivation, Mike shares his techniques in this one-hour presentation; an accompanying hands-on session takes place in the spring. Wednesday, March 4, 7 p.m. The Birds & the Bees: Pollinator Habitat Restoration for the Home Gardener. This informational session helps in the important mission of addressing the issue of declining pollinator populations. Learn about appropriate pollinator plants—including vegetables, flowers, herbs and shrubs, nesting requirements, and best cultural practices in your garden and landscape to support native pollinators and honeybees. Includes: Vermont plant lists and reference materials. ____ ON DISPLAY AT THE CHARLOTTE LIBRARY Mixed Media Artwork by Nini Crane Nini Crane started painting after she retired from teaching at CVU, Charlotte and Shelburne schools. She graduated from Skidmore College and has a master’s degree in Education from Buffalo State Teachers College. Nini has shown her work at the following venues: The Mary Bryant Gallery, Fletcher Allen (now UVM) Medical
SHARE YOUR MILESTONES ••• Births Awards Marriages Engagements Retirements Deaths ••• email: news@charlottenewsvt.com
Center, the Phoenix Book Shop, the South Burlington Art Hop, the Red Mill Art Gallery, the Wooden Spoon Bistro, Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Carpenter Carse Library and Momentum Physical Therapy. ____ LIBRARY BOARD Meeting: Thursday, Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. Board members: Bonnie Christie, chair; Vince Crockenberg, treasurer; Emily Ferris, vice-chair; Dorrice Hammer, secretary, Jonathan Silverman, member-at-Large.
Library Contact Information Director
Margaret Woodruff
Youth Services Librarian Cheryl Sloan Hours Mon, Wed: 10 a.m.-–7 p.m. Tues, Thurs, Fri: 10 a.m.-–5 p.m. Sat: 9 a.m.-–2 p.m.
Phone
425-3864
charlottelibraryvt@gmail.com
Website
charlottepubliclibrary.org
18 • February 12, 2015 • The Charlotte News
SPORTS The best defense is a strong offense for men’s hockey Going back to late January in a 3-0 shutout of Rutland, CVU’s quick forwards and pinching defenders kept the puck in Rutland’s end of the ice, even through an assertive penalty kill early in the second period—the Raiders managed to get the puck into the Redhawk zone only briefly. Charlotte defenseman Oscar Kelly scored the third goal of the game, and freshman Tyler Bodette played along side Charlotte senior Elliott Mitchell on one of the Redhawk’s strongest lines. Since then CVU has picked up three more wins, 2–1 over BFA, 4–1 over Rice, and most recently, 1–0 over the visitors from North Country. Kelly picked up a pair of assists against the Green Knights. Lieberman leads Redhawk gymnasts to all-around victory Headed by freshman Emma Lieberman CVU topped South Burlington 134.55–128.95. Lieberman took first place in the vault and in the floor exercises and second place on the beam, leading to a first-place all-around finish. Jackie Casson, Jessie Johnson and Julia Higa helped the team’s cause by placing among the top three individuals in vault, bars, beam and floor matches, leading to a third place allaround for Casson. Women’s basketball keeps the streak alive Managing to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, CVU women’s basketball overcame Essex in overtime for its 64th straight win on Feb. 4. Once again, Charlotters contributed heavily to the win. Laurel Jaunich paced her team’s scoring with 16 points and six rebounds followed by Sadie Otley’s 10 points and Annabella Pugliese’s six points in overtime. The Redhawks then kept their unbeaten legacy alive with a 57-43 win over Mount Anthony, with
Otley and Jaunich trading scoring leadership against the Patriots. Earlier CVU had beaten Mount Anthony for its 63rd straight victory in a game that broke the Division I winning streak record previously held by Essex. CVU men’s bucket list calls for more wins Ouch! Only one win in its last four games puts the CVU male hoopsters well behind the eight ball at six and ten for the season. While senior captain Chris Reiss appears among the leading scorers in each game, his shooting alone has not been sufficient to bring the Redhawks around to victory. Colchester was the team’s last victim on Jan. 27. In that game, Jack Morris and Rayne Supple led the way with 11 and eight points, respectively. CVU football will have a new headmaster in the fall Mike Williams has accepted the offer to coach the Redhawk varsity football team starting this coming fall, replacing Jim Provost. The coach at BFA Fairfax since 2006, Williams was offered the new position by interim Redhawk Activities Director, Peter Coffey. Ironically, Coffey was head soccer coach at CVU for many years, building the program and the school into “soccer central.” During his tenure he was a fierce opponent of bringing football to the campus. Williams has had a successful career at BFA, leading them to five Division III playoffs and building a record of 25 wins, 7 losses over the last three years. He steps into what has become the state’s largest high school football program with 109 Redhawks on varsity and junior varsity teams last year. Provost’s record at CVU was 35 wins, 26 losses over his seven-year reign. Coffey was quoted in the Jan. 30 Free Press saying, “Everybody we talked to said [Williams] is highly organized,
by Edd Merritt
great with kids, and that’s part of the CVU philosophy and the kind of thing we want with the football program.” Nordic Skiers Can’t Sleep in the Hollow Sleepy Hollow trails in Huntington provided sites for Nordic races among eight high schools. The CVU men, led by the second individual finisher Harken Spillane and his brother Burke in fifth place, Tyler Marshall in seventh place and Jonathan Buzell completing the top ten, took top team honors beating out second place Essex by 12 points. The women finished fourth overall behind U-32, Mount Mansfield and Essex. Charlotte’s Meara Heininger was the lone Redhawk individual among the first ten finishers. NVAC Wrestling Championships to be held at CVU On Saturday, Feb. 14, the CVU Redhawk wrestlers will defend their Northern Vermont Athletic Conference wrestling championship title at CVU.
CVU will play host to 100+ high school wrestlers from Essex, Middlebury, Mount Mansfield, St. Johnsbury, Spaulding, Vergennes, Harwood, Lake Region, Milton, Mount Abraham, Randolph and Williamstown, for one of the largest tournaments that CVU’s hosted in recent history. Last year, fourth seeded Champlain Valley walked away with the trophy, defeating Vergennes and Saint Johnsbury in the early rounds. The team met MMU in the finals, and after several grueling matches, CVU came home with their first ever NVAC championship trophy with a 48-32 win. With a solid group of wrestlers, coach Gunnar Olson hopes to come out on top again this year. Come out and support the boys in red by filling the stands with cheering CVU fans! Admission is $5 adults / $3 students / five and under are free. Wrestling begins at 10:30 a.m. in the CVU main gym.
The CVU wrestling team after its 2014 victory over Mount Mansfield.
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The Charlotte News • February 12, 2015 • 19
Charlotte Senior Center
The CafĂŠ Menu
by Mary Recchia, Activities Coordinator
Snow days! If there is ever a question whether the Senior Center is closed due to weather, know that we will follow the CSSU school closings that are posted on local TV and radio stations as well as at cssu.org. Please note: the dates for A Healthy Diet have been changed from Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24, March 3, 10 to March 23, 30, April 6, 13, 20, 27. Please call the Center for details. Registration required. _____ New to the Center this winter is a Step Aerobics class offered by Pam Lord on Friday mornings from 9:15–10 a.m. Dates: Feb. 20, 27, March 6, 13, 20, 27, April 3, 10. “Step aerobics� was created in 1989 as a way to get a high-intensity, yet low-impact workout. With a portable platform (provided), you will do choreographed exercise routines up, onto, down and around the step for great cardio fitness. It is exceptional training to shape the lower body, strengthen and tone muscle groups and improve coordination. Set to music, this low-impact class uses cardio work to produce an easy-to-learn and effective workout. Pam was previously certified with the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and will show you how to perform the moves safely with the correct technique and will have you stepping like a pro in no time! Registration required. Fee: $7/class. _____ And the Oscar Goes To... Walk the red carpet into a vintage, old-fashioned movie theater for a special screening of Boyhood—one of the 2015 Oscar nomi-
nated films—Friday, Feb. 20, at 1 p.m. Veteran actor Sean Moran will assume the role of MC, and the “stage� will be set as an old-fashioned Hollywood movie theater brimming with snacks and libations of days gone by. With the Oscar ceremony only two days away, ballots will be available to vote for your favorite movies and actors. All are welcome to our Hollywood event hosted by the Play Reading group. While black tie is optional, we hope you will come and “dress to impress.� After all, it is the Oscars! Registration required. Suggested donation: $5 for refreshments. _____ Powerful Tools for Caregivers is a 6-week workshop co-taught by the VNA and CVAA and will be held at the Center on Thursday afternoons from 2–3:30 p.m. Dates: March 12, 19, 26, April 2, 7 (Tues.), 16. Designed to provide caregivers with the tools they need to care for themselves so they can more effectively care for their loved one, this evidence-based educational program offers a unique combination of elements with a scripted curriculum and intricately detailed training material. You will learn to: balance your life, reduce stress and improve selfconfidence, better communicate your feelings, and increase your ability to make tough decisions. You will learn about community resources that may help. The tools and strategies to better handle the unique caregiver challenges you face are in The Caregiver Helpbook, available at the beginning of class for all participants. Registration required. A donation of $30 (purchase cost of the book) will help defray costs but is not required to attend.
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_____ A collection of lectures, performances and special events showcasing the diverse interests of our community continue on Wednesday afternoons beginning at 1 p.m. Feb. 18: KAUAI, HAWAII with Judy Tuttle Kauai is Hawaii’s garden island. Though roughly only 20 by 30 miles long and wide, it has areas that get over 400 inches of rain a year and others that are nearly desert. Within are Hawaii’s Grand Canyon, beautiful plains, eight major rivers, vast beaches and lush gardens. Judy hopes her photographs will make you feel you are along on a grand tour of one of Hawaii’s most scenic areas. _____
Feb. 25: Travels in Morocco with Sheri and Richard Larsen Join Sheri and Rich Larsen as they share their two weeks in the North African country of Morocco. They visited Casablanca, location of the famous movie and now site of a very large mosque; Rabat, the country’s capital city; Roman ruins in Volubilis; Fez, with its centuries old markets; the Sahara Desert, where they rode camels and stayed for two nights in tents in a desert camp; Berber communities in the Atlas Mountains; and finally Marrakesh, with its colorful market square. The Larsens’ presentation will include photos of the places they visited as well as photos showing the daily life of Moroccan people. _____ March 4 : Iran with Bob Chutter One of the very few self-sustaining countries in the world today. Have you
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16: Moosewood gypsy soup, greens & fruit salad, French chocolate bark w/nuts & fruit WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18: Cheese soufflĂŠ, Sausage Homemade dessert MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23: Chili, Parisian salad, Garlic multigrain bread, berries with yogurt WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25: African chicken, homemade dessert
Senior LunCheonS are held every Wednesday at noon. Reservations are necessary in advance and can be made by calling the Senior Center at 425-6345. A $4 donation is requested. Reservations are not required for the Monday Munch.
thought of traveling to Iran? Are you interested in knowing more about Iran? Did you think you were prohibited by the U.S. government to undertake such an adventure? One answer should be to come hear Aileen and Bob Chutter present an hour slide show of their November 2014 visit there. Coverage will be of Nashad, Shiraz, Persepolis Isfahan, Kashan, Qom and Tehran. See you there. Mark your calendars: For those of you unable to attend the daytime presentation about this fascinating country, there will be a second chance at 7 p.m. on March 4 in the Senior Center Great Room.
20 • February 12, 2015 • The Charlotte News
Food Shelf News Kerrie Pughe Contributor
The Food Shelf volunteers are grateful to the community for their wide participation in our mission of helping those who are struggling. Our priority is to provide healthy food to those in need, but we also provide emergency assistance with fuel oil and utility bills. Unfortunately, the Food Shelf has realized a significant short fall of $3,961 in donations this holiday season as compared to last year. Yet, we are experiencing an increase in Food Shelf use by young working families. During the Jan. 21 and 22 food distribution, 18 households needed food and taxable items such as toothpaste,
toilet paper, diapers or pet food (taxable products are not food stamp eligible). We have had to make adjustments to available assistance funds and small cutbacks in purchasing to ensure the Food Shelf can continue to provide for those in need. In addition, we can stretch cash donations by going to the Vermont Feedback, purchasing food for one dollar a pound. Will you consider a donation today? The Charlotte Food Shelf is run entirely by volunteers, and all donations go directly for food or assistance to our neighbors in need. If you are a customer of yourfarmstand.com, you may make a donation to the Food Shelf as part of your online order. Otherwise, checks may be mailed to: Charlotte Food Shelf & Assistance 403 Church Hill Road P.O. Box 83 Charlotte, VT 05445
Wish list Healthy cereal and snacks for kids
Thank yous Thank you to the Charlotte Congregational Church Mission Committee for the generous gift during the holiday season. We would also like
to thank The Charlotte News for supporting our mission for the last 20 years by helping us get our message out to the community. And, as always, thank you to the Shelburne Supermarket, Sara and the staff for maintaining the coffee bar. In addition, thank you to the advertising agency Kelliher, Samets and Volk for the donations from the holiday food drive, delivered by Alexa Mucklow and John Beal. And thank you to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel confirmation class for the donations from the “Souper Bowl” collection on Super Bowl Sunday. Thank you to Anne Kelton for the generous donation of meat and to Walter Judge, Jean O’Neill, Shirley Bean and all those who continue to donate food items from our wish list. Thank you to Pete Purdum for the 30 pounds of home-grown potatoes. And thank you to Jon Davis and Laura Igelhart for their continued support and gift of volunteerism during the holiday season. A special thank you to the anonymous donor for the gift of $1,000 that will help to carry us through the next few months. Donated food drop-off locations: All non-perishable food donations may be dropped off at the Charlotte Library, the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry,
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Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (main entrance) or at the Food Shelf during the distribution mornings. We request that all fresh foods be dropped off at the Food Shelf by 7:30 a.m. on the distribution mornings or before the Wednesday distribution hours (see the Ongoing Events calendar). The Charlotte Food Shelf is located on the lower level of the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry. Distribution days/times are posted in this newspaper and on the bulletin board in the Charlotte Congregational Church Hall. You may also call the Food Shelf number (425-3252) for a recording of the distribution times. We are open to all community residents. Privacy is very important and respected in our mission of neighbor helping neighbor. For emergency food, call John at 4253130. For emergency assistance (electricity, fuel) call the Food Shelf at 425-3252. For more information, call Karen at 425-3252 or visit our website at https:// sites.google.com/site/charlottefoodshelfvt/.
The Charlotte News • February 12, 2015 • 21
On Being Mortal Margaret Russell, P.A. Contributor
Palliative care has been much in print lately, from Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal and Katy Butler’s Knocking On Heaven’s Door, to James Hamblin’s “The Fallacy Of Giving Up� in the Jan. 2015, issue of the Atlantic magazine and “Complexities of Choosing an End Game for Dementia� in the January 20, 2015 issue of the New York Times. Palliative care, says Dr. Diane Meier, of New York City’s Mt. Sinai Hospital and a leading advocate for such care, is about “maximizing the quality of life for people living with one or more serious illnesses, such as cancer, congestive heart failure, ALS, dementia, kidney disease, emphysema. We focus on the symptoms—the pain and stress of serious illness. We also focus on family members. It’s about listening to the patient and understanding who they are as a person and what matters to them as an individual.� The goal is to improve the quality of life for both the patient and their families. Palliative care, while appropriate for people with terminal illness, only requires that someone be suffering from a chronic disease. The patient may be expected to fully recover, or to live with chronic illness for an extended period, or to have disease progression. In contrast, “hospice� is defined by Medicare as being available only to patients with a terminal prognosis who are medically certified to have less than six months to live. About 22 percent of us will die from cancer and 78 percent of us from kidney disease, dementia, heart disease, COPD and just plain frailty and old age. Many of these disease processes have a somewhat predictable course, which may include pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping and depression. Palliative care seeks to help patients better understand information about their prognoses while also helping to alleviate their symptoms. Patients’ values and goals are more likely to be promoted when
patients have a better understanding of what to expect as their disease progresses. The first mention of palliative care in the literature was in 1956, and shortly afterward Dame Cicely Saunder established the first modern hospice in England. In 1969, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross introduced the Kubler-Ross Model of the five stages of grief, which helped improve understanding of what someone with a serious diagnosis faces. By the 1980s, the hospice movement was gaining acceptance as a fine choice for compassionate care for non-hospitalized terminal patients, most of whom had cancer. Those near the end of life were now able to get supportive, comprehensive care in their final months, often in their homes or specific hospice settings. It was different, however, for hospitalized patients. And because of many medical and technological advances, including CPR and mechanical ventilation, chronically ill patients started being hospitalized more frequently, sometimes in the very late stages of their disease. In 1997, the Institute of Medicine published a report detailing the suffering that many of these hospitalized Americans experienced at the end of life. Then, a 1998 study revealed that most of the patients who died in the ICU had some portion of their care withdrawn or withheld. This was a significant conclusion, because physicians were not being taught how to do this well, nor were they openly discussing end-of-life options with patients and families. And so the palliative care movement was born. Dr. Bob Wachter, chief of medical service at the University California San Francisco Medical Center and widely credited with advancing and promoting palliative care in intensive care units, said about that care, “We are able to have a dialogue about the different philosophies of care: doing everything to keep you alive longer, with all of its burdens, versus keeping you as comfortable as possible.� Why all the media attention now? It’s true that we are a rapidly aging society. And it’s also true that palliative care saves money—lots of it. But perhaps most important, patients do better with palliative care because it addresses their total suffering. Multiple studies show that patients live longer when they get both palliative care and treatment for their disease at the same time. Again, Dr. Meier: “Patients feel like they have the information they need and they are in control. Of course they live longer.�
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22 • February 12, 2015 • The Charlotte News
Places To Go & Things To Do The Vermont Movie Filmmakers Launch Statewide Youth Video Contest A new film contest aims to inspire and mentor young Vermonters, ages 14-25, to make short films about Vermont from their points of view and experience. What contributions do young people make to their communities? What are their stories and dreams for the future? What are the challenges of growing up here? Film length: 2 to 15 minutes Submission deadline: April 10, 2015 Genres accepted: Documentary, fiction, animation and experimental. Prizes given in all categories: $500 for 1st place, $250 for 2nd, $100 for 3rd.
For more information, visit www.FreedomandUnityTV.net
THURSDAY, FEBRAURY 12 THEATER: Boeing Boeing One man, three fiancées! This 1960s French farce adapted for the English-speaking stage features swinging bachelor Bernard, who has Italian, German, and American fiancees, each beautiful airline hostesses with frequent “layovers.” He keeps “one up, one down and one pending” until unexpected schedule changes bring all three to Paris and Bernard’s apartment at the same time. Feb. 12-15. Tickets ($12 Thu, $17 FriSun) are available at the THT Box Office: 802-382-9222. More info attownhalltheater. org. TALK: VT Distinguished Writers’ Series: Buddy Edgerton Like many Vermonters, James A. “Buddy” Edgerton grew up on a dairy farm. Unlike any other Vermonters, Buddy had Norman Rockwell for a neighbor, and the distinction doesn’t stop there: Rockwell used Buddy as a model many times. 5:30-6:30 pm, New England Federal Credit Union, 141 Harvest Lane, Williston. Free. Seating is limited. 879-8790 or sign up at nefcu.com. GIVE: American Red Cross will hold a blood drive at Ferry Road Charlotte Senior Center, Thursday Feb. 12, from 2–7 p.m. To avoid delays, it’s strongly advised to make an appointment by either calling: 1-800-REDCROSS (800 733 2767) or go to redcrossblood.org. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13 EVENT: Love Chocolate, Love Stories This is a day-long event featuring chocolate candy, chocolate desserts, and the opportunity to share your own personal stories about romance, courtship, and love. The event will include a showcase of chocolate confections, baked goods, and desserts—modeled on our annual gingerbread competition—beginning at 10 a.m., followed by a tasting session and story sharing from 5–7:00 p.m. For more info visit www.vermontfolklifecenter.org or call 802-388-4964. EVENT: Queen City Contras will hold its regular dance on Friday, at 8:00 p.m. at Shelburne Town Hall, 5376 Shelburne Road. Music will be provided by Shindy and Luke Donforth will be the caller. All are welcome, all dances taught, no partner or
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15 TALK: Burlington’s Urban Forest: A Century of Change Warren Spinner, the city arborist for Burlington Department of Parks, Recreation & Waterfront, will host a talk at 4:00 p.m. at the Aiken Center, Room 102, UVM Campus (next to the Davis Center). Free admission. Free parking. More info at branchoutburlington.org. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 FILM: Frog Hollow Films: Herb & Dorothy + discussion with collector Mark Waskow A 2008 documentary by Megumi Sasaki. He was a postal clerk. She was a librarian. With their modest means, the couple managed to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history. Free. 7 p.m. at Feldman’s Bagels, 660 Pine Street, Burlington. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19 MUSIC: Eight 02 fundraising concert to attend “Jazz Over the Volga” The Burlington-Yaroslavl Sister City relationship was started in 1988 by Charlotter Howard Seaver. Eight 02 will be performing a concert at North End Studio A to raise funds for their trip to Yaroslavl, Russia to participate in the jazz festival, “Jazz Over the Volga”. Eight 02 describes their sound as “accessible fusion,” a blending of the best elements of both smooth and fusion jazz. More info at eight02jazz. com. Suggested donation $10. 8:30 p.m.
these questions. Sponsored by Charlotte Community Transitions and The Charlotte Congregational Church. 7 p.m. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20 CONFERENCE: The sixth Annual Hop Conference at UVM UVM Extension has invited a number of experts from Vermont and throughout the country to speak to growers at the sixth annual Hop Conference, Feb. 20 at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in South Burlington. The registration fee is $70, or $60 for Northeast Hop Alliance members, and includes lunch. Individuals who are not able to attend may watch the conference as a live broadcast for $35. The deadline to register is Feb. 17. Information and registration may be found at goo.gl/ DoByA5 SATURDAY, FEBRAUARY 21 MUSIC: Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars along with Joe Driscoll and Sekou Kouyate. They will be performing at the Middlebury Town Hall. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Full details and tickets are available online through townhalltheater.org. Doors open at 7 p.m., micro MUD Talk at 7:30; show around 8 p.m.
experience necessary. Beginners’ session at 7:45.$8 adults. Under 12 free. Please bring clean, soft-soled shoes for dancing. Info: 802-3719492 or queencitycontras.org. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 MUSIC: Jazz for Valentine’s Day with Cyrille Aimeé In what has become a long-lasting tradition, the UVM Lane Series is once again bringing jazz to the stage on Valentine’s Day. Vocalist Cyrille Aimée and her band, comprised of drums, bass, and gypsy, jazz, and Brazilian guitars, present an evening of classic and contemporary jazz standards at 7:30 p.m. at the UVM Recital Hall. $30 adults/$10 students and can be purchased online through the Lane Series website. More info at uvm.edu/laneseries. CONFERENCE: Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, 33rd Annual Winter Conference: “Growing the Good Food Movement” Davis Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT When: Saturday – Monday, February 14-16, 2015 Why: Workshops, speakers, and celebrations for farmers, gardeners, and foodies THEATER: The MET’s Operatic Double Bill of Iolanta/Bluebeard’s Castle to be Broadcast at the Town Hall Theater big screen on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $24/$10 students and may be purchased at www. townhalltheater.org or by calling 802388-9222.
Eight 02 is playing a fundraising gig to help them attend “Jazz over the Volga”, part of a Burlington-Yaroslalv Sister City cultural exchange.
TALK: When Does Growth Cease to be a Public Good? Today’s economic mantra is growth: economic growth, income growth, population growth, more growth. As Kenneth Boulding said, “Anyone who believes in unlimited growth is either an economist or a madman.” See the movie “Growthbusters” about the growth problems of Colorado Springs. What can Charlotters learn from their experience? What position should Vermont take on growth? Hear of some groundbreaking work done by Vermonters for a Sustainable Population to address
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 TALK: Birding in Kazakhstan: a Birding Frontier Kazakhstan is one of the most remote and inaccessible countries on earth. A few years ago Hank Kaestner and his brother, Peter, set out to explore this country, adding new birds to their life lists of over 7000 birds. Join us to learn more about the experiences of these intrepid birders. Free. 6:30 p.m. Pierson Library, Shelburne.
The Charlotte News • February 12, 2015 • 23
Around Town
ONGOING EVENTS MONDAYS Senior Center Café, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Featuring soup, salads, bread and dessert. No reservations necessary. Charlotte Multi-Age Coed Pickup Basketball Open Gym, 7–9 p.m. at the CCS gym. High school students welcome. 425-3997 for info. WEDNESDAYS Charlotte/Shelburne Rotary Club, 7:30–8:30 a.m., Parish Hall, Trinity Episcopal Church, Shelburne. Newcomers Club of Charlotte, Shelburne and surrounding area meets once a month on the third Wednesday from September to June. Variety of programs, day trips and locations. Information: Orchard Corl, president, 985-3870. AA Meeting, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, 7 p.m. Senior Luncheon, Senior Center, noon. For reservations, call 425-6345 before 2 p.m. on previous Monday. Volunteer Fire Dept. Mtg., 7:30 p.m., Fire Station. Charlotte Multi-Age Coed Pickup Basketball Open Gym, 7-9 p.m. at the CCS gym. High school students welcome. Call 425-3997 for information. Food Shelf, open from 5–7 p.m. June 11 and 25. Lower level of the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry. Information: Karen at 425-3252; for emergency food call John at 425-3130. THURSDAYS Food Shelf, open from 7:30-9:30 a.m. June 12 and 26. Lower level of the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry. Information: Karen at 425-3252; for emergency food call John at 425-3130. FRIDAYS AA Meeting, Congregational Church Vestry, 8 p.m. Charlotte Playgroup, 9:30–11 a.m., CCS MPR. Free, ages 0-5.
Regular Church Services SATURDAYS St. Jude Catholic Church, Mass, Hinesburg, 4:30 p.m.
SUNDAYS Community Alliance Church, Hinesburg, Gathering Place, 9 a.m., Sunday School, 9 a.m., Worship, 10:15 a.m. Information: 482-2132. Charlotte Congregational Church, Worship, 10 a.m., Sunday School, 10 a.m. Information: 4253176. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mass, 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Information: 425-2637. St. Jude Catholic Church, Mass, Hinesburg, 9:30 a.m. Information: 482-2290. North Ferrisburgh United Methodist Church, Hollow Road, Worship, 10 a.m., Sunday School, 9:45 a.m. Information: 425-2770. Cross Roads Chapel, Ferrisburgh Ctr. Rt. 7, Sunday Worship 10 a.m. Information: 425-3625. Assembly of God Christian Center, Rtes. 7 and 22A, Ferrisburgh, Sunday worship, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Sunday School, 9 a.m. Information: 8773903. All Souls Interfaith Gathering, 291 Bostwick Farm Road, Shelburne. Sunday Service 9 a.m., Evensong Service 5 p.m. 985-3819 Trinity Episcopal Church, 5171 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne, 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, 9:15 - 10:15 a.m. “Space for Grace” (educational hour), 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist (with child care and Sunday School). 985-2269.
Congratulations to the following Charlotte students at the University of Vermont who earned placement on the Dean’s List for the 2014 fall semester: Stephanie Burns, a senior majoring in elementary education K-6; Benjamin Comai, a junior majoring in environmental studies; Samuel Raszka, a senior majoring in biological science; Donna Waterman, a junior majoring in anthropology; Kyla Williamson, a sophomore majoring in mathematics. to the following Charlotte students enrolled in the School of Music at Ithaca College, Ithaca, N.Y., who earned placement on Dean’s List for the 2014 fall semester: Robyn Leary, a performance major, and Seamus Buxton, a music education major. to Patrick Colmenero of Charlotte who earned placement on the Dean’s List at the University of New England in Biddeford/Portland, Maine, for the 2014 fall semester. to Ethan Bond-Watts, Charlotte glass artist whose abstract mobiles are on display in an exhibit titled “In Motion” at the Vermont Metro Gallery in Burlington through March 7. Ethan’s work is paired with paintings by Nancy Taplin; both artists’ work was designed to explore the “kinetic energy of color and light.” to Mark and Molly Valarde, who have owned Starry Night Cafe in Ferrisburgh for the last two years and were featured in an article in the Feb. 6 Burlington Free Press “Savorvore” section. Mark Valarde is also owner and CEO of Carhartt clothing in Michigan, where their primary residence is. They also own a home in Charlotte; he is a graduate of Lyndon State College and former bartender at the Darion Inn in East Burke. The Valardes became interested in Starry Night nearly a decade ago but searched for a restaurant to buy for three years before settling on the Ferrisburgh location. They say that much of the restaurant’s success rests with the manager Amanda
Seubert and her husband and chef Josh Krechel, who have worked at Starry Night for 25 years. to Ted Castle and his company Rhino Foods, which was mentioned in the January Champlain Business Journal as an example of a business that has organized a “successful volunteer day.” Castle said the annual volunteer day has become a “significant company event on which Rhino provides a paid halfday to all employees to volunteer for selected agencies.” The company follows its Community Principle, which requires committing “time, energy and financial resources to improve social and environmental conditions.”
Sympathy is extended to family and friends of Alan Marsh Byington, of Burlington, who passed away Feb. 1 at the age of 77. Alan was raised on a dairy farm on Route 7 in Charlotte. He attended Charlotte Elementary School before going on to Mount Herman Academy, Burlington High School, the University of Vermont and incorporating a stint in the Marine Corps. The family asks that those wishing to make donations in his memory consider doing so to the Alzheimers Association, 300 Cornerstone Drive, Suite 128, Williston, VT 05495 or give to their charity of choice. is extended to family and friends of Betty Breeding Corvan who passed away Dec. 24 at the age of 96. She most recently lived in Cohasset, Mass., but prior to that in Charlotte and Vergennes. Following work in New York, Connecticut and Mount Snow, Vt., the Corvans planted a pick-your-own apple orchard in Charlotte, where Betty also operated her own catering business. The family asks that those wishing to make donations in her name consider doing so to the Vermont Audubon Society, vt.audubon.org.
Got a dog? It’s time to renew licenses! State law and town ordinances require residents to register dogs annually. Licenses are available from Jan. 1 thru April 1 at the Town Clerk’s Office. The cost is $8 for spayed/neutered dogs and $12 for intact males/ females; a late fee applies after April 1. Please provide a current rabies vaccination certificate, obtained from your veterinarian. State law requires that all dogs be vaccinated between three and four months of age against rabies. Your dog’s first rabies vaccination is good for one year; the next is good for three years. There are many benefits to licensing your dog. It ensures your animals are vaccinated, protecting your
Classifieds The Charlotte News Classifieds: Reach your friends and neighbors for only $7 per issue (payment must be sent before issue date). Please limit your ad to 35 words or fewer and send it to The Charlotte News Classifieds, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 or email us ads@charlottenewsvt.com.
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dog, family and neighbors. It also helps us reunite lost dogs with their owners before bringing them to a shelter, saving time and money. If you choose to renew by mail, remember to include your physical address and phone number, a current rabies certificate and a self-addressed return envelope. Please make your check payable to Town of Charlotte and mail it to the Town Clerk’s Office, P.O. Pox 119, Charlotte, VT 05445. Thank you for registering your dogs. If you have any questions, please call the Town Clerk’s Office at 425-3071.
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