The Charlotte News | Oct. 23, 2014

The Charlotte News Volume lVII Number 06

The VoIce of The TowN

Thursday, ocTober 23, 2014

John Hammer THE CHARLOTTE NEWS

Tractor Parade Brings Out the Kids, Everyone Blake Shangaw, 2, of Georgia, Vt., plays on a John Deere tractor after the East Charlotte Tractor Parade on Sunday, Oct. 14. Making engine sounds as he pretended to shift the tractor, Blake was thrilled to be at the parade, said his parents. He wasn’t the only one. For a look at a nearly perfect Tractor Parade day turn to pages 12 and 13.

Meet the Candidates Mike Yantachka Democrat Incumbent Family: Wife Janet; 5 grown children; 7 grandchildren.

Community ServiCe: Justice of the peace in Charlotte since 1973; Charlotte Central School Board 1998-2004; Charlotte Democratic Committee Chair 19972007. legiSlative ServiCe: Four years in Vermont House of Representatives serving on the Natural Resources & Energy Committee.

Can you give readers an overall sense of your philosophy as a state representative? How has that philosophy changed during your time in office?

I try to represent my Charlotte and Hinesburg constituents in a manner that serves their best interests, knowing that we are all part of the greater community of Vermont. I have found since I was first elected that very few issues are “black and white,” so I try to examine the significant points of each issue

A look at the agenda for the Selectboard meeting of October 20 hinted at a short meeting, and so it was. Of all the issues discussed, none had sweeping implications for the town. For the most part the meeting was consumed by administrative matters.

Taking the issues in order of decreasing financial implications for the town, the Selectboard approved a local match of $2,316 to enter into an agreement with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission to engage the firm of DuBois & King to perform a Ferry Road pedestrian path and storm water management study. The study will provide the town with alternatives for resolving these challenges. The end product will present the town with alternative pedestrian walkway proposals for Ferry Road between Greenbush and Route 7. Eighty percent of the funding will come from the Federal Highway Administration. It is expected that results might be available in February or March of 2015 for public discussion.

The Carpenter Road bridge (#30) over the LaPlatte River has now been strengthened. The Selectboard, in response

Selectboard continued on page 3

Yantachka, Stone Vie for Charlotte’s Representative With the Nov. 4 General Election on the horizon, The News asked the two candidates running to represent Charlotte in Chittenden District 4-1 in the Vermont Statehouse for their views on a range of issues. and vote on legislation based on the overall effect. I strongly support conservation and the environment because our environment is what makes Vermont a special place to live. I support programs, including education, health, human services and economic incentives, that will give every Vermonter the ability to achieve their greatest potential because that will make all of us stronger. I know it is necessary to accept compromise when there are strong differences on issues because the alternative is detrimental to success. I believe in working cooperatively with my legislative colleagues to achieve solutions that take into consideration the complexities of the issues.

What are you doing at the state level to address education funding—the single biggest contributor to high property taxes in Charlotte and the rest of the state?

As I’ve talked to constituents while going door to door and around town, it is clear that high property taxes are a major concern. This was apparent to legislators even before the last session

Yantachka continued on page 5

Ed Stone Independent, but running as Republican Family: Marcia (wife).

Robert (son), Lucy (daughter), Sadie (daughter) Community ServiCe: Selectboard, Planning Commission, zoning administrator, Fire & Rescue member, justice of the peace Can you give readers an overall sense of your philosophy regarding someone serving as a state representative?

My philosophy is pretty simple: I treat myself as a citizen, a citizen who wants to serve the people of Charlotte and Hinesburg rather than serve the party. I want to have a strong independent voice. I know you hear that a lot, but,the way things are currently, 95 Democrats to 45 Republicans, the 45 Republicans could just as well stay home and not accom-

Pledge Drive

Selectboard Okays Village Pedestrian Walkway Study

plish anything. The state of Vermont may go to hell in a handbasket because of this.

What specifically would you do at the state level to address education funding, the single biggest contributor to high property taxes in Charlotte and the rest of the state?

I think I would stop and start over. That would be my way of changing it. I can remember 25, 30 years ago a representative from town, Jerry Krasnow, met with several hundred people at the gym at CCS. He was part of a committee that Governor Howard Dean put together, and he said “This is how it’s going to work.” It wasn’t complicated. He said if it doesn’t work after the first year we’re gonna scrap it. Well, it’s been 25 or 30 years now, and it seems like when you start something in government there’s no stopping it.

I would think that at least we could make it less complicated.

We could make it so you and I as two citizens could understand

Stone continued on page 7

IN THIS ISSUE

• Learn about The News, its structure, and its history as the oldest newspaper in Charlotte.

• Read about the people who have made this community-supported endeavor work for 56 years.

• Find out why The News needs to raise $12,000 by Dec. 31 to complete its Thrive @55 campaign so it can continue bringing you quality news coverage. Turn to page 20 to find out how to donate to our cause.

• Take a readership survey to help The News plan for it sustainability over the next 60 years.

ABOUT THIS ISSUE You may notice this issue of The News looks different. You might say say we’re dressing up for Halloween as a public radio or television station.

We’ve taken their idea of a pledge drive and have attempted to replicate it in print form.

As you page through this issue, you’ll see most of our content has been shrunk while the outer and bottom perimeters have been filled with information on The News, the work we do, and the work we hope to do with your financial help.

But this is more than a festive gimmick. We’ve done this in part because we’ve seen that many readers don’t know about our nonprofit mission or our improbable history.

So, the goal with this issue is to lift the mask, so to speak, and to show you who we really are.

We hope, as always, you’ll enjoy this paper.

But we also hope you’ll take the time to find out more about us, and help us with our mission to bring you the best news in town.

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2 • October 23, 2014 • The

THIS ISN’T AN ORDINARY PAPER

Charlotte News

Letters Senator Sirotkin conYantachka Deserves tinues legacy and bring Your Vote fresh perspective Our friend Mike Yantachka is running as a The Charlotte News PublishEd by and for CharlottErs sinCE 1958 theCharlottenews.org

Editorial Staff

news@Charlottenewsvt.Com

802-425-4949 Editor in ChiEf……………..brett sigurdson Contributing Editor……………edd merritt ProduCtion & dEsign Editor….linda williamson Contributing Editor…………..emma slater CoPy Editors…..beth merritt, leslie botJer, vinCe CroCkenberg, edd merritt

Business Staff

ads: ads@Charlottenewsvt.Com 802-343-0279 CirCulation: CirC@Charlottenewsvt.Com businEss ManagEr…………shanley hinge advErtising ManagEr …moniCa marshall CirCulation grouP….. valerie lebensohn

Board Members Co-PrEsidEnt………………...tom o’brien Co-PrEsidEnt………….vinCe CroCkenberg sECrEtary………………….....John hammer MEMbErs………….…………...kathy luCe, louisa sChibli, robin turnau, raChel Cummings, miChael haulenbeek, meg smith, nanCy wood

Contributors sera anderson elizabeth bassett Carrie fenn kristin hartley karyn lunde Jim morse

vera simon-nobes emily raabe mary reCChia margaret woodruff

In January, after 30 years of advocating for Vermont consumers, working families and senior citizens before the Vermont Legislature, I was appointed to fill the Senate seat of my late wife, the much respected and loved Sally Fox. Upon her passing, The Free Press titled Sally “Champion of the People.” I hope to return to Montpelier to continue both her legacy and, as Vermont’s newest senator, to bring a fresh perspective and new energy and enthusiasm to the unprecedented number of legislative challenges we face this biennium.

We will be called on to balance a $100 million budget shortfall, reform educational funding, governance and property taxes, contain health care costs and improve access, and seriously begin the clean up of Lake Champlain. Other controversial issues likely to be considered include paid sick days, death with dignity, universal background checks, campaign finance reform, marijuana taxation and regulation and more. I hope to apply my many years of experience in representing hard working Vermonters to address these issues in a common sense and pragmatic fashion to the benefit of our state and our economy.

I am proud to have been endorsed by more than a dozen highly respected statewide organizations, including the Sierra Club, Vermont firefighters, Planned Parenthood, state troopers, Fletcher Allen nurses, UVM and State College faculty, Building Trades Council and Vermont Conservation Voters, and to have run two successful small businesses for the last three decades. I would be truly honored to continue serving on behalf of the citizens of Charlotte and Chittenden County and would appreciate your support on Election Day. Thank you.

Senator Michael Sirotkin Chittenden County

Democrat for re-election for state representative from Charlotte. He deserves your support.

Mike has been on the Natural Resources and Energy Committee in the Legislature.

He has been a leader on environmental issues, background checks on the sale of guns and supporter for high quality public education.

These difficult issues are going to be prominent in the upcoming legislative session.

Mike took an important leadership role with legislation to restrict the sale of gold and silver to businesses by requiring better records of purchases. This is important because stolen goods are often taken to these outlets for cash sale.

Mike is hard working, open minded and quick to respond to constituent needs.

Please join us in re-electing Mike Yantachka to the Vermont House.

Susan Krasnow and Edward Cafferty Half Mile Road

2014 General Election Info whEn: Tuesday, Nov. 4 Polls: Open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. whErE: CCS Multipurpose Building The deadline for early voting is 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 3. For more information on absentee voting, visit http://bit.ly/ZMx8z6.

On the cover Jenny Cole submitted this illustration of all the aCtion she saw on lake road on a reCent walk.

Next issue deadlines next issue date: thurs., nov. 6 Contributions: monday, oCt. 27 by 5 p.m. letters: monday, nov. 3, by 10 a.m.

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The Charlotte News accepts all signed letters pertaining to issues of local and national interest. Letters The CharloTTe News is delivered at no Cost to The sheer odds must be 300 words or fewer, include your full name and town, and reach us by the appropriate deadline. all Charlotte residenCes. personal or out-of-town that this, Volume Writers will only have letters published once every four weeks. The Charlotte News reserves the right to subsCriptions are available for $20 per year (bulk 57, Number 6 of The edit for style and length. Your submission options are news@charlottenewsvt.com or The Charlotte mailing) or $40 per year (first Class). please send Charlotte News, is in CheCk or money order to the address below.

News, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445. All opinions expressed in Letters and Commentaries are your hands are crazy. those of the writers and not of The Charlotte News, which is published as an independent, nonprofit, Think about it: How unbiased community service and forum. has a newspaper operated largely by volunPostMastEr: send address Changes to teers and a small paid The CharloTTe News staff on a shoestring p.o. box 251, ferry road business park budget funded mostly Charlotte, vermont 05445 by community donatelephone: 425-4949 tions and advertisements existed—not just existed, but CirCulation: 2,800 Copies per issue. thrived—for 56 years CoPyright © 2014 thE CharlottE nEws, inC. when every issue PrintEd by uPPEr vallEy PrEss printed is given away free?

Think about the number of people who have come and gone in town in that we’re stronger than ever. It’s crazy when stepped up to financially support us. above profits—that’s a rare thing. time. Think of all the people who have it comes down to it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this This nonprofit model, of course, has been on the paper’s staff—any of them Here’s the thing: Yes, the odds against pass-the-hat equation lately. I’ve been its benefits. Unlike the other papers you say “no” and maybe the paper loses the The Charlotte News thriving for as long researching nonprofit, community-driven receive in your mailbox, we have the energy to keep going. Or the number of as it has are high, but then again, we’ve newspapers in Vermont as part of our freedom to put the quality of our work local newspapers that have been created maintained our presence because what we strategic plan. (You know about this, above the quantity of ads. We’re not and have vanished. Or the trends in the do matters to Charlotters. If you’re like right? If not, read on.) What I’ve found beholden to the bottom line. That means newspaper industry, which indicate with me, if you believe in the absolute necesis there aren’t many of us, only a few we can write more in-depth stories, print each passing year that newspapers are on sity of community newspapers for the throughout the state. Hinesburg has one. larger pictures, publish more community their way out. health of small towns, then our success Richmond, too. Brattleboro has a very contributors.

When you think about it, the sheer isn’t maybe as peculiar as it seems on the good nonprofit paper (in fact, The ComThere are drawbacks, of course. With impossibility of the paper in your hands surface. Readers like you have seen the mons has provided the inspiration for our small budget we can’t pay our staff is remarkable. And yet, it’s here. And value of being informed citizens and have this issue). A newspaper that puts content members a livable wage—I teach part-

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The Charlotte News • October 23, 2014 • 3

continued from page 1 to recommendations from the engineers, decided to allocate funds not to exceed $1,500 to erect numerous signs warning of the dangers of using the bridge, particularly by large and long vehicles.

In the years since the closing of the Plouffe Lane dump, the town has been allocating $5,500 per annum to monitor effluent and gases issuing from the enclosed landfill. This year, the state has asked for additional engineer reports on the integrity of the final coverage system costing and an additional $700. The Selectboard approved this addition.

Former Assistant Town Clerk Sharron Balaban requested transportation and housing payments attendant to her return to cover the position of town clerk/treasurer during the holiday absence of Mary Mead. The Selectboard, upon review of the costs, allowed $620.80 to cover her transportation.

TownBites

by Brett Sigurdson

Metz sees maker space making difference After nearly six months, Burlington’s Generator space is making things happen, Charlotter Michael Metz told The Burlington Free Press in a story that appeared in its Oct. 15 edition. The nonprofit startup accelerator based in Memorial Auditorium has bred seven businesses and boasts 47 members, including “an industrial designer working on a cellphone accessory for athletes, a business that wants to make custom puzzle pieces maps for schools, and a jeweler who’s exploring ideas for opening her own store,” writes the article’s author, April Burbank.

Perhaps most exciting for Generator, the organization has hired Lars Hasselblad Torres, director of the state’s Office of the Creative Economy, to run the organization.

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time to make ends meet—and we’re having a harder time getting volunteer help. There’s the fundraising process, too—it’s never easy coming to readers with hat in hand asking for help.

But I think we’re on to something here at The News—we’re in the process of creating a model of community journalism that could be replicated elsewhere. A model of journalism that sees readers both help pay for content and provide it—a model that is of, by and for the people who read it. That is the very essence of community journalism.

For what we do is ultimately altruistic. The

The Federal Emergency Management Administration requires such an expanded plan be in effect by Oct. 23 in order to issue expanded allowances in event of catastrophe. The Selectboard will review the approved plan at its next regular meeting.

In a series of appointments the Selectboard appointed the following persons to volunteer positions in town: Laurel Jaunich, a junior at CVU, for a one-year term as student member of the Charlotte Energy Committee.

Derk Bergquist, an excoastal zone management specialist, to the Conservation Commission for a term ending in April 2018.

Matt Zucker, a new resident in town with an engineering background, to the Zoning Board of Adjustment for a term ending in April 2017, and Joe Gallagher as the Vermont Green-Up Day Coordinator for 2015.

The next regularly scheduled Selectboard meeting will be held on Monday, Oct. 27.

Thompson’s Point Goes for Gold Karyn Lunde took this photo while on an afternoon walk at Whiskey Bay on Thompson’s Point. Have a picture you’d like to share? Send it to news@charlottenewsvt.com.

is one issue: the space at Memorial Auditorium, which boasts a room filled with studios, computers, a 3-D printer, laser cutter and other tools.

Metz and the Generator board are exploring options for new spaces or new partnerships.

Kiernan says Vermont must be a better advocate for end-of-life care Vermont has the odd distinction of being one of the top states in the nation for overall health and quality of health care while being one of the worst for end-of-life care. With 1,409 people out of 5,207 receiving hospice care at the end of their lives in 2012, this ranks Vermont 47th or 49th in America. For Charlotter Setphen Kiernan, author of Last Rights – Rescuing the End of Life from the Medical System, this is unacceptable, he writes in an op-ed that appeared in the Oct. 14 issue of The Burlington Free Press.

Aside from the morality of allowing people to

suffer at the end of their lives, Kiernan writes that mistreatment costs a fortune: “Since most people who die are Medicare recipients, and Medicare pays only part of its patients’ bills, the unpaid portion gets shifted to the insurance premiums of Vermont’s business community. Therefore even able-bodied folk have an interest in raising this state’s end-of-life performance.”

He makes a few suggestions: raise the amount of hospice care to the national average, which would give people end of life care tailored to their illness and save millions annually; encourage more advanced directives for adults; remove obstacles to end-of-life care and provide more public education.

“The need for change is urgent,” writes Kiernan. “About 14 Vermonters will die today.

Every one of them deserves a peaceful and painfree conclusion.”

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Charlotte News, like other nonprofit newspapers, is about community service, about sharing vital information about the place we call home and celebrating the people and events that make a place singular. That is our mission statement, after all. It’s our reason for existing.

So, know this: we’re asking you for money to help invest in a bunch of folks who are passionate about what community journalism could be. But also we’re asking you to take a moment and think about the value that The News brings to Charlotte. We’ve done our best to showcase what we do in this issue. When

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you get to the end of this issue, if you find that’s worth something to you, we’re asking you to consider becoming part of our team in some small capacity as a volunteer or contributor.

With your help, The News will continue to make this impossibility a reality for a long time to come.

—Brett Sigurdson Editor-in-Chief

Pledge Drive

Selectboard

The Town Party for volunteers and staff will be held at the Old Lantern on the evening of Dec. 20. A deposit of $200 was authorized.

In a joint action, an application to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and a registration action with the Department of Environment and Conservation was approved to allow Michael Garner and Susan Bayer to construct an impermeable seawall at 910 Flat Rock Road. The town was involved as it is the landowner.

A two-week pay period for town employees was approved to begin with the first pay period in calendar 2015. In another action, the name for Quinlan Farm Lane was officially approved for the first small road on the west side of Spear Street up the hill from the Quinlan Bridge intersection.

In what was considered an emergency action outside the published agenda, the Selectboard approved the draft of an expanded Local Emergency Action Plan contingent on review by Chair Lane Morrison and Town Administrator Dean Bloch.

THE WEIGHT OF WORDS We know there are a lot of places to share your thoughts nowadays—blogs, website comments, Front Porch Forum. But none of them quite carry the weight that newsprint does. There’s a notion of permanence in ink and paper versus pixels and megabytes that seem to disappear into the digital void.

Letters to the editor published decades ago in The News are still able to speak to us, in part, because they’re on paper and they’re tangible—you can feel them as much as you can read them. And isn’t that what you expect of your words?

Because the weight of words in print matters, because there’s an intimacy to ink on paper, we take pride in providing community members an open forum to express their beliefs and feelings on pages two and three of every issue. We invite you to share your thoughts with your neighbors every issue by sending your letter to the editor (generally up to 300 words) or commentary (300 words or more) to news@charlotte newsvt. com.

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Pledge Drive

4 • October 23, 2014 • The

Charlotte News

Pies for Nonprofits Emma Slater

The CharloTTe News “Look at those pies. Oh my God, look at the steam coming out!” exclaimed Claudia Marshall. An NPR journalist, and new volunteer, she responded to a call for extra bakers at the Charlotte Congregational Church.

A quintessential fall image, a dozen fresh baked pies were cooling on the table while the team of volunteers bustled around the kitchen last Friday morning.

“This is my first day,” she admit-

(From left to right) Erin Zubarik, Pat Far, Martha Perkins, Claudia Marshall, Pam Darling, Linda Reynolds and Rick Kerscher make pies on a recent Friday. ted. “I have never made a pie in my life. I have just made, I don’t know how many of them—you can see

them all lined up there.”

Apple pies sales at the Congregational Church in Charlotte are a favorite local tradition.

Whether customers see the bright red signs around town or smell the apple and cinnamon scent that permeates the vestry, most Charlotters are aware of this fundraising campaign for the church’s charitable work.

Volunteers have been baking an average of 64 pies a week, and so far they’ve sold out every time.

However, this year brings a brand new initiative to the familiar program.

For the first time, customers can participate in a “Buy One, Give One” program, according to the coordinator, Martha Perkins. Now they can buy an apple pie and give one to a nonprofit of their choice at a discounted price.

For Perkins, this is a perfect marriage of her interests and talent. She said “I really like contributing, and I like making pies, and I’ve been doing it my whole life. I love doing it.”

Pies have already been donated to charities such as the John Graham Shelter, Harbor Place, Ronald McDonald House, Dismas House, Hope Lodge, Charlotte Food Shelf and COTS. In fact, the volunteers have been sending five to ten pies a week to local nonprofit organizations.

Pies will be sold every Wednesday and Friday from 4–6:00 p.m. until Halloween. In the “Buy One, Give One” program, the first pie costs $16, and the price of the second donated pie is discounted at $14.

Customers can call ahead to the church to reserve pies.

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hen I think of the earliest days of The Charlotte News, I think of volunteers and youthful exuberance. Serving as members of the Charlotte Congregational Church (CCC) youth group, we started the paper in the summer of 1958 with a typewriter, stencil sheets and a first-generation mimeograph machine. For many years the paper was several pages of legal size paper, with hand-drawn headlines and ads for local businesses who supported the effort with donations.

Volunteers stapled and folded, wrote stories and delivered the papers to the Post Office, which was then in the building now occupied by the Little Garden Market. The cost to mail the papers was a penny per paper since we operated under the umbrella of the CCC. From the first issue, the paper was mailed to every home in Charlotte.

As the only source of local information on town events, other than posters and word of mouth, the calendar was of particular importance and always had a place on page one.

The dozen or so of us, ages 12 to 18, were provided journalistic guidance by Marge Coleman. As the young-

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(802) 985-3500 sters grew up and went off to work or school, Marge took over the paper and steadfastly wrote articles and organized adult volunteers, such as Shirley and Harley Allen. They and others could be relied on to run the mimeograph and stapler, and take the papers to the post office every other week. After Marge, the editor was Mary Williams King, who carried on the tradition of dedicated volunteers.

For all those years in its primitive form, and now with the professionalism of the digital age, The News has been eagerly received and read by Charlotte residents seeking information about school activities and Town Meeting ballot items, Selectboard debates and planning and zoning disputes. We now have new activities with the Senior

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Center, Library, trails, recreation programs and so many other activities in this growing town.

The faces of the people producing The News have changed many times, but the mission of community building has continued, due in large part to the generous contributions of time and money by many residents of Charlotte, summer and year around as from the beginning.

As the first editor, and now as a member of the Board, I personally thank everyone who has helped keep this unique institution healthy and strong.

—Nancy Wood

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The Charlotte News • October 23, 2014 • 5

continued from page 1 ended. I have been in discussions with my colleagues throughout the summer, and everyone agrees that we have to take steps to reduce the dependence of education funding on property taxes. We all know that the current situation is unsustainable and that we have to do something about it in the 2015 session. Another factor in the equation is the increasing cost per pupil, which has to be addressed.

With that in mind, we have to realize that education cost reductions alone will not solve the problem. And if we reduce the burden on property taxes, the difference will have to come from another source of revenue. Whatever the solution, the 1997 Brigham decision by the Vermont Supreme Court, requiring as a matter of constitutional law that the state ensure access to “substantially equal educational opportunity for every Vermont child,” must be upheld. I will work with my colleagues to come up with a solution that reduces dependence on property taxes and better reflects ability to pay.

Two central issues in Charlotte at the moment are economic development and opportunities for younger families to move to Charlotte. What specifically could you do as a state representative to address these issues, both locally and statewide?

The opportunity for younger families to move to Charlotte is heavily dependent on Charlotte’s property taxes. There are more than 80 homes for sale in Charlotte at the present time. While Charlotte is noted

Are there other specific issues in Charlotte that could be addressed through state legislation? What are you doing or will you do about them?

As Charlotte develops its Town Plan, we could look to develop the type of denser affordable housing in our town centers that would attract young families. I’m thinking along the lines of the type of housing development in Shelburne just south of the village on the east side of Route 7.

One issue you might address during the upcoming two-year term is single-payer health insurance Where do you stand on this issue?I am generally in favor of pursuing the single-payer plan. However, we have not yet seen the details of how it will be funded, what the coverage will look like, how providers will be reimbursed, what current costs like insurance premiums, co-pays and out-ofpocket expenses will be offset, and how it will interact with Medicare and self-insurance by corporations. Act 48 was set up in such a way that certain benchmarks need to be achieved before the Green Mountain Care plan moves forward. One of those bench-

marks is receiving from the Green Mountain Care Board the information that I just described. Since the timetable for that benchmark has slipped, the target implementation date must also slip. When we get the plan, hopefully in January, the Legislature will study it thoroughly and then work on legislation that will phase it in if it makes sense. The important thing is to provide affordable health care for all Vermonters in a sustainable way. Moreover we will have to overcome the distrust of the public that resulted from the troubled rollout of Vermont Health Connect (VCHC), which means that we have to get VHC working properly first.

What is the one issue you’re most passionate about? What have you done to address it during your time in office?

I have to say that climate change worries me very much, and it’s a problem we have to continue addressing for the sake of our grandchildren. We’ve made great strides with renewable electricity generation, so now we have to tackle the heating and transportation sectors. In the Natural Resources and Energy Committee

I plan to work on obtaining increased funding for low-income weatherization, which will save Vermonters money while reducing GHGs. Is there anything else you’d like voters to know?

This is the year I hope we’ll be able to pass a background check requirement for private gun sales in Vermont. This is a loophole that makes it easy for a criminal to buy a gun in Vermont. Background checks are already required when purchasing a gun from a licensed firearms dealer like a sporting goods store, and we should require them for private sales as well and close that loophole. There is no conflict with the Second Amendment; 17 other states already do so, and it will help with the trafficking of guns for drugs, which is a documented problem. Tied to that is the need to transmit to the NICS database that is used for background checks the data on domestic abusers and mentally ill individuals who have been judged in a court of law to be dangerous to themselves or others. Let’s keep guns out of the hands of criminals.

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The News wiTh The LocaL sLaNT WE HOPE THIS FIRST ISSUE of the “Charlotte News” will lay the foundation for a permanent newspaper in our town. The purposes of this paper are to inform all the townspeople of coming business and social functions, to report local news and to describe, through feature stories, unique and interesting places and personalities in our town about which little is know to many of us.

—The mission statement from the first issue of the Charlotte News, July 18, 1958

see how we’ve GrowN

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for its excellent schools, CCS and CVU, as well as its rural nature, our residents generally work elsewhere.

Unless our Town Plan provides for establishing one or more town centers to attract business, the situation is unlikely to change. Legislation passed this year streamlines the permitting process for designated town centers. This legislation is designed to encourage development in these locations and discourage sprawl development. Other legislation provided for low-interest loans through the Vermont Economic Development Agency (VEDA).

1998

2013

The News has had a number of looks throughout its 56 years.

From a traditional front page to an untraditional cover approach, The News has never stayed static. One thing hasn’t, though: we’ve always been focused on quality, community-centered news.

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BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE NEWS BOARD

Charlotte News

The Humbled Parent For the Love of….Books Part II Sera Anderson Contributor

So, now that you have unraveled all those early parenting books and treated them as solemnly sacred, you can put them away. You can now wedge those ratty covers on your bookshelf to soak up dust and swarm up the book louses for a big feast. You are no longer bound to them. Well, for right now anyway.

And because you read them, word for word, you are finally sleeping through the night (and so is your baby) and on a nap routine, your eating habits are good enough, you are back to work (if you work), and they are on a schedule that works for you.

So, time to propel forward. There are much, much better reads out there. Let’s see here, on the lower bookshelf, starting from left to right, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Goodnight Moon, Guess How Much I Love You, Good Night Gorilla, The Runaway Bunny, Gallop, Jamberry, Brown Bear Brown Bear What do You See?, Go Dog Go and Everyone Poops.

I love children’s books. They are less controversial then parenting books, and they are a must on your bookshelf if you are a parent. I never really appreciated them as much (of course) until I became a parent, because as a child when you are read them, you love them in a different way. Children’s books have some

of the most profound, yet elementary life lessons in them, and like parenting books, there are some for every one out there.

If your little ones are into caterpillars, there is The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle, a story about a caterpillar that loves to indulge and eat everything in sight and then doesn’t feel so great after.

I will keep going and won’t worry about ruining the book for you. Only a couple pages left anyway. He gets his diet back on track and feels better. Hmmm, words of wisdom in a children’s book. Don’t we all feel better when we get our diets back on track?

Or how about I Love You Forever,

by Robert Munsch? How many times have you wailed over that one? I can’t get through the whole book without putting on the weeps, and Caden always looks at me funny.

And never would this have impaired me this much if it hadn’t been for becoming a parent. I am forever damaged by this book. I am dramatic anyway, so a children’s book with a super sappy plot always does me in.

The part where she rocks him even when he is an adult singing that same stupid song? And then when he holds her when she is old and dying?

Really?

Another great book with a good life lesson is Miss Nelson Is Back,

by Harry Allard and James Marshall.

This is an adorable book about a teacher of the kids in room 207 who learn that their teacher, Miss Nelson, will be out for a few days getting her tonsils out, so they prepare to act up—despite the likely appearance of Miss Viola Swamp, the most miserly substitute teacher in the whole world.

In the end, they realize they are just glad to have their teacher back and that she isn’t so bad after all.

I Love you Stinky Face, by Lisa McCourt, was a gift from my best friend when Caden was born. This book is about a mother’s unconditional love for her children, even if her children are terrible meat-eating dinosaurs (which sometimes they are) or big scary apes or green slimy swamp monsters. Because we all know that our children can be all those ugly little things and more. Yet we would still feed them 20 hamburgers and bake them a big banana cake and build a house right next to that swamp just so we can take care of that little swamp monster.

Another great book is Angus and the Cat, by Marjorie Flack. This one is our favorites lately—a three-tofour-times-a-day favorite, actually.

The book is about Angus the dog who is clearly having a very hard time adjusting to a new cat that has been hanging around the house. The cat ransacks his food and hoards the special spot of sunshine that he

loves. But when the cat is nowhere to be found, he realizes that he actually misses it. Huh, imagine that.

Who can’t gain some wisdom here and there from these timeless books? Every now and again we, as adults, should go back and reread the books from our childhood.

Maybe then we would all be a little less cantankerous and grumpy.

And last, probably one of our most loved books of all time. Not because it teaches any great scholarly life lesson, but because it is packed with some serious sentimental value: Time for Bed, by Mem Fox. We read that book to Caden for the whole first year of his life…every night… before bed. We involuntarily memorized that book, as you can imagine.

There is a part in the book where it reads, “little deer little deer, the very last kiss is almost here,” and Caden would unfailingly always look up at us for his goodnight kiss. It is a book that we will hold close to our hearts for as long as we live. And hopefully he will too.

Sera Anderson is a former business owner and currently a stay-athome mom. She is the current Mrs. Vermont America.

The Board of Directors of The Charlotte News consists of ten volunteer members, each serving renewable four year terms. Tom O’Brien and I are currently co-presidents of The News, John Hammer is our our secretary y and the Nancy Wood, y st sa u to dr for J the venerable founder foodr cat. of The News in 1958, you serves as treasurer.

The board has two primary responsibiliCall us at ties. The first is to hire 860-CATS (2287) and supervise the work to find out why canned RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL food is the better choice. of the editor in chief, Featuring Environmentally Friendly Flooring Solutions the ad manager and the business manager, and Hardwood • Bamboo • Cork • Marmoleum • Rubber • Wool Affectionately Cats to supervise their work.

Locally Owned & Operated Feline Veterinar y Hospital The second is to ensure and Boarding Suites 802-658-9336 that our staff have the funds they need to www.affectionatelycats.com 257 PINE STREET, BURLINGTON • www.NEFCVT.COM pursue the mission of The News “to inform townspeople of current events and issues, to serve as a forum for the free exchange more engaged members of the community we all love. of views of town residents and to celebrate the people, places and One thing we’re certain of, and that is that The Charlotte News happenings that make the Town of Charlotte unique.” will continue to rely on the dedicated volunteers who, issue after The board is currently formulating a strategic plan to guide its issue and together with our paid staff, report the news, write work over the next three to five years. To help us develop that the columns, deliver the papers and serve as board members of plan, we’re asking our readers to take about 15 minutes to comCharlotte’s only nonprofit community newspaper. If you’d like to plete the readership survey found in this issue and online at charcontribute in these—or any other—ways, please contact any staff lottenewsvt.org. What we learn from that survey y will help us member or member of the board. Our names are on page two of determine whether and, if so, how we should reorganize our edito- this and every issue of the paper. We’d love to have you join us. rial and production structure to ensure we are delivering the news, The Charlotte News is, after all, your community paper. opinions and feature stories that inform, entertain and occasionally provoke our readers and help them become better informed and —Vince Crockenberg

O O B

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continued from page 1 what they’re talking about. You can’t do that now. And you know what?

Ninety-five percent of your representatives in Montpelier can’t either. I think there’s a real disconnect, and I think that’s one of the biggest things I’d change.

I would also like to see the school board rather than superintendents run our school so that we have local control. More people would go to school board meetings. How many people go to school board meetings? Zero. And you want to know why? It’s not that they don’t have the time. It’s because they don’t understand what’s going on. That’s why we have to change things, so everybody understands what’s going on.

Two central issues in Charlotte at the moment are economic development and opportunities for younger families to move to Charlotte. What specifically could you do as representative to address these issues, both locally and statewide?

We’ve done ourselves a big disservice, just like we have in Montpelier.

We put together a town plan that we work off to come up with zoning regulations, and when we did it, we did it the wrong way. To give you an example, Spear’s Garage has been closed for two years. We simply changed a couple of lines in the zoning regulations and we destroyed that family’s business. They were here for 70 years and now the building is sitting on Route 7 empty. Uncle Sam’s? No creemies, no nothing.

And it’s because we changed the zoning regulations.

The thing of it is, people didn’t read the Town Plan when it came out. They just went and voted “yes,” and now we’re suffering the consequences. The new Town Plan—they put that together and there are some things in there that we should be careful of. That’s one of the things that we should look at.

Are there other specific issues in Charlotte that could be addressed through state legislation? What will you do about them?

I always thought that the biggest thing that we had in Charlotte, and we addressed it from Montpelier, is Thompson’s Point wastewater. Do we have any other things like that in Charlotte? I think the biggest thing is property values. I think high taxes.

But I can’t really pinpoint one thing that I think could be happening in Montpelier that would change life in Charlotte except school funding.

I think that would be the thing that I would work on.

One issue you might address

during the upcoming two-year term is single-payer health insurance Where do you stand on this issue?

Here’s what I’ve always said: You want health care? Fine, go buy yourself health care. But for major medical—we’re talking brain tumors, heart attacks, you break your arm, you break your back—that costs money.

A doctor’s appointment now is $175.

You pay the $175. You buy your own insurance for that, but the major medical is picked up by Vermont. So everybody who lives in Vermont gets major medical coverage.

What issues would you have voted differently on from Mike Yantachka?

Mike Yantachka went to Montpelier and has done the best he could. I do know that Mike votes 100 percent of the time along party lines.

He doesn’t, in my mind, bring that independent voice. If I’m elected I will not go along party lines. I will represent Charlotte and Hinesburg, and that’s my promise.

What is the one issue you’re most passionate about? What will you do to address it during your time in office?

We’re one mile away from my passion: Lake Champlain. When we used to run down to Lake Champlain and Thompson’s Point and jump in the water it was crystal clear. Now it’s got crap in it. It’s got boat gas. It’s got algae. Go up the Missisquoi—it’s got chunks of algae floating on the river into the lake. St. Albans Bay is full of grimy, ugly stuff.

I recently spent two hours listening to water quality control experts at the Old Lantern. One of the big things

that I really caught on to was the idea of keeping cattle away from streams using fences. You ever see a cow drink from a stream before? Watch where its waste goes. In the case of Thorp Brook it goes right down to Lake Champlain.

I think the crown jewel needs attention. It needs some polishing and it needs to be worked on and when we start doing it we need to continue doing it. One of the things I came away with from the meeting with is how the dedicated people from the state, from UVM, and the farmers themselves are putting up their own money to fund this information. And that seemed to be something that I would be absolutely in favor of supporting and trying to help.

I think, to me, that lake is the economic driver. Just look at the fishing that goes on there, the derbies and all that and all the money that these activities bring in. We’d better take care of the lake.

Is there anything else you’d like voters to know?

I care about Charlotte—I care too much. That’s probably my problem.

I work hard on everything I do, and if you go to voteedstone.com I think you’ll see what I’m talking about.

And I’ll tell you this: I couldn’t have done it all myself. What I learned is how to do things with other people. I don’t think I’m going to have a problem in the world in Montpelier once I get there.

I just think that it’s time to give me a shot. All the harm it could do is create 94 to 46 and the supermajroity would still be there. If it turns out I’ve done a hell of a job you might consider me again. If not, in two years you can say, “So long.”

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Now, new families moving into Charlotte? There’s no way. How can you afford $1,800 a month for a mortgage? How can you afford $2,500 a month? And then when you get here they tell you “By the way, your taxes are $9,500”? How can you do that?

Well, you can’t. Why are there so many houses for sale in Charlotte?

Because the taxes are so high, the property is so high. You can’t afford to move here. Young kids, why are they moving out? There’s no place to rent. And if you find one, for gosh sakes, $1,800 won’t get you anything.

And that’s the truth.

I think the supermajority in Monteplier needs to change to make things better. If you’re a voter in Charlotte, and you see that, whether your a “D” or “I” or “R,” you’ve got to see there needs more balance. It’s not that you need to be equal, but the Democrats are very happy to be in this particular situation, where it’s 95 to 45. If that changes I think a lot of other things will change.

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I joined the Charlotte News board to help ensure it would successfully maneuver through these changing times when many newspapers are shrinking and becoming less relevant.

The News knits our community together by bringing to our collective attention the challenges and tensions of our town along with the joys and celebrations. It opens doors to our neighbors and makes us stronger through a shared understanding of the issues that are important to us all. As a non-profit community news source I want to ensure that The News thrives well into the future.

—Robin Turnau

Vince Crockenberg Rachel Cummings John Hammer Michael Haulenbeek Kathy Luce, Tom O’Brien Louisa Schibli Meg Smith Robin Turnau Nancy Wood I’m on the board with a sense of gratitude.

I am fortunate to live in this special place and time.There is great value in well-told stories of privilege, beauty, and strife, day-to-day life.

Our beautiful lakeside town has remnants of a creative agrarian past that draw us. And yet old-school farmers are being displaced by evolving wealth and a glossier population.

Might we lose the “Charlotte” to which we’ve been drawn? I believe with your support and participation, the Charlotte news can contribute to better understanding this place we love and the forces that make it so special.

—Tom O’Brien

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8 • October 23, 2014 • The

Charlotte News

“I have been reading The Charlotte News since I was a kid - I remember feeling proud to see my picture in the paper in sixth grade and as a graduate from CCS and CVU. Now, I look forward to seeing the paper in my box every two weeks for the consistent clarity and professionalism of its hard news, the diversity of content and the range of perspectives represented in every issue. As a member of the board, I am pleased to be able to support the paper in carrying these vital qualities forward for future generations of Charlotters.”

On the Indie Bookstore Road Trip with a recently published Charlotter

Emily Raabe Contributor

W

hen I published my first novel, Lost Children of the Far Islands, in April, I knew that a) I wanted to go on a book tour and b) new authors, with a few exceptions, don’t get book tours anymore.

Luckily, I have a documentary filmmaker for a husband, which means he is a champion of homegrown publicity and harebrained ideas. He immediately discarded my nobody-gets-a-book-tour line and started thinking about other ways to promote the book.

When the book came out, the staff at the Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne threw me a party.

They do this a lot—their docket for celebrations, readings, events and parties is always full. But for me, it was more than just a party—it was also a homecoming. The Flying Pig Bookstore was where it all began 15 years ago, when I took a part-time job at a little bookstore in Charlotte. And in doing so, I began a conversation and a friendship that is still continuing. Josie Leavitt and Elizabeth Bluemle created a bookstore with the Flying Pig, but they also created a sort of community center, where people stop by for news, advice, comedy and conversation, as well as for that perfect book for their ten-year-old niece who loves magic but not talking animals and is crazy about archeology.

There was a gorgeous cake at the party, with an image of the book in icing. My sister made 100 iced seal cookies, my mom brought flowers to decorate the table, and people from all parts of my life showed up, from some of my old CCS teachers, to in-laws from Boston, to the children of childhood friends, to strangers who had read about the event. It was a community gathering in every sense of the word.

So, as Paul and I started to toss around book tour ideas, we found ourselves talking more and more about that party and the impact of the Flying Pig on its community. This led to a conversation about indie bookstores in general, their communities and their welldocumented battle for existence in this era of big-box, online, convenience-based shopping.

We had already planned a trip out West in June for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Our work gives us summers free, so what if we drove back from Colorado to New

York City on a route dictated not by monuments or attractions but by great independent bookstores?

We could stay with friends or camp and see some of the country while we were at it. Of course, some sort of event would be ideal, but thanks to social media, even just a visit to a bookstore could be an event of sorts. The road trip would both a celebration of independent bookstores, an investigation into their strategies for survival and a chance to connect with booksellers across the country (and hopefully sell books!). I would interview bookstore owners during the visit and then blog about the trip on my brand-new website.

I called my publicist and told her our idea. She jumped right on it and started reaching out to bookstores, adding some Internet interviews and guest blogs to the mix.

Paul and I enlisted friends with connections in the book world to make more introductions, and the Indie Bookstore Roadtrip was born.

We began on June 15 in Boulder, Colo., at the much-venerated Boulder Bookstore. Actually, we began in the Denver Airport, with two bags, one tent and the stubs of one-way tickets to Colorado in our pockets, scouring Boulder Craigslist on my phone for a cheap used car for sale. One week earlier, our grand plan to drive a friend’s Westphalia van (transportation and a place to sleep!) from Boulder back to New York City had fallen through spectacularly when the repairs needed to make that kind of trip topped out at $10,000. Scrambling for a solution, the two of us, who had collectively owned exactly one car (me, for a year in San Francisco) in our lives, decided it was time to invest in transport. Two days later we rolled out of Boulder in a 2000 Subaru station wagon with our first bookstore visit under our belts.

The visit to Boulder Bookstore was great – its staff had a big pile of my books for me to sign, and the children’s book buyer was waiting to give me a tour and to tell me a bit about the bookstore and how it was making it in the age of online. The answer—quite well, thanks—was one that we heard over and over during the tour. It’s a hard time to run a bookstore, yet the bookstores we visited were doing just

fine, even flourishing. I blogged about the various tactics that the bookstores were employing, but the common theme among all the stores that we visited was simply, loyalty.

As Emoke B’Racz, the founder of Malaprop’s Bookstore in Asheville, N.C., told me, “Customers make the choice. If they choose to shop here, we’re here. If they don’t, we’ll be closed.”

From Boulder we drove to Telluride to the Bluegrass Festival and the Between the Covers

bookstore reading and going over it with me step by step. In Oklahoma City a friend of ours connected me with the Kirkpatrick Foundation, which sponsored my day at a summer reading program for disadvantaged kids, who all received a copy of my book, paid for by the foundation. After the school visit, we visited Full Circle Bookstore, which had lunch waiting for us and a well-publicized and organized book-signing event. If you are ever in Oklahoma City, Full Circle has three working fireplaces, each one surrounded by squashy chairs and urns of coffee. After the event it was off to the Oklahoma Museum for a screening of Paul’s new film, also sponsored by the Kirkpatrick Foundation.

In Arkansas we rode horses, swam in swimming holes and stayed with distant relatives of Paul’s in their cabin on a mountaintop, staying up talking and watching the orange moonrise each night from their deck. In Oxford, Miss., we ate great food, explored the town and spent so long talking books with the children’s manager at Square Books (Publisher’s Weekly 2013 bookstore of the year) that we had to make do with pressing our noses against the windows at Faulkner’s house because it had closed for the day. We had to tear ourselves away to make Asheville before dark. In Asheville we visited two amazing bookstores, drank beer with an old poet friend, ate the best breakfast of my life and stayed with more cousins on their beautiful little farm outside of town.

We were aiming to be home by the end of July, and instead we rolled into Vermont on the tenth of August, having stayed at least a day longer than planned at all of our stops. We got to see wonderful bookstores and sell a bunch of books, but we also got to see America—not the America of big cities or famous sights but the America of small towns, swimming holes, local businesses and, yes, flourishing independent bookstores. It’s not that good bookstores build good people or vice versa, but there is a definite connection.

A good, community-oriented bookIllustration by Emma Slater

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Bookstore. The music was amazing, our bedroom was a campsite in the midst of some of the most breathtaking mountains I’ve ever seen, and we had a fabulous visit at the bookstore, signing books, taking pictures, getting book recommendations and finding out how the tiny town of Telluride sports such a great bookstore.

After Telluride we drove down the canyon to stay with friends of friends in their house, which they had built overlooking a clear green river. Rosemerry, our host, organized a “book potluck” with a bunch of local families—dinner by the river followed by a reading. From Colorado we headed to a poet friend’s place in the desert outside of Taos, N.M., where I read at the Moby Dickens Bookstore in between late-night poetry recitations, my first rodeo and raucous World Cup viewings at our friend’s local bar.

We turned east after one more stop in Colorado. By then another, unexpected theme of the Indie Bookstore Roadtrip was becoming clear: we went on the road in search of great bookstores, and we found them, but we were also finding great towns and amazing people. In Telluride, one of the book store’s employees offered to take us rafting. In Taos our friend Nave spent an entire afternoon teaching me to be a better reader, videoing my

Michael Haulenbeek

More Than JusT soMeThing To read

A copy of the CCS Gazette, which we helped create and distribute for a school enrichment class this year.

We believe that a newspaper’s job is as much education as information. While we work hard to give Charlotters the facts they need to be more informed citizens through the stories we write, we also see The News playing a bigger role in town debates and happenings—not just covering events but hosting them. We used to play a part in hosting candidate debates, for instance, and we’d like to do so again. We’d also like to host a speakers

series in which we bring interesting and talented folks into the community to teach Charlotters about what they know.

But we’d also like to share with Charlotters what we know. We have a vision of hosting a series of workshops that teach readers how to write, take pictures and learn how to cover their community in order to become betterinformed news consumers and creators.

At The News we believe strongly that a newspaper is a vital part of the community it covers, and we hope to do so in more than just one way.

Visit thecharlottenews.org/donate to help support your community nonprofit newspaper

The Charlotte News • October 23, 2014 • 9

There are many ways to make your home cooler when it’s hot, and warmer when it’s cold—as well as lower your energy costs.

Emily Raabe with the owners of Between the Covers bookstore in Telluride, CO. store seems to make a promise that the town that houses that bookstore will be full of good, community-minded people.

We saw it firsthand across the country.

We ended the Indie Bookstore Roadtrip back where it all began—at the Flying Pig Bookstore. It felt good to be home, our car stuffed full of new books to read, our road atlas scuffed and marked up in red ink—“great fried chicken!” or “camp site three miles from here”—our dog ecstatic that we had returned from whatever dark void had taken us. I signed some books at the Flying Pig and then just hung out chatting and leafing through new arrivals, much as I have done for more than

a decade, not really needing any more books but not really wanting to leave the bookstore either.

I wish every town could have a Flying Pig Bookstore or a Spellbound, or a Square Books. Emoke B’Racz put it simply when I asked why she, a Hungarian immigrant to Asheville, had started Malaprop’s Bookstore back in 1982: “I think every town deserves a bookstore like this,” she told me. I couldn’t agree more.

Check out more about the Indie Bookstore Roadtrip at Raabe’s blog on emilyraabe. com. Lost Children of The Far Islands is available at local bookstores.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF VOLUNTEERS At The News, we wouldn’t exist without the volunteers who help us proofread articles, label and mail newspapers, deliver new issues, submit pictures and write articles. They are the lifeblood of this operation, and while there is not enough space to list them all by name, they know that we’re incredibly grateful for their help.

We’re always looking for more volunteers, after all. If you have a few hours every month, would you consider taking on a delivery route, helping with distribution or writing an article? If so, drop us a line at news@charlottenewsvt.com.

GettinG it RiGht is About Community Commitment Collared by well-meaning—and perhaps desperate—friends to help out when The News changed editors in 1994, 20 years later I’m still deleting commas and fact checking. This either speaks to the pleasure of getting that nasty job done or my inability to extricate myself. Over the years I’ve worked with many dedicated volunteers in a variety of settings from Chapters bookstore to Christy Gahagan’s dining room

table to the basement of the Congregational Church to the current Ferry Road office space.

I have to admit it’s harder for me to write this look at volunteers than “red pencil” someone else’s writing efforts. Suffice it to say that I still get a kick out of honing the contents of The News—“getting it right” (definitely not something I ever considered when wading through 8th-grade grammar assignments!). Conversations that may begin with questions of verb agreement and such often take strange twists

into questions of how to edit but retain the writer’s voice and how to clarify exactly what that writer is trying to say.

Being part of The News’ family is fun. I feel strongly about the presence and quality of The News in our everyday lives and know that that community commitment complements my life.

Get a jump on the news, join us at The News—I recommend it.

—Beth Merritt Copyeditor

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Charlotte News

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Foster to Speak on Architecture Charlotter and architectural historian Frances Foster will offer a presentation on Chittenden County architecture between 1800 and 1900 on Sunday, Nov. 9, at the Ferrisburgh Historical Society Building beginning at 2 p.m. Foster will discuss what distinguishes the various styles of 19th century architecture as well as provide a guide to everyone who attends to help identify the range of styles throughout Vermont. For more information, contact Chris McBride at 578-6321.

Anderson Raises $7K for Cancer Center With ‘Buzz’ Event Charlotter and reigning Mrs. Vermont America Sera Anderson recently got a $7,000 haircut. But it wasn’t just any haircut. Anderson was one of several people who shaved their heads in solidarity with those struggling with cancer at an event called “Creating a Temporary ‘Buzz’ for a Lifetime of Love” at Arrowhead Golf Course in Milton Sept. 27. Anderson coordinated the event, which raised $7,000 for pediatric cancer initiatives at the Vermont Cancer Center. Anderson will leave the link for donations—http://bit.ly/1u5Im9P— open for a few more weeks. Her reign as Mrs. Vermont will come to an end in March, but until then she’s going to continue her efforts to support children through organizations like Let’s Grow Kids. She’ll also continue to write The News’s Humbled Parent column, which you can find on page 6.

Annual CCS Book Sale Oct. 23 and 24 The annual Ruth Orr Memorial Book Fair will take place at CCS on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 8 a.m.–6 p.m., and Friday, Oct. 24, from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. The sale will feature many new and used books, including adult bestesellers, mysteries and books for kids of all reading levels. On Friday from 3–4 p.m. all used books will be one dollar a bag. All proceeds rom the e ent enefit the i rary.

The News CoNNeCTed Me To CharloTTe In the spring of 2011, I answered an ad in The Charlotte News about volunteer work. For the next two years, I was The News’s calendar editor, and it was a great experience for me in so many ways. In addition to my paying job in healthcare, my never-ending job as a parent and my ongoing stints volunteering at CCS, I sought to take on more—and I was often asked, Why? Well, my answer was and is, Why not?

I have been volunteering throughout my adult life because I want to learn something new, to network and to help others. My position at The News was all of that and more. I was part of a great team that really loves our town! The job fine-tuned skills related to details and deadlines, but I also learned new things. More important, I was giving back. Charlotte has been my home since 1996, and I’ve always found The News to be interesting and informative. Sharing ideas and organizing information for The News was very gratifying for me.

As a parent, I tell my son that learning never stops. It is so important to try new things, learn more about what you know and make a difference! My volunteer opportunity at The News was a learning experience that enhanced my connection to my hometown.

— Karyn Lunde

Personal Service, Professional Results Michael T. Russell — Member Attorney Serving Charlotte for 15 Years Business Formation & Consulting Construction, Development & Subdivision Real Estate Transactions Wills & Trusts (802) 264-4888 www.peasemountainlaw.com mrussell@peasemountainlaw.com 823 Ferry Road, Suite 100 Charlotte, Vermont

A selection of photos Karyn has submitted to The News.

Visit thecharlottenews.org/donate to help support your community nonprofit newspaper

The Charlotte News • October 23, 2014 • 11

The Lewis Creek Association (LCA) will hold its annual party on Oct. 26 from 3–6 p.m. at the Mt. Philo Inn in Charlotte.

With local and potluck homemade goodies, attendees will visit with friends, hear about this past year’s projects and hear from a panel of experts about how Vermont should proceed with protecting its water commons.

The LCA will also honor water quality consultant Dr. Bill Hoadley with its 2014 Community Conservation Award. With Hoadley’s guidance, the organization has applied data results to key conservation projects aimed at protecting the area’s water commons—restoring our favorite places valued for wonderful boating, fishing and wildlife habitat.

The LCA’s party will feature a fantastic panel of experts who will offer solutions for improving our community’s capacity for water quality stewardship.

They include: • David Brynn, from Vermont Family Forests, comes from a long tenure as the Addison County forester, promotes clean water as the premier product of good forestry work.

• Chris Kilian, from the Conservation Law Foundation, tirelessly informs many legal discussions related to water quality improvement. Kilian knows where the regulatory gaps are and why Vermont has been missing the boat.

• Brian Shupe, from Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC), works with the Vermont Legislature to make laws that will better guarantee the sustainability of both human and natural communities, including the latest water quality and climate change considerations.

• Andrea Morgante, from LCA, has for 30 years followed all levels of community planning. She believes forestry and agricultural businesses should not get paid to pollute and that citizens need to hold their towns accountable.

• Alan Betts, a climate and atmosphere scientist and international lecturer, will tell us why and how we must plan now for higher flows in Vermont streams while suggesting the most elegant way to pull this off within Vermont’s small government.

• Ginny Lyons, a Vermont State senator, has led state discussions on water quality stewardship for many years.

She emphasizes that citizens must educate the Legislature every year about how to protect our water commons. She will also offer some of her thoughts for 2015 bills.

After the panel discussion, attendees will be asked for their thoughts, ideas and recommendations.

The event is free and open to all. For more information, visit lewiscreek.org.

More Than an InTershIp As a junior at CVU, I started volunteering at The Charlotte News for what was supposed to be just a semester-long internship. That was almost two years ago now, and by the generosity of the staff here, I’ve been given many different opportunities to write and photograph for The News.

Charlotters Star in CVU’s ‘Once Upon a Mattress’ Oct. 24–25 Charlotters Ben Recchia (center), Lucy Pappas (second row, center) and Sabrina Davis (right) in a scene from CVU’s upcoming performance of the musical Once Upon a Mattress, which debuts Friday, Oct. 24. Based upon the fairy tale The Princess and the Pea, the comedic musical also features Carly Alpert, Annie Bedell, Becca Cottrell, Mag-

I went to my first Town Meeting Day, talked with and photographed perfect strangers and learned how to proofread with an eye for detail.

I’ve written about geocaching and blueberry picking, miniature horses and the war in Afghanistan, environmental conservation efforts and apple pie baking. The News has provided a learning platform and a community writing process that complements and enriches my experiences as a student. I was able

gie Haesler, Maya Townsend and Meg Young. On Friday and Saturday the show begins at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday’s performance begins at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students, children, faculty and staff. Tickets can be purchased at http://bit. ly/1ttM9n5 or by calling 482-6991.

to take my writing experience from school and apply it in a practical setting that made it meaningful for me personally. My work at The News has encouraged me to interact with our community in ways that stretch my comfort zone and deepen my love for Charlotte.

Most of all, The News has opened me up to the possibilities of the unknown. I decided to take this year off from school before heading to college in Oregon, in

part because I saw that there was so much more learning to do outside of a traditional classroom environment. Whether I continue to study journalism or not, I’m aware of the power of an investigative mindset and building personal connections in my community.

—Emma Slater Former intern, now contributing editor

Pledge Drive

Lewis Creek Association Annual Party Oct. 26

Studies show that one in 20 teenagers read newspapers on a daily basis. At The News, we believe strongly that to maintain an informed, engaged community we must teach the importance of newspapers to our youngest readers.

Owing to this, we have an internship program in which we give high school and college students hands-on experience working in all facets of the news business.

From writing to taking pictures, editing to layout and design, we give interns a well-rounded, in-depth journalism experience. In many ways, interns are treated as equals to our regular paid staff.

Teens and young adults who would like to join The News as an intern or for a Grad Challenge project are encouraged to get in touch. Interns have a flexible schedule—they generally work an average of 15 hours every two weeks—and are given freedom to follow their interests as much as we can cater to them. Interns should be reliable and have basic computer skills and an interest in writing and photography (and an interest to learn more).

If you’d like to find out more, write us at news@charlottenewsvt. com.

Visit thecharlottenews.org/donate to help support your community nonprofit newspaper

Pledge Drive

14 • October 23, 2014 • The Charlotte News

Charlotte Senior Center

The Café Menu

by Mary Recchia, Activities Coordinator There are still a few days to catch the October Art Exhibit, “Faces in the Grass,” by Richard Steel.

A Charlotte native, Rich is a woodworker, metal worker, musician and photographer who grew up in a family with artistic parents and siblings. With an interest in photomacrography, Rich delves into the small worlds around us that often go unnoticed. Combining his photographic and woodworking arts, he presents the images in frames that he mills from Vermont hardwoods.

scouted for spectacular bird watching. Please register for this event, and if we have to change the date due to bird migration or weather we will call you. No fee.

with previous colored pencil experience. Registration necessary. Limit 10. Fee: $80.

––––

Please join Jim Lovejoy for another poetry reading on Monday, Nov. 3, from 1–3 p.m. Building on the fun and excitement that has developed with our Poem in Your Pocket readings over the years, this after-lunch poetry bonanza provides a regular time for listening, reading, writing and sharing a love of language. Whether it’s a poem you’ve written or one you’ve found in a Yvan Plouffe brought this 64-pound watermelon book or on Poets.org, pack to share with the Monday Munch diners on a poem in your pocket and join Jim as he guides a Columbus Day. wonderful afternoon of word wonder. No fee.

––––

All the World’s a Stage and it’s here at the Center!

Do you love theater? Do you appreciate the spoken word?

Our play-reading group will gather on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 1–3:30 p.m. to hear a reading of Miss Lonelyhearts

by Howard Teichmann. All are welcome. Parts have been assigned for this reading, but please let us know if you would like to be given a part for our next reading on Thursday, Dec. 4.

–––– Join Hank Kaestner for another birding expedition on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 9 a.m., when good views are guaranteed through Hank’s “Oh-my-God” telescope. Please meet at the Center so we can carpool together to the location Hank has

Elizabeth Llewellyn will lead a colored pencil open studio on Thursdays from 10– 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 30, Nov. 6, 13 and 20, and Dec. 4 and 11.

This class is designed for the more experienced color pencil artist.

Each student will be responsible for providing reference pieces and will be working independently with guidance from the instructor. As colored pencil fans we will enjoy learning from each other in a relaxed supportive environment. Open to artists

–––– The viewing time for The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works from the Great Courses Collection has changed from 1:45–3:15 p.m. to 1–2:30 p.m., still on Tuesday afternoons. Dates remaining are Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 and 11, noting that each lecture is able to stand on its own.

Professor Robert Greenberg of San Francisco Performances takes you on a sumptuous grand tour of the symphonic pieces he counts as being among the very greatest ever written, inviting you to an in-depth contem-

Join us for a cup of coffee... and a second opinion During volatile and confusing markets, we understand that even the most patient investors may come to question the wisdom of the investment plan they’ve been following. We’d like to help – and we can start by offering a cup of coffee and a second opinion.

By appointment, you’re welcome to come in and talk with us about your investment portfolio. If we think your investments continue to be wellsuited to your long-term goals — in spite of the current market conditions — we’ll gladly tell you so, and send you on your way.

Boucher Investment Group of Wells Fargo Advisors

Reg Boucher, CRPS® Vice President - Investment Officer 180 Battery Street, Suite 300 Burlington, VT 05401 802-864-2668 Reginald.Boucher@wfadvisors.com

If, on the other hand, we think some of your investments no longer fit with your goals, we’ll explain why, in plain English.

And, if you like, we’ll recommend some alternatives.

Ron Boucher, AAMS®

Either way, the coffee is on us.

For a free consultation, please contact us and let us know if you prefer milk or cream.

First Vice President - Investment Officer 180 Battery Street, Suite 300 Burlington, VT 05401 802-864-2664 Ronald.A.Boucher@wfadvisors.com

Investment and Ins rance Prod cts

O F IC Ins red

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MA Lose Val e

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2013 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved. 0513-04128 [79507-v3] A1434

an unCerTain fuTure We’ve been telling you about how excited we are about the future, the initiatives we’re considering and the ideas we have. But there are also some reasons we’re concerned about the future, and they come down to economics.

Because of our size relative to our competitors—we distribute a total of 2,800 issues every two weeks—many advertisers aren’t interested in working with us. They don’t care about the quality of our news coverage or our history or standing in the community. It comes down to the number of eyes that might see an ad, and we just can’t offer the number of opportunities our competitors claim.

One way The News’s board of directors has considered

addressing this is by getting bigger—expanding our news coverage and distribution to neighboring communities like Ferrisburgh and Monkton. We’ve also considered partnering with other nonprofit newspapers like The Hinesburg Record in order to offer advertising packages that could compete with other newspapers. Such moves come with risks as well, not the least being diluting our coverage of Charlotte.

Another issue that we’re concerned about is the ability to hire and retain staff. The News currently pays salaries way below market rates for its staff and relies heavily on a dwindling volunteer base to accomplish many other vital tasks. We anticipate reaching a point in the future where we have to pay for nearly all of the duties necessary to

MONDAY, OCT. 27: Wisconsin cheese soup, Parisian salad, breads (garlic, plain and multigrain), dessert (chef’s choice) WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29: Chicken pot pie, homemade dessert MONDAY, NOV. 3: Turkey barley soup, Caesar salad, pumpkin pudding with whipped cream WEDNESDAY, NOV. 5: Grandma’s casserole, birthday cake and ice cream

plation of what makes these works so memorable and why they live at the center of our musical culture. These 30 masterworks form an essential foundation for any music collection and a focal point for understanding the orchestral medium and deepening your insight into the communicative power of music. Details of each lecture are available at the host desk.

Registration required. No Fee.

–––– Elizabeth Llewellyn will lead a stained glass window-cling workshop on Tuesday Nov. 11, from 9:30–11:30 a.m. Who doesn’t love the look of a stained glass window?

In this two-hour workshop we will be using special window-cling film and artists markers to create our own mini stained glass window. Use one of the templates provided or design your own. No drawing experience necessary. Registration required. Limit 10.

Fee: $45 includes materials.

Please join us Wednesday afternoons beginning at 1 p.m. for a collection of lectures, performances and special events that showcase the diverse interests of our community.

No registration or fee.

Oct. 29: Ethel Atkins Fudge Fest. How she made 450 pieces of fudge for the children of Charlotte, we’ll never know, but the Senior Center would like to carry on the tradition. Not to be outdone, Mrs. Williams’ Best Ever Popcorn Balls will be in full assembly as well! All are welcome to come around 1 p.m. and spend the afternoon telling stories and wrapping fudge and popcorn balls for the children.

Nov. 5: Annual Meeting with the Friends of the Charlotte Senior Center. This is an opportunity to become better acquainted with the workings of our organization and to consider how to become more active as volunteers. An update of our financial position will be given, questions will be answered, and the election of board members will take place. Hope to see you there.

putting out the paper. And if we’re going to continue to be a strong voice in the community we’re going to have to pay for that quality. We know it.

The News’s board of directors is currently exploring ways it can both pay a better wage to its staff, by pursuing grants and big donations, and restructure its editorial team to be as nimble as possible. Its goal is to get the biggest possible bang for its buck. These questions and more are being tackled in The News’s strategic plan process, which we introduced in a previous issue. You can help us navigate our path to the future by filling out the survey on page 21 or online and by attending our public strategic plan meeting on Nov. 10 at the Charlotte Library beginning at 7 p.m. We'll have more on this in our next issue.

Visit thecharlottenews.org/donate to help support your community nonprofit newspaper

The Charlotte News • October 23, 2014 • 15

From Bat Appreciation Month to National Popcorn Popping Month to National Roller Skating Month, October has it all! Two highlighted at the Charlotte Library this month are National Reading Group Month and Anti-Bullying Month.

The Charlotte Library Book Group was founded when the library was operating out of CCS, well before the Charlotte Library opened in 1998. Devoted readers have met to discuss book selections from the Vermont Humanities Council as well as other self-selected titles, copies of which are collected here at the library. We are also aware of the numerous independent book groups

Winter is upon us with that nippy chill!

Upcoming at the library For kids Lunch Bunch Storytime, Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m. Pack your lunch and join us to discover the world of stories through books, songs, play and dessert! For children ages three to five who are comfortable in a storytime setting.

Registration required; please call or email the library to sign up: 4253864 or youth.charlottelibraryvt@ gmail.com.

Explore Time, Tuesdays at 3:15 p.m. Explore the world around us through stories, puzzles and creative projects of all kinds. For kindergarten and first grade students.

Registration required; please call or email the library to sign up.

Maker Monday: Scratch Workshop, Monday, Nov. 3, 3:15 p.m. Make a turkey trot or a pumpkin pie polka using Scratch, “a free programming language‌ to create your own interactive stories, games, and animations.â€? Ages 10 and up.

Registration required; please call or email the library to sign up.

Mystery Book Group: Daughter of Time, Monday, Nov. 10, 10 a.m. Recent news about Richard III makes this Josephine Tey mystery all the more enticing. Copies of the book are available at the library and on the library’s Kindle and Nook devices. Join us for coffee, muffins and conversation!

Pumpkin Possibilities, Friday, Nov. 14, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There’s a bumper crop of pumpkins this year, which is a great excuse to look beyond the pie potential. Stop in to sample some deliciously distinctive dishes using this fall favorite.

Have your own pumpkin specialty to share? Send us your recipe: charlottelibraryvt@gmail.com.

Library 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.

For adUlts Barrie Dunsmore, World Affairs Update, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m. With his keen eye and perceptive wit, Barrie Dunsmore sheds light on political, military and diplomatic activity around the globe.

Phone 425-3864 *** The Charlotte Library will be closed Dec. 24 and 25 and Dec. 31.

A LOCAL TURKEY ON EVERY TABLE

Pledge Drive

by Margaret Woodruff

around town, and National Reading Group Month gives us the opportunity to share our wealth of books with you! If you’re in a book group, stop on by to see our collection of titles and share your favorite titles with us. You can look at the list of books on our website (charlottepubliclibrary.com) and drop us a line if you see anything your book group might enjoy.

According to recent studies, “deep reading, the kind of immersive experience from an intriguing, compelling or captivating book, can even physically change your brain.

As we let go of the emotional and mental chatter found in the real world, we enjoy deep reading that allows us to feel what the characters in a story feel. And this in turn makes us more empathetic to people in real life, becoming more aware and alert to the lives of others.� This is a key step in the anti-bullying canon.

In addition to “deep reads� for all ages, the library offers a wide range of resources available here to help with these situations. A list of recommended reads, fiction and nonfiction titles for all ages, appears on our website and as a bookmark at our circulation desk. In addition, the library offers access to a range of online resources through our subscription to Vermont Online Library. We welcome suggestions and ideas for this essential collection.

nUmbers that matter

$75,000

Average Advertising Revenue

$25,000

Average Amount of Donations

Come see us for sweaters, coats, turtlenecks and all the warm wear you need to stay warm.

FF 10% O lotte ar for Ch nts in reside ber Octo

$150,000

What We Hope to Increase our Budget To

$450

Amount to Mail Each Issue

$1,100

LIMITED'TIME'PRE-ORDER' PRICE'×'.01/LB Pre-order price available through 11/21 from one of our local farms:

t "EBNT 5VSLFZ 'BSN t .JTUZ ,OPMM 'BSN t 4UPOFXPPE 'BSN And remember... 1*&4 from our Bake Shop make everyone happy!

13& 03%&3 0/ 063 8&#4*5& 03 4501 #: 5)& 4503& !!! :EHI;J IJ" I 8KHB?D=JED" LJ š HEALTHYLIVINGMARKET.COM

Average Cost to Print Each Issue

1,419

Households in Charlotte

303

Households that donated in 2013 (raising $25,070)

237

Households that have donated so far in 2014 (raising $18,436)

$49,000

Amount we could raise if every household donated $35

$12,000

The amount we need to raise by Dec. 31 to meet our budget.

Visit thecharlottenews.org/donate to help support your community nonprofit newspaper

Pledge Drive

16 • October 23, 2014 • The Charlotte News

OutDoors

by Elizabeth Bassett

Charlotters’ Summer Memories “Guess what I did?” said an ebullient Jane Michaud. “I just completed the Long Trail!” Over several years Jane hiked and camped her way along the trail. “The southern part of the state is so beautiful,” she says. “I had no idea.” While the second half of September featured beautiful weather, Jane completed her journey during heavy rains. “The last few days were the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she says. “It was raining and every step was treacherous. But I finished!

Now that’s checked off my list.”

Kendra Bowen, her husband, Scott, and their three children are sailors. “My favorite local activity every summer is sailing to the Burlington fireworks,” Kendra says. “Now that the children

are older and no one is falling asleep, it’s even more fun. This year we gathered at the boat in the late afternoon and it was raining. We were about to head home, but as we reached the cars the sun came out. We turned around, got back on the boat and had the most delightful evening on the lake watching the fireworks.”

Frances Foster was one of several coordinators for frogbit removal in Town Farm Bay. “The program, coordinated by the Lewis Creek Association, depends on volunteers,” Frances says. “We paddle canoes around the bay ,scooping frogbit from the water and dumping it into big white plastic buckets. When the buckets are full we dump the weed onto a raft anchored in the bay.” Point Bay Marina people empty the raft and compost the frogbit.

“If you are wondering what frogbit looks like,” Frances says, “it’s a lot like diminutive lily pads—perhaps half an inch across. It is not native to our waters and very invasive. A few years ago it threatened to completely choke our bay where Thorpe and Kimball brooks enter it.”

“Several days in July I led a group of volunteers in search of frogbit,” she continues. “We were thrilled to find that the invasion was far less than in previous years. We would like to think that this was due to our past collection efforts. It’s a treat to explore a beautiful part of the lake where most of us don’t often paddle. Collecting frogbit while chatting with a friend in a canoe is a wonderful way to spend a summer morning. The bonus is feeling good about helping the aquatic environment in Charlotte!”

Bob and Sarah Wannop moved to Charlotte in 2012.

Their daughter, Avery, is now 17 months old. “Our most memorable trip this summer was to Cape Cod,” Sarah says. “We took Avery to play in the ocean for the first time. She started walking in May, so it was such fun to watch her playing in the sand and running

from the incoming waves. We also love going to the beach in Charlotte to collect rocks and to Shelburne Farms to pet the animals.”

“With all the great days of summer this year (six years’ worth!) we did not have any standout adventures but enjoyed each day,” says Eddie Krasnow. “On a road trip to Virginia we rented kayaks in Georgetown and paddled down the Potomac River to Memorial Bridge, Jane and I in one boat and our son Matt and his wife, Julia, in the other. We floated for a time in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial. A peak urban spot for a paddle!”

Mary Ellen Hebert and her sister Cindy Sprague paddled their kayaks around the Ausable Marsh at the mouth of the Ausable River across the lake in New York State.

“We put in off of Route 9 and paddled east toward the lake,” Mary Ellen says. “Following the left branch, we passed the Ausable Point campground and entered the broad lake. Heading south we passed many sand spits and were treated to lovely vistas of the Champlain Islands, Burlington and the Green Mountains. After a relaxing picnic on a spit with strategically placed driftwood, we followed the south branch back to our car. A great day!”

Tom and Liza Wright keep a sailboat on Converse Bay. “Friends of ours, who also have young children, keep a boat near ours,” Liza says.

“Several times we spent the afternoon and evening on our boats, using them as rafts. Between the two families we had a canoe, a sunfish and a little boat with a small outboard motor. The kids would swim and play with the boats nearby in the bay. Thomas, who is 14, would sail the sunfish with a younger passenger or they would paddle the canoe or putter around in the little boat. One day I paddled the canoe with our friends’ sixyear-old daughter. She thought it would be fun to run a ferry service for people arriving at the boat launch. But no one showed up! Finally we paddled up to another boat and asked the man onboard if he needed a ride. Alas, he thanked us very much but said he had a dingy to get back to land!”

Now it’s time to make fall and winter memories!

Meet Your Newspaper’s staff As I’m sure you can tell, we’re proud of the fact that The News is homegrown, that it was Starksboro created in Charlotte, Wonderful single story, 2 bedrm that it’s based in Charhome on 10 acres with a small lotte, and it's written by stream and views of Mt. Ellen.

Charlotters—the only Sunny bright interior. Large newspaper you receive 25x22 living room with fireplace, that can say that. This formal dining room, newly gives us a keen insight renovated kitchen, 2 bedrooms, into what’s really going 2 full baths, large wrap deck on in Charlotte, the and 2 car attached garage. Very players involved and good condition. $359,000 the context. This also MLS # 4374146 gives us a certain stature in the community Dottie Waller, that we don’t take for Realtor, CBR granted. Over 90 per846-7849 cent of respondents to a 1-800-864-6226 x7849 Dottie.waller@lmsre. recent Town Meetings com Solution Committee survey said The News was its top choice for town information. We work hard to keep up our reputa- when her gratitude alarm goes off at 4:37 p.m. each tion and maintain our readers’ trust. day. We keep it loose, informal, fun. There’s a great You’ll certainly see us working hard on Mondays and community spirit within The News, a shared sense of Tuesdays when we’re in the midst of production (for mission and natural camaraderie (though we have our there’s nothing like the craziness of production day), disagreements sometimes). It’s a microcosm of a combut you’ll also see us laughing and joking and generally munity, really. having a good time in our cozy office in the Ferry Road Here's a look at your hometown community newspaBusiness Center. Edd Merritt, our long-time contributing per staff. editor, who regals us with stories from his fascinating past and is quick to laugh at jokes. Linda Williamson Brett & Linda keeps us grounded, reminding all of us to be thankful

Visit thecharlottenews.org/donate to help support your community nonprofit newspaper

The Charlotte News • October 23, 2014 • 17

JVA Heralds Great Win, Suffers Great Loss Carrie Fenn Contributor Blowouts happen, and for the JVA Redhawks they can go both ways.

On Sept. 29, the team scored a decisive win at Mt. Abe, knocking down the Eagles 29-0. A week later, the junior Hawks were crushed by Middlebury at home, 35-6.

CVU started the game against Mt. Abe with a shot of momentum that began with a fumble recovery by Braven Bose on the kickoff return.

After a turnover on downs but a powerful push by the Redhawk defense, CVU started moving the ball during its second drive. QB Nate Shanks ran the ball for a first down, then handed off to David Johnson for 10. With the Hawks on the 12, a solid pass to Matt Murakami was good for the touchdown. Shanks’s pass to Kyle Hinsdale was good for two points, and the Redhawks were up early 8-0.

The Eagles second drive was squashed by good defense by Hunter Anderson, Kyle Strubble and Chaz MaClay.

The second quarter saw a scoring play by Shanks to Hinsdale with an extra point kick by Reynolds from the 30. The half ended with CVU on top 15-0.

In the second half, junior Tyler Donahue got his chance at offense and juked his way down field for 40 yards. David Johnson sealed the deal with a four-yard rush to the end zone. Bose kicked the extra point, giving CVU a comfortable 22-0 lead. Mt. Abe gained a little momentum, but defensive prowess by Strubble and an interception by Somer MacKillop stopped the Eagles cold. A fumble by CVU gave the ball back to the Eagles, who were unable to capitalize on the turnover. Zach Toensing, Brady Carlson and Eli Sanchez handily shut down the Eagles’ drive.

A series of penalties brought the ball back and forth, leaving it on the 44 and CVU in control. With Anderson in at quarterback, Johnson had a series of short bursts, and the final Hawk touchdown was scored by Reynolds, who hurtled himself 22 yards down the field for the score. The extra point was good.

The following Monday the team played an entirely different game against powerhouse Middlebury Union High School. CVU was unable to decipher the Tigers’ strong offense, which ran fakes so effectively even the spectators couldn’t find the ball. The Tigers’ defense refused to allow Johnson to work his bulldozer magic, and the rushing leader was unable to advance the ball save one determined run of 25 yards. Reynolds had some brilliant runs, managing a couple of long rushing plays and a kickoff return to the end zone.

Despite an ugly score, Alex D’Amico, Johnny Gay and Tyler Donahue never lost their defensive verve, and Zach Toensing, Matt Murakami and Somer MacKillop were able to catch passes for rare first downs.

The Redhawks win and lose but have never forgotten their own determination. On Tuesday the young group will play under the lights against Colchester for the first time since they were Buccaneers and will receive another shot at BFA to finish the season the following week.

CVU Girls’ Volleyball Enters Playoffs Unbeaten, Ranked No. 1 The CVU girls volleyball team wrapped up an undefeated regular season with three home wins in three days last week, making it the number one ranked team entering the playoffs. The team beat Vermont Commons 3-0 on Monday, Lyndon Institute 3-1 on Tuesday and BHS 3-0 on Wednesday. These wins were on top of a 3-0 home win over Rice followed by a hard-fought

3-1 victory over Essex in front of a standing room only homecoming week crowd the week prior.

Play downs began Oct. 22 and the quarterfinals will take place Oct. 29 and 30. The semifinals and championship games take place the weekend of Nov. 8 at Johnson State Ccollege.

Pledge Drive

SPORTS

CCS Soccer Teams Get Strong Students on CCS’s girls and boys soccer teams enjoyed a special strength and performance training session with Joey Besl on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the school. With the help and participation of Mike DiNicola and John Gallagher the teams were put through a series of exercises to improve flexibility, body awareness and soccer skills, all with an eye to improving their individual and team performance on the soccer field. Besl of Premiere Strength and Performance is a new performance coach in the Chittenden County area.

Shanley

Monica

Edd Emma

Visit thecharlottenews.org/donate to help support your community nonprofit newspaper

18 • October 23, 2014 • The Charlotte News

Rec News

by Kristin Hartley What a gorgeous fall season we have had! I hope everyone has had the opportunity to get outside to enjoy Charlotte, either hiking, biking, running or kayaking.

Fall soccer is officially complete. We had a great season here in Charlotte. I would like to thank all of our amazing parent coaches!

I have to list them all in acknowledgement: Dave Cohen, Kit Perkins, Rich Sicotte, Lori Racha, Julie Sigler, Uwe Mester, Dan Bryan, Jason Pidgeon, Matt Strobeck, Leslie Higgins, John Higgins, Jeff Albertson, Susan Nostrand, Ben Nostrand, Julie Wade, Mary Golek, Elizabeth Hunt, Julie Holmes, Patrick O’Connell, Matt Daley, Steve Smith, Dan Jacobs, Matt Malaney, Ben Haydock, John Louchheir, Yemi Preciado, Amy Roughbau, Josh Bagnato and Per Eisenman. It takes a village! It was very

rewarding to see all of the families and soccer players every Saturday, having fun enjoying each other and their sport. Here’s to next year!

Currently

The town, with the help of our recreation chair, Bill Fraser-Harris, is in the process of adding a volleyball court to our Town Beach. A big thank you to Chris Mack and Vermont Roads and Fields for donating their time and equipment installing the court and the posts. It should be a great addition to our Town Beach. Next summer look for town activities that include this sport.

Pickle ball is still happening Tuesdays at 5 p.m. at the town courts and will continue weather permitting. Great weather and great people are making for a popular outdoor activity. Come join the fun!

Fall programming

Looking for things for your children to do after school? Would you like them to try something new, build self-confidence, run and play, as well as build teamwork skills?

Try some of our after-school activities.

Fall indoor and outdoor programming is still posted on the Charlotte town website.

If your child is interested in music, we still have a few openings in our after-school piano class, which takes place Wednesdays

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and Thursdays.

Space is still available in our afterschool percussion class taught by the talented Andrew Gagnon. You may still join our afterschool horseback riding program this semester; lessons are being taught at Cedar Springs Farm, which has a beautiful heated indoor arena and a great staff. Celtic dance classes began at CCS Oct. 11. If The town’s grade 3-4 soccer team congratulates Middlebury playyour child would ers after a recent match. like to try it, we are in the beginning of our first session, but discipline are all part of the program. If there are two more sessions throughout we have enough kindergarteners they will the year. Heather Morris is an experienced play Saturdays from 8–9 a.m. First and instructor and very good at what she does. second graders will have training practices Registration is required for these programs. one to two times a week (dependent on The Charlotte recreation basketball pro- coaches and gym space) throughout the gram provides a venue for athletes to learn season. Third through sixth grade teams and master basketball skills in a fun, posi- will practice twice weekly with games tive environment. Winning is not the pri- mostly on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 1 mary objective, and development of sports- p.m. Their games will be against other town manship, teamwork, respect for others and teams. Any sixth through eighth grader who

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The Charlotte News • October 23, 2014 • 19 attends CCS try-outs and does not make a team may sign up for recreation basketball. Please register by Nov. 18; after that the registration fees increase.

Adult progrAmming

Adult early morning boot camp is the place to be at 6 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays outdoors at CCS. It is so much fun! We have such a great community, come out and join us and make a commitment to fitness. There are eight class sessions, but you can join at any point.

Registration required.

Do you love the benefits of being outdoors? Do you want to feel good about getting out and moving? Do you want to do this with support of your friends and neighbors? Charlotte is now hosting an

outdoor walking fitness class. We will meet on some of our town trails for a group start up, walking, and a little bit of strength training along the way. We will end with a group stretch and feeling great! All levels of fitness. Class meets Mondays and Wednesdays beginning Oct. 27. Registration required.

Registration forms for all programs and more information can be found on our town website (charlottevt.org) or at the Charlotte town offices.

As always, full and partial scholarships are available for all recreation programs.

If you have any questions about any of our programs contact Kristin Hartley at recreation@townofcharlotte.com or 4256129, ext. 204.

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20 • October 23, 2014 • The Charlotte News

Now That You Know Us A Little Better—Do You Care?

We hope by this point in the paper you’ve gotten a better idea of what The Charlotte News is all about, what it means to this community and what we hope to do in the future.

Most importantly, we hope you’ve come away with a better understanding of our pass-the-hat, everyone-gets-it-free model and how you play a vital role in it.

Because let’s face it: if we don’t have your financial support, this page would be blank. We wouldn’t be here. And that brings up an inevitable question: Do you care?

A few years ago, someone asked why The News continues to do what it’s doing—after all, there’s another paper in town. Why keep working so hard to raise money through donations? But this question misses the point: we’re not in this to make money. We’re trying to make Charlotte the best community it can be by providing a place for everyone who lives here to meet on the same page—literally. It’s not about economics. It’s because we care. We care deeply about Charlotte, this paper, and what both this paper and this community could become.

So the question is: Do you care?

Do you care enough to donate $5, $10, $25, $50? $100? $1,000? Monthly?

Quarterly? Annually?

Do you care enough to support us through underwriting us with advertisements for your business? Your cause?

Do you care enough get involved with what we’re doing? That is, do you care enough to throw your support behind an improbable publication—a nonprofit newspaper that cares deeply about providing high quality, locally written news to everyone regardless of ability to pay? A publication that is passionate about being a part of the community it serves, the community that supports it? A newspaper that wants to make this place better?

If you care enough, then make your donation on our website or by sending in the coupon. Thank you.

The Charlotte News Annual Fundraiser YES! I would like to support The Charlotte News for the coming year in keeping us informed, entertained and in touch with our town and neighbors. Enclosed is my check in the following amount: $__________ q $15

q $25

q $50

Name _________________________________________

q $100

q other

E-mail________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________________ q I prefer to remain anonymous. Do not thank me publicly in The Charlotte News.

Please make your check payable to: The Charlotte News and mail to P.O. Box 251, Charlotte VT 05445.

The Charlotte News • October 23, 2014 • 21

The mission of The Charlotte News is to inform townspeople of current events and issues, to serve as a forum for the free exchange of views of town residents and to celebrate “the people, places and happenings that make the Town of Charlotte unique.”

The board of directors of the News would like to enlist our readers’ help to make sure that the paper is living up to its mission. What are we doing well— and perhaps not so well? What are we missing in either our news coverage or our feature articles? What parts of the paper should we

strengthen, and what parts should we perhaps abandon, because they are either uninformative or uninteresting or irrelevant?

As part of a larger initiative being undertaken by the board to improve The News’ long-term financial footing, we have put together a readership survey that will take about 15 minutes to complete. You can complete it in either its print form and submit it to one of the drop-off points listed below or online via the link at the bottom.

The more readers who complete the survey, the more

1) Unless otherwise indicated, circle or check the appropriate answer Age a) Under 18 b) 18 to 24 c) 25 to 34 d) 35 to 44 e) 45 to 54 f) 55 to 64 g) 65 to 74 h) 75 or older 2) How long have you lived in Charlotte?

1–4 years 5–9 years 10–19 years 20–29 years 30–49 years 50 years or more 3) Are you aware that The Charlotte News is a nonprofit publication that exists in large part due to financial and volunteer contributions from its readers?

Yes I wasn’t, until just now 4) Have you ever donated money to The Charlotte News?

Yes No Why or why not?

5) How do you read the News?

Physical paper Online at thecharlottenews.org

Both

7) What parts of the paper do you regularly read? Circle/check all that apply.

Local news coverage (Selectboard, Fire and Rescue, etc) Regular columns and columnists Commentaries Letters to the editor Ads Feature stories (for example, stories on local musicians, auto mechanics and detailers, and local farms and farmers) Other (If so, what?)

8) What area news coverage would you like to see in the News?

Charlotte only Charlotte and Shelburne The towns in the Chittenden South School District (Charlotte, Shelburne, Hinesburg, Williston, St. George) Charlotte and towns south, including Ferrisburgh, Vergennes and Middlebury 9) Here’s a list of the columns and columnists regularly published in The News. Please rank them with a 1- indicating the column(s) you most value and look forward to reading; with a 2- indicating column(s) you read occasionally and 3- indicating the column(s) you least value and rarely if ever read.

Outdoors by Elizabeth Bassett OutTake by Edd Merritt The Sacred Hunter by Bradley Carleton Conservation Currents by the Conservation Commission Health Matters by Charlotte medical and health professionals Barrie Dunsmore on foreign policy and international relations The Humbled Parent by Sera Anderson Tree Warden’s Report by Larry Hamilton

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. Send to The Charlotte News Classifieds, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 or email your ad to ads@charlottenewsvt.com.

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confident the board can be in making appropriate adjustments to the structure of the paper that will enable us to continue bringing you the nonprofit, high-quality community journalism that you have enjoyed for the past 56 years.

With your help we look forward to continuing that tradition.

What subjects would you be interested in having columns on?

10) The News regularly provides detailed coverage of Selectboard meetings and of upcoming events at the Senior Center and the library. Which other community institutions and town committees would you like The News to cover, either more regularly or in greater detail?

The CCS School Board The CVU School Board The CSSU Board of Directors The Planning Commission The Conservation Commission Other [please specify] 11) The News has a Facebook page. Do you visit the site Regularly Occasionally Rarely Never Didn’t know The News was on Facebook.

6) How long do you spend reading each issue of the News?

More than an hour About an hour Between 30 minutes and an hour Between 15 and 30 minutes Less than 15 minutes

Classifieds

Reader Survey

12) The News used to send out email updates on breaking news stories and important announcements. Should we resurrect the email blast?

No Yes. If you’d like to receive these emails, please include your email address below.

13) What more could we offer in the paper (check as many as you’d like): More photography Videos on the website A “Where Are They Now” feature on Charlotters, young and old, who have left the area and are leading interesting lives or doing interesting work elsewhere Profiles of Charlotters, young and old, who are doing important or interesting work in and for the community More feature stories on “the people, places and happenings that make the Town of Charlotte unique.”

More investigative reporting similar to the lengthy investigation into the controversy over Fire and Rescue that appeared in The News just before Town Meeting 2013.

More coverage of CVU and CCS matters and events, including academic matters, to complement our current coverage of sports.

Other (Please be specific) 14) Would you be interested in volunteering for The News? If so, please circle or check what you would be interested in doing and include your email: Writing [time commitment varies] Distribution [one hour once every two weeks] Delivery drivers [once every two weeks; routes vary] Calendar [two hours every two weeks] Website sub [two hours every two weeks—will train] 15) Is there anything else you’d like us to know about the work we’re doing or what you’d like to see from the paper?

Please mail to The Charlotte News, Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 Drop in box at Old Brick Store, Spear's Corner Store, Charlotte Library, Senior Center or Town Hall.

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Pledge Drive

22 • October 23, 2014 • The Charlotte News

A Model for the

future Given recent developments in the world of for-profit journalism, we at The News believe our nonprofit model is the future of local journalism. That model is based on a deep engagement with the Charlotte community as well as on earned revenue from advertising and events, grants from foundations and contributions from you, our readers.

And it’s those contributions from you that I want to emphasize. The News has been your community paper since 1958.

We’ve been here for 56 years because we pro-

Food &Field Vera Simon-Nobes Contributor

Some readers might know Suzy Hodgson and Mike Walker as founders of YourFarmStand.com, an innovative food shopping platform that enables consumers to buy local food directly from producers in a simple online transaction. Other lucky neighbors have received a gift of their homemade goat cheese, the ash-ripened product of goats that graze lush forest and pastures. Still others may have tried their cultivated mushrooms, an enterprise they started five years ago, which gave their homestead on the South side of Mount Philo its name.

After moving to Charlotte, the forest challenged Suzy and Mike’s livestock fencing systems and brought predators to their turkey pens. They asked themselves how they could turn this habitat into an asset, and given their love of mushrooms, the answer presented itself.

Mike started by inoculating ten logs and quickly learned that his woods offered the perfect climate for mushroom cultivation. At the time he started, he was thinning trees and had lots of wood to work with. Over five years, he scaled-up production from ten to 700 logs and experimented with shiitake, oyster and lion’s mane varieties. With the increase in logs came an increase in “logistical headache,” he said. This prompted further experimentation with varieties, and he has moved away from shiitake varieties that fruit throughout the year after being shocked in cold water and is cultivating more cold weather varieties that fruit naturally twice a year in the spring and fall. The change in varieties freed up Mike and Suzy’s

time for harvesting, drying and marketing the mushrooms to chefs and customers.

While Mike and Suzy have traversed their learning curve on the production end, they are seeing a similar learning curve among consumers. When most people think of local agriculture, for example, they might imagine, dairy, maple, grass-based livestock and vegetables. However, grains, dry beans and fungi are also earning their place at the table, as more people shop at farmers markets and YourFarmstand.com and more chefs and grocery stores seek locally grown products.

“Mushrooms do seem to be like Marmite—you either love ‘em or loathe ‘em,” Mike said. “But mushroom lovers are experimenting with different kinds now.” He has helped educate his customers through events where he teaches about mushroom cultivation and through sharing recipes. Mike has found that many chefs have an appreciation for log-grown shiitakes, which are more nutrient- and flavor-dense than supermarket mushrooms grown quickly on sawdust. “Some chefs even claim that they can taste what species of tree the mushroom grew on,” he said.

Like all agriculture, mushroom cultivation is susceptible to the challenges posed by our changing climate, but Mike suggests mushrooms are resilient amidst unpredictable weather.

“Cold winters don’t affect cultivation, as the mycelium is dormant below 40 degrees or so. Heat is not a problem either,” he said.

The main threats to his crop come from extended dry periods and dry winds. In addition to keeping them in the shade, he has had to mist the

vide you with the news and opinions and stories that you value. If we fail to continue to do that we don’t deserve your support, and we won’t be around even ten years from now, let alone another half century.

So think of your personal contribution to The News not as a donation but as an investment in your community. What’s your return on that investment? It certainly won’t be six percent on any financial contribution, but you’ll get something just as tangible and more worthwhile. Whether it takes the form of a check or your time and talents as a volunteer, your contribution to The News will help us all to know each other better and to become more thoughtfully engaged in determining the present and future of our town.

When you invest in The News through the Friends, your financial contributions to the paper are fully tax deductible. Equally important to us, though, is what our volunteers do in working alongside our small paid staff to help produce and distribute the

Philo Woodland Farm Grows Nutrition and Flavor in Charlotte Woods logs in late summer.

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing during their mushroom trials (their neighboring wildlife has acquired a taste for cultivated mushrooms over

the last few years), but starting the day with an omelet from freshly laid eggs and the morning’s harvest of shiitakes is one of their homestead’s greatest rewards.

Udon Noodle and Miso Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms

By Mark Bittman Makes 4 servings Time: About 30 minutes Udon noodles are the long, thick, now-familiar Japanese wheat noodle that can be treated pretty much like Italian pasta. Make this soup with any stock—dashi, meat, poultry, seafood or vegetable.

8 ounces dried, frozen or fresh udon noodles 11/2 quarts dashi or water 1/3 cup any miso 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms or a handful dried 1/2 cup chopped scallion 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the udon and cook it until it’s just about done—there should still be a light chew to it— about 5 minutes. Drain it and rinse in cold water until cool; set aside. (If you’re cooking the pasta in advance by more than 30 minutes, hold the pasta in a bowl of cold water or drizzle or toss with a couple tablespoons neutral oil.) If you’re using dried mushrooms, pour some of the boiling noodle water over them to cover; soak until soft, about 30 minutes.

2. Heat the dashi in a large, deep pot over medium heat until bubbles rise from the sides. Put the miso in a bowl, add a cup or so of the hot dashi and whisk until smooth. Pour the miso mixture into the rest of the dashi and mix.

3. Slice the reconstituted mushrooms, if you’re using them; strain their soaking liquid and add it to the dashi. Add the mushrooms to the dashi and cook gently (do not boil) for about 5 minutes. Add the udon and heat through, garnish with the scallion and serve.

Udon Noodle and Mixed Seafood Soup Add 1 pound mixed peeled shrimp, chopped small squid and scallops; simmer gently (do not boil) in the dashi-miso broth until the shrimp is pink, about 5 minutes.

Soba or Somen Noodle Soup In the main recipe of any of the variations, use dried or fresh soba or somen noodles instead of the udon; they won’t take quite as long to cook, just 5 minutes or so.

paper. We pride ourselves in producing news for Charlotters by Charlotters. The News will only be as good as the people who produce it, and here in the nonprofit world of community journalism, the more producers the better.

So please consider investing in The News, either financially or by volunteering for one of the many tasks—from writing stories to dropping off papers up and down Route 7—involved in getting the paper to your mailbox every two weeks. The return on your investment will be that you live in a more informed, more engaged community. The return for us at The News is that we’ll still be here in 2070. And that beats six percent any time.

Visit thecharlottenews.org/donate to help support your community nonprofit newspaper

The Charlotte News • October 23, 2014 • 23

Looking to learn more about mushroom cultivation?

Here are some recommended resources.

Follow Mike and Suzy’s adventures at Philo Woodland Farm and get info about their on-farm workshops on their Facebook page. Become a fan at facebook.com/ pages/Philo-Woodland-Farm/132129033467876 The team at Green Mountain Mycosystems offers online guidance for those interested in setting up a home mushroom-cultivation system. vermontmushrooms. com/aboutus.html Jenna Antonio Dimare and Ari Rockland-Miller are ardent mushroom foragers who also teach classes on cultivation. Resources and their workshop schedule are available on their website, themushroomforager.com/

Around Town Congratulations to Brianna Champney and Justin Precourt of Shelburne on the birth of their son Greyson Michael on Oct. 8. Brianna is the daughter of Karan Champney and the late Michael Champney of Charlotte and the granddaughter of Donald Jacques of Charlotte.

Sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Allyson Ledoux, 61, who passed away at home in Wilder after an extended illness. A passionate music lover, Ledoux was a former music teacher at CCS. A memorial service celebrating her life was held Oct. 18, followed by a reception at the Charlotte Congregational Church. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Norris Cotton Cancer Center

at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center or to support any arts-related organization of your choice. is extended to the family and friends of Raymond “Bud” Kelton Jr., 81, of Middlebury. He is survived by his wife and three daughters, including Tanna E. Kelton and husband, Dan Pflaster, of Charlotte.

Memorial gifts in lieu of flowers may be made in his memory to the Middlebury American Legion Post #27 Scholarship Fund, 49 Wilson Road, Middlebury, VT; or to the Activities Fund of the Memory Care Unit, Helen Porter Health & Rehabilitation Center, 30 Porter

Drive, Middlebury, VT; or to the Addison County Home Health & Hospice, PO Box 754, Middlebury, VT 05753. is extended to the family and friends of Joan Limanek, 84, who passed away on Sept. 23 in Burlington. She is survived by her seven children, including John Limanek and wife, Laurie Thompson, and their sons, Thompson and Taylor, of Charlotte.

For those who wish, memorial contributions may be made to Girl Scouts of Green & White Mountains, 60 Knight Lane, Suite 30, Williston, VT 05495.

Big Cats Like Brussels Sprouts?

Burhans’ Music Fills Charlotte’s Staige Hill Farm Noah Kiernan submitted this picture of Will Burhans’ recent concert at Charlotte’s Staige Hill Farm on Oct. 3. Burhans (center) performed with Dominique Dodge (right) and Tim Cummings, who played a blow pipe. Noah is taking photos for his CVU Grad Challenge.

Why We Won’t Charge for obituaries or LegaL notiCes Even though we need money to do what we do, we don’t charge for obituaries or town legal notices, contrary to what most other newspapers do. There’s something that doesn’t seem right about asking bereaved families to pay us for memorializing the death of their loved ones. The News is about celebrating and honoring the people of Charlotte, and charging a premium for this goes against what we represent.

The same goes for charging Charlotte’s Selectboard or Planning

James Palmer took this picture of a bobcat browsing around the Brussels sprouts in his parents’ garden at their home on Claflin Farm Road. His father, Bruce, measured the lumber exposed in the raised bed garden at seven inches. He estimates the bobcat’s shoulder height looks to be about twice that. Have a picture of something interesting happening in Charlotte? Send it to news@ charlotte newsvt.com.

Commission or other town entities for publishing legal notices about issues or upcoming decisions that affect our readers. If our identity is built upon the idea that we are a community resource for information, it doesn’t make sense to shake down the town for sharing essential information.

This is one of the benefits of being a nonprofit publication: We can stand up for the values we hold dear. But it also means we have to ask you for your support when the time comes to pass the hat. If you appreciate these values, we hope you’ll consider donating to our cause.

Pledge Drive

What does a “mushroom farm” look like? To the passer by, a mushroom operation might look like a tidy woodpile made with segments of trees that are four to six inches in circumference. The process of cultivating mushrooms involves much patience, but the reward can be great. The type of mushroom usually dictates what kind of log to use. Shiitakke generally prefer oak, whereas lion’s mane prefer beech. Logs are generally cut into segments three to four feet long for easy handling. The mushroom spores can be ordered online and come on small sections of wooden dowels, called “plugs.” To “inoculate” a log, drill holes into the log, the same circumference as the plug, then insert the plugs. With the plugs inside, seal the holes with melted wax. When all the plugs are in place, the log will be covered with wax spots and can be laid to rest, as the spores weave web-like structures within the log. Eventually, the mushrooms will bloom from the log.

about this Page CeLebrating the

Community One of our favorite emails to write is to thank someone who sends us word of good news to publish in our Around Town section.

This page has been part of The News for a long time. It’s where we celebrate and mourn as a community. The Around Town page honors births, marriages, new careers, new paths in life. We congratulate those who earned academic recognition or are celebrating graduations.

It’s also where we mourn the deaths of people we know, people who share some connection to the community.

Like us, we hope you revel in this small celebration of our neighbors. If you’d like to share your congratulations or sympathy, please send it to news@charlottenewsvt.com.

Visit thecharlottenews.org/donate to help support your community nonprofit newspaper