The
Charlotte News Charlotte’s award-winning community newspaper
Volume lIX Number 4
The VoIce of The TowN
Thursday, sepTember 8, 2016
QUOTES ROCK
CCS students and staff weigh in
on the highlights of summer and what’s to come Pages 12-13
WHAT’S INSIDE
Zspokes Opens for Business on Orchard Road, page 1 Seth Zimmerman Retires From Boy Scouts, page 1 9/11 – Lest we Forget, 15 Years Later, page 3
Health Matters: The Zika Issue and Ways Forward, page 14 OutTakes: A Famously Eccentric Minnesotan Loon, page 21
CharlotteNewsVt.org
Charlotte News
The
Vol. 59, no. 4 September 8, 2016
Scouts honor Cub Scouts now accept kindergarteners; Seth Zimmerman retires as longtime Boy Scout leader
Vermont’s oldest nonprofit community newspaper, bringing you local news and views since 1958.
Namaste, Anna
Drawing from life Celebrated illustrator Liza Woodruff authors her first children’s book Geeda Searfoorce THE CHARLOTTE NEWS
Geeda Searfoorce THE CHARLOTTE NEWS
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ig changes for local Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are on the horizon. The Green Mountain Council, Boy Scouts of America is participating in a national pilot program to add kindergarten-age boys to Cub Scouts. While not all packs are admitting kindergartners currently, it is likely that they will become a full-fledged part of scouting in the near future. In additional, longtime Scoutmaster Seth Zimmerman, leader of Charlotte’s Boy Scout Troop 615, is retiring after years of dedicated service. His support of Boy Scouts, firm belief in the positive effects of scouting and knowledge of the 97-year history of Boy Scouts in Charlotte make him a treasure to the community. His invaluable efforts have helped countless boys build skills and develop confidence throughout the years. The Green Mountain Council’s statewide youth and parent membership recruitment campaign, which runs primarily through the months of September and October, invites area boys to explore all the possibilities of scouting. Boys in 1st through 5th grades—and now kindergarten—can join a local Cub Scout pack in their community. Boys 11 to 17 years old are invited to join a Boy Scout troop. Yards signs, informational flyers, posters and other media promotion will be distributed
Lakeside grand larceny Vermont State Police responded to the report of a theft on Aug. 29 at the Point Bay Marina in Charlotte. Francis “Frank” Bean of Pensacola, Florida, said that overnight his 160-quart White Yeti Boating cooler was stolen from beneath his boat. The cooler (pictured right), which was unsecured at the time of the theft, is valued at approximately $1,100. The incident has been classified as grand larceny— the theft of anything over $900 in Vermont. If caught, the thief could be charged with a felony, get a hefty fine and spend up to 10 years in prison.
New neighbor Anna Couture brings her knowledge, skills and passion for yoga to 694 Church Hill Rd. Yoga Hub offers different class styles every weekday, including evening restorative and meditation classes. After running a successful studio in Connecticut, Couture jumped at the chance to move close to family in 2014 and is thrilled to join the Charlotte community. See a full class schedule on page 6 and visit yogahubvt.com. Photo: Alex Bunten
throughout the communities. Scouting provides an opportunity for youth to become involved in a program that instills strong positive moral and ethical values, citizenship involvement and responsibility and personal fitness in an environment that is family centered and fun for everyone. Scouts can participate in one-day, weekend or weeklong camping programs, see Boy scouts, pAge 6
Road construction flagger injured With the amount of traffic on Route 7 coupled with the numerous construction projects, it is often surprising that more workers on the highway are not injured. Unfortunately, on September 1, the Vermont State Police responded to the report of a construction-zone flagger who had been hit by a car near Wildwood Way in Charlotte. John Reya of Middlebury was sideswiped by a passing vehicle as he directed traffic around construction. Fortunately, Reya sustained only minor cuts and abrasions and was not taken to the hospital. He works for Kubricky Construction based in Wilton, New York.
crowd of children gathered at The Charlotte Library on Aug. 30 to get their first look at Liza Woodruff’s newest book, Emerson Barks. The renowned illustrator of 23 works can finally add the title “author” to her curriculum vitae, thus realizing one of her long-time goals. “I love bringing other people’s words to life on the page,” she said, “but I’ve always wanted to write my own stories to illustrate, too.” This new story—about a dog whose enthusiastic vocal outbursts exasperate his people and unsettle the neighbor’s cat—takes a page out of Woodruff’s own life. “One night when my dog Emerson was barking,” she told the children at the library, “I thought, ‘What would happen if a dog held in his bark? Would he blow see Woodruff, pAge 7
Spoken like a wheel bike guy Zack Macik gears up for bike business in Charlotte Alex Bunten THE CHARLOTTE NEWS
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ucked behind a stand of sumac on Orchard Road in a field of fresh corn, Zspokes, a bike shop built into the front of the Macik family house, quietly opened its doors last week. Billed as a custom wheel building and general repair bike shop, Macik’s tools are anything but general. With a brand new suspension bench, an industrial ultrasonic cleaner, a small hydraulic press and specialist contraptions that look like they could easily extricate parts from NASA’s finest, he’s outfitted to fix (or build) the most modern bikes. What’s the secret to truing a bike wheel, you ask? Macik says, “You just tighten whichever [spoke] needs to get pulled one way or loosen the other ones.” Simple, right? Well, that’s easy to say for someone with 24 years of experience in the industry. Having lived between Colorado and New Zealand for 15 years of those past 24, working for other companies, Macik was finally ready to settle down near home and start his own “practice.” “I wanted to be able to consistently deliver a very high level of professionalism and service standards,” he said. “That continuity was something I found very
Zack Macik, owner of Zspokes, Charlotte’s newest bike business venture. Photo: Alex Bunten difficult to instill in employees, so I really wanted to be able to have a direct one-onone connection with all my customers.” Originally from Shelburne, Macik see Zspokes, pAge 6
Library News 3 • Crossword & Sudoku 19 • Senior Center 20 • Community Events 22 • Around Town 23
2 • September 8, 2016 • the Charlotte NewS
You can get there from here M
y dearest friend in the world—we’ve known each other since high school in Pennsylvania—moved with her family to Charlotte over three years ago. They had to beg from Peter to pay Paul, as my father would have said, in order to make the mortgage. Before they moved in a single piece of furniture, they laid reasonably priced wood laminate over the battered floors as a placeholder until they could afford to move ahead with “real” renovations, which have yet to commence. They have three magnificent children and an energetic black lab and they work like giddy beasts to ensure their family can thrive. On the day they closed on their house, their realtor gave them a poster, illustrated by Charlotte artist Linda Seiffert Reynolds, depicting classic Charlotte scenes—Town Hall, The Old Brick Store, the view from the top of Mt. Philo, among others. At the bottom of the poster the text reads, “The
through a major transition for over half the time we’ve lived here, and we are moving into Burlington during this next chapter to establish two households and secure the bedrock of a loving family that just looks different than we originally thought it would. It could be, to a larger degree, that the here/not here gap speaks more to the experience of living in Vermont, a glorious amalgam of contradictions and questions that I am grateful to ponder every day. Does the disparity between income and cost of living make it harder to realize the dream of Charlotte? How can we alleviate the stress it puts on working families? Does the diligently, mercifully conserved beauty of this place unintentionally inhibit the growth of businesses and development of a town center? How can we encourage healthy growth in concert with our land and our lake? Does the transition in the
Upcoming Publication Deadlines Publication date: SePt. 22 Columns/features deadline: Sept. 12 Letters due: Sept. 19 Ads deAdline: sept. 16 Publication date: oct 6 Columns/features deadline: Sept 26 Letters due: Oct 3 Ads deAdline: sept. 30
The character of Courage Turner Jones, and the column “Dear Courage” are the sole property of Courage Turner Jones and subject to copyright laws.
Reminder! We’ll have a few staff changes in the next couple weeks, but please continue to submit your writing and photos as usual. The general email, news@thecharlottenews.org will continue to be used by Lynn Monty, the new editor in chief. If you’d like to reach out-going editor, Alex Bunten, his personal email is al.bunten@gmail.com.
Editorial Staff
correction: In the Aug. 11 issue of The News, in John Hammer’s article “Pay up!,” the quote about the state education tax rate being the main driver in the increase in municipal taxes was mis-attributed to Town Administrator Dean Bloch. The statement was made by Town Clerk Mary Mead. We apologize for the error.
Business Staff
For more information about the increasingly complicated factors that impact changing tax rates, including the decrease in the Common Level of Appraisal (CLA) from the estimated 102.39% to 98.05%, visit the Vermont Agency of Education website here: goo.gl/hypp1M.
Town of Charlotte, Vermont, 1762-2012. You can get there from here.” The sweetness of Reynolds’ drawings has always, in my mind, played a satisfying foil to the enigmatic message and the poster often makes me giggle. I like the idea that, even if I’m in Charlotte, I can still get to Charlotte, should I find it necessary. Part joke, part zen koan, the poster in some way explains how I feel about my fulfilling, challenging, complex and sublime life here. I’ve been in Vermont 11 years and I’m still trying to get to here. I’m home but I’m still, always, trying to get to home. This, in some measure, is the human experience. We can allow our restless minds to wander quite easily, even if we’ve “achieved” peace. But this here/not here gap feels specific to this place somehow, though I haven’t yet hit upon why. It could be personal circumstances—my family and I have been going
larger economy dovetail with shifts in Vermont’s population and butt up against zoning laws in ways that could jeopardize land use, sustainable agriculture, quality of education and more? How can we keep building our town while still retaining its rural character? The same Reynolds poster hangs just outside our office here at The Charlotte News. Over the past year I’ve looked at it every deadline day, as we scurry to put the paper together and carry on the important work of this community publication. Getting to know my hometown through this work has been incredibly enriching. Understanding my neighbors’ concerns and celebrating their accomplishments through The News has instilled in me a reverence for this paper’s role in Charlotte’s past, present and future. I have learned more about myself
The Charlotte News 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.
personally and professionally in the last year than I ever dreamed possible. My heartfelt thanks go out to our board, staff, contributors, volunteers and interns. And I extend my boundless gratitude to outgoing editor in chief Alex Bunten, who has guided this publication with wisdom, ingenuity, foresight, sense, a watertight work ethic and humor to its greater good, for posterity. And thank you, dear Charlotters, for reading and keeping the heart of the Town beating! I have loved being the assistant editor of The Charlotte News and living in this stunning place filled with people I am proud to call neighbors. I’m moving for now, but I won’t be far away and someday, I suspect, I’ll make it back home.
Geeda Searfoorce Assistant Editor
news@thecharlottenews.org / 425-4949 Editor in chief: Alex Bunten Assistant editor: Geeda Searfoorce Contributing editors: John Hammer, Edd Merritt, Ruah Swennerfelt Copy editors: Beth Merritt, Leslie Botjer, Vince Crockenberg, Carol Hanley, Janet Yantachka
ads@thecharlottenews.org / 343-0279 Ad manager: Monica Marshall Business manager: Shanley Hinge
Board Members President: Vince Crockenberg Secretary: John Hammer Treasurer: Patrice Machavern Board members: Bob Bloch, Gay Regan, Louisa Schibli
Carol
Hanley,
Contributors Bradley Carleton, Dee Carroll, Nicole Conley, Rick Devine, Carrie Fenn, Jim Hyde, Leo LaBerge, P. Brian Machanic, Susan Ohanian, Mary Recchia , Margaret Woodruff
On the Cover Rose Howell, outgoing assistant editor Geeda Searfoorce’s eldest daughter, holds up an unexpected find while on a hike at Shelburne Bay. It’s unclear, by her Mona Lisa smile, whether she is cheered by the message etched on the rock or judgmental about its innocent grammatical gaffe. At age eight, one can never tell.
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 in Burlington, Vermont, by Gannet Publishing Services Member of the New England Newspaper and Press Association and the Vermont Press Association.
The CharloTTe News •sepTember 8, 2016 • 3
News from the Charlotte Library Time at the Library. This is a new group sponsored by Building Bright Futures to get all the littlest ones and their families together. Thursday, September 22, 7 p.m. “A Sense of Place: Vermont’s Farm Legacy.” Gregory Sharrow of the Vermont Folklife Center explores the fabric of farm culture in the past and probes its relationship to the world of Vermont today. A Vermont Archaeology Month event.
Margaret Woodruff CONTRIBUTOR
(Above) A photo from The Charlotte News archives depicts members of CVFRS holding a candlelit vigil on Sept. 14, 2001. The gathering was held to honor their fallen brothers and sisters in emergency services who risked their lives to save others on Sept. 11.
The only question left 15 years on, remembering September 11 Geeda Searfoorce THE CHARLOTTE NEWS
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veryone agreed that the weather couldn’t be better. You couldn’t ask for a nicer morning—the kind of warm but crisp, illuminated paradox that only September can serve up. You couldn’t ask for a nicer day. I was getting off the subway when the first plane hit. I had no idea—none of us did. We all, New Yorker worker bees, exited the train and walked up the stairs as usual, prepared to spend this stunning Tuesday inside buildings, making the rent. I walked across 14th Street and up 9th Avenue, still unaware of the terrifying chaos just beginning to the south. What a morning! Oh, that sun! That blue, blue sky. You couldn’t ask for a nicer day. In the elevator, people were talking. “A plane just hit the World Trade Center,” someone said. “What? When? How?” Questions, questions. “What a terrible accident,” I thought. The elevator doors opened onto the panoramic view that reliably instilled me with awe. Those towers, glittering against that blue, blue sky. There was smoke pouring out of one of them. Then I saw the second plane hit. I was able to call my husband, mom and brother before the phones gave up working. My coworkers and I shook our heads,
cried and paced the length of the floor, returning to the panorama periodically to remind ourselves why nothing made any sense. There are people in there, we said, but couldn’t really believe it. People were jumping. Eventually we left. I walked home, a member of a crowd of gracious strangers. A new refrain was already beginning—“Do you need water?” “Can I carry your bag?” “How can I help?”— and would repeat throughout the next few months to counter the fearful voices of hate that shouted during that dark time. White powder mailed in envelopes, threat level orange, war. The smoke plumed. The crowd walked over the Williamsburg Bridge. I could see my apartment. My husband was sitting on the roof, staring. We met friends at a bar. The television beat the drum. We shook our heads. “Why?” It was the only question we had left. All the others had been answered, or were becoming apparent. Who? What? When? Where? How? We can come by facts much faster than reason. It was February when I felt the event in my body, really understood the enormity of it. After the smell had—mostly—dissipated. After the pictures of missing and dead began to weather. After the volunteer tents were rolled up and packed away. After airplanes in the sky stopped looking like sharks to me. After the country stopped shaking its head and asking why and started pointing fingers. I don’t remember my dream, but a plane hit me full in the chest and I sat bolt upright in bed. I crept over to the window and craned my neck to the east. The towers were gone, an empty space filled the vault of the night sky. Those people!, I thought. Oh, those people. Why? Why? Why?
Upcoming @ The charloTTe library Thursdays, beginning September 8, 3:15 p.m.. Coding Club @ the Library. Art. Design. Coding with Scratch. Create your own digital works of art! Use the computer to design your own animations, create a paint editor tool, and learn how technology is used in the art world! No previous computer experience is necessary. 4th grade and up. Registration required. Wednesday, September 14, 5:30 p.m. OneClick Drop-in Session. Learn the ins and outs of this digital library that includes Pimsleur Language and Great Courses audiobooks as well as many popular titles in fiction and nonfiction. Monday, September 19, 10 a.m. Mystery Book Group. Join us for a trek through North Carolina backwoods with Margaret Maron’s first book, Bootlegger’s Daughter. Copies are available at the circulation desk. Tuesday, September 20: STORY TIME BEGINS! Story time runs every week from Sept.20toNov.16(12:15forpreschoolers,2:15 for K-1); no story time on 10/11. Registration required. Please call or email the library to sign up: 425-3864 or youth.charlottelibraryvt@gmail.com. Lunch Box Story Time for Preschoolers at noon. Pack your lunchbox and join us for stories, songs and fun. For 3- to 5-year-olds who are comfortable in a story time setting with or without parent or caregiver. After School Story Explorations, 3:15 p.m. Take the bus from CCS and explore the world of stories! For kindergarten and first grade students. Wednesday, September 21, 9 a.m. Baby
Tuesday, September 27, 7 p.m.: Great Decisions, Part II. Upcoming discussion topics: United Nations (9/27), Climate Change (10/11) and Cuba and the U.S. (10/25). Reading materials and companion DVD available to check out at the circulation desk.
SeTTle in wiTh a good book… Leave Me by Gayle Forman. For every woman who has ever fantasized about driving past her exit on the highway instead of going home to make dinner, for every woman who has ever dreamed of boarding a train to a place where no one needs constant attention—meet Maribeth Klein. A harried working mother who’s so busy taking care of her husband and twins, she doesn’t even realize she’s had a heart attack. Cook Korean! by Robin Ha. Fun to look at and easy to use, this unique combination of cookbook and graphic novel is the ideal introduction to cooking Korean cuisine at home. Robin Ha’s colorful and humorous one- to three-page comics fully illustrate the steps and ingredients needed to bring more than 60 traditional (and some not-so-traditional) dishes to life. House Without Windows by Nadia Hashimi. For two decades, Zeba was a loving wife, a patient mother, and a peaceful villager. But her quiet life is shattered when her husband, Kamal, is found brutally murdered with a hatchet in the courtyard of their home. Nearly catatonic with shock, Zeba is unable to account for her whereabouts at the time of his death. Her children swear their mother could not have committed such a heinous act. Kamal’s family is sure she did, and demands justice. Barely escaping a vengeful mob, Zeba is arrested and jailed. Downfall by J.A. Jance. With a baby on the way, her mother and stepfather recently slain, a re-election campaign looming, and a daughter heading off for college, Cochise County Sheriff Joanna Brady has her hands full when a puzzling new case hits her department, demanding every resource she has at her disposal.
4 • September 8, 2016 • the Charlotte NewS
Commentary The need for less speed S
ome five years ago, after numerous traffic accidents, including one fatality, Mt. Philo Road had the very dubious distinction of being designated as a “dangerous road.� At that time, many residents—myself included—confronted the Selectboard with requests for meaningful measures to improve the situation. We were advised that, because of the “dangerous� designation, nothing could be done until the state “evaluated� the road. Three years went by, and I was once again told that the board had heard nothing from the state! Meanwhile, the situation continued to worsen, with a greater volume of traffic,
more speeding, and a progressive glut of bicyclists on a road with narrow lanes and virtually no soft shoulders. When we had occasional speed traps set up by rented Shelburne police, there were many tickets issued and several motorists were clocked at 75-80 mph in 40-45 mph zones. Unfortunately there was no consistency in this patrolling and no significant deterrent to the many speeders that ply our roads. Since then, Charlotte’s Selectboard has switched its contract for road patrol from the Shelburne Police to the grossly understaffed Vermont State Police. Their rationale: cost containment! One has only to look at the deplorable situation on I-89, where most motorists go 75-80 mph or more knowing that it’s highly unlikely that they’ll encounter a speed trap. If the State Police can’t control the interstate, how can we expect them to be effective on local roads?
The speed control cart currently on Spear Street Extension in Charlotte flashes at drivers if they exceed 45 mph. Photo: Alex Bunten I drive Mt. Philo Road several times daily and have only seen a State Police vehicle on one occasion in the past year, with zero speed traps. Some two years ago, the Charlotte Selectboard created a hand-picked “Safety� Committee, which was intended to combat both the speeding problem and vandalism in our town. This ill-fated committee, which ultimately was disbanded due to consistently poor meeting attendance by its members, did nothing to reduce the road problems in Charlotte. On Mt. Philo Road we still have the highest posted speed limit (45 mph) over the most dangerous segment of the road. This is between One Mile Road and the Charlotte-Hinesburg Road where there are several hills and frequent blind driveways. Meanwhile, the short Ferrisburgh segment of Mt. Philo Road is posted at 35 mph, and the area around Mt. Philo State Park is a 40 mph zone. Brilliant!! The Town of Charlotte hasn’t even the incentive to stripe adequately some segments of Mt. Philo Road. What a sad commentary on the board. And now we have a huge increment of traffic on Mt. Philo Road, and to some extent on Greenbush Road and Spear Street, due to Route 7 construction. Motorists know that they can avoid delays by taking one of these alternate routes, and they can speed to their hearts’ content, since Charlotte has no police and the State Police are not at all likely to be present. I’ve had an opportunity, recently, to
speak briefly with two members of our current Selectboard. Carrie Spear has been sympathetic to our problem and has spoken with the State Police, who apparently feel that they’ve got things well in hand. OH, REALLY!! Ms. Spear has also been told by one local sage that “Hey, they’ve been speeding around here for years, so we should get used to it.� Now there’s a constructive thought—bet he was once on the Selectboard! Mr. Fritz Tegatz was also kind enough to call me. He acknowledged that he is a bicyclist but has opted no longer to bike on Mt. Philo Road because of the danger involved. However, he offered no suggestions as to how to improve matters and seemed to support the current use of the State Police as monitors. WONDERFUL! Despite Mr. Tegatz’s personal concern about bikers’ safety on Mt. Philo Road, his Selectboard is perfectly willing to turn loose up to 700 bicyclists at a time on Mt. Philo Road and Spear Street for races and/or fundraising events, for which the Town of Charlotte receives a pittance. Hmmm! So I guess the solution is to keep on our blinders, pay our taxes and go hunt night-crawlers. Ah, such utopia! Does it take more fatalities to awake Charlotte’s slumbering Selectboard?
P. Brian Machanic Charlotte
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The CharloTTe News •sepTember 8, 2016 • 5
Letters to the Editor Voters rights are safe In response to Carol Snow’s letter in The Charlotte News on August 25, no one was denied the right to vote. Contrary to Ms. Snow, it was her husband who saw his son’s name was no longer on the voter check list and caused a scene. In 2009 after learning the son was not living in Vermont, let alone in Charlotte, possibly while attending college, a letter contesting his residency in Charlotte was mailed and it was not responded to. Another letter was sent to him in 2015. Again, no response. At that time, the Board of Civil Authority (BCA) voted to remove his name from the check list. I was working at the checkout table with town clerk, Mary Mead, when the Snows came through on primary day, August 9. I was appalled at Mr. Snow’s playground bully behavior. Being an elected justice of the peace, I am on the BCA. Mr. Snow was informed that if his son has moved back to Charlotte, he needs to stop by the town clerk’s office to have his name added to the check list. The deadline is November 2, on which date the clerk’s office will remain open until 5 p.m. The law states this is the only way he can vote in November, as a third party can’t register him. He must personally register himself. Ms. Snow’s letter was appalling and nasty. The decision to remove someone from the check list is decided by the Board of Civil Authority, not the town clerk. The laws allowing the removal must be followed precisely. Said laws also dictate how to add a name. Anyone having questions on these rules can speak with any member of the BCA for clarification. Once we are elected as a JP, we are required to attend training done by the Secretary of State’s legal department to learn what is required of us and what we can and cannot do.
local Little League is comprised mostly of fair, decent, generous, and knowledgeable individuals who are volunteering their time and doing the best they can. Is there room for improvement in the Shelburne/Charlotte/Hinesburg Little League? Yes, there is, and I hope the league solicits feedback that they can use to improve and already great organization. Is Mr. DeToma’s assessment accurate? I’ll bet most parents would say “no.”
Rick Devine Charlotte
Late August and September mark a unique birding opportunity in Vermont. Shorebirds such as plovers and sandpipers (above) are migrating through the state on their southern journey from northern Canada to the Caribbean and beyond. Photo: Ian Clark
committee, cut-and-paste, and voice-mail. The head of children’s dictionaries answered complaints by explaining that the natural world “just isn’t that important to children anymore.” I wouldn’t go so far in characterizing the displacement of the outdoors by the virtual as the recent New York Post headline—“It’s ‘digital heroin’: How screens turn kids into psychotic junkies”—but I do worry about the plugged-in, tuned-out internet culture “lost in the misty zone between reality and imagery, no longer able to tell the difference” that Russell Banks describes in Lost Memory of Skin. And I know in my bones that seven-year-olds have much greater need for buttercups than bullet-points. We should do all we can to keep our children as well as ourselves in touch with the great outdoors. Naming trees is a good place to start. Our town library has books for all ages filled with information about trees, and “Common Trees of Charlotte” by the Charlotte Conservation Commission, also at the library, provides a template for starting your own tree notebook. As I write this, a beautiful barred owl is Leo LaBerge Justice of the peace and member of the sitting in the maple tree outside my window. Charlotte Board of Civil Authority I feel blessed. Charlotte Susan Ohanian Charlotte
Stay in touch with the outdoors
For the love of Little League
Editor: Thank you to Larry Hamilton for his observation (“What’s In a Name”) on how naming our tree companions enriches our lives. We need these names, and so do the children in our care. The Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project Guide to Vermont lists trees as “scenically the most important Vermont plants.” It doesn’t detail each of the 1,482 species of flower-producing plants found in Vermont but does call out buttercup and clover and exalts in the existence of 81 distinct varieties of fern. Those were the days. Now such names are under assault. Robert Macfarlane begins his 2015 book Landmarks by noting that the Oxford Junior Dictionary took the capricious step of scrapping such words as acorn, adder, ash, beech, bluebell, buttercup, clover, dandelion, lark, mistletoe, otter and wren—to make room for blog, bulletpoint, broadband, celebrity, chatroom,
I largely disagree with perspective of Vinny DeToma in his recent letter to the editor, “No Respect For the Game.” I have sent two boys through Little League. I’ve been involved with the Charlotte/Hinesburg league and now the merged Charlotte/Hinesburg/Shelburne league. I coached a team in the newly merged league in 2015. I strongly disagree with the characterization that our Little League coaches are baseball illiterate, incompetent or unknowledgable, or lacking in a basic understanding of the game and rules. In fact, I have been pleasantly surprised by the high level of baseball knowledge these dedicated volunteers have. I consider my knowledge of the game to be pretty good but found that other coaches had just as much and usually more knowledge. My father was involved in a baseball league for 39 years. I recognize the familiar grumbling. I surmise that all similar
organizations have their share of persons with a “personal agenda.” We’ve all heard the stories of selfish coaches doing whatever is necessary to get their way or to ensure his team will be the winner. My experience has been that the local Little League is a decent organization with hard-working volunteers trying to do the right thing. Volunteer coaches and league officials devote an astonishing amount of time and energy executing just one season with all its Little League requirements, staffing, procurement of equipment, registration, scheduling, field maintenance and many more logistical considerations. In the local league I have experienced the occasional over-enthusiastic coach, some typical groaning in response to bad calls by umpires, and what appears to be unevenly distributed talent among teams. All this is pretty standard stuff for leagues. We are imperfect beings and the volunteers from the Little League seem to be striving to address all that. If you’d like to hear it for yourself, talk to the league president, Tim Pudvar, one of the nicest persons you’ll meet in your lifetime. I realize that I may have just spent a lot of time addressing a perspective of one individual that I could have just ignored. However, I’d like everyone to know that the
More public lake access for the town In the recent article concerning lot 128 on Thompson’s Point, Geeda Searfoorce mistakenly characterized the existing structure as an “outbuilding” to lot 127. This is not completely accurate. The building was a camp, with a working septic, a kitchen, even a washer and dryer. Thompson’s Point residents still remember having meals at the camp, where the children and pets from lot 127 spent their summers. If the Selectboard did in fact err in its decision to subdivide the lot, their best recourse is to compensate Mr. Arthaud for his lease payments, septic payments and taxes, as he would not have renewed his lease in 2014 had he known he did not have a buildable lot. He should also be compensated for the monies lost in the sale of the adjoining camp. As far as the lot is concerned, the town would be best served by taking it back and turning it into public access for the residents of Charlotte.
Carrie Fenn Charlotte
Editor’s Note: In researching the article “Much ado about a lot,” the structure at lot 128 was referred to by Town Administrator Dean Bloch as an “outbuilding,” “sometime guest house” and “falling down camp.”
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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Zspokes
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cut his bike tech teeth as a “grom” at Tim Mathewson’s shop, then Champion Cycles in Shelburne village. (Tim now owns Little City Cycles in Vergennes.) “Zack had the best quality we look for in an apprentice,” Mathewson said in a recent phone call, “he showed up, had a can-do attitude and was always interested in bikes. He took what little I gave him and built a fantastic career. I like that he’s always had a great time with it, too.” The story goes that at about 11 years old, after breaking his BMX bike, Macik got a new mountain bike—fully rigid with cantilever brakes and a basic shifting system. The way he was riding, though, it didn’t last long. After a few trips to Catamount with
his dad and brother, Nick, he found a knack for amateur tinkering. “I got quite good at breaking the bike. I got good at taking it apart, too,” he said, “and I could not get it back together. Tim’s shop was the one that was bikeable and walkable. I would go there, basically with Mason jars full of parts I’d taken off my bike and disassembled way beyond what was necessary. It didn’t occur to me that you could take stuff off as a unit.” The love of making big parts into smaller ones, and an interest in reconstituting the whole, is what propelled Macik into his current vocation. After Macik went to Champion Cycles a few times with yogurt containers of bolts and nuts and brakes, Mathewson took him under his wing and anointed him a shop “grom” (slang in the industry for a young kid who works in a bike shop doing basic tasks), working nights and
Left: Zack Macik works on truing a wheel. Above top: The very distinctive Macik family mailbox. Above bottom: A few of the many tools of the trade. Photos: Alex Bunten weekends. Fast forward a few years and Macik landed at a high-end bike shop in Denver, Colorado—what some might consider a cyclist’s Mecca—working on the cutting edge of bike technology in 2001. “It was an enthusiast-only shop,” he said, “which meant that they would fix anything—anything and everything—but they didn’t sell new kids’ bikes, or ‘townies’ or commuters. You had your mountain bikes and road bikes—all at enthusiast level. It was also one of the few shops that had built its reputation on professional service.” Enthusiast level meaning the vanguard
of the bike world. At that time, that was disc brakes and high quality suspension. Nowadays, electronic or even wireless shifting is what gets Macik excited. While there for this interview, he was updating the software on one customer’s bike—the two gear shifters acting like two mice of a larger computer. Macik hopes to bring some of that professionalism and wild Coloradan enthusiasm back to the Green Mountain State. “In Colorado, riders don’t hesitate to drop $6,000 on a new bike,” Macik said. “In Vermont, people are more inclined to spend $2,000 to 3,000, but they lose a lot in quality of parts and build.” Another facet of Zspokes’ business will be refurbishing high-end bikes. Macik contends that getting on a refurbed $6,000 bike for a few grand provides a far superior biking experience to buying a new bike for the same price. He also plans to offer highend bikes for rent. One of the biggest hurdles for many riders-to-be or riders-who-once-were, Macik says, is just getting a beat up old bike to the shop. Queue a local concierge service. But he won’t pick up (and deliver) your bike (for free) in any old beater. Macik is also a car guy. He’ll stop by in his beautifully kept 1986 Toyota 4-Runnner (he got it in Colorado, of course). Will he fix your bike at your house? Depends on the level of tools needed. Macik hasn’t decided yet if he’ll be hiring a shop “grom” of his own. Bring in a few Mason jars of parts down to him and see what he says. Zspokes will be open from noon–6 p.m., Monday to Friday. More info can be found on their website, zspokes.com.
Boy scouts
continued from page 1
Troop 615 Scoutmaster Seth Zimmerman (left) presenting the records of Charlotte Boy Scouts leader Frederick Horsford from 1921 and 1927 to Dan Cole of Charlotte’s Museum and Historical Society in 2014. Zimmerman is retiring from the Boy Scouts after years of dedicated service. File photo.
explore their community, and learn skills in emergency preparedness, first aid, swimming, lifesaving, nature study, environmental awareness and more. In addition, scouting provides programs that teach teamwork, good sportsmanship and personal fitness. Scouting is open to all boys, regardless of athletic ability and social, economic or ethnic background, and is a program that has lasting values for the rest of your son’s life. For information on how to join a scouting unit, go to beascout.org, or contact the Scout Service Center in Waterbury at 802-244-5189.
The CharloTTe News •sepTember 8, 2016 • 7
Woodruff
continued from page 1
up like a balloon?’” The idea for her new publication was thus born. Woodruff has a natural rapport with children, as evidenced by the rapt attention of the crowd. “You know that feeling,” she asked them, “when you want to talk to your parents and they ask you to wait? I thought maybe having to hold in his bark made Emerson feel like that.” Her love of illustration was ignited in high school, when Woodruff was able to take a college course at the Rhode Island School of Design while still in high school. “I became really conscious of and grateful for the role of supportive mentors in an artist’s life,” she said. Her love of children’s books began early on too, after she earned her B.A. in art and French and her B.F.A. in illustration at the Art Institute of Boston. She hit the ground running after school, and her many publications include Amanda Bean’s Amazing Dream (Scholastic, 1998), written by Cindy Neuschwander; Lindy Blues: The Missing Silver Dollar (Marshall Cavendish, 2006), written by Dorian Cirrone; and Ten on the Sled (Sterling Children’s Books, 2010), written by Kim Norman. Woodruff invited the energetic crowd at the library to read along with her as
(Left) Liza Woodruff draws the eponymous pooch from her new children’s book, Emerson Barks, for a rapt crowd at The Charlotte Library on Aug. 30. (Right) Woodruff, a prolific illustrator, led the children in reading parts of her book aloud, along with reading another book and guiding them in a craft. Photo: Geeda Searfoorce Emerson’s stifled barks are unleashed and create an unexpected, positive change for his neighbor’s cat, Kissy. After the reading, Woodruff led the children in making a craft mask of Emerson using paper plates and construction paper. She also took art direction from the eager crowd and drew “our very own Kissy!” By engaging the children in the drawing of an illustration Woodruff sparked their imaginations and inspired them to create without self-criticism. When one girl said, “I do not know how to draw at all,” Woodruff was quick with encouragement. “I didn’t start out drawing well,” she said. “I
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assessment, golf exercise and injury prevention. He has also completed training with the PGA, learning how to analyze the golf swing from a biomechanical perspective and to address faults through corrective exercises. Tim will be working directly
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8 • September 8, 2016 • the Charlotte NewS
It takes a village... Thank you, dear writers, proofers and drivers!
E
very year we are floored by how many people have volunteered to write, copyedit and proofread for The Charlotte News and to help distribute it to 57 drop-off locations from South Burlington to Vergennes. In our 58th year of publication (July 2015–July 2016) we counted 131 unique contributors, a veritable army of wordsmiths and
curious sorts, detailing the highs and lows of life in Charlotte, Vermont, and getting all of it into the hands of our readers. However, this is only the people who have written for and distributed the paper. We hope in the future to better keep track of photographers and other volunteers who make this paper the stalwart of community journalism that it is.
We always welcome new volunteers and pride ourselves on providing an open and constructive environment for those new to the game. Putting pen to paper and want a local outlet? Got an eegle eye for catching grammar and spelling errors (like the one in this sentence)? Like taking morning drives and delivering papers to some of our favorite local
businesses? Get in touch and join the ranks of those hearty souls below. To those listed below, we can’t thank you enough for your continued support and interest in publishing with us at The Charlotte News. Here’s to many more years of collaboration!
Jeff Albertson Ed Amidon Zackery Aubin Tabitha Auster Amos Baehr Clyde Baldwin Elizabeth Bassett Rowan Beck Meg Berlin Bunky Bernstein Susan Blood Jorden Blucher Leslie Botjer Wendy Bratt Stephen Brooks Bradley Carleton Joyce Cellars Freya Chapdelaine Ashley Clark Isabel Cohen Nicole Conley Louis Cox Lia Cravedi Susan Crockenberg Vince Crockenberg Joanna Cummings Deng Dau Chris Davis Lawrence Dee Justine Dee Aidan Devine Tai Dinnan
Brent Dorval Barrie Dunsmore Georgia Edwards Carrie Fenn Josh Flore Tess Foley-Cox Frances Foster Karen Frost Sean Gilliam Valerie Graham Susan Grasso Larry Hamilton Linda Hamilton John Hammer Carol Hanley Dana Hanley Richard Hess Katherine Hikel Dorothy Varney Hill Peter Hiser Corrina Hobbes Deirdre Holmes Mel Huff Jim Hyde Debbie Ingram Henry Kramer Emilie Krasnow Martha R. Lang Anne Latulippe Robert Leavitt Valerie Lehbenson Ethan Lisle
Jill Lowery Heather Manning Stella Martenis Jeff Martin Elyse Martin-Smith Nan Mason Mary A. Mead Jane McCullough Mark McDermott Courtney McDermott Lily Menk Beth Merritt Catherine Metropolous Finnegan Mittlestadt Pat Monteferrant Rhonda Moore Janet Morrison Mark Moser Melinda Moulton Sharon Mount Claudia Mucklow Rob Mullin Mark Nash Karl Novak Tom O’Brien Leo Alexander Perez Mark Prescott Kerrie Pughe Alice D. Outwater Gay Regan Mary Recchia Ellie Russell
Charles Russell Kim Schmitt Bill Schubart Geeda Searfoorce Fatima Shama Chloe Silverman Claire Slater Lydia Smith Susan Smith Olivia Spell Sandra Steingard Charlotte Steria Marion Sullivan Kennady Sweeney Ruah Swennerfelt Rev. Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas Jasmin Townsend-Ng Aidan Trus Courage Turner Jones Mary Van Vleck Fritz Wetzell Ben Wetzell Lee Wiseman Nancy Wood Kristen Wright Mike Yantachka Catherine Young Margaret Woodruff David Ziegleman
If your name should be here and it isn’t, please let us know. We are not, unfortunately, above making mistakes. Email us at news@thecharlottenews.org.
The CharloTTe News •sepTember 8, 2016 • 9
With the generous contributions of these friends of The Charlotte News, we’re halfway toward our annual goal of raising $25,000 to help us balance our 2016 budget. Thanks to all of you who have contributed so far. If you haven’t yet made your tax-deductible contribution, please consider doing so. Join your friends and neighbors listed here to help ensure that The News continues to bring you the stories that, issue by issue for the past 58 years, write the history of our town. (And thanks to a generous contribution from a great friend of the paper and the hard work of our staff, you can now check out—and search—that history at charlottenewsvt.org/archive/.) Please mail your contribution to The Friends of the Charlotte News, P.O. Box 211, Charlotte, VT 05445. David and Jane Allen Colleen Armstrong and John Quinney Luella Aube Jennifer and Joshua Bagnato Elizabeth Bassett Victor and Wanda Bean Meg Berlin Ronan Belisle and Marianne Blanchard David Blittersdorf Robert and Nancy Bloch Roelof Boumans and Catharina Sikkes Starr Brinkerhoff Amy Brosius and Mark McDermott Karen and Bill Bruett Laura Cahners-Ford John and Nancy Calcagni Nathaniel and Kay Carleton Bob and Aileen Chutter Deborah Cook Susan and Vince Crockenberg Cynthia Curtis Eileen Curtis Pam and George Darling Andy and Birgit Deeds Richard and Sandi Detwiler Joseph and Jennifer Dickerman James and Patricia Dobson Heather Dwight Jonathon and Louise Fairbank Rex and Lell Forehand Stephen and Margaret Foster Frances Foster Constantine and MaryAnne Gatos Valerie Graham Andrea Greene and Drew Mahoney Larry and Linda Hamilton John and Dorrice Hammer Carol Hanley and Bunky Bernstein Dana Hanley Kathleen McKinley Harris Stephany and Bruce Hasse
Richard Hendrickson Richard Hertzberg and Deborah Loveitt Carl and Carlanne Herzog Susan Hodgson and Mike Walker Jeffrey and Irene Horbar Tamar and Richard Howson Dale and Alice Hyerstay Hank and Josie Kaestner Jane Ann and Steve Kantor Woody Keppel Virginia and Mac Keyser Stephen Kiernan Julian Kulski and Lisa Boyle Laurel Lakey and Jared Ulmer Katherine Lampton Gayle and Stanley Lane John and Susan Lavigne John and Jane Lawlis Margaret Lazar Alexandra Lehmann Jr and Leslie Lewis Lindsay Longe Randy and Nancy Longe Patrice and Dave Machavern James and Kathleen Manchester Rookie Manning Cassandra and Moriah Manning Shirley Marshall Benjamin and Anne Mason Thomas McAuliff and Janella Pennington Hugh and Christine McBride Danielle and James Menk Edd and Beth Merritt Bob and Kathryn Mesaros Jane and Bill Michaud Glenn and Sylvia Mitchell Toni and Bob Monsey Ronda Moore Daniel and Cecile Moran Lane and Janet Morrison Raymond and Dana Murphy
Magdalena Naylor Susan and Hans Ohanian Betsi and Tom Oliver Norman and Dorothy Pellett Gary and Donna Pittman Donna and Remo Pizzagalli Jeffrey Price Nancy and David Pricer Lori Racha and Damon Silverman Gay Regan Peter and Diane Rosenfeld Linda Samter and Thomas Hengelsberg The Schibli family Sandy Schofield Phoebe Siemer Craig and Susan Sim Lois Simone Gary and Karin Small Hayes and Bonnie Sogoloff Jim and Debbie Squires Marc and Rachel Stein Jack and Roberta Stetson Mr. and Mrs. R.H. Stowe Jan and Larry Sudbay Ruah Swennerfelt and Louis Cox Peter Swift and Diana McCargo Michael and Shelby Teaster John Thibault Sue and Thomas Thibault Laurie Thompson and John Limanek Robin and Bob Turnau Tim and Mary Volk Sharon and Doug Weaver Stephanie and Jim Wells Jen and TJ Whalen Bill and Pat Wheeler Roy and Roberta Whitmore Jack and Susan Williamson Matthew Zucker and Claudia Marshall
10 • September 8, 2016 • the Charlotte NewS
The CVU after-school theater program kicked off its fall musical production with a week-long theater camp before school started. Forty students from the cast of this year’s musical production of Urinetown participated in the camp. Urinetown is a comedy musical about a town suffering from a drought, so everyone needs to pay to use the bathrooms. The group wrapped up the conclusion of the camp with a preview performance for the faculty. The musical will be performed Oct. 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 30 at 2 p.m. Please save the date. You won’t want to miss this outrageously funny comedy, sure to make you laugh so hard you’ll...well, you know. Photo: Courtesy
SEND US YOUR NEWS, PHOTOS, EVENTS news@charlottenewsvt.com
The CharloTTe News •sepTember 8, 2016 • 11
Perfect winds for rescheduled Westport Regatta
Charlotte sailors Peter and Denise Holmberg and David Miner along with Ed Smith, of Willsboro, NY, after their race on Saturday, August 20, 2016, in The Galley Restaurant and Bar at Westport Marina. Photo: Courtesy
Dee Carroll CONTRIBUTOR
The south winds were perfect for Westport Marina’s Annual Challenge Regatta on Saturday, August 20, rescheduled from August 13 due to threat of thunderstorms. While several sailors were unable to make the switch, new sailors joined the race. In a joint start, Class A and Class B boats sailed in a large 5.6-mile angular loop in Northwest Bay, beginning in front of
Westport Marina, going to Barber’s Point, to Scotch Bonnet just south of Basin Harbor, back to a mark by Normandie Beach Resort, then back to the start line to close the loop. Class A, Sugar Maple, a 40-foot Islander, helmed by Peter Holmberg, was first in actual elapsed time, 1:05:29, and in handicapped corrected time, 57.92 minutes. Second place went to Pair-A-Dice, a 43-foot Morgan, helmed by David Miner, 1:27:11 elapsed time and 73.37 minutes corrected time. Both boats claim Charlotte as their homeport.
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Sparrow, helmed by Peter Brooks of Ballston Lake, New York, took top honors for Class B boats, finishing with elapsed time of 1:13:45 and corrected time of 58.91 minutes. Ed Smith, who sailed Moondance down from Willsboro, New York, to join the race, finished in 1:26:26 with the corrected time of 77.7 minutes. Ed Smith has won for this class with corrected time for the past two years. The J-24 boats sailed two races, in a linear course south then back to the north across the bay, combining the times for both races to determine the placement of each boat. Ranked first was Rhumb Runner, helmed
by Tim McCormack of Plattsburg, New York, making the best time in both races. Second place went to Joshua Girard, with Gloria, from Bridport. Kat Knip, helmed by Rob Knippler of Middlebury finished third. Know Name, with Jack Knox of Lake Placid, New York, came in fourth. Paul Reese of Westport, New York, brought Bug-A-Boo, across the finish line last, with a time just 13.86 minutes after the first-place winner.
2nd grade
Eva Mazur
12 • September 8, 2016 • the Charlotte NewS
8th grade
Patrick Hennessey Highlight of summer: Waking up late and relaxing. Looking forward to: I think we have a field trip to Montreal. It’ll be fun to see the city.
Highlight of summer: Seeing my family a lot; celebrating everyone’s birthdays with parties. Looking forward to: My brother, Ethan, is in first grade this year. He has a new teacher, Mrs. Gerson. I can’t wait to see how his first day goes.
Connor Turnbaugh 7th grade
Highlight of summer: Jet skiing. It feels like I’m flying when I’m on a jet ski. Looking forward to: Math! I love adding and subtracting numbers.
Benjamin Fox 7th grade
Highlight of summer: My family and I traveled the length of Japan. We saw the bullet train and sky train. So fast and cool! Looking forward to: I want to learn a lot of new stuff, and maybe how to write better.
Welcome back!
CCS students and staff reflect on summer and look ahead to the new school year Geeda Searfoorce THE CHARLOTTE NEWS
8th grade
Highlight of summer: Staying up late, sleeping in, taking it easy. Looking forward to: I can’t wait to go to Northern Lights in Essex with my class this year.
Deng Daw
The beginning of the school year is a bittersweet time. It’s hard to say goodbye to warm summer days filled with dips in the lake, unstructured playtime with friends or the chance to climb a tree and read a book nestled on a branch. But it’s also fun to see old friends, meet new ones and get into a rhythm in the classrooms and halls of Charlotte Central School. The Charlotte News checked in with students and staff on the first day of the 2016-17 school year to see what they loved about this past summer and what they’re looking forward to as the apples ripen and the crisp air ushers in sweater weather (and then parka weather, and then galoshes weather…). Here are some some friendly faces we caught up with during the hustle and bustle of day one, August 29, 2016. What was your favorite part of summer? What are you looking forward to this year? Tell us! Send an email to news@thecharlottenews.org or post a pic and message on our Facebook page. We’d love to know!
Instructional leader
Stephanie Sumner Highlight of summer: Kayaking with my kids. Looking forward to: All the great new teacher teams we have here at CCS.
Mike DiNicola Behavior specialist
Highlight of summer: The weather was glorious and my time with my family was priceless. Looking forward to: Seeing all the children’s faces at school every day. I’m excited about our refreshed behavioral systems and working with a great team.
Emma Metzler 3rd grade
the Charlotte NewS •September 8, 2016 • 13
Quite an entrance!
Audrey Hornbeck
Custodian and kitchen staff Highlight of summer: I dedicated my summer to this building, cleaning the school and getting it ready. Looking forward to: Meeting all the new children and seeing everyone around the school.
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Highlight of summer: For my birthday we went to the Great Escape. They had a roller coaster called the Canyon Blaster. It went really fast and sometimes even upside down! Looking forward to: Mostly reading. Reading all the books on that shelf (pointing to the corner of the classroom).
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14 • September 8, 2016 • the Charlotte NewS
Zika virus – yet another cautionary tale Jim Hyde CONTRIBUTOR
Remember Ebola? Eleven thousand deaths, lingering chronic complications for thousands, billions of dollars in direct and indirect costs? It should have taught us a lesson. Apparently it did not. Now, just two years later, we are faced with another disease outbreak that has produced thousands of severely damaged infants and children and has quickly moved from Central and South America to Puerto Rico and now to the southern continental U.S. Amazingly we know how to control and prevent transmission of this disease, but Congress refuses to fund control efforts.
InItIally an oddIty Zika virus has been around since the late 1940s. Named for the Ugandan forest where it first appeared, it was treated as little more than an oddity for decades. Limited to East Africa and Asia, it didn’t appear to cause serious illness and was often confused with another disease, dengue fever. All of that changed with an outbreak in
Micronesia (2007) and French Polynesia in (2014). Shortly after, in 2015, doctors in Northern Brazil began seeing large numbers of infants born with severe birth defects, most notably with small heads (microcephaly). It wasn’t long before these events were tied to the presence of the Zika virus in pregnant women. In the United States, Florida and the Miami area are especially at risk because Miami is a major travel hub to and from the Caribbean and Latin America and because the local environment supports the mosquitoes known to carry the virus. To date the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 16,781 confirmed cases of Zika in the U.S. and its territories, including 1,595 in pregnant women, and in late August it extended its travel advisory to include all of Miami/Dade County, Florida. Closer to home, as of August 31 the CDC had reported 625 cases of travel-related Zika in New York State, seven in Vermont and eight in New Hampshire. A lot is still unknown about the longterm effects of the virus and its global distribution. But there is a lot we do know: It spreads by the bite of two very hardy and prevalent mosquitoes species: Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Sexual transmission is also an important route of infection. Male to female transmission can occur up to 12 weeks after infection, while it appears that female to male transmission is possible for up to six weeks. While neither mosquito species is prevalent here in Vermont, sex, contrary to common belief, is. Consequently, partners of persons who have traveled to Zika-affected areas need to be vigilant. In addition, Zika can cause serious neurologic disorders in adults, including Guillain-Barre syndrome. Several rapid tests have been developed to detect Zika, but no vaccine or “cure” is currently available. Clearly, enough is known about the transmission of the virus to be able to mount effective prevention and control campaigns. Ironically, here is where the trouble begins.
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While neither of the mosquito species that spread Zika is prevalent here in Vermont, sex, contrary to common belief, is. the polItIcs of ZIka
Control strategies inevitably lead to a discussion of two “third rail” issues in American politics: sex and abortion. Sex because we now know that the virus can be sexually transmitted, and abortion because women who are pregnant and have been exposed or may have been exposed, may wish to terminate their pregnancies. All of this makes Zika too tempting an issue not to politicize. Unsurprisingly, Congress has risen to the occasion. In February 2016 President Obama requested $1.9 billion from Congress to fund a comprehensive Zika control program. House GOP members said it was too much. They proposed $600 million but stipulated that funds should be taken from programs like Ebola and Planned Parenthood. The Senate was a little more generous, with $1.1 billion. However, Senate Republicans added riders that, among other things, cut Planned Parenthood funding, cut Obama Care and authorized the flying of the Confederate flag on Federal lands. Congressional Democrats have refused to compromise. The result? Congress recessed twice without action—then left on vacation. The administration has been forced to borrow from existing funds Mon-Sat 8-5 Sun 9-4 for everything from control efforts to vaccine research 2638 Ethan Allen Highway and development. New Haven What policymakers fail to grasp is that we live 802-453-5382 in a global environment. www.greenhavengardens Air travel, environmental andnursery.com and ecological changes, and migration due to war,
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economic dislocation and personal security mean that people, animals, insects, bacteria and viruses are circulating around the globe at an astonishing rate. Emerging infectious diseases are a reality—and they on our doorstep today. Denial, delay, no-fly lists, walls and politics only potentiate the threats we face. Ron Klain, the former White House Ebola czar, has appropriately raised the question of why we should even have to ask Congress for permission to act. We don’t consult Congress when the country is faced with a hurricane, in the aftermath of earthquakes or when confronting an imminent terrorist threat. After all, we put in place programs and agencies that are funded prospectively to develop and maintain personnel and equipment to address these emergent situations. Isn’t that what homeland security is ultimately all about?
here’s what we need to do First, let the CDC do its job and remove financial and other constraints which seriously impede its ability to act quickly and effectively. Create a public health emergency trust fund that can be used at the discretion of the president. If the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security can do it, we should be able to do it with public health. I am not suggesting that congressional oversight be abandoned, but oversight can take place after the threat has passed rather in the midst of a crisis. Second, in dealing with global disease risks we need to support and fund global public health institutions like the World Health Organization so that they can respond to global threats quickly. Just as with economics and environmental policies we need to abandon the notion that we can isolate ourselves from what is happening in the rest of the world. Isolationism does little to protect us and only serves to delay effective control measures. It’s not a question of “if” but “when” the next major disease outbreak will occur. Whether avian flu, yellow fever, an antibiotic-resistant infectious disease outbreak or the re-emergence of Ebola, it will happen. Surely there is a better way forward than continuing to allow our health to be held hostage to political expediency. Jim Hyde lives in Charlotte and is emeritus associate professor of public health at the Tufts University School of Medicine.
The CharloTTe News •sepTember 8, 2016 • 15 patterns, which requires greater mental focus and results in the creation of new neural pathways in the brain. A brain with a more complex and varied neurological network is stronger and, scientists surmise, may be more resistant to cognitive decline later in life.
Dance anD cognitive health In a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2003, researchers at Syracuse University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine looked at how regular participation in six different cognitive activities, including crossword puzzles, reading and playing an instrument, as well as eleven different physical activities, such as golf, bicycling, walking and dance, affected cognitive health. The researchers observed 469 individuals 75 years old and over and measured rates of dementia, including Alzheimer’s, over a 21-year span. The experiment showed that none of the physical activities tested were shown to have a measurable impact on dementia—with one exception, dance. Of all 17 activities observed in this study, only four—reading, playing board games, playing musical instruments and dancing—had a measurable impact on preventing dementia. In physical therapy we spend a lot of time working with patients on something called “motor control.” In addition to strengthening and stretching our muscles, it is important to work on how our brain communicates with our muscles. Often an injury, or just a simple ache or pain, can stem from a habitual faulty movement pattern in the body. In order to correct this our brain must have the ability to observe and interrupt that dysfunctional sequence of movement, using our sense of proprioception and kinesthesia. The proprioceptive sense is your brain’s ability to determine where your body is positioned in space, whereas the kinesthetic sense is the awareness of your body moving through space. Both of these
The dancing brain Laurel Lakey CONTRIBUTOR
If you want to improve the health and structure of your brain—and who doesn’t?—consider dancing. While most of us are aware of the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal benefits of dance, there is evidence that regular dancing can also improve the health and function of your brain. According to recent research in neuroscience, the key to brain health and development is to learn a new physical skill. When you perform a familiar movement pattern, like riding a bike, curling a dumbbell or hiking up a mountain, the neural pathways in your brain required to perform these movements already exist and are simply being reinforced through repetition. These types of exercises are excellent for your heart, muscles and bones and certainly play a role in healthy brain function by increasing cerebral blood flow and aiding in the creation and maintenance of neurons. But you are more or less “going through the motions” without having to mentally concentrate on the mechanics of each step. In a dance class, however, you are forced to process and execute new movement
If mastering a new activity is truly going to strengthen your brain, it should not come easy. It should require you to slow down, concentrate and practice it over and over again. senses work together and are pretty darn important when it comes to recognizing and correcting a harmful movement pattern. In order to learn and perfect new movements, dancers must become highly practiced in the skill of sensing, changing and adapting to new patterns of movement in their bodies. Dancers can quickly stop and correct themselves because their brains are trained to do so.
But i can’t Dance As a dance teacher for the past fifteen years, I have encountered a countless number of students who have entered my class saying they lack rhythm and coordination. These same people have gone on to master intricate patterns of movement through practice, practice and more practice. If mastering a new activity is truly going to strengthen your brain, it should not come easy. It should require you to slow down, concentrate and practice it over and over again. Although this can be a tedious and sometimes frustrating process, the rewards of mastering a complicated step that at first glance seemed impossible are
huge. The more you put your brain through this process, the more you will seek it out because it will just feel good in your body and brain. If dance isn’t your cup of tea, look for ways to switch up your activity of choice. Essentially, any new exercise will challenge and strengthen your brain and neuromuscular system. As adults, we are accustomed to moving about our day without having to pick apart each tiny muscle movement. Thank goodness, or we would not be able to get much done! But when you were an infant and first learning how to use your body, you had to think really hard in order to make the smallest of movements. As adults we too often get out of this practice and become comfortable moving in ways that are familiar. If you want to consider the health of your brain with your workout routine, consider picking up a new activity that will challenge not only your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health but your cognitive health as well. If we take the mental shift and give ourselves permission to fumble a bit and experience “having two left feet” with a new activity, the rewards are far reaching. The knowledge that you are feeding not only your body but your brain as well makes it all the more worth the while. Laurel Lakey lives in Charlotte and currently works as a physical therapist assistant at Dee Physical Therapy in Shelburne. She holds a B.F.A. in modern dance and has been dancing and teaching for more than 20 years. You can contact Laurel by emailing her at laurellakey@ deephysicaltherapy.com.
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16 • September 8, 2016 • the Charlotte NewS
Rec News by Nicole Conley Youth Programs Driver’s Education: Offered by the 802 Driving School. The eight-week program will be taught by Joe Barch, who has over 15 years of experience teaching in the public schools. Limited spots available. Tuesdays & Thursdays, Sept. 20–Nov.11, 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Charlotte Central School. Registration fee: $690.
students and bringing in a young, positive atmosphere and making sure her students feel comfortable and confident. Students will learn the basic care of the horse, including grooming, bathing, feeding and upkeep. Students will also learn the nutrition side and anatomy side of the horse and the certain tack we use on our horses. This program will be offered to grades 1 through 12. Tuesdays 2:15–5:30 p.m. & Thursdays 3:15–5:30 p.m. Session 1: Oct. 18–Nov. 17; Session 2: Nov. 29–Jan. 5 (no lessons 12/2612/30); Session 3: Jan. 10–Feb. 9. Fee: $500 ($100 per week). Location: Steeple Ridge Farm.
Creative Dance Class: Contemporary dance combines music, choreography and improvisation in a fun and active art form. In this all-levels class, students will warm up their bodies safely, practice interesting footwork and floorwork, and learn improvisational structures that draw on their own creativity and movement knowledge. Teen Beginners Series: Bring a friend and Thursdays after school. Session 2: Oct. 20– join this awesome yoga practice designed Nov. 17. Grades K-3: 3–4 p.m., Grades 4–8: especially for you as a teen. Explore the 4–5 p.m. at CCS. Fee: $55 ($11 per class). magic of yoga, breath and relaxation while developing skills to clarify your mind for Mini Creative Dance Class: In this class greater listening and focus. Build strength young movers will use imaginative movefrom the inside out and learn how to ignite ment games and dance exercises to develop your unique and joyful spirit! Wednesdays, coordination, strength and grace as they 4–5 p.m., Sept. 21–Oct. 26. Yoga Roots. learn to work within a group. Stories, props Register by September 16. Cost: $75. and songs will keep energetic kids engaged and focused while learning fun choreogAfterschool Horseback Riding Lessons: raphy. For ages 3–4. Tuesday mornings. Steeple Ridge Farm will be hosting weekly Session 1: Sept. 13– Oct. 11. Session 2: Oct. horseback riding lessons afterschool! 18–Nov. 15. 9:30–10:15 a.m. at CCS. Fee: Ashley Meacham enjoys working with her $55 ($11 per class).
Over 100 football players descend on Palmer Field
The Chittenden South Supervisory Union youth football players, 123 in all (122 boys and one girl, Molly Sisson), each of them a Buccaneer to the tooth, gathered at Palmer’s Field in Hinesburg to begin practices and games. The Buccaneers are part of the Northern Vermont Youth Football League, and the players are 2nd through 8th graders from Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, Williston and St. George. The season began on Saturday with the 7th and 8th grade team defeating South Burlington 26-18 and the 5th and 6th graders losing to the Dolphins, 14-0.
guitar. These intensive group lessons will cover basic chords, strumming and some fingerpicking to get you started on exploring the versatility of this popular stringed instrument. Participants will need their own guitars for this course and to rehearse between sessions; acoustic or electric guitars welcome (no amp needed)! For ages Beginner Guitar: Join entertainer 7–12. Oct. 10, 17 and 31, 3–4 p.m. at CCS. extraordinaire Corey Gottfried Fee: $36. in learning the basics of playing
adult Programs Big Little Yoga: Yoga for caregiver and baby (6 weeks–early walkers). In this yoga class for baby and caregiver we’ll strengthen the bond between you and your baby through yoga asana, baby massage and pranayama (breathwork). The postures will be adapted for your specific body and needs, as well as for your child’s. While the class will have a calm and playful energy, all forms of expression are welcomed (crying, feeding, diapering) and part of the shared experience. Tuesday mornings 8:15 to 9:30 a.m., starting Sept. 13, at CCS. Cost: $11 per class. Prenatal Flow and Glow. A special six-week prenatal yoga series at Yoga Roots. A sweet, dedicated time to connect with yourself, your baby and with other pregnant moms. During the six weeks you will develop strength, endurance, flexibility, relaxation and breath awareness—all key elements of a healthy, positive, mindful pregnancy and birth. Appropriate for the brand new beginner to advanced yogi. Sundays, 3–4 p.m., Sept. 25–Oct. 30. Cost: $96. Full and partial scholarships are available for all youth recreation activities. You can find additional information on all of our programs as well as registration forms on our town website at charlottevt.org under the “Recreation” tab, or contact Nicole Conley by email Recreation@ townofcharlotte.com or by phone 425-6129 ext. 204.
The CharloTTe News •sepTember 8, 2016 • 17
Sports Football Redhawks catch the Raiders in their claws
Edd Merritt Sports Roundup Cross-country runners pace themselves to two invitational titles South Burlington and Essex were sites of CVU’s continued prominence in cross-country running. Charlotte’s Sophia Gorman led the way in both women’s races, winning the Rebel Run’s junior and senior title and topping all in the Essex Invitational at the Tree Farm. Meara Heininger, another Charlotte runner, finished sixth on South Burlington’s Red Rocks course. CVU’s Tyler Marshall continued his title stands from last year, winning both men’s races and helping CVU to gain the team championship at Essex, for which 15 Vermont high schools competed. In the South Burlington race for juniors and seniors, Marshall finished about half a minute ahead of his teammate Calvin McClellan, with Harlan Spillane coming in third, Justin McAuliffe seventh and Baxter Bishop tenth.
Last year is past, and the CVU Redhawks began the 2016 football campaign with an opening-season victory over the Division I state champion Rutland Raiders 22-6 in Hinesburg. This is an accomplishment given that CVU graduated 25 players from its 2015 roster, including the starting quarterback and lead running back. With Jake Evans at the helm this year and a set of good downfield blockers, Braven Bose ran for 155 yards in 19 carries, including touchdowns of 54 and 26 yards. A counter back last year, Bose has turned into CVU’s lead runner this year. Nate Shanks, with two interceptions of Rutland passes, led the Redhawk defense. It was a defense that stopped the Raiders at midfield early in the fourth quarter, which set up Bose’s long touchdown run on the next play. The Redhawks take on South Burlington Saturday, September 10, at home.
Josh Masterson finishes well at Thunder Road The late-model stock car races at Thunder Road in Barre saw Charlotte driver Josh Masterton finish sixteenth in the feature race of the day. Although Nick Sweet of Barre won the race, second-place finisher, Scott Dragon of Milton, earned enough points to capture the Thunder Road Late Model track championship for the season.
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18 • September 8, 2016 • the Charlotte NewS
Fungus among us The waiting game Bradley Carleton CONTRIBUTOR
I’d been watching him for weeks. He stood in the field, just over a hump, where only half of his body was visible. He seemed as if he was aware of his surroundings and, in a moment’s notice, could disappear into the shadows of wooded oblivion. But it was summer and the pressure of
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seeking a mate was not yet present in his blood. He hung out with the other males, bonding and occasionally sparring to determine who was the most dominant. They were not unlike metropolitan humans, full of braggadocio and testosterone, accumulating hordes of possessions and cultivating an image of power. He was not like the others. He had nothing to prove. He was older, and with that age came a modicum of wisdom. He’d seen his peers make fatal mistakes and wind up riding home in the back of a pickup, lifeless and impotent. A younger male bent his head downward and snorted at him, as if to challenge his authority. He simply bellowed and twitched his ears backward, causing the adolescent to turn away and lower his crown of velvet, nose to the ground. The sun began to set over the field, and the fraternity held their heads high, the sun glistening off of the fuzzy light-brown crown of bone above their heads. Ten of them in all. Several of the young bucks lifted their heads to breathe in the shifting thermal breeze coming off of the lake. The fragrance of decaying vegetation and the acrid smell of the lake’s deep waters turning over in the bay wafted through the air. Moisture began to collect on the brome grass and alfalfa leaves, providing sweet nectar to the taste of late summer grasses. He stood looking at me for what seemed like several minutes, noting my curiosity and apparent lack of threat. I was struck by the beauty and majesty of his stature and poise amongst the others. He wasn’t exactly behaving in a laissez faire manner, but he was clearly relaxed and confident in his ability to sense danger and
It’s September and a mushroom boom is happening in the forest right now. School bus yellows, cherry tomato reds, bleach whites, deep purples, hues of brown—and that’s just looking at the top of them. Their underbelly reveals delicate cell structures that are otherworldly. If you’re like me, though, that’s all they are—pretty and strange. Other than the classic smokeball and chanterelle, my fungal know-how is weak. I’m told there are subtle differences between ones that’d be good on a burger and ones that’d put you on life support. Anyone able to properly identify these fungus among us from the photos? Send us an email. Photos: Alex Bunten act appropriately if necessary. Our eyes connected for a brief moment. Through my binoculars I could see his lashes flicker. He blinked twice, then stomped his right front foot with a powerful thump that the entire group could hear. Then he turned his head, flicked his long white tail into the air, snorted loudly and
was gone. The others followed as if on command, vanishing into the brush, blurring brown and white, into the shadows of the woods. It was as if we had met at a party, introduced ourselves, established our paths and departed to return to our daily rituals, separate and consumed by our own patterns of life. I to my job and he to his kingdom. It would be a full month until we crossed paths again. This time, he was unaware of my presence, sitting high in a tree and holding a powerful instrument that has played a historical part in the survival of my species. My heart constricted in my chest, as if I would be discovered at any moment. The pounding of my upper ventricle thumped in my chest when I took a breath and drew the arrow through the rest on my bow. He walked slowly between the trees, merging from shadow to light and back again. I lowered my eye to peek through the peep sight and waited for him to step into the opening. The smell of decaying hickory nuts mixed with that familiar smell from earlier last month—the acrid but pleasant muskiness of the lake turning over. I took my last breath through flaring nostrils and held it tightly in my chest. The arrow flew straight and true. Bradley Carleton is executive director of Sacred Hunter.org, a nonprofit 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.
The CharloTTe News •sepTember 8, 2016 • 19
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1. Hardy post 5. Paperlike cloth 9. Talk effusively 13. Suffer 14. Area 51 conveyances? 15. ___ Domingo 16. Word waiters write 17. “Forget it!� 18. Anesthetized 19. Express excitement 22. ___ Bowl 23. “___ Baby Baby� (Linda Ronstadt hit) 24. Don’t hold back 28. Inner ear part 32. Ancient Greek theater 33. Shiftless 35. “Dig in!� 36. Wait on demanding diners, maybe? 40. Age or cube 41. Georgetown athlete 42. Threadbare 43. Attack 46. Savory bit 47. Hindu month 48. Cat chat 50. Lights may do this during a storm 58. Pre-migraine sensations 59. Egyptian god 60. Bin brand 61. Refuse 62. Kind of store 63. Names 64. Transmitted 65. Cicatrix 66. “The ___ have it�
1. Cutting remark 2. Aviation acronym 3. By way of, briefly 4. “___ Angelâ€? 5. Prepare to strum 6. In conflict with, with “ofâ€? 7. “Big ___â€? (Notorious B.I.G. hit) 8. Fishing, perhaps 9. Mohandas Karamchand ___ 10. Change back 11. Hasenpfeffer, e.g. 12. Game ender, perhaps 15. Sweat 20. Fine dinnerware 21. Eminent 24. Large-eyed lemur 25. Bring out 26. Article of faith 27. Lowe or Reiner 28. Arm bone 29. Popular mints 30. Caffè ___ 31. ___ alcohol 33. Religious image (var.) 34. V-___ 37. Elected 38. Displeased expression 39. Propel, in a way 44. Directed skyward 45. Upchucks 46. Lame joke 48. Ape 49. Bowel flusher 50. In things 51. Artificial bait 52. “Pumping ___â€? 53. Physics units 54. Computer info 55. Not bad 56. Craving 57. Make a dinner salad
Crossword and sudoku by Myles M ellor. a nswers to our puzzles Can be found near the Classifieds.
20 • September 8, 2016 • the Charlotte NewS
Senior Center News Mary Recchia CONTRIBUTOR
Please look for the new Fall Program of activities and events as an insert in this issue of The Charlotte News. As our building project continues to its final phase, we will be offering our basic programing for the early weeks of September. Join us for our delicious lunches, yoga, bridge, strength maintenance, Spanish conversation, mah jong, Pilates, tai chi, fitness and Friday morning art. For specific days and times, do call or stop in to chat about the possibilities. Here are a few other highlights to usher in the cooler temperatures. Fitness at Any Age with Ginger Lambert has switched to Tuesday mornings from 9:15–10, beginning September 13 and continuing through October 18. 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. Hank Kaestner will lead another Birding Expedition on Wednesday morning September 14 at 9. Please meet at the Center so we can carpool together to the location Hank has scouted for spectacular bird watching. Good views are guaranteed through Hank’s “Oh my God” telescope, with one more bird to spot as we try to beat last year’s total of 101 species of birds in one year! Please register, and if we have to change the date due to bird migration or weather we will call you. No fee. Watercolor—Fun for Fall with Lynn Cummings will run Tuesday mornings from 9:15–12:15. Dates: September 20, 27, October 4, 11, 18 and 25. This fall we’ll paint some new
Construction update
After dealing with some challenges in the process, construction at the Senior Center is moving forward at a faster pace. Now that the new exterior wall is in and the old exterior wall is out, we can really see how the space we gain will enhance access to and activities at the Center. We’re looking forward to finishing up the interior work later this month and appreciate everyone’s continued patience during construction. fall-themed subjects. Other subject suggestions are welcome by emailing the instructor prior to 9/13. Watercolorists of all levels will find something fun and interesting to learn about. If you have taken a class from Lynn before, you may bring your supplies from previous classes. If you are new to watercolor or new to Lynn’s classes, please make sure you receive the materials list at least a week prior to the first class by contacting Lynn at Lynn.Cummings@uvm.edu. A kit of 12 or more colors and some basic brushes is available from the instructor for a separate fee. Registration required. Fee: $154. Join Elizabeth Llewellyn for a Vermont Landscapes in Colored Pencil class on Thursday mornings from 10 to noon. Dates: September 22, 29, October 6 and 13. Colored pencils aren’t just for children! More and more professional artists are discovering the many advantages of using colored pencils to create fine art. Colored pencils are nontoxic, clean, inexpensive and
SCHIP Fall Grant Deadline The fall deadline for SCHIP grant applications is Friday, September 30. Since SCHIP began making grants, many nonprofits have used their awarded funds to continue their mission to improve the lives of our neighbors and strengthen our communities. Grants range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Grants may not exceed $3,000 per request, and only one grant can be received within a year by any one entity.
“Start spreading the news...”
Let’s be honest, you’re probably not leaving for New York anytime soon, so we’d love to have you help us spread the news. Every other Thursday, we need volunteers to drive papers around to businesses in and around Charlotte. Frank would approve. 425-4949 | news@thecharlottenews.org
portable, and don’t require any complicated setup or cleanup. In this four-week class we will learn the basics of colored pencils including the most popular techniques for working with them: layering and burnishing. Working from the instructor’s photos, we will complete several “seasons” of beautiful Vermont landscapes. This class is open to those with some drawing experience. Please email instructor at e.llewellyn.art@ comcast.net for a materials list prior to the first class. Registration necessary. Limit 10. Fee: $95. Mark your calendars for the first Fall Hike in the Champlain Valley with Marty Morrissey on Tuesday, Sept. 27, with a destination of Falls of Lana and Rattlesnake Point, South Middlebury. A full description and the degree of difficulty is available at the host desk. Please bring water, food and good hiking or walking shoes for departure from the Senior Center at 9 a.m.
ApplicAnt requirements: •
Be a 501(c)(3) or submit the application through such an organization. • Projects must serve residents of Shelburne, Charlotte and/or Hinesburg. • Funds may not be applied to annual operating budgets or permanent staffing. • One application per organization per calendar year. Grants deadlines are January 31, May 31 and September 30. To obtain an application go to goo.gl/IljTLS. Or stop by the shop—the distinctive yellow house—at 5404 Shelburne Road, Shelburne.
The CharloTTe News •sepTember 8, 2016 • 21
OutTakes
Everyone seemed comfortable speaking about our families, where we stood in life and how sorry we all were that we had not been closer over the years. We listened and spoke honestly about our lives, and we ate creamed spinach—which, you all know after reading my uncle’s book, was the Virgin Mary’s favorite dish. All George’s sons are quite sane and, in referring to him, often preface their remarks with, “Of course, he was a bit crazy, you know.” Relatives as social collectives often carry their own subjugate laws and beliefs. They are a subunit of larger society, sometimes with a history that transcends that society. Since relatives are born and not made, we do not have the wherewithal to change them. Hearing from many sources how crazy my uncle was, I simply wish I’d had the opportunity to see his quirks firsthand and then determined his level of sanity myself. After all, if Monty Python can slap you with a fish, I could interpret a loon’s call.
Commentary by Edd Merritt
Tribute to a loony uncle True North Elite We scream the tune We back the loon —Minnesota United Football Club chant This OutTake is dedicated to the Minnesota state bird, the common loon. My uncle George was a part of their flock—loony as all get out. He has been dead for a number of years, and I had not thought of him in quite a while until I got a copy of a Minneapolis Tribune article about him and a call from my cousin saying that my aunt had passed away—not unexpected because she was 91 years old. She was Belgian and met my uncle shortly after his participation in the Normandy invasion during World War II. She wanted to escape Europe, and when my uncle took a liking to her, she accepted his marriage offer even though he was more than 15 years oler than she. She married him overseas and came with him back to Waseca, Minnesota, a small town in the southern part of the state, known mostly as a grain stop for trains heading to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Every town in the upper Midwest at that time was a grain hub for the surrounding farms. Even the smallest villages had tall grain elevators sticking up from the village center. My grandfather was a clothing merchant in Waseca and German by heritage, having been born in New Ulm, Minnesota, a Deutsch depository with breweries galore (seven at one time, I believe)—not a bad culture for a town of about 10,000 people. You can figure how much brew everyone had to drink in order to keep the plants operating. Well, my grandfather gave up beer for business and decided that he had better move to a town without a foam head to its culture and with a bit more varied population. Waseca was not far away and some beautiful houses were available, so he moved there and opened a clothing and textile store. He built it into a successful enterprise, which it was when his son George took over the top floor for his own sales purposes in 1937. Seven years later, George found himself dumped in a landing craft heading for the Normandy Beach, going ashore against heavily fortified German bunkers. Many of the people in his boat were killed—only he and four or five others were spared. His oldest son, a psychotherapist, feels that this incident may have been a building block for my uncle’s somewhat odd nature in later life. After his military duty Uncle George, Aunt Berthe and their first child returned to Waseca. They had three more sons, and eventually my uncle took over my grandfather’s store and turned it from textiles to sporting goods, selling the largest variety of outdoor gear in history up to that point.
A rare photo of Edd’s uncle, George Herter, in 1966. Photo: Peter Marcus It was a pre-Dick’s. My grandfather had been an avid hunter, so George came by his interest in hunting weapons and other gear naturally. In partnership with his wife, George published Herter’s Catalog through which one could purchase all his store gear and more. Even though he was a recluse, his catalog was not. I read in a commentary not too long ago in the Burlington Free Press that Vermont author Willem Lange used to go to bed regularly with Herter’s catalog under his pillow. George and Berthe also wrote a number of books. I decided to browse the two I own to see why the Minneapolis Star and Tribune called him an “outsized outdoorsman and bamboozler,” while the Waseca Historical Society feels what he did was important enough to cook up a “tasty tribute to an eccentric native son who, they say, put their southern Minnesota town on the map.” I have volumes I and II of Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices, which he and Berthe co-authored, published oddly enough by Herter’s, Inc. (It is likely that a legitimate publisher would have been hard pressed to run them through its presses.) They contain some pretty far-out connections between historical figures and what they enjoyed in the way of food. Christopher Columbus was a fan of stuffed peppers. George says the Mohawk Indians were descendants of the Celts and cousins to the Irish, Scots, Bretons and Welsh. They thrived on Mohawk corn through a recipe used by Kateria Tekakwitha, “a Mohawk woman of great brilliance,” according to the authors. Volume II contains five pages showing nothing but a Hong Kong restaurant menu, running from appetizers through desserts with a list of items and prices for each. Interspersed throughout are copies of art work—a van Gogh, a Matisse and Manet, a picture of a French Joan of Arc statue, as well as one of a Colt 45 pistol, Jules Verne’s moon rocket about to land, and a portrait of my great grandmother. Connected how to food? Another of his books is co-authored by “Jack Herter, Jr.” I have no clue who “Jack Herter, Sr.” is—not in my family anyway. On another plane, one of his books held a chapter on “How to Kill a Wild Boar with a Shirt.” I think you make him wear it and pretty soon his relatives push him off a cliff. The New York Times was not particularly
gentle in its description of George. In a 2008 article the author called him a “surly sage, gun-toting Minnesotan and all-American crank...ornery survivalist, unabashed huckster, eccentric gastronome, reclusive tinkerer, teller of tall tales.” (If I were George, I might be honored by that description coming from a major newspaper.) Berthe, meanwhile, outlived him by 22 years. I have four Herter cousins whom I had seldom seen. (There was a rift between my mother and her brother for which I never knew the cause.) I, however, with a mind somewhat aligned off center, would have liked to try to figure out my uncle’s odd nature for myself rather than having my mother say that he was just loony and a bad person. Isn’t part of life getting to know human nature so you can make those sorts of determinations? I finally connected with the family several years ago through Berthe and my cousin Jack, who contacted me out of the blue. Berthe and I started communicating through notes. She was particularly concerned with my well-being. When the weather reports told of storms in Vermont, and when the phone rang early on winter mornings, it was often her asking me if I was all right. Beth and I spent an enjoyable evening at one cousin’s house, talking to Berthe and using the occasion to catch up on four decades of the world without us.
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22 • September 8, 2016 • the Charlotte NewS
Community Events
Upcoming pUblic meetings Selectboard: Sept. 12 and 26, 7 p.m., Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m. Planning Comm: Public Hearing on the 2016 Town Plan: Sept. 29, 7 p.m. Energy Comm: Sept. 14, 7 p.m. Recreation: Sept. 13, 6 p.m. Trails: Sept. 13, 7 p.m. Zoning: Sept. 21 and 28, 7 p.m. Conservation Comm.: Sept. 27, 7 p.m. We make every effort to give correct meeting times, however they are subject to change. Check the town website for more info: charlottevt.org.
Have yoUr say | Selectboard MeMberS | Chair, Lane Morrison, 425-2495 Matthew Krasnow, 922-2153 Carrie Spear, 425-4444 Jacob Spell, 425-6548 Fritz Tegatz, 425-5564
Don’t miss the East Charlotte Tractor Parade, Sunday, October 9, 2016, 1 p.m., rain or shine. As usual, viewing will be from the corner of Spear St. and Hinesburg roads. Antique and modern tractors, farmers market, food and craft vendors, music, barnyard animals, free pony rides and children’s games. For more info contact Spear’s Corner Store 425-4444. Sponsored by The Charlotte Grange #398. Photo: Alex Bunten
Ongoing Event:
Apple Pies at Charlotte Congregational Church. Fridays, 4–6 p.m., Church Hill Road. Yummy crust and Vermont apples, tiny bit of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Info: Martha Perkins, msperkins@gmavt. net.
Local Events SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 race: Charlotte Covered Bridge 5K/10K & Half Marathon. Race day registration/
bib pick up from 6:45–7:40 a.m., 8 a.m. start. The relatively flat course begins and ends at Shelburne Beach and takes participants past Shelburne Orchards and Charlotte Beach. Runners come from all over New England, as well as Colorado, Texas, California, Michigan, Minnesota and even Alaska. Compete or volunteer to help. Includes an awards ceremony and post-race brunch and raffle. Info: racevermont.com/charlotte-coveredbridge-half-marathon.
letsgofishing@vermont.gov or 505-5562.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11 dinner/FUndraiser: Huntington Chicken BBQ. 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Brewster-Pierce School. Slow-roasted half chicken, baked beans, fresh dinner roll, homemade pie, beverage and a choice of seven fresh salads, made with local vegetables and fresh herbs. $12 half chicken dinner; $9 salads dinner; $6.50 child’s chicken dinner (under 12 years). Takeout available. The proceeds benefit Huntington Endowment volUnteer work party: Birds of for Library Development, which supports Vermont Museum. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. 900 Sherman Hollow Road, Huntington. Help the Huntington Public Library. Info: 434with outdoor and indoor tasks like window 4583 or 434-2690. netting, cleaning, trail work, prepping for talk: Bee Here Now. Shelburne Open Studio and more. Lunch provided Orchards, 216 Orchard Rd., Shelburne. for preregistration. Info: museum@ 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Free. Speakers address the birdsofvermont.org. woes of pollinators and their importance clinic: Intro to Trout Fishing. Waterbury Public Library and on the Winooski River in Waterbury. 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m. This Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department clinic will concentrate specifically on trout fishing tactics. Fishing equipment will be available for use, or participants can bring their own. Preregistration is required. Info:
Trying to keep the kids closer to the nest? Get them a subscription to The Charlotte News! They won’t miss a beat. � YES! Please send a subscription to The Charlotte News. First Class subscriptions are $40 and arrive most places within 2-3 days. Full name: _____________________________________ Address: ______________________________________ E-mail: ______________________________________ Please make your check payable to The Charlotte News and mail it to us at: P.O. Box 251, Charlotte VT 05445. If you have questions about receiving The News out-of-town, send an email to: news@thecharlottenews.org
to all of us. Info: shelburneorchards.com. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 event: Rummage Sale Bliss! 9 am – noon. Lake Champlain Waldorf School, Grade School Campus, 359 Turtle Lane, Shelburne. Items from over 200 families, impeccably organized for your shopping pleasure. Lots of furniture, rugs, books, boutiques, sporting goods and kitchenware...room after room of stuff priced to go! Free. Info: lakechamplainwaldorfschool.org. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 cHarity gala: Rolling Through the Ages. Union Station, 1 Main St., Burlington. 5:30–9:30 p.m. Celebrate The Champlain Valley Agency on Aging’s new name and look with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at Union Station, followed by dessert and DJ on the Green Mountain Railroad. $50/person. Info: cvaa.org/gala or 662-5229.
Selectboard Regular Meetings are usually at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. If you would like to bring an issue to the attention of the Selectboard, contact the board chair or administrator Dean Bloch at 425-3071, ext. 205.
| ccS School board | Chair, Mark McDermott, 425-4860 Vice Chair, Erik Beal, 425-2140 Clerk, Jeff Martin, 425-4319 Kristin Wright, 425-5105 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 U.s. congressman Peter Welch, 652-2450, welch.house.gov
The CharloTTe News •sepTember 8, 2016 • 23
Classifieds
Around Town
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.
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 RuMMage Sale BliSS at Lake Champlain Waldorf School. Saturday, September 24, 9 a.m. to noon. 359 Turtle Lane (Off Harbor Rd), Shelburne. 200+ families donate furniture, household items galore, books, children’s clothes, toys, boutique and more. www.lakechamplainwaldorfschool. org 802-985-2827 [59-06]
Congratulations
to Julia Kirsten Schofield and Sean Martin Fleming on the birth of their twins (pictured above), Simone Sandys Fleming and Weston Sean Fleming, on August 5th. to Charlotter Liz Fotouhi who was selected to play Officer Welch in the Shelburne Players production of Neil Simon’s play Rumors. Her character investigates a car accident near where an anniversary celebration is being held. At the celebration the Deputy Mayor of New York wounded himself with a gun (unbeknownst to police officer Liz), and the partygoers are trying to cover up the incident. During her years in Charlotte, Liz has volunteered
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Charlotter Roger Binkerd was our man on scene for the August 12 Wings Over Vermont 2016 Air Show. Thunderbirds made a spectacular, if not a little loud, show for young and old, alike. Photos: Roger Binkerd
for The Charlotte News and Charlotte Rescue, and she is currently a volunteer at the Senior Center. Rumors comes to the Shelburne Town Center Theater September 23, 24, 25, 29, 30 and October 1. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Shelburne Market.
Sympathy is extended to family and friends of William Bly who passed away August 28. He is survived by his three children, Kristy, Scott and Rae-Ann, and former
It’s been magnificent. It’s been real. It’s been centering. It’s been memorable. Most of all, it’s been an honor to be at the helm of this battle-tested vessel of community journalism. Keep on keeping on. Signing off, Alex Bunten & Geeda Searfoorce Charlotte, Vermont 2016
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wife, Bonnie Farrow, all of whom lived in Charlotte for many years. He is also survived by three grandchildren. is extended to the family and friends of Kenneth and Mary Robinson who both passed away this year—he in February, she in July. Kenneth was from South Hero. Mary, whose maiden name was Carpenter, was from Charlotte. They were married for 69 years and last lived in California.
RedStone: Affordable small office spaces available on Ferry Rd. Starting at $250.00 including all utilities. For more information or to schedule a tour call 6587400. BedRooM with private bath available in beautiful Shelburne condo. Additional private office with ½ bath option. Shared space: kitchen, dining room, living room, finished basement. Fireplace, woodstove, piano, parking, storage, hiking trails. Prefer non-drinker/smoker with excellent references. $850.00. Contact Linda at (802) 734-2617.
ANSWERS TO THIS ISSUE’S PUZZLES: Editor’s note: Our puzzles are coming up for subscription renewal after one year with Myles Mellor. What do you think? Keep them going? Try something different? Get more difficult Sudokus? Send us your thoughts—news@thecharlottenews.org.
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