February 2, 2017 The Essex Reporter

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Reporter

February 2, 2017 • The Essex Reporter •1

THE ESSEX

Vol. 37, No. 5

February 2, 2017

Prsrt Std ECRWSS U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 266 Burlington, VT 05401 Postal Patron-Residential

Decarreau resigns from CFO position By COLIN FLANDERS

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atherine “Deac” Decarreau, Chittenden Central Supervisory Union’s chief financial officer who began last August, resigned last week citing personal reasons, according to a news release. Decarreau had been working closely with Marilyn Frederick, former South Burlington

and Lamoille North Supervisory Union business manager, to form the Essex-Westford unified district’s inaugural budget, which was presented at the unified board’s Jan. 31 meeting. “With 90 percent of the budget work completed, Frederick will work with CCSU/ETSD administrators to finalize this process,” the news release said.

Superintendent Judith DeNova accepted Decarreau’s resignation on behalf of the CCSU board. DeNova then presented the letter of resignation to the Essex Westford School District Board at its Jan. 17 meeting. Decarreau previously worked as city manager in her hometown of Winooski for seven years before beginning with the

school district. She took over for former CCSU CFO Grant Geisler after he resigned last summer to take the same position in the Montpelier public schools. Geisler has agreed to “support the new district in this time of transition,” the news release said. “Superintendents Mark Andrews and Judith DeNova appreciated the foundational work

Decarreau provided the new district and remain confident the budget will reflect the intentions of the Regional Education District (RED) Study Committee,” the news release said. A process to replace the CFO for the new district will begin in late February. Decarreau could not be reached for comment last week.

RaMona Sheppard

Sheppard seeks selectboard seat By COLIN FLANDERS

Photo by JANET WILSON Jake Wager catches some air during the Hornets’ meet last Saturday at the Range. The Essex boys squad placed third while the girls team placed fourth. For more photos, see page 11.

OFF TO THE RACES EWSD contract negotiations underway

By COLIN FLANDERS

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s contracts for Essex Town School District and Chittenden Central Supervisory Union teachers are set to expire in five months, labor leaders and school board representatives say the process to find a new agreement is underway. The EWSD school board’s negotiations subcommittee, comprised of board members Kim

Essex voters looking for change will have one new name on the ballot this Town Meeting Day. RaMona Sheppard, a town resident who was active in the recreation governance debate, is vying for one of two threeyear seats on the selectboard. She’ll be running against incumbents Max Levy, selectboard chairman, and Andy Watts. Sheppard said her experience during the recreation debate showed her the selectboard needs a voice that will work for stronger budget management, disciplined spending, increased transparency and open communications with stakeholders. “I bring seven years of municipal experience as a finance director and human resources manager dealing in the areas See BOARD, page 14

Photo by MICHAELA HALNON Angela Moody works on her second historical fiction novel at her kitchen table in Essex. Moody’s debut book, “No Safe Haven,” was published last year and was named to Kirkus Reviews’ top 100 self-published books of 2016.

Gleason, Brendan Kinney and Andre Roy, has met 11 times since August, including a number of closed-door negotiations with union reps Peter Picard from ETSD and Mike Gilbert from CCSU. “It’s a very collaborative process,” Gleason said. “We’ve been fortunate with really goodwill coming out of the relationships each of our districts have had with our See NEGOTIATIONS, page 4

Autumn Harp approved for VEDA financing By COLIN FLANDERS An Essex company plans to build a 50,000 square foot expansion to help keep pace with growing demand, thanks to financing from the Vermont Economic Development Authority. Autumn Harp, a private label cosmetics and skin care manufacturing company, just received approval for a tax-exempt industrial revenue bond by VEDA, a lender that helps borrowers obtain capital and See COMPANY, page 14

Literary fulfillment: Essex woman self-publishes debut novel

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By MICHAELA HALNON ngela Moody remembers offering an unequivocal answer to the question so often posed to children: What do you want to be

when you grow up? “I said I want to be an author,” Moody said. Now 54 years old, she lives in the same Essex neighborhood where she grew up and can see her parents’ home from her kitchen window. “I’ve always wanted to do it,” she said.

She achieved her childhood dream just last year, self-publishing her debut novel, “No Safe Haven.” The book is a work of historical fiction, expanding on the true story of a teenage girl who lived through the Battle of Gettysburg. It is classified in the young adult genre, See AUTHOR, page 2


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