The Charlotte News | June 25, 2020

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Thursday, June 25, 2020 | Volume LXII Number 25

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Charlotte News

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Vol. 62, no.25 June 25, 2020

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

Black Lives Matter flag raised at district schools Walk home from a snack run to 7-11.

Wear a hoodie.

Drive after swimming.

Drive in a car with a white girl.

Appear in public in New York City.

Walk on the wrong side of the street.

Drink iced tea in a parking lot.

Seek help after a car accident.

Inspect your own property.

Show up at your job.

Talk trash after an NFL game.

Throw a temper tantrum in kindergarten.

Buy designer accessories at Macy’s.

Be a 13-year-old boy.

Enter your own home.

Botch a science experiment.

Be a tourist.

Lay face down in handcuffs.

Jeanne Kackza-Valliere

On Friday, June 19, schools across the Champlain Valley School District raised Black Lives Matter flags. The school district said in an announcement, “We recognize that raising this flag is only the beginning and that true, systemic change must happen to ensure that Black, Indigenous, Students of Color (BISOC) have the same opportunities, are treated with the same respect, and are shown the same love as their white counterparts.”

Charlotte parent and member of the Charlotte Central School Diversity Committee Jeanne Kaczka-Valliere spoke at the CCS flag-raising. At 8:46 a.m., the gatherings across the community observed a moment of silence.

This is the text of her speech.

Thank you for coming out today. I’m here as a parent representative of the CCS Diversity Committee. Before we begin, we wish to acknowledge the Abenaki people on whose land we are gathered today. I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present.

I’m honored to be here today to raise the BLM flag. Today is also a holiday, Juneteenth. A very important holiday for many Black Americans, and completely unknown to most white Americans. Juneteenth is also known as Emancipation Day and Freedom Day. It celebrates the day that the enslaved Black people of Texas were told that they were

It’s a yes for budget and trails A June 23 vote to approve the Charlotte town budget, allocate $57,000 of tax money for the Town Link Trail, and to approve the amount of $0 for town donations because the money was approved at town meeting passed all three items.

For the town budget, 405 voted yes and 117 voted no, with one blank.

For trails money, the vote was 305 yes and 215 no with three blank.

The final vote passed with over 100 votes left blank.

Results!

Or, as my kids have experienced, stand in line at school, take the school bus, eat lunch in the cafeteria.

“free.” This was over two years after President Lincoln signed the Proclamation of Emancipation. (Please learn more about this holiday.) Yet today in 2020, a black and brown person in American cannot...

For these are all actions that have resulted in racist slurs, attacks, the police called, arrests made, and even death to Black Americans. Maybe some of you have seen this list on social media lately. So, I ask you...What is free? Freedom? Justice?

Equality? Justice? In America today.

Birdwatch in a park Jog in their neighborhood Listen to loud music at a gas station.

I recently read, “America is raw right now.

Her wounds are exposed. But what gives me hope is the people. People from every race, sex, gender, religion and age are

protesting for justice and equality.” I echo those sentiments.

And, white Americans, we have work to do…I’m going tell you how this work starts…by listening to Black and brown Americans, lifting the voiceless, standing back, checking your privilege, seeking representation, asking questions, reading and educating yourself, humbling yourself, learning about intersectionality (all your privileges because this work is intersectional) because white Americans have no idea what it’s like to be Black in America.

I’m going to tell you a quick story…my first encounters with racism were in this very community at this school, against my children. So, I started reading, learning, educating myself the best I can to protect, support and be the voice for my children. I joined the CCS Diversity Committee, spoke with principals, community members….What I don’t know and can never know and will continually need to seek to understand is the lived, everyday experience of being Black in America.

I have the privilege of calling on my whiteness to protect me every day.

Just yesterday I was dropping off signs for the Shelburne rally this afternoon, my friend and her daughter like my daughter are Black. She bought paint sticks to put signs on. I said, you don’t need to buy those, you just take them … she, with her humor and gentleness laughed and said, I can’t just take them, I’m Black. I see BLM FLAG page 19

Tree removal prompts border dispute, and the beach is booming Chase McGuire COMMUNITY NEWS SERVICE

Monday’s Selectboard meeting addressed multiple recent issues around town, including a residential application for a Highway Access Permit on Morningstar Drive, a recreation COVID-19 update, and discussion of an updated Animal Control Ordinance at Thompson’s Point.

Will Bown and Megan Browning have applied for a Highway Access Permit to Morningside Drive in order to access a plot of land they had purchased last fall. The proposed plan would include cutting down multiple trees that are under dispute of ownership. One of the major issues is that some of the work extracting trees under contest with the Morningstar Cemetery Association has been done before the permission from the town was given to the landowners. Bown has admitted fault and acknowledged that they have acted without proper permissions and could have possibly disturbed cemetery

lands. Peter and Nancy Richardson, members of the Morningside Cemetery Association, argue that this plan impedes cemetery lands, while Bown and Browning argue that the last conducted survey shows it as theirs.

The Morningstar Cemetery Association is planning to contract a surveyor to determine if the trees that have been prematurely extracted, as the land has not been surveyed since 2009 when the previous owner planned on the same construction; the plans were approved at that time but construction never commenced. No official decision regarding the removal of the trees or the permit will be made until the land survey is complete.

While the Selectboard has been keeping their eye on the Governor as to the status of opening playgrounds, at this point in time, there has been no official decision made. The governor’s office has not approached the question of reopening municipal playgrounds. In Charlotte,

protective tape placed around the border of the playgrounds has been removed by visitors on multiple occasions and discarded. While the playground is clearly being used, the Selectboard discussed signage that would eliminate the risk on behalf of the town if folks choose to ignore caution tape.

The Charlotte Town beach sold 620 passes in the first two weeks since opening, surpassing previous averages of 200 passes sold at this time since Memorial Day. Recreation Commission Chair Bill FraserHarris and Recreation Director Nicole Conley reported that beachgoers and passholders have been respectfully social distancing, even while attendance is very high during the recent heat wave. The only issue has been the backup on Lake Road while parking.

The town allows open flames in the provided barbeque grills and discourages see TREES page 19

Letters to the Editor

The Charlotte News • June 25, 2020 • 3

To the editor:

people got beyond it.

Dear Charlotte and Hinesburg neighbors,

I write this letter to The Charlotte News as a respectful response to the letter of the Rev. Dr. Arnold Thomas in the June 11 Charlotte News.

I think there’s a lesson there for our country today. Listen to the young.

A couple of weeks ago I filed to run for re-election to the Vermont House from the Chittenden 4-1 legislative district. The Democratic primary will be held on August 11, and the general election will take place on November 3. It has been an honor to serve Charlotte and southwest Hinesburg for the past 10 years, and I’m asking you to grant me that honor once again.

I won’t argue with the points made by Dr. Thomas under the title “Ongoing Cycle of Violence against Black Americans.” I do think, however, that the writer has omitted important information about past racism and some progress, albeit insufficient, from that racism.

Long gone are the days of radios, and even televisions blaring with black comedians Amos and Andy, or Rochester, Jack Benny’s faithful servant, who always called Benny “boss.” In the 1950s the United States Supreme Court ordered an end to school segregation. That was the real beginning of change.

Then the 1960s flowed with protests, riots and violence–like today–which echoed forever with Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream.” Civil Rights legislation followed.

But I’d say the epitome of a multi-racial America shone strongly when Barack Obama was sworn in as president of the United States. A majority of American voters in 2008 were white, and they chose a black American, Barack Obama.

And yet today I don’t hear his name called out as proof that America can rise very nobly from racism. I don’t understand this.

My son Luc is a commander in the U.S. Navy. Some years ago, while in Japan, he met and fell in love with a lovely Japanese girl. They married and are happily so to this day. Imagine. The grandchildren of the most virulent enemies in WWII. Read about what the Japanese did to American prisoners in that war and then reflect on what America did in Japan with the atomic bomb. But, the love of these two ethnically different young

Hon. J. Dennis Delaney, former state senator To the editor: White privilege....I feel sad and ashamed that I had no clue the extent to which our black and brown American brothers and sisters have been discriminated against in this country...the home of the free? And the brave? I’ve read stories this week that not only make my hair curl but my heart and soul hurt...how can people, as human beings, be so crass, unfeeling and self-serving to a fellow human simply because their skin color is different than ours...granted, I know I live in a predominantly white state and grew up here, but I was never told nor was I ever taught that another human being was less deserving or less anything than I was... that all of us were equal on this earth, under God...or under whoever or whomever you choose as a higher power ...COVID-19 is a nothing compared to this...a vaccine and a cure will ultimately fix CV-19...this is way more important and science can’t fix this… every single one of us, as white individuals, needs to examine their own heart and soul and make sure we each do whatever is in our power to bring about change…people risked their lives to come here to escape oppression in their own country...and now we have created a country where people, with a skin color different than ours, are harassed and belittled on a daily basis? And Vermont is not immune to this...why don’t we have more diversity in this state? Are we, as white Vermonters, part of the problem? Look into your heart...this needs to change!

Trina Bianchi

This is a very important election year for several reasons. We are currently dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and the economic fallout that has caused. We are also going through a self-examination of our attitudes towards race and the inequities of the justice system not just in other parts of the country, but here in Vermont as well. At the same time, we cannot forget about the climate change crisis.

In a normal year the Legislature would have adjourned sometime in May. The unusual circumstances facing us this year have extended the session and changed the character of our deliberations beyond anything that we could have predicted when we convened in January. We have, however, persisted to respond to the economic turmoil affecting all Vermonters while balancing the need to address concerns that normally occupy our time.

As a member of the House Energy and Technology Committee I have been and will continue to be focused on policies that will both address climate change and mitigate its effects on Vermont. I have also been working in my committee to expand access to high-speed broadband across the state, the lack of which in many areas has become acute as Vermonters try to work from home and students have been forced to learn from home. The greatest task that the Legislature has faced is determining how to allocate the $1.25 billion of Coronavirus Relief Funds that Vermont received through the federal CARES Act in a way that will get Vermonters and Vermont back on its feet. I ask for your support to allow me to continue working for a Vermont that works for everyone.

Rep. Mike Yantachka 393 Natures Way Charlotte, VT 05445 (802) 233-5238 MikeYantachka.com

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4 • June 25, 2020 • The Charlotte News

Around Town

Pink sky at night

Congratulations to the following Charlotte Central School Eighth grade students in 2019-2020 who earned awards in a variety of categories.

Self Direction: Estelle Emmons Meg Keach Luke Sampson Problem Solving: Bennett Chapelle Charlotte Roberts Kyle Franko Owen Deale Clear and Effective Communication: Kate Kogut Charlie Taylor Cecilia Forero Informed and Integrative Thinking: Ella Emmons Tabitha Bastress Responsible and Involved Citizenship: Elizabeth Lisle Jake Strobeck Marlie Cartwright Nancy Butler Citizenship: Katie Shattie Nikhil Blasius Jeanette Lewis Creative Writing: Natalie Scriver

Charlotte Humanitarian: Sam Haydock Florence Horsford Good Neighbor: Cassie Bastress

ON THE COVER

to John Codington Moses and Allison Michelle Rosenfeld of Loz Feliz, California, who were married on June 10 by Zoom.

Yearning to get married, they carried out their vows in spite of the pandemic. John grew up in Charlotte and is the son of Peter and Meredith Moses.

Sympathy

is extended to family and friends of Peter Bergh of Edwards, Colorado, formerly of Charlotte. Peter died June 3 at the age of 82. He was born in New York and lived in Charlotte for many years where he served as a member of the Planning Commission, the CCS School Board and the Selectboard. He was also an original founder of the Charlotte Land Trust, and he served on the board of the Baird Center for Children and Families. An author, he wrote a book on the work of artist Ogden Pleisener, whose work he admired enough to become friends with him. The family asks that those wishing to remember him do so by making donations to the Charlotte Land Trust, the Western Colorado Community Foundation or to the Climate Accountability Institute. is extended to family and friends of Edward B. Crane, M.D. of Frisco, Colorado, who died May 15 at the age of 96. Following his World War II military duty and medical school at UVM, he established a private practice in his home in Charlotte. He gained permission to continue his practice instead of joining the Korean War effort since he was the only doctor in town. He later spent a year in the Army in the mid 1950s and 19 more years in Charlotte before retiring in 1975 and moving to Colorado. His surviving family includes his daughter Ellen Lane and her husband, Jeffrey, of Charlotte.

CVU Graduation looked a little different this year, but onlookers could still see the graduates’ smiles in their eyes.

Photo by Greta Hagios

The sunsets are in their full glory at this time of year; this one was in mid-June over Wing’s Point.

Photo by Susan Sim

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The Charlotte News • June 25, 2020 • 5

Education

School board focuses on health and safety guidelines

Navigating response to learning loss with little information Nancy Richardson

Nancy Richardson

A meeting of the Finance Committee of the CVSD Board met on June 3 to discuss the current and future financial picture of the Champlain Valley School District. Jeanne Jensen reviewed the FY 20 financials. The added expenditure of providing food service was balanced by the fact that special education tuition services and professional development were reduced. The FY 20 budget appears to have a positive fund balance. However, the real financial impact of the COVID 19 pandemic will be felt in the FY 21, 22 and 23 budgets. And the main challenges will be the costs of the interruption of learning for students and the development of compensatory programs that seek to mitigate this learning loss.

The Champlain Valley School District school board meeting on June 23 focused on a discussion of guidelines for school opening in the fall. Although final decisions will not be forthcoming for a few weeks, a basic plan has been determined.

Schools across Vermont will open in Phase 2 of the COVID-19 state plan.

This means there will be a limit on how many students may be in any one class, students will have to be 6 feet apart, and small groups of students will be in contained pods to prevent large group interactions. Other precautions will be in place: masks, hand washing, and temperature taking. These health and safety guidelines will direct all other aspects of the education program and are not negotiable.

These stringent guidelines should give parents some confidence that their children will be as safe as possible in school. The implementation of the guidelines will be difficult. At 6 feet apart, it will not be possible to have classes of 25. This means other spaces in the school must be opened for classroom space, possibly including the library and cafeteria. At the high school level this implementation takes on a more complicated nature because students move among classrooms.

The administration has been working on this plan since March and has reviewed how other countries have accomplished this back-to-school effort in a safe manner. Principals have developed site plans to spread small groups of students across school sites. A regional superintendent’s meeting is held twice per week to review and discuss the best ideas for reopening schools during the pandemic. This group is also reviewing plans to improve remote instruction.

The feeling is that a group meeting and discussion will surface the best ideas and implementation plans in such a unique situation.

Meghan Roy, CVSD Special Education Director, testified to the House Education Committee on June 2 and summarized the many educational challenges ahead of local education agencies. First among them will be addressing the learning loss that has occurred for all students. This will mean adjustments in the curriculum, professional development in remote learning for teachers, compensatory support and time for students in need, and the legally required special education services for students with disabilities. In addition, there will be the need for the purchase of technical and instructional

Remote instruction will be a key adjunct for the reopening. Some parents will be hesitant to send their children to school and will opt for remote instruction. Some teachers in the high-risk category may opt to teach only in this format, and schools must be ready to shut down if illness becomes a factor. Professional see CVSD page 19

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The cost of moving from building-based educational programs to, at least, partial remote learning will continue as long as the pandemic lasts. Preparing schools for safety and purchasing personal protective equipment will also increase education costs. Physical plant modifications to implement social distancing and facilities staff time to engineer and maintain these safety alterations will increase costs.

This expected increase in necessary costs comes at a time when state and local education funding are under extreme pressure. It is expected that the March 2020 federal CARES Act will provide some funding for compensatory programs and technical costs. But in the background are the losses in tax revenue at the state level with severe losses in the Education Fund. The administration has asked principals to review their personnel needs and to identify any areas where savings might be made, an exercise that was conducted in the preparation of the FY 21 budget. But this financial and educational planning is being conducted in an atmosphere of great uncertainty. How education will be designed, funded and delivered is an open question.

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6 • June 25, 2020 • The Charlotte News

Hi, Neighbor!

Britney Sue Aube: Baptist Corners’ Renaissance woman Every Mothers’ Day weekend for the last 12 years, Britney Sue Aube has been a fixture at Baptist Corners, selling hanging baskets from a wagon for her namesake Phyl Newbeck business: BritSue’s Greenhouse. Aube has worked with plants and flowers her entire life. “I started at Gecewicz Farm and Greenhouse when I was still in diapers,” she said. “My father worked for Trudy and Gus and he brought us along. We plucked geraniums and made potting soil.”

In 2008, Aube and her family opened BritSue’s Greenhouse on Jackson Hill Road in East Charlotte. “Trudy was ready to close up shop,” Aube recalls “and I was ready to go to college. I was the first in the family to go and we started the greenhouse to help pay for it.” Aube graduated from Champlain College with a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies and hopes to pursue a job that combines her two interests. “I want to marry love for the land in Vermont with my legal studies,” she said.

Aube has worked for the Charlotte Planning and Zoning Department and for a civil engineering firm doing land use permitting. She is currently the Zoning Administrator in Shelburne. “I’m not really loving it,” she admitted. “It’s a thankless position and there is a lot of tension but I’m learning so much. I do all the certificate of occupancy inspections and I attend weekly meetings for the big development on the golf course so I’m learning about construction techniques and town infrastructure.”

Aube appreciates the opportunity to work in the land-use field but she isn’t ready to give up her time at the greenhouse. “It’s primarily a family operation,” she said.

“It’s me, my sister, my father and my mother.” The greenhouse opens every year on Mother’s Day weekend and closes on July 1 when they usually hold a half-price plant sale. This year, they are skipping the sale in favor of giving the leftover plant starters to people who want to take part in the Grow an Extra Row project to raise produce for the Food Shelf.

RAISE YOUR HAND

“

I’d love to be part of writing laws and regulations for farming and the green movement in Vermont. I love Vermont, I love farming, and I love the environment.

” Left: Britney Sue Aube’s family has been in Charlotte for generations; her greenhouse is in Baptist Corners. Right: A woman with many hats, Aube enjoys wearing her fishing hat year-round.

Courtesy photo

Aube isn’t sure what her next step will be in her quest to combine her two interests, but she’s hoping they will intersect at Vermont Law School. “I’d love to be part of writing laws and regulations for farming and the green movement in Vermont,” she said. “I love Vermont, I love farming, and I love the environment.

I see myself writing policy. I’ve worked with Act 250 and the state’s stormwater program, so I feel like I’m putting tools in my tool box.”

sport, and the two of them enjoy it so much that they were out on Lake Champlain when the temperature was -26 degrees.

“Fishing is one of the few activities that has been doable recently because it has social distancing,” she said.

The greenhouse interaction that Aube enjoys has been limited because of the pandemic, which also forced the family businesses to shut down for three weeks.

“We only allow five people at a time and we do business through the window,” Aube said. “We don’t get to interact the same way, but this has been our biggest selling year since people are staying home and trying to grow their own food.” Aube noted that community members are supporting

In the meantime, Aube enjoys her time at the greenhouse. “It’s so gratifying when you grow something,” she said. “You put in the work and get to see the results of your efforts.” Aube also likes the human interaction the greenhouse work brings.

“My family has been in Charlotte for many generations,” she said “and the greenhouse allows me to meet community members.”

Aube believes the greenhouse will always be part of her life, and the next generation is already getting involved. Her one-yearold son, Finn, has been greeting visitors to the greenhouse from his stroller. Next year, he may be joining his mother with her wagon and soon he, too, may be a fixture on Baptist Corners.

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The Charlotte News • June 25, 2020 • 7

COVID-19 Together, moving forward into summer Even though Governor Scott and his team continue to move us forward through the COVID-19 piece, slowly, one step at a time, life still remains very uncertain Trina Bianchi and incredibly stressful for many. As fortunate as we are, living in Vermont where we have access to the out-of-doors and leadership that has taken the necessary steps to keep us all safe and well informed, we each need to look around and check in with neighbors and friends to make sure that they really are doing okay.

All of us react to stress differently and someone you know may be saying that all is okay, but perhaps it really is not; emotional and mental health, unlike physical health, is not something people are likely to talk about as, unfortunately, there is a stigma attached to having to say, “I’m having a difficult time emotionally with this,” or “I’m not sure I’m doing okay mentally.” This week’s Charlotte COVID Assistance Team meeting focused on the myriad of ways the pandemic has affected the emotional and mental health of folks and resources available to combat the stress that is going to continue for the foreseeable future.

Unemployment benefits and other State news If you are still waiting for your unemployment benefits to arrive in your mailbox or checking account, call Representative Mike Yantachka at 802-233-5238 or email miyantach@hotmail. com and he will do what he can to expedite the process for you.

Mike also reported that the Legislature is working diligently to expand broadband coverage in those areas of our state where internet usage is sketchy. They are also working on legislation to help folks with utility bills and discussing the possibility of grants for businesses.

Looking for food assistance?

Between the Charlotte Food Shelf and the USDA Summer Meals Lunch Program, lunches for any child under age 18 will be available this summer. Starting the week of June 29, the food shelf will have grab-and-go, non-perishable lunches available at Spear’s Store and Charlotte Library, daily MondayFriday. To register, call 425-3252.

Normal lunches will again be available at CCS on Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting July 6. Pick-up times are between 10 and 11 a.m. Register through the CVSD website; the procedure will be the same as during the school year.

The Food Shelf will continue to be open on Wednesdays from 5–7 p.m. at the Charlotte Congregational Church. The Food Shelf will also have kids’ lunches available at this time and the pickup will include a week’s supply of lunches. Tenney’s Snack Bar has added a creemee voucher to the summer lunch bags.

Thank you to Tenney’s! Please call 425-3252 to register.

For additional information, please contact Rev. Kevin at 425-3176 or Rev.Kemg@gmail.com.

Emotional and mental health Krista Reincke, a clinical psychologist with Networks, joined our meeting on Monday and shared that COVID-19 has affected everyone in some way that can lead to chronic stress, which can lead to long-term health issues not just mentally, but also physically. In some cases, the stress can be relieved with education: how to deal with telehealth, how to find food assistance, how to access benefits, how to deal with insurance issues. If you or anyone you know is challenged emotionally or mentally, please reach out to one of the resources listed below. No one is immune from stress, and everyone needs to be aware that this pandemic has pushed people beyond their limits to deal. Don’t be afraid to reach out yourself or encourage someone else to reach out.

• Vermont 2-1-1 is available for referrals and questions.

• Pathways Vermont, 833-888-2557, is

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You can talk with a peer who has been challenged with issues in the past and will be non-judgmental, and you can talk about anything. Lonely, depressed, unable to find something you need: you can ask and talk about anything that is challenging you and your family. If no one is available, leave a message with your number and they will call you back.

• NFI Vermont, nfivermont.org. Northeastern Family Institute, VT is a private, nonprofit agency that serves Vermont families whose children struggle with severe emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges.

The majority of children who come to NFI have a history of not functioning well at home, in school and in the community.

• First Call, 802-488-7777, is for crisis situations. Also available 24/7.

Financial assistance Emergency financial assistance is available through the Charlotte Food Shelf, Charlotte Congregational Church and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Requests can be made by calling 4253252 or 425-3130.

Department of Health, Vermont Stay abreast of coronavirus news in Vermont by going to the website healthvermont.gov/ response/coronavirus-covid-19. Check on what is opening, new regulations for traveling into our state, where to get a test if you need one, how to remain safe and well.

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diligent and respect and take care of each other and ourselves. We have been given an opportunity to slow down and reassess the priorities in our lives and in our families and we now can make individual choices on how to move forward.

What do we want our lives to look like down the road? Are we focusing on those things that are important to us? Are we spending time doing those activities that we love and are important to us? How can we best support each other, our local businesses, our local farms?

It is a fine time as Vermonters, if possible, to support the tourism industry in our own state. Those businesses and their employees are reeling from the effects of COVID-19 and the steps that have been taken to protect our residents. Out-of-staters may not be able to support our tourism industry, but Vermonters can.

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8 • June 25, 2020 • The Charlotte News

Legislative Report The House appropriates $1 billion of Coronavirus Relief Funds Ever since Vermont received $1.25 billion in Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) as a result of the federal CARES Act, Governor Scott and the Legislature Rep. Mike have been trying to Yantachka decide how to allocate those funds to relieve the economic distress caused by the “stay home, stay safe” response to the virus. More than $90M was used almost immediately to help unemployed Vermonters and small businesses. The Governor subsequently called for $400M more to be released for assistance to businesses, many of which are in danger of closing completely. While the objective is clear and uncontested, the Legislature, specifically the House where money bills must originate, has had the task of discerning how and where to allocate CRF money within the guidelines of the CARES Act. Violating the guidelines would put Vermont at risk of having to return the money to the U.S. Treasury next year. To be eligible for CRF, the spending must: 1) be necessary expenses incurred due to the COVID-19 emergency; 2) not have been accounted for in the budget most recently approved before March 27, 2020; and 3) be incurred between March 1 and December 30, 2020.

Over the three-month period since the emergency went into effect, House committees, with stakeholder input, have been looking for eligible avenues within their areas of jurisdiction that would help all aspects of the Vermont economy, including individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and those in need of social services.

With the goal that no Vermonter or Vermont community should be left behind because of COVID-19 impacts, several bills were passed during the last two months of the session that allocated $1.04B of CRF money to help Vermont and its citizens get back on their feet.

program ever passed by the Vermont Legislature and reflects an enormous amount of work by the members of the House and Senate, our legislative staff, the administration, and the Joint Fiscal Office.

While there still may be some changes as agreement on the details of the bills by the House and Senate are negotiated, we expect to finish our work by the end of this week and recess for the month of July. We will be back together in August to complete the final three-quarters of the FY21 budget.

I welcome your emails (myantachka.dfa@ gmail.com) or phone calls (802-233-5238).

This article and others can be found at my website (www.MikeYantachka.com).

The

Charlotte News

The appropriations include: •

$356M to stabilize our health care system, including $257M for provider stabilization, as well as funding for mental health, childcare, senior services, and suicide prevention;

•

$196M for assistance to businesses, including restart grants, marketing and tourism, public safety, and the Arts;

•

$170M for pandemic frontline workers, including $20M for hazard pay;

•

$91M for housing assistance, including eviction and foreclosure prevention and homelessness assistance;

•

$73M for higher education;

•

$50M for Pre-K education;

•

$43M for broadband connectivity

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May 20 John and Susan Zahn to David and Heatherly Allard, 19.48 acres with dwelling, 566 Guinea Road, $667,500.

May 5 Champlain Housing Trust to Marissa Patti, condo, 182 Alberts Way, $216,000.

May 22 Elysabeth Ann James Trust to Jacob Ian and Jennifer Leigh Helmick, 7.42 acres with dwelling, 3960 Spear Street, $400,000.

May 7 Robert and Nancy Bloch to Ian Michael and Katharine McMahon Karczewski, 7.83 acres with dwelling, 1188 Whalley Road, $701,000.

May 11 Richard G. Green, trustee of the Greene Living Trust, to James T. and Pamela P.C. Unsworth, 12.7 acres with dwelling, 167 Spear Street, $514,000.

May 28 Richard Y. Hertzberg Revocable Trust and Deborah R. Loveitt Revocable Trust to Bradley A. and Pamela L. Horn, 15.05 acres with dwelling, 962 Bean Road, $535,000.

assistance both for residential affordability and network expansion, E-911 system expenses, and to cover utility accounts that were 90+ days in arrears due to the pandemic; •

$35M for agriculture and forestry relief;

•

$16M for the judicial system; and

•

$13M for municipalities.

This is the largest emergency recovery

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The Charlotte News • June 25, 2020 • 9

Junior Reporters

State police talk policing, racism with students Amelie Fairweather

Vermont State Police officers participated in a Zoom call with members of the Junior Reporters Club last week and shared their opinions and observations about becoming a police officer, George Floyd, use of force, and racism in Vermont.

It was a slightly breezy day when Vermont State Police Captain Julie Scribner, the staff operations commander since 2001, and Sergeant Erin Hodges, previously undercover in a drug task force, and from the Albany area in New York, joined a Zoom call that would give us the info on how they feel about police violence, and add another perspective to the table.

Hodges formerly worked on a road in Rutland with a marked car, before she went undercover and eventually joined the police force. Captain Scribner grew up near Boston before moving to Vermont.

After asking about initiations into the police force, Scribner talked about a physical and slightly mental trial, for example: a written exam, pushups, sit ups, a mile and a half run, interviews with other state troopers, a polygraph exam, and interviews with her relatives, friends, even former employees to make sure she was the kind of person they wanted to hire. She also mentioned how she had wanted to be a police officer since she was six years old.

“What›s the hardest part of the job?” I asked. “The hardest part is never know what to expect. I never do the same thing day after day. As a road trooper, you may pull someone over for speeding or help someone change a tire, or go to a call in which someone needs help with their family, or training and learning new things, and while that is fun, it is hard because I like to plan things out. You just never know what will happen,” Captain Scribner said.

all the time, get the job, and then make it through the training, which is hard, and progress in their career, and to see Erin come all this way…she’s training new officers and that’s a proud moment,” says Scribner.

“What, if you had to choose, would be the coolest moment for you so far?” I asked.

“The coolest part is the animal escaping in Rutland County. Some cows had gotten off a truck and I had to figure out how to wrangle the cows back in at 11:30 and I had no clue how to do it. Cows are really big when you’re next to them,” Hodges joked.

“What was training like?” Lily Mae Siedlecki, 11, asked. “It was pretty hard,” said Hodges, “There were a lot of academics, we spent a lot of time in the classroom, but it’s also physical work, and then bringing the class together as a unit.”

“What is the most common crime?”

Marianna asked. “It’s probably robberies, you know, store thefts, drunk driving, no license,” responded Hodges.

“On a more serious note, what is your opinion on the George Floyd tragedy,” I asked.

“When I first saw that video ...I try to keep an open mind… like, that’s only one angle or that’s only one side of it, you’re not getting the story, but when I first saw that I was just horrified and heartbroken.

I don’t even have the words to say how I felt about that particular incident and the things that have happened as a result of that,” Scribner said.

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“What is your ideal solution to racism?”

Amelie asked. “We need to stop talking and listen and learn from people who have been affected. I’m a white girl in a white state and I need to listen and learn. It’s a poor excuse for me to say, ‘Oh I learned that in high school or college from the textbooks,’ but I have so much to learn and so I think the answer is listening and learning,” answered Scribner.

“Do you think hiring more women will help?” I asked. “Yes, on hiring women: we bring something different to the table,” Hodges said. “I’ve been in a number of situations where I was able to talk to someone, there’s a lot of paperwork with the use of force reports, and so I would much rather talk my way out of that situation... maybe they just need to be heard, and maybe we don’t always see everyone on their best days. I’ve talked people into my cruiser that needed mental health help and it started out serious, but we got them to the hospital. Females, not all, but many do a better job in that, although some men are very good at it,

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too,” answered Hodges.

“What is your opinion on defunding the police?” asks Katie Fraser, a fifth-grade teacher at Charlotte Central School.

“I see anger. There’s anger that police officers can’t do the social work and community service that the communities deserve. I don’t think it makes sense to do away with police officers, because there are always bad people in the world, and good people need protection, but can we move some funding and change training and make it so better mental health and restorative justice for after a crime occurs than going to jail, than police coming in and arresting someone because they’re having mental health breakdown...There’s different ways to do it,” said Hodges.

“We are not in a society where we can get rid of the police,” answered Captain Scribner.

“Do you see white supremacy in Vermont?” asked Christina Asquith. “There is definitely racism in Vermont and not just those extremes--those are the examples you hear about in the news, but what you don’t hear about in the news are the little things every day, where a person of color is riding their bike through a small town in Vermont and you’ll have a white person look at them think, ‘Oh, who’s that? What are they doing here?’ And when you have people do that and start a conversation at their general store, then that’s racism. There is racism here,” replied Hodges.

Amelie Fairweather is a member of the Junior Reporters Club at The Charlotte News. Students interested in reporting over the summer are welcome to email chea@thecharlottenews.org to participate.

10 • June 25, 2020 • The Charlotte News

Town

Food Shelf News Susan Ohanian

Moving into summer many of us are focused on gardening. Ray Bradbury once noted, “Gardening is the handiest excuse for being a philosopher. Nobody guesses, nobody accuses, nobody knows, but there you are, Plato in the peonies...” And speaking of peonies—surely their abundance is a June blessing. The symbol of good fortune and a happy marriage, the peony comes in every color except blue.

Vermont’s state flower was designated in 1894: Red Clover, Trifolium pretense (which is also the national flower of Denmark). If you challenge someone to name which of the 50 states celebrates the peony as its state flower, how many guesses do you think it will take to come up with the right answer?

Like orange, there is no perfect rhyme for peony, but that hasn’t prevented it from being the centuries-old favorite of poets. In China, peonies, known as the “queen of flowers,” symbolize fame and wealth. The Chinese poet Li Bai (701-762) writes of “A vibrant red peony, moist with pearls of fragrant dew.”

More recently, in “Peonies,” Mary Oliver gives us: with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling, their eagerness to be wild and perfect for a moment….

And here’s Jane Kenyon in “Peonies at Dusk”: Outrageous flowers as big as human heads! They’re staggered by their own luxuriance….

The peony may be the queen of palace flowers, but poet Vachel Lindsay pointed to the dandelion as the king.

O dandelion, rich and haughty, King of village flowers!

Each day is coronation time, You have no humble hours….

One of the most widespread of wild plants, all parts of the dandelion are edible: root, leaves and flowers. The leaves are an excellent source of vitamin C and all parts are rich in vitamin A and iron. Alice Waters recommends a salad of dandelion leaves, shallots, fennel, small red radishes and lemon zest.

During the 19th century the dandelion root, roasted and ground, was a popular substitute for coffee—and this brew is still around.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the roots are first scrubbed clean, then roasted (for about 4 hours), and then ground in a blender.

Think Dandelion Mocha Chicory Herbal Coffee as well as Dandelion Tea. A Special Thank You Forty-eight people responded to Susan Raber Bray’s wonderful offer of beautiful handcrafted ceramic bowls and her generous talent brought the Food Shelf $4,402. You can see the bowls at susanraber.com/bowl-benefit/.

Thank you to Beth and Edd Merritt for the new twin bed and mattress, two sleeping bags, and a quilt. Dave Miskell donated big bags of beautiful lettuce, spinach and Asian greens.

Bud, Barbara and Tessa Lawrence dropped off

several bags of wonderful items.

Thank you to Stuart Robinson. As his Eagle Scout project, Stuart is building a Little Free Library. The assembly of the library is currently in the works, and meanwhile, there is a temporary box filled with wonderful children’s books on the porch at the Charlotte Grange. These books are sanitized for safety and free to take and enjoy.

Donations: Clarissa Townsend Helen Garvey Anne Castle (Co-op) Cathy Hunter Josie Kaestner Edward & Patricia Sulva, in honor of the Zahn family and in memory of Mom, Irene Santulli Norman W. Bohn Deb Cook Barry Finette & Sharon Mount Diane Cote On behalf of Cara Gallagher Kathleen Nolan Robert & Marjorie Archer Trafton & Laura Crandall Kathleen Nolan Robert & Marjorie Archer A generous anonymous donation Keeping safe The Food Shelf continues to take precautions to help everyone keep safe. Anyone who has a fever or cough—or symptoms that might seem like a cold—should not come to the distributions. Also, don’t come if you have

been in contact with anyone who has these symptoms. Instead, call 425-3252 and leave your name and number. You will receive a call back to come up with a plan. We need to help families and volunteers stay safe.

We are open every Wednesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. This is for curbside service only. Cars pull up to a sign that says “Please wait in car. A volunteer offers a checklist for patrons to select the items they need. A volunteer packs the items and another volunteer carries the bags out, setting them beside the car.

Financial assistance Reminder: The Food Shelf has some funds available for emergency assistance with fuel and electric bills. Call 425-3252 if you need assistance. For emergency food call John at 425-3130.

Donations The Charlotte Food Shelf Inc. is a nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax deductible. Our organization is run by volunteers, and so all donations made to the Food Shelf go directly for nutritious food or assistance to our local neighbors in Charlotte and North Ferrisburgh. Should you wish to honor someone with a donation, a special acknowledgement will be sent to that person. Checks may be mailed to Charlotte Food Shelf and Assistance, P.O. Box 83, Charlotte, VT 05445 Call the Food Shelf number (425-3252) for a recording of the distribution times.

The Charlotte News • June 25, 2020 • 11

CONGRATULATIONS CVU

GRADUATES This feature is presented by:

Congratulations and best wishes to all of Charlotte’s 12th-grade graduates, from the Board of Directors of The Charlotte News.

Charlotte CVU graduates

CVU seniors make the best of it

Maryn Askew Quinn Boardman Kayla Carroll Joshua Clark Nani Clemmons Isabel Cohen Claire Delaney Aydan Forando Olivia Hagios Jane Hardy Michael Hayes Wyatt Hella Sadie Holmes Peter Hyams McLain Jipner Sophia Kehr Annaliese Kramer Kayley Lambert Isabell Lawyer Ben Leonard Gus Lunde Anna McGrade Duncan McGrade Aaron McNally Lily Menk Isabelle Mittelstadt Ethan Naylor Binney Patton Nikolai Pughe Alden Randall Stuart Robinson Wiley Simard Jules Sprigg Tate Therrien Benjamin Vincent Ben Wetzell Eden Wright Jasper Wygmans Sam Zinner

Chea Waters Evans

With an indoor venue off the table and a global pandemic touching even the farthest corners of Vermont, Champlain Valley Union High School’s Class of 2020 had a graduation that was non-traditional and unexpected. Instead of the excited din inside the Patrick Gym at the University of Vermont, where the ceremony is usually held, students called to each other from the sun roofs of their family’s cars, gathered in small groups for photos like it was a masked tailgate party, and found celebration in the sunny day.

On June 12, the ceremony was held at the Champlain Valley Expo, where a large stage and a big screen set up at the front of a field of cars was half reminiscent of a drive-in movie, half reminiscent of an outdoor concert. Streamed live over the RETN network so grandparents and friends could catch a glimpse from all over the country, the ceremony featured the usual pomp and circumstance and a diploma handoff that was socially distant but warm at heart.

College and other fall plans may not look the same for these students, but from the looks of their faces last Friday, they’re starting their post-high school lives with flexibility and good cheer.

Congratulations Jules!

Congratulations Annaliese on your graduation from CVU. We are so proud of you. Here’s to your college adventure.

We know you will do great!

You are a step closer to working to make the lives of animals better.

We are so proud of you.

Best wishes to all the graduates from the CVU Class of 2020!

Love, Mom, Dad, Henry and Gretchen

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12 • June 25, 2020 • The Charlotte News

Education The days are long, the years are short Chea Waters Evans

Charlotte Central School graduation has elements that remain the same each year: elaborate stage setup with the wobbly white archway; balloons and more balloons; a cake from Mrs. Laberge; a song from the teachers; a slideshow that’s reliable for tears and awwwwws from the audience; the dance.

Though this year’s graduation had none of those things due to the coronavirus, it did have the most important thing: the graduates. Many have been at CCS since preschool, and many endured a challenge that on the first day of school would have been unimaginable. Graduation was held on Thursday, June 11, at the front of the school building, with streamers and a red carpet and a drive-through setup.

goody bag from CVU, and then getting right back in the car. Parents and siblings beamed from back seats, taking photos and video through open windows.

who parked his booth on the library porch.

They cheered every graduate as if they were the first one of the day. One teacher was overheard saying, “This is so surreal.”

The students graduated with smiles on their faces, pulling up in family cars and hopping out to remove masks for a quick photo op, receiving their diploma and a

The teachers were there, too—not too many at a time, per the governor’s instructions—wearing face masks, blowing bubbles, and singing along with the DJ

Another teacher was overheard saying, “I keep wanting to cry.” It felt like a mixture of tears, of happiness for these bright students who are facing an uncertain future

Photos by Chea Waters Evans

but with chins set for success; tears for all the traditions and fun they missed; tears for how truly strange it felt to have to say congratulations from afar when it felt like all the adults wanted to do was pull them close.

Academic honors and achievements all around to a senior physics major for outstanding scholarship in physics.

Staff report

The following Charlotte students received degrees and awards this spring: Sherilyn Chartrand graduated with an M.A. in education from Castleton University.

Silas Cleveland graduated from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. with a B.S. in biomedical engineering.

Sebastian Groskin graduated from the associate degree nursing program at Vermont Tech in Randolph Center.

Scott W. Schibli graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, receiving a B.A. in science, technology and society.

The following Charlotte students graduated from the University of Vermont: Michaela Flore Jacob Fredette Maeve Higgins Madison Hyams Kienan Kittredge Lillian Oates Abigail Postlewaite Benjamin Recchia Andrew Tieso graduated from The Hotchkiss School, and will be attending Haverford College in Pennsylvania in the fall. He will be a goalie on the Haverford men’s lacrosse team.

Elizabeth Breen and Santiago Vazquez graduate from Rice Memorial High School in Burlington on June 27.

Harriet Veltkamp graduated from the Lake Champlain Waldorf School high school in Shelburne.

Andrew Tieso

Eizabeth Breen

Congratulations to the following students for their academic achievements and awards this spring: George Davis was named to the spring 2020 dean’s list at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa. Sabrina Davis was named to the spring 2020 dean’s list at Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y. Madison Randall, an exercise science student at Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y., was named to the dean’s list for the spring 2020 semester.

Santiago Vazquez

Harriet Veltkamp

Abigail Postlewaite Annabelle Creech Abigail Postlewaite received the David W. Juenker Physics Prize at the University of Vermont this semester. In honor of Professor Juenker, the faculty of the department of physics give this award

Benjamin Recchia won the George M. Happ Award at the University of Vermont. This award is presented to a student with outstanding academic performance and excellence in research in biology.

Alexander D’Amico, a member of Phi Mu Delta Fraternity, has been presented with the Fraternity & Sorority Scholar of the Year Award at the University of Vermont. The award recognizes and honors outstanding fraternity and sorority members for their academic achievement.

Vermont Day School

Genevie Lemieux and Morgan Magoon were named to the spring 2020 dean’s list at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I. The following students were named to the spring 2020 dean’s list at the University of Vermont: Daniel Bernier Samuel Knox Thomas Wright Spencer Dooley Samuel Comai Brandon Donahue Seamus Higgins Trevor McGlaflin Andrew Slauterbeck Hannah Bernier Oliver Creech Meara Heininger Maeve Higgins

Vermont Day School held its inaugural 8th grade graduation outside at All Souls Interfaith Center in Shelburne. From Left to Right: Quinn Bagnato (Charlotte), Matias Williams, Peter Gilliam (Charlotte), Maddie Rugg, Carleigh Andreas, Josie Newbury.

Photo by Michelle Williams

The Charlotte News • June 25, 2020 • 13

Sacred Hunter

Derby fishing for fun with the family I am sitting under a bright red tent at Shelburne Shipyard during the LCI Derby held over Father’s Day weekend. A very gentle breeze is blowing Bradley Carleton around the southern point and circulating relatively cool air under the tent. Outside it is 94 degrees and the sun is beating down ruthlessly on the fishermen who are plying the waters of the bay in search of a derby-winning fish. With prizes getting upward of $10,000 for record fish, even placing in a species category can mean anywhere between $500 and $3,000, their hopes are high. Total available prizes run into the $100,000 mark.

I have been here for three days now and gotten to know a few of the best fishermen and women on this lake. There are several teams made up of fishing families.

It brings great pleasure to see three generations of a family fishing together.

“Grandma” Cheryl Slayton, of East Ryegate, is in fourth place in the lake trout category with 13.55-pound fish. Her boys trail behind her and tease her about being first to the grab the rod when it releases from the downriggers. A very polite but passionate young man named Riley Hatch, of Groton, is in second place in the junior

lake trout category with an 11.66-pound fish.

Then…wait a minute! Who is this in first place in the Atlantic landlocked salmon category? It’s one of our own boys from Charlotte – Kevin Bothwell! He landed a 9.12-pound salmon and is easily above the next-largest fish weighing 7.5 pounds.

Will he hang on to his lead? Today, Monday, is the final day of the derby and it’s only 10:30 a.m. As I scribe this column, he is what derby contestants call “in the money.” He and teammate Lucas Sweeney are in the lead for Coldwater Team category as well. We are all pulling for them as the derby winds up on this final dreadfully hot day. As an excellent example of family- featured fishing, I had the honor of meeting the Solomon family, Mike, Malayna and Myles, also of Charlotte, who docked and came up to the station all smiles with a nice 18inch, 3.03-pound smallmouth bass that, although it didn’t quite make the cut in the standings, it was clearly a big win for the family to share the excitement of being in the derby.

My point of writing about this event that is now in the past is to emphasize the importance of getting outside and sharing it with family and friends. Yes, they do come in to the weigh station, many wearing masks and using hand sanitizer

Malayna, Myles, and Mike Solomon of Charlotte show off the smallmouth bass they caught over Father’s Day weekend at the LCI Fishing Derby.

Photo by Bradley Carleton

provided by my station, and you can see the painful restraint when teammates and families want to shake hands or hug one another in jubilant celebration. No matter the constraints of COVID, the contestants are glowing with excitement.

The LCI Derby is all about Family, Friends and Fishing and its mission is to raise money and awareness of how important fishing and lake tourism is to our economy. The LCI works to educate the public on water quality issues like municipal wastewater discharges— both legal and illegal—farm runoff and invasive species like zebra mussels, Eurasian milfoil and spiny water fleas. These and things like massive phosphorous-generated blue-green algae blooms are changing the ecosystem that we all rely upon for our economy and recreation.

So, the next time you see one of those rigged-out fishing boats, know that they are not in it only for the money. It is the money that they spend on licenses, derby entry fees, accommodations, gas, food and local products and services that drive our tourism business. Therefore, at the

fishing accesses in the state, fisherman take priority over recreational boaters, kayakers and canoes. Although each of them contributes to our economy, no one does more to promote the lake’s health than fishermen, whether they be the solitary soul in his little tin boat or the family with the big rig with downriggers and fish-finder equipment. It is all really about all of us getting close to our lake and embracing its joy and serenity.

And if you are not a fan of the lake, take a drive up into the mountains where it all starts. The feeder streams of the bigger rivers—the Winooski, the Otter, the New Haven, Lamoille or Missisquoi—are where you can immerse yourself in the clear cool waters that the miraculous native brook trout reside. But we will save that story for next month. For the month of July, celebrate our independence and your right to pursue and enjoy our magnificent Lake Champlain.

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.

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14 • June 25, 2020 • The Charlotte News

Sports

Catherine Gilwee earns Athlete of the Year honors Edd Merritt

Champlain Valley Union High School junior Catherine Gilwee earned recognition as Athlete of the Year as reported in the June 20 Burlington Free Press. She was a firstteam selection on the all-state basketball team for the second straight year and earned honorable mention on the all-state soccer team. She has committed to UVM basketball beginning in the fall of 2021.

She and Makkena Boyd shared back-court duty in basketball.

The two pulled CVU back from a second-half deficit to defeat Essex and remain undefeated for the season. She received high praise from both basketball coach Ute Otley and soccer coach Stan Williams.

Photo by Al Frey

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The Charlotte News • June 25, 2020 • 15

Out Takes

Baseball beyond the diamond And a brand-new pair of shoes.

You know I think it’s time to give this game a ride Edd Merritt

Just to hit the ball, and touch ‘em all, a moment in the sun

It’s a-gone and you can tell that one good-bye “Centerfield” — John Fogarty When I first contemplated a theme for this OutTake my mind happened to be on religion and how, despite its philosophy and otherworldly set of beliefs and beings, it was all established by humans to explain what we do not understand through data.

In other words, religion is man-made, not heavenly dropped.

Well, that seemed a bit heavy handed, so, naturally, I switched to baseball. Don’t laugh. You probably thought baseball is all about throwing pitches, fielding grounders and swinging bats. Well, think again—or read Emily Nemens’ The Cactus League

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Although she bills it a novel, it couples real and created players into, as author Chris Batchelder describes it, a “complex ecosystem of professional sport.” We’ve got the game and its players, but we also have lovers and losers and wives and announcers and all sorts of people off the diamond who are affected by what happens in leagues at all levels. The diamond is a type of jewel around which a number of peoples’ lives revolve.

As someone whose life has often circled around sports, I have drifted out of the loop xfor a variety of reasons—age, physical maladies, a dislike for the professionalism that so often creeps into what began as a game worth the pleasure of playing for its natural competitiveness and has developed into a competition among owners—and players, measured more by financial gain than by sheer love of the sport.

While the game calls its heartland a plate, a diamond and an outfield, owners and those connected by things other than bats and balls call what’s beyond the fences their places of play. They and others connected to the players find themselves often in spots that seem to put ballparks somewhere below the horizon. Nemens shares with the reader what is going on in their minds while their husbands, boyfriends, other types of relatives—many beyond the outfield—and all of whom seem to be having their minds on things well outside of baseball.

The players, on the other hand, are focusing on the sport while this extracurricular activity is going on. The speed of their fast balls, how deep to dig in at home plate, where to position yourself best for pull hitters, how to make that curve ball cut at the right spot before the plate, how to wait for just the right pitch.

I won’t forget one of my early baseball impressions as I sat in the stands watching my hometown Rochester Royals who played in the Southern Minnesota League

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(the Southern Minny we called it). I caught a historical event as Bill “Moose” Skowron of the rival Austin Packers (Austin being the hometown of Hormel Meat packers) hit three home runs in the one game, a feat that earned him a contract offer from the New York Yankees for whom he starred for a number of years—talk about going from dinky to dandy.

Rather than follow him physically to the big leagues, Moose’s Austin friends likely continued doing their hay baling and cow milking as though Yankee Stadium had no silo or barn with a loft. Pork prices fell well short of what Moose was paid in pinstripes.

The summer duty of my son’s sister-inlaw played to Ms. Nemens’ ecosystem for several of her college years. Living on the north side of Chicago, she took a job selling hot dogs at Wrigley Field. Each succeeding summer she would be moved to a section of the ballpark with higher attendance and, consequently, closer to the game. Baseball, hot dogs and college tuition—it all came together with the sport at its fulcrum. I dared not ask her what she thought of a particular game. I knew I’d hear, “Huh? What game?”

Apparently, Scottsdale, Arizona, got its Wrigley Field near the turn of the 20th

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century. It took that long a time before baseball landed just above the Saguaro Cactus. A group of Baltimore businessmen bought the team that then hunkered in St. Louis as the Brewers and said, “From now on, you’re the birds, and you’re headed west.” However, as the Orioles, they, of course, plunked a baseball stadium in the center of Scottsdale because, after all, what good is a city without baseball— little good, of course. The novel’s Cactus League was where future major leaguers warmed up, where their chances for making “the bigs” were assessed, and Scottsdale became its hub.

Once the stadium is in place, we move on to the players, and as Abbott and Costello told us, we learn that “Who’s” on First, “What’s” on second and “I Don’t Know” is on third—a wordsmith might call them bases for jokes (bases, get it?).

Then look across the country and what do you see—well, the Bronx Bomber and Yankee Stadium. In the 1960s author and New York journalist, Pete Hamill, turned his weekly column melodious writing about “The News that Counts.”

In it he proclaimed that he was tired of hearing all about the metropolitan woes of New York. After all, what really counted for its citizens was the fact that “it was September, and the Mets were leading the league.”

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16 • June 25, 2020 • The Charlotte News

Into The Woods

Yellow birch: A profile Ethan Tapper

Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) is a striking tree: golden, metallic bark shines among the grays and browns of other trees.

The cousin of our most-identifiable tree, the white or “paper” birch (Betula papyrifera), yellow birch has many of the same attributes: bark with little horizontal dashes, peeling horizontally.

Unlike white birch, whose bark peels in broad, flat sheets, the bark of yellow birch peels in thin strips and lacks most of white birch bark’s useful attributes; not much good for writing on, making a canoe out of, or starting a fire.

Yellow birch twigs are identifiable via the scratch-and-sniff test: scratch the bark and you will detect the chemical compound methyl salicylate, oil of wintergreen. That minty smell is a dead giveaway, although the lesscommon black or “sweet” birch (Betula lenta), distinguishable from white or yellow birch by its steely gray-black bark, also carries it.

In the woods, yellow birch is flexible, a generalist. It grows at high elevations, in swamps and seemingly everywhere in between. It is a fixture in eastern old forests, capable of living for hundreds of years and becoming massive. It can be found from Newfoundland to Georgia, although it is most abundant in the northern part of its range.

The seeds of yellow birch are borne on the tree in clusters that look like cones. Individual seeds are shaped like a bird’s foot, about ¼ inch in length, dropping in winter and dispersed by wind over the surface of snow.

Like other birches and aspens/poplars, yellow birches produce lots of seeds but don’t put much energy into them—unlike the energypacked nest egg (the acorn) that oak seedlings are equipped with, yellow birch seeds have to make do on their own, mostly by finding a site that is just right to grow.

Yellow birch seeds and seedlings are most successful in a couple specific circumstances.

The first is when they land on disturbed soils. Their small seeds have trouble putting down roots through the “duff,” the layer of decomposing leaves and wood at the top of the soil. They need something to scrape this layer back and expose the mineral soil beneath, which is done as trees fall over, when forest fires burn off the duff, or when areas are logged, particularly in the summertime.

Scarification, the intentional disturbance of the duff, is sometimes done intentionally during forest management to encourage the regeneration of species like yellow birch, white pine and eastern hemlock. While too much soil disturbance during forest management can cause soil compaction, erosion and root damage, some light scarification can increase the diversity of the trees in your forest.

Another opportunity for yellow birch seeds is when they land on rotting wood. As wood decays it provides a moist, nutrient-rich seedbed for young trees—what we call a nurse log. Yellow birch seeds often germinate on a rotting log or stump and grow roots around it, down into the soil. The log rots away but the roots remain, creating trees that look like they have legs.

Because of their association with rotting wood and disturbed soil, the presence of yellow birches of about the same size can indicate a past disturbance (like logging, or a wind or ice storm) in your woods. If you can tell how old they are, you can tell about how long ago this disturbance occurred.

One special ecosystem function that yellow birch serves is supporting high-density arthropods (bugs) compared to Vermont’s other tree species. Arthropods, in addition to performing their own crucial ecosystem roles, are also the base of the forest’s foot web, feeding insectivores like many of Vermont’s bird species. For this reason, yellow birch is a good species to encourage in your forest when managing for bird habitat.

Yellow birch is somewhat, but not very, tolerant of shade, so if you want to manage for yellow birch in your forest, create gaps or groups (small openings) by cutting a patch of trees at least 1/10 acre in size. Leave lots of wood on the forest floor and leave branches

The yellow birch is a generalist where it grows, but a specialist when it comes to arthropods.

Courtesy photo

and treetops messy, to help shield your young trees from deer browse and provide future nurse logs. While some sites are simply too wet to harvest in the summer without causing ruts and too much soil disturbance, on dry sites don’t be afraid to work when soils are dry in the summer and to scuff up the soil.

Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden County Forester. He can be reached at ethan.tapper@ vermont.gov or at (802)-585-9099.

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The Charlotte News • June 25, 2020 • 17

Town July 1 deadline looms, but don’t panic: It’s just compost

tumbler, two cubic yard wire bins and a worm bin. I also have an unmanaged yard waste pile. I’ve had these bins for 8 years now. No hauling fee. No trip to a drop off center. I keep leaves and sawdust on hand in a dry trash can next to my compost bins, so I can easily add ‘browns’ to my food scraps. I have a hose nearby in case my compost dries out.”

Chea Waters Evans

Before this year’s July 4 barbecues, Vermonters are going to have to figure out what they’re going to do with their leftovers before the holiday even starts.

Act 148, the compost portion of the state’s Universal Recycling and Compost Law, takes effect on July 1. The law bans food scraps from landfills to reduce methane gas that is released into the atmosphere as food decomposes. People who aren’t familiar with composting have a lot of questions. What exactly do I do with my food scraps? Will I get bears in my yard?

What is compost in the first place? Why are they making me do this? Will I get in trouble if I don’t?

Image by Ben Kerckx from Pixabay

equipment.

Another good resource for Charlotters is Abby Foulk. She is Charlotte’s resident composting expert who pioneered the compost program at Charlotte Central School and has been the town’s Chittenden Solid Waste District representative for years. She’s enthusiastic about the food scrap ban.

At the June 8 Selectboard meeting, Sarah Reeves, the executive director of the Chitttenden Solid Waste District, presented the organization’s annual budget and then fielded questions from board members; the conversation turned to composting with Louise McCarren confessing that the concept was making her “cranky.” She expressed concern that adding another element to the burden of people already dealing with coronavirus would be too much. “I am just worried about the stress this is going to put on people at this point,” she said.

“Kudos to Vermont for Act 148 Universal Recycling law, which is all about resource recovery and waste reduction!” she said.

“Kudos to Vermonters who will separate their food scraps and keep them out of the landfill!”

Reeves assured her and the rest of the board that there are many options and resources available for compost newbies— and ways to get rid of food scraps for those who aren’t interested in dealing with them at home.

“Believe me, we are all facing certain levels of stress,” Reeves said, “and it does seem like it’s one more thing. We will absolutely help you figure out what some options might be to help you comply.”

She said that CSWD employs outreach and communication staff who operate a hotline for anyone who has questions about food scrap options; they also offer virtual workshops for compost education and subsidized compost and food scrap

Reeves acknowledged during her Selectboard presentation that options are currently somewhat limited for Vermonters who are unable or unwilling to compost. “It has been a point of contention with the [trash] hauling community for years,” she said. After haulers objected to being obligated to provide food scrap pickup service, she said lawmakers “amended the law to move the threshold to four residential units or more.” This means that triplex, duplex and single homes aren’t guaranteed food scrap pickup service from their regular trash hauler.

Foulk has a sunny outlook on the

situation. “Food scraps are a valuable resource; they can be turned into ‘victory’ compost for your COVID-19 Victory Gardens. Right at home,” she said. For those who are worried about critters or odors, she offers reassurance that it will be less of a problem than most people anticipate.

“People can keep throwing out meat, dairy and oils in their trash,” she said. “So, backyard bins can be for less tricky food scraps (like fruit, veggies, grains), thereby not attracting animals and potentially creating smells. A good recipe and understanding of basic bin management is the best deterrent of pests and smells.”

For those just getting started, Foulk recommends Compost with Confidence on the State of Vermont’s web site that offers a great overview from the state at dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wmp/ SolidWaste/Documents/UniversalRecycling/Compost-With-ConfidenceVT.pdf. If you’re worried about “bears, rats, smells and amount of work,” she suggests The Dirt on Compost guide at cvswmd.org/uploads/6/1/2/6/6126179/ cvswmd-compostbooklet-2019-final.pdf.

The Charlotte Seed Library and UVM Master Composters can connect you with Charlotters who can support you along your compost learning curve,” Foulk said.

A backyard composter herself, Foulk said she purchased bins. “I have a Hot Frog

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She said she adds to her bins weekly, which takes about five minutes a week, and she turns her bins twice a year, which takes about an hour and half annually.

In addition, she said she empties the vermicompost from her worm bin twice a year which adds up to a total hour and a half.

If backyard composting just isn’t an option for you, food scraps be taken to CSWD Drop-off centers. Locations and schedules are here: https://cswd.net/ chittenden-county-solid-waste-facilities/ drop-off-centers/.

Foulk recommends collecting scraps in small bins and freezing or covering them with newspaper or sawdust to cut down on odor until drop off. The cost is $1 per five-gallon bucket with a 30 gallon limit, and suggests teaming up with neighbors to save money.

Niche curbside haulers are springing up, like No Waste Compost, Earthgirl, and Some Dude’s Compost Company.

Smaller hauling firms like Trashaway offer service, but larger ones, like Gauthier and Casella, are not offering the service yet. A customer service representative at Gauthier said they will probably offer it eventually, but that they are not there quite yet.

Foulk also said that, though there is no town compost at the moment, “There could also be a municipal solution (if citizens asked and voted for it). The Town of Charlotte could contract with a hauler for food scrap collection. Other towns have taken this approach, reducing burdens for individual households via cost sharing.”

18 • June 25, 2020 • The Charlotte News

Town Library News Charlotte Library Building Re-Opening To Public!

The Charlotte Library Board of Trustees and staff are excited Margaret Woodruff to announce the reopening of the library DIRECTOR building on Wednesday, July 15. This is Phase 2 of the five-phase re-opening plan and allows for limited walk-in service for library patrons to select and check out books. Because of ongoing caution and concern for community welfare, this phase is necessarily restricted but offers the first step in a gradual opening of the library to full service. The limited walk-in service includes the following measures and regulations: • Library Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 10 to 11 a.m.: Reserved for at-risk individuals.

12 to 1 p.m.: Library closed for cleaning & sanitizing • Patrons allowed in building for maximum of 30 minutes to select and checkout books • 5 patrons allowed in building at one time • Patrons enter through main entrance and exit on north end of porch (except those requiring ADA access, who may enter and exit through main entrance).

• No patrons under the age of 16 allowed in the library for the first two weeks of this Phase 2.

• Patrons are encouraged to limit number of family/pod members visiting library.

• All patrons must wear masks and sanitize hands when entering building.

• Patrons must follow marks on floor for social distancing while visiting the stacks and standing in line at the service desk.

Library staff will be on hand to assist with book checkout and location via computer.

Staff will be masked at all times and wear gloves when handling materials for sanitizing prior to and during checkout.

We look forward to seeing you at the library at long last and to sharing our wonderful new building with the rest of the community, even in such a limited first start. We hope to move to subsequent phases as long as the COVID-19 recovery continues here in Vermont. This opening comes with the caveat that library hours and access could change at any time as the situation in Vermont warrants. The latest updates and information are available on the library website charlottepubliclibrary.org.

Upcoming Library Programs & Activities We may need to continue to limit access to the library building but the outdoor library beckons! Join us for these upcoming children and family programs taking place on the library porch.

Summer Reading Activities: Even though we can’t get together this summer, we can still stay connected through a weekly summer reading activity. Check the Charlotte Library Porch every Tuesday for a new craft, project or reading adventure.

Vermont Institute of Natural Science: Owl Adventure

Wednesday, July 1, 1 p.m.

Why does Owl only fly at night? Meet a live owl and hear their stories while we learn about the adaptations they have that help them survive. Fun for the entire family. This event is free but you must obtain tickets through Eventbrite: eventbrite.com/e/ vermont-institute-of-natural-sciencespresents-animal-tales-tickets-110615419698.

Very Merry Theatre Presents Alice Through the Looking Glass Thursday, July 2, at Noon Please bring a low lawn chair or blanket, water and sunscreen. No rain date is available—if it is a small cloudburst we will hold the event once the rain passes. Free tickets must be obtained through Eventbrite before the presentation or there will be no admittance: eventbrite.com/e/very-merrytheatre-presents-alice-through-the-lookingglass-tickets-110786812338.

Horwitz takes readers on a wild ride across hemispheres and centuries to recapture the Captain’s adventures and explore his embattled legacy in today’s Pacific. Please contact the library for access to book copies and Zoom link: info@charlottepubliclibrary .org.

Mystery Book Group: The Cutting Season Monday, July 20, at 10 a.m. via Zoom.

A magnificent, sweeping story of the south, The Cutting Season brings history face-to-face with modern America, where Obama is president, but some things will

never change. Attica Locke once again provides an unblinking commentary on politics, race, the law, family and love, all within a thriller every bit as gripping and tragic as her first novel, Black Water Rising. Please contact the library for access to book copies and Zoom link: info@ charlottepubliclibrary.org.

Library Contact Information Margaret Woodruff, Director Cheryl Sloan, Youth Services Librarian Susanna Kahn, Tech Librarian Phone: 802-425-3864 Email: info@charlottepubliclibrary.org

Yoga on the Library Porch Mondays in July, 13-27, at 10 a.m.

Join Lynn Alpeter of Yoga Roots. Based upon the Kidding Around Yoga curriculum, this class introduces children to yoga in an accessible way. It includes lots of music, movement and creativity. Registration is required: eventbrite.com/e/youth-yoga-onthe-porch-with-lynn-tickets-110282873042.

Very Merry Theatre Presents Seussical the Musical Tuesday, July 14, at Noon Please bring a low lawn chair or blanket, water and sunscreen. Rain date is July 15.The event is free but tickets must be obtained through Eventbrite: eventbrite. com/e/very-merry-theatre-presentsseussical-the-musical-tickets-110660634938.

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Give us a call and let us help you set up your remote banking. It’s easy to make deposits, pay bills or apply for a loan all from home. Visit our convenient ATMs for withdrawals and deposits.

PLEASE NOTE: Social distancing markers will be placed on the lawn for all outdoor programs; masks are required unless you are in your seating zone.

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Online Activities Learn Libby: Download audio and e-books to your device to listen, read and enjoy Monday, July 6, at 10 a.m.

Learn (get a refresher on ) how to read and listen to books on your computer or device with Libby in a live Zoom session with tech librarian Susanna.

Registration is required.

Library Book Discussion: Blue Latitudes Thursday, July 9, at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before two centuries after James Cook’s epic voyages of discovery, Tony

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The Charlotte News • June 25, 2020 • 19

Town

Charlotte Senior Center news

Carolyn Kulik SENIOR CENTER DIRECTOR

“A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others.” ~ [Oz to the Tin Woodsman], L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ________________ About re-opening As much as we may wish it to be so, the coronavirus emergency is not over, and it’s sad to say that life is not returning to normal anytime soon. You have probably heard that Gov. Scott stated that senior centers may open— but the problem is that “open” does not really mean “open open.” It would have been kinder and more accurate to say, “Senior centers may open for certain activities – but not others, and with a host of restrictions and other directives (yet to be clarified) which they must adjust to and carefully plan for — after they find out what they are.”

Four lengthy documents were submitted to the VT Dept. of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) which formulates its own guidelines and requirements in conjunction with the VT Dept. of Health. Two of these documents include our specific questions which relate to maintaining health and safety during attendance at courses and events at CSC. Until these are all answered, we are not able to make a realistic plan for a reopening date.

So far, some (but not all) of these requirements are to wear masks, to keep 6 feet (or more) apart at all times, limit capacity in rooms, to take everyone’s temperature when they enter, record all visitors, ask each person a list of healthrelated questions, have a separate entrance and exit, stagger comings and goings, and adjust scheduling so that people do not congregate in close proximity. Permitted capacity will be drastically reduced, overall.

The state’s social distancing requirement of six feet means that Mahjong and Bridge are not possible for the foreseeable future, i.e., not until there is a safe and effective vaccine which is distributed widely.

These activities will not be happening at any senior centers, anywhere. And unfortunately, social distancing along with the mask requirement means mid-day meals will not be possible – and not even coffee or tea will be available because of protective sanitary restrictions.

It is helpful to think of opening as a partial re-opening: Whenever our doors open again, there will be strict limitations, and the Center will definitely not be back as it was pre-March 15. All things considered, Zoom classes are the best that we can do at the moment — and they are likely

to continue for a long while until we are fully open. And, although it’s not a pleasant thought, please keep in mind that there could very well be more outbreaks of COVID-19 to set us back in the coming months.

Zoom Courses and Registration Never zoomed? Fear not! Honestly, the technology is pretty easy and the rewards are worth the minimal effort. If you feel you need help, then please email CSCZoom@gmavt.net. The Zoom classes will continue until the Senior Center is fully and completely open.

For expanded course descriptions, please visit CharlotteSeniorCenterVT.org and click on the link for Online (Zoom) Courses. Register at CSCZoom@gmavt. net by sending your name, address and phone number; be sure to indicate the name of the course, or courses, you wish to take. Regular fees have been dropped and the suggested donation is $5 per class to be mailed in monthly to PO Box 207, Charlotte 05445. (Please make checks out to CSC with the course name in the memo line.)

Online Chair Yoga with Carol Bokan started on Mon., 6/22. There is still room for newcomers, and it will probably be offered twice a week in the future.

7/10 - 8/14 - Two Zoom courses in Italian language will be offered again on Friday afternoons in July and August.

Italian Intro (1:30) and Italian Refresher (3:00) with Nicole Librandi will welcome continuing students as well as newcomers.

Nicole has decades of experience teaching adults and can integrate differing skill levels and experience well.

7/13 – 8/17 - Coming in mid-July is a completely new online course: Conflict Resolution - Intro with Mark Williams, on six Monday afternoons from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Using role-playing and practical mediation exercises, participants in this 6-week class will learn useful skills, such as how to calm an angry person down and how to empathize with someone with whom you disagree. This fascinating and useful topic can benefit anyone, because we all encounter conflict. Mark Williams is a licensed couples’ counselor who has been in practice for more than 30 years.

Suggested donation is $30 for the 6-week course.

Still in the early planning stages is a free online series on balance and physical therapy, etc. Stay tuned for announcements on the Center website, in FPF postings and in this paper.

In-person courses 7/10 – Kayak Trips for Women in July and August. These will probably take place. Please register your interest with Susan at susanfosterhyde@gmail.com.

7/10 – Movie Discussion Group: Happiness Series with Marjorie London in July and August has been cancelled due to social distancing requirements. It was to

be held at the Charlotte Library.

7/13 & 7/14 - Watercolor - Vermont in July, the 1½ -day workshop with Lynn Cummings is open for registration.

Scheduled for Mon., 9:00-3:30 and Tues., 9:00-noon, it will focus on painting summer subjects in Vermont. Please register by calling 425-6345, and send your check to secure your place by 7/6 in case it can take place. If it does not, you will be contacted and your check will be returned.

7/15 - The Birding Expedition with Hank Kaestner will probably take place, so be sure to call 425-6345 to register with your name and phone number. If it is cancelled, you will be notified.

Free Wednesday Events The first Wednesday event this season will be on 7/1 at 1:00 pm, and will take place only as a Zoom meeting. Because there is no physical audience to limit, you will not need to sign-up in advance.

In order to join this Zoom meeting, you will access a link on the Center’s website at CharlotteSeniorCenterVT.org. The link will also be supplied in Front Porch Forum postings to surrounding towns.

7/1 at 1:00 pm: The first Wednesday event this summer will be on COVID-19: What We Know – What We Have Yet To Learn – Where Are We Likely Headed with Jim Hyde.

There will be a quick overview from a public health perspective of what is known about the prevalence of infection, current trends in incidence, and the impact of the virus on mortality. Jim will also discuss the collateral impacts of the virus on the health of the general population and the effects on the health care delivery system, as well as the status of vaccine development, new drugs and treatments, and testing. Time will be reserved for Q&A. Jim is an Emeritus Professor of Public Health at the Tufts University School of Medicine and former Director of Preventative Medicine at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Although you may have already heard

and read a lot about this topic, this will probably be your first opportunity to ask your own questions. In advance, you can email questions to Jim at james.hyde@ tufts.edu for him to address at the end of this talk.

7/8 at 1:00 pm - I am very sorry to report that for several reasons, the music performance by Marty Morrisey and Robert Resnik which was scheduled for this date has been cancelled. It is completely understandable that Marty and Robert thought it would be best to sit this one out at this time. Since this was unexpected news, a replacement event has not been scheduled yet. If one is found, it will be posted in various Front Porch Forums, on our phone message at 425-6345, and on our website: CharlotteSeniorCenterVT.org.

Partial Re-Opening Announcements Announcements regarding the partial re-opening of the Senior Center will be announced at CharlotteSeniorCenterVT. org, on Front Porch Forum, on the telephone message of the Center, and in this newspaper. Please keep I mind that until there is a vaccine, the ‘new normal’ is going to be very, very different especially for those over 65. ________________ The Senior Center’s mission is to serve those 50 and up. Residents from other communities are always welcome. There are no membership fees. Feel free to leave a message on the Center number anytime: 425-6345; voicemail will be checked daily.

Be careful. Stay well. But mostly, be kind. ________________ “If we walk far enough,” says Dorothy, “we shall sometime come to someplace.” ~ L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ________________ Charlotte Senior Center 802-425-6345

20 • June 25, 2020 • The Charlotte News

BLM FLAG

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felt embarrassed. I should know this. Of course, I am afraid if my daughter goes into stores alone…I, Me, I should have known. This is the difference between white privilege and lived experiences. My point is, therefore we must do the work every day, continually. This work is not easy, and we will feel ashamed. Take it.

Do better. I have been doing this work a lot, I’m a mama bear protecting my babies, and I need to keep at it, where are you in the process?

So, while I’m honored and hopeful being here today to raise the BLM flag, I want you to understand too. My family has had a BLM poster for years. A poster my Black kids have NOT wanted us to put up outside our house. My daughter has a BLM T-shirt; she will only wear it to bed…Why—for safety? So, I ask you as we stand here performing these actions today, to contemplate the heaviness, the

TREES

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fires outside of them. There is a growing concern about the amount of fires happening after the beach attendants have left for the day. There is much consideration addressing the language of signage at the beach, explicitly outlawing open fires in hopes to avoid the hazard of large flames. Ultimately, though fires are technically not allowed at the beach, Fraser-Harris said that for now the rule can be unenforced. “It’s not a problem until it’s a problem,” he said.

Currently the Selectboard is discussing

CVSD

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development for teachers will be important in ongoing improvement of this system. To that end the administration is moving to define professional development days for this purpose. There is a proposal to trade four student days for four teacher professional development days devoted exclusively to remote instruction.

Members agreed that the most important factor is to keep all children enrolled in the system so that they can proceed with their learning. The instruction will be focused and will ensure that children can continue to make progress in the defined curriculum.

The board discussed parent participation in planning. There will be an effort to develop some Zoom meetings or encourage participation by some other means. A parent survey went out last week. Decisions on the implementation will be made public as soon as possible.

Creative ideas will be accepted. But Superintendent Pinckney emphasized that no alterations can be made in the health and safety guidelines, that each school will approach implementation in a

deep symbolism and the importance of the flag. The BLM flag is a big deal, AND this flag has come with a heavy cost: cost of families separated, lives lost, kids harmed. My point is, do not take flag or antiracism work lightly, do the work every day.

At 8:46, we will have a moment of silence for our fellow black humans that were unjustly and unnecessarily murdered, but also for all black and brown individuals in our community and beyond who do not have the physical, emotional and psychological freedoms and privileges simply because of the color of their skin.

8:46 is the amount of time George Floyd was on the ground, until he drew his last breath.

Love and Justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters. — Rev. angel Kyodo williams, Sensei

a solution to the lack of a dock over the rocks at the beach as a way to get to a safe swimming depth. This would provide a greater safety measure than natural entry but would also increase touch points for those utilizing it. The Governor’s office feels that the dock situation was addressed with its stance on opening marinas. The town is comfortable moving forward with installing a dock with appropriate signage that would discourage excessive gathering and usage of the dock because the greater number of touch points could possibly be catalysts for the spread of the coronavirus.

The Thompson’s Point Land Association proposed an Amendment

different manner, and that all options have been discussed and decisions made based on the capabilities of each school.

The board will continue to meet over the summer and will participate in two retreat days to deal with ongoing matters that underly the business of the school district: equity, instruction, and budget matters. The 2020 budget year ended with

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Request to the current Animal Control Ordinance in the area. The request calls on the town to address the fact that there have been more dogs and their owners frequenting the point every year. Recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in people bringing their dogs to Thompson’s Point due to many people working from home. While this is a seasonally populated area, 83% of stakeholders in all categories favored a rule imposing leashes on all dogs in the area from April 15 to October 31. As the number of dogs in the area has increased every year as more people become familiar with the area, the original language regarding animal control, specifically on

a positive $567,000 which will improve the fund balance. This surplus was the result of the school closings that caused a reduction in services. But the FY 21/22 budget will be hampered by reductions at the state level and possible increases needed to implement health and safety guidelines and remote instruction.

NOTICE OF VACANCIES ON TOWN BOARDS June, 2020

The following boards currently have unfilled seats: •

Planning Commission (1 seat; term ending April 30, 2022)

•

Recreation Commission (1 seat; term ending April 30, 2023)

•

Charlotte Park & Wildlife Refuge Oversight Committee (1 seat; term ending April 30, 2021)

•

Conservation Commission (1 seat; term ending April 30, 2022)

•

Energy Committee (2 seats; terms ending April 30, 2022)

If you have interest in serving the Town by participating in any of these capacities please send a short statement explaining your interest and any relevant background information to Dean Bloch, Town Administrator at dean@ townofcharlotte.com. If you have questions, please e-mail or call 425-3071 ext.

5, or stop by Town Hall).

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Thompson’s Point, never addressed “out of control animals and out of control poop.”

It is important to note that this change would only apply to Thompson’s Point.

Chase McGuire is a student reporter from the University of Vermont’s Community News Service. It is a student-powered partnership with local community papers.

With a focus on hyper-local and local news, the project has two primary goals: To train and educate student journalists and to provide local content to community newspapers.