The Charlotte News | March 21, 2018

Volume lX Number 18 | WedNesday, march 21, 2018

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Vol. 60, no. 18 March 21, 2018

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Charlotte Central School students walk out and talk in

CVU students and teachers walk out in protest against gun violence Meghan Neelly

CCS students gather around Caroline Swayze and Coco Eyre as they read the names of those who died in the Parkland, Florida shooting. Photo by Dave Baird Caroline Swayze CCS 7TH GRADER

On February 14, 2018, there was a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen lives were taken and 17 more people were injured. On March 10, administrators at Charlotte Central School sent an email to the school community that said that awareness and interest had grown from middle school students about the walk-outs held across the country.

The email stated that “As a result, educational leaders of the K-8 schools of the Champlain Valley School District have collaborated to develop a coordinated and developmentally appropriate response: a Talk-In, a way to provide a time for interested students to talk and learn together about the topic of school safety.”

A number of us students felt it was important to honor the tragic event that happened in Florida, so we made a plan.

We made a list of the victims’ names, we wrote a speech, and we planned to meet on Wednesday, March 14, at 9:55 a.m. in front of the art room to walk out together.

Mother Nature had different ideas. School was closed that day; it was a snow day. The walk out took place instead on Friday, March 16.

Principles Jen Roth and Stephanie Sumner were very supportive. They respected the students’ voices. It was amazing to see all the 5th through 8th graders meeting. Before leaving the building, everyone was reminded to be respectful. Coco Eyre and I read the names of the victims, and then we stood in silence for 17 minutes at the front of CCS. “Today we are to honor the 17 lives that were taken in the Parkland shooting on February 14th,” we read. “Here are the names.” I have to admit it was hard standing for 17 minutes. We did a good job though.

I felt that Charlotte Central School and its students and faculty honored the Parkland shooting very well.

Snow may have delayed the plans of Champlain Valley Union High School students to take part in the national walkout against gun violence on March 14, but it certainly didn’t stop them altogether. In spite of freezing temperatures, they kept true to their plans and filed out of CVU’s classrooms two days later, on Friday, March 16.

The walkout was organized by CVU senior Peter Trombley in cooperation with the school’s principal and other student leaders who felt it was time to answer the national call. “I was really glad to see that so many people would come out in the cold,” Trombley said after the walkout.

Students and teachers filed outdoors into the school’s visitor parking lot just before 10 a.m. Pickup trucks with snowplows attached guarded the lot’s

entrances, and parents who’d come to join the walkout parked along the snowy road.

Huddled together, those in attendance observed a moment of silence.

Seventeen pairs of shoes were laid out before them on the front sidewalk, a reminder of those killed on February 14 at Marjorie Stoneham Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Behind these shoes was a snow-covered picnic table that student leaders used as a platform for speaking.

For 17 minutes student leaders spoke to their assembled classmates about the need for action. They spoke about the need to help one another feel safe and welcome in their community, and they also spoke about the need for action against the NRA and for tougher gun legislation.

“How much money can another

Photo by Meghan Neely politician turn his or her head for?” one student asked. She told her classmates that the NRA had already donated $163,000 to members of Congress in 2018. That number, divided by the number of children enrolled in the national publicschool system, comes out to less than a penny per student. “That,” she said, “is the price of our lives.”

Students old enough to vote were encouraged to register at the tables set up outside of the CVU main office.

Others were encouraged to take action in different ways. “You don’t have to be a certain age to draft a bill,” Trombley told them. He also extended an invitation for see CVU page 4

Post-Town Meeting Selectboard meeting a quiet one

Meghan Neelly

Only Selectboard members Lane Morrison, Fritz Tegatz and Frank Tenney, along with Town Administrator Dean Bloch, were in attendance at the March 12 Selectboard meeting at Charlotte Town Hall, which dealt with a variety of mostly minor matters.

Following adjustments to the meeting’s agenda, Tegatz clarified comments concerning benefits for the town health officer. He said that this position was covered under the Zoning Administrator’s payroll and that any remaining funds in the health officer’s stipend would be returned to the town’s general fund. The Selectboard also approved the continued advertising of the Charlotte Beach in the Lake Champlain Paddlers’ Trail Handbook.

Estimates for Articles 4, 5 and 6 from the March 6 Town Meeting were briefly

mentioned, but the Selectboard declined any further discussion on these items until after the April 3 vote.

Green Up Day Co-coordinators Kim Findlay and Ken Spencer were reappointed for a one-year term that will expire in April 2019. The pair announced plans to make this year’s Green Up Day a one-day event with the goal of maximizing efficiency and volunteer interest. The two also expressed interest in a community recycling program with Trex, which will donate a composite bench to the Town of Charlotte in exchange for 500 pounds of plastic waste. The two did not request a budget as bags and bins are free.

Canine Control Officer Cali Griswold was also reappointed for a one-year term that will expire in April 2019. Griswold said she’d had an unusually quiet winter and was happy to continue her work as canine control officer.

A request to use town roads by Chris Ouellette for the Cycle4CMT fundraiser was approved by the Selectboard after some informative discussion. The fundraiser will take place August 26 at the Old Lantern on Greenbush Road for its fourth consecutive year. Cyclists will be able to choose from one of four routes throughout Charlotte, and proceeds will go towards Charcot-MarieTooth (CMT) research. CMT is a progressive neurological disease that currently affects 2.8 million people worldwide, including Ouellette’s nephew. More information about Cycle4CMT can be found at cycle4cmt.com.

Imanol Echeverria and Susan Ballek presented an application for three highway access permits—two on Mount Philo Road and one on State Park Road. The application was subject to lengthy discussion as the 53 acres of land in question contain stretches of wetland fed by Kimball Brook. Other concerns for road placement included the

location of a utility pole and limited sight range. The application was ultimately approved pending the location of the future road.

Charlotte resident Gill Barlow will be refunded $100 by the Selectboard for a highway access permit application for which he shouldn’t have been required to pay.

The closing motion of the evening regarded modifications to the job descriptions of both the zoning administrator and the town planner. The Zoning Administrator will now serve as the primary staff person for the Zoning Board, a job previously overseen by the Town Planner.

The Zoning Administrator will also oversee the Thompson’s Point design review committee for permits on Thompson’s Point.

The changes are intended to ease the town planner’s future workflow. Both the Zoning Administrator and the Town Planner will work

• Education 9 • Gardening 10 - 11 • Sports 15 • Senior Center News 22

2 • March 21, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • March 21, 2018 • 3

Editorial

To err may be human, but not so forgivable in journalism

When I saw the misspelling on the cover of the last issue of the paper my stomach started to hurt and didn’t stop for the rest of the day. Sure, we were under the Melissa O’Brien gun because of the NEWS EDITOR timing of Town Meeting and the push-back of the deadline—the need to get the paper to the printer that afternoon— still, it was sloppy work and there is no excuse for it.

In the ensuing days I received a couple of email messages from folks in town who pointed out omissions in the article we published about Town Meeting.

Laurie Thompson, a co-chair of the Trails Committee, let me know of the inaccurate reporting around the second amendment to Article 3, put forth at Town Meeting by Dave Garbose and not by the the Trails

Committee, as was reported, and Peter Joslin pointed out that the result of the vote on Article 11, Shall the Town vote to adopt an amended Charlotte Town Plan had been egregiously omitted.

People in this town work very hard toward caring for this town, and these mistakes were not OK. Obviously, as a minimally staffed, very part-time nonprofit enterprise, we are going to make mistakes. Still, it will never be OK. We are in the business of providing coverage for this town of this town’s happenings; sloppiness is not part of the deal. It does, however, point us in the direction of where we need to go.

I will share some good news with you, in case you haven’t already noticed.

In the month or so since I came to this position, no fewer than 17 people have said “Yes” when I asked if they would contribute to the paper: writers Joan Weed, Mason Daring, Peter Trombley, Hannah Herbert, Josie Leavitt, Bill Fox, Carrie Fenn, Kevin Goldenbogen, Carol Miklos, Andy Jackson, Stephanie Sumner;

photographers Robert Coleburn, Deb Preston and Lee Krohn; and illustrators Brett Hughes, Jane Ann Kantor and Gail Grow. We have also been blessed with a reliable and enthusiastic Champlain College journalism student, Meghan Neely, who will be contributing to each issue until she graduates in May. Add to that the stable of regular contributors and those who said they would consider writing, and you have a growing enterprise. This is a very good thing in a time of the diminishing and disappearance of newspapers.

And too, we are in the early stages of planning fundraising and communitygrowing events around food and song, and many have said they would be happy to help: Dave Quickel, Francine Stephens, Stacy Fraser, Jay Vogler and Julianne Murat.

“Yes” is such a wonderful, powerful word.

To err may be human, to forgive, a good idea; to build a newspaper and a community, divine.

March for our lives

We will leave late Friday night, then we will march through the day Saturday and drive back Saturday evening. We have already raised well over our goal of $8,000 needed for a bus, our driver’s hotel room and other expenses.

If you would like to contribute, the money will by used by the CVU Student Justice Committee for upcoming actions related to ending gun violence in schools and in any future actions the committee chooses to pursue. Please share this campaign with as many people as possible across social media. Thank you.

The link to the Go Fund Me page is gofundme.com/cvu-student-justicecommittee-to-dc.

Australian ballet, 418-176. On behalf of the Planning Commission, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this update. It would not have been possible without your dedication and commitment to the Town of Charlotte.

With the new Town Plan in place, the Planning Commission will begin working on amendments to the Land Use Regulations, additional amendments to the Town Plan, and numerous other action items identified in the Town Plan under the “Implementation” section. Additional information on Planning Commission activities is posted on the town website under “Meetings, Calendar and Agendas” and “Planning, Zoning and Wastewater Permitting.”

Planning Commission meetings are held the first and third Thursdays of the month and are open to the public.

Letters

The students of Champlain Valley Union (CVU) High School intend to participate in the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., on March 24. This march is in protest of school shootings and government inaction. This march is the second action in a series of events CVU has chosen to participate in. Last Friday, the leaders of the Student Justice Committee led a very successful school walkout, but we aren’t done protesting.

We hope to use these events to foster a dialogue with our federal and state representatives to bring about positive change to protect the lives of our students.

Not only are school shootings devastating because of the lives they take and the injuries they cause, but because they leave lasting psychological damage that can minimize the opportunities of survivors for years to come. We hope you will support our efforts to send the message #ENOUGH.

Sydney Vincent CVU sophomore

Thank you, Charlotte

On March 6, 2018, Charlotters decisively approved the updated Town Plan by

Peter Joslin, chair, Charlotte Planning Commission

The Charlotte News The Charlotte News is a nonprofit, communitybased newspaper dedicated to informing townspeople of current events and issues. It serves as a forum for the free exchange of views of town residents and celebrates the people, places and happenings that make the Town of Charlotte unique.

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Publisher: Vince Crockenberg Editorial Staff News Editor: Melissa O’Brien (melissa@thecharlottenews.org) Managing Editor: Anna Cyr (anna@thecharlottenews.org) Contributing Editor: Edd Merritt Copy editors: Beth Merritt, Vince Crockenberg, Proofreaders: Edd Merritt, Mike & Janet Yantachka Archives: Liz Fotouhi Business Staff ads@thecharlottenews.org / 343-0279 Ad manager: Monica Marshall (ads@thecharlottenews.org) Bookkeeper: Jessica Lucia Board Members President: Vince Crockenberg (vince@thecharlottenews.org) Secretaries: Rick Detwiler, Carol Hanley Treasurer: Patrice Machavern (treasurer@thecharlottenews.org) Board members: Rachel Allard, Bob Bloch, Gay Regan, Louisa Schibli Website: thecharlottenews.org Subscription Information The Charlotte News is delivered at no cost to all Charlotte residences. Subscriptions are available for first-class delivery at $40 per calendar year. Want a subscription? Please send a check payable to The Charlotte News, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445.

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ON THE COVER:

Nesting

Medium: Mixed media (original photo transfer and acrylics on birch panel)

By Jane Ann Kantor

Report from the Legislature

Commentary

Workforce development through education

Ban military-style assault weapons for the sake of our children

At the Champlain Valley School District (CVSD) budget presentation the evening before Town Meeting, board member Lynne Jaunich was describing Mike Yantachka the district’s CONTRIBUTOR intent to help students connect with employers through internships for skill development. Moe Harvey, who owns Patterson Fuels, stated that he had positions in his company, well-paying jobs with benefits, that he had a hard time filling because he could not find people with the skills or the willingness to learn. He was unaware of programs matching students with employers, which to me sounded like a communications problem between our educational system and our business communities.

Growing Vermont’s economy is a goal we can all agree on. It is a key to affordability, to maintaining a sustainable tax base and to keeping Vermont an attractive place to live and work. A skilled and productive workforce is critical for the economic vitality of Vermont, which has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. However, our state currently faces several key labor market challenges.

Employers throughout our state have been telling the Legislature that it is difficult to fill job openings due to the lack of qualified workers, even though there is a wide range of job openings across multiple sectors. At the same time many Vermonters are underemployed and require training to update their skills and find job opportunities that match their interests. A lack of skills presents a significant barrier to those who would like to improve their work situation but are not qualified for the available jobs.

Vermont’s educational system can play an important role in addressing this problem. While Vermont has an excellent high school graduation rate, we have the

CORRECTION

lowest rate in New England of youth accessing post-secondary education, including college and technical education.

By focusing on aligning learning opportunities with workforce needs, we can maximize the potential of every Vermonter to participate in a robust labor market.

The Vermont House last week passed H.919, a workforce development bill, to do just that. It commits the state to a redesign of Vermont’s workforce development and training system through a concerted three-year effort, led by the Commissioner of Labor in collaboration with key administration partners, the education and training communities, and others from business and government. This system will allow all Vermonters who want to work and all employers who want workers to connect through education and training, allowing both business and individuals to thrive. It will seek to promote employerdriven workforce education and training opportunities and equitable access to employment and training opportunities for women and underrepresented populations in Vermont.

The bill will require the Agency of Education, in partnership with the Workforce Development Board, to set up a pilot program called Career Pathways.

This program will promote collaboration among middle schools and regional technical education centers that, in partnership with business and industry, will integrate the academic and technical skills required for post-secondary success. The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

To bring this back to the local level, it was satisfying to hear that our small group discussion at the CVSD school budget presentation led to contacts between Patterson Fuels and CVU’s Nexus program, a flexible learning program that allows interested students to partner with business to apply academic learning to the world beyond school. These types of programs have the potential to benefit both employers and students and, hopefully, all of Vermont.

As always, I can be reached by phone (802-233-5238) or by email (myantachka. dfa@gmail.com).

Our coverage of Town Meeting

neglected to mention that Article 11, “Shall the Town vote to adopt an amended Charlotte Town Plan,” was passed by a vote of 418-176. In an email to The Charlotte News, Peter Joslin, chair of the Planning Commission, noted that the vote was the result of over seven years of work by many members of the community, various committees and the Planning Commission, including three articles published in The News over the last few months about the amended plan and the Town Meeting vote.

Also in the Town Meeting article it was stated that a second amendment to Article 3 was put forth by the Trails Committee. In fact it was put forth by Dave Garbose, owner of the Mt. Philo Inn.

The

Charlotte News

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April 4 Copy Deadline: March 25 Ads Deadline: March 29

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Susan Ohanian Town Meeting isn’t over until it’s over. Kudos to Meghan Nelly, who reported on all the events at Town Meeting 2018. This is in noticeable contrast to “the other” paper, which saw no need to mention the advisory motions on the Spear property and the ban on assault weapons. Of course, these items were passed after the meeting had been active for more than three hours, but once we get through all the official reports and public reaction to those reports, Town Meeting always takes the time for ideas from individual citizens. A newspaper that does not find these ideas “fit to print” is not doing its job.

I’d also like to send kudos to 7th grader Helen Eyre for her fine letter in the March 8 paper. Besides agreeing with the point she made, as a longtime teacher of grades 7-8, I felt special kinship with a student speaking out. The safety of students was the reason I made my motion, and for those who weren’t at Town Meeting, I’d like to repeat it here.

Because I do not think Vermonters can stand in silence while students ask for safe schools, I introduced the following advisory motion as the last item at Town Meeting on March 6, 2018: In view of the multitude of horrific mass murders recently committed with assault weapons throughout the country, and in view of the passionate demands of students for actions assuring their safety, I move that the Town of Charlotte request that the Vermont State Legislature modify our gun laws in imitation of the federal assault weapons ban that was in effect from 1994 to 2004, which act imposed a ban on the

manufacture, importation, and sale of assault weapons, and restricted their possession and disposal, and which laid down specific conditions in such a way as to maintain consistency with the Constitution and the Second Amendment.

I move that the chair of the Charlotte Select Board send this motion to the President Pro Tem of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, and our Representative, Mike Yantachka.

The motion passed with acclaim.

I imagine most people will be tempted to shrug. Gun ownership in Vermont is an emotional issue, and people at Town Meeting probably had already made up their minds on how to respond to attempts at banning military-style assault weapons.

My purpose was to make it clear— to Charlotters and to politicians prevaricating in the Legislature—that this motion gives us a path toward a reduction in such weapons without any infringement on a right to bear an adequate variety of arms or in contradiction to the Second Amendment.

The federal assault-gun ban (officially, the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, a subsection of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994) remained in effect for 10 years and then expired only because of a party shift in Congress. During its 10-year life this ban was subjected to numerous legal challenges, but all these challenges were rejected by the courts.

Look at this history and know that an assault weapon ban of this kind for Vermont rests on firm legal foundation, and it holds a good promise for protecting our schools from violent addicts of assault weapons.

Our children deserve no less.

4 • March 21, 2018 • The Charlotte News

Around town Congratulations: to Coco Eyre who, as a previous contestant on “Chopped Jr.” on the Food Network, was chosen this year to serve on a 10-person panel of judges for the 2018 Junior Iron Chef Vermont competition held on March 17 at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction. Coco is the daughter of Melissa O’Brien and Richard Eyre of Charlotte. See photo on page 23 Sympathy: is extended to family and friends of John C. Sheehan of East Charlotte who passed away March 12 at the age of 90. John leaves a long legacy in town, having been born here and returning in 1948 after serving in the U.S. Army and Air Force to help his father run the family farm. After marrying Helen Looby of Vergennes, the two settled in East Charlotte, where John ran two nearby farms. In addition to helping raise a family of six children, he was one of the first school-bus drivers for the newly formed CVU High School. After 18 years of running the farms, John and Helen reluctantly took the Dairy Buyout. John continued to work with Hinsdale Properties and finished his regular work career driving trucks and heavy machinery for the Town of Charlotte.

Unable to remain housebound, John helped his son John II with his lawn-mowing business and participated in the annual Tractor Parade where he was grand marshal the last two years.

Five sons and daughters survive him: John II, JoAnn, Kathy, Marty and Michael, along with his daughter-in-law Vivian, 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Vermont-Northern New England Chapter in the name of Lindsay Sheehan. is extended to family and friends of Virginia R. Neiley of Shelburne who passed away November 17 at the age of 96. Her surviving family includes George Neiley III and his wife, Ellen, of Charlotte. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations and remembrances of her be sent to the Cynthia Neiley Hyde Scholarship Fund, Rivermont Collegiate School (formerly St. Katherine’s School), 1821 Sunset Drive, Bettendorf, IA 52722.

The Charlotte News • March 21, 2018 • 5

Thanks for the generators Christopher W. Davis I wish to thank the voters and citizens of Charlotte who voted at Town Meeting to approve the funds to install emergency generators at the Senior Center and the Town Office.

As Selectman Fritz Tegatz and others explained at Town Meeting, two generators allow the Senior Center to function as a community resource center and warming shelter during times when storms take out the power.

The installation of the generator at the Town Offices provides power so that the town’s administration functions can continue, and it ensures that the septic system pumps that serve the Senior Center, the fire station and the Town Offices will function when the power is out. This investment in emergency power gives our town administrators, town clerks and emergency service providers the capability to better serve Charlotte residents should we experience an extended power outage. Given the

recent pattern of extreme weather events, this investment is prudent and timely.

I wish to recognize this significant commitment to emergency preparedness and to say thank you! Together with the Selectboard, the Road Commissioner, the Fire and Rescue Chiefs, and other local organizations, we are working together to revise and improve our town’s existing emergency operations plan, and installing these emergency power systems are a critical part of that effort.

The most recent winter storms missed this area but significantly impacted areas south of us. I urge all of us to work on being prepared to shelter in our homes for at least 72 hours in the event of a significant storm or power outage. Here is a check list that should be helpful. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me through the Fire Department at 425-3111 or at cvfrs.com.

Christopher W. Davis is Charlotte’s Emergency Management Director and Assistant Fire Chief.

Get prepared, Charlotte!

Create your personal/family emergency plan. For tips on your plan and preparedness supplies go to ready.gov/ make-a-plan.

Before and during an extreme weather event use Vermont 2-1-1 for information on services, support and shelters.

Here’s a checklist of a few of the most essential items that should be in everyone’s emergency plan: • Have a plan for what you will do if you have to remain in your home for up to three days while roads are made safe and power is being restored.

• Make sure your house or driveway is clearly marked so emergency responders can find you. You can order reflective address number signs at cvfrs.com/ community-outreach.

Have essential supplies for up to three days or more: • Water • Essential medications/prescriptions for at least a week • Flashlights/headlamps and spare batteries • Solar or battery back-up cell-phone charger • Nonperishable foods • A method to safely heat water and food without electricity • A back-up heat source or a place to go to get warm • Important contact names and numbers • Make a family contact/communication plan should cell phones become inoperable.

• Have a plan for care of pets and livestock if the power is out for 3-5 days.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at Charlotte Fire and Rescue, (802) 425-3111.

CVU

continued from page 1

those interested to travel to Washington D.C. with him and 30 other CVU students for the national March for Our Lives on March 24.

“We’re going leave on Saturday at midnight and drive through the night,” Trombley said. “In the morning, we’ll arrive in D.C., and we’re going to march.”

Trombley has raised over $9,000 through GoFundMe for students to attend the event in Washington. “Our community reached out and was really great in supporting us,” he said. His original goal of $8,000 was passed within the first 50 hours of the campaign, allowing for CVU to make the trip at little to no cost for students.

“CVU is not stopping here, and we’re not stopping at the march,” Trombley added. The next call to action is on April

Photo by Meghan Neely

20, and Trombley said he’s looking to bring students and state legislatures together. “A march without action is a

parade,” Trombley said. “And we’re really hoping to turn this into something concrete.”

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Accidental Pastor I first set out to write about Raina’s garden for the gardening column in the last issue of the paper.

Fortuitously there was not enough space that time to include the piece Melissa O’Brien and we needed to NEWS EDITOR table it for a few weeks. And too, I needed time for my thoughts to marinate and the universe gave it to me.

I met Raina Donahue when she was doing bookkeeping for the Brick Store.

Our mutual friend, Polly, kept telling me that I needed to meet Raina. I love it when that happens, when your friends are so tuned in to you and who you are that they know who you will love. So, of course, I started running into Raina in funny places.

I ran into her one day in Burlington at Lunaroma where we both confessed our weakness for essential oils and things that smell really good.

We eventually, after a stretch of time talking about it, made a plan to get together, and, of course, Polly was right.

We became friends and thus began the interweaving of our lives: my sons have worked for Raina and her husband, Matt, washing windows in the summers; I made a website for their business; we sit and talk when we can and share our dreams; we are both enormously, begrudgingly gluten-free. I loaned Raina a dress when Carrie and Peter Fenn got married, and Matt and Raina have lent me their home when I needed shelter. Raina is generous with every part of her life and most especially with the things that grow in her magnificent gardens.

This doesn’t happen very often to me, but I am at a loss to describe the gardens

In Raina’s Garden

that sit nestled in the lower field behind the workspace/cottage/building on their Greenbush Road property. They are well organized, pleasing to the eye and the nose; each year they are a little different and each year as the days grow longer and we get a taste of springtime, I begin to think about what Raina’s garden might look like this year.

I have the happiest memories of summer days when the window-washing crew would gather there and pick raspberries. Imagine, five or six tall and strong young men hunched quietly over berry bushes, quietly picking and eating, picking and eating. I think of Coco swinging on the swing up above the garden. I remember Raina telling me, “Stop any time you want and take anything you need; the garden is for everyone.”

You never knew who you might find there picking berries or vegetables or herbs. The times I stopped and no one was home, I felt like a thief, leaving with a basket full of treasure, though I knew I wasn’t because Raina meant what she said, her gardens and the bounty they produce are to be shared.

Why do we grow food, after all? To feed ourselves, yes. For the challenge, perhaps. For the magic, right? The magic of planting a seed and then waiting and watering and loving and ... eating! We need food, of course, but food is also what brings us together, food is what strengthens our bonds to one another.

For Raina, to grow a garden is an act of delight and kindness and charity. To work the earth so that it produces food to heal us and sustain us and flowers to delight us, and then to say to the world around you ... “take what you need” ... this is the simplest, most basic form of love.

When I spend time in Raina’s garden I am the grateful and lucky recipient not

Raina with her daughter Lydia and son, Rory. only of the end results of her masterful gardening hand but of her generous spirit that flows there through the fruits and vegetables, flowers and herbs. A garden

Photo by Matt Donahue

as a way to build friendship, to spread kindness, to bring joy—this is gardening as art. If you need me this summer you may very well find me in Raina’s garden.

6 • March 21, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • March 21, 2018 • 7

Margaret Woodruff LIBRARY DIRECTOR

Think Spring! Despite three nor’easters in as many weeks and inches of snow on the ground, we are starting to think about flowers, gardens and other outdoor activity here at the library. This includes planning for the Seed Library of 2018.

Here’s the latest from Linda Hamilton, who coordinates our seed library.

The Charlotte Library needs your help to stock its 2018 Seed Library! This year’s focus is vegetables, and we will stock heritage (open-pollinated, organically-grown, non-GMO) varieties that are nominated as local favorites.

That’s right…you get to nominate the heritage varieties that you grow (or just love to eat) because of characteristics you think make them special. That could be outstanding flavor, texture, color, versatility, hardiness or disease resistance, ease to grow or harvest or preserve, etc. For example, what is your favorite heritage tomato, green or yellow bean, lettuce, pea, sweet or hot pepper, or potato? Tell us. Nominate your favorite varieties for inclusion in the Seed Library so that others can discover and start growing them too.

Email your nominations now to Seed Library coordinator Linda Hamilton at ferntip@gmavt.net. Give us the name, characteristics and why you think it’s nifty.

We will stock the Seed Library with as many of your nominations as we can in time for the 2018 growing season. Then, area residents will be able to “borrow” a few seeds of these favorites to grow for themselves, and we will help them save some seed from their plants to restock the Seed Library next fall. We will be offering seed saving workshops and educational materials related to eco-friendly gardening

On Books and other topics during the summer and fall. We can’t do this without you, so please nominate your favorites now! And thanks for your help to keep these tried and true favorite varieties alive!

Tuesdays, March 27 & April 3, 10 & 17 @ 9 a.m.

Baby Time @ the Library! Join us to chat, sing songs, read to Baby.

In addition, we’re also launching a 3-session Saturday series, Art in April.

Join us on April 7 for an origami workshop with Erina Tsubota, April 14 for a whirligig program with Jenny Cole, and on April 21 for an interactive art and poem crafts session to celebrate National Poetry Month. All of these programs start at 10:30 a.m. Stop in to check them out.

Programs for Kids Wednesdays, through April 18 @ 3:15 p.m. Junior Chess Club. For students, grade 2 to 12, any skill level. Learn the game & improve your strategies with help from mentor Ajat Teriyal.

Thursday, March 22 @ 3:15 p.m.

THINK Tank: DNA Extraction. DNA is the carrier of genetic information in living organisms—including fruit! We’ll extract DNA from fruit and see what it looks like.

For 4th-8th grades. Registration required.

Please call the library to sign up.

Fridays, through April 2 @ 10:30 a.m. Preschool Story Time. A weekly adventure with stories, experiments & snacks! Ages 3-5.

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Mondays, March 26 & April 2 @3:15 p.m. TinkerBelles. A new season of STEAM activities!

Create a movie, visit with a vet and more. Grades 3-5.

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Tuesdays, March 20–April 18 @ 11 a.m. VT Reads Book Club.

Vermont Reads 2018: Bread & Roses, Too by Katherine Paterson.

This historical novel relates the journey of Rosa, who, along with Jake and other children, are sent temporarily out of harm’s way to foster families in Barre, Vermont, as children actually were during the Bread & Roses Strike of 1912. Join us to discuss and explore many topics, including the immigrant experience in America, labor history and local Vermont history. Reading group begins Tuesday, March 20, at 11 a.m. at Charlotte Central School Library.

Tuesdays, March 27 & April 3, 10 & 17 @ 2:15 p.m. Story Explorations. Stories & crafts for K & 1st graders.

Thursday, March 29 @ 3:15 p.m.

THINK Tank: Fun with Origami.

With one sheet of paper, you can make everything from a dog to a drinking cup!

Come learn how to get started with origami teacher Erina Tsubota. She’ll share the basic steps to get you started and help with individual projects during this 90-minute session. All supplies provided. This is the first of two programs; participants may sign up for one or both. For 4th–8th grades. Registration required. Please call the library to sign up.

Information & Activities for Adults Tuesdays, March 20-April 18 @ 11 a.m.

VT Reads Book Club. Vermont Reads 2018: Bread & Roses, Too by Katherine Paterson. This historical novel relates the journey of Rosa, who, along with Jake

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Thursday, March 22 @ 7:30 p.m.

Book Discussion Group: A Very Long Engagement. Sebastien Japrisot’s bestseller about a young French woman’s quest to find her fiancé during World War I. Join us to discuss this session and watch the movie our next session. Copies available at the circulation desk.

Tuesday, March 27 @ 7 p.m. Open Sesame Film Showing & Discussion.

Rescheduled from snow day on March 13. Watch “Open Sesame, the Story of Seeds,” the excellent documentary film about the magic and importance of seeds.

Share reactions to the film and ideas for how to grow a simple but wonderful seed library right here at Charlotte Library.

Monday, April 16 @ 10 a.m. Mystery Book Group: The Secret Place. A hint of the supernatural spices the latest from a mystery master, Tana French, as two detectives try to probe the secrets teenage girls keep—and the lies they tell—after murder at a posh boarding school.

Everyone is this meticulously crafted novel might be playing—or being played by—everyone else. Join us for coffee & conversation about Tana French’s fifth in the Dublin Murder Squad series. Copies are available at the circulation desk.

Thursday, April 19 @ 7 p.m. Wearing Our Heritage. Rescheduled from snow day on March 8. Join Don Stevens, chief of the Nulhegan Tribe, Abenaki scholar Melody Walker Brook, chair of the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs, and Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Curator Eloise Beil for a discussion about the meaning of garments, accessories and regalia in their own lives and in community and tribal identity.

Developed by the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association in partnership with Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and Flynn Center for the Arts, this program and the traveling exhibit “Alnobak: Wearing Our Heritage” were designed to deepen public understanding of how the vibrant Abenaki culture continues into the 21st century.

Supported in part by a grant from the Vermont Humanities Council.

COMING UP IN APRIL: Great Decisions 2018, Art in April @ Library, Computer Workshops on Passwords and Computing in the Cloud.

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and other children, are sent temporarily out of harm’s way to foster families in Barre, Vermont, as children actually were during the Bread & Roses Strike of 1912. Join us to discuss explore many topics, including the immigrant experience in America, labor history, and local Vermont history. Reading group begins Tuesday, March 20, at 11a.m. at Charlotte Central School Library.

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car is resting from its labors in the garage, and here it will be, my book, waiting for me, earmarked page 91...

Big mistake. Why? Because one of the best things about getting a pedicure is reading while it’s happening. I almost always bring the book I am reading with me, wherever I happen to be going, whatever I happen to be doing, because you never know—there might be some waiting. And when there is waiting, there is reading. So there I was, feet in hot water, with no book to read. Tragic.

Now, when my daughter gets a pedicure (we often go together when she’s home), she reads her phone. Or looks at her phone. She isn’t a big reader of books for pleasure (yet; I am still hoping). But I didn’t want to read my phone. Reading my phone is nothing like reading a book. Even reading a book on my phone (I’ve done that once, never again) isn’t like reading a book. And so there I was, bookless and bereft. And so it was that I did then what I had to do: I picked up a magazine.

You probably know this already and don’t need me to tell you: some magazines are better than others. I really like The New Yorker…sometimes Time or Newsweek or The Week. But these are not pedicure publications, in my opinion.

(The New Yorker, maybe, but not those other three. I don’t think pedicure reading should be too serious, and it definitely

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I am going to Florida soon, and so this afternoon I had a window in my schedule and, instead of heading back to Charlotte, decided to get a much-needed, Katherine Arthaud walk-in pedicure.

Luckily for me, the place wasn’t crowded (it often is), and they took me right away. In no time, my feet and ankles were happily soaking in a basin of hot water. Ahhhhh.

For my color, I chose gold, something I have never done before and may never do again, but I think I quite like it. I’m not 100 percent sure, but I think it’s okay.

Anyway. You are probably wondering what any of this has to do with books.

So far, I admit it has nothing to do with books. But here it is: When I left my house this morning, I paused for a moment to ponder the question of whether I should bring my book with me for the day. I looked at it, lying there on my night table—slim, orange-and-white cover (Karl Geary, Montpelier Parade; excellent), and thought, nah, I won’t have time to read today. I’ll just leave it where it is and come back to it later this evening when the day is done and the night is dark and the

Don’t forget your book

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should not be distressing.) What was at hand was Cosmopolitan, People (old issues, “I Was Raised by Serial Killers,” etc.), and InStyle, and some other titles not worth mentioning—all unsatisfactory, unappealing. I thumbed through a wellread stack, read a little of this and that, and then my son called.

It was not a satisfying pedicure. And not because of the gold or the pedicurist, who is excellent. I suppose the lesson, the moral, of the story is: Bring your book with you every day, no exceptions, no matter what. You never know when you might have need of it.

But wait, the story doesn’t end there, because when I moved over to the toenail drying station, I found, under a tall stack of more utterly unworthy schlock, a fat, glossy Vogue I had never seen before.

And in that Vogue (which was literally half advertisements) was an article by Lena Dunham on her hysterectomy at age 31. It was excellent—raw, honest, funny, touching and very well written. And so all was not lost. I did get in some good reading and left in good spirits (though I did feel bad for Lena Dunham). And my toenails got very, very dry and never smudged at all—because I didn’t find the Vogue till late in the drying process and wasn’t going to leave till I finished that article.

And one more thing. I do recommend

Montpelier Parade (mentioned above), a kind of mystery/love/coming-of-age story, quite poetic. And if you have never read it, don’t miss (longtime New Yorker staff writer) William Finnegan’s Barbarian Days, A Surfing Life, a beautifully written, un-put-down-able memoir that won a Pulitzer last year. If you have never read Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries, that’s another excellent book (winner of the 2013 Man Booker Prize), which takes place in the mid-19th century New Zealand goldfields. And finally, if you want something new-age-y and possibly life-changing, try I Am the Word by Paul Selig, “a guide to the consciousness of man’s self in a transitioning time.” It is channeled. But keep an open mind. You might like it.

Happy reading and remember: Don’t leave your book at home. The jury is still out on gold.

8 • March 21, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • March 21, 2018 • 9

Town

Clemmons Family Farm presented with award

On Thursday, March 15, at the Statehouse in Montpelier, the Clemmons Family Farm was presented with an award of $15,000 from the Barn Preservation Grant Program of the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. The award recognized that the 148-acre farm, purchased by the Clemmons family in 1962, is now one of 22 landmarks on Vermont’s AfricanAmerican Heritage Trail. The family is transitioning the property to create an African-American Heritage and Multicultural Center that will be open to the public. They plan to reintroduce livestock to the farm, using the barn to house animals and store hay in the circa 1840 main barn.

State funding will leverage a prestigious grant from ArtPlace America to allow major rehabilitation work to create indoor venues for agriculture alongside AfricanAmerican and African diaspora visual and performing arts programs for the community.

Lydia Clemmons accepted the award on behalf of her parents, Lydia and Dr. Jack Clemmons (co-owners of the Clemmons Family Farm), and was congratulated by Governor Scott.

Photo Mike Yantachka

Going even greener: Church Hill Landscapes wins award “We’re in the green industry,” Nate Carr of Church Hill Landscapes, said recently. “I can’t care about the world around us without being aware that we can do better in terms of the equipment we use.”

Last year Nate put his money where his mouth is and made a significant investment in professional-grade electric mowers.” We’re early adopters for Vermont,” he said, “but there are so many advantages to using these machines.” The most obvious, of course, is they create less pollution, both noise and air. “There are no polluting emissions,” Nate explained, “and they’re really quiet, so there’s less disruption when we’re servicing properties. These mowers work just as well without degrading the environment.”

In recognition of its work in implementing “an environmentally sound practice that contributes to the protection Nate Carr Photo contributed of our environment,” Church Hill Landscapes was given the Environmental electric mowing, solar-powered leaf Awareness Award from the Vermont blowing and string trimming in their Nursery and Landscape Association for continued efforts to reduce the company’s 2017. carbon footprint.

Nate and his Church Hill team offer

Humane Society seeks foster providers Short- and long-term opportunities available

Homeward Bound, Addison County’s Humane Society, is seeking volunteers to provide in-home care for shelter animals.

They currently have short- and long-term fostering opportunities for dogs, cats and kittens.

Foster homes are utilized by the humane society when animals need extra attention and care. Some examples include animals that are too young for adoption or that require socialization to prepare them for adoption or that require medical care in a home environment to ready them for adoption Annually the greatest fostering need is for kittens. Late spring through midautumn, the time of year when most kittens are born, is unofficially called “kitten season.” Despite Homeward

Bound’s best efforts, dozens of unwanted kittens are born into the region every year, many of which become orphaned and are in desperate need of care. During this time period the shelter receives many kittens that are too young or too under socialized to be immediately available for adoption.

Before they can be adopted, kittens must be at least two months old and weigh two pounds. Homeward Bound Executive Director Jess Danyow says, “Fostering is

a labor of love.

Orphaned kittens, for example, require feeding around the clock by their providers—it’s literally like having a baby for a number of weeks. Foster families donate their time and a loving, temporary home, and Homeward Bound provides food and other necessities for the cats and kittens.”

Danyow adds, “We currently have 15 active foster families, and they are an incredibly important resource for our

shelter. We are hoping to attract more folks from the region who are looking for an opportunity to help homeless animals during their time of transition. We are especially interested in people who can provide foster care for dogs in need, as this has proven very helpful in getting dogs, who deteriorate in the shelter kennels over a lengthy stay, back on track and ready for adoption.”

Those interested in this volunteer position can download a volunteer application from the shelter’s website, homewardboundanimals.org.

Questions can be directed to chriso@ homewardboundanimals.org.

Education

CVSD works to improve school safety and emergency preparedness plan Elaine Pinckney CHAMPLAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT

Dear CVSD Community: After the outbreak of school violence in Parkland, Florida, and our own threats closer to home in Vermont, I’m reaching out to assure you that the safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority.

While statistically, school shootings remain rare, these horrific incidents focus our attention on critical security needs and cause us to re-evaluate our safety plans.

In the Champlain Valley School District, the work of improving our schools’ safety and emergency preparedness was well underway prior to these recent events. Earlier this year, the entire administrative team met with Rob Evans, the Agency of Education’s school safety expert, to review our current practices. Overall Mr. Evans concluded that, although CVSD has a vast majority of the needed systems in place, he recommended that we develop a high-priority checklist and identify specific challenges. In the weeks that have followed, each school administrative team has worked with Mr. Evans to undertake an assessment of their own school’s safety and emergency preparedness, to assess the unique challenges at each site and to develop a plan based on the specific results of each assessment.

Currently, each CVSD school has an active and engaged school safety team

that meets monthly to focus on continuous improvements in school safety. In addition to school personnel, committee members include emergency responders from local police and fire departments, and the Vermont State Police. The commitment to this deep collaborative work has forged relationships that go well beyond polite familiarity and have evolved to close professional teaming and high-level cooperation.

At the central office, we are focused on developing a mass communication system, a visitor management system, a universal set of crisis commands, a camera surveillance policy and a systematic plan for connecting with our community resources.

We understand that safety goes beyond the physical and applies to mental and emotional well-being as well. At CVSD our goal is to be as prepared as possible for any emergency while continuing to provide a welcoming space for our students and their families. We take enormous pride in the close relationships that exist between and among our students, their families and the faculty and staff in each of our schools. This is an area that is nurtured and developed by design. We know it makes a difference.

I know I speak for our board, principals, teachers and all our dedicated staff when I say that we will make every effort to meet our security needs while continuing to foster a rich educational experience for your children in the kind and supportive community that they have come to trust.

Sixth graders study Earth’s development from outer space

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Allan Miler INSTRUCTIONAL COACH AND PERSONALIZATION COORDINATOR

The Champlain Valley School District has been working with Natasha Grey and her 6th-grade students at CCS for the past few weeks. The students took part in a NASA mission called Sally Ride EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students), a NASA educational outreach program that enables students, teachers and the public

to learn about Earth from the unique perspective of space.

Students were able to link to a camera onboard the International Space Station and have downloaded about 120 pictures of various places around the planet. They are using these pictures along with Google Earth images to better understand the impacts of geography on the development of human civilizations, investigating what features tend to correlate with places of dense human populations versus situations where people choose not to live.

Mater Christi Middle School Robotics competes in high school championship

Left to Right: Ava Rohrbaugh (Charlotte), Emilie Buttolph (Colchester), Chris Haigney and Ellie Haigney (Charlotte), Tyler French (Milton), Julien Buttolph (Colchester), Jack Rutz (Shelburne), Wolfie Davis (Charlotte), Philip Skidd (Shelburne).

Photo contributed Mater Christi School’s Bulldog robotics team was one of only two middle school teams to compete against 30 high school teams in the First Tech Challenge Regional Championship at Essex High School on February 24.

Mater Christi School students engineered, built and coded a robot in compliance with competition specifications and successfully constructed an operable robot that they were able to control and maneuver.

Sponsored by Kennedy Excavating, Logic Supply, Engelberth Construction and Trudell Consulting Engineers, the Bulldogs engaged in creative problem-

solving to develop working solutions in order to compete and score points. Guided

by Mater Christi faculty, Technology Director Michael Early and Makerspace Director Tricia Finkle, the Bulldogs placed 27th in a field of 32 competitors.

Mater Christi School has a very active makerspace and robotics program that engages students in grades K-8. Students develop technology skills that include 3D modeling, electricity and engineering, and many other projects throughout the school year. Mater Christi School is currently developing a partnership with the School of Engineering at UVM.

10 • March 21, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • March 21, 2018 • 11

In The Garden

The care and feeding of seeds and seedlings

You know all those seed packets you just couldn’t resist tossing in your cart in midwinter? Well, the time has finally come for starting some. I say “some” because Joan Weed all seeds are not best begun inside.

Many prefer direct sowing in the garden. Here we’ll deal with those that need a head start inside where we live.

You might be asking why start seeds inside at all? You can buy perfectly grown plants at your local nursery. The main reason to my way of thinking is to have the precise varieties you’d like. And besides, it’s fun.

Start those that take a while to germinate and become a size to withstand outdoor wind and weather, vegetables such as eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, parsley, basil, cabbages, broccoli, leeks and lettuces. Begin growing perennial flowers indoors; annual flowers do well with direct garden sowing.

Some seeds need preparation before sowing. Peas, beans and parsley could benefit from an overnight soaking first. There is also a legume inoculant for pea and beans seeds that aids in germination. Others need scarification, like moonflowers. This means nicking the outer coating with a sharp knife to allow moisture to penetrate the shell more easily.

Then there is stratification, which means planting in a moist starting mix and placing (covered) in a cool environment (like the refrigerator) for months. Cardinal flower is one that comes to mind for this treatment.

Here, think what Mother Nature would do for a hint about which could use this method.

Seeds can be held over from year to year

if stored properly, which means completely dry and in a neutral temperature setting.

A few kinds of seeds, such as alliums and parsley, perform best when bought fresh each season. To test for the viability of saved seeds, place a few in a folded, damp paper towel and then in a jar or plastic bag. Observe for a few days, and the percentage of your test seeds that germinate successfully usually corresponds with the viability of those left in the packet. Some seeds remain good for many years. If you’d like to save seeds and have them come true, you must save only open-pollinated varieties. Hybrids are not good candidates.

You’ll need a few supplies to begin. First a soilless mix for filling your containers.

Containers can be specially bought divided planters or old yogurt cups. Clamshell containers from produce or such make good planters and come with their own covers to hold in moisture. The covers should be removed once germination takes place. Depends on your budget. Drainage is important, so holes might need to be added to the bottom. You’ll need trays to hold your choice of planters because you will want to water from below so as not to wash away your seeds. Some sort of labels are essential along with a sharpie or grease pencil. I sometimes cut used cottage cheese or yogurt containers into “V” shaped labels to stick in the planters.

Lighting is important, especially after germination takes place. I have used ordinary shop lights on adjustable chains with good results. You will want to raise the lights as the plants grow. If the source of light is not close enough to the plants, they will reach for it and become leggy and weak. Although somewhat expensive, a gardener’s heating pad to place under your tray will ensure success. It can be used every year thereafter, so the investment is worth it.

One reason for the early demise of seedlings is “damping off,” which will have your baby plants falling over suddenly.

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To avoid this, water always from the bottom, and it could benefit your plants to have a sprinkling of sand or gravel on top of the planting medium.

Lightly brushing your newly started plants daily with your hand helps them to be strong. Another idea is to run an oscillating fan nearby. A timer for your lights is also a good idea as you will want the light to shine for 14 to 16 hours a day.

Once our last frost date has come and gone and the weather warms, you will want to “harden off” your plants. They should be introduced to their permanent garden space by setting them outdoors in a shaded but bright area a little bit each day and bringing them inside at night. After Starting with seeds.

Photo contributed a week or so of this, you may plant in the garden. One trick I have used to protect the season for next year’s offerings. One of newly planted vegetables like tomatoes is my favorite books about propagating plants to cut the bottom off a soft plastic pot and in general is by Ken Druse. It is called pushing it into the ground around your Making More Plants. plant. This protects the plant from wind and Seeds for squash, beets, corn, carrots, also shades the plant just enough till it gets beans, radishes, cucumbers, melons and strong. You can leave it in place all season, peas are best planted directly in your as your plant will grow right up and out. garden beds when the soil temperature is Don’t be too anxious to start your seeds, warm and all danger of frost is past. since you will be taking care of them for There are still many plants that our local many months. Packets usually have loads nurseries grow better than we can, so make of valuable information about planting a visit and purchase some starts. Knowing depth, days to maturity and whether light is something about the beginnings of a plant’s needed for germination or darkness. Books life will make you a better shopper. are also available, and I believe our library If you are new at seed starting, begin with has some as well as free seeds to offer from a manageable few—before you know it its seed library. It is hoped you will add you’ll catch the fever. some seeds to the seed library at the end of

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12 • March 21, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • March 21, 2018 • 13

Backyard Sugaring Rookie year in the sugar shack

Charlotte Recreation Nicole Conley

RECREATION DIRECTOR

Spring & Summer Program Guide

It helps having folks around who have seen this process before. So does having YouTube.

“

Andrew Jackson From the dark mists it was oozing, in a long steady thread of sweetness, finally.

Two days after beginning the fires at my homemade arch and a week after drilling my first taps, maple syrup had arrived from my own maple trees surrounding my home. The idea was simple enough: make a gallon of syrup this year, at home. The devil, it turns out, is in the execution. But having good friends and family along for the ride makes for a memorable effort.

Just about everyone had helpful comments about maple sugaring when I announced my intended project. My friend James suggested, “You know that they sell maple syrup now, at the grocery store?” Nicole at the bank advised that it was easy. Another friend asked what kind of arch I had. “What’s an arch?” was what was rolling around in my brain, but I just said, “Not sure yet.” Turns out that’s what they call the fire source for your operation.

I was going to solve that problem after I started getting my sap going.

Acquiring sap is easy. YouTube provides numerous “how-to” videos. In about 15 minutes with my 5/16ths drill bit I was in business. I bought 12 plastic taps and light blue tubing. The youngsters at Aubuchon Hardware could point me to the various plastic bits, but the rest was up to me to figure out. As it turns out there is something called “food quality plastic.”

My purchase of a nice, blue recycling bin, intended to store my sap, was the wrong choice. I needed a food-quality trash container, which I got at the restaurant equipment store. Luckily a friend who has a bakery cafe provided me with smaller plastic containers. Three days later, my 35-gallon storage bin was full! In another two all my smaller pails were overflowing, so I had to figure out the means to boil.

The original thought was to boil in a single stainless sheet pan—another

PLANTS RO CKS W AT E R

It was a good night. I learned so much: the sap turned very dark; those smallish bubbles forming foam is a great sign that you are getting somewhere.

”

Photo contributed restaurant store purchase—on a large wood stove that I no longer use. That would be very, very slow. My son, Jo, strongly opined that you have to have

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the flame on the pan bottom to get it hot enough. His homemade barrel arch was up in his sugar bush where it was stored from last year. This past autumn’s fierce wind storm had felled so many trees that recovering it would be another large project. I was running out of time.

Impulsively, one Friday afternoon I drove to Vermont Evaporator Company in Montpelier and bought a boiling pan, 20 x 30. This was a good move as it turned out. On Saturday I fashioned an arch out of 18 cinderblocks and tossed a pipe out of one end of the structure. Surprisingly it worked and was built to fit the fancy new pan.

Sunday would be day one. Lee came over and promptly started assessing wood supply. I used my kiln-dried hardwood, and we boiled the day’s new sap, not even touching the storage containers. My friend John appeared early and helped tend fire and collect sap. I was swimming in sap.

Jo showed up to assess the operation.

My friendly neighbor wandered up to check on all the smoke and commotion.

My friend Jimmy came down from Burlington, and we all had a merry time taking turns with the chores of fetching and straining the sap, stoking the fire and checking the boil until the late evening.

Progress was hard to see. At 10 p.m. I let the fires die down.

On Monday morning Lee was up rebuilding the arch floor (it had collapsed in the heat), dropping a dead pine and

splitting it up, before I could get to the project. He had decided that pine was a faster, hotter burning wood. When I got back from my morning projects, Lee had that fire hot and the sap was boiling hard. He is a seasoned woodsman and has a rhyme for just about every type of wood. “Red pine is fine, most of the time.” Or “Elmwood burns like church yard mold, even its very flames are cold.” Lee dropped a second pine in the afternoon, announcing that he’s not really comfortable unless he’s splitting wood!

Jo showed up with his rig that he had muscled down the mountain from his bush, and we set that up as the starter boil.

By dusk we had a real glow going.

It helps having folks around who have seen this process before. Lee, Jo and his wife, Bay, the grandchildren—it was a good night. I learned so much: the sap turned very dark; those smallish bubbles forming foam is a great sign that you are getting somewhere. We used the spatula method to see if the sap would “sheet off.” Tasting the stuff didn’t hurt either. When we all agreed it was time, I opened the valve and out came the slow thread of product. With Jo’s preboiling set up and our slow addition to my pan of that boiling sap, we had continuous production for an hour or so. By 10 p.m. I had roughly a gallon of the good goo. We banked the fires, making sure that we had enough sap to leave in the pans so they wouldn’t scorch during the later evening.

I regret that I had not tried this much earlier in my Vermont life, when the kids were little. It’s lots of work, but slow time spent around the fire with family and friends in a common purpose, with a sweet reward, is time well spent. As it turns out I let the sap boil too long and it crystalized some by the morning. This project was not cheap, but most of the equipment is long-lasting and reusable. I suppose I will have to learn about clean-up next, and I hope there is a YouTube how-to video on that. It is my intention to enlarge, renew and move to a more perfect operation next year in Jackson Wood.

Mini Lacrosse practices will be offered to 1st and 2nd graders on Saturday mornings, April 21–May 19, at 9 a.m. at Charlotte Central.

Each participant will get a chance to learn more about the game while having fun. Cost: $35 by April 18.

Afterschool Soccer (Grades 1-4). It’s time to lace up those cleats and enjoy a fun afternoon of outdoor soccer. This program will take place after school on Wednesdays, May 2– May 30, from 3 to 4 p.m. at Charlotte Central.

Teams will be split by grades 1/2 and 3/4.

Space is limited. Cost: $35 by April 30.

Afterschool Tennis Lessons. The program is open to 1st through 8th graders; age groups will be split into the two timeslots listed below. You may sign your child up for both sessions. Please note: depending on roster sizes, those in 4th and 5th grades may be assigned to either group.

Session 1: Mondays and Tuesdays, April 30–May 15. Cost per session: $75 (6 lessons).

Make-up/rain days the following Wednesday.

Deadline: April 27.

Session 2: Mondays and Tuesdays, May 21–June 11. Cost per session: $75 (6 lessons).

Make-up/rain days the following Wednesday.

Deadline: May 15.

Mondays Grades 1-5 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Grades 4-8 4:30–5:30 p.m.

Tuesdays Grades 1-5 2:30–3:30 p.m.

Grades 4-8 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Champlain Valley Track and Field.

Charlotte is proud to be a part of this threetown (Charlotte, Hinesburg and Williston) track and field program. Participants will learn the basics of running, jumping, throwing and relays. In additional, there will be some casual meet options with other rec programs.

This program is for children ages 7–14 as of 12/31/18. All participants will receive a T-shirt. Mondays and Wednesdays, June 20– July 2, 6:15-7:45 p.m. at CVU. Cost: $50.

Tim Serrell Tennis Clinic. Tim Serrell was a summer resident of Charlotte who loved to play tennis. When he died, he left money in a trust fund to provide free tennis lessons to the children of Charlotte. The program began in 1989 and has become a Charlotte summer tradition. Younger children will play during the early timeslot. Your child will be assigned a time once registration for the clinic is complete. Space is limited. For grades 1 through 8, June 25–29, 8:30–9:30 a.m. and 9:30–10:30 a.m. at the Charlotte Beach. No cost (please consider making a donation).

listed on our website: charlottevt.org.

TetraBrazil Soccer Camp. The TetraBrazil Academy provides players with authentic Brazilian coaching. TetraBrazil Soccer Camp combines learning Brazilian techniques, footwork, moves—and fun! This camp will be held at CCS the week of July 16–20.

• 3-hour camp 9 a.m.–noon. Ages 6-16. $150, nonresident $160.

• 6-hour camp 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Ages 8-18. $190, nonresident $200.

Registration must be completed at website listed on our website: charlottevt.org.

Kids Cook Vermont Summer Camp. Do you love to cook? Do you enjoy helping others? At Kids Cook Camp, campers get to do both. During this week-long camp, campers will prepare and cook meals for foodinsecure folks in our community. From garden to plate, kids will have the opportunity to plan menus, harvest veggies, prepare and serve.

Half of each day campers will be working with food. The other half, campers will enjoy hiking, games, yoga, music and nature journaling. On the final day, campers will serve a meal they have created. Ages: Rising 1st through 6th grades.

Week 1: July 30–August 3 Week 2: August 6–10. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Charlotte Congregational Church. Cost: $250 (sibling discounts available).

Junior Golf Camp. The junior golf minicamps at the Ultimate Golf School are the best around, and the kids play on the course every day! The camps are limited to four players, and a 2:1 student/teacher ratio allows us to provide the best learning environment for young golfers. Rules, safety, etiquette and fitness are taught in a fun and interesting manner. For ages 8 to 15. Monday–Thursday, August 14–17, noon–3 p.m. at Cedar Knoll Country Club. Cost: $220.

Acce P

Voltage Soccer Camp. Professional soccer academy invites young soccer enthusiasts, ages 5–18, to be a part of a challenging educational experience. The academy offers an opportunity to learn and enjoy many aspects of the game of soccer in a competitive environment from current professional players. Emphasis is placed on the developmental, improvement and refinement of basic playing skills. For ages 5 to 18. July 31–August 4, 9 a.m. to noon at Charlotte Central School. Cost: $115.

Patrick Ke experienc care for ad accepting Accepting Newn Patients Family He

Patrick Kearney, PA-C practice Accepting New Patients Same Day Appointmen Health. Al

Afterschool Horseback Riding Lessons.

Students in grades 1st through 12th grades will learn the basic care of the horse, including grooming, bathing, feeding and upkeep at the Steeple Ridge Farm. Students will also learn the nutrition side and the anatomy side of the horse and the certain tack we use on our horses. Tuesdays, 2:15-5:30 p.m. Cost: $250.

Session 6: April 3–May 8 Session 7: May 15–June 12 Boater Safety Course. Boating safety education is required for any motor boat operator, 12 years of age or older, born after January 1, 1974. The Boat Vermont eight-hour classroom course will enable you to get the certification that you need. Participants must be present at all four classes to be eligible for certification. Ages: 12 and up. Mondays and Wednesdays, May 7–May 16, 6-8:30 p.m. at Williston Central School. Cost: $20.

Summer Driver’s Education. The Charlotte Recreation Department will be offering a driver’s education program this summer by the 802 Driving School. The four-week program will be taught by Joe Barch, who has over 15 years of experience teaching in the public schools. Monday–Thursday, June 18– July 17, 8–10 a.m. at Charlotte Central School (no class the week of July 4). Registration fee: $690.

Summer Horseback Riding Camp.

Students will learn in a safe and fun environment, with patient and experienced camp counselors. We will teach the child about horsemanship, anatomy of the horse, health and wellness and the tack. Steeple Ridge Farm has a large fenced in outdoor riding arena as well as a spacious indoor arena for inclement weather conditions.

Camp Dates:

Week 1: June 25–29

Week 2: July 2–6

Week 3: July 16–20

Week 4: July 30–August 3

Week 5: August 20–24 Time: 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Cost: $350. Location: Steeple Ridge Farm.

British Soccer Camps. The British Soccer camp will be held the week of July 9–13 at Charlotte Central School. The camp staff is selected and trained in the UK exclusively to work in these camps. They have a genuine interest in helping each player’s development and providing memorable positive experiences. Please see the four camps offered below: Mini-soccer, ages 4–6, 8–9 a.m. Resident $80, Nonresident $85. Fun games, competitions and skill building activities are designed to enlighten and develop a budding player.

Half-day player development camp, ages 9–12, 9 a.m–noon. Resident $150, nonresident $160. Emphasis is placed upon skill development and mastery of core techniques through individual and small group practices and coached games.

Full-day player development camp, ages 7–15, 9a.m.–3 p.m. Resident $190, nonresident $200. A more advanced camp for serious players. Full-day camps focus on game-related techniques, tactical development and coached match play.

• Host a coach! It’s a great experience for your family, and there is an $80 rebate on your registration!

• Registration must be completed at website

Evergreen Family Health

Full and partial scholarships are available for all youth recreation activities. You can find additional information on all of our programs, as well as registration forms, on our town website, charlottevt.org, under the “Recreation” tab, or contact Nicole Conley by email at Recreation@townofcharlotte.com or by phone at 425-6129 ext.204.

Patrick Kearney, MS, PA-C is an experienced provider of primary care for adults and children. He i accepting new patients at Charlott Family Health Center, a partner

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Appointments Available Along with Andrea Regan Call 425-5121 to schedule an appointment

Charlotte Family Hea

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14 • March 21, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • March 21, 2018 • 15

Sports Report the overall championship in the combined slalom and giant slalom events.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Edd Merritt

Winter sports end for CVU – Alpinists claim overall title

So, you can end the season coming in at second place for men and second place for women and still win the overall state championship. This happened to CVU’s Alpine ski teams. The women finished second in their two-day event in early March, behind Mount Mansfield Union.

Redhawk Becca Provost was the top individual finisher in the slalom race at Burke Mountain.

Among the men, CVU again placed second in slalom behind St. Johnsbury Academy with Briggs Francis and Charlotte’s Seth Boffa finishing among the top-ten individuals. These two runner-up finishes led the Redhawks to

St. Johnsbury pulls the pedestal from under Redhawk women’s basketball It probably had to happen sooner or later. St. Johnsbury, rated number one going into the tournament, halted the Redhawks’ five years as top team in the state, winning the Division I state tournament finals decisively, 48-33.

Hilltoppers sophomore Josie Choiniere came into the game on a hot shooting streak, scoring 14 of her game-high 23 points in the first half. CVU coach Otley noted in the Burlington Free Press that St. Johnsbury had jammed the lane to the basket in their previous games, and this time the Redhawks would allow their guards to become more involved in the scoring. Apparently, the Hilltoppers picked up on that strategy and pressured the outside ball handlers. Charlotte sophomore Maryn Askew led CVU scorers with 13 points.

Over the recent years, CVU women have won 22 playoff games and were

The snowy owl shot was taken a few weeks ago, just off Route 22A in Addison. My wife, Robin, and I were driving down the road and noticed a small group of birders training their binoculars on the snowy. There is a decent population of snowy owls in the area this year but not as many as the great irruption of 2013–14.

Photo by Robert Coleburn

Tri-captains, Shannon Louseau, Lindsey Albertelli and Juli Neeld carry state runner-up trophy from the court.

Photo by Al Frey the first Vermont team to appear in eight consecutive championship contests.

Coach Ute Otley looks on the teamsport nature of basketball, building depth on offense and team strength on defense. This year’s Redhawks spread their strength throughout the classes, not having to rely on the seniors. Just two of five starters were seniors – with only three seniors on the team. This bodes well for the future.

Redhawk men’s basketball makes it to the state quarterfinals

I basketball playdowns (67-63) to send CVU against Rice in the quarterfinals.

Sophomore Ethan Harvey with 21 points and Charlotte junior Cole Otley with 18 led the Redhawk scorers in the win over the Wolves.

The Green Knights, ranked number 2 in the state against the Redhawks’ number 3, flipped the finish, coming from a 15-point deficit at the beginning of the fourth quarter to squeak by CVU 62-61. Ethan Harvey again led CVU scorers with 15 points with Will Burroughs and Graham Walker hitting for 14 and 12 points respectively.

It took a four-point overtime win over South Burlington in the Division

The Estate Sale Find

I am a coin collector. I was waiting in our Honda for Mom. We were going on our regular Saturday yard sale and estate sale trip to find coins. We drove to Burlington and on the way I always hope that I will find something unique, expensive, old, or rare. It had felt like hours until we finally got there.

When we got there, we grabbed a number from the red bucket. It took about ten minutes for our number to get called.

When I walked in, it was so full of people I could barely see, so I decided to go to one of the far bedrooms where there were only about two people. I was in the bedroom for about ten seconds when I opened one of the dresser drawers and saw a small bag. I grabbed the bag, and there was a little piece of paper in the bag, so I opened the bag; the piece of paper read $1 1914 D wheat penny.

When I saw that, I was so excited because I knew that a 1914 D wheat penny is worth $2000 to $4000. I put the paper back in the bag and tried to get out of the house as fast as I could, so I could look at the coin.

When I got out of the house, I went to the other side of the house and opened the bag.

I grabbed the penny from out of the bag and looked at the date. It read 1917 D; when I saw that I was not too happy.

I put the penny back in the bag, put the bag in my pocket and walked back in the house; it was about another 15 minutes until my mom and I came out of the house after

paying. By that time, I had already told my mom about what I had found. We got back in the car and went to a couple of yard sales then went home. When I got home (I had thought the coin was about 30 dollars), I looked it up on my computer, and looked in a couple of my coin books, and it seemed that it was around 30 dollars. I told my mom that next week I wanted to go to a nearby coin shop to see what they would say the price is. The next week my mom and I went to the coin shop to see what they thought the price would be; when we got there, I looked around for about five minutes. When I asked what the price was, they said they thought it was about 30 dollars. I was right.

Miles Jordan Grade 6 Worry I have no excuse to not be your friend, Though you have a choice to want to be mine.

I hope you choose wisely.

You have nothing to worry about when I talk to you, Though you need to think before you speak to me.

The words you say can be frightening if you don’t take your time.

You have a voice, so use it kindly.

Words are powerful and strong and they hurt if you don’t control them, But they are as kind and gentle as can be if

you use your heart.

Take your time, be who you are and do what you want, but remember, We are all the same on the inside.

So just use your heart.

Miles Jordan Grade 6

Trees of Life

In a gloomy forest, in a gloomy park, in a gloomy town... a seed was planted.

And as soon as the tiniest trunk started to sprout from the ground, the trees around grew stronger, taller and bigger to protect this little sapling.

But as the sapling grew bigger, the trees around grew weaker, but that was okay.

Because now the little sapling was not little anymore.

The little sapling was now a tree.

And that tree made sure to protect the trees surrounding him.

For he would not have become what he had without those around him.

This is like real life, give back to those who have given.

Ella Emmons Grade 6

The Beautiful Morning Where Nothing Was Wrong

Once upon a time, it was a beautiful morning and nothing was wrong. A little youngling named Marlie rolled out of bed

with a smile. “Today is going to be great!”

She put on her unicorn frappe (limited edition) slippers and slid out to the kitchen on her squeaky-clean floors. She had this feeling that today was her day, the day where nothing would ever go wrong, the day where everyone and everything would appreciate her for everything she’s done in life, just like last week when she had saved that baby turtle.

When she got into the kitchen, her smile grew and grew...WAFFLES! She hopped onto the table and started her acceptance speech: “I would like to thank my mom and dad, oh and don’t forget about Cabot for making this delicious whipped cream for on top of my waffles...” She sat down in front of a beautiful, steaming, delicious pile of waffles at the best spot at the table. She looked outside with a mouthful of waffles, and it was snowing! She flipped over the table and chairs, put her snow clothes on and tried to run out the door but…

“Wait!” shouted her madre.

“What?” asked Marlie.

“Just wanted to say it’s actually fine that you flipped over the table, ruined breakfast and made a giant mess; have fun outside!”

“OK, thanks!” She ran outside and almost ran into a tree, but since this was a perfect morning, she managed to avoid it. She opened up the garage, grabbed the perfect sled and went sledding on the perfect day, on the perfect hill.

Marlie Cartwright Grade 6

Fat Cow Farm Redhawk goalie, Reed Dousevicz from Charlotte, makes a save agains Essex.

Photo by Al Frey

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16 • March 21, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • March 21, 2018 • 17

Out Takes Where do we start with the military mind?

Edd Merritt I saw a white ladder all covered with water I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan Apparently, we feel it behooves us as a society to start at an early age to embrace a military bent to our culture. I didn’t think much of it when I was young and even when I was in the Navy. All I wanted to do was get it over with, and I joined my shipmates dumping garbage off the fantail of our carrier into the Gulf of Tonkin while getting teary eyed as Hanoi Hanna played Scott McKenzie singing, “For those who come to San Francisco…”

That was us to be, man. “Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.” We couldn’t wait to meet the gentle people there, to let our hair grow, to wear something besides white hats, to sleep in something besides a three-tiered bunk. We wanted our war to be over. We tried to ignore the bombs our pilots dropped on humans that they knew nothing about as individuals. The military minds picked out the enemy, our pilots dumped bombs on them, and I kept

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personnel folders of our flyers who lost their lives.

The information in the folders served the Navy as their last remains. There were at least 12 of them off my ship in the year and a half in which I was part of Operation Rolling Thunder and the Tet offensive. As a yeoman in the air intelligence office, I got to know several of these 12 quite well. We seldom talked about their feelings on flying their missions. Bombing was a job. Over a beer afterwards, they called them games.

Many of them had been athletes in college and became pilots because it seemed to carry a similar mind set. Their flight suits were their football uniforms. The sports analogy made it more palatable for them, and you only had to attend any sporting event, even now, to know it is part of our culture.

When I was released from active duty, the Navy and I became blissfully ignorant of each other. My San Francisco became the East Village of New York where I got groovy and stood weekly in the unemployment line with the likes of Dustin Hoffman.

I turned into a hypocrite, however, when it came time for graduate school and gladly contributed to my tuition through the GI Bill, not connecting its origins with my anti-war sentiments. In America’s eyes national service and military service were, and are, one and the same.

Let me move forward now to recent issues that have made me think how “military being” has permeated world society. It started when I read that the Parkland shooter, Nikolas Cruz, at age 15 had been an active member of the high school’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, a military program sponsored by the U.S. Armed Forces in high schools.

So, at 15 years old we start to train young people in the ways of war. This training, created as part of the National Defense Act in 1916, claims to teach its students a set of values and a sense of accomplishment that do not appear to be strictly military. The Department of

Stock image the Army says JROTC is designed “to develop citizenship and patriotism” and “to increase a respect for the role of the U.S. Armed Forces in support of national objectives.”

What is even more unnerving is that we have conveyed our belief in the glamour of the military to young kids by dressing them in military garb at the tender age of six, as seen in a photo accompanying a recent news article.

Six years old, believing soldier-hood was an ultimate way to live. Had he been led to believe that it was honorable to join a work force whose job is to kill other people? Maybe he thought it was similar to a band uniform. Did he wish he had a gun in his hands, too? I have not a clue.

But our society places the military mind in a central role. In a New York Times column David Brooks said that “faith in democratic regimes is declining,” and “one in six Americans of all ages support military rule.”

Maybe it is more than just an attribute of earthlings. Maybe it extends into the whole of the universe, the eye of space,

when who or whatever created our solar system brought us to this planet because we could not exist in peace elsewhere in the cosmos—war being part of humanity’s nature.

I simply wish that what we choose to emphasize in our lives and culture did not carry such a warlike orientation.

Humanity killing humanity should not be the basis for our existence, and we should not continuously symbolize it through a military presence. Get rid of guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children. (We prefer “have-a-heart traps” at our house.)

There may be hope for us, however, as seen through the display by our current youth and their goal of eliminating unnecessary weapons. Whether they are the youth depicted in Arthur C. Clark’s science fiction classic, Childhood’s End, who draw from the “Overmind” to become a collective consciousness, but in doing so destroy the earth, or are the seeds of our planet’s future, is impossible for us to say. I hope for the latter.

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Email your news announcements to

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Health Matters

The role of exercise and dance in managing Parkinson’s disease Laurel Lakey

According to the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA), approximately one million Americans are presently living with Parkinson’s disease and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. Although there is currently no cure, a growing body of research suggests that exercise may play an important role in managing and reducing the common symptoms of this disease.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder that negatively impacts the area of the brain that create dopamine, the neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in our ability to initiate, time and coordinate movement.

Individuals with PD experience a gradual depletion of dopamine, which results in difficulty with everyday physical activities such as walking, getting in and out of chairs and stair navigation. A number of other motor symptoms are also common, including involuntary quivering (tremor), muscle rigidity or stiffness, slower and smaller movements, difficulty with balance, low voice volume and reduced facial expression.

In addition to pharmaceutical management, physicians are now strongly recommending a regular exercise program to help address the associated motor symptoms. An article published in 2017 in the Medical Science Monitor used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe how the specific areas of the brain that are negatively impacted

by PD respond to exercise. The study involved 18 individuals diagnosed with PD who embarked on a 16-week exercise program that involved both cardiovascular as well as strength and resistance training components. Results from the fMRI study revealed increased brain activity in both the prefrontal cortex as well as the substantia nigra—the latter being the area of the brain where brain cells, or neurons, produce dopamine. Remember, people with PD undergo a depletion of dopamine, so increasing activity in this region is particularly meaningful.

This type of research is leading scientists to suggest that exercise may play a significant role in stimulating and diversifying the neuroplasticity of our brains. In other words, exercise helps increase the number of connecting neural pathways in the brain, which may help compensate for other areas of the brain that are impaired. In the case of PD, a bountiful, more diverse neural network may help offset and possibly temper the dopamine deficiency that takes place.

Any form of exercise is healthy, but some types of exercise may be more effective than others when it comes to addressing PD. Studies suggest

“

A number of research studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of tango dance, in particular, on symptoms of PD, including improved gait and balance.

Photo contributed

that higher-intensity exercise, rather than gentle or low-moderate intensity exercise, may have a stronger impact on delaying the progression of symptoms.

Movements that incorporate music and memorization may also be more effective in strengthening the neurological network, as they call upon many different regions of the brain to perform. For this reason, t’ai chi and dance are often recommended forms of exercise.

A number of research studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of tango dance, in particular, on symptoms of PD, including improved gait and balance.

The specificity of steps in tango dance, which are performed in unison with the distinct beat of music, is very effective in stimulating several areas of the brain.

The Mark Morris Dance Group, a world renowned modern dance company based in New York City, developed a program in 2001 called “Dance for Parkinson’s,” which offers daily dance classes for the public, as well as trainings in becoming certified to teach their method.

Exercise, and any movement in general, can improve your flexibility, which is important in staving off the gradual stiffening and rigidness that accompanies PD. Emphasizing large and exaggerated movement at varied speeds is also beneficial for counteracting the tendency to move smaller and slower. A PD-specific therapeutic exercise program known as “LSVT BIG and LOUD” has been shown to be helpful through practicing a variety of exercises that interweave large motions with high-volume vocalizations.

In addition to helping combat motor impairments, group exercise classes also offer a supportive community for people with PD and their loved ones.

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“Keep Moving with Parkinson’s” with Laurel Lakey Shelburne Field House: Thursdays, 1-2 p.m.

March 29 to May 3 Contact: Laurel Lakey laurellakey@ deept.com or call Dee Physical Therapy in Shelburne 802-985-4440 “Movement for Parkinson’s” with Sara McMahon Flynn Space: Wednesdays, 10-11:30 a.m.

Exercise can sometimes be thought of as an arduous and taxing activity, but a group atmosphere often lends itself to playfulness, curiosity and a cooperative approach.

If you or someone you know has PD and is interested in starting an exercise program but is unsure how to get started, there are a number of local resources to take advantage of. A great place to start is the Vermont Chapter of APDA which is located in Burlington. You can visit their website at apdaparkinson.org where you will find an array of information on exercise classes, support groups, current

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research and upcoming events. Please also see the sidebar for information on local exercise and dance classes for people with Parkinson’s disease.

Laurel Lakey has a BFA in dance and works as a Physical Therapist Assistant at Dee Physical Therapy in Shelburne, VT. She lives in Charlotte, VT with her husband, dog and three chickens.

18 • March 21, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • March 21, 2018 • 19

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Leavitty

Getting there used to be half the fun

I recently had a lovely vacation to Cat Island in the Bahamas.

While ultimately my trip was wonderful, the getting there was not. Traveling Josie Leavitt now, as an adult, is not nearly as much fun or as carefree as when I was a kid. I remember back in the day when kids would actually dress up to go on the plane. Yes, most of the time I was going to Florida to see my grandparents, and I think it made them happy to see me in my flowered dress and Mary Janes. Oh, and let’s not forget the ubiquitous white tights, because, really, every girl needs to understand the laws of thermodynamics at six. What started out with me fresh as a daisy wound up with me looking much like a prom corsage the day after the dance. My grandparents always wiped the damp hair off my face and asked after my health.

Do you remember back then you could actually change your mind about any portion of your trip, and the airline agent, a real person on the phone, would enter a few keystrokes and you’d be rebooked without a fee and perhaps with a smile, or even a “Have a great trip!” Now, those same keystrokes cost hundreds of dollars and enrage me every time. There are rules, lots of rules.

Bringing luggage now is expensive.

Do I check a bag and pay anywhere from $25 to $50 and risk having none of the right clothes on vacation because my bag

is in Boise and I’m in the Bahamas? The only good thing about this new expense is it makes me a much more thoughtful packer. I consider very seriously just how many shoes I’m actually going to wear.

One time when I was seven, my father took me and my brother down to Florida to visit his folks. We were not dressed up, which was a good thing, because my father left all our luggage in the cab. It wasn’t until the cab was far, far away that we realized we had no luggage.

My father panicked and we shopped in Florida for summer clothes.

The first leg of my trip to the Bahamas was canceled. There was no alternate booking to be had that wasn’t three days later. I called the customer service number, once I’d found it on the website, and then spent far too long talking to the robot man who kept asking questions “so he could help me better” and I was practically shouting “Representative. I’d like to talk to a person. Representative!”

Then I’d accidentally dropped the F-bomb in frustration and had to start all over again. And then I was on hold a very long time and I just gave up. All the while I was searching as many travel sites as I could find to see if there were two seats leaving anytime sooner than three days hence.

I found seats and we had a fabulous trip (including the 4 a.m. drive up to Montreal). We arrived with all our luggage and very quickly put the long travel day behind us as we settled in to watch a glorious sunset and put winter behind us.

Taking Care Should I ever stop traveling—maybe not yet Perhaps the title

says it all about aging—both the interesting and the pesky things we must recognize and adjust to. I try to focus on the creative side and pull out Alice Outwater, Ph.D. every positive thing in difficult situations. This helps keep me centered and searching for solutions.

Whether we’re 70 or 90-plus years old we can count on physical and situational changes. The Life Stress List from the 1960s states life is 44 percent more stressful now than 50 years ago. How can we handle this successfully on an ongoing basis?

It’s essential to embrace agility, whether it’s about our health or business issues.

With age physical changes are a given: slowing down, serious aches and pains and many more must simply be accepted.

One good friend, a lifetime bird-watcher noticed his hearing was compromised and some months later learned he had lost all hearing in one ear. Nothing could be done to bring it back.

“Yes, it’s an enormous loss for me, but I still have my eyesight and will continue to search for birds all over the world.” I never heard one word of complaint from him after that.

Some people become wheelchair bound.

This requires major help from a caretaker.

Dementia or Alzheimer’s can creep in.

For those who can carry on with former activities, be grateful and think of everything else as minor inconveniences. Being able to tackle less each day is a nuisance, but hey, one can still live quite fully.

Travel is another matter but still might be possible to easier places. I take a walking stick for balance. I find if I can

“

Whether we’re 70 or 90-plus years old we can count on physical and situational changes. The Life Stress List from the 1960s states life is 44 percent more stressful now than 50 years ago.

”

safely on the last plane at midnight, in a raging rain storm.

Between you and me, I questioned whether I had stretched too far this time.

I suppose I did, but the ensuing two weeks reconnecting with former friends and swinging in the hammocks under the coconut trees with balmy weather made it worthwhile. I must add I had gotten fully insured, so a last-minute cancelation meant no penalties.

The reality was I took some risks. The children were busy with their own lives, and the -15 cold here was so severe I was desperate to get to a milder climate. If I hadn’t known Maheka so well, I wouldn’t have attempted the trip. So in the end it did work out, and I returned refreshed of mind and spirit to carry me right into the weeks ahead. Now the daylight lasts longer and temperatures are moving upward, sort of.

All this is a bonus.

One must think unusual adventures through carefully, get medical advice about

Dr. Katie Sarah Manges Smets

visualize each step—at the airports, during check-in, etc.—and am in a wheelchair provided by the airport, and the flights are not too long, I can handle it. I love being in airports—the hustle and bustle, and watching the captains and flight attendants disembark with their lively step and the smiles on their faces. It’s another world I enjoy being part of momentarily. The possibilities of where I might go!

However, during my recent trip to the Yucatan, they had closed the airplane doors three minutes early, before I had arrived.

There was no negotiating: “The captain ordered it,” the gate agent said. This meant major changes of scheduling and added eight more hours to the trip. I prayed my body would hold up (it did), and I arrived

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the risks—and if still determined, then go for it. The odd thing was that when we reached Burlington and I was the last on the plane, I didn’t dare attempt the rickety steps off the plane. Having sat for some hours, I simply couldn’t do it. Two captains and three flight attendants waited cheerfully for me to get going.

In the end, two airport personnel moved an enormous long ramp to the plane, replacing the skimpy stairs, and with no steps to negotiate, I walked right down. Then a kind flight attendant insisted on getting my bag and taking me to a taxi. I mused: “Isn’t it too much to ask of others.”

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20 • March 21, 2018 • The Charlotte News

From the Archives

The Charlotte News • March 21, 2018 • 21

1989

Fit At Any Age H20 is your friend Did you know that you can survive almost a month without food but only a few days without water? Without sufficient water in the body physical Ginger Lambert performance can suffer.

It’s especially important to stay hydrated during times of intense heat. We are sure to experience some hot days soon, so be sure to keep a water bottle handy.

Some of the benefits of drinking water is that it cushions the joints, regulates body temperature and lubricates the digestive tract. Water carries needed nutrients to every cell in the body and moisturizes the skin. It’s a cheap beauty treatment! Water is also soothing for gout, arthritis, heartburn and other digestive problems.

Drinking water can even ward off kidney stones, gallstones and urinary tract infections. When you are sufficiently hydrated it may even reduce oxidative stress and, when you begin to sweat, help keep your energy level up during highintensity exercise.

Some symptoms of dehydration can be dry lips and mouth, dizziness and headaches, forgetfulness, confusion and increased heart rate. Keeping a filled water bottle with you at all times can remind you to drink and prevent any of the above things from happening.

To tell if you are sufficiently hydrated check your urine. It should be light yellow to clear in color. If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Drinking more water can also help with constipation—and it’s cheaper than the alternatives.

The benefits to being well hydrated are endless. Like exercise, drinking a big glass of water when you first awaken can fire up your metabolism. Water helps your body to flush out toxins. And if you think

you are hungry and craving something, try drinking water and see if what you think is hunger is still there.

Drinking sufficient amounts of water can help fight against flu. Your immune system gets a boost, and water can flush toxins through the sweat and urine as it leaves your body.

We are lucky to have a plentiful supply of water, and we need to take care of this natural resource by not wasting it.

Think about how long you let the tap run when you are doing household chores.

Using a refillable water bottle is good for the environment and good for your pocketbook. So, drink up and enjoy the myriad benefits of H2O! Ginger Lambert is a personal trainer and fitness instructor. Check out her website gingerlambert.com for information on fitness boot-camp classes for any level.

Stock image

THEME: BEFORE AND AFTER ACROSS 1. “____ Fever,” movie and novel 6. “Is” in the past 9. Name of the Blue Ox 13. Rome’s Colosseum, e.g.

14. Fla. neighbor 15. Jig, in France 16. Volcanic rock, pl.

17. Basketball hoop 18. Opposite of adore 19. *Before - Rodham; After - ____ 21. *Before - ____; After - Mumbai 23. Make mistakes 24. Prickle on a wire 25. Art degrees 28. Abominable humanoid 30. “American Horror Story: Hotel” hotel 35. Tangerine and grapefruit hybrid 37. Sailor’s call 39. Tarzan’s swing 40. Search without warning 41. Audition tapes 43. Shorter than maxi 44. King of ancient Crete 46. Time distortion 47. Bit of slander 48. Bobbysock 50. Row of vagrants 52. “All the Light We Cannot ____,” novel 53. Auctioneer’s quantities 55. El ____ 57. *Before - ____; After - living room 60. Like misanthrope’s remark 64. Pluck 65. Flying saucer acronym 67. Nary a soul 68. Sicker 69. Waikiki garland 70. Written corrections 71. English playwright Coward 72. Japanese capital 73. Fit out again DOWN 1. Locker room supply

2. Caspian feeder 3. Denim innovator 4. Foolish 5. *Before - flour, water, shortening; After ____ 6. Announce Red Alert 7. *Before - Clay; After - ____ 8. Brazilian dance 9. Kind of lettuce 10. Turkish honorific 11. Channel marker 12. Always, in verse 15. Run around 20. Artemis’ companion 22. Middle-earth creature 24. Organic matter used as fuel 25. *Before - ____; After - Myanmar 26. “Encore!”

27. Move furtively 29. Muscle or strength 31. #17 Across, pl.

32. Quarter side, pl.

33. Empower 34. *Before - ____; After - Democratic Republic of Congo 36. *Before - William Michael Albert Broad; After - Billy ____ 38. *Before - New Amsterdam; After - New ____ 42. Like certain foods 45. Amazon, e.g.

49. #me____ 51. *Before - supper; After - ____ 54. “Yours ____” 56. D in LED 57. Prince William’s sport 58. Car shaft 59. Cambodian currency 60. Mint product 61. Salon creation 62. Hostile to 63. Just in case 64. M in rpm 66. ATM extra

Solution on page 23

22 • March 21, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • March 21, 2018 • 23

Charlotte Senior Center News Carolyn Kulik SENIOR CENTER DIRECTOR

When you think of “senior center,” do you think bingo, TV and baloney sandwiches on white bread? CSC has none of that. Everyone will tell you that the Charlotte Senior Center is a special place with a welcoming atmosphere, vibrant visitors and a wide variety of activities.

There is also the “restaurant quality” food—cooked at the Center by different teams of senior (seasoned) cooks.

The next Men’s Breakfasts are on Thursday, March 22, and April 12, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Join the group for conversation and camaraderie. Everyone will be happy to meet you. Call the Center in advance to let us know you are coming.

Suggested donation is $5.

This Wednesday’s menu has been revised. See the Lunch Menus in the box on this page. A reservation is required on Wednesdays, but Mondays are always open. It’s safe to say you will be pleasantly surprised. Suggested donation is $5.

Wednesday Afternoon Programs Join us Wednesday, March 21, at 1 p.m., for a photo presentation by the Hydes

“

I love the friendliness, the instant community.”

Irena Case

and the Crockenbergs on their recent trip to Cuba. It will focus on the country’s politics, economy, burgeoning arts—and a few of those colorful old cars.

On Wednesday, March 28, at 1:30 p.m., listen to a performance by the Concert Choir of the Charlotte Central School directed by Monica Littlefield. Sixth, seventh and eighth grade students will sing in two- and three-part harmonies. Included is music from musicals and an emphasis on more challenging pieces.

The planned concert of Irish music

by Robert Resnick and our own Marty Morrissey has been rescheduled for April 18—it should be fun!

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April’s Art Show is mixed media works

by Linda Finkelstein. She says, “For me, the creative process is centering, healing and transformative. I hope you will sense the spirit and sparkle of my creations.”

New Classes VT Reads 2018: Bread & Roses, Too

by Katherine Paterson. Meets on five Tuesdays, starting on March 20, from 1111:30 a.m. at the Charlotte Central School Library. Be part of an intergenerational discussion of this novel. Pick up books at the Senior Center and at the Charlotte Library. Sponsored by the Charlotte Library, CCS, and the Senior Center.

Watercolor with Lynn Cummings starts on March 27 and runs for six weeks. It meets on Tuesdays from 9 to noon and has only a few more openings. Brilliant flowers and plants, plus tropical water and scenery, are some of the subjects this spring. Some experience with watercolor required. Call the Center to register.

Ongoing classes Some courses that have already begun have space for a few more students who then pay per session. One is Origami, traditional Japanese paper folding, Tuesdays, 9–10:30; another is Mindfulness, Wednesdays, 10:30–noon.

Please also note that Gentle Yoga I (Mon., 11 a.m.) and Gentle Yoga II (Thurs., 1 p.m.) are both for any level of student and no experience is necessary. These classes are perfect for beginners, those with injuries or even experienced students. Take one or both.

Keep up your Spanish skills and drop in to the free Spanish Conversation class led by our gracious native speaker, Maria Acosta. Class requires at least an advanced-intermediate speaking ability.

Meets Tuesdays at 11 a.m.

If you already have training in Tai Chi, you are welcome to come to the practice session at 11a.m. on Thursdays. Or, if you are a beginner, consider joining Yang Tai Chi Chuan at 10 a.m, also on Thursdays.

Other exercise classes are: Chair Yoga; Dance: Moving Better, Living Better;

RAISE YOUR HAND

Calendar of Events

SENIOR CENTER MENU Wednesday Lunch

Relationships Across Difference: A Conversation series with Fran Stoddard at Join moderator Fran Stoddard, Vermont PBS producer/host, for a provocative three-part series exploring relationships across differences. Distinguished guests will engage in conversation from their unique perspectives; from engagement with the natural world, each other, and diverse spiritual traditions, and how that may help to bridge the divide. Free & open to the public: donations gratefully accepted at the door.

Registration is not required but recommended March 21, March 28 and April 11 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Check website for locations www. allsoulsinterfaith.org/conversations

April 4 Stuffed Peppers Re-imagined Birthday Cake & Ice Cream

Monday Munch

(11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.)

Mar. 26 Roasted sweet potato soup with quinoa Mixed greens with oranges Ice cream with blueberry sauce April 2 Stracciatella with Spinach Italian Salad Chocolate Nut Bars

Step Aerobics; Pilates; Strength Maintenance and Getting Ready for an Active Summer.

And, consider joining the open groups who play Duplicate Bridge (Mon.,12:45) and Mah Jong (Tues., 12:45). There is also the Friday Morning Art Group, which seems to have a great time in the Café.

Coming soon Last, June 1 is the Senior Center’s full-day trip to Manchester to visit the Hildene estate, former home of Abraham Lincoln’s son, Todd. More details and the cost will be here in the next issue of The Charlotte News.

Much more is coming in April and May. If you do not have the Spring Schedule from the Feb. 21 issue of The Charlotte News, stop by the Senior Center or the Charlotte Library to look at copies.

Passes go on sale March 17th. Prices increase after May 9th, 2018.

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March 31

Hippity hop on over to the Charlotte Congregational Church at 1 p.m. for the annual Easter Egg Hunt! We will have special gifts and activities for the kids, including chocolate treats and crafts in the vestry. We’ll also be giving away free seed packets to encourage families to Plant-A-Row for the Charlotte Food Shelf.

April 3

“Super supper” news that’s hot off the grill!

Please join us at the Hinesburgh Public House any time between 4 and 9 p.m. for a community supper to benefit the Richard Tom Foundation and the CVU High School Mountain Bike Club. RTF and CVU have been collaborating to support young Vermont cyclists. The format this year is a $25 prix fixe, three-course meal that includes antipasto, Bolognese or vegetarian Mediterranean pasta and tiramisu. Seating will be family style.

Make reservations to the Hinesburgh Public House at 802-482-5500.

Stellaria Trio presents: Dark Horses with violinist Letitia Quante, cellist John Dunlop and pianist Claire Black of Charlotte performing Beethoven’s Piano Trio No. 6 in E-flat Major and Dvoák′s Piano Trio No. 3 in F Minor—two robust, delightful and yet lesser-known works by these celebrated composers. At 7:30 p.m. at the Richmond Free Library in Richmond. Free admission. Donations welcome.

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Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of Christ will be performed from 10 to 11:15 a.m. during Palm Sunday worship service at the Charlotte Congregational Church. Admission is free and all are invited to attend. A small group of Vermont musicians has carried on a tradition of offering music commemorating Jesus’s final hours. Joseph Haydn’s hour-long work sets each of the traditional last sayings of Jesus to music. For more information see charlotteucc.org or call the church office at 425-3176.

April 6

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March 25

I F YO U N E E D MOR E I N T E R NE T S P E E D

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Reach your friends and neighbors for only $7 per issue. (Payment must be sent before issue date.)

Please limit your ad to 35 words or fewer and send it to The Charlotte News Classifieds, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte,VT 05445 or email ads@ thecharlottenews.org.

March 21

(All diners eat at noon) Mar. 21 Corned beef Fresh salad Homemade dessert Mar. 28 Stuffed cabbage Homemade dessert

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Webby’s Art Studio is offered every Saturday in March from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Come create! Specialized art activities for all ages, inspired by temporary and permanent exhibitions. On Puppet Day, March 24, Webby’s will be offered at a special time from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Webby’s Art Studio activities are offered in the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education classroom. Free with admission. 6000 Shelburne Road. 9853346; info@shelburnemuseum.org/calendar.

Coco Eyre, CCS 7th grader and former contestant on the “Food Network’s Chopped Junior,” was chosen to be a judge at this year’s Vermont Junior Iron Chef Competition held at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction on Saturday, March 17. Coco was the youngest judge in the 11year history of the event.

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Holy Week Church Services Send us your news story ideas!

news@thecharlottenews.org Answer from page 21

Charlotte Congregational Church, UCC

403 Church Hill Road, 425-3176 Holy Week Schedule Palm/Passion Sunday Mar. 25 10:00 a.m. - Service of Palms & Passion with an octet performing Haydn’s, “7 Last Words of Christ on the Cross” Holy Week Prayer Walks Maundy Thursday - Mar. 29 Foot Washing @ 6:30 p.m.; Service @ 7:00 p.m. Holy Vigil - March 29th-30th Sign up in vestry to hold vigil from 8:00 p.m. on Thur. to 3:00 p.m. on Fri. Holy Saturday - Mar. 31 Community Easter Egg Hunt - 1:00 p.m.

Confirmation Class - 4:00 p.m.

Easter Sunday Apr. 1 - Sunrise service @ 6:00 a.m.

9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. services

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church

Spear Street, 425-2637 Sister parish: St. Jude’s, Hinesburg Holy Week and Easter Schedule: Holy Thursday 7:00 p.m. at St. Jude Good Friday 3:00 p.m. at OLMC Good Friday (Ecumenical) 3:00 p.m. at St. Jude Good Friday 7:00 p.m. at St. Jude Easter Vigil 8:00 p.m. at St. Jude Easter Sunday 8:00 a.m. at OLMC Easter Sunday 9:30 a.m. at St. Jude Easter Sunday 11:00 a.m. at OLMC The Taize Community will hold an evening of music at St. Jude Parish in Hinesburg on Tuesday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. Free will offering at the door. All are welcome.

C

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