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Charlotte News Wednesday, OctOber 17, 2018 | VOlume lXI number 8
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136 tractors await the start of the 18th annual East Charlotte Tractor Parade.
Photo by Tom Tiller
CharlotteNewsVT.org
Charlotte News
The
Vol. 61, no.8
October 17, 2018
Vermont’s oldest nonprofit community newspaper, bringing you local news and views since 1958
Selectboard authorizes speed study Gail Callahan At its Oct. 8 meeting the Charlotte Selectboard authorized a speed study on Church Hill Road between Route 7 and the Hinesburg Road following a request by Matt Zucker who expressed concern about the rate cars travel along the road. Zucker spoke to the board during the public comment portion of the meeting, asking that a speed study be conducted by the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. Zucker spoke with the municipal organization and said the group can do the work at no cost to the town. Noting the posted speed limit in the area near the Mutton Hill section is 50 miles an hour, Zucker said he’s concerned about children waiting at a bus stop and cars that travel on the road. The last speed study that was conducted on the road was in 2008, he said. “The area’s had dramatic changes. There have been a number of young families that have moved here, and kids are standing by the side of the road, waiting for the bus.” He also pointed out the road is “within spitting distance” of Route 7 and expressed concern that both the road and Route 7 both have the same speed limit. A speed study should help determine whether the current speed limit
Bid awarded for Charlotte Senior Center project The Selectboard selected Sticks & Stuff for the Charlotte Senior Center counter replacement project during Monday’s meeting. Sticks & Stuff’s winning bid totaled $10,155.25, according to Town Administrator Dean Bloch. The project consists of replacing the old, heavily used countertops, sinks and faucets in the Ferry Road building, which were installed when the building was constructed in 2002. The board approved using $7,500 of town funds to help fund the project. The Friends of the Senior Center will pay the remaining portion, according to the motion passed at the meeting. Two other companies, RenoVaTe in New Haven and Williamstown’s Poulin Lumber, also submitted bids for the project.
on Church Hill Road is the right one under current circumstances. This isn’t the first time a concerned Charlotte resident approached the board about speeding in town. During the last two years, the board discussed several options concerning how to get some speedy drivers to slow down. During the U.S. 7 construction project, drivers favored using the town’s roadways as alternative routes to avoid traffic snarls. Concerns about speeding in town prompted the board to discuss the use of temporary speed tables, installation of flashing signs indicating a driver’s speed, increased traffic enforcement by local law enforcement and the issuance of speeding tickets for drivers going five to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. Selectboard members, including current and former board members, such as Jacob Spell and Carrie Spear, advocated a year and a half ago for increased police patrols on so-called “hot spots” in town at designated times. Bloch noted that police patrols continue in town and that speeding tickets have been issued. In other news, the board approved a University of Vermont Cycling Road Race to take place next March or April. Race Coordinator Zachary Weimer told board members a specific date should be selected in November. The race was last held in Charlotte in 2014. Before approving the request, however, Selectboard member Carrie Spear said she’s heard complaints from some residents about impacts on traffic flow during the race day and about spectators in roadways that sparked safety concerns about the event. The race travels along Spear Street, Mount Philo and Charlotte-Hinesburg roads. A standby ambulance will also be on site, according to the application submitted to the town. The race is expected to draw about 400 participants and roughly 30 staff and volunteers. Proposed parking is slated for Charlotte Central School, and traffic control measures will be implemented. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. and is slated to end at 5 p.m. Finally, the board appointed Ethan McLaughlin to the Trails Committee. During a brief interview with the board, McLaughlin, an attorney, said he frequently uses the trails, citing the Town Link Trail as a favorite. “I really appreciate everything the town and the committee does, and I want to contribute a little more,” McLaughlin said. He fills a vacancy that has existed on the committee for the last three years. His term will expire in April 2020.
CCS students form journalism club
News Editor Melissa O’Brien meets with middle school students at CCS each Tuesday morning as part of the new Journalism Club formed in association with The Charlotte News. These emerging writers and photographers will learn the journalism trade and contribute their work to our hometown newspaper in the coming months. Charlotte’s own Dan Bolles met with the group recently to talk about his life as a writer for Seven Days. Photo contributed
Mt. Philo closed Friday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Oct. 21 Final event in the New England Hillclimb Series to take place this weekend Mt. Philo will close at noon on Friday, Oct. 19, and stay closed through Sunday, Oct. 21, for the Historic Mount Philo Hillclimb, sponsored by the Sports Car Club of Vermont. The hill climb is a speed event up the mountain road with drivers racing against the clock. Club personnel will set up and sweep the hill starting Friday at noon, and the hill will be closed on Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to approximately 5 p.m. to anyone not directly involved in the event. On Saturday, drivers will spend the day doing practice runs on the hill. And on Sunday, drivers will finish their practice runs in the morning and at 1:15 begin their
timed runs up the hill. At 4 p.m. on Sunday, the awards presentation will be held at the summit lodge. For the practice runs and the race itself, spectators are permitted only in the area below the start line.
Last Chance to Take Our Survey What is The Charlotte News to you What can The News Be? Please take a few moments to fill out the survey on page 12 or go online to our web page at TheCharlotteNews.org Survey closes Oct. 19
2 • October 17, 2018 • The Charlotte News
East Charlotte Tractor Parade 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.
Above: Carrie Spear and Josh Flore Left: Governor Phil Scott Photos by Louisa Schibli and Anna Cyr
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 Editorial Staff Managing Editor: Anna Cyr (anna@thecharlottenews.org) News Editor: Melissa O’Brien (melissa@thecharlottenews.org) Contributing Editor: Edd Merritt Copy editors: Beth Merritt, Vince Crockenberg Proofreaders: Edd Merritt, Mike & Janet Yantachka Archives: Liz Fotouhi Contributing Photographers: Lee Krohn and Ramiro Garay Business Staff Ad manager: Jennifer Bora ads@thecharlottenews.org Bookkeeper: Jessica Lucia Board Members President: Vince Crockenberg (vince@thecharlottenews.org) Vice President: Rick Detwiler Treasurer: Patrice Machavern (treasurer@thecharlottenews.org) Board members: 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: 2,100 copies per issue. Copyright © 2018 The Charlotte News, Inc. Member of the New England Newspaper and Press Association and the Vermont Press Association.
ON THE COVER: 136 tractors await the start of the 18th annual East Charlotte annual Tractor Parade. Photo by Tom Tiller
The Charlotte News • October 17, 2018 • 3
Tractors bring joy to East Charlotte Melissa O’Brien “There are a lot of heartwarming stories that go with the tractor parade,” is what Carrie Spear said in reflecting on this, the 18th year of the event, held in East Charlotte this past Sunday. “When the whole team came together on Saturday it was like a wedding; we’re the parade family, all working together behind the scenes,” she said, in describing the parts of the event she loves the most. “It’s remarkable, the dedication of people like Heather Manning, who puts on the luncheon for all the participants in Dave Nichols’ hanger … the camaraderie that’s down there is just a beautiful sight.” According to Spear this year was the second largest in terms of tractor participation. “There were 165 tractors in 2010. That was our 10th anniversary and it fell on 10/10,” she said. This year 136 tractors and their owners drove the streets for the many hundreds of spectators. Eighteen years ago Spear had just purchased the store at Baptist Corners
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when local farmer Joe Bean drove up on his tractor one day. “I asked him … do you want to have a tractor parade? And he responded, ‘Not with that tractor,’ which wasn’t a no!” Spear says. And why a parade? “I knew we were going to be here in East Charlotte for a while, so I thought we should have something fun happening here,” she said. Bean and Charlotte Congregational Church pastor Kevin – Carrie Spear Goldenbogen were the Grand Marshals of the parade this year. As Spear tells it, Rev. Goldenbogen didn’t want to do the honors by himself and asked Carrie to find someone he could partner with. “There aren’t a lot of old farmers left to draw from,” she said, “and Bean was the obvious choice.” How did Spear feel the day after the big event? “Well, we’re all 18 years older now,” she said, “but I feel great. I’m immensely grateful for everyone who makes this event what it is.” Charlotter Tom Tiller has one of those heartwarming stories Carrie Spear speaks of. Turn to page 21 to read.
I’m immensely grateful for everyone who makes this event what it is.
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4 • October 17, 2018 • The Charlotte News
News from The News The Charlotte News is Vermont’s oldest nonprofit community newspaper, and we’re looking for someone to join us as our manager of ad sales. Responsibilities: • Generate a strong advertising presence in The Charlotte News. •
Build relationships with and serve the needs of existing advertisers.
•
Reach out to Charlotte and neighboring community enterprises with compelling reasons to advertise in The Charlotte News.
•
Work with the TCN Board and editors to develop strategic initiatives to enhance the value of The Charlotte News as an advertising medium for local businesses.
•
Contribute to the ongoing development of our website, our email newsletter and our Facebook page as avenues for advertisers to reach their markets.
Qualifications: •
•
•
Familiarity with both The Charlotte News and the town of Charlotte (including our neighbors). The ability to compellingly explain the value of both print and digital advertising to Chittenden and Addison County businesses/services.
Compensation: 15 percent commission on sales, plus employer-paid payroll taxes, unemployment insurance and workers compensation. This is a part-time position that offers a great deal of autonomy and flexibility, within the constraints of our every-twoweek publishing schedule. To apply, please send to rickdetwiler2@gmail.com before Oct. 21, 2018, an email attaching a cover letter explaining why this position appeals to you and why you are a good fit for The Charlotte News, a resume/ CV, and contact information for two references (current/former supervisors preferred; if not, character references accepted).
Experience in client relations/sales.
Editor’s Letter Here is a beautiful word I learned this past summer: deliquescence. It means having a tendency to melt or become liquid, Melissa O’Brien to dissolve. I love it, the way NEWS EDITOR it sounds, the idea, the imagery that comes with such a word. That something could kind of dissolve slowly, disappear … deliquesce. Say it enough times and it kind of puts you into a trance. I know that some of you are tired of hearing me harp on about this, but I’ve become a big fan of not turning away from the truths of this life, and one of them is that we are, as we write and publish, working hard to keep this little paper chugging along. As fortunate as we all are to live in this community and in this moment in time of great riches, there is a reality here at the paper that we can’t ignore and that is that this paper is in danger of, well … deliquescing out of our lives. I don’t want to see it happen in my lifetime. I hope you feel the same way. In the coming weeks we will provide you with more information about how you can help. In the mean time we continue to turn our eyes and lenses on the wonderful people and events of this town. Most of us know about Carrie Spears’ Tractor Parade that took place this past weekend; this issue is full of images and thoughts about that wonderful event. Last year I offered to start a journalism club at CCS and
the idea was met with full-throttle enthusiasm and support from teachers and administrators there. We are up and running and the kids care! So many kids turned out for our initial meeting that we filled the entire space. And more are joining each week. Young people want to contribute to our newspaper! When I asked Dan Bolles, who has been writing for Seven Days to come and speak at one of our meetings, he said, “Sure! When?” I replied, “How about next week?” He said, “Yes! I’ll be there.” Yes is a beautiful word. When I asked Rev. Kevin Goldenbogen at Charlotte Congregational Church if I could come back (I was a member there before I left to become a pastor) and preach sometime his answer was a rousing … Yes (Sunday, October 28 I will be at the pulpit there, for all of you so inclined … join us!) As Carrie tells it, the Tractor Parade started because a local farmer (Joe Bean) “didn’t say no when I suggested we have a parade, eighteen years ago.” He didn’t say no; he said yes. CCS teachers and administrators said yes. Rev. Kevin said yes. Dan Bolles said yes. It’s such a good word. I recommend you employ it often, even if it comes with some trepidation. Yes gets things done in this life. I read this recently: A newspaper is the center of a community, it’s one of the tent poles of the community, and that’s not going to be replaced by Web sites and blogs. Do we want The Charlotte News to remain a part of the fabric of this community? Shake your Magic 8 Ball if you’re not sure. As I see it, yes.
Around Town Edd Merritt
Congratulations:
to Hadley Murphy, a senior at Rice Memorial High School from Charlotte, who volunteers her time to make art with hospitalized children and their families. Hadley also presented a check to Burlington City Arts in support of its Arts From the Heart program, with the intent of bringing “joy through art to patients in pediatric care.” Her donation came from her business in which she creates beaded jewelry and which she operates in conjunction with the University of Vermont Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. Hadley says she has always had a passion for arts and crafts and enjoys sharing this love with young children. (See photo below.) to Tiny Sikkes who took the oath of U.S. citizenship recently and was recognized with a party in her honor at the Charlotte Senior Center where she teaches yoga. She and her husband, Roel Boumans, came to this country from the Netherlands in 1987, living in Baton Rouge, La., where Roel earned his Ph.D. at the University of Louisiana. There they experimented in urban agriculture and became fascinated with local gardening and raising animals. They moved their interest from a hobby to an integral part of their lifestyle. In 2002, Roel accepted a teaching position at UVM, and they bought the Windy Corners Farm in Charlotte that belonged, at the time, to the Vermont Conservation Trust. After 31 years in the Tiny Sikkes United States owning land, farming and having an active role in the community—and five years after Roel became a citizen—Tiny concluded it was time she too became a citizen. She was, she said, “done with taxation without representation.”
She was surprised how emotional the entire process was and especially appreciative of all the support she received from her friends and neighbors. She enjoyed learning about the Constitution and recommends that we all might just “give it a try.” And she looks forward to casting her first votes on November 6.
to the CCS 5th and 6th grade spelling team, which placed second in the Champlain Valley School District Spelling Bee last Wednesday. Held at Williston Central School, the Hinesburg Community School held off CCS and won by a narrow margin. The CCS team included Sarah Stein, Deirdre Higgins, Jenny Blanshine, Shana Mester, Sam Moore and Erin Caldwell. They were coached by Christa Duthie-Fox. to CCS for receiving a Merit Ribbon at the Vermont Positive Behavior and Intentions Leadership Forum (VTPBIS) for its schoolwide effort in fostering a safe and positive learning environment where the values of “Take CARE of Ourselves, Take CARE of Others and Take CARE of this Place” are “taught, encouraged and practiced.”
Sympathy:
is extended to family and friends of Alan Bates of Shelburne who passed away Oct. 2 at the age of 59. A member of the Charlotte Congregational Church and the Charlotte/ Shelburne/Hinesburg Rotary, he was also a mentor at the Charlotte Central School. Friends and family held a service of remembrance at the Congregational Church in Charlotte, and they ask that those wishing to do something in his memory “do something he would do—something philanthropic, something adventurous, something with a generous heart.”
From Left to Right: Amy Cohen, Rebecca Schwarz, Sara Katz, Louise Rocheleau, Hadley Murphy. Photo contributed
The Charlotte News • October 17, 2018 • 5
Town
Canoe trip 2018
Beth Phillips The Babes in Boats, a group of four older women, set out from Shelburne Wednesday morning, July 25, headed for Little Tupper Lake, part of the Whitney Wilderness in the central Adirondacks. We were in two cars, a slim Wenonah strapped atop each. The canoes glowed golden in the sun. It’s a familiar route: south on Route 7, through Vergennes on Route 22A, thence to the Crown Point Bridge. The cars trundle through northern New York towns that have seen better days: North Hudson, Newcomb, Long Lake, and arrive at the boat launch on Little Tupper to a gale force wind blowing down the lake….the direction we must paddle. A strong front carrying heavy rains is approaching. How long will the rain hold off? It’s hard to tell how far we might need to paddle to find an available campsite. Starting a canoe camping trip in a drenching rain
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The lake shores, sparsely dotted with primitive campsites, are surrounded by 30,000 acres of forest. One has the feeling of being in possession of a vast, private, and hospitable, wilderness world.
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is dispiriting, and so we retreat to the community beach in the center of Long Lake Hamlet, a few miles south of the put-in. Munching bag lunches and chewing over our options, we decide on a cabin for the night and locate one on the lake shore with a small kitchen and enough beds for the four of us. There’s time for a swim before the storm hits. And then it pours and pours. But we are dry, and all our equipment is dry. Black clouds settle low, and the cabin is in dark gloom at two o’clock. It’s a good reading day. We will cook the meal we’d planned for our first camping night in the cabin’s little kitchen. Ha! The electricity goes out, and we learn that all of Long Lake has lost power. Even restaurants are closed. In the pouring rain we find our camp stove and headlamps in the cars and haul food bags inside. It’s goofy to be in a cabin, in the dark, cooking on a tiny camp stove wearing headlamps. But the tortillas are delicious, and we laugh a lot. We are dry; our equipment is dry. We sleep well. As predicted, the rain ceases by 10 the following morning and we are off, back to the Little Tupper Lake put-in. Winds have quieted somewhat, and we unstrap the golden canoes and carry them to water’s edge. This sandy beach in a protected cove makes for easy loading. Sleeping bags, two tents, a dining fly, nested kettles and a kitchen pack—all stowed in dry bags—are clipped into the boats. Food bags snugged in. Four life jackets, four water bottles, a paddle for each of us plus an extra for each boat. Paddling positions decided, we push off and head southwest up the lake. Little Tupper Lake is quiet water, motor boats prohibited. With the exception of two lakeside houses retained by the Whitney family when New York State bought the property in 1997, this lake and several nearby lakes are accessible only by canoe and kayak.
TOWN OF CHARLOTTE REQUEST FOR BIDS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF TWO GENERATORS AT THE CHARLOTTE TOWN HALL AND SENIOR CENTER ISSUED: OCTOBER 9, 2018
The lake shores, sparsely dotted with primitive campsites, are surrounded by 30,000 acres of forest. One has the feeling of being in possession of a vast, private, and hospitable, wilderness world. Campsites are numbered and marked discreetly so as not to mar the shoreline. Paddling a half hour, checking our map, we still miss the first campsite. Following the shoreline into a large bay we search for number two and find a small tuck in the shoreline where a boat can safely beach, unload and be pulled from the water. We pull ashore to reconnoiter. It’s a good site on a little point of land with room for both tents and a dining fly, some wind protection, a place to safely stash the Wenonahs at night. It’s a lovely spot. Primitive campsites have enough cleared area for a tent or two, a fire ring of lake stones, and—some ways from camp—a latrine. The most common latrine model these days is a sturdy, four-sided wooden box, no bottom, dug into the dirt. Atop the box is a hinged cover that, when lifted, reveals a toilette
seat hole cut into the box top. Wilderness toilettes, often sited on a rise, allow one to sit in splendid comfort gazing out over unrivaled natural beauty. We look for campsites with good swimming—a sandy beach or alluring rocks—as one of the great pleasures of canoe camping in wilderness areas is skinny dipping, in darkness or in daylight. Our campsite on Little Tupper Lake provided glorious swimming. After making camp, eating lunch and taking an exploratory paddle to a nearby island, we strip and swim. I am thankful to be with old friends. Happy in this lake, in these mountains, this day, knowing that at 73 I can still sleep comfortably on the ground in a small tent. As each year passes, I wonder how many more canoe camping years are ahead. How many more giggly naked swimming days are before me? How many chances to plunge naked into sunwarmed mountain water? How many more late afternoons in the silky waters of the North Country?
NOTICE OF ADOPTION OF AMENDMENTS TO THE TOWN OF CHARLOTTE THOMPSON’S POINT WASTEWATER DISPOSAL SYSTEM ORDINANCE The Selectboard of the Town of Charlotte hereby ordains: Pursuant to the provisions of 24 V.S.A. §§ 2291, 3617 and 1971 et seq., and other such general enactments as may be material thereto, the Town of Charlotte (the “Town”) hereby adopts amendments to the Thompson’s Point Wastewater Disposal System Ordinance. This Ordinance establishes regulations regarding the use of the Thompson’s Point sewage disposal system, mandates the payment of sewer rents by those subject to the Ordinance and establishes funds to pay for costs associated with the operation, maintenance, repair, expansion and upgrade of said sewage disposal system when required. The Ordinance further provides for connection to the sewage disposal system, payment of connection fees and regulation of all structures within the Thompson’s Point Sewer Service Area, which is expanded by these amendments to the Ordinance to include the lots on Lane’s Lane, so-called.
Adopted this 8th day of October, 2018.
TOWN OF CHARLOTTE SELECTBOARD /s/ Lane Morrison, Chair
/s/ Matthew Krasnow, Vice Chair
/s/ Fritz Tegatz /s/ Carrie Spear
/s/Frank Tenney
Project Description To install a propane generator and transfer switch at the Charlotte Town Hall and a propane generator and transfer switch at the Charlotte Senior Center to allow buildings and wastewater system to operate during a power outage.
This Ordinance shall become effective on December 7, 2018, unless a petition signed by not less than 5% of the qualified voters of the Town requesting a Town meeting vote on the question of disapproving the Ordinance is filed with the Town Clerk on or before November 21, 2018. The full text of the Ordinance may be viewed at the Charlotte Town Office.
A complete Request for Bids and Bid Form can be obtained at the Town Office and at www.charlottevt.org.
For more information, contact:
Deadline for Bid Submission Tuesday, November 13, 2018, @ 7:00 p.m. delivered to the Charlotte Town Office, P.O. Box 119, 159 Ferry Road, Charlotte, VT 05445. Town Contact Questions may be directed to Dean Bloch, Town Administrator, at 425-3071 ext. 5 or dean@townofcharlotte.com.
Dean Bloch, Town Administrator Town of Charlotte P.O. Box 119 Charlotte, VT 05445 Phone: 802.425.3071 ext. 5 E-mail: dean@townofcharlotte.com www.charlottevt.org
6 • October 17, 2018 • The Charlotte News
Big Tree Update Tree Tribe crowns two more new champions Vince Crockenberg TREE TRIBE
Since the Oct. 3 issue of the paper hit the stands, the Tree Tribe has crowned two new champions, both on Guinea Road. Myra Handy and Steve Dickens hold title to the new champion red oak, a robust 157 inches in girth, and John, Kelly and Whitney Butnor now claim the town’s largest black birch at 76 inches. You can check out Charlotte’s champion trees on our website at charlottenewsvt.org; click on the Tree Warden tab and then on Charlotte Big Tree Roster. And if you have a contender for a new champion tree, send an email to vince.crockenberg@gmail.com, and Deputy Tree Warden Sue Smith and I will arrange with you to come out to ID and measure your tree. If it’s a new champ we’ll publish its picture in The News.
Left: Myra Handy and her new champion red oak.
Photo by Vince Crockenberg
Right: Whitney Butnor and her champion black birch.
Photo by John Butnor
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Town
It’s time to button up our homes place to start. Look for four very helpful videos on air sealing, insulating attics, insulating basements and installing storm windows. Energy Star has a very useful DoIt-Yourself Guide to air sealing and insulating. Go to energystar.gov and type “DIY Guide” into the search bar. Easiest of all: Call Efficiency Vermont at (888) 921-5990 and get friendly and professional help for all your “Button Up” projects. To claim your $100 rebate, you’ll need to take one photo of each of your three projects and keep the sales receipts. Get your rebate form in the “Rebate” section at efficiencyvermont. com, fill it out and follow the simple instructions. Then relax in your “Buttoned Up” home and dream about how you’ll spend that $100.
John Quinney, Suzy Hodgson CHARLOTTE ENERGY COMMITTEE
We’ve not yet had a frost, but colder temperatures and colorful landscapes are reminding us of what’s to come. We also have an opportunity to do a few simple things to “button up” our homes ahead of winter. Looking ahead, heating oil prices are expected to be about 20 percent higher than last winter’s, according to the Energy Information Administration. Propane prices should be unchanged. And long-term weather forecasts call for similar temperatures to those we lived through last year. This year, Efficiency Vermont is offering a $100 rebate for everyone who completes three “Button Up” projects from a list of seven. Here are the seven home projects that count towards the $100 rebate (you only need to complete three— and there’s lots of help available at buttonupvermont.org and at the bottom of this article): 1. Weatherize exterior doors. Seal air leaks around the doorframe and add or replace a door sweep at the bottom of the doors. 2. Weatherize windows. Caulk around window casings, fill in unused pulley cavities and replace cracked panes and glazing compound. 3. Install a new window, low-E storm window or low-E window panel. Replace windows only if yours are very old and leaky or single pane. Otherwise, adding storms is the way to go. Leaky windows can account for 10 to 25 percent of your heating bill. 4. Air seal and insulate the box sill and rim joists in your basement. This is the area where walls meet foundation and is often the
leakiest part of your basement. Fiberglass doesn’t stop air leaks, so if your rim joists and box sills are insulated with fiberglass, pull it out, then air seal and add rigid insulation. 5. Fix or replace the bulkhead door to your basement. Our old bulkhead door was typical—it was made from plywood, was warped and leaked air badly. We replaced it with a used door, weather stripped around the edges and added two inches of rigid insulation to the door itself. 6. Air seal and insulate your attic. Attics are often the largest source of heat loss in our homes, thanks to air leaking through holes and gaps, as well as not enough insulation. Not sure how to do the work in your attic? Check out the video in the “Tips and Tools” section on Efficiency Vermont’s web site,
efficiencyvermont.com. 7. Build an airtight insulated attic hatch. Attic hatches or pull-down stairs often allow warm air to leak into the attic, especially if they are built from thin wood or drywall. Attic hatches should be weather stripped around the edges and covered with at least six inches of rigid insulation. If you have questions about any of these projects, help is available: The “Tips and Tools” section of Efficiency Vermont’s web site (efficiencyvermont.com) is a terrific
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8 • October 17, 2018 • The Charlotte News
Town/Region Sanders’ office holds discussion with Vermont dairy farmers Dozens of people, including nearly 20 dairy farmers, joined a discussion in Middlebury on Friday, Oct. 12, to share their thoughts on the future of dairy farming in Vermont. The twohour meeting organized by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ office focused on how to bolster milk prices and improve the viability of the dairy industry. The price Vermont dairy farmers get for their milk has been below the cost of production for four years in a row. While the newly improved Margin Protection Program, which acts as an insurance against low prices, has helped ease short-term cash flow problems for some farmers, a long-term solution is desperately needed to boost milk prices. In his introductory remarks, Sanders said that he had long supported some form of supply management to do just that. During the meeting, many of the participants agreed with that sentiment, including Marie Audet, who owns Blue Spruce Farm in Bridport. “We’re an industry that has no mechanism to match supply and demand. It’s about profitability not quantity,” she said. Audet also said she and other farmers were glad to have an opportunity to speak directly with staff from the three congressional offices and with Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts. “This is a real crisis,” Sanders said. “Over the last decade, Vermont has lost one-third of its dairy farms, and the state has lost more than 65 farms this year alone. Hard-working farmers are losing their livelihoods, their homes and their way of life. As farms disappear, so do the businesses and jobs they support, and so does
Senator Bernie Sanders Vermont’s iconic working landscape.” On Thursday, Oct. 11, Sanders introduced legislation to provide much-needed emergency relief to dairy farmers in Vermont and throughout the United States. Sanders’ bill gives priority for emergency payments to farmers who live in states where the cost of milk production is higher than the national average and to farmers with smaller operations. Both of these measures will benefit Vermont’s family farmers. Sanders also sent a letter this week to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, urging the agency to use its authority to purchase dairy products to be distributed to food shelves throughout the United States. Sanders’ office will hold another listening session with dairy farmers in St. Albans on Nov. 16.
College Prep
The college essay and a plate of pasta Denise Shekerjian Feeling stuck or intimidated by that essay needed for your college application? That stops now. Let’s keep it simple. Consider, for a moment, a really good plate of pasta— three or four ingredients cooked in a noble, pure and unaffected way. Is there anything more satisfying, more genuine? That’s what you want in your college essay. A simple, pure, genuine plate of honest goodness. The Pasta: This is your story. Fresh or dried, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s a quality story, a great little slice-of-life story that speaks volumes as to who you are, what you want, and where you’re going. Some tips. First, mundane things make better stories than the fabulous or the heroic. They are more human, too, which helps you forge an emotional bond to your reader. Next, problems make great stories. Who doesn’t love a juicy problem? It provides a platform for a dramatic narrative, a lesson learned and even possibly a surprising outcome. Third tip: stories need a beginning, middle and end. The beginning sets the scene, the action and the issue involved. The middle addresses your intellectual experience with it. What is core about this story that speaks to who you are, how you think and how you will embrace this next chapter of your education? The end wraps it up, ideally coming full circle, which leaves your reader feeling satisfied. Finally, your story needs to be about something. What’s your take-away? Weeks from now, what will the reader remember about your essay? The Water: You want to cook this pasta, right? So start with fresh water and bring it to a vigorous boil, which in the world of essays translates into an unruly pile of notes. These are much easier to come by than a first draft and will serve you well on your way to a polished piece. Words, phrases, concepts . . . it all counts. In that pile, look for an opening line. I bet it’s there. A successful opening line is measured by one thing only: does your reader want to know more? If so, you’re cooking. Start stirring: Organize your thoughts and then start writing. Don’t fuss at this point; just get it on the page. Write as if no one is going to read it. Write with glorious abandon. Then test your
With everything else you have going on, let’s get this polished off so you can move on with your very busy life. story, as you would a strand of pasta. Is the concept good? Can you state it in a sentence? Does your opening resonate? Is it done yet? Probably not. All writing is rewriting. Plan on several drafts. How do you know when you’re done? Here’s the test: Edit until there’s nothing to add or take away. Sauce: Please, nothing canned or artificial. Let’s use the real deal: local, vine-ripened tomatoes, skinned, seeded and lovingly reduced with a pinch of salt into that delicious, sweet sauce we all crave. Pure, genuine. This is the language of your draft, the sound, the taste. By now, you have the concept, the structure, and it’s on a plate: competent, good looking. Time to dress it. Look at your descriptions, analogies, metaphors— are they precise? Interesting? Look at your sentence structure—is it varied, with a nice flow? Cheese: Here’s your last step, which can make all the difference. Read it backwards, line by line. It won’t make sense, but every line will stand out so you can clearly see it. Does it contribute to your narrative? Is it worth the space on the page? Show the essay to a few trusted souls, let some hours or days go by, and ask: What was my essay about? If you don’t hear a close match to what you intended, you had best go at it again. Use a good cheese, now, and a hand grater and garnish your work. Give it that little extra something that ties it all together—a sharpened point of view maybe, or a great one-liner. You’re in charge here—your voice, your tone and your facts, all lined up in a one-sided story of your choosing. What could be more delicious, more enticing? If you need help, be in touch, and let’s get this done: soulofaword.com.
The Charlotte News • October 17, 2018 • 9
Charlotte Library News Thursday, Nov. 1, through Friday, Nov. 16: Lund Family Center Heart Gallery Exhibit. The Heart Gallery is a traveling photo exhibit featuring portraits and short bios of children who are legally free for adoption. It is displayed at libraries, community events, transit hubs, workplaces—any place that people might gather or pass through in order to put real names and faces to the children in need of homes. Not only does it introduce the particular children to the public, it also raises awareness of the need for more foster and adoptive families in the state.
Margaret Woodruff DIRECTOR
Tuesday is Story Time Day this fall! If you’re a parent or caregiver for a baby or toddler, join us for Baby Time at 9 a.m. We’ll share stories, songs and wordplay in a program designed to share the love of reading with our youngest visitors. Pre-schoolers ages 3 to 5 are invited to Fun Time Story Time at 10:30 a.m. We read and share old favorites and new stories as we explore the world around us through books. Crafts and snacks are a key part of this hour-long program. Wednesdays, Oct. 17 to Nov. 14: Science Wednesday. Discover everything you didn’t know about the five senses with Jan Schwarz of Project Micro and Cheryl Sloan of the Charlotte Library. For 3rd grade and up. Please register.
Adults and Families
Thursday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. Salvation Farms: Food and Resilience. Forty percent of our food in the U.S. goes to waste! Salvation Farms aims to change that. Director Theresa Snow shares the story of this organization, and its mission is to build increased resilience in Vermont’s food system through gleaning and other food-surplus management. Saturday, Oct. 20: International Observe the Moon Night. Celebrate the cultural and personal connections we all have with our nearest neighbor. Pick up a moon-viewing handout at the library! Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. Great Decisions: U.S. global engagement and the military. The global power balance is rapidly evolving, leaving the United States at a turning point with respect to its level of engagement and the role of its military. How does the military function in today’s international order, and how might it be balanced with diplomatic and foreign assistance capabilities? Join us to discuss this timely topic. Reading materials available at the circulation desk. Thursday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m. Book Discussion, Running in the Family. In the late 1970s Michael Ondaatje returned to his
native island of Sri Lanka. As he records his journey through the drug-like heat and intoxicating fragrances of that “pendant off the ear of India,” Ondaatje simultaneously retraces the baroque mythology of his Dutch-Ceylonese family. Copies available at the circulation desk. Monday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. Words Matter: A Civility Café. Is Civility Dead? Community, Religion and the Virtues of a Healthy Democracy. These days a lot of people are lamenting the death of civility in American politics. But some social critics argue that civility is overrated at best and dangerous at worst because standards of political decorum stifle political protest just when it is needed most. In this talk, James Calvin Davis will consider what the concept of civility really means, why we need it and where we should look for it if we are going to bring health to our democracy. Co-sponsored by the Charlotte Library; the Charlotte Congregational Church; and Rokeby Museum. This café takes place at the Charlotte Congregational Church, 403 Church Hill Road, Charlotte. Dessert and beverages available as we begin our conversation.
Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. Great Decisions: South Africa. The African National Congress (ANC) party has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994. But the party today suffers from popular frustration over official corruption and economic stagnation. It faces growing threats from both left and right opposition parties, even as intraparty divisions surface. Given America’s history of opportunistic engagement with Africa, there are few prospects for a closer relationship between the two countries. Join us to discuss how the U.S. can create a more meaningful and mutually rewarding relationship with this fragile government. Reading materials available at the circulation desk.
Wednesday, Oct. 31, 5 to 7 p.m. Halloween! Trick-or-treating on the library porch. Stop by to visit our friendly Halloween hosts and pick up a treat or two. Please note the library will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31, to accommodate trick-or-treating.
Wednesday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. Water Series #3: Your Water, Your Lake. Marty Illick, head of the Lewis Creek Association and director of the Ahead of the Storm Project, shares the latest word in sustainable and safe practices for runoff around your home and property. Learn what you can do to keep the lake healthy and your garden green, no matter where you live.
Charlotte Library Information Charlotte Library Board of Trustees: Katharine Cohen, Nan Mason, Danielle Conlon Menk, Jonathan Silverman and Robert Smith. Next board meeting: Monday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m. Margaret Woodruff, director Cheryl Sloan, youth services librarian Susanna Kahn, tech services librarian Hours Mondays and Wednesdays: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reach us on the web at charlottepubliclibrary.org. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/charlottelibraryvt. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @CharlotteVTLib.
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10 • October 17, 2018 • The Charlotte News
Food Shelf News Susan Ohanian Keep baking We want to thank everyone who has helped to make our Hunger is Hard, Baking is Easy program for the Charlotte Food Shelf so successful. For anyone interested in joining this effort, the new 2018-2019 schedule is out and includes information on packaging and labeling. If you would like to receive a copy, please email Holly Rochefort at hwcoolboots@gmail.com. October distribution will be Wednesday evening, Oct. 24, so please drop off your goodies that week by noon on Wednesday at either the Congregational Church or 86 Spear St (there is a bin on the porch). Please keep in mind that Nov. 15 is Thanksgiving box time, and extra goodies are always welcome. Our feedback has been fantastic— favorites include cookies and muffins. We are finding that six pieces per bag/plate is the perfect number. Many people want to take “just enough” and are conscious of food waste. So this just means your baking can go even further. Thank you to everyone who has participated. Let’s continue to spread the love (and the goodies)! Thank you Special thanks for financial support go to Janet Morrison, Deborah Cook, Trafton and Laura Crandell, Laura Cahners-Ford, the Charlotte Organic Coop and a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. Thank you to Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services for the nonperishable food they collected at the Public Safety Fun Fair on Sept. 22. And thank you to Laura and Trafton Crandall, Colleen Armstrong, and
Jensa and Jason Bushey for fresh fruits and vegetables. Thank you to Durgha Luitel for an infant car seat. As the Food Shelf gears up for the winter months and planning for the holidays, we’d like to extend a special thank you to all the faithful gardeners who supplied us with fresh produce throughout the season. Speaking of faithful gardeners: Kris Gerson, teacher at Charlotte Central School, and her assistant, Abby Foulk, again gardened with their class to benefit the Food Shelf. Last Spring Kris’s 2nd grade class planted and nurtured seedlings that were planted in the school garden. Their hard work has come to fruition, and now Kris’s first graders are reaping the bounty of last year’s plantings of potatoes, squash, ground cherries and Brussels sprouts. Thank you to all our children learning to garden and share with others. And special thanks to Deirdre Holmes, a major partner, inspiration and worker in the CCS garden. Thank you to Feast East Company owner Suzanne Ferland who donated an entire carload of nonperishable food and two cases of high-grade containers to be used for dividing up large quantity items we purchase. Thank you to Marcotte’s for the discount on our recent freezer purchase—and for removing the old one at no cost. A purchase such as this involves a lot of thought and time. Thank you to John Lavigne and Bill Doris for researching and managing this purchase. And to Cindy Tyler who organized all the baskets inside once the freezer arrived. Thanks to everyone who saved egg cartons for us. We are very well supplied right now and don’t have space to store any more. Vermont Food Bank The Vermont Food Bank works with over 215 network and agency partners to provide nutritious Vermont-grown food to over 153,000 Vermonters throughout the state. In the past year the Charlotte Food Shelf received 7,287.5 pounds of food at a cost of $6,326, which includes delivery fees. Based on the amount of food received, the Food Shelf will pay a membership fee for the upcoming year is $150, a very good deal, all the way round. Special assistance The Food Shelf granted $540.63 in utility assistance in September. Ten families received a $50 cash card. The Charlotte Congregational Church donated 10 gift vouchers for one gallon of milk and bread from Spears Corner Store. Registration forms for holiday baskets will be available during Food Shelf hours on Oct. 23 and 24. Note that we have assistance to help with inspections for the new code for aboveground oil tanks. Important upcoming 2018 Charlotte Food Shelf distribution dates Wednesday evenings, 5 to 7 p.m., Oct. 24, Nov. 7, 28 Thursday mornings 7:30 to 9 a.m., Oct. 25, Nov. 8, 29
Holiday baskets Basket set up by volunteers: November 16, 8 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday November 17, basket distribution: 11a.m. to noon. Financial assistance As a reminder, the Food Shelf has some funds available for emergency assistance with fuel and electric bills. You may contact Cindi at 425-3234 if you need assistance. We are open to all community residents. Privacy is very important and respected in our mission of neighbor helping neighbor. For emergency food call John 425-3130. For emergency assistance (electricity, fuel) call Cindi at 425-3234. For more information call Karen at 425-3252. Wish list Needed items: aluminum foil, plastic wrap, toilet paper, spaghetti sauce, fruit pie mix, kid-healthy cereal. Please keep in mind that we’re looking for warm Top: The children at work. Bottom: The bounty for winter wear for children. Sizes needed include toddler the Food Shelf planted, grown, and harvested by CCS children. Photos by Deirdre Holmes to adult. Donations We are a volunteer organization, so all donations you make to the Food Shelf go directly for food and/or assistance to our local neighbors in need. Checks may be mailed to Charlotte Food Shelf & Assistance, P.O. Box 83, Charlotte, VT 05445. Thank you. 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/times are posted on bulletin boards in the Charlotte Congregational Church Hall, at the Charlotte Library and at the Charlotte Senior Center. You may also call the Food Shelf number (425-3252) for a recording of the distribution times. Facebook page You can “like” us at our Facebook page— Charlotte Community Food Shelf and Assistance—and see photos and get updates on Food Shelf activities.
Gardening
The Charlotte News • October 17, 2018 • 11
Stick season
Turning sadness to hope There’s a sadness in the air as “stick season” descends upon us. For those to whom this is a new phrase, it’s that time Joan Weed between glorious foliage colors and the sparkle of stars and ice crystals in the lengthening darkness. It might seem to fall on us suddenly, but truly it creeps in, allowing us time to prepare for our rejuvenation by the fire. Today I’ll be planting my garlic bulbs, ensuring the continuation of life and exciting flavors. The bed was prepared and amended last week. Baby steps. Soon I will also plant the flower bulbs I have, giving me hope for another season of beauty and renewal. Each year the effort
seems like it will be too much, but I make myself do it. Sometimes it means planting 10 each day for a week. Digging holes is not always easy; it takes some organization. Be sure to have all your needed equipment with you to save trips back to the garden shed or garage. Trust me when I tell you, you will be so thrilled you made the effort come April followed by May and then June! I try to keep a similar palette of color each year so that the few tulips Chippy didn’t get might come back and blend in. Since daffodils are toxic to chipmunks, a good number of them ensures color come spring. I also add minor bulbs, which tend to multiply (not always in the bed you originally planted them in). Also, alliums of various colors and heights, muscari (grape hyacinths), scilla, iris reticulata, camassia (blue and white) and narcissus will bloom at various times but also die back in time for your established perennials
to hide their fading foliage. Be sure to let the foliage mature on its own to nourish the bulb. Usually six weeks is enough time. Narcissus and daffodils: there are so many shades and varieties. If you have a big space to cover, the collections sold in hundreds will give you such an amazing variety. Pinks, bright orange centers, pure white, doubles or trumpets, fragrant or not. I love the tiny “tete-a-tetes” or “cheerfulness.” The N. poeticus recurva or ‘”pheasant’s eye” is one of my favorites. It’s also called N. actaea. A real steal is N. thalia in pure white, fragrant and usually with three blooms per stem. We never seem to tire of daffodils. Indeed, like lilacs, they often show where a homestead once stood. The first bulbs to appear (and I anxiously peer from my windows into the garden for them) are snowdrops. Don’t be alarmed if any bulb shoots appear in December or during any thaw before spring. They are hardy and will survive just fine.
Purchased bulbs are usually pre-chilled and ready to bloom. I try to buy early, midseason and late blooming tulips to keep the show going as long as possible. When you plant in late October or into December if soil allows, they will get additional chilling. I like to add some bulb-booster too, but it’s not necessary for success. Plant according to size—the bigger the bulb the deeper it should go in. My personal preference is to plant clusters of one variety. I dislike “soldiers in a row”! Bulbs are great for under deciduous trees. They will get their sunshine before trees leaf out. Also the dry conditions they prefer are usually in place. See? The sadness that was beginning to overtake us has turned to hope. It’s such a simple way to look forward with joy to the coming gardening year.
A sense of place at the Clemmons Family Farm All events at the Historic Barn House, 2122 Greenbush Road, Charlotte: Afro-Cuban Culinary Heritage Adventures! Friday, October 19 and 26 2018 6 PM-7:30 PM Sign up at: http://bit.ly/CFFCulinaryYum Featured Artist: Eloy Guzman Free admission (donations requested), maximum 20 participants. Two opportunities to tantalize your tastebuds, stretch your language skills and learn about Afro-Cuban culture in a beautiful setting! Cooking has always been a central aspect of creating and maintaining community within the Afro-Cuban culture. It has also been key to nourishing the body and soul of not only the individual but the whole community. Join us to experience the rich cultural history of the African Diaspora in Cuba through its food. Eloy learned how to cook on his family’s farm in Artemisa, Cuba. You’ll enjoy the finished meal while conversing with Eloy and others about AfroCuban culture and your own family’s culinary heritage stories as well. Friday, Oct. 19, 6-7:30 p.m. Afro-Cuban Culinary Heritage Adventure #1: How to Make Potaje de Frijoles (Cuban Black Bean Soup) Learn how to make Cuban Black Bean Soup and the Spanish words for the ingredients, their special significance in Cuban culture, and stories of these recipes were passed down in Eloy’s family. Friday, Oct. 26, 6-7:30 p.m. Afro-Cuban Culinary Heritage Adventure #2: How to Make Boniatillo (Cuban Sweet Potato Pudding) Learn to make Cuban Sweet Potato Pudding, the Spanish words for the ingredients, their significance in Cuban culture, and stories of how these recipes were passed down in Eloy’s family.
About the artist: Eloy Guzman A Charlotte resident, Eloy learned to cook from his grandmother when he was growing up in Cuba. Throughout his life, Eloy has shared his love for cooking to create a sense of community. He has a master’s degree in bilingual education from City University of New York and a masters of arts in teaching from the School for International Training in Vermont (2004). He is also writing a book about food and culture, The Voices of Young People in 2018 Saturday, Oct. 20, 4 p.m. Sing for the joy of common things! Part 4 of our popular 5-part speakers series features the brilliant and gifted poet and playwright Grace Success Brown at the historic Barn House. Thanks to support from Vermont Humanities Council and Art Place America this event is FREE. To ensure quality interactions, admission is limited to 35 people. Register and learn more here: http://bit.ly/2SingatCFF. Art that Binds: Community Co-Creation/ Haitian-American Painting: Jude Desmond and Julio Desmont Sunday, Oct. 21 at 11 – 1:00 p.m. This quietly joyful community co-creation workshop invites everyone of different skills and abilities to explore their creative energy through painting. Julio and Jude will create a “sense of place” for participants to enjoy a multicultural experience that pivots around learning and celebrating Haitian-American painting and culture while they also share their own stories and insights into the connection between art and life experiences. Experienced painters and absolute novices are welcome to engage in this joyful hands-on community-building experience in Haitian-American painting and culture. Everything you’ll need will be provided. FREE! Admission is limited and sign-up is required at: evenbrite.ca. Donations requested.
Eloy Guzman
Photos contributed
12 • October 17, 2018 • The Charlotte News
The Charlotte News wants to hear from you Dear Readers, As we move forward into these brave new days of newspaper creation, as we seek ways to remain viable and sustainable, we need your input. What is The Charlotte News to you? What can The News be? Please take a few moments to fill out this survey, either here, in print, or online at www.charlottenewsvt.org/2018/09/19/11168/. Mail your survey to: The Charlotte News, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445. Survey closes Oct. 19. The Charlotte News belongs to every member of this community; please help us create the publication you want to read. 1. Do you read the print version of The Charlotte News? Yes No 2. Do you read the online version of the paper? Yes No 3. What columns do you regularly enjoy reading? Circle all that apply. Top Stories Editorial
Gardening by Joan Weed and Dave Quickel
Legislative Report by Mike Yantachka
Out-Doors by Elizabeth Bassett Out-Takes by Edd Merritt
Food related (Coco Eyre, Joanna Smith, Stacy Fraser, Francine Stephens)
Principal’s Corner
Library News Book Review by Katherine Arthaud Young Charlotters Health Matters Sports Senior Center
Property Transactions Sacred Hunter by Bradley Carleton
5. In the last couple of years we have been running longer stories in the paper, up to 1500 words, and, more recently, up to 2500 words. On a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the “greatly enjoy” and 1 being “waste of space,” in general how much do you enjoy reading lengthier stories?
6. Please elaborate on your rating from the previous question.
7. We print a variety of stories in each issue, from news summaries to personal opinion pieces. On a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being “appropriately balanced” and 1 being “unbalanced,” how well do you think we have struck the balance? 8. Please elaborate on your rating from the previous question.
Sunny Side Up by Carrie Fenn Taking Care by Alice Outwater Selectboard Leavitty by Josie Leavitt Other (please specify)
Accidental Pastor by Melissa O’Brien Weary Pilgrim by Mason Daring
9. As a nonprofit paper we depend on advertisers and donations from the community to pay the expenses of producing and distributing The News every two weeks. Do you have any fundraising suggestions or ideas for helping us sustain the paper financially? 10. Any other feedback you may have?
4. How could we improve the paper? Are we, for example, missing important and interesting stories about people and happenings around town? If so, give some examples.
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The Charlotte News • October 17, 2018 • 13
Thank God for books. Books are many things…and one thing they are is an escape from the world. Not that I don’t love the world, because I Katherine Arthaud do, but sometimes it all just gets to be too much. Like these past weeks. Three weeks ago on a Thursday I had a plan to drive to Boston to meet up with my oldest son for a couple of days, and that is what I did. All the way down I had the radio on, riveted by the gripping testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. At the end of Route 93, heading into Boston proper, it was Brett Kavanaugh’s turn. And then (after getting a little bit lost, because it’s hard to concentrate on directions when you are listening to something like this), I checked into my hotel, and no sooner had I wheeled my suitcase into the room than I switched on the TV and continued with the nine-hour drama until I couldn’t stand it any more—at which point I threw on my jacket and went for a walk. Most of you probably watched it, or listened to it—and if you didn’t, you’ve likely heard plenty about it, on the news, on social media or from your friends. Everyone’s talking about it. But the point I was making, originally, was: Thank God I had a book to read that night. To rest my mind. To take me someplace else. TV and Netflix don’t cut it for me. If I want sleep, if I want rest, if I want peace at the end of the day, there is nothing like a book. Preferably fiction. The book I happened to have with me that day—once the day was over and I was nestled in my quiet hotel room (the television mercifully black and the windows open so that I could see the glimmering lights of the city and a whiteyellow three-quarter moon hovering above the harbor)—happened to be The Last Cruise by Kate Christensen. This novel takes place in present time and describes the final voyage of a 1950s ocean liner called Queen Isabella, which was built “in a more elegant, scaled-down era, before cruise ships got put on steroids and turned into so-called ‘floating cities.’” The guests are on board to experience old-style luxury cruising: cocktails on the deck, fancy dinners, string quartets, etc. A number of interconnecting dramas occur during the course of the novel, abovedecks and below. There’s some romance, some bad behavior, a prima donna chef or two, and some interesting details about music, as well as some descriptive passages about cooking and shipboard cuisine. But what I especially liked about this book were the early descriptions of what it was like to be on a cruise. At times, I could almost feel the calm, the bliss of lying on a deck chair, gazing out over the sea, surrounded by sky, lulled by the waves and the windswept murmurs of passengers strolling about nearby. A few times in my reading, I was reminded
There will be singing of Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, as both books involve a disaster that unrolls like a carpet into what had hitherto seemed a pleasant and luxurious enjoyment. Bel Canto is the better book in my opinion, but The Last Cruise is a good and worthwhile yarn. It is quite transporting…and was a good antidote to Thursday, Sept. 27. A totally different read is Stay With Me, by Ayobami Adebayo, which takes place in Nigeria and is the story of a marriage, and some of the layers and complications of a marriage that will not yield children. Yejide and Akin love one another deeply, are married and have no interest in polygamy. But Akin’s parents intervene, and suddenly there is a young additional wife, who pretty much appears out of nowhere. Her role: to produce a child. The story jumps around a bit in time, and truths get revealed slowly. An excellent book, gripping and surprising. Beautifully written. Highly recommend. Also highly recommended is Refuge, by Dina Nayeri, about an Iranian woman, Niloo, who escapes with her mother to America, leaving behind the father she adores. Niloo sees her father again but only four times over a couple of decades, each time in a different city. Here is a sample: “The mystic Al-Ghazali said that the inhabitants of heaven remain forever thirty-three. It reminds me of Iran, stuck in 1976 in the imagination of every exile. Iranians often say that when they visit Tehran or Shiraz or Isfahan, they find even the smallest changes confusing and painful—a beloved corner shop gone to dust, the smell of bread that once filled a street, a rose garden neglected. In their memories, they always change it back. Iran is like an aging parent, they say.” I loved this book. Once begun, it is hard to put down. A reviewer for The New Yorker called it “tender and urgent.” Exactly. Don’t miss this one. A delightful book that I almost gave up on too soon because it seemed too simple, too spare and possibly too silly is The Lido, by Libby Page. I was wrong. I am so glad I persevered. Talk about a good escape. I just loved this book. The heroine is a lovable introvert named Kathy Matthews, who has recently moved to Brixton, England, and is feeling very lonely. Sad and shy, she has no friends, but then her job at a local paper gives her an assignment to write about the closing of a local outdoor community swimming pool, which leads her to conversations and connections and a new type of life. This book reminds me a bit of Elinor Lipman’s novels and also of a book I read some time ago and loved: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. Simply told, very sweet, and so charming—I really recommend The Lido. It will make you want to swim and will remind you to cherish sacred places in your own life and the bonds of friendship that form, sometimes magically and mysteriously, when we are least expecting it. I may reread this book. That’s how much I loved it. Reading it almost felt at times like getting a massage or swimming
“
TV and Netflix don’t cut it for me. If I want sleep, if I want rest, if I want peace at the end of the day, there is nothing like a book. Preferably fiction.
”
through just-the-right-temperature water. It made me think about, and be grateful for, love…and kindness…and some of the simpler things. There, There (by Tommy Orange, an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma) is a book I heard about on VPR. Louise Erdrich refers to Tommy Orange as “a new writer with an old heart.” This novel is a dazzling, troubling, violent, multivalent, poetic, fascinating book—brutal at times and extremely well written. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes hopeless, sometimes hopeful, sometimes gritty, sometimes horrifying, it jumps around from character to character—Jacquie
RAISE YOUR HAND
Red Feather, Dene Oxendene, Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield, Orvil Red Feather, Calvin Johnson—and that’s only to name a few—in a kind of dissonant symphony or native dance that culminates in a devastating finale. The prologue begins with a haunting stanza from Bertolt Brecht: “In the dark times Will there also be singing? Yes, there will also be singing, About the dark times.” Something tells me to end with that.
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14 • October 17, 2018 • The Charlotte News
Gardening
Clean your room
Vera Moroney Well, we all knew it was coming. High 70s last week and some snow in the forecast for this week. The bounty from the “year of the tomato” needs to be put away. Sauces, freezer, dehydrating or wall paper. Lots of other veggies as well. What a bounty. Don’t forget the Charlotte Food Shelf. But here is the real deal…clean your room. You would not want to spend the winter in dirty sheets, unwashed laundry, leftover food and newspapers on the floor (not to mention other unmentionables). Your garden does not want to either. Tidying up is very important. Leftover detritus is a haven for bad things, both critters, fungi and other uggies (“uggies” is a gardening term). Annuals. You may want to get the last few days from them, but when the dance is over pull them out and compost them. Composting can be a tough issue. If there are bad diseases such as blight, botrytis, etc., you may need to bag them for the landfill. If the annuals have set seeds you can spread them around for next year. The picture here is of a cleome bed from such
“volunteer” seeds from last year. Other annuals that do well with this spread-theseeds treatment are rudbekia, sunflowers, delphinium and celosia. If the plants are hybrids the offspring may regress—had that experience with hibiscus when all the offspring are white. Gardening is a wonderful crapshoot, so experience it. Perennials. Most, but not all, like to be trimmed to the ground. Certainly herbaceous peonies (not tree peonies), hibiscus, iris (leave 4 inches), delphinium (look for new growth and leave that), Shasta daisies, day lilies, hostas and bleeding heart. Rearrange the furniture. Now is a good time to move perennial plants around. Peonies can be dug, divided and replanted, though here we have some that are going on 40 years. Be careful to not plant them too deep, leave the “eye” about an inch below the ground and give them sun. It is really too late for tall beaded iris, but not Siberian iris. Delphinium and Shasta daisies are also good candidates. Plan for next year. The more you do to clean up and prepare, the less you have to do next spring. Your garden will thank you and you can spend the winter snug and smug!
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Conservation Currents
Doing work in the watershed Wrapping up the water quality stewardship field season in Charlotte
Two volunteers fill their canoe with invasive European frogbit in Town Farm Bay, Charlotte. Photo contributed Krista Hoffsis Among the great blue herons and lily pads at the Town Farm Bay wetland complex, volunteers spent June and July paddling around the wetland to remove invasive European frogbit plants. This effort has been coordinated every year since 2009 by the Lewis Creek Association (LCA) and is paid for by the Conservation Commission through the town budget. Native to Europe and Northern Asia, European frogbit was brought to the United States via the St. Lawrence River, where it was first planted in arboretum ponds in Ottawa. It is considered an aquatic invasive species because it grows on the water surface and outcompetes native plants for sunlight and nutrients. When frogbit was discovered in Town Farm Bay, there was 50 percent cover throughout the wetland. With consistent seasonal management from volunteers, the frogbit cover has been reduced to and maintained at about 5 percent. Though it will not be eradicated by the LCA’s efforts, maintaining this low population allows native plants and the critters that rely on them to thrive. This year, volunteers removed 1,670 pounds of frogbit from the 50-acre wetland complex. Because frogbit levels are consistently low, LCA and volunteers can now take on the management of other invasive species in the bay. According to technical advisors for this program at Lake Champlain Basin Program, flowering rush should be the next priority. This year, volunteers mapped flowering rush
and began removal, eliminating 20 pounds of the rush. Next year, it will be harvested in addition to frogbit with the same budget and resources. The budget also includes the annual monitoring of the LaPlatte River, McCabe’s Brook, Thorp Brook and Kimball Brook. The sampling season is still in progress and will last through October. Volunteers collect water samples, which are then taken for analysis to the LaRosa lab, run by the Agency of Natural Resources. This year, LCA is continuing to sample phosphorus, nitrogen and total suspended solids during high flow events like heavy rain or snow melt in order to study nutrient loading to Lake Champlain. To see last year’s results, visit the LCA website at lewiscreek.org. Not only is this water quality stewardship program important for maintaining productive, functioning and scenic waters, it also allows Charlotte residents to become involved and be advocates for water quality. The most valuable way data can be shared is by passionate people you know in your community. Funding this program through the Conservation Commission via the town budget is crucial, since it allows the town to take ownership of local water quality and natural resources that are so important to protect. The Charlotte Conservation Commission meets the fourth Tuesday of the month. All are welcome. Krista Hoffsis is a member of the Conservation Commission and Lewis Creek Association staff.
The Charlotte News • October 17, 2018 • 15
Sacred Hunter
Divine Entity’s energy — how do I bring it into my life, my body? Bradley Carleton When I was a young man—well, actually more of a child than a man—I spent a lot of time in trees. I loved to climb high up into the canopy and feel the wind blowing over my ears, making that whispering sound that only leaves and poets can interpret. On stormy days I would climb to the top of a tall pine tree and hold on to the trunk like it was my only connection to anything solid and earthbound. I would feel the rain stinging on my face and the whole tree would rock back and forth in the powerful wind. I never felt afraid, but I did feel a strange appreciation for life. I was resting in Mother Nature’s cradle and felt more alive than when I was grounded. I was also a terrible athlete in the traditional sports of western Pennsylvania: baseball, football and basketball. If you didn’t excel in one of those you were kind of an anomaly to the region. Since my father owned the Little League team, I had to play at least two innings a game, so they stuck me in right field where few youngsters could place a well-hit ball. I would stand there with my glove covering my face and pray that our competitor’s team would not hit anything in my direction. I would stand there as long as I had to and dream of when the game was over, climbing back up in my tree and feeling like I belonged again. Years later my father took me hunting, and I discovered that if I climbed a tree the animals would not see me (except for friendly chickadees and the avuncular red squirrel, who chided me for trying to hang out in his neighborhood). On the earth below I watched animals going about their business while I, feeling no particular aggressive intention, sat above in the limbs and learned about their lives. I saw bobcats hunting rabbits, ruffed grouse drumming for their mate on a mossy old log, bushytailed gray squirrels hoarding acorns in tree cavities, and, once in a while, an innocent-looking doe or fawn would pass under my tree, feeding on beechnuts and checking the constantly changing thermal breezes. She would hold her head up into the air, lick her nose to sensitize it for smell detection, and then inhale the soft autumn breeze. Sitting in a tree I learned not only the ways of my animal brethren but also the
feeling that I belonged. I belonged here— with them. I wanted to know them all like they were my family. I felt a strong desire to possess the grace and awareness of the whitetail, the cunning of the fox and the sense of direction of the geese as they flew overhead. It was in my tree that I began to wonder—if all these characteristics are actually some Divine Entity’s energy, how do I bring it into my life, my body? If, as science has proven, that energy never dies but merely transforms into another form, then where does this energy go when consumed? Do vegetables give me energy? Do eggs give me energy? What kind of energy? Might it be the energy of the animal or plant that lived? If that were true, and I consume the wild asparagus, the puffball mushroom, the fiddlehead or the ramps I pick every spring, do I also benefit from their beauty and the magic that made them grow? Taken further, if I consume the flesh of a brook trout from high in the mountains, where the water is cold and pure, will my spirit then radiate the spectacular beauty of its habitat? If the deer below me presents itself to me when it is my intention to become one with its grace and wonder, will I then also radiate that in my spirit if I consume its flesh/energy? So, I am now 59 years old and I am sitting 25 feet up in a maple tree, in a treestand with a strong safety belt tied to that earthbound trunk, and I have to wonder, “Am I here to kill something? Or am I here to nourish my spirit and my body by connecting to my animal brethren?” If my intention is to kill, chances are that the deer spirit will sense danger and not walk toward me. I close my eyes and pray. When I open them, he is standing in front of me, broadside and still, looking out toward the distant hills. His antlers glow in the early autumn sun. I watch as he raises his head and licks his nose, inhaling the same cool clean air that we both share. We breathe in at the same moment and exhale in time. My heartbeat is in rhythm with his. I feel nothing but love as I draw my bow. We are one. Bradley Carleton is executive director of Sacred Hunter.org, a nonprofit that seeks to educate the public on the spiritual connection of man to nature.
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Mother Nature’s cradle.
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16 • October 17, 2018 • The Charlotte News
Into The Woods
Managing invasive exotic plants
Ethan Tapper Once the leaves have fallen, you might notice a “green haze” in the understory of our forests. This time of year offers a great chance to notice where invasive exotic plants, which often hold onto their leaves longer than our native species, are located. In Chittenden County, invasive exotic plants are present on most properties, at levels ranging from a few seedlings scattered throughout a large woodlot to buckthorn and honeysuckle monocultures dominating dozens of acres. I cannot overemphasize what a serious threat invasive exotic plants (I’ll just call them “invasives”) pose to the health of our forests. These species disrupt the natural process of regeneration in the forest by outcompeting our native trees and plants. Many invasives are allelopathic (secreting chemicals into the soil that inhibit the growth of other species), prolific seed producers and able to sprout prolifically after being cut or pulled, even from a tiny fragment of root or stem. We will never get rid of invasives. As a result, instead of “eradication” we now talk about “control.” We can get to an acceptable level of “control” by decreasing populations of invasives to the extent that you can easily hand-pull new sprouts without needing to take more drastic measures. We all live busy, full lives, and so it is critical that woodlot owners, in addition to considering what treatment methods are effective, are realistic about how much time and effort they can commit to invasive species removal—this will influence the control strategy you ultimately adopt. On my woodlot, about 30 acres were heavily infested with invasives, mostly barberry, honeysuckle and multiflora rose. After a lot of pulling and digging, it became clear that I didn’t have the time to make a difference using these methods; I needed to be a realist
“
After a lot of pulling and digging, it became clear that I didn’t have the time to make a difference using these methods; I needed to be a realist and recognize the need to take a different approach.
”
Invasive barberry and recognize the need to take a different approach. With a few small invasive plants or a very small area (like a yard), you may be able to hand-pull (pulling the plant and its roots up) or cut them repeatedly. However, these mechanical approaches don’t work on even moderate-size infestations; because of invasives’ ability to sprout, you may need to cut or hand-pull several times a year
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for several years before you achieve any measure of control (especially with cutting). If you can’t commit to this, this is not the option for you. Herbicide shouldn’t be our first resort, but it is by far the fastest, cheapest and most effective method of controlling invasive plants. If you have an infestation of small plants with some that are too big to pull out, I recommend a hybrid approach, handpulling what you can and stump-treating plants that are too big to pull. “Cut-stump” application of herbicide is targeted,
effective and virtually eliminates any impact to non-target plants. Tractor Supply offers products with the active ingredient glyphosate (41%) for $25-50/gallon. On my land, I cut invasives with a folding hand-saw and use an applicator called a “Buckthorn Blaster” ($5) to apply herbicide neatly and efficiently to the surface of a stump. This method will save you years of repeated cutting. Large, heavily infested areas cannot realistically be controlled by mechanical means, or even by the hybrid approach. In these cases, herbicide application using cut-stump application and foliar spraying (spraying the leaves of the plant) may be warranted. If this is the case on your land, you can either hire an invasive species control company, or, if you have the time and the desire, you can do it yourself. On my land, I use a hand-pumped backpack sprayer ($50-80) for foliar applications. To do this, you must first learn how to safely apply herbicide—landowners can legally apply some herbicides on their own land, but I’d recommend signing up for the Agency of Agriculture Food and Market’s day-long Certified Pesticide Applicator course. It’s also critical that you are confident identifying invasive plants— VTInvasives.org can get you started on that. No matter how we do it, the most important thing is that we control these invasive exotic plants, allowing our forested ecosystems to grow healthy trees, plants and wildlife. Understanding the steps necessary to realistically deal with the infestation you have, and the tools at your disposal, is the key to getting to an acceptable level of “control.” For more information on invasive species and their control, visit VTInvasives. org. Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden County forester. He can be reached at ethan.tapper@vermont.gov, (802)-5859099, or at his office at 111 West Street, Essex Junction.
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The Charlotte News • October 17, 2018 • 17
Outdoors Elizabeth Bassett Witch hazel Keep your eyes out for late-flowering witch hazel. After the leaves have tumbled and most insects have vanished, the only color in the understory is the long yellow streamers of the witch hazel flower. In the 1980s UVM Emeritus Professor and nature writer Bernd Heinrich discovered that owlet moths feed on witch hazel flowers during late fall evenings and are likely the flowers’ pollinator. On a cold October night, a moth needs sugar-nectar from flowers to fuel high body temperatures that are necessary for flight. A wonder of nature! Sun to Cheese Tour, Shelburne Farms On a recent Friday afternoon (the tour operates only once weekly) a dozen folks boarded a small yellow school bus at the Shelburne Farms Welcome Center. First stop was the cheesemaking room at the Farm Barn. A blackboard details the daily haul: 5,421 pounds of milk from the previous evening and morning milkings, which will yield 580 pounds of Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese. Farmhouse Cheddar means that the cheese is made only from cows on a single farm. On that October day, 105 of Shelburne Farm’s 214 Brown Swiss cows had been milked. The average daily yield per cow is about seven gallons of milk, less than the nine-gallon yield of the more familiar Holsteins. The fat content of Brown Swiss milk is 4.6 percent butterfat whereas Holstein milk is 3.7 percent, making Brown Swiss milk well suited for cheese production. While vegetables, fruit and hay grown at Shelburne Farms are organic, its cheddar cheese is not. “If a cow gets an infection we administer antibiotics,” the tour guide explained. “That milk is separated and not included in cheese production.” The farm produces cheddars aged for six months, one year, two years, three years and, very
Fall fun in the outdoors occasionally, for four years. In addition, Tractor Cheese has strong or unusual flavors, and a six-month cheddar is hickory smoked. Next stop was the Dairy Barn. Twice each day the cows are milked, each session requiring about three and a half hours. While the milkers spend the night in the barn before their early-morning milking, in mid-afternoon a parade of more than 100 “ladies” stroll to the milking parlor from the pasture, where they spend their days munching grass. Nearby is the Calf Barn, populated by newborns. Calves drink their mother’s antibody-rich colostrum for a few days before being switched to hand-held bottles of milk. “Since these calves will spend their lives in the herd being milked twice a day, they need to be comfortable around humans, their caregivers.” The tour includes a cheese tasting, coaxing some unfamiliar vocabulary from participants: creamy, crumbly, barnyard smell, grassy taste, rich, sharp, flowery. It’s all delicious! Participants take home a half-pound package of cheddar of their choosing. An afternoon well spent! Vernal pool monitoring Raven Ridge, a 365-acre property managed by the Vermont Nature Conservancy, sits astride land in Charlotte, Hinesburg and Monkton. Downhill from the ridge, where both bobcats and ravens make their homes, is a vernal pool. In spring, vernal pools fill with snowmelt and rain. They have no source of flowing water. Over the course of summer, the water evaporates, making the pools unsuitable for fish and other water-dependent predators. As a result, vernal pools are generally a safe place for frogs, salamanders, fingernail clams and fairy shrimp to breed. These species depend on water for egg laying but not for their full life cycle. In the coming years a team will monitor the vernal pool at Raven Ridge, measuring water depth and temperature, identifying
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18 • October 17, 2018 • The Charlotte News
Out Takes
This is my brain on lyrics
Edd Merritt When you hear this sound a-comin’ Hear the drummer drumming Won’t you join together with the band We don’t move in any ‘ticular direction And we don’t make any collections Won’t you join together with the band? Peter Townsend, The Who “Join Together” “MUSAC!” shouts a wavy-handed muppet, Grover. So, I’ll wave to music, too. That’s what this OutTake is about—more specifically, it’s about song lyrics. Hopefully, it comes off a bit differently than an earlier piece in which I focused on a book titled This is Your Brain on Music. Author Daniel Levitin looked at physical changes to your brain as you listen to various types of music, causing you to think about what is happening inside your head rather than simply sitting back and enjoying the tunes. Your mind is too busy trying to catalogue the neurons. Music, though, may be more than notes and sounds and harmonies. Many of my favorite pieces contain words that stick in my mind. Many of these words also go back a good number of years when, for me and others of my generation, music provided a direct connection to our feelings about the world’s social order, our government, Vietnam and our country’s impression of us. You know what I mean—we were longhaired, pot-smoking
“Beats.” We were Mick Jagger’s and Keith Richard’s “Salt of the Earth.” Country Joe and the Fish asked those of us headed to Southeast Asia, in an ironic set of lyrics: “What are we fighting for? Don’t ask me I don’t give a damn. Next stop is Vietnam. . . Whoopee, we’re all gonna die” When my active duty was about to end, rather than ship over for another two years I said goodbye to my carrier in the Gulf of Tonkin and turned off Hanoi Hannah, whose tunes on Vietnam radio were meant to sway our emotions away from her country and toward the antiwar movement in the U.S. In that regard, the music carried the message. The people we were bombing, the ones our government said were belligerent communists, were savvier than Washington let on and, in fact, were pretty sincere citizens of two countries, North and South, they wanted to see unified into one. They just couldn’t figure out how it would be governed, and each was using the U.S. military to build its case. Haircuts became symbolic. Mine took a while to grow back after my Navy stint even though I wanted it to happen instantly because, for those of us getting out of the service, it was a symbol of our servitude. We might as well have been bald. People simply looked at the tops of our heads and said, “Hi, sailor.” We tried to will it to grow instantly because long locks had become visually the musical equivalent for the Beat Generation. Hair and music were often the beers on tap. My first stops out of the Navy were Joni Mitchell singing at the Troubadour in L.A. and the Grateful Dead playing for free in Union Park in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Gerome Ragni and James Rado had just brought to life a musical masterpiece, and I arrived in New York as Hair moved from Joseph Papp’s Public Theatre to Broadway. It became my generation’s mantra for a world out of
whack: “She asks me why, I’m just a hairy guy I’m hairy noon and night, hair that’s a fright I’m hairy high and low, don’t ask me why, don’t know It’s not for lack of bread, like the Grateful Dead” Each show began collectively, with the cast sitting among the audience. On cue, the “Tribe” would get up and head slowly to the stage, and the “Age of Aquarius” would come alive. But, as the show progressed, we learned that it was an age that did not always point in a positive direction. It was clouded by racism, an immoral war and power-hungry dignitaries. “What a piece of work is man, how noble in reason,” so why does humanity try to change, even end, this beauty that is the world? What brought Hair to mind recently? It was one of those nighttime gigs. You know, when you’re falling asleep, a song creeps into your mind and you start humming. For me it was “Frank Mills,” sung in the play by the character Crissy (Shelley Plimpton) about a guy she met “on September 12th right here in front of the Waverly, but unfortunately I lost his address.” I used to hang out around the Waverly. While I never met Frank Mills, Crissy put her meeting to music. He had a “friend who resembled George Harrison of the Beatles, and he wore his hair tied in a small bow in the back.” Crissy thought Frank lived in Brooklyn somewhere. He wore a jacket that said “Mary” and “Mom” and “Hells Angels.” She and her friend Angela must have loaned him a couple of bucks, which they “don’t want back—just him.” Hair broke acceptability barriers by virtue of its music’s themes and its characters. Who could sing a song titled “Sodomy”? (Our parents told us such subjects were not for public discourse and were evil activities. Naturally, Hair put them on the stage where nowadays
they may be gaining new play in national politics.) Hair attacked racism, too, having a mixed racial membership in “The Tribe.” The song “Abie Baby” goes after historical heroes who denigrated people of color. It incorporates stereotypical black phrases, and the heroes are killed, all except for Abraham Lincoln. A black woman portrays Abe, who, after reciting an up-dated version of the Gettysburg Address, gets her shoes polished by a white woman’s blond hair. It was also the time when our now Nobel laureate Bob Dylan told us times were changing: “Come mothers and fathers Throughout the land And don’t criticize What you can’t understand Your sons and your daughters Are beyond your command Your old road is Rapidly aging Please get out of the new one If you can’t lend your hand For the times they are a’ changing.’” The following August, Beth and I headed out of the city and encountered children of god bound for Woodstock, walking along the road to Yasgur’s farm to “join in a rock and roll band, to get back to the land” and free their souls. It was as though the Tribe had found its spot to grow a new nation, and by the time we arrived, we were half a million strong, and we knew we were getting ourselves back to the garden. Unfortunately, over time the garden appears to be dying, which means that those of us left will have to replant it. I’ll do the rutabagas this time. And you can go with the Fantasticks: “Plant a radish Get a radish Never any doubt.”
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The Charlotte News • October 17, 2018 • 19
Sports Edd Merritt CCS cross-country runners take second at Shelburne Farms Both boys and girls Charlotte crosscountry running teams placed second in the Shelburne Farms races last Wednesday, behind Shelburne. Six schools from the area sent runners. The top individuals for CCS were Owen Deale who won the boys’ race and Ethan Morris who placed third. Kate Kogut in third and Libby Manning in seventh were CCS high finishers among girls. Cross Country women run in the “Big Apple” New York’s Van Cortland Park is a pretty swath of green in the northwest Bronx, just above the Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo. Last Saturday, Oct. 13, its trails were the site of the Manhattan Invitational crosscountry race that attracts runners from across the United States each year. As the top Vermont team, CVU joined the group of schools and demonstrated its prowess finishing third behind Claremont School from California and Liverpool High from Onondaga County, New York. As they have throughout the season, Alice Larson and Ella Whitman led the Redhawk runners. Alice finished ninth on the 2.5-mile course in less than 15 minutes. Ella was 18th and just under a minute slower than her teammate. The top five CVU runners included Chloe Silverman (42nd), Jasmine Nails (47th) and Alicia Veronneau (48th). CVU golf champs by a stroke Who ever thought a golf tournament would go into overtime? Well, that’s exactly what happened at the Country Club of Vermont a week ago when the Redhawks and the Bobwhites from BFA-St. Albans tied at the end of the regular rounds of the Division I state championship finals. It was the first tie in 25 years and led to the first state championship for CVU in six years. They reached the Country Club of Vermont following a qualifying stop at the Equinox course where they also topped the field and were again followed by BFA. However, as opposed to the finals’ tie, CVU won the qualifying event by a full six strokes. In their bid for the state title, three Redhawks shot rounds of under 80 for the 18 holes. Nate Godbout stroked a 78 and Evan Forrest plus Charlotte product Ben Gramling shot 79s. Andrew Wilkinson helped matters with a bogey on the overtime hole to help CVU nip BFA by a stroke, 20-19. CVU keeps moving forward in women’s soccer What does it feel like to go undefeated after 12 games? Just another day on the pitch, you say? What does it take to maintain this victory streak? In the case of the win over BFA last Wednesday, the Redhawks showed their team prowess with five players hitting the net in a 5-0 victory. They led 3-0 at the halftime break, with first period being all CVU, and mostly Charlotte, with Lilly Cazayoux and Elizah Jacobs scoring in addition to Olivia Zubarik, all within a timeframe of
seven minutes. Another Charlotter, goalie Maryn Askew, made four saves against the Bobwhite keeper’s 13. Three days later Essex fell to the Redhawks, 4-0, with goals from Sydney Jimmo, Olivia Morton, Sara Kelley and Catherine Gilwee. Maryn in goal was called upon for only one save. Men’s soccer lets in its first goal of the season But it doesn’t matter because the Redhawks still won the game 3-1 over Colchester to remain undefeated with 10 wins and two ties. Luke Morton’s two goals in the first half, embellished by Chase Mitchell’s single tally, kept the Hawks on top of the league. They have scored 34 goals to their opponents’ one so far. And so it continues for “Soccer Central.” Field hockey holds just above .500 in wins With a season’s record that stands at six wins, five losses and a tie, the Redhawks held above the 50 percent win mark by virtue of victories over U-32 and Middlebury. Tied with the Mids 0-0 at halftime, in the second frame Hailey Chase sank a penalty stroke and Nora WeismanRowell scored a goal for the winning tallies. CVU goal tender Kristie Carlson had a single save to the Tiger net minder’s 10. Football goes one up, one more down Division II North Country became CVU football’s first victim this year as Seth Boffa and Zack ZuWallack each had a pair of running touchdowns in the Redhawks’ 30-0 win. However, it took only a week for things to return to this year’s normal, a loss, this time to a strong offensive and defensive team from St. Johnsbury Academy that kept CVU out of the end zone and off the scoreboard while piling up 42 points themselves.
Hailey Chase chases the ball.
Charlotte running back Seth Boffa carries the ball for CVU in win over North Country. Above photos by Al Frey
Left: First and second graders from the Charlotte Recreation Soccer team, the Cheetahs, celebrate a great season with multiple wins. Photo by Jennifer Bora Above: CCS cross country runners at Shelburne Farms. Photo by Maura Wegmans
20 • October 17, 2018 • The Charlotte News
Taking Care Impossibilities and Miltiades, part 2 l934 Grandfather Hooker had invited 25 members from the American Society of Magicians to 82 Remsen Street to Alice Outwater attend his newest performance of Impossibilities and Miltiades, which no one had been able to solve. As the magicians arrived in formal dress they enjoyed pulling silk scarves out of their ears and performing other legerdemains. Even a rabbit appeared under a top hat and quickly disappeared in a blink. Then they chose their dinner from the elegant buffet in the dining room. Finally, after demitasses, chocolates and liqueurs, the group filed into the conservatory, down the iron steps through the garden and into the carriage house. They proceeded to the second floor into the small theater that Grandfather had built for such occasions. Rows of folding chairs faced four small pedestal tables with round tops, and behind this were maroon velvet curtains. The “stage” was brightly lit by hanging electric lights. The front row, only six feet from the tables, filled rapidly; the closer the magicians sat, the more they might surmise how the tricks were done. One of the rules was if anyone got up during the show, the performance would be brought to a halt. Grandfather had bought a handsome stuffed bear, used at Wanamaker’s as a
Christmas display. His hair was all matted from children patting him. Grandfather unceremoniously cut off his head and replaced the button eyes with glass ones, which gave the bear a lifelike appearance. He rolled his eyes and wagged his jaw as if talking. Grandfather named him Miltiades after an Athenian general. One of the four tables that made up the stage held Miltiades; on the others were a large glass bell jar and some equipment. Grandfather welcomed the audience. A deck of cards was divided into a number of piles and given to different spectators to be shuffled. Grandfather brought the houlette
(a tall bell jar) to the audience for close inspection before it was replaced on the table. The cards were then returned and put in the houlette. He then called upon the Queen of Hearts to greet the audience. The card rose and curtsied (by bobbing up and down) and danced (more bobbing) as the music box played offstage. Then the Queen was gently placed on the edge of the table to serve as mistress of ceremonies. Grandfather now summoned the King of Spades, and this card rose from the deck. Soon he stood on the table next to the Queen. Grandfather next beckoned the three Queens, and as each rose, the ladies were given places to stand near the Queen of Hearts. The King of Spades watched, as if in a review. One card after another rose from the deck and returned into it. The Queen of Hearts was the only one remaining on the table. Grandfather told the audience, “The King of Spades is in love with the Queen of Hearts. Unfortunately the Queen has rejected him, so he has returned to the deck, disguised himself as the King of Diamonds and will emerge to woo the Queen.” The King of Diamonds emerged from the houlette but quickly returned. “She refused him,” Grandfather explained, “and so he has materialized as the King of Hearts” This time the Queen accepted him. But as he returned to the deck to arrange the nuptials, the King of Spades forgot his disguise and came back as a spade. The Queen fainted and
the King dropped back into the deck. After reviving, the Queen was so disillusioned she committed suicide by jumping off the table onto the floor . . . and the audience broke into applause. This trick remained a mystery long after Grandfather died, and then the dilemma arose as what should become of it? Go to a museum? Be written up disclosing how it was done? Destroyed or sold to a fellow magician with the stipulation that it would remain forever a mystery? Grandfather loved magic as a living art whose purpose was to mystify others. The family favored the latter. A young magician was chosen to buy the trick for a nominal $200. And guard its secret. In 1989 the Tenth Los Angeles Conference of Magic History met. Miltiades was on the program with a special performance scheduled for Grandfather’s descendants. About 50 of us filled the room. The original velvet curtains, now looking rather worn, hung as a backdrop. Many boxes had been pulled out of storage, and it took some months to assemble them. The presentation was given to some of the most eminent magicians who were determined not to be fooled. The show lasted about an hour—and 60 years later magicians still remain baffled by its mechanics. The cards had became real performers in a love story and continued to dumbfound those who viewed it. The show continues to guard its mystery, mesmerizing every audience that attends, while Miltiades’ glass eyes sparkle with delight.
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The Charlotte News • October 17, 2018 • 21
East Charlotte Tractor Parade Community...family and a cool tractor
Before
Tom Tiller Last year our family, including my then 78-year-old dad, went to the Charlotte Tractor Parade. We had an awesome time watching and decided that in the coming year we would not just watch, but participate. We have a special tractor that has been in our family for 45 years. It’s a 1953 Ford Jubilee, which was a model Ford made to mark the 50th anniversary of tractor production. As a kid, I used the tractor in my first business, a firewood business. For the next 40 years my dad used it at his camp in Montgomery for brush hogging, pulling logs, and taking his grandchildren on tractor rides. We have a ton of great family memories tied to this machine. The tractor was in very rough shape a year ago, but, thanks to the efforts of Kasey Kilburn, Chuck Farr and Giroux’s Body Shop, it was brought back to life for its 65th birthday. This past Sunday it hauled our family and Kasey’s down Spear Street on a brilliant Vermont fall day. We all were grinning from ear to ear.
After
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Photo by Tom Tiller, Jr.
Photo contributed
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22 • October 17, 2018 • The Charlotte News
come Out for a Stroll on the Charlotte Town Link Trail, with Ajat Traiyal. These walks on this flat, gravel path are a great chance to get outdoors with others. Weather permitting, there will be strolls on Oct. 17, 24 and 31. Please call to register with your phone number in case of cancellation. Ajat would like a minimum of five. No fee. Be part of the Annual Fudge Fest coming up. Stop by soon to pick up the fudge ingredients and recipe. And don’t forget to sign up for the gathering at 1 p.m. on Oct. 31 to make popcorn balls, wrap fudge and pack bags for trick-ortreaters. A great chance to be part of the community fun. Coming in November
Carolyn Kulik SENIOR CENTER DIRECTOR
“I arise in the morning, torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” ~ E.B. White This quote probably describes the state of mind of many of our Senior Center visitors. Being “retired” seems to have the image of bored, older citizens at loose ends with not much to do. On the contrary, our participants have trouble fitting another course or activity into their daily schedules with family and volunteering with many, many organizations. One common refrain is: “I’d love to do that, but I just don’t have the time.” It certainly makes planning programs a challenge! Today, Oct. 17, at 1 p.m., will be an unusual presentation: “Dementia Simulation: A Walk in Their Shoes.” This simulation is intended for caregivers or those whose loved ones may have been diagnosed with dementia. Volunteers use sensorydeprivation devices, try to perform simple tasks, and describe how they felt with the aim of fostering experiential insight and empathy. This event is led by Anika Bachofen, reflections director at the Residence at Shelburne Bay. You know you have secretly wanted to drum for years—and now is your chance: There are two more sessions of Drumming with Stuart Paton on Friday Oct. 19 and Oct. 26, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. No sticks are involved. These sessions use African djembe drums, which are struck with the hands. Be brave and do something different! And, it is possible that Drumming could continue into November—or into the Winter Schedule. Please call the Center at 425-6345 to leave your name and phone number to register—or to indicate your interest about these additional options as soon as possible. On Sunday, Oct. 21, the monthly Shape-Note Sing is from 1-3 p.m. The Charlotte VT Shape-Noters welcome
newcomers and experienced singers every month (third Sunday) to sing traditional four-part harmony from the Sacred Harp Songbook (Dennison 1991). Stop by to listen or sing, and leave whenever you wish. (Note: This is not a concert or a course.) Loaner books are available. No registration is necessary; no fee. The next five-session series ($75) of Feldenkrais begins on Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 1-2 p.m. If you have questions about this intriguing mind/body approach to wellness, feel free to contact the instructor, Mischul Brownstone, at 425-3355 or at mischul@accessvt.com. Fall Hike #5 meets at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, to go to Poke-OMoonshine, Keesville, NY. Please stop by or call the Senior Center for more hike details. No fee, but registration is required. On Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 2:15 p.m., Session II of French Conversation Circle begins and continues through November. Newcomers who are fluent enough to carry on a conversation in French are welcome at any time. Not a speaker yet or want to learn the basics for a trip perhaps? If there is enough interest, there will be a short series of Beginning French, starting Nov. 6 from 1–2 p.m. This is not in the Fall Schedule, so please call to register if you are interested. Cost will be $12 per class. On Wednesday, Oct. 24, “South China Sea Dangers” at 1 p.m. is a presentation and discussion with Dr. David Rosenberg, an internationally recognized expert in this area. With rising tariffs and expanded trade conflict, the U.S./China relationship has lately become more tense. Added into this mix is the Chinese military buildup that has been happening for the past several years there, and the risk of dangerous encounters increases in this relatively small maritime space. No registration necessary; no fee. On Wednesday mornings, at 10 o’clock,
Starting Thurs., Nov. 1, is Origami for the Holidays where you can make holiday ornaments from decorative, folded papers. Three afternoons, 12:30-2 p.m., $30 for the course. Please call or stop in to register in advance. Starting Monday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m., the November Book Group will discuss America Is Not the Heart, by Elaine Castillo. This is a fictional look at an immigrant family and the history they bring with them as they try to build new lives in America. The group meets at the Senior Center with Library Director Margaret Woodruff. Books are available at the library. Please register. No fee. Also starting on Nov. 5, for three sessions from 1:30-3 p.m., is Altered Books. Artist and educator Linda Finkelstein will show you how to use a discarded hardcover book as a canvas of sorts to add images, writing and found objects to create a personal, visual story. On Tues., Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon is Acrylics & Mixed Media with Lynn Cummings. In four, three-hour sessions, Lynn will present some fun, intuitive painting projects. Pre-registration is required for the supply list. Art News October art exhibit of Deborah Boutilier-Paolantonio’s oil painting and pastels will be coming down at the end of this month. Her work has received many positive comments from visitors; try not to miss this show. Viewing Art Shows: Since the Center is utilized for many classes and events, the best times to see art shows are Tues., Wed. and Fri. after 3 p.m. and Thursdays after 12:30. Call the Center to check on Sunday availability. Lots more going on in October and in November with ongoing programs and courses (exercise, art, games). You can always visit the town website at CharlotteVT.org. and click on the Senior Center tab for descriptions of all the course listings in the Fall Schedule, as
SENIOR CENTER MENUS Suggested donation for all meals: $5
Monday Munch
11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. No reservations required.
October 22
Beef tomato macaroni soup Greens Pumpkin pudding
October 29
Manhattan clam chowder Coleslaw Applesauce & ice cream
Wednesday Lunch All diners eat at noon. Reservations required.
October 17
Chicken tortellini au gratin Tossed salad Homemade dessert
October 24
Irish meatloaf with cabbage Mashed potatoes Steamed carrots Homemade dessert
October 31
Ricotta stuffed shells Italian salad Homemade dessert
Thursday Gents Breakfast
7:30–9 a.m. Reservations required.
October 25
Menu and Topic – TBA (Keep up to date on Menus with Front Porch Forum, as they sometimes change.)
well as the three-month daily calendar. Coming soon is our very own website with more information about the Senior Center—as well as answers to questions you didn’t even know you had. See you soon. _____________________ Charlotte Center (802)425-6345 Visit us at CHARLOTTEVT.org
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” ~ Winston Churchill
The Charlotte News • October 17, 2018 • 23
An All-American cake to celebrate Charlotte’s newest American citizen, Tiny Sekkes.
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