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Vol. 58, no. 20 May 5, 2016
Happy Mother’s Day!
Vermont’s oldest nonprofit community newspaper, bringing you local news and views since 1958.
Kickstart with art
The Clemmons Family and the reinvention of a Vermont farm Geeda Searfoorce THE CHARLOTTE NEWS
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Lydia and Jack Clemmons with their daughter, Lydia. Charlotters since 1962, they have raised five children and been active in the community. By shifting their farm’s focus, they hope to engage artists, writers, scholars and the public in sharing this piece of Vermont cultural history. PHOTO: GEEDA SEARFOORCE
Arbor Day tree planting at CCS, offer to landowners Larry Hamilton CONTRIBUTOR
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rbor Day is recognized nationally as a special day for honoring trees, but especially for planting trees. The national official day is April 29, but Vermont has designated it for May 6. I suspect that this is due to our more northerly location—we are usually a week later. The Selectboard has made an official declaration to encourage tree planting in Charlotte, and a ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. at CCS. A group of kindergarten to 4th graders will help celebrate trees with a song and poem, followed by the planting of two additional fruit trees in the edible schoolyard. The edible trees will be provided by Horsford’s Nursery, thanks to Charlie Proutt, who has provided two trees each year for the past 24 years and, in so doing, has amassed a total of some 48 trees. These are found both in front of the school and at the rear. What a gift to the town! It seems appropriate for this special
day to announce a program in which the town will support the planting of trees on private land along our roadways. Thanks to a generous gift from Alice Outwater, the town is prepared to pay up to $75 for each tree planted by landowners on their land, but as rows along our roadways (behind the town-owned right-of-way, in most cases 25 feet from road centreline). These must not be under utility lines or blocking scenic views, and there must be a minimum of three trees to qualify for this assistance. The landowner is required to sign an agreement that he or she will care for and maintain the trees and also permit inspection to check on tree health. Such a program was in effect a few years ago when the Rutter Family Charlotte Tree Fund provided the financial support. Examples of such planting may be seen at Steve Denton’s along Spear Street north of the Hinesburg Road; along Thompson’s Point Road just west of the railroad tracks on property of Stephen Roberts; along Whalley Road and Ferry Road on Suzanne Parker’s land; a long row along the rustic fence on the Jean Pecor horse farm on north Greenbush Road and a few others. Application for such a venture and a site inspection should be lodged with the Tree Warden at silverfox@gmavt.net or 342 Bittersweet Lane. Happy Arbor Day—and a thank you to Alice Outwater.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,” began a recent Front Porch Forum post by Lydia Clemmons about the transformation of her family’s farm on Greenbush Road. The details that followed outlined the planning process for a potential new landmark for the town. The Clemmons Family Farm, with its 138 acres and five historic buildings—a late-1700s to mid-1800s dairy and hay barns, a granary, a blacksmith shop and a Colonial house, along with a spacious residence built in the 1980s—is poised to become a hub of cultural discovery, artistic inspiration and celebration of the rural farming character of Charlotte. The Clemmonses are engaged in a reinvigoration and diversification of the farming activities on their property. Their
goal is to add new art and multicultural activities and to share the bucolic grounds and historic buildings with the public, which will transform the site from a family farm to a community center over the next several years. “This place is a cherished part of Vermont history,” said Lydia Clemmons (junior). “We really want not only to honor our parents’ years of hard work but also preserve the agricultural, artistic and historical significance of one of the largest African American owned farms in the state.” Charlotters since 1962, Lydia (senior) and Jack Clemmons, both 93, have been nurturing their family, engaging in satisfying careers—she as a nurse anesthetist and small business owner, he as a doctor in the pathology department at UVM—all the while farming their land and thoughtfully restoring the property’s buildings. One of the first new initiatives on the Clemmons Family Farm will be see CleMMons farM, page 7
Local wins honorable mention in essay competition CCS’s Sadie Holmes, daughter of Julie and Todd Holmes, recieved an honorable mention for the 2016 Hildene Essay Competition. Winners were selected from a record 237 entries from eighth graders in 39 Vermont schools. In its 10th year, the Lincoln Essay Competition challenged young Vermont writers to respond to the following question in an essay of no more than 500 words: Why do you think racism persists in America, what factors contribute to its persistence, and how can these factors be addressed in order to move the country toward a more perfect union? Winners will be honored at a celebratory luncheon hosted by Hildene at the Lincoln Family Home on Sunday, May 15. The first place winner, taking home a $1,000 prize, was Livia Greenberg from Stratton Mountain School. All the winning essays will be available for viewing online at hildene.org, beginning May 16.
Bear-y scary The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has been getting reports of bears getting into trash containers, bird feeders, bee hives and chicken houses. To protect the public and the animals, they are urging residents to avoid attracting hungry bears this spring by removing or securing potential food sources. The department recommends keeping chickens and honeybees within an electric fence or other bear-proof enclosure, feeding pets indoors, not feeding birds between April 1 and Nov. 30 and storing trash in a secure place. The state’s bear biologist says once a bear becomes used to a food source and human contact, it is nearly impossible to relocate the animal. It frequently has to be put down. Vermont has one of the densest black bear populations in the country, approximately one bear for every three square miles, most commonly found in the Green Mountains and Northeast Kingdom.
Paint me a sheep, Shetland please Madison Hakey THE CHARLOTTE NEWS
Bryn Meadow Farm Bed & Breakfast’s heritage animals inspire its owners to create
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odel trains, sheep and paintings all can be found at Bryn Meadow Farm Bed and Breakfast in East Charlotte. Owned by Elysabethe James and her husband, Christopher Cadmus, Bryn Meadow is a farm with sheep, chickens, ducks and turkeys as well as a laid-back place to stay—they can house three adults or two adults and a few small kids in their home. James didn’t start Bryn Meadow
randomly—it has been a lifetime of setup before the grand finale. When James was a child, she lived right outside of Philadelphia. Growing up, she knew she wanted to be an artist, but also aspired to become a doctor. Fearing that she might hurt someone as a doctor, James pursued painting instead, but felt unsatisfied. Studying hard, she became a physician assistant. But two jobs weren’t enough. On top of being an artist and physician assistant, James moved to Charlotte and started Bryn Meadow. She named Bryn after the town she grew up in and her Welsh heritage. Bryn is Welsh for beautiful knoll, and it seemed to fit the quaint settlement.
Charlotte was perfect, James says, because there is respect for the land, a large farming community and friendly people. “There are a lot of knowledgeable people ... You can learn a lot if you just listen,” James says. She also wanted to be close to her daughter, who settled in Burlington, and start up a farm. As an artist, James, who loves to paint farm animals, says, “I decided to get some of the animals that I had been painting so that I could have them here and paint them.” With very little background, James learned as she went. She started out with a few Shetland sheep because they are small and their wool is valuable. “It wasn’t until halfway home that I realized that I’d
ELYSABETHE JAMES AND CHRISTOPHER CADMUS
bought a ram—and there are times when rams can’t be with ewes. It occurred to me, ‘I guess I’ll do sheep breeding.’” It wasn’t until Cadmus and James got married that she considered running a bed and breakfast too. Cadmus and James’ love story begins with match.com. see Bryn Meadow, page 6
2 • May 5, 2016 • The CharloTTe News
Pens at the ready! TCN writing competition launches with a $100 grand prize For the fifth year in a row, it’s time for the annual Charlotte News writing contest, where we ask you to submit a story in response to a prompt we provide. The prompt for this contest: “It seemed like such a good idea at the time.” Entries can take the form of a fictional story or a narrative, nonfiction story (e.g. personal biography or memoir). The only requirements are that entrants must be unpublished writers—though if your work has been self-published or published only locally—e.g., in the pages of The Charlotte News, you are still eligible. Entries must be no longer than 1,000 words, and the prompt itself must appear verbatim in the story. The contest is free and open to all readers of The Charlotte News, past and present, young and old, who want to test their writing mettle. Boiling a story down to 1,000 words is no easy task, so we offer you free advice from Stephen King: “When your story is ready for rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done.” Whoever does it best will achieve local fame and glory as a published writer in The News, as well as a $100 winner’s
Are you passionate about learning? Do you enjoy writing? Are you interested in journalism? If you answered YES to any (or all) of these questions, The Charlotte News wants YOU to be the next Outwater Intern. Be inspired to... • Explore local history • Meet new people • Learn about community journalism • Think outside the box
The Charlotte News is looking for a motivated, news-savvy summer intern with strong writing skills and a natural curiosity about the local area. Candidates should be creative, outgoing, dependable and comfortable in a fast-paced environment. A driver’s license and access to a car are highly desirable. This is a 15 hour per week position that will start at the end of May and run through the end of August. Interns who finish their working commitments will be paid a modest stipend on a per issue basis. The position can be extended for suitable candidates. The position will be open until filled. Email a letter of motivation to Alex Bunten at news@thecharlottenews.org. Stipends for this internship were made possible by a generous donation from Alice D. Outwater, and in memory of her husband, John Outwater.
The Charlotte News check from the paper and a wallet pen from Charlotte’s own Wallet Pen Company on Ferry Road. Two runners-up will each receive a check for $50. The winning story will be selected on the basis of its distinctiveness and originality, whether the piece develops and reads well and whether the piece engages the reader emotionally. Entries, with the writer’s name removed, will be read by Denise Shekerjian, Jim Manchester, Jordan Blucher (last year’s winner and a regular columnist for The News) and Vince Crockenberg, all of whom are published writers or teachers of writing. Entries—double-spaced, please—are due on Friday, May 27. The winning story will be published in the June 16 issue of the paper. Entries should be emailed to news@
thecharlottenews.org with the words “Writing Contest” in the subject heading. Have fun and good luck! We look forward to reading your work. We leave you with some final words from Tom Clancy: “Tell the damned story.”
Green Up Charlotte on May 7 & 8
Editorial Staff news@thecharlottenews.org / 425-4949 Editor in chief: Alex Bunten Assistant editor: Geeda Searfoorce Contributing editors: Edd Merritt, Ruah Swennerfelt, Jorden Blucher, John Hammer Copy editors: Beth Merritt, Leslie Botjer, Vince Crockenberg, Carol Hanley Outwater interns: Kali Adams, Madison Hakey
Joanna Cummings CONTRIBUTOR
Green Up Vermont marks its 46th anniversary this year, so let’s keep the tradition alive and Charlotte green by picking up a bag or two at either the town office, Charlotte Library, Spears Store or Brick Store. Then sign up for a roadside route to clean up at http://greenupcharlottevt.com. Bags will also be available at the Charlotte Central School Quonset hut on Saturday, May 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, May 8, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., where you can also check to see what routes are available. Want to recycle the bottles and cans you pick up along the roadside? Then grab a clear bag at the CCS Quonset hut as well on May 7 and 8, for collecting recyclable bottles and cans. Bring the clear bag back to the Quonset Hut along with your green bag. After several years of serving the town well as Green Up Day coordinator, Joe Gallagher stepped down and Joanna Cummings was appointed as the new coordinator. If you have any questions about Green Up Day activities please email Joanna at joanna@yellowladyslipper.org. Your participation in Green Up Day is greatly appreciated, but please not to leave full bags along the roadside. Neither the town nor Green Up Day coordinator will pick up bags. Bring your Green Up bags, tires and scrap metal to the CCS Quonset hut on the days and hours listed above. Remember to be safe out there: Wear brightly colored clothes, sensible shoes, gloves and sunscreen. And be tick smart: Wear long pants, avoid tall grass, wear bug repellent and check for ticks when you arrive home. If you find any needles or hazardous materials along the roadside please DO NOT try to pick them up. Tell Joanna—the Green Up Day coordinator— about the location and it will be reported to the town office for pick up by people trained in hazardous waste removal. It may be called Green Up Day, but in
The Charlotte News is a nonprofit communitybased newspaper dedicated to informing townspeople of current events and issues. It serves as a forum for the free exchange of views of town residents and celebrates the people, places and happenings that make the Town of Charlotte unique. Contributions in the form of articles, press releases and photographs pertaining to Charlotte-related people and events are accepted and encouraged. For submission guidelines and deadlines, please visit our website or contact the editor at news@thecharlottenews.org. The Charlotte News is published in Charlotte by The Charlotte News, Inc., a Vermont domestic 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation. Distribution is made every other Thursday to all households and businesses in Charlotte and to more than 50 outlets in Shelburne, Hinesburg, North Ferrisburgh, Ferrisburgh, Vergennes and Burlington. The Charlotte News relies on the generous financial contributions of its readers, subscriptions and advertising revenue to sustain its operations.
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Charlotte we dedicate an entire weekend to greening up, and other organizations are hosting events as well. The CharlotteShelburne Seed Library will have a table set up at the Quonset Hut on Saturday. You can pick up seeds from their terrific selection for starting or direct planting. Any question regarding the seed library can be answered by calling the Charlotte Library at 425-3864. The Charlotte Central School will be holding its 5th annual Compost Sale in the west Quonset parking lot on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Bring your own can for pickup, with prices as follows: $3 per five-gallon can, $12 per 20-gallon can, and $18 per 33-gallon can. Student-led tours of the composting shed will take place from 9 to 10 a.m., and there will also be trees and shrubs for sale. For more information, contact Abby Foulk at afoulk@gmavt.net. Ruah Swennerfelt will lead the e-waste recycling project again this year. On May 7 and 8, you can bring your old computers, electronic devices, TVs, VCRs, and small kitchen appliances to the Quonset Hut to have them recycled. If you have any questions, please contact Ruah at ruahswennerfelt@gmail.com. The Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge will be hosting a clean-up day as well. Meet at the entrance off Greenbush Road on Saturday, May 7, at 10 a.m., for trash pickup along the Route 7 border of the park and cleanup of an old dump in the park. For more information email charlottepawr@ gmail.com. We hope you join us for any of these activities on the weekend of May 7 and 8. Do what you can to Green Up our town! Any questions regarding Charlotte’s Green Up can be sent to Joanna at Joanna@ yellowladyslipper.org.
Business manager: Shanley Hinge Ad manager: Monica Marshall Circulation group: Valerie Lebensohn
Board Members President: Vince Crockenberg Secretary: John Hammer Treasurer: Patrice Machavern Board members: Bob Bloch, Carol Hanley, Michael Haulenbeek, Gay Regan, Louisa Schibli
Contributors Wendy Bratt, Bradley Carleton, Georgia Edwards, Larry Hamilton, John Hammer, James Hyde, Alice B. Outwater, Ph. D., Mary Recchia, Margaret Woodruff, Mike Yantachka
On the Cover
Charlotter and Lake Champlain Waldorf School senior Dana Govett is passionate about drone technology. He presented a video called “Stop Reckless Rail in Vermont” featuring footage, captured by drone, of the land VT Rail Systems recently cleared near the LaPlatte River in Shelburne.
Subscription Information The Charlotte News is delivered at no cost to all Charlotte residences. Effective May 1, 2016, we will no longer offer bulk mail subscriptions. Subscriptions are available for first-class delivery at $40 per calendar year. Want a subscription? Please send a check payable to The Charlotte News, PO Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445.
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 © 2016 The Charlotte News, Inc. Printed by Upper Valley Press Member of the New England Newspaper and Press Association and the Vermont Press Association.
The CharloTTe News • May 5, 2016 • 3
Voices
Dear Courage
Grandmother, retired nurse, and unshakable champion of the human spirit, Courage Turner Jones
THE PATHFINDER TEAM AND AIRCREW
“Be brave, Beloveds, and somehow we’ll all make it!”
Dear Courage, My sister and I spent last weekend cleaning out our parents’ home so we can sell it this summer. In the attic we found a picture of our family from the last time we were all together—years ago. My mom, dad, sister and I are sitting on our old picnic blanket in the backyard under a maple that today shows its age through its gnarled trunk and black-dusted leaves. When I looked at the picture of us, picking at bread and cheese and shielding our eyes from the sun (and my grandfather’s stubborn attempts at amateur photography), I remembered that my sister took the old picnic blanket when she left home for school when we were young. When I asked her if she still had it, she told me she lost it sometime during her last year of college and never found it. I am angry with her that she could be so careless with something that meant so much to us. That blanket is one of the only things linking us to our time as a family, and I can’t believe she didn’t protect it. I know it’s just a material thing and I shouldn’t be upset, but I am. How can I forgive her for her thoughtlessness?
Signed, Cross in Calais
securely perched. The wind that shakes the tree, my dear, is life. Material things have a way of obscuring what’s really going on, especially when closing up a family home. Your sister’s loss of the picnic blanket has upset you for reasons that you are only now beginning to deal with. And the way you and she deal with that loss, and others, will change as the wind continues to blow. Being upset with someone else is absolutely natural, and you have written to me because you don’t want to be upset with your sister forever. This tells me there is love in your relationship, thank goodness. Now you must get to work expressing your upset feelings to your sister in a constructive way—one that helps you listen to each other through the sound of the wind. You also need to be ready to release your sister from the expectation that she feels the same way you do about the blanket. This is the harder work of life and speaks to the true meaning of forgiveness, something we too often in our culture confuse with forgetting. Because I suspect that the loss you both lament isn’t the blanket itself but the banquet spread out on it. Excessive metaphors be damned. Put on your windbreaker and unpack your picnic basket!
Signed, Courage
Dear Cross, There are few relationships that can rile us up quite like the ones we have with our siblings. Every time we have conflict with them—no matter how small or large— we simultaneously have to deal with the opposing forces in us that gave rise to the conflict in the first place. After all, as siblings, we are nurtured in the same nest. We build our understanding of ourselves and how to be in the world alongside one another. When we grow into adults, those internal and external dynamics shift, not only because we mature but also because other changes in the nest—the death of one or both parents is the most jarring—shake the tree in which we thought we were so
P.S.—Call your local tree warden to take a look at that maple. The black dust on the leaves may be fungus and not merely an imprint of time’s march. Healthy aging can be embraced, but disease is often treatable when proper precautions are taken. Good luck!
Need Courage? People ages five to 500 are encouraged to send their questions via email to dearcourage@thecharlottenews.org or via good old fashioned post to: Dear Courage c/o The Charlotte News, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445.
You’ve Been Fooled Twice, Mr. Bunten… Editor: I do not appreciate indirectly being forced to join your “Writer’s Workshop” via a dispute over what is said to be a 1943 military jacket once owned by my uncle who was killed in 1944 during WWII. Due to your editorial and Brent Dorval’s letter to the editor published in the April 21 Charlotte News, I find myself compelled, forced to publicly defend my integrity and reputation, and explain exactly why it is that this jacket is not historical, a fake, and never belonged to my Uncle, “Pfc. John Rigapoulos” as Mr. Dorval so adamantly maintains. After speaking only once with Mr. Dorval on April 8 and seeing two photos of this “jacket” which, by the way, he was reluctant to send me!, I determined immediately that it was not authentic. Seeking confirmation, I sent the photos to Dave Berry, an acclaimed WWII historian I’ve known for years, who responded in great detail as to why it is indeed a fraud. Feeling this was all a scam, my plan at the time after seeing photos of the jacket and conferring with Dave was to let the matter die and not follow-up nor call Mr. Dorval again—but then you contacted me and unfortunately brought the entire matter out under spotlight in my home-town
newspaper. Know, too, that everything Mr. Dorval writes in his letter to you can easily be found on the Internet, although the Web is not always accurate. I had met Albert Tarbell personally (of whom Dorval noted), a wonderful man and brave soldier who had shared with me some great stories about himself and about my uncle from the war. Sadly, Al passed away in 2009. I wonder what he would have to say about all this?! Here is my proof that the jacket is a fraud as written and verified by Dave Berry, WWII historian, in his e-mail to me below which he asked that I forward to you in full.
Catherine Metropolous Charlotte Editor’s note: Catherine Metropolous asked that we print Berry’s email in its entirety. At more than 1150 words, however, it is too long to publish in this issue. You can, however, find Berry’s letter—which presents a detailed case against the authenticity of the jacket based on an analysis of the jumpsuit model, the design and material of the arm flag and the color of the buttons—in its entirety online at thecharlottenews.org.
Spring Cleaning?
LEttErs PoLicy: The Charlotte News welcomes signed letters to the editor and commentaries on any subject of interest to the community. To allow the publication of a diverse selection of views in each issue, please limit letters to a 300 word max. and commentaries to a 800 word max. Include your full name, town of residence and phone number. The editors reserve the right to edit for clarity, English usage and length or to publish submissions in full. Have your say—email news@thecharlottenews.org.
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4 • May 5, 2016 • The CharloTTe News
Labor of love violence in the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, along with educational funding for the victims’ children. Founded in 2011 as an innovative collaboration between Vermonters and Congolese women in need, LYNN ALPETER AND K. CLEOPHACE MUKEBA VIBI addresses the dire needs of an area of the world that The Vermont Ibutwa Initiative feels the brunt of globalization and indushelps women and children in the try. The civil wars in the Congo between 1996 and 2003 were, in large part, a result Democratic Republic of Congo of conflict arising from competition for build a new life after trauma the region’s wealth of natural resources— gold, diamonds, tungsten, tin, and tantalum—many used in manufacturing elecGeeda Searfoorce tronics. When minerals are gathered in THE CHARLOTTE NEWS high-risk areas, such as the South Kivu y supporting communities half a region where VIBI is at work, a dangerous world away, Vermonters are build- situation grips entire communities and ing a strong global future. The Vermont leads to increasing destabilization. VIBI Ibutwa Initiative (VIBI) provides medical seeks to heal the region’s most vulnerable treatment and sustainable livelihood help inhabitants and rebuild infrastructure in for victims of sexual and gender-based the wake of the devastating loss of millions of lives and in the face of the
B
Burlington, and other community leaders, is committed to growing a program that empowers participants with skills and traumatic imprint left on those who have resources. Supporters and donors of the survived. program, including Charlotter Lynn Alpeter, believe strongly in VIBI’s posiBirth of a mission tive impact. “This organization empowers women in need to take control of their lives “When you strengthen and support and build back strength after they’ve been women, you begin to heal the world,” says through trauma,” she says. “Rather than VIBI’s Executive Director, Kyendamina Cleophace Mukeba. Mukeba, born in southeast Congo, moved to the U.S. in “‘How can I help you?’ is 2005, after his mother was killed and he fled the war torn country and lived as a the wrong question,” says Mukeba. “It is too big. To refugee for almost nine years. Returning to his homeland in 2012, advocate, first you must he met with women in two villages to develop a vision for VIBI that is driven listen. And then you act.” by their needs and ensures their direct involvement. The women expressed their top priorities—access to medical care so just feeling hopeless and guilty, I wanted to they can heal from physical trauma and take action to support VIBI’s work with a health problems; the opportunity for their celebration of hope.” children to go to school; and assistance Alpeter is hosting a “Dance For and support in finding a way to make a Resilience” at the Old Lantern Inn in living—and VIBI’s mission was born. Charlotte, May 15 from 3 to 5 p.m. This VIBI’s board and staff, comprised of free event, held to increase awareness for several faculty from St. Michael’s College, the Director of Outreach Ministries from continued on the next page the First Congregational Church UCC of
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The Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery in Shelburne will celebrate its 25th anniversary this May with an exhibit titled “Looking Back.” Originally known as Shelburne Frame and Art, the business evolved from restoration and custom framing services into a high-quality gallery for local artists. To mark this milestone, Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery will highlight some of the talented people whose work appeared in the gallery’s early years. “Looking Back,” will feature 17 artists: Julie Y Baker Albright, Joan Curtis, Dan Fisher, Jim Giddings, Alison Goodwin, Henry Isaacs, Hal Mayforth, Petria Mitchell, Alice Murdoch, Carolyn Shattuck, Phoebe Stone, Aron Tager, Polly Thompson, David Utiger, Laura
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Von Rosk, Mark Walp and Richard Weinstein. A reception will be held on Friday, May 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. to open the exhibit, and the show will run through July 5. Furchgott Sourdiffe prides itself in showcasing distinctive and original art. Charlotter Alice Murdoch will be showing her unique portraiture for a second time at Furchgott Sourdiffe in this exhibit. Her oil paintings depicting a variety of people—and sometimes animals—have been exhibited throughout the East coast. Many other Charlotters have had work shown at Furchgott Sourdiffe, including Annemie Curlin, Emily Bissell Laird, Tracy Burhans and former resident John Douglas. Additional information about Furchgott Sourdiffe and its upcoming exhibition can be found on the gallery’s website, fsgallery.com.
The CharloTTe News • May 5, 2016 • 5
Book Review: The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer
Georgia Edwards CONTRIBUTOR
W
e have all heard the expression, “from here to Timbuktu.” The city’s idiom is well earned. Distant, remote and landlocked, it lies at the edge of the Sahara desert in central Mali, accessible only by four-wheel drive or boat. Timbuktu was founded in the 11th century on a tributary of the Niger River. By the 14th century, it had become a thriving metropolis and trading center. During
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VIBI, will blend Congolese music and dance with Nia dance (a combination of dance arts, healing arts and martial arts) from Western culture, bringing people together to celebrate the resilience of the women and children of the DR Congo. Charlotter and designer Susan Vigsnes and the Old Lantern are pitching in to help create a unique event. It is for all ages and will focus on the joyful expression that the face of advocacy can take.
RebiRth of a Region Ibutwa means “renaissance” in Lega, the language of the Lega tribe of the Mwenga District, South Kivu. VIBI, in its work contributing to the rebirth of the people of the eastern DRC, has already made a profound impact. Thus far, the initiative has supported 33 women in starting sustainable-livelihood, micro-business projects, purchased land for them to farm in a new collaborative, provided access to needed medical treatment, and helped fund their children’s schooling. Ongoing financial management training enables the women to take up the work of their new lives as they get on their feet. Ibutwa practices an inclusive and holistic approach to care in addressing participants’ physical, psychological, social and economic needs. “‘How can I help you?’ is the wrong question,” says Mukeba. “It is too big. To advocate, first you must listen. And then you act. The program has to come from the
the 15th to 16th centuries, it emerged as a center for culture and learning. Highly skilled scribes created a wide range of texts on science, astronomy, medicine, poetry, history and philosophy. Extraordinary documents were produced using elegant script, bright colors and gold leaf. Goatskin covers were often embedded with jewels. The manuscripts were evidence that Islam was practiced in a tolerant and liberal manner throughout the region. Because the history of Timbuktu has been divided between periods of peace and war, some of the scripts were suppressed or destroyed during times of conflict. In 1984, in an effort to consolidate them for safekeeping, the Ahmed Baba Institute appointed a librarian named Abdel Kadir Haidara as a manuscript procurer. For nine years, Haidara traveled the deserts of Mali by jeep, camel or foot, purchasing thousands of scripts. These literary treasures were most often found in the homes of
Mali citizens—in trunks, beneath floors or buried in the desert sand. A serious threat to the manuscripts occurred in March 2012. Militant Islamists, backed by Al Qaeda, joined forces with Nigerian and Toureg rebels and seized control of the city. Strict Sharia law was enforced. Barbaric punishments were implemented for small crimes, women were severely suppressed in dress and conduct, and Sufi religious shrines destroyed. Because the city’s collection of manuscripts contradicted Al-Qaeda’s extremist interpretation of Islam, it was only a matter of time before they were destroyed. Haidara, along with other librarians, relatives and ordinary citizens, took action. He planned and implemented a silent movement to hide 377,000 manuscripts throughout homes in the region. When Al-Qaeda hostilities intensified after France launched Operation Serval,
women and be for the women, so they can be strengthened to carry out the work of their lives.” Ibutwa provides the funding for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence to receive proper medical care for medical conditions relating to the use rape incident. Malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS are sometimes also treated. Psychosocial support, programs that alleviate suffering and promote emotional, social, cognitive and spiritual well-being, are funded, facilitated, and organized by Ibutwa but are developed through participants’ active input. Using a culturally grounded approach, building on local resources and drawing on local meanings and phenomenology, the organization enables the community to take ownership so the program is indigenous, and thus, sustainable.
The initiative’s future plans include the development of a women’s community center that will offer programs for women to gather, participate in counseling and other supportive and educational programs, such as training in micro-business to empower them toward self-sufficiency. The awareness-raising efforts such as the Dance for Resilience are helping VIBI unite two parts of the world in support of women and children and, by
the decision was made to remove the documents from hiding and transport them to safety in Bamako, Mali’s capital to the south. This would become an extremely dangerous and Herculean undertaking. The scripts were hidden in trunks and driven across desert roads in private vehicles. There were tense moments when some of the drivers were halted at jihadi police checkpoints, but remarkably, the scripts remained safe. When roads became sealed from civilian traffic, Haidara resorted to shipment on the Niger River. The evacuation was extraordinarily successful—not one of the 377,000 manuscripts was confiscated or destroyed. In January 2013, jihadi extremists entered the Ahmed Baba Institute and burned 4,200 manuscripts before fleeing the French. They missed 10,600 that were hidden in the basement. In the end, the bad-ass librarians of Timbuktu saved nearly all of the city’s manuscripts through ingenuity, stealth, devotion to heritage and unwavering courage. An epic feat accomplished on a miniscule scale, this was a heist worthy of a Hollywood movie. extension, the future. To learn more about VIBI, visit vibiibutwa.org or contact Kyendamina Cléophace Mukeba, Executive Director of Vermont Ibutwa Initiative, at kyema2002@yahoo.com or Lynn Alpeter, host of Dance for Resilience and supporter of Vermont Ibutwa Initiative, at lynn. alpeter@gmail.com, 399-4956. Contact: Geeda@thecharlottenews.org
a global village Ibutwa’s awareness-raising efforts are rooted in the fundamental belief that informed people have the responsibility to educate those in the United States about the negative impact of war and social disorder on the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These efforts have largely taken form in presentations given at places of worship and communal gatherings, as well as on college and university campuses. The goal of these efforts is to ignite a will for committed action and advocacy. Alpeter says, “We can make a huge difference in the world and get creative with our work as supporters.”
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6 • May 5, 2016 • The CharloTTe News
Persistence Pays
Legislative Report by Representative Mike Yantachka
I
f you’re old enough to remember the 80s TV show “The A-Team� you might remember what their leader, Hannibal Smith (George Peppard), used to say after a successful mission: “I love it when a plan comes together!� That’s how I felt last week when a bill that I’ve been working on for the last five years passed overwhelmingly. Between my first and second years as State Rep, I was talking with Lambert Lussier, proprietor of Spear Street Mowers. He was telling me about a bill that Rep. Martha Heath had introduced a couple of years before that would have helped small equipment dealers like himself to obtain fair reimbursement for warranty work they had to perform under contract with their product distributors. Often he had to work on equipment that was purchased somewhere else, including big box stores. It was common for the manufacturer to set the reimbursement, usually below his normal labor rate, as well as dictate the
Bryn Meadows
contInued from page 1
Thinking James was too perfect to be true, Cadmus contacted her and they fell in love. Twelve years ago the couple held a gathering at Bryn Meadows and surprised their guests with their wedding ceremony. Also bonding over model trains, it only seemed fitting that the couple begin their own track. Cadmus builds the track and does the electrical work while James does the artwork for all of it, making the scene look realistic. James says her love for the trains comes from having brothers who would not let her play with theirs. For Cadmus, it has always been a hobby. To this day, there stands a twisting and winding track that fills their basement. While building the track, James and Cadmus have been busy with farming and hosting guests. They started the bed and breakfast aspect of Bryn Meadow for a few reasons. First, Cadmus says, “The Chamber Commerce was always calling up and asking, ‘Do you have a place from somebody to stay?’� They were really pushed by the Department of Agriculture. The department kept saying that people
and Bill promised that the warranty bill would be considered. Then as the session approached, NEDA hired a good lobbyist to shepherd the bill through. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Sen. John Rogers of Orleans County and was taken up by the Senate Commerce and Economic Development Committee. Although the manufacturers pushed back and even tried to delay work on the bill, the Senate passed it as S.224. Since the House Commerce Committee was already familiar with it, they made some tweaks and passed it out unanimously, 11-0. It subsequently passed the House on a voice vote with no opposition. I expect the Senate to concur with the changes made by the House and send it to the Governor. This bill recognizes the value of Vermont’s small equipment dealers to our local economies and agricultural communities and provides much needed protections for them as they negotiate contracts with large manufacturers who have the resources to dictate terms that can be detrimental to small dealers. I love it when a plan comes
amount of time expected to do the diagnosis and repair. I told him I’d try to help and introduced the bill the following session. Nothing happened to the bill, and I had to reintroduce it the following year in the new biennium. Working with the Northeast Equipment Dealers Association (NEDA), we pushed hard to get it through the House Commerce Committee. However, in the process the scope of the bill grew to include snowmobile and ATV dealers, and the manufacturers pushed back hard. Again, it failed to get out of committee. I introduced the bill again in 2015 with a Republican co-sponsor, Rep. Harvey Smith of New Haven. Again there didn’t seem to be a lot of interest in taking it up until three things happened. Last autumn, I invited Rep. Bill Botzow, the chair of the Commerce Committee, to visit Charlotte, and I in turn visited his town of Pownal. One of the stops we made was to Spear Street Mowers. Lambert told his story, wanted to stay on Vermont farms when they came to visit. It wouldn’t be a true Vermont experience without a farm, now would it? Becoming a B&B was quite an investment, James says, but so very worth it. “We have just met fabulous people,� she says. “It’s been an amazing experience.� In their time as a B&B, they have hosted guests ranging from a Korean engineer to an Italian father who spoke no English. Just a week ago, the couple had a band,The Weathermen, staying with them; their next guests are coming from British Columbia. As their guest list grew, so did the great reviews. A nurse from Hoboken told James, “This was a trip of a lifetime.� This comment has James grinning from ear to ear each time she thinks of it. Another woman, a multimillionaire, showing that money cannot buy everything, told James, “I love what you have.� Money also cannot buy another life—which is exactly what James wants. There is so much to learn and do that one life is simply not enough, she says. In this life, though, she has done much more than the average person. She was the first woman to drive in the Charlotte Tractor Parade. She has had four careers, working as a physician assistant,
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together—even if it does take five years! On another note, the Charter language creating a two-step approval process for the town budget, which passed by an 1148 to 403 vote at Town Meeting in March, became House bill H.881. After testimony from myself, Selectboard Chair Lane Morrison, Town Meeting Solutions Committee member Lynne Jaunich and Town Clerk Mary Mead via email, the House Government Operations Committee voted 9 to 1 for it, and it was subsequently passed by the House on a voice vote. It should get through the Senate before adjournment and then signed into law shortly afterward. I would like to take this opportunity to announce that I will be running for re-election in the Democratic Primary on August 27 and hope that you will support me. I always welcome your thoughts and can be reached by phone (802-233-5238) or by email (myantachka.dfa@gmail.com). You can find this article and past articles at my website, MikeYantachka.com.
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The CharloTTe News • May 5, 2016 • 7
April showers
DR. JACK CLEMMONS, IN FRONT OF THE BARN HE HAS LOVINGLY RESTORED OVER THE YEARS
Clemmons farm
continued from page 1
and many others. The Clemmonses are also working with town officials and the Selectboard to ensure their plans follow all of the required planning, zoning and permitting processes and that the Center adds value and joy to the Charlotte community and for visitors from near and far. The Clemmonses are looking forward to sharing their vision with the Charlotte community in person this summer, as they will host a special open house at the barn. Recent small gatherings at the farm have inspired them to plan for storytelling evenings during which the Clemmonses, along with professional and amateur yarn-spinners, will invite people to cozy up in one of the barn’s rooms or around the outdoor fire and listen to tales with friends and family. “We want to celebrate what it has been like living here in this town of caring, kind folks,” Lydia (junior) said, “and preserve that rural character for generations to come.” For more information about The Clemmons Family Farm, contact Lydia Clemmons at lydiaclemmons@hotmail. com and visit bit.ly/clemmonsfarmilyfarm.
to transform the Barn House into a “Farm2Art” community center that will be open to the public and that will celebrate farming, the arts and African American heritage. Harnessing the power of social media to proceed with their plans, the family has launched a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter to help cover some of the costs of the upgrades needed to get the Barn House ready for the public. “Having the community and public involved now is important to us,” said Lydia (junior), “because this is such an important part of the town’s history.” Working closely with environmental artist Nancy Winship Milliken, the family is talking with the town, the UVM Extension Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the USDA’s Natural Resources division, Middlebury College, the Rokeby Museum, the Vermont Council of the Arts, the Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity and planners of the Vermont African American Heritage Trail, the Preservation Trust of Vermont and foundations whose mission is to preserve historic properties, academic institutions, Contact: geeda@thecharlottenews.org
PHOTO: RIK CARLSON
What it takes TCN Writers’ Workshop kicks off its second year Corinna Hobbs
audience. That night I took away tips of all different sections to a newspaper and ended wondering, “How do these people do their jobs so well?” I don’t know yet, but I hope curiosity and perseverance is all it takes.
CONTRIBUTOR
Wednesday April 27, The Charlotte News team held its second annual writer’s workshop for local news contributors. As club reporter for the Hinesburg 4-H Club, I went to gain extra knowledge about writing articles. During the presentation Alex Bunten talked about what happens every week to make sure The News stays up and running. After that, CVU student Madison Hakey talked about “what it’s like to be an intern” and work for the paper. Next Geeda Searfoorce led a game about interviewing people. In this game four penguins robbed the local store, and the audience had to come up with questions to ask the suspects. Finally, Mr. Mike Donoghue wrapped up the night by talking about his experience working with the Burlington Free Press for 47 years and what goes into a quality newspaper story. Mike ended his presentation by answering questions from the
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8 • May 5, 2016 • The CharloTTe News
Selectboard discusses Town Clerk job re-evaluation, CVFRS seeks volunteers John Hammer THE CHARLOTTE NEWS
t
he April 25 Selectboard meeting was a marathon lasting two minutes short of four hours and that didn’t include a site visit at 6:15 p.m. While the board plowed through a long list of administrative agenda items, the bulk of the meeting was monopolized by lengthy discussions ending in few decisions. The nagging question that most people in town want to know concerns the decision on the Town Clerk/Treasurer’s salary request. This matter wasn’t discussed until the Selectboard updates section—three hours and thirty-four minutes into the meeting. Selectman Krasnow reported that the process was one-third of the way through the Palmer salary evaluation. Chairman Morrison reported that they have five pages of tasks but no job description. The Palmer method of salary determination is best entered with a description of the job that specifies its required qualifications, supervisory functions and responsibilities. The Selectboard has a template for a job description which Mary Mead said she had not seen. Morrison said that it is fairly hard to evaluate someone based on five pages of tasks. He suggested that if one were to hire somebody, he should have an outline of what that person is expected to do. “A list of tasks does not make it easy to do.” Entering the Palmer grid is a similar process. After a considerable amount of discussion on trying to depersonalize entry into the Palmer method, Krasnow stated that the work being done in this review is “not about personalities but about the work that is being done for the town.” The first prolonged discussion on the agenda covered the potential for placing a port-o-let outside the Town Hall for cyclists this summer and fall. The issue arose from the fact that two businesses,
the Old Brick Store and The Little Garden Market, are unable to open their restrooms because of septic limitations. They both refer visitors to the public spaces in the Town Hall. In the past week, some of the cyclists had made a mess of the restrooms and this created concerns with the staff. The discussions were inconclusive with some persons feeling that the port-o-lets presented an eyesore. Other comments called for more signage. There was a general consensus that if there is an installation in the West Village there should be an equal installation in East Charlotte. In the end, it was summarily decided to go out for bids to clean the rest rooms more often than the current twice per week schedule. A second subject guaranteed to generate a long discussion was the quarterly presentation of the Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services (CVFRS) financial update. As usual, John Snow, CVFRS corporate board president, gave the report and stated that the budget was on target for the first three quarters. During this past quarter there have been 57 calls and, while the call volumes are down a bit, other income sources have brought the operating fund income up to the budgeted 75%. Operating expenses are at 72% of budget. Snow reported that he expects the results at the end of the fiscal year will be “materially in line with the budget.” Copies of the financial sheets may be found at: bit. ly/24t08sd. Snow went on to say that the number of volunteers continues to fall and that it is becoming increasingly hard to find paid EMTs. There is growing competition with neighboring towns as there is only a limited pool from which to draw. He has begun to suggest the need for regionalization of rescue services. Such a coordinated plan might be able to spread out the capabilities so the entire south or entire county area might be better and equally served. Any consolidation can only be effectively
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mandated by the state. Jessie Bradley, representing the Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge Committee, presented a proposal to update the park management plan. The presentation was accompanied by a sheaf of exhibits and a series of rewrites tied to the basic document. Given the complexity of the changes and documents, she suggested that the board review the changes and revisit the document at the next Selectboard meeting on May 7. Discussions on a series of contracts followed. Selectman Fritz Tegatz was authorized to finalize and sign the contract for construction on the expansion of the Charlotte Senior Center. There remain only a few minor questions regarding the “boiler plate” items, and there is no dispute with the contractual amount. The construction will be paid for by The Friends of the Charlotte Senior Center through the Town Treasurer. The contract with Lincoln Applied Geology was renewed to serve as the water system operator for the Town Hall, library and beach. The operator must be certified by the state to perform required sampling services. A consulting contract with the former Town Planner Jeannine McCrumb generated 45 minutes of discussion. A number of audience members took issue with hiring her to do the job of writing the Town Plan when she had already been engaged in this task before her departure. The principal question revolved around why pay her $40/per hour when the incoming Administrative Officer should be doing it. Other questions were asked as to why there was such a rush to complete the plan. A delay, it was suggested, might allow the
new Administrative Officer time to come up to speed. Jim Donovan, Chair of the Planning Commission, made a strong case for maintaining the momentum gained over the past 2.5 years, that McCrumb has been an active and key participant and it would be a shame to waste her knowledge. Motions were made and approved to designate McCrumb as a sole source consultant to “move forward the Town Plan” and to hire her to do “the work necessary for the Planning Commission to finish the Town Plan update” to be completed by September 15, 2016. A third part of McCrumb’s consulting contract was approved to train incoming Zoning Administrator Joe Rheaume in his handling of wastewater permit applications. CSI Systems will be tasked to perform a $1,500 repair to the water treatment systems in the library and Town Hall. In a series of quick actions, the board approved a Local Emergency Operations Plan that identifies points of contact for emergency situations. This plan is required by the state. Daryl Benoit, the new town planner, was designated the principal town representative to a number of committees that are part of the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. The Selectboard, serving as the Liquor Control Board, approved liquor licenses for Tenney Enterprises LLC and The Little Garden Market. A highway access permit was approved for a curb cut at 5560 Mt. Philo Road for David Diaz. The following positions on town commissions and committees were continued on the next page
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The CharloTTe News • May 5, 2016 • 9
OutTakes Commentary by Edd Merritt Soon as three o’clock rolls around You finally lay your burden down Close up your books, get outta your seat Down the halls and into the street Up to the corner and ‘round the bend Right to the juke joint you go in “School Day” – Chuck Berry
W
ell, it is nearing summer, that time of year when parents wonder what happened over the course of the school year, what the teachers did wrong because their kids aren’t finishing it at the top of their classes and, if so, what those same teachers are going to do to correct it. Maybe it’s the school board’s fault. It must have something to do with that body’s approach to staff and administration. Is the district too big? Too small? Should we remain our own district or should we consolidate so that superintendents can set aside two hours of each week when they are not in meetings? What will Act 46 bring to the table? As I was cleaning my desk top, I ran across a piece I had cut out of my graduate school alumni journal about a professor who championed learning more about what occurs beyond school walls than simply what occurs in the classroom. His name was Lawrence Cremin, and he was an educational historian and president of Columbia University’s Teachers College when I was a student there. I took his class in educational history, in which he emphasized the variety of sources from which people learn. He is quoted as saying, “When the American public thinks about education, they think about schooling.” He
Hey! Didn’t I teach you not to do that? felt that was too limiting a vision, and he cited “other educators,” such as television, computers, family, the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker. He longed to go back to a time when “context and content were more organically linked.” My bias is with him. Before technology came into the picture in such a strong way, the community of living and learning played a strong central role. People learned how to make things from others around them. There was a good deal of learning by doing. Thomas James, another educational historian, said, “Numeracy (like craft making) was learned by doing things that required it. Learning by doing, the community created community members versed in its ways.” Now, let’s take a simple verse from my own past. My mother bought her meat at “Piggly Wiggly” from the fresh-meat man whose name happened to be Julie Wera, a native Minnesotan who grew up about 30 miles from my town. He was larger than life to me, however, insofar as he was a member of the 1927 New York Yankees—the Babe’s bombers that also featured Lou Gehrig. Julie only stayed briefly in the Yankee lineup as a third baseman and pinch runner, but that was all I needed to know to tell me that he knew as much about meat as he did about baseball. And that his meat was light years better than any found in any other store in Rochester. Shopping at his counter meant 10 minutes of cutting steaks and 20 minutes of baseball tips. Piggly Wiggly, as a result, became not simply the store around the block, it became a sort of mission in our end of town, a place in the community where learning occurred about many more items than simply its stock of groceries. And my ten-year-old enthusiasm to learn was evident. I actually leapt at
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the chance to go shopping with my mother. threads of thought and practice? Was it schooling? No. Learning? Yes. When states or regions form around As we move, almost oblivious to the principles that we may not share, should process, into an age where inter-human we look beyond conflicting principles to contact comes through touch screens, attempt to identify those that will bring us earplugs or computer decks, I begin to closer together rather than push us farther wonder how we will define community. apart? We can be members of large groups of How and where do we learn about these people in urban centers, yet because each principles? Can schools provide it all or of us has our own technological commu- does it take the Julie Weras of the world nication devices, we’re forming a totally to bring a Louisville Slugger to the meat different kind of community than that of counter? 30 years ago. Pogo is right. “We have met “Hey, don’t jump back too soon from the enemy and he is us.” that inside curveball! Let it break, then If one of government’s top priorities is swing. Now, how thick do you want that to form a human community that is unbi- sirloin?” ased to its members and fair to all, then this has become a challenge—not only to those Shacks, shanties and houses elected to office but to the whole population. We cannot look to Montpelier or Washington and say that what government is doing wrong is the politicians’ fault. It is, in fact, our fault. It’s spring. And the ARCTICtecture ice-fishing houses are now gone from the backyard of the Shelburne Museum. Seeing them, however, took me Does democback to my youth in southern Minnesota, near the town of Wabasha. In the racy provide winter its harbor became a suburb of ice fishing structures ranging from the union and shacks, to shanties, with an ed, to houses. The Shelburne Museum backyard structures were local architects’ impressions of what ice houses should be. strength we Charlotte’s David Pill was one of the designers. Speaking with him the other need to exist day, he said as a designer of energy-efficient homes through his company as a country? Pill-Maharam, his house (pictured) was intended to focus on the outdoor environment and how it is being affected by global warming. His one-way Are we too glass walls reflected the landscape and give the fishermen a glimpse of the large to contain outside while they remain unseen inside. Photo: Edd Merritt common
continued from previous page
approved: • PusPa LuiteL was appointed to the Planning Commission for the term ending April 2018. • MichaeL K irK was appointed to the Conservation Commission for the term ending April 2020. • Jordan BLucher was reappointed to the Trails committee for the term ending April 2018. • craig r eynoLds was reappointed to the Recreation Committee for the
term ending April 2019. suzy hodgson was reappointed to the Energy Committee for the term ending April 2018. In an unscheduled action it was decided to approach the firm whose delivery truck recently damaged the curbing around the West Village war memorial. The estimate is $1,000; Horsford’s will be asked to coordinate as the recipient of the delivered goods. The next regular Selectboard meeting will be on May 9. The Selectboard will meet jointly with the Planning Commission on May 5. •
10 • May 5, 2016 • The CharloTTe News
Charlotter explores how drones benefit society
GOVETT’S DRONE CAPTURED IMAGES OF THE CONTROVERSIAL CLEAR CUT LAND OWNED BY VT RAIL
Wendy Bratt CONTRIBUTOR
E
ast Charlotte resident Dana Govett has spent the past year exploring how drones can benefit society. In the process, he also developed an iPhone application that allows him to view his drone’s video feed through his phone while the drone is in flight. With this new ability to watch the drone’s footage in real time, Dana created a video, incorporating breathtaking panoramic views, which boasted
8,600 views in its first 24 hours of posting. To see his video, titled “Stop Reckless Rail in Vermont,” go to facebook.com/ VermontUnited/. Dana, a senior at the Lake Champlain Waldorf School, presented his discoveries and invention at a presentation on April 28. A drone is also known as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Dana’s drone has four motors, a camera that is able to tilt and pan, a sonar stabilizing system and a GPS built in to allow him to program where it will go. Some drones have an object-avoidance
system built in, and his even has a special of electrical power lines and plucking a “return to home” function should it get lost drowning person from water using a large and need to find its aquatic safety way back to him. device. Dana told Drones can offer the audience about many benefits to “There is public curiosity drone window society, such as about, and sometimes washers for supporting trans- resistance to, drones at skyscrapers and portation departAmazon’s interest ments through social events due to their in the delivery of road inspections noise as well as a distinct packages by auto(for accidents sense that a stranger is mated drones and and maintenance said he believes needs), providing hovering overhead.” the most benefiroutine inspection cial use of drones is in disaster relief situations. In a disaster the drone where service and can fly overhead to relationships matter observe the degree of damage, search for ■ Spring Service missing people and deliver food and water ■ Parts, Sales and Service to locations that humans may otherwise for most brands of O/B, I/B, and I/O find unreachable. As evidenced by Dana’s video, drones have high-quality aerial ■ Indoor and Outdoor Summer Storage photography and videography capabilities, available for most vehicles offering us a new perspective of our beau■ Now Booking Summer Boat Rentals tiful earth and a reminder of how small we ■ New and Used Boats are in the scheme of it all. ■ Great Prices on new outboard motors Only recently has the FAA started to ■ New Trailers, Trailer Servicing, and create regulations and the public begun to notice drone use. Drones must not fly State Trailer Inspections higher than 400 feet and must stay at least five miles from any airport. There are also weight limits and permitting issues coming into play. There is public curiosity about, and sometimes resistance to, drones at social events due to their noise (which resembles that of a buzzing mosquito) as well as a distinct sense that a stranger is hovering overhead. Dana says that computers, drones and service to his community are all aspects Mercury • Yamaha • Tohatsu of his future. He will consider making Sales • Service • Rentals his iPhone drone application available marineplusvt.com to others in the future, but his strongest 6720 Rt. 7, North Ferrisburg • 802-425-5551 passion is to create compelling video with his drone that will help bring important information to light. The issues facing the Town of Shelburne and the Vermont Rails are especially near to him because the 19 acres of now clear-cut land owned by Vermont Rails sits directly across the LaPlatte River from the conserved land where the Lake Champlain Waldorf School sits. Dana says he remembers the woods along the river fondly and will fight to keep them safe.
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The CharloTTe News • May 5, 2016 • 11
Protecting Charlotte’s water from human activity James Hyde CONTRIBUTOR
A basic canon of public health practice is that prevention is always the most effective and least costly strategy. What this means for our drinking water is that we must protect the water we have from further threats resulting from human (and animal) activity on and near the surface. Lead contamination in Flint, Michigan, followed by revelations of ground water contamination by the chemical PFOA in North Bennington and 11 other Vermont sites, should provide a wakeup call for all of us in Charlotte. The good news for us is that it does not appear at this time that PFOA was ever used in Charlotte. However, there are plenty of other potential reasons for vigilance going forward. Landfills. Charlotte has had at one time or another at least three landfills. The largest and best known is the landfill on Plouffe Lane in East Charlotte. This site has been covered with soil and vegetation since 1992. Three monitoring wells are checked semi-annually for evidence of
contamination. Testing data show some evidence of arsenic and iron as well as very low levels of organic compounds (October 2015). The closing of landfills in Charlotte and the establishment of the Chittenden County Solid Waste Disposal Program is a success story. However, it is critical to continue to monitor these sites. Population growth. Since 1970 the population of Charlotte has doubled while the number of working farms and acres under cultivation has declined. Growth obviously puts pressure on wetlands, forests and soils that control runoff, protect groundwater aquifers and reduce pollution of surface waters. Charlotte is further challenged by the abundance of clay in the soils, which limits the capacity of waste-water management systems on which virtually all of us rely. Agriculture and farming. These are inextricably tied to Charlotte’s past and, hopefully, its future. But these activities are under increasing scrutiny because of the potential adverse effects that certain practices can have on water and the food supply. The use of herbicides, such as atrazine (for example, Aatrex) and glyphosate (for example, Roundup), and of pretreated seeds can yield breakdown products that may end up in drinking water. (Atrazine is of particular concern as it is heavily used in corn growing and is an endocrine disruptor possibly associated with adverse reproductive outcomes.) While no data track the use of these products in Charlotte specifically, data from the Vermont Agency on Agriculture from 2006-2010 showed at least a 6-percent detection rate for herbicides in a sample of 675 wells from around the state. Large-scale waste management practices can also contaminate ground water and surface water with animal pathogens and antibiotics used in animal feed. Indeed, nitrate contamination from fertilizer and animal and human waste may be a more
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serious problem than even herbicides and pesticides. Most of these threats can be controlled or eliminated through the use of best practices and by careful monitoring of runoff. The scale of farming operations in a place like Charlotte is nothing like it is in other parts of the country. Nonetheless it’s important that we applaud and celebrate local farmers using best waste management practices and encourage others to follow suit. Manufacturing. Charlotte has few manufacturing or other businesses that use chemicals like PFOA that might pose a threat to ground and surface waters. However, at least two entities, VELCO and the Vermont Railway, make use of Charlotte for their business and do pose a potential threat to the town’s drinking water and general safety. The use of herbicides and pesticides along the Vermont Railway and VELCO right of way is an obvious area of concern. Data on herbicide usage by “utilities” is hard to quantify and is made more opaque by eco-friendly verbiage in official reports. Neither utility is required to test nearby ground or surface waters. Vermont Railway is currently involved in a controversy surrounding the use of a site in Shelburne adjacent to the LaPlatte River [see photo on page 10] as a depot for the storage of road salt. The lack of meaningful response to community concerns about this obvious potential hazard should provide further cause for alarm. In addition, Vermont Railway cars pass through Charlotte several times each day, as do hundreds of long-haul trucks using the Route 7 corridor, many carrying hazardous substances. CVFRS has responded to hundreds of small hazardous-material spills in Charlotte, with a significant percentage of these spills associated with vehicle accidents. Most of these spills have been resolved with minimal residual impact. However, according to Chris Davis, assistant fire chief and Charlotte’s emergency
management director: “No town or city in Vermont is equipped to deal with a hazardous material release or spill of a rail-car size quantity. Assistance and resources must be brought in from other parts of the state and New England region which takes time.” Not unrelated is the controversy that has arisen from the Vermont Railway’s decision to park rail cars loaded with propane along the siding just north of the Ferry Road crossing. Dr. Lydia Clemmons of Citizens for Responsible Railroads points out that an accident involving these cars could have catastrophic impact on nearby residents, not to mention the long-term damage to ground and surface water supplies. Many of these threats and concerns have been identified in Charlotte’s Town Plan. I urge you to read it. Scores of your fellow residents have spent hundreds of hours sorting through these problems and identifying solutions to balance a broad array of interests. Additionally, groups such as the Lewis Creek Watershed Association, Ahead of the Storm and Citizens for Responsible Railroads have done an outstanding job of identifying many of the perils we face. But these tasks can’t be left to others. We each have a role to play as stewards of our environment. Pollution of the air or water inexorably spreads. It effects everything downstream— plants, animals, humans. If it’s a one-time, acute event, it can sometimes be contained with the right technology. If it’s ongoing, the risks are far greater. The answer to the acute event is vigilance, monitoring and rapid response. The answer to ongoing source pollution rests with us here today. James Hyde lives in Charlotte and is emeritus associate professor of public health at the Tufts University School of Medicine. This is the last of a series of three columns on Charlotte’s ground water resources; previous columns appeared in the April 7 and 21 issues of The News.
12 • May 5, 2016 • The CharloTTe News
Sports Twin States women’s basketball roster contains familiar names
Albans, 16-9. The Hawks then lost their next games, 6-4 to Middlebury and 9-7 to Mount Mansfield Union, dropping them below the even won-lost mark for the season.
Women’s tennis won’t let down
The 34th annual Twin State Basketball Classic CVU VS. ESSEX IN will be played June THE VACATIONAL 25 at New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, New Hampshire. Ute Otley will serve as head coach for Vermont, with her daughter, Sadie, “Miss Basketball,� on the squad along with fellow Redhawks Lia Gagliuso, Annabelle Pugliese and Madison Randall.
Edd Merritt Sports Roundup CVU women’s basketball team receives national honors
Davis Park was the site of the two latest CVU women’s tennis victories—one over Burlington by a match score of 7-0, the next over Burr and Burton by the same 7-0 margin. BHS singles players garnered only seven sets in five singles matches to the Redhawks’ 60. Several days before, South Burlington showed the Hawks who their competitors may well be come tournament time, losing to CVU just 4-3 in matches. Singles leader Kathy Joseph, however, remained unbeaten, winning her match 6-0, 6-0. Charlotte’s Meara Heininger and her doubles partner Kendall Blanck fought Lacrosse belongs to the hard but went down 6-1, 7-5. Meara came Native Americans back against Burr and Burton, as she and The history of lacrosse shows it to her partner Erica Barth won their match be a Native American sport with no 6-2, 6-0. boundaries. That was proven last week when Salmon River High School in New Men’s tennis splits with York, a school serving the Saint Regis Mohawk Reservation, played previously South Burlington and BHS unbeaten CVU and topped them 13-6 South Burlington topped the Redhawk behind six goals and five assists from men 5-2 in matches. Charlotte’s Ethan Skylar Thompson. Dylan Schaefer led the Leonard played third singles, losing Redhawks with two goals and an assist. in a hard-fought match 6-3, 6-3. CVU Charlotte’s Will Braun contributed a goal came back in strong fashion to knock off and an assist, and Will Murakami in the Burlington 6-1. Charlotte contributed net was called upon for 12 saves. Between three players to the victory. Number three Matt Palmer’s hat trick and Murakami’s 10 singles player Ethan Leonard won his saves, the Hawks came back on Saturday match, as did Ben Hyams and his doubles to top Middlebury 10-4. partner. Jackson Kahn was stopped in a close singles match by scores of 6-4 and 6-3.
Ninety-five straight victories by the Redhawk women’s basketball team deserves recognition on a national scale. And that occurred recently through the Army National Guard and MaxPreps. This recognition is one of the most prestigious team awards nationwide and is reserved for the top 100 teams in the country. As a Women’s lacrosse drops result, CVU received an invitation to the 11th annual Tour of Champions. The team below even for season Will Ryan claims will be recognized for its excellence at an On April 19, Annie Keen hit for assembly in the CVU cafeteria at 9:45 a.m. seven goals and added two assists to golf victory on May 6. Caroline Hern’s three goals and Olivia As the only CVU contestant playing Machanic’s two as CVU defeated BFA St. high school golf at the Champlain Country Club on Friday, Will Ryan shot an 84 to gain medallist honors, two strokes ahead of the second- place finisher.
CVU track and field athletes place in top five at BHS Invitational track and field meet While both men and women led Essex to top honors, CVU had some notable wins itself at the Burlington Invitational Track Meet. Tyler Marshall followed his seasonal standard, winning the 800- and 1,500meter runs, and Max Riley placed first in
both shot-put and discus. As a result they were named the meet’s “outstanding men athletes.� Sadie Otley and Michaela Flore, both from Charlotte, were among the top women finishers—Otley placed second at 100 meters, fifth in the 300-meter hurdles and was on the winning 4x100 relay team. Michaela placed fifth in the discus. She had won the event at home the week before, as CVU topped Rice, Winooski, Randolph and Peoples, a tournament in which she also tossed the shot to first place. Charlotte freshman Ella Woodruff tied for first place in the high jump.
Softball ends its losing streak It has been a tough year for CVU’s softball team. However, May might turn things around as the Redhawks began the month with a victory over St. Johnsbury, 17-12. Lilah Ottinger and Josie Sinopoli led the way with three hits and two RBIs apiece. Hattie Roberts pitched five innings for the win.
Baseball has three wins and a loss since our last report At the high-school level, players are often both good throwers and good hitters. If they are strong enough in either suit to be drafted, it is not until they turn professional that they tend to focus on one or the other. Milton, Colchester and North Country fell victim to CVU’s strong pitching and hitting from Andrew Bortnick and Tanner Smith. Bortnick went 2 for 4 at the plate and pitched the complete game as the Hawks defeated North Country 6-5. The day before, Smith pitched and hit them to a 19-0 shutout of Milton in which 11 players drove in runs. It took seven innings before Andrew Bortnick’s single broke a no-hit bid from the Colchester pitcher and gave CVU the 3-1 win. Traveling to the Kingdom, the Redhawks trailed St. Johnsbury 2-0 by the second inning and never recovered, dropping the game 2-1. Bortnick, however, singled and scored the lone Redhawk run. Undefeated St. Jay was the first team to beat the Hawks, giving CVU a 4-1 record.
CorreCtion: In our April 21 issue, we incorrectly stated Sheila Burleigh’s career wins as women’s basketball coach of South Burlington High School. Her teams won five state (not divisional) championships and 14 divisional championships.
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The CharloTTe News • May 5, 2016 • 13
Bradley Carleton CONTRIBUTOR
The waning three quarter moon is shining through the barren branches of the woods. The trilliums appear luminescent in the moonlight and peepers are singing their pathetic song of unrequited love. I’ve walked quietly into the spring woods without a flashlight and ensconced myself under an oak tree with triangular scrape marks all around the trunk. I’m leaning against the old tree and it feels like I am being held in someone’s arms. My back and shoulders sink into a concave indent of the gnarled bark. I sit quietly and close my eyes to listen. A field mouse scurries under the dry, pointed leaves. The horizon behind me is beginning to turn a dark purple, outlined by the stars. About 50 yards in front of me is a cornfield with waste grain left over from last fall’s harvest. I begin humming an old Willie Nelson song, “Moonlight in Vermont.” I grin and chuckle at myself for being so cheesy. Suddenly the woods erupt behind me with a deafening gobble. Then another. And another. Dawn is arriving, and with it the thun-
spots my plastic deceiver. She walks up to it and spits on it, then putts and walks away. With her back turned to me, again, I whisper my sweet invitation to the boys and they reply with gusto, all three at once. Then again everything goes quiet. I know that this is a sign that they are approaching and seeking out this lovelorn siren of the woods. My gun comes up to my shoulder, and I begin to breathe in measured cadence. In through the nose, out through the mouth. My heart beats wildly in my chest. I feel the adrenalin tingling in my arms and neck. Two jakes sneak in from the left, trying to seal the deal before the Boss Tom arrives on the scene. They size up the decoy and puff up their chests with the bravado of youth. Then He appears to the right, again behind the forsythia, in full strut, wings down and to the side, his thick rope-like beard dragging on the ground. His head is tucked into his chest, red waddles dangling down beneath his beak. His head is bright crimson and his snood hangs over his nose like some clown’s fake nose melting in the sunlight. He stares at the hen decoy and sticks his
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dering morning song of turkeys on the roost. My heart races. Again, a trio of gobbles echoes through the still barren woods. This continues for about an hour. Every minute or two, the big deep-throated tom and two shallower-throated jakes take command of the rising sun. Hens begin to perform a diminuendo of tree clucks, letting the males know what tree they have roosted in for the night. Another half hour passes, as the poultry opera unfolds. His Majesty has made it clear who is the King of the Forest with his resounding basso profundo. The actors begin Act Two—the fly-down to the stage below. Wings beat heavily against thickly feathered breasts and then lock into a glide through the canopy of overhanging branches to the floor below. Next, silence for a few minutes. Then the three toms launch from their perches and glide into the throng of ladies-inwaiting. Clucks and purrs ensue, and quickly the Boss Hen assumes her duty of guarding the flock. I purr gently and throw in a short, sharp putt at the end of a string of seductive dulcet tones. The Boss Hen clucks hard, and the toms, all three at once, scream blood-curdling gobbles at my invitation. The Boss Hen appears first, at my right, sneaking around a forsythia bush and
head out as far forward as it can go and lets out an unearthly loud gobble. He is claiming her as his mate. The bead of my shotgun rests just below the neckline 20 yards away. He strains his neck upward to see where the adolescent jakes have gone—and I realize that this is the moment. I take a deep breath, in unison with him, and squeeze the trigger. The old 12-gauge echoes throughout the woods. The king is dead. Long live the king! I run to his side and pray to the Great Spirit to accept this, my brother, to the great star nation above. I pick the leaves of a ramp and gently place it in his mouth, thanking the Great Spirit again for this bountiful harvest. Spring turkey season starts May 1 and runs through May 31 each day until noon. Hunters may legally harvest two bearded birds and must have the appropriate tags on their current licenses. Hunters, please ask for permission before hunting on any property. Just because it’s not posted doesn’t mean “Welcome!” If we are to maintain our right to hunt, it requires that we all act as ambassadors to our sport. Bradley Carleton is Executive Director of Sacred Hunter.org, a non-profit that seeks to educate the public on the spiritual connection of man to nature and raises funds for Traditions Outdoor Mentoring. org, which mentors at-risk young men in outdoor pursuits.
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14 • May 5, 2016 • The CharloTTe News
Africa: The elephant’s visit
Taking Care Alice D. Outwater CONTRIBUTOR
“It’s important you read the list of precautions. We are in the midst of wild animals and you must respect them at all times. Although we haven’t had a serious accident this year, we don’t want to repeat the tragedy of last season. We’re here if we can clarify anything for you. Afternoon tea is served at 4:30 p.m. Dinner will be promptly at 7 p.m. If you want to meet the other guests, come earlier for a drink. Breakfast is at 8 a.m.� This was the greeting from Mr. Blumen, the manager of our safari. John and I were visiting the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania. One of the African help, in pressed khaki shorts and a shirt, wearing a pith helmet, took our knapsacks and showed us to our tent. About 15 were strung along the cliff overlooking the Refuji river. A few guests chatted in the camp chairs outside their tents. Ours was at the end of the row abutting the veldt, and a flimsy Vermonttype snow fence surrounded the area. Was this a signal to the wild animals not to enter? I hoped the big cats, the hippos and the elephants knew the rules and would stay away. After lunch we piled into the van with our driver to find the animals. Bumping
over the dirt roads, dust flew around, while the temperatures rose and made everyone drowsy. We spotted a herd of giraffes, the adults 18–19 feet tall with babies by their side looking like stuffed toys. The acacia trees provided shade as the giraffes stretched their long necks to delicately nibble leaves from the high branches. A male and female fondly nuzzled in courtship, their spotted brown and white mosaic coats acting as camouflage.
Then the elephants meandered into sight: a family of 15 females, calves and several young bulls. They shuffled along, eating leaves, bark and papyrus. A bull knocked over a sizable tree with his forehead and lifted branches to his mouth, his trunk acting as a fork. A mother, impatient with the misbehavior of her 250-pound child, crossly uprooted a bush and spanked him with a branch. The scene seemed so out of the ordinary
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we wanted to wander among them. But suddenly a massive bull appeared from nowhere. He lifted up his trunk while his ears flapped furiously and let loose a war cry, while charging the van. We stood transfixed, our heads sticking out of the top, not comprehending the danger. The warden screamed to duck down and slammed the top shut. He turned the key in the starter for a fast getaway—but the engine stalled. We huddled on the floor scarcely breathing, realizing this giant could crush the van. Then something distracted the bull, perhaps the smell of gas. He stopped in his tracks, ears still flapping and trunk flailing while he trumpeted. Then he paused, his ears quieted down, and he walked away in disdain. Perhaps it was the smell of gas or we weren’t worth the trouble and he had more important things to do. The warden looked shaken. He finally got the engine going, stepped firmly on the gas and tore to the safety of the camp. It had been a very close call. We were exhausted but had a cup of tea and cakes brought by the white-coated servants before returning to our tent for a nap. That evening at dinner many guests had tales to tell. One guest, an arrogant man, laughed about his last trip to Selous. “I threw stones at an elephant from the van, trying to coax him to turn around so I could photograph him from a better angle. But the warden told me to stop and turned the van around. What a joke,â€? he laughed. “I got a full-faced picture of the bastard. Those stupid animals.â€? That night the air felt heavier and the sky was dark and foreboding. Clouds covered a half moon with only a few stars in the sky. Even the tone of the monkeys chattering in the trees seemed menacing. Mr. Blumen told strange tales of animals wandering around the camp and of troublesome guests. It became spooky, and I whispered to John, “Please, let’s turn in early.â€? He lit our kerosene lamp, and we walked swiftly on the narrow path to our tent. A rodent startled us as it ran out from the bushes. I shakily zipped up the tent, changed quickly and, without washing, climbed into my cot. John extinguished the kerosene light and we went to sleep. That night I dreamed of the arrogant man, his face big and swollen, laughing and screaming obscenities at the elephant as his arms flailed about. The elephant looked at him with beady eyes and turned back to his grazing. Then horrendous bellowing noises woke me. Pounding and stamping, human screams, and an elephant trumpeting. We had been told that under no circumstances should we leave our tents at night. Then there was dead silence. Perhaps two animals were fighting‌I sensed a weird quality to the sounds. I reluctantly went back to sleep. The next morning we noticed some trees and shrubs knocked down. The waiters were nervous and excited. Our guide told us a bull elephant had come wandering by, as if looking for someone. He circled twice around the dining area, observing the few people still left. Swiftly reaching out with his trunk, he scooped up the arrogant man, then went wild, pounding him against a tree, the elephant’s heavy feet moving up and down as if trampling the earth to nothing, trumpeting, with his ears flapping in a fury. By the time they had gotten the rifles, the elephant had dropped the man, who was bleeding and beaten. Silently the elephant disappeared into the darkness. The game warden recognized him as the man who had pelted with stones the year before. The bull elephant had come to settle his score.
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The CharloTTe News • May 5, 2016 • 15
From the Archives
Puzzles Puzzles in 2016 have been underwritten by
Homeport Vermont
PO Box 101, Charlotte, VT, 802-870-3481
Cover page illustration by: Charlie lotz
History in the making We are happy to report that The Charlotte News Archive Project is moving right along. Between production cycles, Kali and I have done our best to organize and document every hard-copy issue of The Charlotte News from 1958 to present. With the help of the Charlotte Library and Edd Merritt, according to our records, WE HAVE EVERY ISSUE OF OUR HISTORY IN HARD COPY. Pretty amazing to see such a vault of Charlotte’s history in one place. Our next steps are to store them properly, get the website working better, and then get all back issues digitized and searchable. We hope to have some classic editions in display form by the summer. We’ll bring you more on this as it develops. Reprinted archive complied by: Kali Adams, Madison Hakey and Alex Bunten
31-car train signalled the start of operations on the Vermont Railway Corp. line, formerly the Rutland Railroad. Jay L. Wulfson, head of the corporation, is leasing the Burlington to White Creek section of the railroad from the state. Under terms of the lease, the line must provide a minimum schedule of three round trips weekly between Burlington and Rutland and two weekly round trip runs between Rutland and Bennington as well as daily yard service at Burlington and Rutland. Wulfson begins operations with three locomotives and about 25 employees.
members were there: Mike Gill-Assistant Chief Linda Goote-1st Lieut. (and Rescue Squad Crew Chief) Gary Therridan-2nd Lieut. Randy Ramsden-Capt. Jared Leary-Firefighter Dick St. George-Firefighter Kevin Garen—Firefighter Rescue SquadCharloe Canatte-EMT & Crew Chief John Oxholm-EMT & Crew Chief Kristy Oxholm-Rescue Squad Member Al Finkbeiner-Rescue Squad Member Bill Pinney, Jr.-Rescue Squad Member Jim Sheldon-Dean-Rescue Squad Member... Bill Pinney Jr. and Jim Sheldon-Dean are Volume XXVI, Number 20 new members, having July 12, 1984 joined within the last four months in response to a recent successful FROM THE EDITORmembership drive. We We are very proud of would also like to make our Charlotte VOLunteer mention of the fact Fire Department and that the Vergennes Area Rescue squad personnel Rescue Squad stood and their participation by in the Charlotte in extricating victims Fire Department from Saturday’s tragic Parking Lot all day, wreck of the Montrealer. in case they were The following needed in this area.
Volume III, Number 9 November 25, 1960 CHARLOTTE HISTORY This is reprinted from “Country Gazetteer” of 1882 loaned to the Charlotte News by Mrs. Agnes McDurfee A convenient mode of transportation for the abundant crops is afforded by the Rutland branch of the Central Vermont Railroad, which extends through the western part of the town from north to south, with a station about one-half mile west of Charlotte Four Corners, on road 18. The advent of this road, in 1847, 49, considerably increased the commercial interests of the locality, even though it was objected to by some at the time.
Volume XI, Number 11 January 9, 1964 VERMONT RAILWAY BEGINS OPERATION The arrival in Burlington Monday of a
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1. Aug. follower 5. Some Olympians, nowadays 9. Foreword, for short 14. “Aquarius” musical 15. Hair colorer 16. Apple gizmo 17. Blame unjustly 20. Clipped 21. “Felicity” star, familiarly 22. “What are the ___?” 23. Islam’s global gathering 25. Inner: Prefix 27. Seth’s father 30. Georgian, for one 33. Lots 37. ___ Strip 38. Flowering shrubs 40. ___ grass 41. Arrogant and inflexible 44. Moisten flax 45. Eurasian grass 46. Freshman, probably 47. Guru’s pad 49. “To Autumn,” e.g. 50. Home of Vigeland Park 51. Arabic for “commander” 53. Bro’s sib 55. Pinocchio, at times 58. It’s super, in the sky 61. “Beat it!” 65. Noiseless 68. Squarely 69. Cash in Denmark 70. Eating disorder 71. Porridge ingredient 72. Handwoven rugs 73. “Idylls of the King” character
1. Word with “up” or “out” 2. “___ on Down the Road” 3. Dock 4. Collector of detritus 5. School grp. 6. Classic board game 7. Fraction of thrice 8. Gawk 9. “Rocks” 10. Shot 11. Put one’s foot down? 12. Go through 13. Crumbs 18. Caribbean, e.g. 19. 40-point melds 24. Kentucky county 26. Brit’s “Baloney!” 27. Ancient assembly area 28. Copenhageners 29. Alchemical solvent 31. Essen basin 32. Kind of group, in chemistry 34. Traditions 35. Atelier item 36. Court figure 39. Ancient 42. ___ cheese 43. Medical device 48. Nickelodeon staples 52. Chopper blade 54. An end to sex? 55. Arctic native 56. “Cast Away” setting 57. Band with the hit “Barbie Girl” 59. Be different 60. Fishing, perhaps 62. Archaeological site 63. Fungal spore sacs 64. “Beowulf” beverage 66. Mamie’s man 67. Balaam’s mount
Crossword and sudoku by Myles Mellor. answers to our puzzles Can be found near the Classifieds.
16 • May 5, 2016 • The CharloTTe News
Senior Center News Mary Recchia CONTRIBUTOR
Please look for the new Summer Program as an insert in the next issue of The Charlotte News. Until then, we will close out the spring season with a few final offerings. Please note that the Friends of the Charlotte Senior Center annual plant sale will not be held this year due to the anticipated limitations created by our building project. We all look forward to this wonderful community event returning next year! Get Ready for an Active Summer, with Ginger Lambert on Friday mornings from 9:15–10. Dates: May 6, 13 and 20. We all have different body types and fitness experience but know that being strong and fit helps us to live our lives to their full potential. Using timed intervals and a series of stations, this class will incorporate body weight, light weights and other cardio/strength building tools to boost strength, cardiovascular fitness, agility and flexibility. Some active games will be included to make this a fun and interesting workout. Joint and ligament issues will be taken into account. Every exercise can be modified for any ability or level of fitness. If you have been looking for a class that challenges you but doesn’t leave you in the dust, then this is for you. Registration required. Limit 10. Fee: $10 per class. Marty Morrissey takes the last Spring Road Hike in the Champlain Valley on
Tuesday, May 10, to Lincoln. We will hike on one of two available U.S.F.S. roads just below Lincoln Gap. Distance of about two to three miles on easy grades. Please meet at the Center 10 minutes prior to our 9 a.m. departure with water, good hiking or walking shoes and a Mary Provencher shows volunteer helpers from Charlotte Central School the in’s and snack or lunch. Registration required. out’s of her guitar at the Monday Munch. Mary plays once a month for the Monday No fee. Lunch. PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE SENIOR CENTER A new session of Pilates with Phyllis Bartling starts Thursday mornings from 8:30–9:30. Dates: May 12, 19 and MAY 11: AN INSIDER’S VIEW: 26, and June 2, 9 and 16. This is not your VERMONT SENIOR GAMES WITH granddaughter’s Pilates class! This mat FLO MEILER Pilates class is designed for folks 55 years Twenty-one years ago, Flo began and older to be challenging and safe. track and field competition at age 60. The Senior Center building Pilates specifically targets the core muscle Last summer she represented Team committee has been working since groups, including the lower abdominals, USA at the 2015 World Masters Athletic last fall on plans to renovate the lower back and gluteals, to improve Championships in Lyon, France, where cramped entry area of the Center, and balance, strength and posture. Exercises she won ten medals, more than any we’re finally ready to move from the are done on the floor on mats (a small other competitor. She will talk about the planning phase to construction—an rolled up towel to put under your head is a Vermont Senior Games organization, how exciting prospect! good idea). Registration required. Fee: $42 she got started, highlight different events The construction will begin for six classes. and inspire us all to “get involved for fun, soon, and we intend to remain open, fitness and fellowship.� offering many of our usual activities A COLLECTION OF LECTURES, during the weeks to come. Look for PERFORMANCES AND SPECIAL MAY 18: CHARLOTTE CENTRAL our weekly construction updates EVENTS SHOWCASING SCHOOL MUSICIANS posted at the Center. THE DIVERSE INTERESTS A select group of student musicians We’re looking forward to having OF OUR COMMUNITY from Charlotte Central School will delight space that works better for us all and Wednesday afternoons beginning at 1 you with a variety of special songs they appreciate your patience and flexibilp.m. No registration or fee. have been working on all semester in anticipation of their spring performances. ity during construction.
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The CharloTTe News • May 5, 2016 • 17 Job opportunity at Library anticipated start summer /FaLL 2016
Margaret Woodruff CONTRIBUTOR
UPCOMING AT THE CHARLOTTE LIBRARY STRATEGIC PLANNING: Thanks to the dedicated efforts and energies of the Charlotte Library Strategic Planning Committee, we have reconfirmed the guideposts for the future direction of the library. Based on community feedback from our town-wide survey and community forum, the library pledges to continue to foster community engagement, promote literacy, support life-long learning and, most of all, create a welcoming and inclusive environment where all of this can take place. The full text of the strategic plan is available on our website, charlottepubliclibrary.org, and in hard copy at the library circulation desk. We welcome feedback, so be in touch with your ideas and comments as we move forward. And much appreciation goes to the committee members Mary Ellen Hebert, Dorrice Hammer, Susanna Kahn, Beth Merritt, Cindi Robinson and Jonathan Silverman. Saturday, May 7, 9 a.m.: Seed Library Table at Green Up Day. Drop off your trash and pick up some seeds for your garden at the same time! The Seed Library table will be located by the compost shed in the CCS parking lot. Tuesday, May 10: LIBRARY CLOSED FOR IN-SERVICE DAY Tuesday, May 10, 6 p.m.: Cooking Book Club: “Mother’s Day Menus.” Whether your mother’s cookbook standard was Mastering the Art of French Cooking or The I-Hate-to-Cook Book, meals from our childhood influence our
tastes today. In celebration of mothers who cook (from joy or from necessity) we offer up “Mother’s Day Menus” for our May Cooking Book Club. Look through our collection of mom-based cookbooks or select a childhood favorite. Make up your dish and bring to share on Tuesday, May 10 at 6 p.m. You can bring the cookbook, recipe card or memory from your mother’s kitchen to share as well. Registration required, so please call or email the library to sign up. Wednesday, May 11, 5:30 p.m.: Library Knitters. Join us to knit, chat and compare fiber notes; bring a project or we can provide needles and wool to get you started. Meets every other Wednesday at the Charlotte Library unless otherwise noted. Thursday, May 19, 7 p.m.: International Student Forum. The CVU community is fortunate to have had students join its ranks for over 25 years. This year Niels from Denmark, Frederik from Norway and Manuel from Austria are living with families in Shelburne and making the most of their time here. Join us to meet them and learn about EF High School Exchange Year. Wednesday, May 25, 7 p.m.: Paris Climate Accords: A Conversation with Brian Tokar and Aly Johnson-Kurts. Join these two leaders in the climate justice movement for an evening’s discussion on the Paris Climate Accords, how these are an important step forward in securing a livable future, and how much more needs to be done. Co-sponsored with Transition Town Charlotte.
Trendy TiTles @ The library
The Charlotte Library is looking for a dedicated, detail-oriented, enthusiastic high school or college student to work between 5 and 8 hours a week, including Saturdays and evenings. Duties include circulationdesk work, shelving books and project-related tasks. Please stop by the library during open hours to pick up an application or email margaret. charlottelibraryvt@ gmail.com to receive one electronically. Questions? Please contact Margaret Woodruff at the above email address.
Adult Books: Foreign Policy Focus America’s War for the Greater Middle East, by Andrew J. Bacevich. From the end of World War II until 1980, virtually no American soldiers were killed in action while serving in the Greater Middle East. Since 1990, virtually no American soldiers have been killed in action anywhere else. What caused this shift? Andrew J. Bacevich, one of the country’s most respected voices on foreign affairs, offers an incisive critical history of this ongoing military enterprise—now more than 30 years old and with no end in sight. Alter Egos: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and the Twilight Struggle Over American Power, by Mark Landler. In Alter Egos, veteran New York Times White House correspondent Mark Landler takes us inside the fraught and fascinating relationship between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton—a relationship that has framed the nation’s great debates over war and peace for the past eight years. Under the Black Flag: At the Frontier of the New Jihad, by Sami Moubayed. In looking at the historical background of ISIS—where it came from, how it evolved, where it stands today and what its aims are for the future—this will provide, for the first time, a fully fledged picture of what lies at the heart of the Islamic State. Black Flag: The Rise of ISIS, by Joby Warrick. In a thrilling dramatic narrative, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joby Warrick traces how the strain of militant Islam behind ISIS first arose in a remote Jordanian prison and spread with the unwitting aid of two American presidents. (Winner of 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction)
LIBRARY BOARD: Emily Ferris, Nan Mason, Danielle Menk, Jonathan Silverman and Robert Smith. Next meeting: May 19, 6 p.m. Please note date change for this meeting.
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18 • May 5, 2016 • The CharloTTe News
Community Events GOT YOUR FINGER ON THE PULSE?
Upcoming Charlotte Food Shelf Distribution Dates
The Charlotte News is looking for an Events Calendar Editor. This person would work directly with the Editor in Chief, helping to collate and format all events submitted to The News. Must have word processing software and a computer or be able to come to the office to work. The role would require about two hours every other week. It’s good to have a pulse on the town’s activities. Send inquiries to Alex Bunten at news@thecharlottenews.org.
Wednesday May 11, 5–7 p.m. Thursday May 12, 7:30–9:30 a.m. Wednesday May 25, 5–7 p.m. Thursday May 26, 7:30–9:30 a.m.
Upcoming pUblic meetings Selectboard: May 9 and May 23, 7 p.m. Selectboard and Planning Commission work session on Town Plan: May 5, 7 p.m. Planning Comm.: May 5, 7 p.m. CSSU Board: May 17, 5 p.m. CCS Board: May 17, 7 p.m. CVU Board: May 17, 7 p.m. Conservation Commission: May 24, 7 p.m. Zoning Board: None Cemetery Com.: May 5 and May 19, 11:30 a.m. Meeting times are subject to change. Check the town website for more info: charlottevt.org
Have yoUr say
Do you have a Charlotte event or an event close by that features a Charlotter? Send description, date, time and cost to Ruah Swennerfelt at calendar@ thecharlottenews.org. If it’s a public event, share what’s happening with your neighbors! THURSDAY, MAY 5 EVENT: Ladies Night in Vergennes. A festive night of shopping, dining and socializing with free demonstrations, promotions and tastings. Many downtown merchants will offer beverage and cheese tastings from area farms and complimentary spirits from beverage makers such as Appalacian Gap, Shacksbury Cider, Whistle Pig, Fairytale Farm, Stonecutter Spirits and Bridport Creamery. Special promotions will include free mini massages at Linda’s Apparel, a Bare Minerals fresh-face glow application at Shear Cuts, a hoop presentation at Vergennes Movement, henna services at Heartfire Henna and an artist demo at Creative Space Gallery. Downtown shops will stay open until 7 p.m. while you stroll the streets, listening to music on the sidewalk. Main Street, Vergennes. 4–7 p.m. Free. Info: facebook. com/Vergennespartnership. SATURDAY, MAY 7 EVENT: Graphic Novel Double-Header. The Flying Pig Bookstore will feature two award-winning graphic novelists, James Kochalka and Gareth Hinds, for back-to-back drawing demonstrations and talks with the authors. The Flying Pig Bookstore, Shelburne. Start times at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. Free. Info: flyingpigbooks.com or 802-985-3999. EVENT: CCS Compost Sale. Need compost? Buy your bulk compost at the CCS 5th annual compost sale. Bring your own cans for pickup. First come, first served. Student-led tours of the composting shed are also happening for the first hour. CCS west Quonset parking lot. 9 a.m. to noon. $3 per five-gallon can, $12 per 20-gallon can and $18 per 33-gallon can. Info: ccsvt.org or 4252771.
| 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 | JAKIE BAKER YOU’VE GOT MAIL, PERCY
inside the museum. Bring binoculars and good walking shoes. Early mornings are often damp with dew and boots are definitely in order. Don’t forget bug spray/tick repellent! Park at 900 Sherman Hollow Road in the museum parking lot. Free, donations welcome. Preregistration is helpful but not required. Sundays, May 8–26. 7–9 a.m. Call 802-434-2167 or email museum@birdsofvermont.org. TUESDAY, MAY 10 EVENT: Shelburne Charlotte Garden Club: Flower Patterns and the Fibonacci Numbers. Learn about the Golden Ratio with the relationship of plants and fibonacchi numbers. This event will take place at the home of Gloria Good, Shelburne. 10 a.m. Free. Info: Ann Mead, 985-2657. THURSDAY, MAY 12 WORKSHOP: Internet Safety— Avoiding Scams, Fraud and Hoaxes. Mike Stridsberg, NEFCU information security manager, exposes the latest tricks of the hacker trade and discusses steps you can take to prevent becoming a victim of online fraud. New England Federal Credit Union, 141 Harvest Lane, Williston. 5:30–7 p.m. Free. Info: nefcu. com.
CONFERENCE: Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility’s 26th Annual EVENT: Green Up Day. Now in its 46th Spring Conference. Join us for a day of education, networking and exploration year, Green Up Day has made Vermont of the triple-bottom-line approach a model for civic involvement in the service of environmental cleanliness and to business! $150 early-bird rate for members! $200 for non-members. beauty. Join volunteers to help remove Special rates apply for state officials and litter from Vermont’s roadsides. Help keep Vermont green and clean! Charlotte full-time students. 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. UVM Davis Center, 590 Main Street, will once again be accepting electronic Burlington. Register: bit.ly/1rrimcm. waste. Info: russe@vbsr.org. SUNDAY, MAY 8 BIRDING: Birds of Vermont Museum Early-Birder Morning Walks. Walks are led by experienced birders familiar with Vermont birds. Finish the walk with birdfriendly coffee at the viewing window
FRIDAY, MAY 13 EVENT: Rummage Sale. Richmond Congregational Church. 9:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Proceeds given to local charities. 20 Church Street, Richmond. Friday and Saturday. Info: 434-2053.
SATURDAY, MAY 14 EVENT: Music Competition. Young Tradition Contest at Young Tradition Weekend. Black Box Theater, Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, 60 Lake Street, Burlington. 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Up to 10 finalists compete for $1,000. To enter the contest go to “Video Contest” on the Young Tradition Vermont Facebook page facebook.com/YoungTraditionVermont/ app/666029080098418. More information about Young Tradition: youngtraditionvermont.org/2012/06/ young-tradition-weekend-2/. BIKE RIDE: GMBC’s Introductory Group Rides. The Green Mountain Bicycle Club will be offering introductory group rides on select Saturdays in May and June. Experienced riders will explain the rules of the road and teach novice cyclists how to ride safely in a group. The rides will be 12 to 20 miles depending on the cyclists. Wheeler lot at Veterans Memorial Park in South Burlington. Rides start at 10 a.m. Free. Info: Amy Otten, 878-4070, amyotten@netscape.com. SALE: Red Wagon Plants 7th Annual New North End Plant Sale. This event is a fundraiser for the Burlington Area Community Gardens Scholarship Fund. Music, pizza and bagged compost and burlap bags for sale. Biben’s Ace Hardware, Ethan Allen Shopping Ctr, 1127 North Ave, Burlington. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Info: redwagonplants.com, (802) 482-4060, julie@redwagonplants.com. SUNDAY, MAY 15 CHARITY: Dance for Resilience. Come learn how the Vermont Ibutwa Initiative is making strides to improve the lives of women in the Eastern Congo. Join in the power of community and dance for resilience! Community dance led by Congolese and Nia teachers. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Donations encouraged. Thank you to Yoga Roots, South End Studio, Localvore Today and Vermont Farm Table for sponsoring this
Chair, Mark McDermott, 425-4860 Vice Chair, Erik Beal, 425-2140 Clerk, Jeff Martin, 425-4319 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 | Zoning Administrator & Deputy Health Officer, Joe Rheaume, jrheaume@townofcharlotte.com Town Planner, Daryl Benoit, dbenoit@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 “Ginny” Lyons, D-Williston, 863-6129, vvlyons@leg.state.vt.us Diane Snelling, R-Hinesburg, 482-4382, dsnelling@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 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
event! The Old Lantern, Charlotte. 3-5 p.m. Free. Info: vibi-ibutwa.org; lynn. alpeter@gmail.com; facebook.com/ events/1697194027225724/.
The CharloTTe News • May 5, 2016 • 19
Classifieds
Around Town Congratulations
through six individuals, each playing a slightly differing role in trying to resolve it. He worked with Don Cheadle, an award-winning actor who brought his celebrity status to the film, as well as with Darfur residents who were directly affected by the genocide. In his latest venture, Ted has directed a contentious documentary shown in the Tribeca Film Festival titled Betting on Zero. The movie looks into questions of a possible worldwide pyramid scheme through the eyes of a controversial hedgefund manager who wants to expose a multi-national corporation, Herbalife, as a business that “is nothing more than a scheme to gain income.” Herbalife executives, on the other hand, say that the fund manager is simply a market manipulator who wants to bankrupt them.
to Dana Hanley (above) of Charlotte who received an award from the Vermont Planners Association for her work on the 2016 Essex Town Plan, which was named “Best in the State.” Dana received the award from the VPA president at a ceremony in the Vermont State House on April 28. to Ted Braun, formerly of Charlotte, now living in California, who directed a movie that appeared before sold-out audiences in the Tribeca Film Festival in New York recently. Following college, Ted turned to filmmaking and won acclaim for his first feature movie titled Darfur Now. It received the NAACP Image Award for the best documentary of 2007. In the movie, Braun followed the crisis in Sudan
Betting on Zero is one of 12 documentaries competing for selection as the “Best Documentary Feature,” “Best Cinematography” and “Best Edited” in the festival. Braun teaches cinematography at the University of Southern California. Movie Maker Magazine named him as one of 25 filmmakers whose “work has changed the world.” He was joined in the group by notables including Errol Morris, Oliver Stone, Robert Redford and George Clooney. to Ethan Bond-Watts, whose artistic show “New Works in Wood and Stone and Glass,” was on display at the South Gallery at RLPhoto, 27 Sears Lane in Burlington, on May 1.
titled “Diverse Flavors,” appeared in the Young Writers Workshop of the Burlington Free Press on April 29. Jasmin writes about a bin of ice creams in different flavors discussing who got the best reviews, finally agreeing that what was important was that they ended the day together, helping everyone cool off. to the Charlotte Central School Stage Band which received excellent scores for its performance at the Vermont Association for Jazz Education (VTAJE) adjudicated jazz festival on April 28. Andy Smith, CCS music teacher, directs the band. to CCS students Schuyler Edgar-Holmes and Ethan Lisle for being invited to participate in the Honors Choir Festival. to Ashley Cote and Matthew Hogan who eloped to be married on Anna Maria Island, Florida. Ashley is the daughter of Raymond Cote of Charlotte and Cathy Jodoin of South Burlington. Matthew is from Lakeside, Montana and Door County, Wisconson. The newlyweds currently live in Bradenton, Florida.
Sympathy is extended to family and friends of Paul J. DeMarco who passed away April 16 at the age of 82. His surviving family in Charlotte includes his daughter Patrice DeMarco and Patrice’s husband, Peter Demick. A mass celebrating his life was held April 28 in Shelburne.
to Jasmin Towsend-Ng, whose poem
Important voting update from the town clerk
For Sale: 4 snow tires - moving south, barely used. $40 for all 4 Nokian 18 inch 235/50R18 used on Volvo CX70. Call Stella 425 4265, text 373 7943. lawn mowing Service—Working my way through college. Ten years experience. Professional equipment.Insured. Residential, business, church, municipal, etc. Call Anthony Burds 777-9131 [5823] mt. Philo inn—A unique hotel situated at the base of Mt. Philo State Park with stunning panoramic views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. Spacious 3 bedroom suites with 2 bathrooms and a complete kitchen. Thoughtfully designed for casual elegance. Privacy, space, tranquility. Bigger on the inside. MtPhiloInn.com, 425-3335. Since 1977, laFayette Painting inc. has been providing the best interior and exterior painting services available. Let our experts transform your space. Call us at 863-5397 and see our work, references and more at LafayettePaintingInc.com maxim outdoor wood Pellet Furnace by Central Boiler adapts to existing heating systems & heats with renewable wood pellets. Boivin Farm Supply 802-475-4007 interior and exterior Painting: If you’re looking for quality painting with regular or low VOC paints and very reasonable rates, call John McCaffrey at 802-999-0963 or 802-338-1331 or 802877-2172. [58-24]
School conSolidation (act 46) vote June 7 The town will be voting Tuesday, June 7, 2016, on whether or not to consolidate and form a new unified district to be known as the Champlain Valley School District. Shelburne, Hinesburg, Williston, Charlotte and St. George will all be voting on this consolidation question. Charlotte, Shelburne, Williston and Hinesburg are identified as “necessary” districts; St. George (with no operating school) is identified as an “advisable” district. No new unified district would be formed if any “necessary” district fails to approve the consolidation. If all of the “necessary” districts approve a merger and St. George votes to remain independent, the St. George district would have the opportunity to reconsider and join the Unified District by voting in favor of joining no later than Nov. 30, 2016. The number of board members serving from each town on the Champlain Valley School District Board would be the following: Williston—4, Shelburne—3, Charlotte—2, Hinesburg—2, St. George—1. On June 7, along with the consolidation question, we will be voting on our board members. If you are interested in serving on this new board, petitions are available at the clerk’s office for either a two or four-year term. Petitions are due back at the clerk’s office, with at least 30 signatures, by Friday, May 6. Once again, this is a topic to educate yourself on before the June 7 election
Reach your friends and neighbors for only $7 per issue. (Payment must be sent before issue date.) Please limit your ad to 35 words or fewer and send it to The Charlotte News Classifieds, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 or email ads@thecharlottenews.org.
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date. The “Chittenden South Supervisory Union Act 46 Study Committee Report: Findings & Recommendation” is available at the Town Clerk’s Office. Read it, ask questions of your school board members, watch for upcoming meetings with Act 46 and consolidation as topics of discussion, be informed and ready to vote on June 7. To be eligible to vote on June 7, you must file your voter application (if you are a new voter) on or before Wednesday, June 1, 2016.
Primary election inFormation – auguSt 9, 2016 The filing period for Major Candidates is no sooner than April 25, 2016 and no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, 2016. If you are a candidate for State Representative, you must fill out a Consent of Candidate Form to accompany the petition with at least 50 signatures; these must be filed in the Town Clerk’s Office by the May 26 deadline. If you are interested in running for Justice of the Peace, you may be nominated by the Democratic or Republican party or
you may take out a petition and run as an Independent. The petition for Independent Justice of the Peace with at least 30 signatures, along with the consent form, is filed in the Town Clerk’s Office. The due date for those petitions is 5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. For nomination of Justices of the Peace by political parties, party chairs must call a caucus on or before the primary election on Aug. 9, 2016. Before filing the statement of nomination for justices of the peace with the town clerk, the party chair checks with each nominee and confirms that each one consents to having their name printed on the ballot for that position and to serve if elected. The party chair files the signed statement of nomination of the justices of the peace and a copy of the meeting notice with the Town Clerk not later than 5 p.m. on the third day following the primary election—Aug. 12, 2016. To be eligible to vote on Aug. 9, you must file your application (if you are a new voter) on or before Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2016.
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