The Charlotte News | December 17, 2015

Happy

Holidays!

Charlotte News

The

Charlotte’s award-winning community newspaper

Volume lVIII Number 11

The VoIce of The TowN

Year in Review 2015

Thursday, december 17, 2015

The TheCharloTTeNews.org

Vol. 58, no. 11 December 17, 2015

Charlotte News Vermont’s oldest nonprofit community newspaper, bringing you local news and views since 1958

The Old Lantern to shine on The Zoning Board says Gaujacs’ operation is within regs Carrie Fenn CONTRIBUTOR

In a unanimous decision issued on Dec. 4, the Charlotte Zoning Board of Adjustment upheld the determination of Zoning Administrator Jeannine McCrumb that Lisa and Roland Gaujac’s 2009 kitchen renovations did not constitute an alteration of the pre-existing non-conforming use of the Old Lantern.

Appellants Adrian and Alison Wolverton of Greenbush Road were joined by Mike and Karen Frost and Justin and Maura Wygmans as interested parties in the appeal.

Concerning the kitchen renovations, the ZBA states in its decision that it “does not believe the kitchen renovations constitute an ‘alteration’ under Section 3.8” (nonconforming use) of the Charlotte Land Use Regulations. The ZBA believes the changes in the kitchen were necessary to keep the Old Lantern kitchen compliant with Vermont State health standards.

The ZBA also rejected the appellants’ assertion that Old Lantern is now operating as a restaurant, which would require the Gaujacs to apply for conditional use approval. The ZBA stated that it “does not believe the Old Lantern meets the complete definition of a restaurant, as its primary function is to host events.” The

Zoning Board also noted “Charlotte Land Use Records do not provide a definition for an event facility.”

While the appellants contended the Old Lantern ceased operation for six consecutive months in 2006, which would void the nonconforming use provision, the board found no evidence to support this.

The Wolvertons, in a communication from their lawyer, Michael Harris, declined to comment for this article. The Frosts did not answer requests for an interview.

Other issues brought up at the meeting and in written communications to the board, such as noise, frequency of events and alleged unpermitted physical improvements, were outside the scope of the appeal.

“I applaud and salute the board’s common sense,” said Jim Dickerson, who, with his partners, sold the Old Lantern to the Gaujacs in 2006. Dickerson said that when he and his partners, Ed VanTerkovich and Peter Coleman, bought the property from Earl Burns, Burns sold it to them specifically because he felt Dickerson would “keep the place the way it is.”

When the Gaujacs expressed interest in purchasing the property, the partners were impressed with Lisa and Roland’s vision and their commitment to maintaining and improving the Old Lantern. They understood the iconic nature of the facility and see Old lantern, page 9

lighting up the COmmunitY

Members of The Charlotte News staff and board take a break from editing and proofreading just before deadline to gather and ask the community to share some yearend holiday support. For more details about projects you can expect from The News next year, see Alex’s editorial on page 2. Onward to 2016!

making a list, CheCking it twiCe...

Santa and his elfin helpers greet a crowd of ecstatic kids on Dec. 13 at the Charlotte Fire Department. More photos of Santa’s visit on page 15. For the more secular among you, check out Kali’s report on worldly and weird holidays on page 3. PHOTO: MADISON HAKEY

Bomb threat at CVU prompts evacuation CVU students were evacuated on Dec. 15 after an employee found a bomb threat note in one of the boys’ bathrooms. Local and state police worked with CVU maintenance personnel to sweep the building and no bomb was found. To exercise caution, CVU administration, in consultation with Superintendent of Schools Elaine Pinckney, and with advice from agencies at the scene, dismissed students for the remainder of the day.

Look for more details in the coming days on The Charlotte News’ Facebook page and charlottenewsvt.org.

As we approach the end of 2015, we need to raise an additional $5,000 in donations to balance our budget for the year.

While The News, Charlotte’s only nonprofit community newspaper, is delivered free to our readers, it is not free to produce. It’s put together by a small, minimally paid staff of five, who work closely with our large number of volunteers—over 100 in 2015, from hunters and hikers to farmers and tree whisperers and land conservationists. We also pay for printing and mailing the paper and for rent and utilities for our office on Ferry Road.

Advertising revenue covers 70 to 75 percent of our costs. For the rest, about $30,000 this year, we depend on the

Can we get there from here?

Before heading into 2016, The News takes stock of the events that mattered in 2015 Alex Bunten THE CHARLOTTE NEWS

In world news, 2015 was an exciting year. Water was found on Mars and NASA buzzed by Pluto. Barack Obama and Raul Castro chatted in Panama and later agreed to re-establish full diplomatic ties between the United States and Cuba.

India’s population topped 1 billion. The Chinese yuan joined the reserve currency club. Same-sex marriage was legalized across the USA (and Ireland) and Mt. McKinley was officially renamed Denali.

Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders started a long-shot bid for US president. Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori became the first female

writing team to win a Tony Award for best original score in a Broadway musical. And earlier this week, on December 13, Saudi Arabia, in its first-ever election open to female voters and candidates, elected 18 women to municipal councils.

The national and international scene also saw some hard times. Donald Trump began a bid for president. Musician B.B. King and baseball players Yogi Berra and Ernie Banks died, as did best-selling authors Jackie Collins and Colleen McCollough. Montreal began a controversial dumping of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River. Two huge earthquakes shook Nepal. A mining dam collapsed in Brazil. A Russian plane was taken down over Egypt. Terrorist attacks, or mass shootings, appeared everywhere: Charleston, Charlie Hebdo headquarters in Paris, Garissa University College in Kenya, Colorado Springs, Beirut, Paris

again, San Bernardino and too many others.

We at The Charlotte News can’t claim the extensive highs and lows that world news does, but enough has certainly been going on within the borders of Charlotte, Vermont, to keep our pens moving.

Whether it’s a TB outbreak at CCS, the development of a legislative charter to change the nature of Town Meeting or leadership shifts in the Selectboard, school and church, we were there—“The Voice of the Town.”

We believe that without a healthy look back it’s hard to understand where you are going forward (part of the reason why we are so keen on The Charlotte News archive project). Here are the highlights that plotted our course in 2015, for better or worse. see Year in r eview, page 12

CCS boiler leak prompts school wide evacuation Geeda Searfoorce THE CHARLOTTE NEWS

On Wednesday, Dec. 9, just after 11:30 a.m., fire and emergency crews were summoned to inspect a reported antifreeze spill from the furnace at Charlotte Central School. Concern about the potential for adverse health effects from the fumes prompted a school wide evacuation and the Vermont Hazardous see ChemiCal leak, page 5

generous donations of our readers.

We welcome contributions in any amount. If you’ve contributed already this year, thank you!

If you haven’t contributed yet, keep us in mind as you make your end-of-the-year decisions on charitable giving. Please do your part to ensure that we can continue to provide you with the stories about the people and events of Charlotte and that we go into 2016 ever stronger as The Voice of the Town. As we have been since 1958.

More info on our website: charlottenewsvt.org Vince Crockenberg & Tom O’Brien Co-presidents

2 • December 17, 2015 • The charloTTe News

A Seeger segue into the new year dear little town of mine I learned that the paper has a deep history It comes without paying but it ain’t free I learned that money doesn’t fall from the sky Volunteers work damn hard and seldom cry That’s what I learned at The News today, dear little town of mine That’s what I learned at The News today, dear little town of mine

Alex Bunten EDITOR IN CHIEF

When I began my tenure last January as editor in chief of our venerated local community paper, Moe Harvey said to me, “You’re going to learn a lot in this post.”

At the time it sounded a bit ominous, but it also reminded me of a Pete Seeger song my dad used to sing, “What did you learn in school today?” To round out 2015, here’s a few things I learned at The News: I learned that the townsfolk are my friends I learned that Selectboard meetings never end I learned that people get mad sometimes Even if no one’s committed a crime That’s what I learned at The News today, dear little town of mine That’s what I learned at The News today,

The

Board’sCorner

Update from CCS Act 46, Part 2 Mark McDermott CONTRIBUTOR

In the last issue there were articles that referenced Act 46 and its effect on school governance and district unification.

These issues are about to affect Charlotte Central School. However, a second part of Act 46 is swaying the budgeting process currently under way for next year--the so called “allowable growth percentage.” The allowable growth percentage is a formula that determines how much a school district can spend in FY2017 without suffering a tax penalty.

Indeed, Mo was right. There is certainly a lot more to this town than what I thought growing up here—the personalities that punctuate hot button topics, the deeply complex local governance issues and, of course, the debate about how Charlotte will move into the future with a viable Town Plan, staying true to its rural character while also responding to a growing community interest in business development (or just replacing those that have recently left?).

To keep you on the cutting edge of town issues this year, it has taken the help of over 100 volunteers and a few minimally paid staff. To all those who have supported us in 2015—with your time, energy, input, funds—we can’t thank you enough and hope we can count on your help in 2016. I have a feeling it’s going to be an interesting year.

For those of you following along with the developments of your hometown paper, here are a few projects we have on the horizon that we hope you’ll like: Under Act 46 school districts in Vermont are put on a continuum between a budget growth rate of 0% to 5.5% based on spending per equalized pupil. The more a district spends per equalized pupil in the prior year the lower the growth rate allowed. A district that spends more than its allowable growth rate will be taxed $2 for every $1 over. This part of Act 46 is in effect for two years. The goal of the legislature was to hold the growth rate of statewide education spending to 2%.

This particular part of Act 46 is having an outsized influence as we prepare the CCS budget for next year. CCS is in a period of falling enrollment and since the allowable growth percentage is based on the number of equalized pupils, it is restricting our ability to budget for our school. The allowable growth percentage for CCS is 1.48%. However, this does not mean that the budget for the school can rise.

Since this percentage is based on equalized pupils and our enrollment is down year to year, the overall school budget will shrink.

To put this in real terms the budget approved for the current fiscal year was $7,570,996 (a budget plan that provided a

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Build our web presence. We would love to better respond to stories in a manner faster than our bi-weekly publication schedule permits. That, however, takes a lot of time and effort. Hiring a web editor is high on my list from Santa this year.

Update our equipment. We are working with some pretty old computers at headquarters on Ferry Road. To get more people working at The News, building our online footprint, training interns, or attracting good writers, we’ll need to update our machinery. Our printer is from 2003 and the OS system of our Macs is so old that it is no longer supported by Apple.

We get the paper out, but we often dream how much better it could be if we had updated tools.

Start constructing our archive.

Thanks to a very generous $10,000 donation from a loyal reader, we are now able to embark on a quest to consolidate nearly 60 years of the town’s history. This ambitious project will partner with the Charlotte Library and the Charlotte Historical Society to make it a valued community resource for all. We are looking for matching donors to sponsor this project. Please get in touch if you know someone who might be interested in helping us build this magnum opus du Charlotte.

As I said, it should be an exciting year on all fronts. Thanks for reading and all the best from the staff, board and friends of The News.

The Charlotte News accepts all signed letters of local and national interest. Letters must be 300 words or fewer, include your full name and town, and reach us by the appropriate deadline. Writers will only have letters published once every four weeks. The Charlotte News reserves the right to edit for style and length.

Send your letters to news@thecharlottenews.org or The Charlotte News, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445.

The Charlotte News The Charlotte News is a nonprofit communitybased newspaper dedicated to informing townspeople of current events and issues.

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Contributions in the form of articles, press releases and photographs pertaining to Charlotte-related people and events are accepted and encouraged. For submission guidelines and deadlines, please visit our website or contact the editor at news@thecharlottenews.org.

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Editorial Staff news@thecharlottenews.org / 425-4949 Editor in chief: Alex Bunten Assistant editor: Geeda Searfoorce Contributing editors: Edd Merritt, Ruah Swennerfelt, Carrie Fenn, Jorden Blucher Copy editors: Beth Merritt, Leslie Botjer, Vince Crockenberg, Carol Hanley Outwater interns: Kali Adams, Madison Hakey

Business Staff ads@thecharlottenews.org / 802-343-0279 Business manager: Shanley Hinge Ad manager: Monica Marshall Circulation group: Valerie Lebensohn

Board Members Co-presidents: Tom O’Brien & Vince Crockenberg Secretary: John Hammer Treasurer: Patrice Machavern Board members: Bob Bloch, Carol Hanley, Michael Haulenbeek, Gay Regan, Louisa Schibli

Contributors

tax cut). The baseline budget for the next fiscal year was set at $8,003,719. This is the number of dollars needed to run the school exactly the same next year as this year. A large part of this increase i–s due to a 7.9 percent increase in healthcare costs. At the time of the writing, a few numbers are still up in the air. However, the estimate is that the school board needs to cut, spend from reserves or some combination thereof to shrink the baseline budget by $637,000 to get under the allowable growth percentage cap.

You may have read and heard about the legislature revising or removing the allowable growth percentage. At the moment there is not a firm piece of legislation in Montpelier so our budgeting process will progress on the assumption laid out above.

The school administration and the board have much work to do at their upcoming budget meetings. It is our goal (as always) to provide an excellent education for the children of Charlotte in a fiscally responsible manner. Watch this space for further updates.

By the time you read this there will have been two budget meetings held. The final budget meeting will be held on Jan. 5 at 6 p.m. in the CCS library. You can also find budget materials on the schools website at ccsvt.com under the link for the School Board.

Carrie Fenn, Jorden Blucher, Mark McDermott, Chris Davis, Elizabeth Bassett, Kerrie Pughe, Margaret Woodruff, Mary Recchia, Meg Berlin, Nicole Conley

On the Cover After much debate, eight of our favorite cover shots from 2015 grace the final issue of the year. What was your favorite?

Next Issue Deadlines Next publication date: Thursday, Jan. 14 Contributions deadline: Monday, Jan. 4 by 5 p.m.

Advertising deadline: Friday, Jan. 8 by 5 p.m.

Letters due: Monday, Jan. 11 by 10 a.m.

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Postmaster Send address changes to: The Charlotte News P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 Telephone: 425-4949 Circulation: 3,000 copies per issue Copyright © 2015 The Charlotte News, Inc. Printed by Upper Valley Press

The CharloTTe News • DeCember 17, 2015 • 3

Quinlan Schoolhouse opens its doors for an annual holiday celebration

On December 6, the community gathered to celebrate the holiday season at the Quinlan Schoolhouse with crafts, stories and artifacts from a time past but not forgotten. Above left, an antique jackjumper echoes with the exhilarated

And what will you celebrate this December?

A look at holidays around the world Kali Adams THE CHARLOTTE NEWS

Every year December rolls around, we are inundated with the holidays. Most of us celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, reserving the slightest acknowledgement for all other holidays. The darkest month of the year takes on a new light with the numerous festivities occurring.

But if asked, how many holidays could you name in this month? You’d probably list the aforementioned three, then perhaps throw in Winter Solstice, Boxing Day or Advent.

There are far more diverse holidays than that. Incidentally, many coincide with the holidays we know and love.

Saturnalia, a holiday celebrated in Ancient Rome, can be considered the predecessor of Christmas or New Year’s.

According to the Gregorian calendar, this holiday would fall around December 17, then continue to December 26. Held in honor of the god Saturn, it was called “the best of days” by the poet Catullus. The holiday started with sacrifices in honor of the god, then proceeded with plenty of revelry. Social norms were often pushed aside, masters and slaves celebrating alike.

As celebrated by Iranians, the winter solstice is known as Yalda. It’s a celebration of light, and marks the longest night in the year. Traditionally, families gather and spend the night together. Poetry plays a significant role in this holiday, with older family members reading from the poems of Hafez, a lauded Persian poet, late into the evening.

In other parts of Asia, the winter solstice is celebrated not on Dec. 21, but on Dec. 22. A festival called Dongzhi glorifies the return of balance to the universe. This can be traced back to the yin and yang philosophy. The darkest days of the year are over, returning light

shouts of downhill glee from years ago.

Above center, clove-studded oranges brought a spicy sweet smell to the building, built in approximately 1850 and situated originally on Spear St. extension near the Quinlan Bridge. Above right, generations

to the world. A popular way to celebrate the day involves families gathering to worship their ancestors.

Quite a few holidays last more than a single day. Pancha Ganapati is such a festivity in the Hindu tradition. Lasting from Dec. 21-25, it focuses on family. A shrine to Lord Ganesha is created and children take part in decorating him every day in accordance with the shaktis, or five rays of energy. Cards in traditional Indian style, often with Hindu quotes, are sent out and gifts are exchanged every day. However, this is not a traditional Hindu holiday. It was created in 1985 as a way to celebrate Hindu values during a season focused on other ideals, and is primarily celebrated by Hindus in the Western world.

An even longer celebration is Las Posadas, a nine-day celebration with origins in Spain. This religious festival pays tribute to the journey made by Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Celebrated in Mexico and some areas of the Southwestern USA, the festivities start in the evening. A procession winds its way through the streets of the town, seeking lodging for Mary and Joseph. Singing, they are refused entry until they reach the designated house for the gathering.

This holiday has changed little over its 400-year history, with only minor regional variations.

In Scotland, the holiday of Hogmanay coincides with New Year’s. This holiday consists of plenty of traditions, one of the

share stories and holiday memories.

Right, a warm pot of cider simmers on the elegant wood stove. Charlotte was once home to over 12 one-room schoolhouses.

PHOTOS: ALEX BUNTEN

(Left) Traditionally, Las Posadas is celebrated with a procession and plenty of singing to re-enact Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. (Right) Each day of Pancha Ganapati is devoted to a distinct shakti. Children decorate the shrine every day with whatever color is associated with that day. PHOTOS: COURTESY most popular being first-footing. Special attention is paid to the first person to step into the house in the New Year, as they are carrying whatever luck the family may have in the coming year. Symbolic gifts are exchanged, with each holding specific values. The traditional song to sing at this festivity is, in fact, Auld Lang Syne, which has now been spread to other holidays celebrated on New Years.

Need another alternative to normal holidays? Try Newtonmas. Celebrated on December 25, this secular holiday commemorates Isaac Newton’s birth.

Though the origins of this holiday are unknown, the popular belief is that it was formed from an 1890 meeting of the Newton Association. Popular gifts to exchange include science-related items and apples.

Coming back to more recognizable

holidays, imagine the Christmas season without the Twelve Days of Christmas. No, not the song, the holiday. This is a greatly neglected holiday in our modern era, being overshadowed by New Year’s and Christmas. In the Twelve Days following Christmas, Christians celebrate Jesus’ nativity. Some days in the period correspond with feast days for saints. The final day, Epiphany, tops off the daily celebrations with a final festival honoring the day the Three Kings reached Bethlehem.

Why not cap off these holidays with a very Vermont way to celebrate? National Maple Syrup Day is on December 17. It’s basically an excuse to eat more maple syrup. Celebrate by making some pancakes or sugar-on-snow—it’s all in the holiday spirit, after all.

4 • December 17, 2015 • The charloTTe News

Every time a bell rings…

Shopping local this holiday season keeps Charlotte’s cash registers caroling Geeda Searfoorce THE CHARLOTTE NEWS

Though the unseasonably warm winter has kicked off any potential blanket of snow, the calendar reveals that the holiday season is nigh upon Vermont. Charlotte businesses are keeping in step, and sprigs of holly, candles, and twinkling lights make windows merry all over town. Local business owners are stocked and ready to help out with last minute gifts, stocking stuffers, or festive fare for tables and plates.

At Spear’s Corner Store, Carrie Spear marvels at the sweetness of the holiday season in this corner of the world. “Oh, it’s

so much fun, people are in the store and around town. Sometimes at this time of year I feel like we’re in It’s a Wonderful Life!” She’s stocked with all manner of sundries and missing ingredients, along with a side room brimming with one-ofa-kind knickknacks and secondhand treasures that could be perfect for the hard-to-shop-for or even offer children a fun way to get gifts for family members on a budget.

On the west side of town, Rick Benson at The Little Garden Market is busy as an elf catering for holiday parties and other events. His shelves and display cases feature great stocking stuffers like seed packets, books by local authors, cards featuring photographs by Rik Carlson, art supplies, and Hanukah candles. What’s one of his most popular items? “Oysters!” he says. “People love them. I ordered them for a customer last year as a special request and they’ve been a big hit.”

Whitney Williamson Finley at The Old Brick Store is thrilled to be a part of Charlotte at this time of year. “I love it when people come in and are happy and full of the holiday spirit,” she says. “It’s what makes our town great.” She and

FIRST QUARTER HONOR ROLL CVU HigH Honors Caroline J. Arthaud Elise B. Askew Evan G. Beal Victoria E. Bergstein Hannah R. Bernier Oliver H. Bijur Benjamin R. Blackmore Tatum Braun Alexander R. D’Amico Spencer Dooley

Simone R. Edgar Holmes Elizabeth T. Emmons Michaela M. Flore Katey J. Hayes Meara A. Heininger Maeve G. Higgins Nathaniel B. Hodgson-Walker Benjamin R. Hyams Kyle T. Jaunich Julia L. Kahn

Kienan J. Kittredge John J. Koskinen Jennings R. Lobel Gabriel S. Lourie-Wisbaum Katherine M. Mahoney Finn L. McGarghan Hadley S. Menk Dylan R. Paul William B. Pinney III Cassidy R. Price Annabella L.

Pugliese Benjamin K. Recchia Caroline F. Reynolds Audrey A. Schnell Andrew M. Silverman Matthew B. Silverman Rayona T. Silverman Jayce W. Slesar Paige E. Thibault

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her staff are at the ready to cook, bake or assemble any special order a customer overwhelmed with holiday tasks needs.

Sides, desserts, full meals, or a big pan of cinnamon buns for Christmas morning are some of the options. A forthcoming display of local Katie Webster’s cookbook Maple: 100 Sweet and Savory Recipes Featuring Pure Maple Syrup (Quirk Books), along with a keepsake bottle of Vermont’s liquid gold, would make a great gift for visiting family.

Horsford Nursery’s Garden and Gift Shop is abundant with ornaments and locally made candles, which make great host or hostess gifts for this busy party season. “Terrarium supplies are big this year,” says shopkeeper Jessica Rossi, “and gardening tools for amateurs and avid green thumbs alike. The shop features gifts in every price range, and still has selected wreaths along with custom centerpieces for holiday tables.

The ultimate stocking stuffer, Charlotte’s own The Wallet Pen, is available at The Old Brick Store. “December is my biggest month,” says owner Tom O’Brien, grateful to be a part of the business community here and enjoy the

season of giving. “Sales are rockin’ and everyone’s happy.”

Bitty Bean, the ultra-lightweight baby carrier for today’s mobile parent, also makes a great—yes—stocking stuffer, says co-owner Doug Hartwell. “It’s the perfect gift for new and expectant moms.”

Dads, too!

Campbell C. Whalen Eleanor C. Woodruff A/B Honors Carly G. Alpert Maximillian M. Atkins Jenna M. Baginski Theodore G. Baker Chester B. Barber Shane Beal Elaine L. Beaudin Anne M. Bedell Kathryn N. Berger Russell G. Berger Gerald W. Berkowitz Daniel P. Bernier David S. Blood Cole A. Boffa Jack W. Boynton Walter L. Braun William B. Braun Iain C. Buxton Malina C. Carroll Catherine A. Cazayoux Lillian M. Cazayoux Joseph C. Cianciola Ashley N. Clark Isaac A. Cleveland Silas A. Cleveland Mason E. Cohn Samuel J. Comai Rebecca D. Cottrell George W. Davis Sabrina L. Davis

Ethan P. Leonard Devan A. Lussier Kenneth S. MacKillop Cali T. Magoon Morgan K. Magoon Megan A. Mahoney Brynn T. Marshall Nathaniel S. McChesney Sydney M. McGlaflin Nathaniel R. Mick Ezra A. Miller Quinn W. Mlynarick Colin R. Monsey Calvin P. Morse Liam D. Morse Lillian A. Oates Rosanne M. Oates Cole B. Otley Mason V. Otley Sadie B. Otley Lucy M. Pappas Stella J. Pappas Reece Pawlaczyk Amelia B. Pflaster Victoria E. Poquette Madison B. Randall Cole A. Rehkugler Bradley L. Reynolds Morgan M. Schnell Jane F. Servin Wyatt J. Shea Sohaila C. Shiffert

Enzo M. Delia John F. Delisle Arielle M. DeSmet Kevin G. Devine Brandon J. Donahue Edward G. Eagan John C. Eagan Harrison C. Falk Emma E. Flore Edward S. Flynn Bay Foley-Cox Josephine M. Fox Joseph R. Franceschetti Cassandra M. Franklin Leo M. Garbose Maxwell J. Gorman Sophia R. Gorman Matthew J. Gross Adam G. Hamilton Lindsea B. Hayes Shannon G. Helfman Emma M. Hess Seamus M. Higgins Andrew Hinsdale Sara A. Holm Elizah R. Jacobs Laurel M. Jaunich Jackson M. Kahn Christopher E. Keane Claire S. Kellner Samuel W. Knox Sam R. Koskinen Genevie A. Lemieux

Elias H. Sturim Samuel H. Sturim Julie A. Sulva Charlie Tegatz Jack P. Thibault Andrew T. Tieso Adelaide G. Toensing Elizabeth B. Toensing Zachary O. Toensing Ryan M. Trus Peter J. Unger Zaqary N. Urbaitel Parker L. Urie Sydney O. Vincent Kyler O. White-Hansen Thomas D. Wright John R. Zahn Suzannah T. Zimmerman Erin L. Zubarik r iCe First Honors Moira Brown seCond Honors Caroline Breen Hana Couture Cooper Harvey Emma Hudziak Hadley Murphy Alexa Pughe Anna Schibli HonorABle mention

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The CharloTTe News • DeCember 17, 2015 • 5

Shifting positions at the Selectboard meeting Staffing changes and responsibilities are in flux John Hammer THE CHARLOTTE NEWS

After a few weeks’ hiatus, the Selectboard picked up its pace for December with an out-of-sequence session at 4 p.m. on Dec. 7. This meeting was prompted by the resignation of Britney Tenney as administrative assistant in the Planning and Zoning Office. Her departure is scheduled for December 31, when she leaves to pursue a career in law, having just earned a B.A. in Legal Services. She leaves vacant an important office that also provides support to the Selectboard.

Dean Bloch and Jeannine McCrumb presented a discussion of positions, responsibilities and hours per week in the Planning and Zoning office. Included was a discussion on reconfiguring the positions in the office to address the total number of hours needed and the focus of job activities for each position.

After a protracted discussion arising from the fact that Ms. McCrumb estimated that she works 150 percent of the time allocated to her by her job description, it was agreed that this should not occur.

The discussion then turned to how to better apportion the tasks of the office and whether additional work hours would be necessary. The final decision was to advertise for a 25-30 hour job to fill Ms. Tenney’s vacancy. This would be a stopgap

ChemiCal leak

continued from page 1

Material Response Team was called in. Approximately 50-100 gallons of antifreeze had spilled from the basement boiler, according to the Vermont State Police’s Department of Public Safety. EMS personnel were on hand to screen adults and children, though no one required medical attention.

After analyzing samples of the leakage, which was comprised of fluid that may have included a small proportion of the non-toxic antifreeze polyglycol, the Vermont Hazmat Team determined there were no detectable levels of toxicity and the building was safe for occupancy.

Families and caregivers of CCS students received a recorded message from Chittenden South Supervisory Union’s Chief Operations Officer Bob Mason,

measure. Furthermore, a new position of zoning administrator may be considered however, such a plan would result in undesirable salary increases. It was moved that three new position descriptions be developed and analyzed using the Palmer method. These will be evaluated for cost at an additional meeting on Dec. 16.

The regular meeting on Dec. 14 became a marathon session of almost four hours on budget projections. First, however, the board agreed on the wording of the Town’s Management Discussion and Analysis for the year ending last June 30. This summary of the detailed auditors’ report was generated to insert in the next town report. This item was quickly followed by a successful request from board members of The Charlotte News for a $500 donation to the paper for calendar year 2015. This was to recognize the paper’s contributions in informing Charlotters of town news.

There followed an administrative action accepting a number of corrections to three grand-list errors and omissions. These arise almost annually and are of little consequence. Once these administrative matters were resolved it was time to launch a series of budget reviews for the coming fiscal year.

Mary Mead began with a protracted presentation of the very complex budgeting for the Office of Town Clerk/Treasurer.

Details can be found on the last five pages at bit.ly/1RltC74. Her comprehensive presentation met with a round of applause from the audience.

She was followed by Gregory Smith of the newly activated Community Safety Committee. It should be noted that, since the committee is advisory to the Selectboard, its $30,000 budget is subsumed within that of the town clerk’s.

The committee proposed purchase and installation of two permanent radar speed signs for a total of $8,500. In addition to these signs, Smith proposed $500 to fund

the creation by Charlotte Central School students of innovative signs prompting greater road safety. The Selectboard encouraged Smith to advance his proposal to this fiscal year, as it appears the full amount is not presently projected to be fully spent, leaving the $9,000 available for this year.

John Snow, corporate president of the Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service (CVFRS) followed with a presentation of a more streamlined operational budget that early on came under only limited scrutiny (bit.ly/1RlvxIM). It was not until two Capital Reserve Fund (bit. ly/1RlvQnb and bit.ly/1RlvT2k) options were presented that the real discussion began. At issue is the projected need to replace the present second-line (backup) 1980 pumper in FY 2017-18. The cost of $550,000 is currently not expected to be available. Past votes and discussions had attempted unsuccessfully to address how to pay for the eventual purchase. Snow recommended an increase in the tax input to cover the expected shortfall.

This led Assistant Town Clerk Christina Booher to note that just because “the grand list is going to go down, the amount of money that goes to the state for taxes does not, which means that it will actually increase the tax rate for the citizens…. If you ask for an addition, you will ask for an addition to what the State is going to ask for, too. People will notice it on their tax bill.” Mary Mead added that she felt strongly that the CVFRS operational budget was too high and hinted that another hit added to the capital reserve was just too much. After a detailed discussion about equipment needs, life cycles and costs, the Selectboard decided to defer a decision until comparative costs between capital reserve funding and bonding could be done.

Dean Bloch followed with a short but comprehensive budget review for the

Selectboard that can be found at bit.ly/1NRnSzI. There were no surprises except that possibly the library would not host the Town Party next year. The library board has proposed that it hold its book sale with the addition of a food cart, while letting the Town Party shift to the beach later in the day as was successfully done last July. The Recreation Committee hosted the Town Beach Party last year.

In a final discussion, the Selectboard took up the question last raised at its Nov. 30 meeting on how to handle Mary Mead’s 21-plus years of service. Because the Town Pay Policy grid caps workers out at 140 percent of base pay at the 15-year mark, she was seen by some as the victim of an inequitable policy. A solution was offered, moved and approved by a vote of 3–2, with Selectpersons Spell and Spear voting no. This motion added a one-time fourth step of 2 percent at the 20th anniversary of any position. This would be applied retroactively to any employee (in this case Mead) to the date of the implementation of the policy in January 2015.

The next regular Selectboard meeting will be on Dec. 21.

describing the situation and alerting them of the plan for early dismissal. A subsequent message addressed the details about afterschool activities. Mason expressed a preference for students to utilize their regular buses as transportation.

In a follow-up message to CCS families, Lead Principal Barbara Anne KomonsMontroll offered more details and clarity about the incident, preliminarily addressing the school’s response to the emergency.

“Students and staff remained calm yet alert as we followed our protocols,” she wrote. “These protocols prioritize student safety and as a result all students were safe through every step of the process … The community’s response was tremendous with everyone pitching in to assist wherever needed.”

This reporter’s daughter, second grader Rose Howell, rode the bus home during the early dismissal from the evacuation location. “It was a little confusing,” she

said, “but the adults told us what to do. I always felt safe.”

Having left her backpack and coat at school, as most students did to be compliant and efficient during evacuation protocols, Rose said she sensed the energy in the air as she and her fellow classmates waited for the school buses and car pickups. “We had to try to not get too crazy,” she said, “because there was so much going on. But we were all excited even though we didn’t really know why. When I got home I was ravenous!”

Komons-Montroll stressed that this smooth execution of a school-wide evacuation is an opportunity to fine tune operations for the future.

“As is our procedure,” she assured families, “we will be debriefing all protocols

used in order to improve upon them. We are aware that our communication regarding the location for picking up your children needs greater clarity and we will remedy that immediately.” Additional refinements to procedure will be forthcoming.

As budget talks continue at CCS, the implications of the need for a “slush fund,” as one board member called it, to be available for unexpected repairs such as the boiler leak, will likely be addressed.

But for now Komons-Montroll is grateful for the concerted efforts of staff, students, families, and the surrounding community in ensuring that this unexpected and challenging situation kept student safety top priority.

What stories would you like to see covered in Charlotte?

Who would you like to see profiled in our pages? Finish this sentence in an email to news@thecharlottenews.org: “You should write a story about…” Or if you have a story you’d like us to consider, email it to us, and our editors will work with you to make it publishable.

6 • December 17, 2015 • The charloTTe News

Now hear this CCS budget hearings offer taxpayers a chance to weigh in Geeda Searfoorce THE CHARLOTTE NEWS

As the days grow shorter, the lights remain on at the Charlotte Central School Library on selected evenings to welcome the Charlotte Board of School Directors, the administration and the public to discuss the proposed budget for fiscal year 2017. The first of these budget hearings, held on Dec. 1, featured a community forum, a budget work session and an Act 46 community forum, effectively offering a view of the landscape of decisions facing the people of Charlotte in the coming months. The second meeting, held on December 15, offered a more detailed look at proposed cuts and specific line items, as Principal Barbara Anne Komons-Montroll presented a document on which she and her team had been working.

Among the faces in the crowd of concerned, dedicated and stalwart community members were a number of teachers and staff, interested in getting a first listen about how their day-to-day work may be affected in the wake of budget decisions. Opening the community forum on Dec. 1, school board chair Mark McDermott invited questions from the audience, which he addressed along with a number of the board members and Bob Mason, Chittenden South Supervisory Union’s chief operations officer.

In short order, Charlotte’s tremendous challenge was re-revealed. Facing declining enrollment and the impending shift in the allowable growth percentage, how do we build a roughly $8 million budget—essentially flat with this year’s $7.5 million budget, when rising costs, primarily healthcare related, are taken into account—while ensuring that student education is paramount? One community member asked the question on every taxpayer’s mind. “If enrollment is going

down,” she asked, “why are we spending more? Why is Charlotte having such challenges?”

That answer has broader implications for our town and the economy at large, though big pictures are tricky to keep an eye on when spreadsheets demand smaller numbers. Projections for the next 15 years estimate that CCS enrollment will hover at about 350-450 students, while the Shelburne and Hinesburg K-8 schools are growing.

McDermott summed up the goal on which board members and administration are focused by saying, “Schools need to be right-sized.” (See page 2 for his article about the implications of Act 46 on the budget and the allowable growth percentage.) But as Mason reminded everyone, “These are very difficult times. They require out-of-the-box thinking.”

That out-of-the-box approach is why these hearings are beginning now, in advance of decision time. The budget for the current school year, though it’s just over a month in, is estimated to be $58,000 under projections. AJ Haigney, CCS’s budget buddy offered his view that, “I’m of a mind that we should use the fund balance to extinguish debt.”

Planning ahead to maintain a surplus was a point of much of the first evening discussion’s focus. Mason pointed out that the “surplus is Charlotte’s money” and that “the advantage to a fund balance in a small school system is to cover unexpected costs,” like a mold problem being uncovered—as it was not long ago in Milton—or fixing a boiler leak like the one that prompted a CCS evacuation just last week (See page 1 for more).

One community member asked about the existence of a surplus at all. “It’s great that we have it, but does it mean that our budget is too padded?” Lynne Jaunich, current CVU board member and former CCS board member, pointed out that, “In the past there was no padding and it was miserable.” The Chittenden South Supervisory Union has low reserves for schools to tap into. Individual schools must cover their risks, hence the necessity of

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CCS Lead Principal Barbara Anne Komons-Montroll and CCS Chittenden South Supervisory Union Chief Operating Officer Bob Mason discuss proposed budget cuts for the coming year. PHOTO: GEEDA SEARFOORCE the surplus. Jaunich reminded the crowd, “Going to the voters midway through the year is tough.”

During the last several budget cycles, the board has asked the administration to come up with proposals, which were presented without prior discussion. This revision of business-as-usual has created an environment open to debate, thereby offering a chance for more “out of the box” thinking and ensuring that the opportunity for more inclusiveness on the part of the community at large might prevent the negative budget vote that happened last year.

When Komons-Montroll began to lay out the items that she and her team had been reviewing while developing a proposal, she stressed that “maintaining and/or improving student programs and education quality standards” is the guiding principle of all forthcoming decisions.

This reminder laid the groundwork for board, staff, administration and public consideration of some potentially contentious issues on the road to “right sizing.”

“We’re examining what an FTE [fulltime equivalent] would mean for teachers, how many minutes they spend with students…that may mean distributing responsibilities,” Komons-Montroll said, “while maintaining or improving class sizes.” She went on to address a possible line item reduction in staffing, stressing that there were scenarios in which a classroom teacher would be reassigned and not

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eliminated.

Another $60,000 was targeted for possible reduction in the line item labeled “Other,” which includes travel, miscellaneous and computer equipment.

Additional items up for discussion include assistant coaches, maintenance operations, kitchen staff, office staff—particularly the position of receptionist—summer school, literacy intervention and technology integration.

During the Dec. 15 meeting, KomonsMontroll’s report offered a detailed look at proposed eliminations—like the positions of receptionist and assistant cross country coach—and reductions like in percentage of FTE positions such as behavior systems and response coordinator, and health, Spanish, art, and physical education teachers. Where possible, any necessary unmet needs could be absorbed by other staff. In this proposed model, one FTE elementary teacher would be reassigned to other tasks, not eliminated.

After a moment during which the board and attendees universally praised Komons-Montroll for her work in developing the proposed cuts, McDermott had the unwelcome task of informing the assembled that the new numbers reveal that there is a further need to reduce an additional $180,000. After adjustments for falling oil prices, that number drops to $160,000 but is still a significant amount.

Some board members expressed their frustration at the degree to which Charlotte has to adjust its budget. Kristin Wright said that, “It is absolutely crazy that we are being asked to cut this much from a school this size,” and called on representative Mike Yantachka to explain how we are supposed to make these decisions when our budgets are due before the legislature meets again. Yantachka reported hearing similar outcries from other Vermont communities and assured those assembled that he would take these concerns up in the coming weeks.

Others board members attempted to identify other places in the budget to trim. Clyde Baldwin zeroed in on what he perceived to be a natural solution to the problem at hand. “I don’t know why we’re not looking at eliminating that [elementary] teaching position,” he said.

Before the board went into executive session, McDermott closed the meeting by encouraging the public to attend these hearings and upcoming forums about Act 46. “Information comes in throughout the budget season,” he said. “As people come to these meetings, the questions keep getting better, which helps us think through all of the issues.” The public will be able to just that at the next meeting on January 5 at 6 p.m.

Contact Geeda at geeda@thecharlottenews.org.

The CharloTTe News • DeCember 17, 2015 • 7

Sports CVU wrestlers off to great start

Women’s basketball gets the gold Having tied the state record for 74 straight wins, CVU women, led by Charlotte hoopsters Laurel Jaunich and Sadie Otley, faced Rice as the only impediment to a new state record.Tobegintheyear,CVUwontheinitial KevinRiellMemorialTournamentoverBurr and Burton in the final, and Otley was named “Most Valuable Player.” Jaunich had 20 points and five rebounds, while another Charlotte Hawk, Annabella Pugliese, help control the backboards with seven rebounds.

Sadie had led CVU to an opening season win over Burlington in the tournament playdown by singly scoring 24 points, stealing the ball six times and four times assisting others. Otley and Jaunich followed up the tournament championship by scoring nearly half of CVU’s points in last week’s 45 – 18 victory over South Burlington.

Then came the record-setting opportunity, and the Hawks were not to be denied.

Whether it resulted from the chance to set a state record or the opportunity to bounce back from a tightly fought championship last year, the Redhawks took the game in hand.

Theyappeareda bit nervous atthe beginning, but they soon overcame the tension through strong defense that brought turnovers and baskets. The end of the second and the third quarterssawthemadvancethrougha21-point streak to go into the final break ahead 35 –7.

The final score was 53–25.

Jaunich led all scorers with 21 points, followed by fellow Charlotter and coach’s daughter Sadie Otley with 14 points. Having not lost since Jaunich and Otley arrived as freshmen in 2012-13, the Redhawks hope to extend it versus Colchester in the Spaulding Tournament on December 17.

Men have landed at an even 2 and 2 followinga55-23losstoRice.ACharlotteballplayer, Adam Hamilton, scored six points to lead the Redhawk attack. After having topped Burr and Burton Academy in the opening game of the Riell Tourney, the Redhawks lost the championship to Rutland by 10 points, 47-37.

Hamilton again paced the CVU scoring with 13 points, followed by another shooter from Charlotte, Reece Pawlaczyk, with 11.

Hamilton and Walker Storey were named to the all-tournament team.

Casson leads CVU gymnasts in Rebel Holiday Invitational

Carrie Fenn CONTRIBUTOR

Edd Merritt Sports Roundup added the winning goal in a close contest against Burlington.

Men’s hockey thought they had things wrapped up in last week’s Beech Tournament game against their Cairns Rink partners, South Burlington. And it appeared that they did, carrying a 3-0 lead into the third period, only to see it evaporate before losing a shootout, 2-1. CVU came back against Colchester to win the Laurel Jaunich, in the Dec. 3 game against consolation game 3-0. They will next face Burlington, leads CVU to a new state Lower Canada College, a team they split record. PHOTO: VTSPORTSIMAGES.COM games with to begin the season.

CVU “fall-stars” All-star rosters for fall sports contained numerous Redhawks this year. In women’s soccer, senior defender Annie Keen was named to the first team Burlington Free Press all-star roster. She was joined by Megan Gannon and Sierra Morton on the coaches’ selections for all-state and Metro Division stars. On the latter group, Keen was named Defensive Player of the Year. In addition to Gannon and Morton, Charlotte’s Catherine Cazayoux was named by the Free Press to its second all-state team. Lia Gagliuso gained honorable mention as did goalie Michaela Flore who is also from Charlotte.

Football saw three Redhawks land on all-state rosters selected by the Free Press sports’ staff; senior lineman from Charlotte, Kienan Kittredge on the second team and honorable mentions going to another lineman, senior Sam Belisle and a defensive tackle, Nick Fecteau. Coaches picked twelve Redhawks for their Division I all-star teams (first, second and honorable mention). Kittredge again made the first team offensively. On the second team they named running back Richard Lowrey.

They also recognized wide receiver Sam

Mikell, tight end Trevor Kingston and offensive lineman Belisle. Honorable mention went to quarterback Andrew Bortnick, running back Braven Bose and lineman Chris O’Brien. Showing that they were standouts defensively as well, Nick Fecteau and Sam Belisle were second team selections by the coaches, who added backfielder Mason Cohn to their second all-state defensive team. Zack Tensing and Jake Evans received honorable mention.

Nordic skiers open in Craftsbury Did someone say SNOW? Well, apparently the cross-country skiers found enough to race on in Craftsbury on Saturday.

Ten men’s and women’s team competed, with CVU finishing first among men and second among women. Alison Spasyk was the lone Redhawk woman to finish among the top-10 individuals, coming in ninth, and Charlotte’s Peter Unger along with his teammate Baxter Bishop finished fifth and sixth among men.

With the tournament divided by high school class, CVU’s Captain Jackie Casson ledherseniorclassmatesbycapturingsecond place in three events plus the all-around category and a third place in one event. She was in a continuing dual with Malorie Dutil of Northfield. Junior Julia Higa was also a top-three finisher for the Redhawks as were the sophomore sisters Guinevere and Asiana Giubardo. Madeleine Serafini was the lone freshman to gain final three individual honors.

Women’s hockey pairs with Mount Mansfield Last year saw a combined CVU/South Burlington women’s hockey team; this year the Redhawks pledge allegiance to Mount Mansfield Union and turn into Cougars, contributing seven players to the combined roster but having to travel to Essex for practices and g-ames. Six of the seven are underclassmen. The Cougar/ Hawks recently beat Burlington and Brattleboro to gain a 2-1 record in the early season. Traveling to Brattleboro, they scored 7 goals, holding their opponents to a single tally. CVU’s Jackie Ryan and Lydia Maitland each scored a pair. Ryan had

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Tough training has definitely paid off early on this season for the CVU Redhawk wrestlers. The Hawks cleaned up in the first junior varsity tournament of the season at Essex High School on Dec. 5, winning several weight class titles and the overall team award. On Thursday, the varsity squad traveled to Mount Mansfield where they beat out Middlebury and MMU in a team dual meet.

Dec. 12 found the red and white at Salem High School in Londonderry, New Hampshire. Facing some tough competition, the Redhawks placed in several weight classes. Charlotte Senior Kienan Kittredge took third in the 195 weight class with a pin in just 33 seconds. Cooper Buldoc, a senior from Shelburne, pulled off an impressive third place finish at 152 pounds, with a pin in the second round.

Williston junior Jacob Griggs competed in a difficult field to take third at 185 pounds.

Freshmen Kyle Bergeron (132 pounds) and Justin Bissonette (145 pounds) both took fourth. The team finished 8th overall out of 13 teams. The Redhawks travel back to New Hampshire this weekend to compete in the Londonderry Holiday Wrestling Tournament.

Only one week left of Dee PT Great Diaper Drive 2015 So far over 35,000 diapers have been collected, which means only 5,000 more are needed to reach the goal. The Champ Community at St. Albans Town Educational Center ran a diaper drive within their classroom as a community service project, collecting over 2,000 diapers. Captain Richard Phillips, local author and merchant mariner, also stopped in with a donation.

Diapers can still be dropped off at Dee PT locations in South Burlington, Shelburne and Hinesburg during normal business hours up until Dec. 22, when we donate them to the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS).

8 • December 17, 2015 • The charloTTe News

Quietly making noise

Time Capsule Jorden Blucher CONTRIBUTOR

“Pick up my poop, garbage man!� Noah yelled as the garbage truck pulled up to the curb.

This gem of a tweet is from March 2012.

Twitter is one of the ways that I journal for the boys and for myself. My mother journaled by writing important events on large, year-at-a-glance wall calendars— recently I found one from 1977 rolled up in the back of a closet. She told me there were more packed away somewhere. “I did it more with Tycen [my older brother] than with you,� she said.

Michelle, a mom of three, summed up her journaling habits this way—“Thoughts on journaling: Pre-children, every day.

First child, every other day. Second child, every few months. Third child, every year’s end.�

I’ve been journaling off and on since high school, but after I began reading letters my grandmother had written from the 1940s to the 1970s, I began writing every night. Not only about the daily events but also the internal struggles and joys that help to understand a person. In the letters, I am able to watch my dad grow up and to understand my grandmother a little more. It has been fascinating to see not only myself in his actions but our boys as well. These letters were never meant to be a journal, but given the detail that is in them they might as well have been.

A modern twist to the letter is the idea of setting up an email account for your children and sending them letters throughout their childhood, giving them an easyto-read journal. Along with Twitter and my nightly journals I also have a private Facebook page. This is an easy way to share pictures and videos, in an organized fashion, with friends and relatives around the world.

Steve, a stay-at-home-dad of twin girls, said he had recently gone through the

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journals he had kept between college and marriage. “[It] was a great way to remember some of the things that pictures didn’t catch, and usually veered from being documentation of what happened, which was great, into what I was thinking and feeling about things at home and who I was with on the trip. “The only journal I have had since marriage is one I started about a year ago. I only write in to keep track of bigger things that happen. Trips, deaths, births, visitors, extreme storms and snowfall and temps, etc., and big news events. The kicker is that I reuse the same calendar every year so I can see exactly what happened a year ago today. One calendar should last me about seven years before it is filled up.�

When my father passed away nearly four years ago I realized that I knew only the parenting part of him. Neither my brother nor I had any idea that he was such a force in the Vermont planning community. My dad journaled sporadically for the first eight years or so of my life, and in doing research for this column I opened those journals. In his words I discovered another side of him, the one that was worried about providing for his family, worried that there was not enough time to do all the things he wanted to do, the one who was regretful after he yelled at us, his continuous effort to avoid internalizing so much.

This is me. These are also my worries.

Even the words he used to describe how he was feeling could be my words. His writing about feeling depressed describes how I feel, and this fills in a piece of my puzzle for me. To find out that my dad felt, at times, the same way I feel is a way for me to understand my depression a little better. I don’t think his was as bad as mine can be, but regardless, knowing this now makes me understand how he seemed to completely understand what I was going through when I was diagnosed with depression in 2009 after I lost my job.

My friend Lisa journals on a daily basis in a photo blog for her son, Teo. She says, “Every day I add a picture, or two or three or 20 (for very busy or highly fun and photogenic days!). Sometimes I add a short video, sometimes a paragraph or a quote that Teo said. I don’t really know why I do it‌ maybe it’s my way of dealing with my obsession of time flying by. I lost my father at 47, so I feel pressed by time to leave something for Teo. If I die early he will have the blog to keep some history.â€?

Michelle keeps a holiday journal where she describes the ornament that she picked out for each child for that year.

She also reflects on the year and what the kids’ passions and interests were. As a family, they also keep a gratitude journal by the dining room table that they try to write in every week, “as a way for us to focus our energy on gratitude... Even our

The 1977 wall calendar that the author’s mother kept about her children’s activities and developments. two-year-old understands when we say, ‘What are you thankful for?’�

In a world that seems to be increasingly intolerant, violent and focused on material growth, this is perhaps something we should all be doing regardless of whether we journal personally.

Whereas I journal to have a memory for myself and others to read later in life, my friend Julie, who has three kids ranging in age from kindergarten to 8th grade, sees journaling more as a tool rather than something to share. “It helps me think and to wade through the junk to what really matters,� she says. “I started keeping a journal when I was a teenager. We had to for English class and it just stuck.�

She now has boxes of journals that she can’t decide if she should burn or read through. Julie not only journals for herself but also with her children; her older son writes a letter to her on Friday and she responds over the weekend. She and her teenage daughter have a journal that they write in together once a week or so. “We ask each other questions and tell about what is happening,� she says. These activities allow her to see her son’s more thoughtful side and what her daughter is thinking about.

Journaling is an amazing gift to give your children and yourself. It is a way to be candid and to wade through the junk. But it also allows you to hold on to memories; it puts a timeline to the hazy ones and brings back ones you’ve forgotten. It allows your children to fill in the gaps when they are trying to figure out where exactly they come from. It is a time capsule that I look forward to opening one evening 20 years from now with my wife, Erin, when the house is once again quiet and we long to vividly recount those days when the boys were young.

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The CharloTTe News • DeCember 17, 2015 • 9

Vermont birders encouraged to join annual Christmas bird count This holiday season marks the 116th annual Christmas Bird Count, a favorite tradition among Vermont’s birding community. Birders in Vermont are encouraged to participate in the count, which begins on December 14 and runs through January 5.

Even novice birdwatchers can participate because every event is led by an experienced birder. Organizers and participants include birders and biologists from Audubon Vermont, the North Branch Nature Center, the Northwoods Stewardship Center and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

“The Christmas Bird Count is a great

Old lantern

continued from page 1

improving the Old Lantern. They understood the iconic nature of the facility and the importance of preserving it for private events and as a community space. The Gaujacs host several fundraising events at the Old Lantern, at a reduced rate or at no charge to the event planners, in addition to private parties.

Dickerson likens the current complaint to people “who purchase a house next to a school and then complain about noisy children.” He says the assertion by the Wolvertons that the Old Lantern kitchen didn’t have an exhaust fan before the

way to join with friends and family to be part of an historic national bird monitoring project that helps provide a snapshot of where birds are wintering from year to year,” said John Buck, wildlife biologist for Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “Participating in the count can be especially rewarding during years when there are irruptions, or mass migrations of an unusual species to Vermont, such as redpolls or snowy owls.”

In Vermont more than a dozen count areas and dates are available where birders gather to conduct the Christmas Bird Count. The dates and contract information for each event are listed on the Vermont eBird website at tinyurl.com/ XmasBirdVt15.

“The Christmas Bird Count is one of the longest-running citizen science projects in the country and possibly in the world,” said Mark LaBarr, conservation program manager for Audubon Vermont. “Not only does it provide important data for scientists, but it’s also a great time for folks who renovation is “ridiculous.” “The Old Lantern kitchen always had a huge fan,” he said. He says in over 50 years, no one who has lived in the home the Wolvertons now occupy has complained about noise or smells coming from the facility.

Lisa Gaujac is relieved by the ZBA’s decision. She hopes that the town will eventually vote on “what we are” so she and her husband do not have to contend with issues such as this appeal.

When asked for comment, the Wygmans stated that they “reached out to the Gaujacs many times since they bought the Old Lantern asking them to meet with us and to work out any issues, but they were unresponsive to our concerns and refused to meet. We were left with no choice but

PROPERTY TRANSFERS

participate.”

The Christmas Bird Count originated in 1900 with ornithologist Frank Chapman, an officer in the Audubon Society, who updated what had been a traditional Christmas morning bird hunt to include a census of the wintering locations of various bird species. The count started with just 27 observers and has grown into one of the largest birding events in the world, with tens of thousands of people participating every year. to ask the town to get involved. There are noise regulations in place, and all we have asked is that the own enforce these regulations.”

The appellants, or any other interested person who participated in the proceedings, may appeal to the Vermont Environmental Court within 30 days of the Dec. 4 decision.

Contact Carrie via email at carrie@ thecharlottenew.org.

nOv. 16. Peter and Leigh Phillips to John D. Moran and Adrienne C. Baker, 10.27 acres with dwelling, 316 Popple Dungeon Road, $790,000. nOv. 16. George R. and Claire C. Aube to Adam and Sarah Hergenrother, 10.32 acres, 435 Dorset Street, $140,000. nOv. 23. Hugh W. Lewis Sr. Revocable Trust to Tyler D. Lewis, 6.0 acres with dwelling, 1069 Ferry Road, $180,000. dec. 1. Kim Anderson to Jonathan Couture, 14.94 acres with dwelling, 240 Vineyard View, $116,200. dec. 3. Marilyn K. Richardson to Daniel Rivest and Linda St. Pierre, 1.85 acres with dwelling, 2757 Greenbush Road, $660,000. dec. 7. Peter and Stephanie James to Dwight and Jennifer Mazur, 5.05 acres with dwelling, 671 Lime Kiln Rd., $490,000.

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10 • December 17, 2015 • The charloTTe News

Keeping Company

Conversations in and around Charlotte’s business scene

Growing smallproducer market share and profits Carrie Fenn THE CHARLOTTE NEWS

Anyone who does business in Vermont knows our economic climate is a challenge.

Forbes released data in October that put Vermont close to the bottom of the economic scale in the U.S.: number 46 in business costs, number 42 in regulations, number 45 in growth prospects. Not only that, Vermont has the smallest economy of all 50 states.

Ouch.

These stats don’t deter small business, however. Vermont has the highest density of small businesses and employees of small business, and Charlotte is no stranger to the entrepreneurial spirit. Over 591 active businesses use Charlotte as their filing address with the Vermont Secretary of State, and many of these are farms and food producers.

In an economic environment as challenging as Vermont’s, how do small producers survive?

Enter the concept of the sharing economy—a way to put control of the transaction in the hands of the consumer. Think Airbnb and Uber, Power U, even Craigslist. Goods and services that have been controlled by large players are steadily falling into less centralized markets, made possible by the use of technology that connects people who need something to people who have it.

Here in Charlotte, we have our own example of a sharing economy with Yourfarmstand.com, an online marketplace that allows consumers and farmers to connect. For this installment of Keeping Company, I talked to Suzy Hodgson, one of the founders of Yourfarmstand.com, to get a sense of how this innovative approach to marketing local farm products is working in our small town.

Farmstand Co-op, or Yourfarmstand as it is now known, was created in 2009 with funds from a small grant by the New England Grassroots Environment Fund (grassrootsfund.org). For Hodgson and her team, the $2,000 seed grant was enough to buy an old IBM computer—to act as the market’s server—and to develop the platform for the online market. Hodgson, along with other Charlotters, including Joe Messingschlager, Bob Hyams, Mike Walker, and Matt Burke and Tanya Srolovitz of the former Bloomfield Farm, launched the market as an ad hoc community group, with a mission of “increasing access to local food.”

They hoped to create a venue for consumers that broke down some of the barriers to buying local. In talking to people, Hodgson found that the desire to buy local food

existed, but for some committing to a CSA wasn’t ideal—too much of some things, not enough of others, coordinating pickup and worries about finding someone to pick up the share if the member went out of town.

With Yourfarmstand, families could buy from the “farmer down the road,” but they would only buy when and what they wanted, and they could purchase from multiple farms instead of being locked into their CSA. Yourfarmstand was borne out of the idea Hodgson had to invigorate our local economy by establishing something akin to an online bartering network. She envisioned a virtual economy whereby people received credits to their account by selling items; they were then debited for the things they purchased.

Idealistically she hoped for a sustainable local economy and 100 percent of the virtual dollars staying in Charlotte. In practical terms, that approach didn’t work. Ultimately there are fewer local consumers who are willing to make weekly planned purchases (as opposed to buying food at the grocery store) than there are local producers, and most people are either sellers or buyers and just want to use real dollars.

Other aspects of the original idea have worked quite well, however. Hodgson notes there are several inefficiencies involved in the growing and marketing of food. Even in the case of farmers markets, farmers spend several hours setting up and staffing tables, all for sales that may not happen. In the case of Yourfarmstand, the farmer knows what the consumer wants and can harvest just the amounts that have been sold. Hodgson says this lack of waste is critical on a broad scale.

“Food that’s wasted is energy wasted,” she notes, and one can see she thinks about food and its impact on various systems differently from the rest of us.

Hodgson provided me with a statistic from the USDA that breaks out how an average food dollar is dispersed among the players in the food chain. For every dollar Americans spend on food, only 7 cents stays on the farm. With Yourfarmstand, Hodgson and her co-founders hoped to change that.

“Farmers that sell on Yourfarmstand are able to keep 90 cents of every dollar they sell,” she explains. That’s impressive.

Other benefits to Yourfarmstand include the lack of barriers to entry into the market.

Producers can use Yourfarmstand to test products and get an idea of their marketability or to sell excess. Some have used it to try different avenues of marketing, such as partnering with another producer to create a value-added line of complementary products. Others have used it as a launching pad for their own CSAs. The system is dynamic, however,andthereisafairamountofattrition on both sides of the transaction. Hodgson notes that producers, and customers, come and go. Life changes, such as divorce, babies or going back to school, can take a farm offline.

Hodgson will call producers when she

WE MAKE IT

PERSONAL Distinctive art by established and emerging talent

Suzy Hodgson of Yourfarmstand.com signs up Sue Thibault in 2011—their 100th Charlotter. PHOTO: COURTESY sees they haven’t posted anything in a while, often to find that the farm has ceased operation. In the case of customers, some just move away. Others leave town for months at a time. She still monitors the site to see who is in and who is out. One gets the sense that she has only slightly grown accustomed to seeing the names on the site change. She doesn’t take the losses personally any more, but clearly they still matter.

ShakeyGround Farm, on Converse Bay Road in Charlotte, has been selling its wares on Yourfarmstand for four years.

Co-owner Drew Slabaugh says that he appreciates the ability to harvest only what folks have ordered on the site, but that sometimes judging how much will be available a week in advance can be a challenge. He likes having the flexibility to offer the farm’s products when they are available, even if only for a short time. The one downside he notes is the impersonal nature of the transaction. He doesn’t know who his customers are or what they are buying. Overall, though, Yourfarmstand has been a good fit for the farm.

As a consumer, Yourfarmstand has few downsides. Signing up for the site and depositing money into an account is safe and simple. The descriptions of the products are clear and accurate. Selecting products is easy, and there are plenty of convenient pickup sites. Buying groceries online requires some menu planning, but consumers are rewarded with better taste and nutrition stemming from purchasing food that is both fresh and local.

Six years in, I’m curious if, in Hodgson’s mind, Yourfarmstand has succeeded. She

laughs. Hodgson admits Yourfarmstand hasn’t accomplished everything she hoped for, but the overall concept of the online farm stand has certainly taken off. There are several sites that promote the purchase of farm-fresh meat and produce delivered to your door. Yourfarmstand, she says, is limited by the size of its market, the size of its staff and its budget. Without an expensive team of developers and marketers, it can’t expand to larger urban markets with a bigger customer base. And even though almost half of Charlotte households have signed up (an astounding figure, by the way), they are still looking at a small number of consumers.

While Yourfarmstand may not go the way of its bigger sharing-economy cousins, it does have a significant role to play in our local economy. Sales on the site are over $40,000 for Charlotte consumers alone.

And while that may seem like a small figure, it’s important to remember that 90 percent of those dollars went directly into the hands of a local farmer or producer.

Even farmers markets can’t offer those percentages, and sales at farmers markets don’t account for waste or the farmer’s time spent staffing the stall.

Yourfarmstand hopes to make incremental growth within the market, chipping away at the stronghold less sustainable foodstuffs have in our pantries and on our tables. And they will do it one farmer, and one consumer, at a time.

Want to suggest a topic for Carrie to cover? Contact her at carrie@ thecharlottenews.org

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The CharloTTe News • DeCember 17, 2015 • 11

CVU freezes for friends

The CVU Redhawks Penguin Plunge Team getting ready to plunge last year after raising $39,000 for the cause.

Madison Hakey THE CHARLOTTE NEWS

Since 1996, the Penguin Plunge has been raising thousands of dollars each year for the Special Olympics, and CVU students and teachers have played a huge role in fundraising since they first participated four years ago. Tim Rich, who was a special educator at CVU, led the first Penguin Plunge team from CVU. When he left the school, he handed this leadership off to Peter Booth, a math teacher.

The year before Rich left, he and Booth worked together to motivate more students to participate. Their tactic? Rich asked Booth to sacrifice himself. He said “I want to make this a big deal. I want to have an assembly, and I want to have you say that if the kids can raise $10,000 to $15,000 that you’ll shave your head.”

Booth had his doubts, but that year CVU raised a whopping $27,000. And so began the head-shaving tradition at CVU’s Annual Winter Carnival. This year’s willing victim? Adam Bunting, CVU’s new principal.

Before the reward, however, comes the work. Raising awareness about the event and convincing students to take the plunge are the two biggest challenges that need to be overcome. The first of the two is conquered through a schoolwide assembly in the middle of December to encourage everyone to participate. The second is the tough one. How fun is it really to jump into the icy waters of Lake Champlain in February? Even Booth, who is now the biggest enthusiast of the Penguin Plunge, said at first, “There’s no way that I’m ever going to do that.”

This feeling is shared by students and staff who have not plunged yet, but one that seems ridiculous to those who have. Silas Cleveland, a senior from Charlotte who plunged while in 8th grade, says, “It wasn’t as cold as I thought it would be, and when

we got out I was sad because I wanted to keep swimming!”

“It’s really an experience that you’ll want to have over and over again,” adds Erica Rosner, a senior who has been plunging since her sophomore year. It is this kind of enthusiasm that encourages more and more students to participate in the plunge each year. And it is incredibly important for CVU students to continue plunging. Now that CVU has contributed so much money to the Penguin Plunge, the Special Olympics counts on that money for its annual budget. In the last three years, CVU has contributed $112,000 to the cause, adding up to approximately 10 percent of the Special Olympics’ budget each year. And it isn’t just about the money anymore, but about how the event affects CVU. According to Bunting, “It has taken on a cultural gravity.”

CVU has become a stronger community because of the Penguin Plunge. Bunting reflects on the book The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison as a way to explain how the Penguin Plunge is turning CVU into an inclusive environment for everyone.

“Morrison starts talking about those who are indoors and outdoors in our community,” Bunting says. He goes on to explain that “outsiders” are people who don’t necessarily fit in, people whom students are uncomfortable making eye contact with in the halls, whether someone with special needs or someone else. The Special Olympics allows the “outsiders” to be “insiders.”

“Penguin Plunge is that commitment to including everybody,” Bunting says, “and making sure that everyone has a venue to shine … whether it is on a field or in a gym or even in the hallway.” Perhaps it is the strong community that has been built that convinces students and staff to plunge together each year. Or perhaps it is the personal connections some have to the

(Above) Silas Cleveland and Michaela Flore, both seniors from Charlotte, support the Plunge. Cleveland has taken it before, and Flore will take it for the first time this year. PHOTO: MADISON HAKEY

and one that helped me get into education in general.”

For people without a direct connection to the Special Olympics and those who benefit from such programs, the Penguin Plunge itself is motivation. Michaela Flore, a senior from Charlotte, says, “It’s something I’ve never done before, and the money is going to a good cause, and it sounds like a ton of fun!” Flore, being a first-time plunger, says she is nervous and excited, two emotions Rosner can relate to.

“The lead up was super nerve wracking,” she says. “I remember being scared last year even though it was my second year.”

Without previous plungers convincing others to participate, without the awareness Booth raises, and without the personal connections to Special Olympics and those who benefit from it, the Plunge wouldn’t be such a huge hit at CVU. Booth and Bunting hope that approximately 200 students will participate this year because, as Booth says, “The money will take care of itself with that many kids. And the more kids that do it, it gets kids past that initial ‘no way, I’m not going to do that.’”

Plus, if only 200 kids participate and raise the required $150 each, that amounts to $30,000 for the Special Olympics. Since the money goes to such a great cause and so many students are already involved, there is every possibility that CVU students and faculty will raise well over that amount.

Who knows? Maybe they will even beat CVU’s current record of $46,000.

event. For Rosner, it was a young autistic woman she worked with. “She does not do the Special Olympics, but I could see that this program would be great for people like her,” Rosner says “That’s what really pushed me to do the Penguin Plunge.”

Booth was also pushed to plunge because of his autistic son, Jesse, who has been a part of the Special Olympics for six years and really benefits from the social aspects of it. Bunting, as well, has a personal connection. Upon moving to Vermont in 4th grade, Bunting became close with a girl who had special needs. He notes, “She honored my existence in a way.

It was strange because the school thought they were using me to help her when, in reality, she was helping me more than I was Contact Madison Hakey at madison@ helping her. It was a special relationship thecharlottenews.org.

One leg of CVU plungers running into the freezing water last year. Their faces say it all.

12 • December 17, 2015 • The charloTTe News

Year in Review 2015 year in review

continued from page 1

January The year started with some big news.

An outbreak of tuberculosis at CCS on Jan. 21 shook the town. On Jan. 26 about 140 students and staff were tested—15 children and one adult were found positive in that screening. The Vermont Health Department later confirmed that Laura Hall, a 1st–4th grade Spanish teacher, was the first active case of TB that led to the outbreak. Hall also worked at the Freedom Rains Children’s Center in Colchester, but no one tested positive for TB there.

In another hit to our local school, after five years CCS co-principal Audrey Boutagh announced she would resign from her post at the end of the school year. The move came prior to CCS’s final budget meeting, where the board discussed a $7.8 million budget proposal—a six percent increase from the previous year—that was later voted down 595 to 548.

In February, Greg Marino, CCS’s other co-principal, would request to end his contract early. In the wake of both co-principals leaving, there was much discussion about the two-principal model; however, it was ultimately continued—but mildly repackaged as a full-time administrator and an instructional leader.

Speaking of money, after nearly 50 meetings, the Selectboard finally approved the Town Employee Wage Classification Plan and Policy. The plan was developed

to set wages in a predictable matrix that reflected job qualifications and requirements, as well as competitive market norms, following an animated discussion at the 2014 Town Meeting. The final plan consisted of 20 job classification levels for different positions in town. Within each level are 15 annual step increases that raise an employee’s salary 140 percent over 15 years. The plan was heavily criticized by Town Clerk / Treasurer Mary Mead and others who felt it unfairly singled her out as the only employee that had already reached the top of the pay scale. More developments on this later in the year…

February Looking toward Town Meeting, a race was beginning for two hotly contested Selectboard seats in town government. All other town positions, save the town auditor, ran unopposed. Eying the three-year seat was incumbent Charles Russell running against Carrie Spear. Frank Tenney and Jacob Spell ran for the two-year seat left open by Ellie Russell’s departure from the board after many years of public service.

When the dust settled, Carrie Spear and Jacob Spell took to the venerable community positions.

Discussions in the CCS School Board centered around the $409,000 bond vote to be held at Town Meeting for urgent repairs to the roof and elevator and replacement of lighting in the 1969 wing.

It was so cold that thick ice closed the Charlotte-Essex Ferry on Feb. 16. In some places the lake was so flat you could chuck

a hockey puck to New York.

March By all accounts, Town Meeting was quite tame this year. The $3.45 million budget passed unanimously by voice vote—unusual, at least in recent history.

And this was despite a $67,000 increase in the budget. Lane Morrison, the Selectboard chair, noted that the hike would likely be offset by the sale of five properties in town with delinquent taxes.

Of the increase $46,000 came from a jump in the CVFRS budget. The town budget also included a $455,000 increase in bridge costs; however, these were to be covered largely by state funds.

The hot-button topic at Town Meeting was Article 6. Developed by the Town Meeting Solutions Committee, Article 6 asked the Selectboard to explore the

adoption of a legislative charter to create a two-part procedure to approve the municipal budget: a Town Meeting discussion at which the Selectboard’s proposed budget could be debated and amended, followed several weeks later by an Australian ballot vote to approve or defeat the amended budget. There were concerns about Town Meeting going the way of the School Board annual meeting—or the dodo—but after an ambiguous voice vote, the article passed, 124 to 51, by ballot vote.

The CVU girls’ basketball team won their third Division I state championship— their 71st consecutive win—outscoring Essex 41-23. Charlotters Laurel Jaunich and Sadie Otley led the scoring with 16 and 9 points, respectively.

On March 20, after five years behind the counter at the Old Brick Store, Carrie Fenn handed the keys over to Charlotte resident, Whitney Williamson Finley.

april After defeating the proposed CCS budget by 47 votes in March, on April 13 Charlotters voted on a revised budget, decreased by $25,000. It passed by 11 votes. The much-discussed two principal model, to the chagrin of many, was continued. Previous to the vote, Barbara Anne Komons-Montroll was hired as the new full-time administrator. Later in the month Stephanie Sumner stepped into the instructional leader post. Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs), a tool for 7th–9th graders to track learning goals and objectives related to their prospective future careers, came to the fore at the School Board and was scheduled for launch in November.

A final round of TB tests given on March 30 found three more positive cases, bringing the total to 19 children and two adults.

Ben Recchia made news as the first student director of the annual CCS spring musical. The production of Peter Pan Jr. exceeded all expectations and was highly praised at a CCS School Board meeting.

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Morse's

015

Doodles & Jots

May While helping 10 CVFS and Shelburne firefighters control an unpermitted brush fire on Greenbush Road, Fire Chief Dick St. George spotted some flames licking up the side of the banquet hall at the Old Lantern. Since it was a dry windy day, 40 firefighters from surrounding towns were immediately called in. It took only 20 minutes to control the situation, and all parties agreed it was a very fortunate ending.

The new Selectboard attempted to open up participation in volunteer positions for the town by requiring all applicants, including incumbents, to apply and interview, regardless of whether the seat was contested. Although an admirable way to try to build community spirit, there was some pushback about the selection procedure, which was made in executive session for the two contested seats of nine.

Charlotters Tad Cooke and Erick Crockenberg, co-project managers of Burlington’s Moran Plant redevelopment work, took the front page of The News to talk about building “creative energy in the community� as they continued to gather support for the project.

June Good news and bad news from the CCS School Board this month. The good news was that, according to Chair Mark McDermott, the four bids accepted to repair the school’s aging 1969 wing totaled roughly $265,000 rather than the projected $409,000. In the end, however, the project cost closer to $370,000, which was still 10 percent less than anticipated. The bad news was that, according to co-principal Greg Marino, behavioral issues rose 43 percent over the previous school year. The unnerving trend was most notable among 4th graders, who received 180 referrals compared to just 80 the previous year.

More interestingly, Marino explained that all of the referrals came from only 17 of the 41 students in 4th grade.

CCS 8th grader Bay Foley-Cox won a statewide essay competition, in which he pondered the existence of god. Chosen out of 236 entrants, his essay won him $1,000.

Ken Najarian was tragically killed on his bicycle in N. Ferrisburgh while traveling south on Greenbush Road. Holly Gonyeau was initially charged with a driving under the influence with death resulting, later reduced to a DUI as Najarian purportedly made a U-turn in front of Gonyeau’s car.

July At the turn of the millennium Rev. Will Burhans became pastor of the Charlotte Congregational Church, taking over from Mark Bolles. In early July, The News caught up with Burhans as he prepared to lead his last sermon on Aug. 2. He would go on to become the lead pastor of the First Congregational Church of Winchester, Mass. Martha Perkins said of his departure, “We will miss his regular reminders of what it is to follow our Christian beliefs.

We will miss his music.�

At the July 27 Selectboard meeting, CVFRS reported that costs had overr un revenue by $26,665. According to corporate President John Snow and Treasurer Charles Russell, the overspending was due to additional costs paid to EMTs and an extraordinary increase in fire calls, which led to more equipment costs.

At the Charlotte Library, the popular Classical Connections program celebrated its fifth anniversary of bringing classical literature to 7th and 8th grade students.

The Charlotte News made its own front page when Brett Sigurdson took home third place in the Best Local Story category at the Vermont Press Association annual meeting for his series “Charlotte’s Web,� a five-part chronicle exploring Charlotte’s Town Plan rewrite.

“Privacy used to be a choice.�

Jim Morse is a former Vermont Supreme Court Justice living in Charlotte. Find more of his Doodles & Jots in his book, available at the Flying Pig Bookstore or online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or Red Barn Books.

Mead’s main point was that her two-person team performed all the financial functions in the town. She argued that the tasks her team performed were typically parsed out among more than two people in comparable towns and that, therefore, her team should be paid accordingly. The Selectboard listened respectfully, and disagreed.

The Planning Commission met with Richard Amore to discuss the Village Center Designation program. The program would provide tax credit and priority site consideration for state grants in order to revitalize historic settlements—this would include East, West and, possibly, Central Charlotte.

The municipal tax rate was set at 14.39 cents per $100 of assessed value—2.22 cents less than 2014.

Niche.com, in its 2015 rankings of American high schools, rated CVU the best public high school in Vermont and the 38th best in the country. Go Redhawks!

septeMber The structure of Town Meeting came to the fore in late September at the first public hearing to discuss the proposed new legislative charter for the town. At the

Sept. 14 hearing Matt Krasnow, reflecting on the possible unintended consequences of the charter, suggested including a sunset clause in the charter language, which was passed by a 3-2 vote. The Selectboard also discussed the town’s submission of comments to the Vermont Agency of Transportation concerning the safety provisions included in the new Vermont Rail Plan. The Citizens for Responsible Rail Committee worked hard to bring this issue before the Selectboard and garner its support.

Charlotters Jenna Baginski, Megan Mahoney and Campbell Whalen— emerging designers and students at CVU—strutted their stuff, or had others strut it for them, at the 23rd Annual Art Hop in Burlington.

The 10th Annual Kelly Brush Century ride rolled through town on Sept. 12.

OctOber On October 7, the Selectboard voted to delay an Australian ballot vote on the proposed town charter until 2016 Town Meeting Day, concluding that changing such a long-held tradition deserves as

Continued on page 19

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14 • December 17, 2015 • The charloTTe News

From the Archives

Puzzles “stillDon’t part with your illusions. When they are gone, you may exist, but you have ceased to live.

—Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Welcome to tHe cHarlotte neWs’ arcHiVes! We’Ve starteD to Work on making our History accessible to all cHarlotters. sloWly, We’re DeVeloping a pDF arcHiVe tHat Will eVentually be searcHable anD We Hope to sHare tHat WitH you soon. We’re lucky enougH to HaVe nearly 60 years oF publications to Work WitH, but tHat Does leaVe mucH to be catalogeD. many oF our publications HaVe no Digital presence WHatsoeVer, so We’re HaVing to FinD Ways to make tHem tecHnologically aVailable. tHougH tHis project Has barely begun anD We HaVe a long Way to go, We’ll be giVing you a taste oF WHat’s to come rigHt Here in print as regularly as possible.

Puzzles have been underwritten by

reprinteD arcHiVe compileD by: kali aDams

PO Box 101, Charlotte, VT | 870-3481

Homeport Vermont

Volume 27, no. 9 December 20, 1984 page 10 Tis the Season: I had whole-heartedly planned to have this written and in the last issue. However, due to circumstances beyond my control, the time which had been allotted for typing was devoted to the delivery room and the arrival of our new son Ethan.

Advent, on the church calendar, is a time for preparation, and this season that preparation took on a whole new meaning with the arrival of a child. I find myself rushing about being sure everything is done ahead of time like shopping, decorating, sermons and such. In the midst of all that, I wonder what I am preparing for and I happened upon a bit of sarcastic wit which I will share with you in part: “For unto you will be given tomorrow, great feast of turkey dressing, and cake, and many presents, and suddenly there will be with you a multitude of relatives and friends, praising you and saying, ‘Thank you so much, it was just what I wanted.’ And it shall come to pass, as the friends and relatives have gone away into their own homes, the parents shall say to one another, ‘What a mess to clean up. I’m dead tired. Let’s go to bed and pick it up tomorrow.’

The whole affair may even take on a more comical tone when we

realize that we go so far as to buy, cut, or dig up a fir, balsam or pine tree, carry it into our living rooms, decorate it with tinsel, colored balls and lights, only to take all the decorations off in a matter of days, throw the tree out and curse the pile of fallen needles on the carpet! One must wonder why it is we go through it every year!

Yet, the Advent season is a time in which we seek a truce with the world. Throughout history the powers-that-be seek a Christmas truce in the midst of warfare.

In our own lives our attitudes change, we come face to face with our families and our community, and we find it disturbing that the promise of “peace on earth, goodwill to all” has not been realized. It is a time of year where everything is upside down for a period of four to five weeks. With the sarcastic and the comical in mind we now may add the perception of how Advent effects human nature.

During the holiday season, in the middle of preparations, the shopping and the decorations, I would urge that all who find it in their tradition to celebrate Christmas, stop and reflect on what it is we are really preparing for.

Wishing everyone a most joyous and spirit filled Advent and Christmas,

Volume 27, no. 8 December 6, 1984 page 4 Trivial Pursuits - The trivia bug has caught the fancy of teachers and students alike at CCS. A new learning contest begins soon for trivia buffs of all ages and abilities. The questions will be printed monthly and answers will be submitted at the library.

Volume 27, no. 8 December 6, 1984 page 1 To the Editor: The Chittenden County Senate race is over, and I lost by a hair.

If you did not notice, however, I placed second of thirteen candidates for Shelburne and Charlotte.

Many thanks to all of you for your confidence in me and a special thanks to all of you who worked hard for me.

Sincerely, Vi Luginbuhl

Robert Gormbley

RESIDENTIAL

Across 1. Book part 5. “Cut it out!”

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39. “___ any drop to drink.”

- Coleridge 40. Insignia 41. Cause of inflation?

45. Mounts 46. ___ Station 48. Arouse 49. Sign on a plane facility 50. Brace 52. Banana variant 54. C-worthy 55. New newts 57. Come into view 58. Deeply 59. Cut, maybe 61. “i” lid 62. “Rocky ___” 63. Scale note

1. Affranchise 2. Genuine 3. Zone 4. Film maker Crossword and sudoku by Myles Mellor. answers to our puzzles Can be found near the Classifieds.

The CharloTTe News • DeCember 17, 2015 • 15

Holiday safety tips

•

Chris Davis CONTRIBUTOR

It is holiday time and with all the excitement and activities, here are a few home safety reminders to keep you and your family members safe…and they might even prevent you from having us visit your home over the holidays! Over the years we have responded to all of these types of emergencies: • Test your smoke detectors for operation; change the batteries if you have not done it yet this year.

• Have a wired-in alarm system tested and/or serviced by a professional at least once a year to prevent unnecessary false alarms.

• Install at least one CO (carbon monoxide) detector in your home.

The plug-in type with numeric readout and battery backup is recommended.

These devices have saved lives here in Charlotte. State law requires one in every residential unit. Test it several times per year.

• If your present smoke or CO detectors are older than seven years, replace them. New smoke detectors should be the photoelectric type, which has been shown to detect smoke from fires more quickly than the ionization types. One detector for every level of your home is a minimum, one for every bedroom is recommended. For more information please go to the State Fire Marshal’s website, firesafety.vermont.gov.

• Have your chimney inspected and cleaned. Have your heating appliance serviced if it has not been done in the past 12 months. A chimney fire may damage your flue or stovepipe requiring replacement. If a chimney fire occurs, or you think something is not right with your stove or chimney while it is in use, call 911 immediately.

• Inspect holiday lighting and extension cords for frayed cords or cracked sockets. Never leave your home with indoor holiday lights lit.

• Please do not overload electrical circuits or receptacles and/or extension cords. If your electrical breakers trip more than once, please leave that breaker off and call a licensed electrician immediately. If you smell electrical burning or see even the smallest amount of smoke around electrical outlets or switches, call 911 immediately.

• Keep indoor live trees and greens well watered.

• Use extra caution when using candles in your home. Do not leave open candles (not fully enclosed in a globe or lantern) burning in unoccupied rooms.

• Keep a fire extinguisher handy. If the pressure gage is not reading in the green replace it.

• Please make sure your reflective street numbers are in place and kept clear of snow so that if we have to visit your home or business we will be able to locate you. Call the

• • • •

station—for a small charge we will make up numbers for your home or business.

Please keep outside steps and walkways clear of ice and snow to prevent slips and falls.

When it does snow, do not overdo it shoveling, take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water.

Please keep driveways plowed and sanded so that we can reach your home if you need us.

If you live near one of the “dry” hydrants in town, please help us by making sure it is kept plowed.

Always wear your seatbelts, take it easy when the roads are bad, and get home safely to enjoy this time of year!

Please contact us at 425-3111 if you have any questions or if you would like additional information. For burn permits call 985-8051 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

On Dec. 13, the families of Charlotte were visited by Santa Claus at the Firehouse.

Approximately 40 children and their families were there--a slightly smaller turnout than in past years. Santa rode in on top of the fire truck this year and saved the day by putting out a fire in front of the building. Once the fire was out, he was escorted inside by his two helpful elves, and kids had the chance to sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. Some popular wishes were remote control cars and helicopters, sporting gear, and stuffed animals.

One of Santa’s elves, Corinne Steel, has her own wish for this Christmas. Having recently moved to Charlotte from San Francisco, Steel hopes to learn more about farming. Steel is a nutritionist who states that no one in California really understands how important buying local food is. To truly understand this herself, Steel moved to Vermont where many people believe nutrition and locally grown foods are essential to living a healthy life. PHOTOS: MADISON HAKEY AND CHRIS DAVIS

Chris Davis is the fire chief at the Charlotte Fire Department.

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16 • December 17, 2015 • The charloTTe News

CHARLOTTE CONSERVATION CURRENTS iNaturalist program in Charlotte

(Right) A screenshot of the iNaturalist. org website. Over 140,000 people have signed up to participate in the iniative.

A milk snake and a jack-in-the-pulpit plant. PHOTOS: MEG BERLIN

Meg Berlin CONTRIBUTOR

You don’t need a degree in biology to be a citizen scientist. It doesn’t require more than an engaged eye and a love of nature to record your observations. In the past, we did this on a lonely piece of paper, rarely shared beyond a small academic circle or with an off-hand mention around the dinner table. Now, alongside 142,264 others around the world, iNaturalist.org makes it possible to share and discuss your photo observations about the natural world. There is even a project specific to Charlotte.

If you see a bird at your feeder or a fisher cat at the edge of the woods, a bobcat passing nearby or even notice the stand of hickory trees on your route home, you can be part of a larger scientific assessment of our natural world.

Started in 2008 as a Master’s degree final project by an enterprising group of students at UC Berkeley, iNaturalist.org is now owned by the California Academy of Sciences. According to the website, a goal of iNaturalist.org is to be “a living record of life on Earth that scientists and land managers could use to monitor changes in biodiversity, and that anyone could use to learn more about nature.”

I started experimenting with iNaturalist this summer while exploring my property. I got off to a slow start because I felt a bit intimidated by signing up to a new system, but once I’d observed some species and made note of them, the process was incredibly easy. It’s also a great way to engage your budding naturalist child in a scientific experiment documenting what she can find right in her own town.

The project specific to Charlotte can be found on iNaturalist.org under “Projects”—type “Charlotte Conservation Map.” From there you can join the project and list anything you want or just see what others have seen. You’ll find help in identifying what you’ve seen with photos and information on the data.

You’ll need to include a date and time and the spot where you saw the object, which is made easier by a map where you can pinpoint its location. If you’ve taken a photo of your sighting on your smart phone it will have the coordinates for the spot as well. Of course, iNaturalist.org also has an app, so you can do this on a hike or walk up Mt. Philo or through the Demeter Town Park and make a note on the spot.

Our project links up to a much larger project called the “Vermont Atlas of Life,” which has thousands of sitings within our state. Even if you’re not out to make an observation in a particular area, you can search the site for information on what is there to be seen.

I caught up with biologist Kent

McFarland on the phone the other day to talk with him about the significance and beauty of iNaturalist. Kent works with and is co-founder of the Vermont Center for Eco Studies, and one of his roles as a conservation biologist is to confirm our nature sightings as accurate. Once you have made an observation, a qualified biologist, like Kent, will make note of it and then give it the OK. He spoke to me about how important it is for scientists and citizens alike to recognize how much biodiversity exists around us. We, as citizens, can contribute a great deal by noting our observations on iNaturalist.org so that scientists like him can gain access to more information.

Our sightings and what we see on our dog walks and strolls along roadways and our own land have invaluable information for the scientific community at large.

So far I’ve registered a bobcat, a milk snake, an American bittern and a jack-inthe-pulpit, among other plants and fauna.

I hope someone will surpass my current status—11 total observations. It shouldn’t be hard—we have so much around us!

Within the “Vermont Atlas of Life” I see thousands of species and sightings.

The Charlotte Conservation Commission is planning on giving a workshop or two on the iNaturalist.org program some time this winter and into early spring. Watch this space for more information.

Meg Berlin is a member of the Charlotte Conservation Commission. Contact her at megandco@gmavt.net.

The CharloTTe News • DeCember 17, 2015 • 17

Out-Doors Gifts of the Out-Doors (mostly)

stumps and rocks. You’ll burn up to 1,000 calories per hour, stay toasty, and see fresh tracks, scat and the landing trail of raptors.

Downhill SkiinG Give a day on the slopes or a discount card: Sugar Card (Sugarbush), Bash Badge (Smugglers) or Stowe Card for cut-rate tickets throughout the season. An adult weekday ticket at the Middlebury Snow Bowl is an old-fashioned $35.

Elizabeth Bassett CONTRIBUTOR

Celebrate the holidays with gifts of the outdoors. Make time and plans for fresh air, sunshine, snow or even rain. Exercise and fresh air will pay dividends throughout the year.

Safety firSt: GripperS Grippers, creepers, call them what you will, everyone should own at least one pair of footgear for staying upright and safe on icy surfaces. Stabil-Icers, Yaktrax and Yaktrax Extreme, Get-A-Grip, Ice Bugs and Micro Spikes are just a few of the products. Buy a pair or two—it’s much cheaper than a broken wrist or hip.

SnowShoeS When there’s almost no snow or a fresh dump that’s too deep to navigate on skis, snowshoes are a salvation. Snowshoes are available in many shapes and sizes and can last for decades (mine have). Variables include bindings, materials, size and crampons. The most basic plastic models for kids start at $30, and new adult snowshoes can be found for about $100. Look for used ones at swaps. Shoe from your back door or on many of the preserved open lands in Charlotte. Float over deep snow, scale steep slopes and stride over

ice SkatinG If nature disappoints, two rinks at Cairns Arena in South Burlington offer public skating nearly every day. Adults skate for $5 or a ten-punch pass for $40, students $3 and $20, respectively. Seniors from age 62 skate for $1. Skate rental is $3. For public skating hours: cairnsarena. com.

croSS-country SkiinG Cross-country skiing is a life-long sport, gentle on the joints and as rigorous, or not, as you choose. Local areas offer ten-punch passes: Sleepy Hollow, Catamount and Bolton. Camel’s Hump Nordic is a nonprofit on the flanks of Camel’s Hump. Day passes are $10 and a season membership is $75. Visit camelshumpskiers.org.

Craftsbury Outdoor Center is also a nonprofit with a goal of encouraging lifelong sports. While the center is nearly a two-hour drive from Charlotte, a day pass for Nordic skiing costs only $10 and an annual membership $50 for adults and $25 for students and seniors (65+). Worth the drive at least once a year! Best snowmaking and grooming in the region.

Catamount Trail Association,

catamounttrail.org, is the nonprofit guardian of Vermont’s long distance cross-country ski trail that extends the length of the state. Members receive discount coupons for local retailers and discounts on Alpine and cross-country day tickets (you can easily recoup your membership cost).

Nordic season pass holders at 26 participating areas get one free day of skiing or snowshoeing at each of the others.

Participants within an hour of Charlotte are Bolton, Catamount, Sleepy Hollow, Trapp’s, Stowe, Smugglers’, Ole’s, Blueberry Lake, Morse Farm and Rikert.

A great deal!

local orGanic fooD CSA memberships make great gifts.

Weekly shares at Dave Quickel’s Stony Loam Farm in Charlotte include veggies, herbs and flowers through summer and fall. Visit stonyloamfarm.com. Pete’s Greens has year-round CSA options with pick up at Little Garden Market in Charlotte.

Shelburne farmS memberShip Members receive free admission to walking trails, Children’s Farmyard and property tours, as well as discounts, newsletters and advance notice of events.

Membership supports the stewardship of Shelburne Farms and its educational and agricultural missions. Individual membership is $35, dual $65 and family, including children under 18, $65. Go to shelburnefarms.org.

outdoors stores.

Shelburne muSeum memberShip Consider a gift membership at Shelburne Museum, a local treasure with a national reputation. Visit as often as you wish and stay for an hour or all day. With lots of grass to run on and a delightful carousel (unlimited riding with museum entry), the museum is a great place for children. Navigate the decks of the Ticonderoga, imagine an overnight in the Grand Isle train car, watch a blacksmith at work and marvel at old-fashioned toys, sleighs and fire engines. Don’t miss the hunting trophies: bears, deer, moose and more. Visit shelburnemuseum.org.

Shop locally For every $100 spent in independently owned stores, $69 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If you shop at a national chain only $43 stays local. Spend it online and nothing comes home!

May your generosity bring joy this holiday season.

The Charlotte News 2016 Publication Schedule & Writers’ Deadlines

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18 • December 17, 2015 • The charloTTe News

Rec News

Nicole Conley CONTRIBUTOR

Keep a look out for status updates on the Charlotte town skating rink, located right next to the Charlotte Central School.

Lights and a warming hut lend to fun evenings on the ice. Rink opening and ice conditions will be posted on the town website charlottevt.org.

Youth basketball

winter adventure camp Looking for some winter break activities for your kids? Join the Common Ground Center’s staff for two fun-filled days in the snow! Campers will enjoy many outdoor activities, including snowshoeing, sledding, exploring the wilderness, building snow forts and much more. In between outdoor activities they’ll warm up inside the lodge with board games, crafts and hot chocolate. Morning and afternoon snacks are provided—participants must bring their own lunches, sleds and winter clothing. Please submit registration forms and payment to the Charlotte recreation department. For 3rd–6th graders, Tuesday, Feb. 23, and Wednesday, Feb. 24, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Common Ground Center.

Fee: $90 per person.

including basic child care, first aid, injury prevention and decision making. Space is limited, so sign up now. Saturday, Feb. 6, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Charlotte Town Hall.

Fee: $85.

after-school piano lessons After-school piano lessons are back, taught by veteran music teacher Mary Beth Bowman on Wednesdays and Lauren Dabkowski on Thursdays. Tuesday, Jan. 12, through Wednesday, May 18—following the school calendar—for 17 lessons.

Lessons are scheduled in four 45-minute blocks (3–3:45, 3:45–4:30, 4:30–5:15 and 5:15–6), with three students in the first two blocks (for younger beginning students) and two students per block for the last two sessions (for older intermediate students).

Classes include individual instructional time, small group instructional time and independent practice time. Fee: $17 per lesson for younger beginning students and $26 per lesson for older intermediate students. Students sign up for lessons by semester through the Rec Ddepartment starting immediately.

Recreation basketball heads into its third week of practice. It has been an excitamerican red cross ing start to the season with six teams from celtic dance babYsitter certification kindergarten to 4th grade representing Charlotte. The 3rd/4th-grade game schedThis program prepares youth with We are excited to have Beth McFadden ules have been posted on our website. training every parent wants in a babysitter, teaching Celtic dance classes here

this spring. The class introduces the fundamentals of Irish step and Scottish Highland technique in a creative and enjoyable environment. Children explore a variety of rhythms and movements associated with Celtic group and solo dances, including jigs, reels and the sword dance.

Fee: $90 per session. If you sign up for more than one session at a time there will be a $5 discount for two sessions, a $15 discount for all three sessions. Please sign up using the Charlotte Rrecreation forms.

Non-Charlotte residents please add $10 to registration fee. The first session starts on Saturday, Jan. 9, at Charlotte Central School, 10–11 a.m. for 4th grade, 11–12 noon for 5th grade and above.

adult programming Indoor pickle ball: Wednesdays, 6–8 p.m. at Charlotte Central School.

Early Morning Boot Camp: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6–7 a.m. at CCS. Fee: $10 per class.

Mat Pilates: Fridays, 6–7 a.m. at CCS. Fee: $8 per class.

Yoga: Coming in Jan. at CCS. Fee: $8 per class.

(Far left) Charlotte Firefighter Zach Trono carrying hydraulic cutters to one of the cars during an extrication training on Dec. 9.

(Middle) Firefighter Andrew Haigney. (Right) Ferrisburgh Cadet Philip Armell learns how to use hydraulic cutters on a car.

Vermont ranked nation’s second healthiest state once again For the third year in a row, Vermont has been ranked the second healthiest state after Hawaii in the 2015 edition of America’s Health Rankings from the United Health Foundation.

Vermont has the nation’s lowest violent crime rate, second lowest rate of infant mortality, third best percentage of people who have health insurance, third best primary care physician to population ratio, and the fourth lowest rate of children living in poverty. Vermont has the fifth lowest rate of adult obesity, and ranks sixth best for physical activity, and adolescent vaccinations.

“By many public health measures, Vermonters fare well,” said Health

Commissioner Harry Chen, MD. “At the same time we know that Vermonters are not all equally healthy. Closing the health gap between people with higher education and income and people with less education and income is our collective challenge.”

Vermont was ranked among the nation’s worst (#44) for disparities in health status, measured as the difference in reported health status of people with more education compared to those with less education.

The Health Department’s State Health Improvement Plan 2013-2017 has three priority goals: 1) reduce the prevalence of chronic disease caused by tobacco use, physical inactivity and poor nutrition, 2) reduce the prevalence of substance abuse and mental illness, and 3) improve childhood vaccination rates.

Vermont has been ranked as the healthiest or second healthiest state for seven consecutive years.

To read the full report: www.americashealthrankings.org.

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Youth winter programming The recreation department will be offering a variety of programs this winter.

For more information on any of our winter programs listed below, please check our website.

The CharloTTe News • DeCember 17, 2015 • 19

Food Shelf News Kerrie Pughe CONTRIBUTOR

Please consider The Charlotte Food Shelf in your holiday giving plans. We are a small, volunteer organization, and your donation dollars mean so much to our Charlotte community. All donations go directly for food and assistance to our neighbors in need. If you are a customer of yourfarmstand.com, you may make a donation to the Food Shelf as part of your online order. Otherwise checks may be mailed to Charlotte Food Shelf & Assistance, P. O. Box 83, Charlotte, VT 05445.

Holiday baskets Please join us Friday, Dec. 18, from 8 to 10:30 a.m. for the holiday baskets set-up at the Charlotte Congregational Church.

No need to sign up to volunteer, just show up! Charlotte Central School staff and families will start a dozen baskets with non-perishable food and other holiday meal items. We will complete over 25 baskets and will include items to create a holiday meal as well as gifts of toys and gift cards for each family. Call 425-3252 if you have questions.

tHank you Thank you to Charlotte Central School staff and families for the Thanksgiving baskets supplies—what a bounty!

Thank you to all who helped create the 25 Thanksgiving baskets: John Lavigne, Sandy Armell, Liz Anderson, Ken Oboz, Karen Doris, Pat Rodar, Gayle Garner, Mary Ellen Hebert, Susanna Kahn, Nancy Calcagni, Cindy Tyler, Nancy Barnes, Laura Iglehart, Peggy Sharpe, Linda Gilbert, Jeri Bergdahl, Lesley Higgins, Maj Eisinger, Nancy Bloch, Lynn Alpeter, Jack Korac, Cindi Robinson and Sienna Searles. Thank you to Boy Scout Troop 615 for helping to distribute the baskets: David Tsounis, Zackery Aubin, Andrew Gay, Keagan Bothwell, Sam Zimmerman, and troop leaders Seth Zimmerman and Mike Robinson. And thank you to the Charlotte/ Shelburne Rotary for the turkeys!

We appreciate the generous support from Jessie Snyder, Nancy Pricer, Diane and Peter Rosenfeld, Mark and Eleanor Capeless, Gertrude Gecewicz Jordan and the Metropoulos family. And thanks to all those who donated to the Food Shelf during the Tractor Parade.

We would like to thank our local businesses and organizations for their support, especially during this holiday season: Charlotte Organic Co-op, Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom, Village Wine and Coffee and the Charlotte Grange.

A special thank you to Rice Lumber for the very generous donation and to The Charlotte News staff for the Thanksgiving basket goodies and cash donation.

We appreciate the donation of six turkeys from Rick and Teresa Pete for our upcoming holiday baskets!

WisH list We need snacks for kids—raisins

year in revieW

continued from page 13

large a voter turnout as possible, which is more likely on Town Meeting Day, given the other candidates and issues on the ballot, than on any day set for a special one-issue vote.

In the spirit of doing good for the environment, Mrs. Vermont America 2015, Dorilee LeBlanc, and the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum encouraged Vermonters to put down their electronics in the Lights Out Vermont initiative. The motivation for this was not only to help the environment but to remind everyone that technology is not a panacea for boredom and we need to focus on what is important in life.

Just in time for Veterans Day, the monument commemorating Charlotters who served in World War II was moved from CCS to the Town Green on Oct. 12.

Francesca Blanchard released her new album “deux visions” and debuted it at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center in Stowe. The News caught up with her for a short interview.

On Oct. 17, the Lewis Creek Association celebrated its 25th anniversary of service.

Its most prominent project of 2015 was “Ahead of the Storm,” a program to better address storm water management and flooding.

november The Charlotte News received a very generous donation from a loyal reader to start building an archive for public use. With nearly 60 years of hyper-local history, it’s about time we got this project organized.

On Nov. 13, Charlotte Land Trust hosted Bill McKibben at the Old Lantern to discuss environmental issues and the Charlotte Conservation Fund, which is

up for renewal in March 2016. The Old Lantern had come under fire from neighbors about their business practices shortly before McKibben’s address to over 200 people.

Making an appearance outside of town were Charlotters Mindy Bickford and Kim Anderson, who starred in the Lyric Theatre’s production of White Christmas at the Flynn on Nov. 12.

Bay Foley-Cox of Charlotte was elected to the Student Council at CVU. Foley-Cox will be representing the Class of 2019 on the Council. Congrats, Bay! Also at CVU, volleyball proved itself worthy of becoming a sport team instead of a club. Beginning in 2016, the women’s and men’s volleyball clubs will become full-blown varsity teams.

december The Awesome Shop VT, Charlotte’s newest business, brought the “world’s first temporary tattoo parlor” to central Charlotte. After months of preparation and planning, the shop opened its doors in early December. Proprietors Sean and Jana Avram introduced their labor of love and shared their passion for custom airbrush art and body paint with the community.

To finish off this year, let’s revisit the world stage. We’ve got a small presence, but Charlotte is certainly out there making a difference. One great example is homegrown nonprofit 52 Kids Foundation, which received a first-of-its-kind award from the local government in Uganda for helping to empower youth. Started in 2004 by a CVU student, Jagger Koerner of Charlotte, the 52 Kids Foundation has gone from strength to strength.

It’s a small community in a big world, but there’s a lot to it. Thanks for your support in 2015 and stay tuned for all the community news fit to print in 2016!

and other dried fruits, Goldfish, rice cakes, peanut butter, crackers and pretzels.

We still need additional volunteers and substitutes to help with the Wednesday evening and Thursday morning food distributions.

Please call Nancy at 425-6116 if you can help.

Food Shelf volunteers creating the Thanksgiving baskets. PHOTO: COURTESY

donated food drop- off location

All non-perishable food donations may be dropped off at the Charlotte Library, the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church main entrance or at the Food Shelf during the distribution mornings. We request that all fresh foods be dropped off at the Food Shelf by 7:30 a.m. on the Thursday distribution mornings or before the Wednesday distribution hours.

The Charlotte Food Shelf is located on the lower level of the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry.

Distribution days and times are posted in this newspaper and on the bulletin board in the Charlotte Congregational Church Hall. You may also call the Food Shelf (425-3252) for a recording of the

distribution times.

We are open to all community residents.

Privacy is very important and respected in our mission of neighbor helping neighbor.

For emergency food call John at 425-3130.

For emergency assistance (electricity, fuel) call Cindi at 425-3234.

For more information call Karen at 425-3252 or visit our website at sites. google.com/site/charlottefoodshelfvt.

20 • December 17, 2015 • The charloTTe News welcome your suggestions for programs, materials and presentations that keep these principles relevant and robust in our town and in our culture. Thanks to Kirk Douglas for providing the inspiration!

Upcoming @ the library Tuesday, December 22, 3 p.m.: Mitten Tree Party. Help us celebrate the start of winter and crown our 5th annual Mitten Tree. For all ages.

Monday, December 28, 10:30 a.m.

Vacation Program: “Color Your World.” Discover the many ways color makes a difference in our world. For all ages.

ahead in the new year

News from the Charlotte Library Margaret Woodruff CONTRIBUTOR

It’s easy to get lost wandering down the virtual alleyways of Facebook. Even with the best of intentions to only post news about our latest program or share the word about a literary birthday, it’s easy to click one link and then another and find yourself far from your original intentions.

Every once in a while, this pays off, and today one digital digression led to this quote from Kirk Douglas (who turned 99 last week), “My mother and my father were illiterate immigrants from Russia.

When I was a child they were constantly amazed that I could go to a building and take a book on any subject. They couldn’t believe this access to knowledge we have

here in America. They couldn’t believe it was free.” These two points, the access to information and the freedom to explore ideas, form the foundation of the American Library Association’s Bill of Rights, which states: Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves.

Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.

Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Here at the Charlotte Library we are grateful for the opportunity to provide access to the range of opinions, ideas and perspectives that help to create a resilient society. In the coming year, we look forward the chance to increase this diversity and this strength in our collection and in our community connections. We

Story Time begins Tuesday, January 12.

Preschool: 12:15 p.m.; K-1: 3:15 p.m. Please call to register.

Tuesday, Jan. 12, Friends of the Library Book Group Bash, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 20, book signing: Upon Us Rests a Burden, by Charlotte author Dan Cole, at 7 p.m.

The Coding Club starts in January for maker-minded kids. Stay tuned for details.

winter holiday hoUrs The Charlotte Library will close at 2 p.m. on Thursday, December 24, and remain closed on Friday, December 25.

The library will open for regular hours on Saturday, December 26, at 9 a.m. The library will be closed Thursday, December 31, and Friday, Jan. 1, and re-open on Saturday, January 2, at 9 a.m.

library board next meeting: January 14, 6 p.m. board members: Emily Ferris, Dorrice Hammer, Nan Mason, Danielle Menk, Jonathan Silverman. website: charlottepubliclibrary.org

Monday through Friday Vermont Zen center, Shelburne, sittings 6 a.m. Info: 985-9746, vermontzen.org.

Fridays islamic society of Vermont, Colchester, Jumu’ah prayer 1 p.m.

Info: 655-6711, isvt.org. ohaVi Zedek synagogUe (Conservative), Burlington, Kabbalat Shabbat services 6 p.m. Info: 864-0218, ohavizedek.org. temple sinai synagogUe (Reform), South Burlington, traditional worship 7:30 p.m. Info: 862-5125, templesinai. org.

Saturdays haVUrah, the Jewish congregation of addison coUntry, Middlebury, morning Shabbat services 10 a.m. Info: 388-8946, havurahaddisoncounty.org. ohaVi Zedek synagogUe, Burlington, Shabbat morning services 9 a.m. Info: 864-0218, ohavizedek.org. temple sinai synagogUe (Reform), South Burlington, Shabbat morning services 10:00 a.m. Info: 862-5125, templesinai.org. st. JUde catholic chUrch, Hinesburg, Mass 4:30 p.m. Info: 482-2290, stjudevt.org.

Sundays

TownBites

by Edd Merritt

New CCS Principal meets East Charlotters at Spear’s Store On Dec. 4, in order to carry out what she said was important to do, which is talk face-to-face with increasingly broader segments of the Charlotte community about CCS, Principal Barbara Anne Komons-Montroll took questions, comments and observations from several of those who regularly gather in the morning for coffee and town talk at Spear Street Corner Store. The meeting was prompted

by Carrie Spear, a godmother to a CCS student, who invited Barbara to explain her approach to “principalship” and how hers differs from those who held the job previously.

As expected, much of the discussion was in regard to financing the school and the variety of positions vis-à-vis the number of students and the types of learning that must be provided. Komons-Montroll said she has spent much of her early time in Charlotte learning about the instructional variety provided at the school and what each teacher or administrator does for students, and she believes an important part of her position is to help community members better understand educational issues. Even though many in Charlotte believe that we are still a farming town, “we cannot allow the school to become a silo surrounded by other community elements outside it,” she said.

Several of the participants commented on the question of consolidation of the

Regular Religious Services

Bob Giknis, Peter Trono, Fritz Tegatz discussed school matters with CCS Principal Barbara Anne Komons-Montroll. PHOTO: EDD MERRITT school district. The general feeling among them seemed not to favor it because, among other reasons, its formation would take meetings out of Charlotte, and fewer Charlotte voices would travel to be heard.

They also believed it was important for local messages to go directly to board members and be discussed face to face and that that was a problem in getting local expression to the current Chittenden South Supervisory Union. Dave Nichols, one of those present, said he was concerned about giving up direct discussion with the Charlotte School Board of expenses that formed such a large percentage of the town budget—over 93 percent, he said.

Komons-Montroll was at the store for over an hour, and she hopes to meet with other groups around town.

historian Richard Allen titled Ambition and Grit: the Life of Truman Naramore, Civil War Veteran and Entrepreneur. Truman Crossman Naramore was born in Charlotte in 1838. He served in the Vermont cavalry in the Civil War, surviving six months in the Confederacy’s notorious Andersonville Prison. Upon returning to Vermont, he and his family settled in Williston for 19 years where he farmed, sold farm equipment and established a number of Granges. His patents were mostly for farm equipment that he produced in conjunction with the St. Albans Foundry. He moved to southern California in 1884, where he became an entrepreneur in the Los Angeles real estate boom. He died on the West Coast in 1895. In his business years Naramore was an advocate for newspapers as a medium for his products. The Vermont Farmer, published in the 1870s, carried articles Book traces the life on many of his activities. Richard Allen, of a Charlotte Civil author of the Naramore book, is a retired War veteran school teacher and author of several local history books. Previous to this one, Allen The Chittenden County Historical published North Williston: Down Depot Society recently published a book by Hill in 2011.

all soUls interfaith gathering, Shelburne, morning meditation 9 a.m.

Info: 985-3819, allsoulsinterfaith.org.

Ascension Lutheran Church, South Burlington, worship 10 a.m., Sunday school 9 a.m. Info: 862-8866, alcvt.org. assembly of god christian center, Ferrisburgh worship, 10 a.m.

Info: 877-3903, agccvt.org. bUrlington friends meeting (Quakers), Burlington, worship 11 a.m.

Info: 660-9221, burlingtonquakers.org.

Charlotte Congregational Church, Charlotte, worship 10 a.m. Info: 425-3176, charlotteucc.org. commUnity alliance chUrch, Hinesburg, worship 9:30 a.m. Info: 482-2132, hinesburgcma.org. cross roads chapel, Ferrisburgh Center, worship 10 a.m. Info: 425-3625, facebook.com/CrossRoadsChapelVT. north ferrisbUrgh United methodist chUrch, North Ferrisburgh, worship 10 a.m. Info: 425-2770, nfumchurch.org. oUr lady of moUnt carmel, Charlotte, Mass 8 a.m. Info: 425-2637, olmcvt.org. st. JUde catholic chUrch, Hinesburg, Mass 9:30 a.m. Info: 482-2290, stjudevt.org. the chUrch of JesUs christ of latter day saints, South Burlington, sacrament worship service 10 a.m. Info: 860-2884, lds.org. trinity episcopal chUrch, Shelburne, Holy Eucharist 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. Info: 985-2269, trinityshelburne.org.

The CharloTTe News • DeCember 17, 2015 • 21

Senior Center News

Mary Recchia, Activities Director CONTRIBUTOR

Happy Holidays! from all of us aT THe CHarloTTe senior CenTer For all of you who are looking for a unique gift or simply planning ahead, here are a few offerings at the Center to help ring in the New Year.

Learn from a watercolor master.

Charles Reid is one of the most respected watercolor artists in the U.S. today. His fresh, vibrant, spontaneous style has been enjoyed by many artists and art appreciators throughout the world for over 40 years.

You can view some of his paintings at charlesreidart.com. All are welcome to join us for a screening of a video by this famous artist, “Master Class in Landscape,” on loan from the Vermont Watercolor Society.

Lynn Cummings, South Burlington artist and art instructor, will facilitate the viewing and discussion on Tuesday morning, Jan. 5, from 9:30–11:30. Registration required. No fee.

Anyone Can Learn to Draw with Elizabeth Llewellyn on Thursday mornings from 10–11:30. Dates: Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28, Feb. 4 and 11. In this observational drawing class you will learn to “see like an artist” through a series of fun, easy exercises that will unlock your artist’s brain. This class will include discussion

and uses of a variety of drawing materials: graphite, charcoal and ink. Students will learn how to draw on toned paper with colored charcoal and will explore the use of the blending stump and the kneaded eraser as drawing tools. While the class is geared toward beginners, all skill levels are welcome. You will be amazed at your progress in this relaxed, supportive environment. Registration required. Fee: $85 per person.

Step Aerobics with Pam Lord resumes on Fridays from 9:15–10 a.m. Dates: Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29, Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26. Step aerobics was created in 1989 as a way to get a high-intensity yet low-impact workout.

With a portable platform (provided), you will do choreographed exercise routines up, onto, down and around the step for great cardio fitness, as well as exceptional training to shape the lower body, strengthen and tone muscle groups and improve coordination. Set to music, this low-impact class uses cardio work to produce an easy-to-learn and effective workout. The aerobic benefits are equally effective if you choose to do the workout without the step. Pam was previously certified with the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and will show you how to perform the moves safely with the correct technique and have you stepping like a pro in no time! Registration required. Fee: $7/class.

Staying in Touch: How to Connect With Your Grandchildren. Missing the grandkids after the holidays? Baffled (and frustrated) by their fascination with their phones? Learn about the ways kids communicate these days: email, video chat, texting, Facebook, Instagram and more. Figure out the best way to keep in

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touch with your grandchild and get personalized help to get started. Charlotte Tech Librarian Susanna Kahn will guide you through the process on Monday, January 11 and 18, from 1–3 p.m. Registration required. No fee.

Fitness for Every Body with Ginger Lambert will begin again on Tuesdays from 9–9:45 a.m. Dates: Jan. 12, 19, 26, Feb. 2, 9, 16. Want to be able to do your activities of daily living with ease? Then this class is for you! Enjoy the class camaraderie and increase strength, cardiovascular fitness, agility, balance and coordination. We use timed intervals and stations that incorporate body weight, dumbbells, kettle bells and more for a varied and never boring workout. Each exercise can be modified for any level or ability. Join us, you have nothing to lose, and you will have fun while getting stronger. Registration required. Limit 10.

Fee: $60 Memories & Dreams—Creating Unique Art. Turn your memories and dreams into fine art with Lynn Cummings on Tuesday, Jan. 12, from 9:30–11:30 a.m.

This free session will introduce attendees to an interesting way of documenting memories and dreams by viewing fine art projects made by the instructor. Lynn will show, describe and demonstrate some of the processes she uses to produce these works of art that document her travels, special people or events in her life, and ideas and places yet to be explored. These artworks require no drawing or painting skills, being created from text from books, handwriting, newspapers, plus photocopies of images from magazines, personal

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photos, etc. Even if you think you aren’t creative, it’s a “you have to see it to believe it” kind of thing. An actual art class to learn this unique way of documenting memories and dreams to create a piece of fine art will take place at the Center this spring. Registration required. No fee.

a ColleCTion of leCTures, performanCes and speCial evenTs sHowCasing THe diverse inTeresTs of our CommuniTy

Wednesday afternoons beginning at 1 p.m.. No registration or fee.

Jan. 6: egypT wiTH Judy TuTTle Through stunning photos, Judy will take you down the Nile River by boat after showing off Old Cairo and Giza, among other antiquities. She will also show photos of life along the river, her visit to Aswan marketplace, a ride in a felucca to Kitchener Island and her flight over the Sahara en route to Abu Simbel. Included will be the temples at Edfu and Aswan and a side trip to Alexandria.

Jan. 13: Hiking THe lyCian Trail in Turkey wiTH THe deTwilers Join Sandi and Rick Detwiler as they share pictures and their story of walking the Lycian trail in Turkey. For part of the way, the trail parallels the Mediterranean and then turns inland to sites of the ancient Lycian civilization. Come and learn a bit about this culture and be tempted to explore ancient Turkey on your own.

Charlotte Senior Center Café Offerings Monday Munch: Every Monday we serve lunch beginning at 11:30 a.m. Always a treat featuring homemade soup, salad, bread and desserts.

We decided to build a garage/shop and incorporate solar panels. Dave from Bristol Electronics came out to advise us on our options and helped us with the correct orientation and pitch of our roof. Their prices were less expensive than the competition and for what I believe is a superior product. The installation was quick with no problems. Bristol Electronics is a locally owned and operated business that delivered great service before, during, and even now almost a year later.

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Bridge players at the Charlotte Senior Center enjoying time with friends and the holiday decor. PHOTO: MADISON HAKEY

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22 â&#x20AC;˘ December 17, 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ The charloTTe News

Community Events Holiday Events FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18 Carol Singing: Charlotte Congregational Church. Carols of many landsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a sing-along. Join us in singing old favorites and new! 6â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7:30 p.m.

Performance: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Night Firesâ&#x20AC;? at Town Hall Theater, Middlebury. $25, $21 seniors, $20 students. 8 p.m. Please note that pre-show singing begins approximately 20 minutes before the show. Info: townhalltheater.org.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 Performance: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Night Fires.â&#x20AC;? 4 and 8 p.m. (See Dec. 18.)

Performance: Vermont Ballet Theater presents The Nutcracker. Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Burlington. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Info: 802-863-5966 or flynntix.org.

Concert: Social Band presents â&#x20AC;&#x153;Deep Midwinter: Songs from Winterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heart.â&#x20AC;?

Charlotte Congregational Church. $15 suggested donation. 7:30 p.m. Tickets available at the door. Wheelchair accessible. Info: socialband.org, or 802355-4216.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 Pagaent: Charlotte Congregational Church. Christmas Pageant. 10 a.m.

Performance: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Night Fires.â&#x20AC;? 4 p.m.

(See Dec. 18.)

Performance: The Nutcracker. 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. (See Dec. 19.)

Concert: The Celtic Mass for Peaceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Songs for the Earth, composed by classical guitarist and Middlebury resident, Sam Guarnaccia. All Souls Interfaith Gathering, Shelburne. Free. 5 p.m.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 21 Concert: Sons of Serendip Holiday Concert. Town Hall Theater, Middlebury. $40. 7:30 p.m. Info: townhalltheater.org.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22 Performance: No Strings Marionettes present Scrooge, A Christmas Carol.

Town Hall Theater, Middlebury. Free ages 16 and under. $10 adults. 4 p.m.

Info: townhalltheater.org.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24 Service: Charlotte Congregational Church Christmas Eve Services.

Family Service: 4:30 p.m. Traditional

Candlelight Service: 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25 Free Meal: 11th Annual Holiday Dinner. Elks Lodge, 925 North Avenue, Burlington. Special gathering at 1 p.m. for seniors. If you are over 50 years of age and would like transportation, please contact Megan Humphrey at 864-7528 or meganjhumphrey@gmail.com. Any time from noon to 3 p.m.

Charlotte Events

(or events featuring a Charlotter) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26 Concert: Charlotter Paige Thibault, 15, performing original music accompanied by vocals and piano at the Radio Bean.

Free. 8 North Winooski Ave. 7â&#x20AC;&#x201C;8 p.m.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 2 Workshop: One-day Circus Camp. 3130 Mt. Philo Rd. 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Kids ages 4 to 9. Info: skyboundcircus.weebly. com, or skyboundcircus@outlook.com.

Around the Area SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 Volunteer Opportunity: Build connector trails for people hiking the new 3.5-mile Sophieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lair loop trail. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Okay to leave early.) Meet at 9 a.m. at the trailhead for Florence Hathaway Trail in Willsboro, N.Y., on Route 22, about 1.3 miles south of the bridge over the Boquet River, or 3.2 miles north of Essex. Let us know if you plan to attend. Info: 518-962-2287 or info@champlainareatrails.com.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 Concert: Vermont Youth Orchestra New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve Concert. St. Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College. 3 p.m. Free. Info: vyo.org.

Public Meetings Upcoming

Selectboard: Dec. 21, 7 p.m.

Planning Commission: Dec. 17, 7 p.m., Jan. 7, 7 p.m.

CCS School Board: Jan. 5, 6 p.m. @ CCS Library (budget) CVU School Board: Jan. 6, 6 p.m. @ CVU Room 140/142 (budget) CSSU Board: Jan. 7, 5:30 p.m. @ CSSU Office (budget) Zoning Board: None Conservation Commission: Dec. 22, 7 p.m.

Meeting times are subject to change. Check the town website for more info: charlottevt.org

Have your say | Selectboard MeMberS | Chair, Lane Morrison, 425-2495 Matthew Krasnow, 922-2153 Carrie Spear, 425-4444 Jacob Spell, 425-6548 Fritz Tegatz, 425-5564 Selectboard Regular Meetings are usually at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. If you would like to bring an issue to the attention of the Selectboard, contact the board chair or administrator Dean Bloch at 425-3071, ext. 205.

| ccS School board | Chair, Mark McDermott, 425-4860 Vice Chair Erik Beal, 425-2140 Kristin Wright, 425-5105 Clyde Baldwin, 425-3366 Susan Nostrand, 425-4999

| cVU School board-charlotte | Lorna Jimerson, ljimerso@wcvt.com Lynne Jaunich, lmjau@gmavt.net

| Planning coMMiSSion | Administrator, Jeannine McCrumb, 425-3071; jeannine@townofcharlotte.com Chair, Jeffrey McDonald, 425-4429 Vice Chair, Peter Joslin Members: Gerald Bouchard, Paul Landler, Charlie Pughe, Donna Stearns, Marty Illick

| Vt goVernMent | vt senate (cHittenden district) Tim Ashe, D/P-Burlington, 318-0903, tashe@leg.state.vt Philip Baruth, D-Burlington, 503-5266, pbaruth@leg.state.vt.us Virginia â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ginnyâ&#x20AC;? Lyons, D-Williston, 863-6129, vvlyons@leg.state.vt.us Michael Sirotkin, D-South Burlington, 999-4360, msirotkin@leg.state.vt.us David Zuckerman, P/D/W-Hinesburg, 598-1986, dzuckerman@leg.state.vt.us

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Volunteer Spotlight: The Senior Center will serve Monday Munch as usual during the holidays on Dec. 21 and 28. Because the usual cooking teams have family needs, we are asking for volunteers. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not asking you to cook. We just need a few volunteers to toss the salad, help set the tables, and serve. Something to think about: In a couple of weeks I will be soliciting people looking for New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolutions and a longterm commitment to doing something positive in Charlotte. We are looking for people to join cooking teams that meet once a month for great community and lots of busy-ness in the kitchen. Some people cook; others do a lot of other tasks. Please start thinking about it. For more info: e-mail Susan Ohanian at susano@gmavt.net.

verMont House Mike Yantachka, D-Charlotte, 425-3960, myantachka.dfa@gmail.com

| U.S. goVernMent | u.s. senators Patrick Leahy, 863-2525, leahy.senate.gov Bernie Sanders, 862-0697, sanders.senate.gov us congressMan Peter Welch, 652-2450, welch.house.gov

The CharloTTe News • DeCember 17, 2015 • 23

Around Town Congratulations

Classifieds

Making hay in DeceMber??

to Marty Illick who, in her capacity as executive director of the Lewis Creek Association, received the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award, given annually recognizing efforts by Vermonters to conserve and protect natural resources, prevent pollution and promote environmental sustainability. In addition to advocating high water-quality Marty has helped develop strategies to foster greater collaboration between state staff and local citizens. Through LCA’s restoration and work planning based on Unseasonably warm weather in December makes this tractor on Spear Street extension solid data collection, the association has look like its preparing for spring. PHOTO: ALEX BUNTEN educated the community via the “Ahead of the Storm Program,” maintenance of a Lewis Creek Association website and a “Viola Concerto in G Major” as a soloist and great talent as a ski instructor.” He program of sharing of water quality and with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra was joined in his recognition by Amy river assessment reports with the LaPlatte at its Christmas Pops performance at the Peacock of Mendon and Aaron Korzum of towns of Charlotte, Hinesburg and Flynn Theater. Rowan began playing Shrewsbury.

Shelburne. violin at age four and attended Kinhaven Music School’s junior session in Weston, to our state representative, Mike Vt., as a violist. She now studies at Julliard Yantachka, who wrote a commentary School of Music’s pre-college division that appeared in the Burlington Free Press after having taken lessons with the on Dec. 2. In it he criticized the politi- Vermont Symphony’s Stephanie Taylor. cians and citizens who want to shut our She has been a member of the Vermont is extended to friends of Gillian Patricia country’s doors to immigrants. He says Youth Orchestra Association for the past Shergold of Fall City, Wash., who passed he hopes we will “reject such xenophobic five years and received a scholarship away Nov. 14 at the age of 48. Born in the attitudes,” because failure to do so will to take additional pre-courses at St. United Kingdom, Gillian and her husband, “make the refugees fleeing from ISIS Michael’s College.

Ian, lived in Charlotte for 10 years in the double victims of the terrorists.” He goes 1990s and early 2000s. She helped in the on to say that he believes most of us would to Tony Blake of Charlotte whose work Charlotte Central School reading room for want “nothing more than to find safety with adaptive skiing earned him recogni- several of those years, and her daughter and shelter for [our] children if faced with tion from the Vermont Adaptive Ski and Hannah was a student at CCS. The family same situation.” He urges us, at this time Sports Association. He was specifically asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations of thanksgiving, to “welcome into our honored for his “professionalism, his in her memory be made to the Swedish community these refugees who want to infectious enthusiasm for Vermont Cancer Institute Research: community. begin a new life in freedom and safety.”

Adaptive, and the generosity of his time, swedish.org/donate/cancer. talent and resources.” He is a volunteer to Rowan Bowman Swain, 14, of at Sugarbush Resort, known by many on Charlotte, who performed Teleman’s the slopes for his “humility, dependability

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THE CHARLOTTE NEWS

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The Charlotte News will take its traditional holiday break after this issue. We shall return Jan. 14, 2016 and continue to keep you updated with all the happenings in Charlotte.

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