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Thursday, November 17, 2011

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School Merger Committee Says “No” 1 Is it NIMBY? Pros and Cons of Solar 2-3 Keeping It Trim at Thanksgiving 12

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Vol. 61, no.2 July 25, 2018

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

Philo Ridge Farm Market:

A beautiful and welcoming addition to our community

The Charlotte News celebrates 60 years Melissa O’Brien

Melissa O’Brien NEWS EDITOR

The Philo Ridge Farm Market, located on the corner of Hinesburg and Mt. Philo roads, opened on July 6 and has been steadily and happily welcoming members of Charlotte and its surrounding communities since.

The farm, located on 400 acres of pasture and woodlands, was purchased by Diana McCargo and Peter Swift in 2012 from their neighbors, Jonathan and Linda Foote, who were the fifth generation of Foote farmers to caretake and farm the land.

Three years later Philo Ridge Farm came into being, and today the farm produces a great variety of products: pork, chicken, lamb, beef, wool products, certified organic hay, garlic, small grains and flowers. “Our goals are to sell what we grow and raise, support neighboring farmers and to support artisans both locally and worldwide,” says Food and Farm Director Francine Stephens.

“This is a really exciting time for us,” said Stephens, “as this was our first time inviting the public onto the farm.

We’ve gotten amazing feedback on the food.”

Stephens and her staff believe that delicious food is the entry point for larger conversations around larger issues, like respectful animal husbandry, healthy landscapes and quality foods. At Philo Ridge, the Market is the starting place for this.

Adjoining the Market is a warm and welcoming room for sitting and eating and sharing in conversation; there is outdoor seating room on the terrace. “It’s easy to take in the beauty of the farm from here,” says Stephens, “Eventually the larger farm will be open, with access to trails that will take visitors to where the animals are.”

The Market offers a variety of breakfast items, including lemon and cheddar scones, buttermilk biscuits and chocolate chip coffee cake. There is oatmeal and granola that can be paired with Philo Ridge Farm almond milk. For lunch, grilled cheese, pressed corn beef and pizza made with Jasper Hill cheese. There are also a variety of prepared foods one can take home for later meals. “We make our own bagels and bread, and we are curing and smoking our own meats,” Stephens explains, “We use as many farm

Photo by Francine Stephens

and locally produced ingredients as possible, and we have worked hard to make the pricing accessible.”

Currently the Market is open from 8 to 3 every day, year-round. Stop in and enjoy healthy local food in the company of your friends and neighbors. Stephens and the Farm crew will continue to grow, and the Farm will evolve over time. “The most important thing,” she says, “is that we are important to our community.”

With this issue we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the News. The very first issue of the paper was printed on July 18, 1958, so technically we have turned 60, but it’s a significant enough milestone that we can’t help but stretch the joy out over the weeks and months of this year.

It’s such fun to look at the original issue: typed, of course, and printed on legal-size paper, with a message from the “Acting Editor,” Nancy Wood: “We strongly urge everyone to suggest any ideas for improvement of this paper and sincerely hope it will earn your interest and support.”

And: “We hope this first issue of the Charlotte News [there was no “The” back then] will lay the foundation for a permanent newspaper in our town,” is how Nancy introduced the paper that day. How lovely, how amazing that the hope of those involved in the production of our town’s paper has come to fruition.

If you take the time to read each issue when it comes to you, you will find that not much has changed: we still run a calendar of events, the local pastor is still contributing, there is local news (“Plans for the proposed relocation of Route 7 have been thoroughly discussed at a citizens’ protest meeting…”) and stories of local folks. This is why the paper was begun in the first place; this is why the paper is alive today: it was in the beginning and always has been created by community members for this community.

In a recent issue of Seven Days, Burlington’s alternative newspaper, Charlotte was described as “tony” in an article about the current state of nonprofit news outlets. The implication was that the News exists because Charlotte is a wealthy community. I made a point of setting the record straight: “The News’ greatest asset isn’t that it’s in tony Charlotte,” I wrote to the Editor, “the Charlotte News is alive and well largely because it is a shining example of what can be accomplished when people in a community work together to keep an important piece of the fabric of that community alive.”

Welcome, kind and generous readers, to the 61st year of YOUR newspaper. The foundation was, indeed, laid by a committed group of dedicated citizens. You and I grow it from here.

Flynn Garden Tour shines spotlight on Charlotte gardens Gardening in Charlotte: a 22-year love story

Stacy Fraser In 1996, I was a recent college graduate with a degree in Ecological Agriculture and Sustainable Community Development from Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. I had just moved to Vermont. I was working as a baker at Klinger’s Bread Company in South Burlington, looking for an opportunity to farm and waiting for Nate—my long-time friend and new boyfriend—to finish his last year of studies in Plant and Soil Science at UVM. At Klinger’s, I met Linda Clark. She and her then husband, Tom, had always wanted to have a farm at their home in Charlotte.

In the late winter of 1997, we decided to collaborate and start a market garden together. Nate and I moved from our Burlington

rentals into the Clarks’ barn. From March through October, we worked with Tom and Linda to grow two acres of specialty vegetables and flowers. We sold to local markets and restaurants and transformed the small barn into a sweet farmstand, Littlefield & Hoe. Through the farmstand, we met lots of folks from our new Charlotte community— and so many are still our friends today.

In those eight months, Nate and I learned a lot about the challenges of farming. We developed a deep sense of gratitude, appreciation and awe for those who can sustain a lifetime of growing food for others. We had a great run, but we closed the doors at Littlefield & Hoe after just one season. We moved from the Clark barn into a little apartment on Ferry Road. In 2000, we put down real see

GARDEN page 20

Raised vegetable beds built from cedar and reclaimed roofing material.

Photo by Stephen Mease

2 • July 25, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • July 25, 2018 • 3

Oh to deliver papers on my Schwinn again . . .

News with the local slant

Edd Merritt

Nancy E. Wood Last July, at the beginning of the yearlong countdown to this 60th anniversary of The Charlotte News, I wrote about how the paper was started because of my horse, Sox. It was time to sell her, but we needed to find a buyer nearby because she balked at being loaded in a trailer. Back in 1958, advertising choices were limited to the regional newspaper or to notes pinned to bulletin boards at the local stores. We needed a local newspaper.

Long story short, The Charlotte News was born, first nurtured by the teens in the youth group of the Charlotte Congregational Church and eventually by a long list of dedicated and talented adults who have kept Charlotters informed about local issues for 60 years.

The paper has helped us get to know our neighbors, stay informed about town government and share our stories of life in this special place. “The news with the local slant” was its first slogan, printed at the top of the first page on July 18, 1958.

I wonder what the next 60 years will bring. We’ve moved from the print to the electronic age of media, with a constant bombardment of information from all over the world. I hope in 60 years there is still a place for a community-centered news source, locally owned and produced, that celebrates a vibrant Charlotte still full of the volunteer spirit that provides the strength of our town today.

So happy 60th birthday to The Charlotte News and all the folks that support and produce it today.

The lifeblood of the community Joan Weed In 1996 when we moved to Charlotte, we soon learned that one needed to read The Charlotte News to be in the know. It was later that we learned of the charming story of the newspaper’s beginnings. Having lasted for decades, proof was evident of the community’s love for its little town paper. We soon learned we didn’t want to miss reading an issue, and I doubt we’ve ever missed one after moving here.

The paper is the lifeblood of the community even in the face of competition that came occasionally through the years. Congratulations to the current Board of Directors and editors, as well as those of the past who kept the force of the “news” flowing in Charlotte’s veins. The dedication shown is unique for a town of our size.

I wish us all many years of reading and being in the know.

The Charlotte News Mission Statement The mission of The Charlotte News is to inform our readers about current events, issues and topics, and to serve as a forum for the free exchange of views of town residents and community volunteer organizations on matters related to Charlotte and the experiences of its residents.

Letters and Commentaries Consistent with our mission The Charlotte News publishes letters to the editor and commentaries from our readers. All letters and commentaries are subject to review and approval by the news editor of the paper and to the following rules and standards: • Letters to the editor and commentaries should be emailed to news@thecharlottenews. org as attachments in .doc format. All letters and commentaries must contain the writer’s full name and town of residence and, for proofing purposes only, include the writer’s phone number.

• Letters should not exceed 300 words, commentaries 750 words.

• All published letters and commentaries will include the writer’s name and town of residence.

• All submissions are subject to editing for clarity, factual accuracy, tone and length.

• The news editor makes the final determination whether a letter or commentary will be published as submitted, returned for rewriting, or rejected.

Publisher: Vince Crockenberg

The fourth edition of The Charlotte News published August 29, 1958.

News from The News Jennifer Bora has joined the news team as our new ad manager.

She’s a native Charlotter and a graduate of CVU. She finished her high school program at the Center for Technology in Essex Junction, where she focused on business management, business technology and marketing. She is currently taking online programs in business at Champlain College.

Before joining The News, Jennifer worked as a human relations and payroll specialist at 802/ Burlington Cars, and as the production/ office manager at Kimball Brook Farm in Hinesburg.

Jennifer joined Charlotte Fire and Rescue as a volunteer in 2010. As part of the auxiliary, she was in charge of planning events, baking for training meetings and making sure the firefighters are supported on fire scenes.

She and her husband, Justin, have two boys, Brian, 10, and Patrick, 7, who are very active in sports and community events and known as junior auxiliary members at the fire department.

Jennifer is a thirdgeneration Charlotter.

She grew up going to the Charlotte Beach to watch her grandparents and parents play horseshoes, picking berries at the Charlotte Berry Farm during the summer and, as a young child, spending a lot of time touring around Charlotte with her grandfather—in his jeep!

This month, The News celebrates its 60th birthday. We’ve also launched, as we do every Jennifer Bora summer, our annual appeal for your support so that we can continue to publish The News every two weeks for another 60. We depend on our advertisers and our donors for the revenue that pays our monthly bills: for printing, mailing, rent, insurance and, of course, our small staff of editors and managers. If you haven’t contributed yet— or even if you have—consider making a special birthday present to The News, either on our website, charlottenewsvt.org, or by mailing a check to The Friends of The Charlotte News, Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445. Thanks.

Editorial Staff Managing Editor: Anna Cyr (anna@thecharlottenews.org) News Editor: Melissa O’Brien (melissa@thecharlottenews.org) Contributing Editor: Edd Merritt Interns: Jacqueline Flynn and Morgan Magoon Copy editors: Beth Merritt, Vince Crockenberg Proofreaders: Edd Merritt, Mike & Janet Yantachka Archives: Liz Fotouhi Contributing Photographers: Lee Kron and Ramiro Garay Business Staff Ad manager: Jennifer Bora 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, Tom Tiller 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.

Postmaster/Send address changes to: The Charlotte News P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 Telephone: 425-4949 Circulation: 3,000 copies per issue.

Copyright © 2018 The Charlotte News, Inc. Member of the New England Newspaper and Press Association and the Vermont Press Association.

Well, it caught my eye and caused my heart to flutter when I read a commentary by Peter Funt in The New York Times June 16 issue titled, “The Disappearing Paperboy.” That’s me. Nowadays, though, I can’t even remember how to fold up the newspaper so I could throw it on the doorstep and it wouldn’t fall apart.

My friend Tom and I delivered the Post Bulletin every afternoon in our neighborhood in Minnesota. If we were really good, we could each cover probably six or eight blocks and never leave the seats of our bicycles.

Here is how it worked. The delivery A Schwinn and its paperboy. truck would drop off a stack of papers at Tom’s house. He and I would Coke stop at Soldiers’ Field Ice Cream separate them and each take a bundle that Stand (Well, maybe it was because there we would stash in our newspaper bags (a were cute girls on roller skates who cloth bag about the size of a modern food delivered the pop to you as you were bag) which we would then hang over a parked in the shade; I’ll never tell.). shoulder and head out.

According to Lisa DeSisto, publisher These were the days before gears on of the Portland Press Herald in Maine, bikes, so my Schwinn was either go or that has all changed, and we are currently stop, and the paper bag made pedaling a in the midst of a growing shortage of bit more difficult. I remember being happy newspaper carriers. There are fewer as I worked my way down to fewer and subscribers because people get their news fewer papers and looked forward to the

free on the internet, and the new tariff on Canadian newsprint that publishers pay is driving up the price of print copies.

Gasoline prices for delivery trucks are up, and routes tend to be more spread out and can’t be covered in the same ways as in my days.

Tom and I would hit a neighborhood similar to those in the north end of Burlington, and nearly every house got the Post Bulletin. If you didn’t subscribe, you missed out on regional high school sports, the day’s hog market and local obituaries—none of which were carried by the daily morning paper out of Minneapolis. Our afternoon news was the only available local information until you could turn on KROC TV at 6 o’clock. If Tom and I were good, we beat the television by three hours. If our pedal chains came off, and our delivery was delayed, we heard about it.

Funt says that the “demise of afternoon papers caused the big shift from kids on bikes to adults in cars.” Furthermore, he says, one of the many reasons the newspaper is in free fall is “failure to get the product delivered properly,” which is too bad because now those old Schwinns sit rusting in the garage, wide-angled handlebars and fenders front and back.

Real news Mason Daring It’s the 60th anniversary of this august publication. Did you know the traditional gift for 60th wedding anniversary is diamonds? Seems a little pricey to me; if you asked me to guess I would have said bauxite.

When I think of the importance a newspaper can exert in a community, I think back to a wharf in New York City in the year 1841. A periodical titled Master Humphrey’s Clock was published in London that year, and it contained, among other news, a serialized form of Charles Dickens’ The Old Curiosity Shop. Bearing in mind that Dickens was paid by the word, his combination of cliff-hanger chapters and lengthy descriptions of intrepid characters and bleak places lent itself to long and heartfelt tales.

In this particular tale, a young beauty, Nell, and her grandfather are hounded through England by the villainous Quilp, whose interest in Nell could only be hinted at in these early Victorian times.

Remember the death of JR in Dallas?

Remember worrying about Carrie’s fate in the last episode of Homeland? Those are child’s play compared to the national anxiety generated in the U.S. by the arrival from London on a packet ship of each week’s installment of The Old Curiosity Shop. Dickens’ treatment of Little Nell was strangely cruel, despite his lavish praise for her kindness and beauty. The poor girl was hounded out of London and across the moors by the evil Quilp, and the readers simply couldn’t stand it when the next to the last installment hinted at her imminent

demise. When the ship bearing the last installment sailed into New York, it was greeted by an angry mob demanding to know the fate of Young Nell.

Spoiler alert: the book has been around for 175 years, plus. If you haven’t read it by now, tough noogies. Dickens killed Little Nell off, dispatching her tormenter Quilp shortly thereafter. This was the only time Dickens ever killed one of his heroes, and it sent the English-reading civilization into literary cardiac arrest.

New Yorkers flew their flags at half-mast for weeks. I am not making this up. This was the power of the weekly paper in 1841.

I once subbed for a sick friend who had a paper route. Up at four, collect the bundles, fold them into handy throwing shapes and set off at a brisk pace trying to get them on the right porch by the right time, taking great pride in launching the missiles hard enough to make it to the porch but not hard enough to get through the picture windows. I was, frankly, horrible at it. But I loved being part of the chain of information that brought the news to those who insisted that it be part of their morning routine.

TV, radio and the internet have marginalized the importance of the printed word. And yet there are those who, like me, love the tactile gentility of books and papers, especially that little “flap” of sound when you snap it into shape before you pick up your coffee cup.

As with most of us I am a slave to the internet, and yet it creeps me out to walk into a house where I see no books whatsoever. Ditto newspapers. There ought to be at least one paper lounging

on a table in my house at any given moment.

We all know that newspapers are going the way of the wooly mammoth; circulation is the lowest it has been since 1945. Circulation for U.S. papers has fallen for 28 successive years, down 8-10 percent in the last year alone.

But has anyone noticed that the phrase “fake news” never existed before the digital age? Our feeling was, if you could hold it in your hand, you could believe in it. And if your newspaper was local, you might know someone who worked on the paper, which meant you could trust them.

I don’t know anybody who works for Instagram or Facebook.

So rejoice in this diamond of an anniversary. Rejoice that you are reading a paper put out by people who look out at the same mountains that you do.

Rejoice that it prints news you can trust.

Diamonds indeed.

The News launched my career in journalism Meghan Neely I started contributing to The Charlotte News as an undergraduate at Champlain College and now cover Selectboard exclusively. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in May and I can’t thank this newspaper enough for the experience it’s given me.

Despite living in Burlington for four years, I’d never heard of Charlotte or its local newspaper before April. That was when my future editor, Melissa O’Brien, contacted one of my professors looking for a journalism student who was interested in covering Town Meeting.

I decided to take her up on the offer, even though I didn’t really know what a Town Meeting was. A few days later we met at Charlotte Central School and the rest was history. I went on to cover regular Selectboard meetings and even a walkout at Champlain Valley Union High School.

I’m back in my home state of Massachusetts now, writing full time for a weekly newspaper in a coastal town called Wareham. There’s no doubt in my mind that the time I spent working with The Charlotte News helped me to secure a job in my field so quickly after graduation. For that, this publication holds a special place in heart.

The

Charlotte News

PUBLICATION DATES

August 8

Copy Deadline: Aug 2 Ads Deadline: Aug 3

August 22

Copy Deadline: Aug 15 Ads Deadline: Aug 17

Charlotte News

Here’s to 60 more years of “News With the Local Slant”

From Nancy Wood

4 • July 25, 2018 • The Charlotte News

off the first bundle, I rode the bumper, hanging on to the bar with one hand and PUBLISHER dropping the bundles on the corners. The trick, other than not to fall off the bumper, I graduated from Binghamton North was to drop the bundles without breaking High School in January 1960 and needed them open—because Lou never came a job to carry me over to the fall when to a complete stop at any corner unless I would go off to college. My nextI had to unload multiple bundles. If the door neighbor, Chuck Sladky, ran the bundles were wound too tight (they were mailroom at the local evening paper, The bound with wire back then) and I dropped Binghamton Press, and offered me a job them while we were rolling by too fast, distributing they would bundled explode, papers to the throwing news boys newspapers in town (and all over the they were sidewalk. all boys Alas for back then), the poor who would, newsboys in turn, (Sorry, break open Edd), Lou the bundles, just took off fold up the for the next papers, put stop, while I them in their crawled into shoulder the interior bags and of the van, Ford F-100 panel van. either walk found the

Photo contributed by Vince Crockenberg or bike next bundle their routes, on the route flinging and hopped papers onto back onto the bumper. front walks, porches and stoops in the late I rode that bumper from January till afternoon.

June, when I got a far cushier job as a My job was to take the bundles from the lifeguard at the IBM Country Club in conveyor belt that fed them out from the nearby Endwell. But the six months I spent mailing room onto the loading dock and on the loading dock and riding the bumper place them in the back of a Ford F-100 and delivering the news was the start of panel van in the order in which they would what became a lifelong love affair with the be distributed. I did two routes each day, in newspaper industry. And what goes around rain or shine, and sometimes in sleet and comes around; now, every publication snow.

Wednesday, I deliver 300 or so copies My driver, Lou, would take us to the of The Charlotte News to businesses on first stop of the route, at which I would Route 7, from Fiddlehead in Shelburne get out of the front seat and jump into the to Shaw’s in Burlington, and experience back of the van, which had no door. It did a kind of deja vu all over again, though of course have a rear bumper, and it had now in the comfort and safety of my Prius also been retrofitted with a special grab bar rather than on the rear bumper of a Ford running up the right side of the van just panel van with Lou at the wheel. inside the door opening. Once I dropped

Vince Crockenberg

Full Service Marina Fully stocked SHIP’S STORE

1401 Thompsons Point Road Charlotte (802) 425-2431 www. pointbaymarina.com

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Reflections on being a student member of the Charlotte Energy Committee Megan Mahoney Note: The Charlotte Energy Committee

created a student seat in 2013 in hopes of nurturing in Charlotte students an interest in the issues the committee works on, as well as to ensure that the adults on the committee are readily reminded of student concerns. All four students who have served so far have been Charlotters who attended Champlain Valley Union High School, although that is not a requirement; any Charlotte student is eligible. We are grateful for the ongoing student interest, cheer the students on in their environmental work outside of the committee and look forward to many more years of collaboration. If you are a town committee considering adding a student seat, please get in touch so we can share our experience. (Rebecca Foster, co-chair, carpegreenum@gmail.com)

As I finish my two-year term on the Charlotte Energy Committee (CEC) as the student representative, I reflect on the evenings I spent with the group. My time on the CEC served as an amazing learning opportunity. I learned things about our world and the amazing life it holds, about my town and about different people. It was a unique experience that I would not have been able to achieve in a school setting.

I moved to our precious town of Charlotte when I was 10 months old and have lived here, in the same house, for the past 17 years. The small-town sense of security and community is the only thing I know, but I still try to not take it for granted. Although I have gone up through the public school system, played sports at CCS and gone to many after school programs and camps run by Charlotters, I had never been involved in my town in this way. Being a “kid” I had never paid much attention to the politics in our town other than recognizing certain names on signs or overheard in conversations.

By being the student representative on the CEC, I became more involved. Before our meetings, I had barely ever even been in our town hall before, and now I feel comfortable walking in and finding my place at the back table. I learned about the politics of our town and heard many stories of past political events. Learning about bills and policies in the state and

Megan Mahoney town governments was a wonderful addition to learning about school government, which I was participating in as well.

Never having been involved in a town committee before, I had not knowingly met others who were on committees.

Many of my fellow CEC members were people who, it turns out, I previously had a connection with, whether it be through their children or a common activity.

Hearing why each person had decided to dedicate their valuable time to the committee was fascinating and inspiring.

All the other members were extremely knowledgeable and dedicated to being productive and making a positive impact.

And it was fascinating to hear about what others do in the rest of their lives.

I am glad I got to spend my time with a strong group that shares a common sense of love and concern for the world, state and town we live in. I consider myself extremely lucky to live in such a small, loving and welcoming town, where I could have the chance to be involved as a high schooler. Having had this opportunity gives me more confidence to become involved in local governments in the future, as well as to remember the things I learned through this.

I was lucky to have the unique experience of learning how decisions are made in our local government and how many components are involved in those decisions. I am excited for my successor, Ethan Lisle, to have this great experience next!

Charlotte News

60

Celebrating

years!

Happy Birthday & Thank You!

The Old Lantern Inn and Barn

Clemmons Family Farm announces Humanities Speakers Series The Clemmons Family Farm is pleased to announce its Humanities Speakers Series, “To Sing of Common Things: The Voices of Young People in 2018,” with funding in part from the Vermont Humanities Council.

The series, to run from summer through fall 2018 in the historic Barn House, will feature teenage scholars who are creative writers and spoken-word artists. The series will be co-hosted by professional spoken-word artists and authors Kiah Morris of Bennington and Rajnii Eddins of Burlington. The speakers series is free and open to the public with limited seating. Scheduled dates will be posted at clemmonsfamilyfarm.org and facebook. com/ClemmonsFarm. A donation is welcome.

The speakers series is inspired by the poem “Common Things” by American poet, novelist and playwright Paul Laurence Dunbar. The series will feature young people expressing their feelings, finding their grounding and taking action through their creative writing and the spoken word on what it feels like as a person of color to grow up in a time of

Youth speakers Rivan Calderin, aka Rivan C., is a rapper/R&B artist who draws inspiration from musicians such as Mos Def, J. Cole and Sam Cooke, and from poets like Jose Marti, Langston Hughes and many more.

He’s a senior at Burlington High School and grew up the son of DJ Luis Calderin, who exposed him to a diverse set of music.

Each genre has molded him into the young man he is today. A lover, not a fighter, a passionate writer, Rivan C. strives to create a voice for the youth and to better those around him through his art.

Kiah Morris

Rajnii Eddins

increasing violence and civil unrest across the nation as well as in Vermont. The young scholars will share their creative process, including what inspires or moves them to create their works, and perform brief selections of their creative works. A Q&A and discussion with the audience will follow. In addition, a tour of the historic Barn House and refreshments will be

offered at the end of each presentation. The following are dates for the kick-off of the series: Lena Ginawi, July 29, 3-4:30 Kiran Waqar , August 5 at 3 p.m.

Rivan Calderin and Asha Ganguly Hickock: August 8, 3-4:30 p.m.

The Charlotte News

Volume L

From the Archives Thursday, August 2, 2007 August 2, 2007

The Clemmons Family Farm is partnering with Young Writers Project at Champlain College and the Peace and Justice Center as the series’ fiscal sponsor, Number 1 in conjunction with an ArtPlace America grant for the A Sense of Place project, which has an overarching goal to improve community mental health, physical health and social well-being through AfricanAmerican and African diaspora arts and programming. byculture Edd Merritt

Pease Mountain Subdivision Gains Planning Approval

Charlotte’s Huck Finn

P

R OBBIE S TANLEY

Riding the bumper, delivering the papers

The Charlotte News • July 25, 2018 • 5

Leath Tonino enjoys a unusually beautiful day on Lake Champlain on July 14. Having survived storms of rain, lightning and mosquitoes, Leath floated and sailed from the Crown Point Bridge to Canada and returned safely home on July 25 with plenty of writing material to keep him busy for quite a while.

eter Schneider and Jessica Donovan’s application to develop a major residential subdivision of eight lots on the lower northeast slope of Pease Mountain in central Charlotte was approved by the Planning Commission with several conditions.

Sometimes referred to as the Griffin Hill Subdivision, the proposal has come under scrutiny from neighbors as well the CCS School Board and planners because it represents building in an area that is a central landmark of the town as well as one that contains significant natural features under study by the Town of Charlotte and University of Vermont students.

In their decision commission members considered a number of issues about the property deemed to be “of high public value.” These include the adjacent natural area of Pease Mountain that contains critical wildlife habitats and corridors. In reviewing the final application, the commission determined that the development’s impact on the habitat has been reduced by moving the major portion of building from a higher plateau to a lower site.

The proposal included a tree house, tent platform and trail for this critical wildlife area. Noting that

Congratulations on 60 years!

Meander Street Hearing Continued The public hearing regarding inclusion of Covered Bridge issues discussed Meander Street on the State Highway Map was Holmes Creek bridge, Charlotte’s shortest, contaken up again by the Selectboard at its July 16 meeting. The process is the result of a mandate from tinues to suffer damage on the fascia boards, which the state to identify “ancient roads” by July 2009 or delivery or rental trucks often hit. The original of the opening at was decreased by one foot in they will cease to exist. From your height friends order to deter damage to the bridge structure; howAncient roads are those that existed in the past ever, this has made the fascia more vulnerable to but which are no longer in use. The Selectboard’s hits and damage. The Selectboard, coming up with choice of Meander Street was predicated on the no real solutions, voted to have the Road thought that it would be a relatively easy exercise.

Commissioner replace the boards.

Meander Street generally follows the south bank of Moe Harvey of Roscoe Road came before the Lewis Creek in East Charlotte. There are, however, board to request the construction of an apron on the a number of points that make precise determination Monkton P Road leading of its right of way difficult.

LA N T to S the eastern portal of the Charlotte’s Hinesburg’s weekly newspaper Quinlain Bridge. He maintained that the potholes The plan for Meander Street met and with opposition are dangerous and could be alleviated or lessened from adjoining landowners who came forward with RRoad O CCommissioner KS by an apron.

Lewis stated that a proposal to allow easements as an alternative to an apron, to be effective, would have to extend the town’s continuing ownership of the road. The more than 100 feet to point pressed by the neighbors is that an easement W AT E the R intersection of Lewis had already been hammered out in over ten years of Creek and Monkton Roads. Anything shorter, he

THE CITIZEN

PLANTS RO CKS

RO CKS

by John Hammer

The matter was left hanging when the Selectboard continued the public hearing until after the document survey has been finished in August or September.

Muslim Girls Making Change. Kiran Waqar, Hawa Adam, Lena Ginawi and Balkisa Abdikadir are a youth slam poetry group dedicated to social justice through poetry. Tired of having their voices ignored by older generations, they turned to slam poetry to be heard and to make a change.

Since forming their group, these four young women have competed at international levels, won numerous awards, performed widely and helped lead several local and national initiatives.

ER P L A WAT NTS

Ancient Road Talks Meander Along See Reference Map, page 8

Asha Ganguly Hickok is a 15-year-old from just outside of Burlington. She has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Her writing reflects inspiration from her family, her IndianAmerican heritage, and the many different types of relationships and people she has encountered throughout life. Asha’s other interests including singing, dancing and getting to see as much of the world as possible.

WAT E R PLANTS RO CKS ER P L AW NAT TS

RO CKS W AT E R Griffin Hill, the Pease Mountain subdivision, has been approved by the Planning Commission.

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6 • July 25, 2018 • The Charlotte News

Into the Woods J. Ethan Tapper CHITTENDEN COUNTY FORESTER

If you live in Vermont, chances are that you live near a town forest. Whether they are called a “town forest,” “natural area,” “country park,” “conservation area,” “community forest” or “municipal forest,” town forests can be simply defined as a primarily forested property owned by a municipality. In Chittenden County we have about a dozen town forests, and one of my roles as county forester is to help communities manage these amazing resources.

Vermont’s first municipal forest bill passed in 1915. This bill, which described town forests as “a tract of land primarily devoted to producing wood products, maintaining wildlife habitat, protecting water supplies, providing forest recreation and conservation education,” gave municipalities the ability to acquire forested land. Town forests were eligible for assistance from the state: as much as half of the cost of their acquisition and reforestation, up to $600 per biennium in 1946. This bill was well timed, as much of the 75 percent of Vermont that was deforested in the previous two centuries was beginning to revert back to forest in the early 1900s. This trend was bolstered by the Great Depression and westward expansion, among other factors, which forced many farmers to move out, give up on farming or give up their land. Some towns capitalized on this trend to acquire future town forests,

Food Shelf News

Town Forests

“

modeling responsible forest and public land management in an increasingly forested landscape. The 840-acre Hinesburg Town Forest, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is an example of this, comprised of tax-derelict hill farms acquired by the town between the 1930s and 1950s.

As restoration and reforestation projects, town forests (in addition to private land) were widely planted with conifer plantations, particularly red, white and Scotch pine, and Norway spruce. These plantations were established with the European idea of the “regulated forest” in mind, the philosophy that humans should control every variable in a forest to grow timber as efficiently as possible. These plantations sometimes grew timber quickly, but they were generally not what we now understand to be “healthy” forests: forests that are diverse, resilient to disturbance and provide high-quality habitat and other ecosystem services.

The first generation of town forests in Chittenden County are some of our most

iconic. In addition to the Hinesburg Town Forest, the Essex Junction Village Forest, now called “Saxon Hill,” was regarded nationally as an example of a well-managed (plantation) forest.

This property, at one time over 800 acres in size, supplied water to Essex Junction beginning in 1905.

It was joined by the 501-acre Indian Brook Reservoir property, acquired

by Essex Junction in 1955 for the same purpose. The Milton Town Forest, which surrounds Milton Pond, secured Milton’s water supply starting in 1923.

New strategies are being used to acquire a new generation of town forests today.

The LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest in Hinesburg, Andrews Town Forest in Richmond, Preston Pond Conservation Area in Bolton and Maple Shade Town Forest in Westford are examples of town forests acquired using conservation funds, among other state, federal and private funding sources. These, and most new town forests, are conserved, meaning they can never

While having a say in how federally or state-owned public lands are managed may be challenging, getting involved in the management of your town forest is usually as simple as showing up to a public meeting at the town hall once a month.

”

awarded to several nonprofits in our towns that met the criteria of serving the people of our communities in a variety of ways.

Integrating compassion, expertise and service • Advanced surgical and Medical Care • Exotics and Companion Animals • Evening Hours Available

The recipients for this cycle included the Carpenter Carse Library in Hinesburg, the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, COTS, the Friends of the Charlotte Library, Friends of the Pierson Library, the Hinesburg Police Department, JUMP (Joint Urban Ministry Project), Prevent Child Abuse, ReSource, the Stern Center and the YWCA. These awards are made possible as a

205 Commerce Street Hinesburg | 482-2955

Happy 60th Birthday!

From your friends at

Shelburne News Shelburne’s weekly newspaper

Providing Repair, Refinishing, Restoration and Transport

George & Pam Darling P.O. Box 32 Ferry Road, Charlotte, VT gdarling@gmavt.net

From the Archives August 29, 1958

Susan Ohanian be subdivided or developed, ensuring that they will remain a valuable resource for generations to come.

Town forests usually support a diverse variety of uses, including recreation (walking and running, sometimes mountain biking, Nordic skiing and horseback riding), hunting, forest management and education.

I am particularly excited about town forests as places to demonstrate responsible forest management and show how this can interact positively with some of these other uses.

The coexistence of these uses is not always harmonious; when conflicts inevitably arise, it is up to the town (usually in the form of a conservation commission or town forest committee) to chart a path forward. This is done through a combination of management planning, community engagement and tough decision-making, and it is done by those who know the town best—its citizens.

While having a say in how federally or state-owned public lands are managed may be challenging, getting involved in the management of your town forest is usually as simple as showing up to a public meeting at the town hall once a month. Get out and enjoy these public resources, and get involved in their management. The shape that these lands take is, ultimately, up to you.

You can find a map of Vermont’s town forests at vtcommunityforestry.org/ YourVTTownForest.

Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden County forester. He can be reached at ethan. tapper@vermont.gov, (802)-585-9099, or at his office at 111 West Street, Essex

SCHIP announces spring grant awards SCHIP (Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg Interfaith Project) has announced its spring grant awards. Recently over $15,000 was

The Charlotte News • July 25, 2018 • 7

result of SCHIP’s mission to raise funds through the sale of donated, gently used clothing, household items, accessories, art and collectibles at its resale shop in the distinctive yellow building on Route 7, next to the town offices. Since the first grants given in April 2005, more than $662,000 has been distributed.

SCHIP will now be accepting grant applications twice a year. The deadlines will be April 30 and October 31 of each year. The maximum grant size is $3,000.

Application forms are available on the “Contacts” page at schipstreasure.org.

As a member of our communities, you too are an intimate part of our mission.

Come shop, donate, volunteer and help us continue to meet our objectives for the future. For more information on grant recipients or the organization, please visit our website (schipstreasure.org) or our Facebook page (SCHIP’s Treasure Resale Shop) or call the shop for volunteer or donation inquiries at 985-3595.

Our participating faith communities are All Souls Interfaith Gathering, Shelburne; Ascension Lutheran Church, South Burlington; Charlotte Congregational Church; Hinesburg United Church; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, Charlotte; Shelburne United Methodist Church; St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Shelburne; St. Jude’s Catholic Church, Hinesburg; Trinity Episcopal Church, Shelburne; and the Vermont Zen Center, Shelburne.

Thank you, donors!

This month, special thanks go out to Janet Morrison, Meg Berlin and Mary Volk, who donated in honor of Frances Foster.

Super event: Bake for Good Thank you to King Arthur Flour, who sponsored a Bake for Good event, organized by the Charlotte Library. Youngsters and their not-so-young partners teamed up at the Charlotte Senior Center to Bake for Good.

Their bounty, a variety of wonderful yeast rolls, was donated to the Food Shelf and the Senior Center lunch. Ingredients and recipe booklets were donated by King Arthur Flour.

Librarians Margaret Woodruff and Susanna Kahn kept 10 teams of bakers on track, from two kinds of flour in the bowl to pans in the oven. The crowded room was filled with bubbling yeast, deep concentration and lots of laughter.

Summer lunch snacks and books We are happy to report that some young readers have checked in at the library carrying their coupons to choose free books.

The Charlotte Library, Spear’s Corner Store and the Charlotte Congregational Church are partnering to provide lunch assistance.

Bags with lunch items are available at these three locations, and each bag comes with a coupon good for a book of the child’s choice.

Donated food drop-off locations All nonperishable food donations may be dropped off at the Charlotte Library, the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (main entrance) or at the Food Shelf during the distribution mornings. We request that all fresh foods be dropped off at the Food Shelf before the Wednesday distribution hours or before 7:30 a.m. on the Thursday distribution mornings.

The Charlotte Food Shelf is located on the lower level of the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry. Distribution days and times are also posted on the bulletin board in the Charlotte Congregational Church Hall and at the Charlotte Senior Center. You may also call the Food Shelf number (425-3252) for a recording of the distribution times.

Vouchers are also available at these three locations—good for a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread from Spear’s corner Store.

Important upcoming Food Shelf distribution dates Wednesdays, August 8 and 22, 5 to 7 p.m.

Thursdays, August 9 and 23, 7:30 to 9 a.m.

Financial assistance Reminder: the Food Shelf has some funds available for emergency assistance with fuel and electric bills. Contact Cindi at 425-3234 if you need assistance.

Donations The Food Shelf is a volunteer organization, and all donations go directly for food or assistance to our neighbors.

Checks may be mailed to Charlotte Food Shelf & Assistance, P.O. Box 83, Charlotte, VT 05445 Thank you

Charlotte News

60

Celebrating

years!

Non-profit newspapers rock!

Happy Birthday, Melissa and Coco

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8 • July 25, 2018 • The Charlotte News

Leavitty

Sunny Side Up

Life of my own design Carrie Fenn We all know it’s true: life is a journey filled with fast lanes, traffic jams, breathtaking vistas and ugly roadside motels. What that journey isn’t filled with is dead ends and U-turns. There’s no going back in this long, strange trip—only forward, and this week’s bio comes from a Charlotte woman who, after feeling as though her time here in our little town had run its course, took a deep breath and found that it isn’t the physical place that fulfills but how to occupy that place.

Mary’s life has taken some twists and turns; there’ve been a few “I blew it” moments, but she’s discovered that some things that felt like failures were really just intersections—stops where the right turn became a left and brought her to where she is now, living a dream she didn’t know she had and discovering a new way of thinking, being and helping those around her.

You’ve probably seen Mary around.

She’s petite, energetic and has a bright personality that invites you to give her a smile even if you don’t know her. She’s got two boys, now college age, who she watched diligently on the sidelines at games through their school years. She’s friendly with her ex, has lots of friends and a super cool house.

Mary’s done some interesting things in her life. She started working as a teenager and through her college years, doing what most of us do: going to a job she didn’t care about. In her early 20s, she was working at a travel agency, making little money, watching other people go on trips, and (in what I have come to realize is typical Mary fashion) ditched that job, signed on as a cook on a research vessel, and traveled the world for six years. Then life did its slow-down thing. She got married, earned a couple of degrees, had her boys, stayed home for 10 years. When she went back to work, a school job made sense. She wanted to connect with people, help people, so she

The Charlotte News • July 25, 2018 • 9

took a course of study to become a speech/ language pathologist assistant and signed on at CVU. The work was good, but it still wasn’t where she wanted to be. She hadn’t found her ikigai, her reason for jumping out of bed in the morning and digging in.

When I had my first extended conversation with Mary, she was getting ready to sell her house and leave Charlotte.

She was planning to leave CVU when her youngest son graduated; she felt like she had done her time in Vermont and was, in her words, “out of here.” But the next time we spoke, things had changed. She had discovered a new modality that hit all her marks: profession, passion, vocation and mission in one beautiful package. In her words, it all “clicked.” Mary had found it, all the things she was looking for fell into place. She is studying biofield tuning, a therapy that uses tuning forks and sound waves for physical and emotional healing.

Mary’s work in biofield tuning is allowing her to not only make deep connections with others, but prioritize her own self care and health. As she says, this work is helping her to “create a life of my own design. I didn’t have all the pieces before, but now I have all the pieces.”

The most fascinating part of Mary’s story is her own self-awareness and her willingness to look back and objectively view herself and her choices; she doesn’t judge herself, or question, or doubt. She takes out her road map, and she looks at where she’s been, fondly remembering the wrong turns and realizing that each decision brought her right to her own front door. Mary’s opened that door, she’s stepping through, and there’s a whole universe of possibility ahead of her.

At the end of our interview, Mary left me with an annotated quote from Out of Africa, the old Meryl Streep, Robert Redford movie.

“I don’t want to get to the end of my life and realize I lived someone else’s.”

Nor do I, Mary. Nor do I.

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A quirky bunch

When I first moved to Charlotte 22 years ago from New York City it was culture shock, for sure. I had grown tired Josie Leavitt of NYC and the noise, the pollution and the many, many people. I was eager for a change.

The contrast between country and city life took no time to reveal itself. There are still no sidewalks in Charlotte. This will always bother me a tiny bit. Walking is fun and should feel safe to do in the village, but I digress.

Charlotte felt like a much needed breath of fresh air. Of course, I moved in the summer, and every day felt and smelled like “let’s manure the field” day.

I’ve actually come to love that smell. It reminds me that I’m tied to hard-working farmers who use the land for cows, hay and vegetables, and that smell tells me all is well. Things are growing, animals will be fed, and essentially all is right in my little corner of the world. I miss the intensity of that smell, since back then there were more dairy farms near me; at least three that I can I think of closed within 10 years of my arrival.

Charlotte, I discovered quickly, is an interesting mix of neighborly and standoffish. No one, at least in my little

part of town, pops by unannounced, nor do they gossip about the “new people” in a way that ever got back to me. It’s generally a polite wave, maybe a chat when dogs are walked, but that’s about it.

And that suits me.

But when the ice storm hit in 1998, it was all hands on deck to make sure everyone on the road was okay. I remember Elizabeth and I walked with our ice cleats to the neighbor’s house to make sure she and her kids were okay.

They were all good but were running out of wood. Her husband was out of town.

She had a gas stove, we had wood. We loaded a sled and daily brought her wood, and she fed us hot coffee and toad-in-thehole sandwiches.

Almost on a whim, Elizabeth and I opened the Flying Pig Bookstore. We went from fairly quiet neighbors to one of five people who had retail stores in town, and we gained some notoriety. Many more people were waving at us from cars.

I would just wave at everyone until I knew who folks were.

Now that my column has touched on my recent health issues, I have been deeply moved by the letters, hugs and good wishes I receive almost daily from my fellow Charlotters. We are a quirky bunch and I love that The Charlotte News so wonderfully reflects that.

Happy 60th!!!

Cooking With Coco

Fish for breakfast

On a brisk morning recently I was able to experience what truly fresh fish tastes like.

My mom has a cottage on a river so Coco Eyre in the summer we fish right off of our deck. On this particular day my grandpa dropped the fishing line in, waited a few minutes and then all of a sudden I turned around and there was a trout on our deck!

Killing a fish is hard for me to wrap my head around. You have to come to a mental state of mind where you can fully take the life of a living animal. We had to do it soon enough so the fish didn’t suffer. But once we killed the fish, cleaned it and deboned it, we were able to cook it.

We had already been preparing breakfast

From the Archives June 18, 2009

that morning so a little added protein was pretty great. We cooked the fish with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper. It took no time at all for it to be fully cooked.

We all gathered around to eat this delicious fish together: my mom and me, my granddad and nanny and my brother, Nate, who was home from Montana. We set the fish out in the middle of the table, along with bowls of berries, sliced avocado and our plates of scrambled eggs and toast.

We said a little prayer to thank the fish for giving its life for our enjoyment and nutrition, and while we were eating we talked about how lucky we are to be able to eat food this fresh. This small trout gave us a big gift: a reminder of how fortunate we are to live in a place where we can gather our own food and eat fresh and healthy things from our own backyard.

It was … delicious.

Congratulations on years!

60

Charlotte News Coco gets a lesson in Fisherman’s knot tying from her grandpa, Tom O’Brien.

Photo by Melissa O’Brien

Charlotte News We look forward to many more years of wonderful stories.

Lydia and Rory

Karen, Mike, Kendall and Colin Frost

Bristol, VT Homeowner Recommends Bristol Electronics “Bristol Electronics makes it easy for you to go solar.

From the detailed, patient explanations, to the rebates, estimates and permits, Bristol Electronics takes care of it all. I obtained several

Charlotte News

60 Happy Celebrating

BIRTHDAY

years!

from Robert & Nancy Bloch

quotes from various companies but it was Bristol Electronics who ultimately won my business with their friendly, approachable attitude and superior knowledge of the technology. When I began this project I was uneducated and apprehensive. Now I find myself encouraging my friends and family to call Bristol Electronics for a free quote and explanation because I truly believe in their product and company. They are highly skilled and professional in every respect.

Stephen and his crew encouraged my children’s curiosity and made learning fun for them. Little things like making handprints in the cement of our solar system sparked talks about reducing your carbon footprint and how everyone can help, even children. The whole experience could not have been easier or better. Seeing the power meter run backwards is just icing on the cake..”

Heather Shepard – Bristol

802 . 453 . 2500 BristolElectronicsVT.com FREE SITE EVALUATIONS

10 • July 25, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • July 25, 2018 • 11

Charlotte Library News

College Prep Margaret Woodruff LIBRARY DIRECTOR

Upcoming at the Library Summer Story Time

Reading Fun at Adam’s Berry Farm Tuesday, July 31 at 9:30 a.m. Meet us at the farm for a summer of berries, great stories, gardening and busy activities. All ages are welcome.

Rock out at preschool story time Friday, July 27 at 10:30 a.m. Drop in for stories, songs and crafts. For ages 3-5.

Monday, August 6 at 2 p.m. Very Merry Theatre Presents “The Wiz.” On the library lawn. Bring your lawn chairs and sunscreen. For all ages. Rain location: CCS Multi-Purpose Room

Microscopic geology: Rocks and minerals from around the world. Wednesday, July 25 at 10:30 a.m. Jan Schwarz of Project Micro shares the wonders right beneath our feet, from quartz to crystal and more. Ages 7 and up.

Two proud baking partners with their wares.

LEGO Club: Thursday, July 26 at 10 a.m.

Build your own creations and test your imagination and LEGO skills in the weekly challenge. A drop-in program for grades 3 and up.

STEAM Challenge Camp. MondayThursday, July 30-Aug 2, 10:30 a.m.-noon.

Explore all parts of the science, tech, engineering, arts & math world. A new hands-on project each day! Sign up for one day or all four. For rising 4th-8th graders.

In partnership with RETN and supported

by STEAM grants from local donors.

Summer of Numbers. Can doing math in the summer be fun? Yes, with the Summer of Numbers and a daily math problem.

Just pick up a constellation chart and star stickers to track your progress. For all ages.

Adult Interest

Summer Book Group at Senior Center: Mondays, August 6-20 at 10:30 a.m. The Handmaid’s Tale became a dystopian TV hit last fall. Join us to read the novel

by Margaret Atwood on which it was

based. The story is set in a near-future New England, in a totalitarian Christian theonomy that has overthrown the United States government. The novel focuses on the journey of the handmaid Offred and her role in a Commander’s house as servant and surrogate. Copies of the book available at the Charlotte Library and Charlotte Senior Center prior to the first meeting.

Hammock-Nappers Book Club: A Book a Month! Hop in your hammock for the second year of our laidback book group!

You can pick up copies of our monthly selections and then settle in for a leisurely read. August: As Lie Is to Grin by Simeon Marsalis. Join us on Facebook at Charlotte Library Hammock Nappers Book Group!

Tuesday, August 21 at 10 a.m.: Mystery Book Group: The Various Haunts of Men. Having transferred to the small cathedral town of Lafferton from London’s “Met,” police detective Freya Graffham explores her new community and becomes fascinated by Chief Insp. Simon Serrailler, her enigmatic superior. Though she fits well within the local police force, she finds herself unable to let go what seems like a routine missing persons report on a middleaged spinster. When yet more townspeople turn up missing, her hunch is verified and a serious police search begins, bringing her into closer proximity with Serrailler at the same time it exposes her to danger. Copies are available at the circulation desk.

Charlotte Library Board of Trustees: Katharine Cohen, Nan Mason, Danielle Conlon Menk, Jonathan Silverman and Robert Smith.

Next Library Board meeting: Thursday, September 13, at 6 p.m.

Charlotte Library information: Margaret Woodruff, director Cheryl Sloan, youth services librarian Susanna Kahn, tech services librarian Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The college-bound master timeline

Denise Shekerjian Thinking about college? Here’s a schedule to help you get your applications done on a timely basis without losing your sanity.

Freshman - Senior Year

Take rigorous courses, especially in the core areas: math, science, English and world languages. If you have an AP option that interests you, take it. Consider on-line classes or read primers. Many are free. Once you complete your study, sit for the AP exam.

Extracurricular activities that show service or expertise are helpful. If you can show growth in leadership responsibilities as you progress through school, so much the better. Summer internships are the chance to explore careers while making some money.

Get to know your guidance counselor.

This person can help you find schools, scholarships, internships, and will be writing on your behalf come application time, so it pays to have a relationship that you build upon for four years. Work with your counselor to identify schools within your budget and begin searching out scholarships.

Work with your parents or guardians to determine a savings plan for college.

Junior Year – Fall

Take the PSAT and start prepping for the SAT or ACT. Students often take these more

than once with the final test in the fall of senior year. Practice timed full-length exams.

Take a prep course, online or in-person, or use the free practice exams available online.

The SAT essay portion is optional, but it’s a good idea to take it. Note that while many schools now regard the SAT/ACT as optional, you may alter your list of target schools as your plans progress . . . so taking it preserves your options.

Refine your college list and try to visit. Check the web for info sessions, tour schedules and interview possibilities.

Make an appointment. Do your interview preparation: know the answers to questions you are likely to receive and have some really good, specific questions of your own per school. Have a list of the three things you want to be sure to convey about yourself. Follow up with a thank-you note.

Be interesting in your observations and enthusiastic about applying.

Junior Year – Spring

If you think you can improve on your SAT or ACT score, take it again. If you need help with the cost, see your guidance counselor for a possible fee waiver. Take your SAT Subject Tests, as well as your AP tests, as soon as the courses or independent study you have arranged are over. You will do better when the material is fresh.

Junior Year – Summer

Continue school visits. Calendar your

application deadlines as well as the materials requested per school. Line up your letters of recommendations and prepare info packets for your writers that emphasize the possible points you would like them to make on your behalf. This packet should include your personal essay. Expect this to take several drafts. No time like the summer to get this all-important introduction of yourself done!

Relax, and tell a great story.

Refine your financial plan and begin applying for scholarships. There are usually more essays involved, so leave some time for these. Local resources often have less competition.

Senior Year – Fall

Take the SAT/ACT again if you think you can improve your score. Put together your application materials. Early decision (binding, if accepted) or early action (nonbinding) applications are due in early November. Regular admission applications are filed between January 1 and March 1. Be sure your scores are sent.

If you are seeking federal financial aid, fill out your FAFSA form and submit it the moment the window opens, typically October 1. Fill out school-based forms as well, including the CCS Profile. Send your applications out as soon thereafter as possible to take advantage of rolling admissions at some schools.

If you made some estimates, update your FAFSA and CCS profile with more current information from your most recent tax returns.

Wait for decisions to roll in during March and April: yes/no/waitlisted. Compare financial aid offers and discuss with your parents and counselor. These may include loans, grants and opportunities for workstudy.

Then, make your big decision—wow!— and submit your enrollment deposit to secure your place, typically by May 1. Take any remaining AP tests if they translate into college credit or advance your curriculum goals by allowing you to “place out” of introlevel courses. Expect to receive orientation information, fill out all forms, and stay on top of any deadlines. And now . . .

Celebrate! A new chapter begins.

Need help?

The College Board has a great resource for finding schools, visiting schools, career exploration, financial information and more: bigfuture.collegeboard.org.

For all your written needs, interview preparation and much more, I invite you to be in touch: soulofaword.com

Senior Year – Spring

Sports Report Forty-fourth booting of Lions Twin-State Soccer Edd Merritt With only three goals scored over two games, New Hampshire technically came out on top as their girls beat Vermont 1-0 while the boys’ teams tied at 1. The Granite State girls scored within the first 17 minutes and held on for the win.

According to the Rutland Herald sports writers, CVU’s Natalie Durieux played like the Gatorade Player-of-the year that she is.

Covering both ends of the field, she almost

tied the game near its end with a hard shot that was barely wide of the goal.

It took a penalty shot by New Hampshire just five minutes into the second half for the first score in the boy’s game. Vermont came back to tie matters

by Enosburg’s Noah Swainbank, which is how the game ended.

The teams will be back at Castleton State next year for the forty-fifth running of the Lions’ Cup.

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12 • July 25, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • July 25,2018 • 13

Curbing Our Way Across America In The Age Of Innocence

By Norm Riggs Part I of this story appeared in the July 11 issue of The Charlotte News.

Part 2 Back to the drawing board We both agreed that our little scheme was indeed little.

I told Mark, “I could hear you giving your hard-core sales pitch at the houses across the street, and you might just as well have been arguing with the door knob. We can waste a lot of time trying to close a deal on pride that might give us another fifteen cents. You can bleed ‘em out of another dime and win the battle, but at the end of the night you’ve lost the war. I earned $11.80 of our whopping $21.50.”

Mark wasn’t one to give ground graciously, but I had just jabbed his stubborn a**. He countered, “So what now, Willy Loman?” (of Death of a Salesman fame).

I replied, “I don’t know. What do you think?” Mark may have been stubborn but he was also inventive; whatever the solution it had to be his. “Well … maybe we need to paint first and collect second. We could blitz a neighborhood, leaving our fliers and then come back smiling and look all charming and innocent as the college students. They’d have read the fliers and looked at their curbs so we wouldn’t have to explain.” Eureka!

So the next morning we headed out to Ankeny, a suburb lined with Pete Seeger’s post-war little boxes, and started our blitz. We hired a couple of grade-school boys for a penny a house to run up and down the blocks putting fliers in the screen doors. Things were going well until the local cop cruised by and asked us what we were doing. We handed him a flier, which he scrutinized and said, “Looks like a good idea to me. I have a helluva time finding some houses, ‘specially at night. But some guys on the council have been on my ass and I don’t need more trouble. I gotta ask you to stop.” We nodded agreeably and sauntered back to our car. “S*&t!” I said, “This will never work.” Brazen Mark didn’t see it that way. “Hey, he asked us to quit painting. He didn’t say anything about collecting.” Hmm. That night we started calling on doors, smiling as cleancut enterprising college students. The neighborhood was not all that prosperous even by post WWII standards, but most who greeted us were warm salt of the earth folks. Many worked at the John Deere assembly plant there.

By evening’s end we’d collected a whopping $78.50, and my split was more than I cleared in a week at Meadow Gold. Fat City, we’d arrived!

But there was a small problem. We couldn’t continue to paint in Ankeny since we’d been ordered to stop.

Mark had an immediate solution: Move on to another suburb, blitz, collect and move on. But never ever ask for permission from the city in advance.

Guerilla paintfare Illustration By LS Reynolds

From that day on we became the Viet Cong of curbdom.

Strike, fade away and return when the enemy’s guard is down. That became the first and guiding rule of curb painting.

As with any entrepreneurial business venture, you don’t get it totally right the first time. Mistakes and missteps are the best teachers, and by the end of the summer we had graduated cum laude in efficiency, business management, psychology and salesmanship.

As we moved down the street painting we were constantly scanning houses for citizen watchdogs, ever vigilant for peeping heads and fluttering curtains. When a person walked out of the house and approached we would typically be greeted with the question, “What are you doing? Why are you doing this?” To which we would reply, “This is a project throughout your community sponsored by college students to help us earn our school expenses. There’s no charge for this service, but we do accept donations. It will help police, fire, ambulance, friends and out-of-town guests find your house.”

Some folks would offer to pay right then. Others would say, “I didn’t ask you to paint my curb,” and we would say, “We sure don’t expect you to give a donation if you don’t like it.”

If the exchange escalated to red alert, the citizen watchdog would say, “I’m calling (called) the police,” and make a huffy retreat to the house. As we picked up our paint gear and faded away we would call out, “We respect your opinion, and we’re sorry you’re unhappy.” Once safely out of view we would jump in the car and make a quick exit to a safely distant area.

Here comes the law Local policing in suburbia back then was a haphazard affair that mostly involved meandering cruising akin to the Good Humor ice cream guy, the main difference being that the town cop wasn’t flocked by kids. Sunglasses disguised boredom, and police radio chatter projected vigilance and authority. This was the mid-sixties and the suburbs were safely barricaded from the boiling cauldron of the core city.

Speeding teens, stray dogs and reports of vandalism, fueled by cigarettes and caffeine, helped brunt the monotony. So a couple of peripatetic curb-painting college kids were often

as close as the local cops would get to Al Capone.

Unavoidably we would sometimes encounter a police cruiser, usually by happenstance but sometimes because of a complaint. The car usually approached stealthily from the rear: A couple of tanned young guys hunched over curbs were inherently suspicious. When available, we’d buy a T-shirt sporting the local high school logo.

Although the chiefs almost always told us to stop painting, they usually didn’t think to tell us to stop collecting. And of course, we never brought it up or showed them our flyer, so we figured we were good for one more warning. We didn’t start collecting until early evening, and by that time most chiefs and the office day shift were home, so if a citizen called the desk to inquire, the person answering was usually in the dark and would radio an officer to check us out. When we saw the police car pull up we’d allay suspicion by strolling up and initiating a friendly conversation.

“Hello, officer.”

“What are you boys up to?”

“Oh, we’re accepting donations from people for addresses we painted on their curbs. Maybe you noticed them when you drove up the block.”

More often than not, after we explained what we were doing and why, the police officer would be agreeable, sometimes even friendly. But he rarely would give us a green light. We were always deferential and learned to never argue; instead we would act mildly surprised that there was a problem, since other cities liked it, and ask if we could visit with the chief. This offer was crucial to erasing any suspicion of a scam.

Nevertheless on occasion the officer would insist that we check in with the chief. “Okay, thanks. When does your council next meet? … Oh, okay, we’ll check with the clerk to see if we can get on the agenda.”

“By the way, I wish you boys luck. It’s a great idea. I like your T-shirt. Are you from round here?”

However, we soon learned that calling on the chief did not bear fruit, and we would not follow up. But the gesture erased any doubt of our legitimacy and good intentions.

However, if the officer was aware that we’d been told to stop, the conversation would go more like this:

“Hello, officer.”

“I got a complaint that you boys visited with the chief, and he told you to stop”.

“Yes, sir. The chief told us to stop painting, so we’re just accepting donations from houses we’ve already painted.”

“Well, go ahead and finish the houses you’ve already painted.”

“Thank you, officer. We definitely won’t paint any more curbs in (community).” (Whew!)

Or, worse, like this: “Well, I’m telling you to quit collecting.”

“Yes, sir.” (Damn! End of the line.)

House calls

Imagine this. Back in the mid-sixties most families actually had dinner together at home. Kids’ diversions were minimal. TV was the main family magnet, and the main distraction was siblings feuding over access to the phone. Furthermore, think of this: There was no cellphone, no voice mail and no caller I.D. Mom was bustling in the kitchen while Dad kicked back in his easy chair with a cigarette and beverage of choice.

So starting at 6 o’clock we would launch our foray into suburbia. Our goal was to each collect 100 houses an evening, so we had to move briskly. We kept a notebook of houses where nobody was home so we could return to collect later.

We would casually amble up to the door and knock lightly. This usually set off the dog alarm, and it was a challenge to talk above the yapping.

Dad would usually be the first to hear the knock and would call out to Mom or one of the kids to answer the door. “Harriet, there’s some guy at the door. Would you please answer it?” or “Harriet, there’s some guy at the door.

Answer it!”

So most often Harriet answered the door donning an apron and a smile.

Whoever greeted us, we would turn on the charm. As the door opened we’d just happened to be looking down the block with a wad of one dollar bills in our left hand, forcing the greeter to glance down at the bills as we pivoted our

head front and center with a nod and a smile.

This tactic was crucial because back then most people would otherwise give us a couple of quarters. But seeing those bills in hand sent a message: Don’t be a cheapskate; look what your neighbors are giving.

“Hello, we’re the college students who painted your house number on your curb.”

“Ozzie, this is one of the college students who painted our house number on our curb. There’s no charge, but he’ll accept donations.”

“Oh. Well, you take care of it.”

Harriet would then ask. “What are they giving?”

“Well, most of your neighbors are giving a dollar, but some give more.”

“Oh. I think it’s a good idea. Ozzie, do you have a dollar bill.”

As we took the donation in hand we would say, “Thank you very much for your donation. It will help people find your house, especially at night.”

Then we would jog across their lawn to the next house.

However, things didn’t always go so easily.

About a third of the time we came up emptyhanded. Mark saw this as a challenge and couldn’t resist putting his persuasive powers into play, usually to no avail. I could hear him across the street singing the laurels of our project while wasting precious time. He wouldn’t admit it, but at the end of the evening I usually collected sixty percent of the bounty.

And sometimes a quick exit wasn’t an option.

Occasionally the person—almost always a man—would say, “I don’t want it on my curb.

Take it off!” This was problematic and our response was, “Well, your neighbors really like it, but sure, we’ll do that tomorrow.” We’d jot down the address in our notebook with an asterisk and make sure we returned to honor our pledge, lest the crank call the police.

True to our word, we’d return the next day and apply industrial paint remover that steamed and fizzled as we poured it on the paint, following up with a stiff wire brush. My eyes would water and I’d go into sneezing convulsions. Agent Orange was probably its main ingredient.

Move over James Dean Banned by Des Moines and weary of dodging the law in outlying suburbs, it was time to move on to greener pastures. Fueled by the visions of Kerouac and the TV smash series Route 66 we decided it was time to hitch our wagon. It was still early June and summer was ahead of us: two young studs heading down the open road, as Chuck Berry put it, “with no particular place to go.”

Sunglasses perched above a cocky smirk, elbows draped out the car window, flicking cigarettes at stoplights as we winked at prospective babes. The ultimate cool. How could we lose?

But truth be known we were at one huge disadvantage.

Todd and Buzz cruised in a Corvette, while we sported a 1952 Dynaflow Buick (nicknamed “Dynaflush” because when pressed over 60 mph the flow would turn into a lavatory flush), a miniature Sherman tank that got four miles to the gallon and could take on a semi-truck. Add to that our ramshackle two-wheeled wooden trailer, the Albatross, and we looked more like the Beverly Hillbillies than Smooth Dogs. We knew we’d be hard pressed to get a second look from even the most desperate of girls.

Hitting the road We were infected with the unbridled optimism and fever

that only youth can feel as we looked ahead to hitting the open road. Looking back I don’t recall what I was thinking – if I was thinking at all. Now seventy-five, the prospect of such escapade would only occur under delirium. I understand what was going through my parents’ minds back then. Where we saw adventure and limitless opportunity they saw risk and uncertainty.

As we were loading our paint supplies and camping gear into the Albatross, our neighbor Clyde Anderson strolled over to ask what in the world we were doing. We enthusiastically explained the drama that lay ahead. He

asked where we were going, and we said anywhere and everywhere. He gave us a puzzled look and tilted his head as he surveyed our funky trailer, then stared at both us with a look of utter disbelief. He never said anything. He just walked away.

A half hour later Mom came out and said, “Norman, Clyde just called. He thinks you boys need to see a psychiatrist. Something about a hare-brained fantasy.” Then Dad came out puffing on his pipe and scratching his bald head, which he was prone to do when perplexed. As an astronomy professor he could more easily contemplate the cosmos than us embarking on such an adventure. His only comment was, “I hope you boys have liability insurance on that trailer. It’s pretty rickety, and the wheels look like they could disengage at any minute.”

The next morning I said goodbye to my folks. They just stood in the driveway with a look of sad bewilderment and timidly waved as I drove away. When I pulled into Mark’s driveway his parents and several neighbors were milling around in the yard. His father, a Protestant preacher, rolled his eyes and shook his head as he looked skyward and mumbled something about the lord delivering us from evil and flanking our sides on our journey. His mother muttered something about watching out for loose girls. Mark assured her that we would keep our pants zipped.

Norm Riggs retired from Iowa State University in 2006 as a rural community development specialist and now lives in North Ferrisburgh with his wife, Sandy, and three dogs. This is his first piece of published writing.

Norm and Mark’s subsequent travels took them to Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada and Colorado. When Norm completes the full story, we’ll publish it in its entirety on The Charlotte News website.

14 • July 25, 2018 • The Charlotte News

From the Archives May 23, 1996

The Charlotte News • July 25, 2018 • 15

Conservation Currents

The tale of Blossom the opossum Linda Radimer An orphaned baby, Blossom was picked up off a road near Punta Gorda, Florida, with a number of her siblings. Her mother had been hit and killed by a car. She, along with the others, was taken to the Peace River Wildlife and Rehabilitation Center for care. It appeared that Blossom had experienced some debilitating head trauma, and she would not be able to sustain herself in the wild, so the Center did not release her with her brothers and sisters. She is now a sweet, shy ambassador for wildlife at the Center.

Possums, as many people refer to them, are marsupial mammals, the only one in the North American continent that returned north from South America after the ice age.

Although there are several dozen different species, the Virginia or common species is the only species that migrated north to North America. The warming climate has now brought them into New England. The native America Algonquin named them Apasum, which means “white face,” and is the likely origin of our term opossum.

Opossum, or possum, do not have a long life for an animal of their size. Starting from birth, the National Opossum Society reports that there may be as many as 20 honeybee sized joeys born at a time, but only about half will make it into their mother’s pouch and survive to adulthood. Those that make it to their mother’s pouch stay there for 70 to 125 days. They are then carried on their mother’s back for another one to two months when away from the den. The dens are typically holes made by other animals.

Blossom is about the size of a cat, perhaps 2.5 feet long (including her tail).

She has a white face with black eyes and ears, a pink nose, along with pink feet and tail. Her fur is gray to black, and she has a pointed face. She grew to a little over 8.5 pounds, but possum can grow up to over 13 pounds. Blossom is used to being around people, and she cuddled against her

CONGRATULATIONS Charlotte News!

60

Celebrating

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Chris and Caryn

handler’s shoulder when I first met her. But in the wild, a possum that felt cornered would likely hiss and growl, belch or possibly urinate to try and scare off a predator. They fall prey to humans, cars, dogs, cats, owls and larger wildlife. Humans, particularly in the South, may also hunt them for food.

When a possum’s 50 sharp teeth (more than any other N. American species) fail to frighten off a predator, they may have an involuntary response.

Wikipedia.com describes this as where they appear to faint, draw back their lips, have saliva form around their mouth, lower their eyelids and release a foul smelling fluid from their anal glands. This death-like pose became known as “playing possum.” This appearance can last for a few minutes up to four hours. Possum naturally have a lower body temperature than many mammals, which likely aids them in this ruse. It also makes it possible to avoid catching rabies and succumbing to poisonous venoms from snakes.

Besides not likely spreading rabies, the possum is a good scavenger, cleaning up roadkill that draws other possible victims into the road. They even eat the bones because of a strong need for calcium.

Also, in the “Sanders Wildlife Seven Facts” video of possum, you can learn that possum’s self-grooming leads to about a 96 percent kill rate of over 5,000 ticks, per possum, each year. As omnivores, they will eat carrion, over-ripe berries, leaves and grasses, and vegetables such as corn, and hunt mice, birds and insects, as well as snails, snakes and worms. Given an opening to get to them, chickens are also on the menu.

In the wild, they only live about one to two years, making their mating-to-birth time of two weeks helpful for the species.

In captivity they can live up to four years.

Happy Birthday Charlotte News from Red Tail Lane Possum are generally slow moving and like to climb trees using their front claws and prehensile (gripping) tail to aid them.

In general, like Blossom, they are placid and gentle animals. In the wild, they are also non-confrontational and wish to be left alone as they move about in the night time. They are generally thought to do more good than bad in the world.

Peace River’s web site offers advice: An injured possum will need immediate medical attention and should be brought to your local Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. If you find a dead opossum on or near a road, check to see if it is a female.

Females have a distinct pouch, while males have obvious testicles. If there are babies in the pouch, pull them off immediately and carefully transport them to your closest wildlife rehabilitation center.

Please note that an injured opossum will most likely be in pain and highly stressed, and the animal may bite or be difficult for you to handle. It is very important to reduce the trauma and stress the possum is already feeling. Throw a sheet or pillow case head to toe over the distressed possum, wrap sheet around the animal being careful not to get bitten, pick it up and place it into a secured container or box with air holes. Do not make any attempt to examine, medicate or feed the possum.

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Congratulations to the Charlotte News on its 60th Anniversary Rick and Sandi Detwiler

16 • July 25, 2018 • The Charlotte News

Out Take It has been 45 years since the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v.

Wade ruled 7-2, in a decision written

by Justice Harry Blackmun, that the Constitution Edd Merritt protected a woman’s decision to have an abortion. Abortion rights have remained a newsworthy issue ever since and have come to the fore once again with the resignation of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and the conservative leanings of President Trump.

None of the recent news articles I’ve read go deeply into the Court’s deliberations in Roe. Rather, they focus on current potential replacements for Kennedy and those candidates’ beliefs in regard to birth control and its relationship to parent/ physician determination and governmental oversight, as well as abortion’s cultural implications.

Discussion of Roe vs. Wade raises personal interest for me because my family and Justice Blackmun’s were friends when he was the chief attorney for the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, before he was appointed to the Supreme Court. In that capacity he was viewed as extremely thoughtful, with his decisions always data driven. It is also apparent that his deep involvement in the medical aspects of the Roe case can be traced in good measure

The Charlotte News • July 25, 2018 • 17

Sacred Hunter

Roe vs. Wade won’t let go to knowledge gained from his time at the clinic, where he developed the opinion that the decision whether to have an abortion should be between a woman and her physician.

In her book, Becoming Justice Blackmun: Harry Blackmun’s Supreme Court Journey, author Linda Greenhouse quotes him in his Roe draft as saying, “It is not for us of the judiciary, especially at this point in the development of man’s knowledge, to speculate or to specify when life begins.” Furthermore, he noted that the “state’s interest [in restricting abortion] grows stronger as the woman approaches term.”

From an article in the American Journal of Public Health, which article appeared two years before Roe, Justice Blackmun had copied a quote that the “risk from legal abortion in the first trimester is less than carrying pregnancy to term.”

Based on results from a June 1972 Gallup Poll, Blackmun noted, “two out of three Americans think abortion should be a matter for decision between a woman and her physician,” and among college graduates the belief in the right to abortion had risen to 87 percent.

After leaving Mayo and being appointed to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals by President Eisenhower in 1959, Blackmun continued to believe that “the abortion decision in all its aspects is inherently, and primarily, a medical decision, and basic responsibility for it must rest with the physician.” In 1970, President Nixon

appointed him to the Supreme Court, on which he served until 1994.

From my point of view, Blackmun took an unusual stance in Roe, given his generally conservative nature. He was a lifelong friend of then-Chief Justice, and fellow Minnesotan, Warren Burger, and they both tended to follow a conservative line on most issues. Roe vs. Wade, however, brought Blackmun’s medical knowledge to the fore.

According to an article in the June 27 issue of The New York Times, the “abortion landscape” has changed from national to state-by-state over its 45-year tenure, due largely to additions to medical acts on both levels. The authors say that the Affordable Care Act, in overcoming repeated attempts at repeal, has made birth control available to poor and working-class women as well as to those with private coverage through their employers. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found that poor and low-income women are the primary recipients of abortions and yet bear the brunt of state laws that restrict it, including laws requiring multiple appointments or waiting periods or that limit which providers can perform them.

The Times article says that many lawsuits written to weaken Roe through cuts are currently in state and federal courts.

The anti-abortion group, “The Susan B. Anthony List,” has made fetal pain its top priority, and nearly 40 percent of the states have enacted laws asserting “a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks after conception—a claim refuted by most medical experts.”

Essentially Roe vs. Wade set a national standard that allowed women, in consultation with their doctors, to decide whether to have an abortion. Now, according to analysts, the focus of prolife groups is on viability and the length of time it takes for a fetus to reach a point where it can be considered a living being. States, Iowa for one, enacted laws banning most abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. According to the Times article, Mississippi “recently passed a ban on abortions after 15 weeks.”

The current electoral battle seems to be for state legislative seats, with political activity focused on electing either pro- or anti-abortion senators or representatives.

Anthony Kennedy’s replacement on the

“

Essentially Roe vs. Wade set a national standard that allowed women to decide whether to have an abortion.

Now, according to analysts, the focus of prolife groups is on viability and the length of time it takes for a fetus to reach a point where it can be considered a living being.

”

Supreme Court will give a federal focus to the issue as well.

Finally, here is a couple of lighter notes, just to bring what is often a theoretical debate down to a human practice level.

What about the birth-control pill? It went on the market in 1960 but was available only to married women then. Linda Gordon, a professor of history at New York University, remembers that she and her college friends shared a wedding ring that they passed back and forth among themselves when they were going to see a doctor to get a contraceptive device or pill. She says the practice seemed to work well, saving many young women from the agony of abortion and, at least in her case, allowing the development of a great family later on.

Seeing more clearly at 60 Bradley Carleton Lately life has been offering me so many opportunities to learn how to be present and embrace the great variety that it offers. I have been blessed to have found my true soul mate with whom to share my time here on earth. I have been blessed with 49 years of learning to hunt, fish and forage and learn life’s lessons through the teachings of the outdoors. The challenges that life hands me to process are sometimes quite humbling; whether it’s a trophy buck that eludes me for three years straight, the one big rainbow trout that no matter what fly I cast refuses to inspire a strike, or sometimes just the growth that comes from what seems like life falling apart. It is wise to analyze them each for a time, try to figure out what lesson we are supposed to be learning from them, and then ultimately, let go. Whether it’s a snow squall that sneaks over the Adirondacks and viciously tosses my small duckboat around like a weighted cork in a typhoon or a sudden illness that causes our lives to be permanently altered, we learn that we must let go.

I have learned in the last few years that life – both indoors and out – is a grand mélange of sweet and sour, joy and sadness, serenity and confusion. Like the winter that will inevitably affect our world in just a few more months, we can prepare ourselves for it to the extent that we know what it typically brings—slippery roads, snowy days and frigid cold—but we cannot control how or when nature or life delivers us a deafening blow.

I had a vision when I was a young man, 13 years of age, of skiing down a mountainside in a snowstorm. The snow was that kind that silences everything and allows you to only see what you need to. I would ski through the trees, singing Michael Murphy’s ballad “Wildfire.” The sleepy little steel mill town of Beaver, Pennsylvania, did not nurture me the way that I needed, and I dreamed of a life in Vermont. A life outdoors: hunting, fishing, skiing and sharing my life with a woman that I dreamed about frequently.

We were both 13 years old in my dream and we played hide and seek in the woods for hours, we fished together, watched amazing sunsets and lived on a farm with

Bradley’s father, Arthur Spencer lots of pets. I would grow up to be a writer and devote my time to sharing my love for life through my writings.

As I grew into adolescence and became warped by hormonal surges, I forgot about the girl of my dreams and plunged headlong into the ego-laden world of world cup skiing, acting and eventually the world of finance. The only linear geometry to this path was my need to soothe my outsized ego and quench my addiction to adrenalin.

In today’s world, we see kids take a similar path; they will do anything with a GoPro strapped to their head for a few seconds of digital glory. Now, at the ripe age of 59, I finally understand why. We are seeking the meaning of life. And to perform a daring outlandish feat is to have proven that life exists by cheating death.

As I move toward my 60th rotation around the sun, I am beginning to see things more clearly and realize that my body, which no longer allows me to do double back flips on skis, is telling me to slow down and see what life is really about.

If I look around me, even in the middle of a terrible challenge, I see miracles happening everywhere. A cardinal visits me on the exact day one year after my father’s passing. I discover my first bobolink fledgling in a field. The smell of fresh cut hay fills my nostrils and reminds me that I live on a farm. I stand in a stream in the mountains casting my fly rod for the colorful brook trout. For a lunch with friends I share pickled fiddleheads and ramps as we picnic on the shoreline of the stream, sunlight filtering through the trees like the pillars of Solomon’s Temple.

And beside me, the girl I dreamt about

Congratulations on years

CONGRATULATIONS

Of contributing to and reporting on Charlotte’s vibrancy!

of being the voice of Charlotte!

60

From Dean Bloch

to The Charlotte News for

60

years

From Robbie Stanley

Early spring 2016.

Photos by Bradley Carleton

when I was thirteen, turns to me and smiles. Yes, life has been quite challenging lately. And right beside those things we think are awful…are miracles…in every moment we are aware. I am blessed.

For my 60th birthday, in January, I will

Happy

go skiing.

Bradley Carleton is executive director of Sacred Hunter.org, a nonprofit that seeks to educate the public on the spiritual connection of man to nature.

60year th

Charlotte News

Liz, Ed, Jackie, Teddy, Brody Flynn

Personal Service, Professional Results Michael T. Russell | George R. Vince Business Formation & Reorganization Land Use Permitting & Disputes Real Estate Transactions & Disputes Wills & Trusts www.peasmountainlaw.com | info@peasemountainlaw.com (802)264-4888 | 2848 Greenbush Road Suite 1A, Charlotte, VT 5 South Street, Bristol, Vermont

18 • July 25, 2018 • The Charlotte News

Outdoors

Elizabeth Bassett

Good news in our natural world

There is some good news betwixt and between the grim tales of drought, wildfires, starvation and war that populate our media.

Good news right here in Vermont. Listen up!

Bats!

At a bat monitoring workshop at Rokeby Museum in late June there were bats! Lots of bats! Participants stared at historic buildings—a granary, tool shed, slaughterhouse—waiting for bats to emerge at dusk. And emerge they did!

We swatted mosquitoes and squinted at eaves and clapboards of old buildings and the bat houses attached to them. The bats plummeted toward the ground before catching flight and flitting into the darkening sky. In short order scores of bats emerged to begin their nightly insect feast. Researchers estimate a 90 percent bat fatality rate in Vermont from the fungal disease White Nose Syndrome, yet there are pockets of surviving bats in Chittenden and Addison Counties.

It was comforting to watch these mosquitoeating mammals swarm in the evening sky.

Gleaning Salvation Farms, a Morrisville-based nonprofit, gleans fresh fruit and vegetables

across northern Vermont that would otherwise go to waste. In addition to the loss of edible food in a state where tens of thousands are food insecure or hungry, rotting food also contributes carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Worldwide about onethird of food produced is squandered at some point along its journey from garden to compost or landfill. Salvation Farms estimates that Vermont loses up to 14.3 million pounds of food annually.

Of these 14.3 million pounds, 32 percent is unpicked although still edible, nearly half of that because of blemishes and the balance due to labor shortages or market saturation, and 68 percent is harvested but neither sold nor donated. Gleaning operations in Vermont currently capture less than 5 percent of these 14.3 million pounds. Working with a range of partners Salvation Farms endeavors to increase the capture of these edibles and distribute them into the charitable food network and in sales to nonprofits like the Charlotte Senior Center. There is also a workforce-development component to Salvation Farm’s work as they train hard-toplace individuals, like former prisoners, for jobs in the food service industry.

Consider just one health consequence of

this food loss: The amount of fiber in the 13 million-plus pounds of vegetables and more than a half-million pounds of berries that are lost in Vermont each year is equivalent to the gap between actual and recommended fiber consumption for 36,000 adult American women. (salvationfarms.org).

Grass-fed cattle (and more) During the week of July 4 Charlotte’s roads flashed red: signs identified the significant acreage conserved through the Charlotte and Vermont Land Trusts.

Two of these conserved farms, Philo Ridge (the former Foote Farm) and the Bean Farm, both bordering Hinesburg Road, raise herds of grass-fed beef. Philo Ridge is a diversified organic farm producing a wide range of agricultural products. The Bean Farm, being purchased by Steve Schubart through the Vermont Land Trust Farm Access Program, focuses on cattle.

Both farms utilize “mob grazing,” a herd management technique that improves not only the product—beef—but also the land on which the cattle graze. This managedgrazing technique mimics the pattern of migrating herds in the wild: The animals are herded together for protection against predators, they munch the tops of annuals

and perennials without damaging the plant or its roots, and they disturb the soil with their hooves, facilitating the mixing of their urine and feces into the soil. Herds are moved to fresh pasture several times each day. The land has a chance to fully recover before the cattle return months later.

How does this grazing technique improve the land? It avoids overgrazing and allows pastures to recover between visits by the herd, soil fertility and structure are improved by the addition of manure and urine (no fertilizer needed) and the action of hooves, and healthier plants grow longer, stronger roots to absorb more minerals and water from the soil. Robust plants can sequester more carbon, taking CO2 from the atmosphere (creating sugar via photosynthesis) and storing carbon in their roots. Healthier soil and plants with robust roots resist erosion and retain more water after rainfalls.

Have you tasted this meat? Beef from both Philo Ridge and Steve Schubart’s Grass Cattle Company is tender and delicious. And good for the health of our neighborhood! (grasscattlecompany.com; philoridgefarm. com) Enjoy the good things this summer!

A new shelter for Charlotte Beach attendants A shelter for beach attendants at the Charlotte Beach was being built last Saturday by members of the Charlotte Recreation Committee and the Charlotte-Shelburne-Hinesburg Rotary Club. In the coming days the project will be finalized with siding, roof structure, windows and doors. The shelter was designed by Charlotter, Rick Ahern and funds for this project were made possible by the Charlotte-Shelburne-Hinesburg Rotary Club.

Pictured left to right: Bill Deming, Terry Kennaugh, Bill Fraser-Harris, Bill Root and Rick Ahern Photo by John Hammer

Dr. Katie Sarah Manges Smets

Bill Fraser- Harris, Bill Root and Bill Deming putting the final nails in the structure.

Photo by John Hammer

Outdoors

The Charlotte News • July 25, 2018 • 19

Greener lawn and yard care

John Quinney CHARLOTTE ENERGY COMMITTEE

Many of our lawns are turning brown as we endure day after day of unusually high summer temperatures. But as you might guess, when the Energy Committee uses the word “greener” we’re talking about energy use, not color!

At the recent Town Beach Party, we set up a table to provide information on greener lawn and yard care and to invite individuals and businesses to showcase some alternatives to fossil fuel-powered mowers and yard equipment.

Taking care of our lawns and yards adds to our carbon footprint and comes with costs: A conventional riding lawn mower burns between one and two gallons of fuel per hour, costing between three and six dollars per hour. And since there’s about 20 pounds of CO2 emitted per gallon of gas or diesel, that’s also 20 to 40 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted for every hour of mowing.

An electric riding mower consumes around 2.8 kW per hour, costing about 45 cents per hour, with zero carbon dioxide emissions if you have a solar/PV system.

One commercial lawn mower produces as much pollution as about 90 cars.

Gas- and diesel-powered lawn mowers are noisy.

Nowadays, there are lots of ways we can take good care of our lawns and yards—and cut fossil fuel use, save money, reduce noise, improve wildlife habitat and cut maintenance requirements.

And remember, if you have solar, your electric lawn and yard equipment is powered by the sun!

Choices range from old-fashioned scythes for long grass, reel mowers for small lawns, electric push and rider mowers, electric trimmers and chainsaws and robotic mowers. (At the Beach Party, two robo mowers got lots of attention as they systematically mowed their way

around a small grassy area inside the perimeter wire).

Consumer Reports publishes reviews on a wide range of lawn and yard equipment, including electric. Locally, stores carry a wide range of electric equipment. You can also find a wide selection online.

Sometimes, the best choice is no lawn at all! Reducing or eliminating the area we have in lawns can provide a number of benefits, including: more wildlife habitat, food production, enhanced aesthetics and lower maintenance. Here are a few options: Wildflower meadows Let your lawn go and become a wildflower meadow. Don’t mow at all and see what grows. (Try creating walking paths with the mower!) You may be surprised at the riot of color and form you get, from pink milkweed with its big flat leaves (a critical habitat for monarch butterflies) to white and red clover and purple hairy vetch, important for their nitrogen-fixing properties, to yellow birdsfoot. And it may be time to learn to love dandelions. But keep an eye out for plants that are thorny or invasive like Canadian or Scottish thistles, wild parsnip, garlic mustard, honeysuckle and buckthorn. In general, meadow maintenance is easy—all you need to do is mow once a year in the fall to keep woody species from becoming established.

You can also enhance your meadow with wildflower seeds and plants.

Ground covers Lawns are a high-maintenance ground cover. In place of lawns, and depending on specific situations, perennial ground covers such as lily of the valley, ferns, hostas or evergreen shrubs may make sense.

Low-growing, evergreen shrubs planted in landscape fabric and mulched every year or two are attractive and easy to maintain.

Permaculture landscapes Permacultures are ecologically designed

Rebecca Foster, Steve Wisbaum, Deidre Holmes and Suzy Hodgson talking electric mowers at the Town Beach Party. landscapes that are diverse mixes of gardens, shrubs and trees. They produce a wide range of products with minimal inputs. For more information, search online for “permaculture Vermont.”

For a list of several equipment and service suppliers, go to the Energy Committee section of the Town of Charlotte web site.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Charlotte News for

60years

of contributions to our community.

Lell and Rex Forehand

20 • July 25, 2018 • The Charlotte News

GARDEN

continued from page 1

roots Ferry Road. In 2000, we put down real roots in Charlotte and bought ‘The Wing House’ as it is still known by some old-timers. We were married the following summer and began an extensive renovation of the house and property.

During our time at the Clarks’, we were surrounded by Linda’s breathtaking perennial gardens. I grew up in Detroit, and although we always had a little garden, I knew very little about ornamental plants. I’d never even heard of a peony, bleeding heart or hydrangea, but Nate was on his way to becoming a certified horticulturist. Linda’s gardens sparked what would become our deep passion for gardening and creating beautiful outdoor spaces and seeded the inspiration for our future business, Church Hill Landscapes, Inc., founded by Nate in 2002.

The first year was 1997 of the Flynn Garden Tour with the inaugural tour taking place in Charlotte. Robin Coleburn—Charlotte resident from 19922017, stellar gardener, long-time supporter of the Flynn and regular customer of the once Littlefield & Hoe—launched the idea as a fundraiser for the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts’ children’s education programs. Each year since, the tour has raised funds to bring Vermont schoolchildren from all over the state to matinee performances and give their teachers educational materials to make those visits to the Flynn a meaningful experience. Over the years, the total has

grown to some $330,000 of funding for children’s programming with this year’s tour breaking past records and raising close to $30,000.

Nate and I have attended many Flynn Garden Tours, each time bringing back bits of inspiration to incorporate into our own gardens. As we strolled through many magnificent gardens in Charlotte, Williston, Colchester and Burlington, we’d always hoped that our gardens would someday be tour-worthy.

On July 15, 2018 the tour returned to Charlotte for the fourth time. And this time, the gardens at our Church Hill Road home were selected to be one stop on the tour! If you were driving the roads that Sunday, you probably noticed a few more “Sunday drivers.” Some 400 gardenlovers made their way through the town to visit eight private gardens, a home, a guest-house-turned-gallery and a tea site in a restored barn.

Visitors to our garden saw how we’ve transformed the two-thirds of an acre yard into several small outdoor spaces.

Our first natural stone patio—surrounded by a shady perennial garden—was built as an outdoor eating space. A second patio—flanked by a collection of specialty conifers—was added last year as a quiet nook off our bedroom. A low stonewall edged by maidenhair ferns, lily of the valley and dwarf Solomon’s seal extends from the front yard passing through into the back and is the perfect spot for visiting with garden fairies. A stone fire pit with rustic cedar benches offers a place to cook over a wood fire. And our vegetable garden—contained in four 3-foot-tall cedar-and-reclaimed metal roofing raised

The Charlotte News • July 25, 2018 • 21

Taking Care

Observations of the last decade

Julia Child wrote her last cookbook at 87 years old. Frank Wright worked until he was 91.

Robert Marchand set a new world record for his Alice Outwater, Ph. D. age group in bicycling nearly 17 miles in one hour when he was 102 years old. I am unsure if the above leaves me encouraged or discouraged.

Memory loss can start gradually, even four to five years, or more, before it becomes evident to others. It appears to be a nuisance thing. You put down your car keys and can’t remember where. What was I wearing yesterday; maybe I put them in my jacket pocket? And the search goes on. Other areas may remain crystal clear in the brain.

This is what I call the Pesky Category.

Then I’m at the desk paying bills, the

Sawyer Carr, Nate Carr, Stacy Fraser & Mavis Carr (l to r) in their garden on Church Hill Road. The Fraser Carr’s garden was one of the eight private gardens on this year’s Flynn Garden Tour--the annual fundraising event for the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts’ children’s education programs.

Photo by Stephen Mease

beds—is the most recent addition.

Nate and our kids, Sawyer and Mavis, and I were thrilled to see many community members and out-of-town visitors supporting the Flynn’s children’s programming. And we are so glad we could share our gardens with so many of you. Special thanks goes to the entire Flynn Garden Tour committee and the volunteers who helped make the day so successful. Big special thanks goes to our

Church Hill Landscapes crew who put in extra time to help us get the gardens ready and to our friends Linzy Vos and Sabrinajoy Milbury at Just Dancing Gardens and Greenhouse for their expert help with our annual plantings and containers.

Plans are already in the works for next year’s tour. Look for tickets to go on sale in June 2019. Don’t delay—this year they sold out in just a few weeks.

phone rings and my attention is diverted.

Oh, I better check the stove and monitor the vegetable dish.

A neighbor drops in to chat. I need a new sheet of paper—the tax bill disappears under a pile on the desk. A week later a $300 late fee arrives. Now this is getting out of hand.

The rest of my life seems in order, but I must tend more carefully to details, especially concerning bills and payment.

How can I put a new method in place?

My body seems cranky about starting the day. I make myself breakfast but find that I feel unsteady. So I return to bed for another two hours of sleep before getting dressed to go out. I am attentive to my reactions to see if it seems safe to drive.

My atrial fibrillation seems marginally worse, so I’m on medication.

The doctor tells me no one gets into their ninth decade without some physical difficulty. As dusk arrives, the shadows on the road are bewildering. Cars with their headlights zip by and can be disorienting.

The number one killer for elderly men

Charlotte News

60 Congratulations Celebrating

years!

from the Holmes Road nighborhood!

and women is heart disease, followed by cancer and unintentional injuries (falling).

Tobacco is still the leading preventable cause in the world. Alzheimer’s comes in about tenth on the list. The most dangerous animal is the mosquito!

My personal prevention plan is to keep up to date on new information and adjust my days accordingly. Exercise is essential to keep the body cells in good shape. I prefer yoga (regular or chair yoga) and walking 15 to 30 minutes a day, tai chi and stretching. We have a broad choice of gyms and classes in the area. However, this takes constant self-discipline on my part. If I splurge on too much activity one day, my body lets me know the next. It feels stiff and refuses to move easily. So I treat myself to quieter activities such as reading and writing at the computer until my body’s resiliency returns.

However, I make a point of getting out every single day—rain or shine.

Don’t forget a healthy diet, water, water, water and enough protein. I make a large pot of soup each week with fresh

vegetables—no salt—but add different spices. I’m starved at 4 p.m. so heat up a small bowl to tide me over until suppertime.

Be smart, work with your body’s needs and get out to enjoy your favorite things regularly. Make sure you cultivate and see friends, laugh a bit and find some purpose in your days. Remember sharing with others is a gift that can offer unexpected returns. If nothing else it saves us from becoming self-focused, dull and complaining.

Everyone has personal struggles. Some areas are just plain difficult to handle.

Grab your imagination and go for it.

Boldly try a few new approaches until something clicks.

Getting in better shape and having good-enough energy will help it multiply. But none of this comes about in a happenstance way. It all takes determination and discipline.

“I’m not what happened to me. I’m what I choose to become.” Carl Jung.

60

th

Happy and Many More!

Charlotte News

Vince and Susan Crockenberg

Local Business Directory Stacy Fraser and Nate Carr in 1997, their first year of gardening together in Charlotte.

Photo by Marcy Weathers

Congratulations

Charlotte News

On your 60th anniversary!

From Friends of All Souls Interfaith Gathering

Natural stone water feature and fairy habitat.

Photo by Stephen Mease

60

Happy Birthday

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22 • July 25, 2018 • The Charlotte News

The Charlotte News • July 25, 2018 • 23

Charlotte Senior Center News Carolyn Kulik SENIOR CENTER DIRECTOR

“How can you be a sage if you’re pretty? You can’t get your wizard papers without wrinkles.”

– Bill Veeck.

Ah yes, it’s easy to smile at this quote—especially if you have wrinkles. But then, you realize its implication that someone who has wrinkles can’t be pretty. It’s akin to saying: “She must have been beautiful when she was young.”

Really??? Something to ponder.

One way to stay young in spirit—even with wrinkles—is to enjoy the silly things you come across. Like … banana dolphins.

An entire pod of them showed up at lunch this month. How can you not be charmed by these little guys? (Thank you, Sandy Riggs!)

Rounding Out July Come and enjoy Shakespeare’s As You Like It on Friday, July 27 at 1 p.m. in the Senior Center’s Great Room. The play follows a young woman and her best friend as they flee a society in ruins from a government run on wealth and an imbalance of power. Registration is requested. No fee for great seats guaranteed close to the action. There will be an intermission with a chance to meet the multi-talented cast from Hour-Glass Youth Theatre.

Did you happen to see the movie, Cold Mountain? Do you remember the haunting vocal music? That traditional, four-part acapella style (called shape-note singing) is coming to the Senior Center again on July 29, from 1-3 p.m. Thereafter, the Center will (hopefully) be hosting a new monthly gathering of singers, Charlotte VT Shape-Noters. Yes, this music can be a little strange to listen to, but participating is a very special, visceral experience since it is sung in “full voice.” No auditions, and newcomers are welcome. Song books (1991 Dennison) are supplied, and there is no charge. Come and “find your voice,” or just listen. No need to register—just stop in and leave whenever you wish.

Coming Soon in August On next Wednesday, Aug. 1, the Foot Clinic at 9:15 a.m. is followed by the Blood Pressure Clinic at 11:30 a.m. The foot clinic does require preregistration, but walk-ins are welcome for the blood pressure clinic. The Center is grateful to the staff and volunteers from Community Health Improvement at UMV Medical

Monday Munch

Wednesday Lunch

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

No reservations required.

All diners eat at noon.

Reservations required.

*

July 30 Roasted pear and blue cheese Classic Caesar (choice of chicken or salmon to add to salad) Pineapple upside-down cake August 6 Greek pasta salad w/leafy greens Fresh bread Blueberry surprise

Charlotte News

Thanks for reporting on our town for 60 years!

John Streng & Jessie Price

July 25 Sloppy Joes Root beer floats August 1 Pork tenderloin broccoli salad w/ Asian sesame dressing Birthday cake & ice cream August 8 Taco salad & Tres leches cake

Thursday - Men's Breakfast 7:30–9 a.m. Reservations required.

Banana dolphins Center: Martha McAuliffe; R.N.; Julia Jacques, LPN, and Samantha Wendel.

The next day, Thursday, Aug. 2, at the Center is the BLOOD DRIVE for the American Red Cross, from 2-7 p.m. The wonderful volunteers provide great snacks and help make the atmosphere relaxed and friendly. Contact the Center to find out about donating.

Can’t draw or paint? Consider joining Collage Experiences, starting Thursday, Aug. 2, from 9:30 to 11:00. Utilizing bits of paper, you can enjoy being creative without worrying about “getting it to look right.”

Artist Linda Finkelstein will teach how to juxtapose, overlap, organize and play with negative and positive space in four classes with these specific focuses. Some materials are provided, and you may also bring your own treasures of memorabilia, papers and artifacts. Registration is required. Dates are: 8/2, 8/9, 8/16, and 8/23; all four are $35, or each class is $10.

Stay cool in the August Book Group at the Senior Center with Library Director Margaret Woodruff as they discuss The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood on Monday mornings, 10:30–11:30. Dates: 8/6, 8/13, 8/20. This is the novel on which last year’s popular TV series was based. The story is set in a near-future New England, in a totalitarian Christian theonomy that has overthrown the United States government. The tale focuses on the journey of the handmaid Offred and her role in a Commander’s house as servant and surrogate. Copies of the book will be available at the Charlotte Library and Charlotte Senior Center prior to the first meeting.

Poetry: from fifth grade, you may recall: “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary. . .” Or, “Whose woods these are, I think I know.

Calendar

SENIOR CENTER MENUS

July 26 – Thursday - Men›s Breakfast July 26 – Menu and topic - French toast, fruit, juice and a presentation on fracking technology

Suggested donation for all meals: $5

*

On Monday, July 30, Executive Chef Arnd Sievers from The Residence at Shelburne Bay will be preparing his lunch choice at the Senior Center. We are so pleased that he will be sharing his time and talents with us this month. . .” Or perhaps, ”I’m nobody! Who are you?” Long ago, reciting poetry was entertainment at holiday gatherings and family events, and now it can be repurposed to exercise your brain. Of course, it is still lovely in itself, but in just five minutes of daily memorization practice, your gray matter will receive benefits. In Poetry by Heart, from 10:1511:15 on Tuesday mornings, Coach Ginger Lambert will share her tips and memorization methods, as well as the reasons to learn poetry. Dates: 8/7, 8/14, 8/21. Some poems will be provided or bring your own favorites. Registration required; fee is $10 per class.

Celebrate the lazy, hazy days of summer with the Senior Center’s annual BBQ on Friday, Aug. 17. Bring your family and friends—and rain or shine—begin with appetizers at 5 p.m and dinner “hot off the grill” at 6. Registration necessary. Fee: $12 per person. Be sure to sign up early. Has anyone told you the food is amazing?

About Art On July 31, the July Art Exhibit of Diane Bell’s watercolors will be coming down.

The August Art Exhibit will be up on August 2, showcasing Kay George’s pastels until the end of the month. She says she finds painting in pastels a wonderful way to relax and express herself. The artist’s

reception is Sunday, Aug. 5, 1–4 p.m., and the public is invited.

Viewing Art Shows: Since the Center is utilized for many classes and events, the best times to see art shows are Tuesdays after 2:30, Wednesdays after 3, and Thursdays & Fridays after 12:30 p.m. Call the Center to check on Sunday availability.

Volunteering Did you know that the Senior Center is essentially a volunteer-run organization? If you are over 50, learn how you can meet new friends while lending a hand. Stop by or call Peggy Sharpe, our friendly volunteer coordinator, to find out more.

See you soon.

Cooling Off In a Heat Wave The Senior Center plans to be open as a cooling center in the late afternoon and evenings if we experience another heat wave as we did in early July. In the event of multiple days of 90+ temperatures, please call 425-6345 to let us know you want to come.

TO THE NEWS!

You’ve been my source of town information since I moved here in 1978. Thank you!

Frances Foster

July 23, 26 & 27 Join the Hour-Glass Youth Theatre for its exciting new production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. The play follows a young woman and her best friend as they flee a society in ruins from conflict and an imbalance of power. Love blossoms as paths cross, mischief abounds, people grow and change. While on the crumbling streets of the city, society is losing its humanity, the world outside reveals a vast beauty that may be able to re-awaken the magic of life. A sort of dystopian Robin Hood tale.

Show dates are: Monday, July 23 at 3 p.m. at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library in Williston; Thursday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Bixby Memorial Library in Vergennes; and Friday, July 27, at 1 p.m. at the Charlotte Senior Center. Tickets for the Off Center shows are at hourglassyouththeatre. weebly.com. All other shows by donation.

July 29 Chittenden County Historical Society Annual Meeting & Program: The Legacy of Michael C. Dorn; A Carbonated History at 2 p.m. Community Center at 245 Pine St. (Bobbin Mill Apts.) -- right across Pine St. from the old Soda Plant where the original Venetian Ginger Ale was made!

Join us for the 2018 Annual Meeting and program by Justin Bunnell. Justin is the current owner and re-established Venetian Beverages in 2017 exactly 100 years after the original. He is the great-great-grandson of Michael C. Dorn a German immigrant that moved to Vermont in search of a better life. Michael C. Dorn established an eatery in the old Strong building labeled Dorn’s Cafe where he first started experimenting with carbonated beverages. Later they moved to Pine street into where the Soda Plant currently sits today. Allegedly, during prohibition, soda trucks were traveling back and forth from Canada. Whether the trucks were carrying back empty Venetian Ginger Ale bottles or other more potent liquids, only Michael C. Dorn himself knew. Venetian Ginger Ale has a deep and exciting Vermont history and Justin as a direct descendant has been able to uncover parts of the fragmented Burlington History.

Please visit www.VenetianGingerAle. com for more information. Free admission and light refreshments will be available.

August 3 Author Judy Chaves to present her new book, “Secrets of Mount Philo” At Charlotte Grange from 7 - 8:30 p.m. Refreshments to be served. Contact HeatherLGManning@ gmail.com for more information. Secrets of Mount Philo guides you to more than 30 historic sites in the park, detailing what’s there and placing it within the context of the park’s, state’s and region’s landscape history.

In addition, the book contains: a brief narrative of the mountain’s history, from its probable use by indigenous people to the present, focusing on the early 1800s to mid-1900s; more than 25 historic photos

and maps, allowing for chill-inducing comparison with what’s there now; a brief section on the mountain’s natural landscape (geology, wildlife, natural communities) and, for the sure-footed and sharp-of-eye, two treasure hunts!

August 25 Vergennes Day at City Park in Vergennes from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The 37th annual Vergennes Day is Saturday, August 25, with a street dance the night before featuring “The Hitmen” from 7 to 10 p.m. Check out 60+ vendor booths in City Park, live music on the bandstand, pancake breakfast at the fire station, horse and wagon rides, Little City Road Race, Lions Club chicken BBQ, and merchant sales throughout downtown.

September 22 Bristol Harvest Festival at the Bristol Town Green, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Saturday, September 22, will be the 20th annual Bristol Harvest Festival, co-hosted by the Addison County Chamber and the Bristol Recreation Department. Activities are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. when the Town Green will come alive with 65+ crafters and vendors, demonstrations, and live musical entertainment on the bandstand throughout the day.

Ongoing Tours of the historic Clemmons Farm Barn House and exhibits, Saturdays, 10-11:30 a.m. Jackson Clemmons designed the Barn House, restoring and combining two farm buildings from the early 19th century to create what is now transitioning into a space for the community to celebrate African American art, culture and heritage.

A work of art itself, the Barn House houses posters from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a superb collection of African art from Jack and Lydia’s travels in Africa, including a selection of West African textiles, Clemmons Family photographs and stories over the generations, and creative works

by Charlotte environmental artist Nancy Winship Milliken. For more information on the tours and to purchase tickets go to https://tinyurl.com/ybn5e7xn.

Classifieds 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.

INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR PAINTING If you’re looking for quality painting with regular or low voc paints and reasonable rates with 35 years of experience call John McCaffrey at 802-999-0963, 802338-1331 or 802-877-2172.

Mt. Philo Inn-A unique hotel with panoramic views of Lake Champlain and private road to Mt. Philo. 1800 sq. ft. 3-bedroom suites with 2 bathrooms and a complete kitchen. By the day, week and month. Privacy, space, tranquility. Bigger on the inside.

MtPhiloInn.com, 425-3335.

Does your home need a fresh coat of paint or brand new color?

LUPINE PAINTING can help with any of your painting needs. 20+

years of stress-free painting. Call for a free consultation 802-5989940.

LAFAYETTE PAINTING is ready to provide a great custom paint job for you. Allow our professionals to enhance your space with a fresh look. Call 8635397 or visit LafayettePaintingInc. com for your free and accurate estimate.

PAINTERS WANTED Local, experienced company with guaranteed inside work for a seasoned finish painter.

Exterior painting positions available also. Salary is top end for this area. Year-round work for the most qualified.

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