The Charlotte News | January 23, 2019

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Charlotte News Wednesday, January 23, 2019 | Volume LXI Number 14

CharlotteNewsVT.org

Vol. 61, no.14

January 23, 2019

Charlotte News

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

Water woes — cluster of West Village wells stopped providing water Juliann Phelps Imagine one sleepy Saturday morning, you shuffle to the kitchen and turn on the faucet and the familiar sound of tap water is eerily absent. “I turned on the water and nothing. There was just nothing,” said Ronda Moore, one of landowners whose well stopped providing water in early December. That was also the case for several households on Greenbush Road, just south of Ferry Road, where a cluster of wells ceased drawing and providing water. One of those wells, which serves Moore’s home, also serves five other households. Mark Mosher, also on the same well, had a similar experience, “All of a sudden we all turned on our faucets, and no water.”

Chevalier Drilling, the well drilling service that handled the call, suggested using a temporary water reservoir while the issue was investigated and resolved.

Claude Chevalier, president of Chevalier Drilling said, “We recently had uptick number of calls from well owners in a particular area, but we got them all straightened out now. Nobody’s able to tell what’s happening, the water table dropped

a little bit.”

The well was deeper than initially thought and did not have be redrilled, but according to Moore and Mosher a new, bigger pump was installed and lowered to the new groundwater level. Chevalier said, “One well was deepened, one pump was lowered,” said Chevalier. “All in all wasn’t as a bad it as it seemed.”

Potential factors: Clay soils and summer drought This well, along with other wells in the area, is in an area with a lot of clay and silt, which has low permeability and can affect the recharge potential for groundwater, according to a 2010 study of the hydrology of Charlotte. One of the authors of the study, Marjorie Gale, a Vermont state geologist and director of the Vermont Geological Survey in the Department of Environmental Conservation, said “travel time through impervious materials [affects] recharge potential” and those thick layers of impermeable clay and silt make it hard for water to make its way below ground.

Gale’s study also included groundwater maps which show that water flows away

from Greenbush Road and impacts the recharge in the area. Additionally, she noted, the recent summer drought may have had a latent impact on groundwater in the state.

Sille Larsen, a senior water resources engineer in the Vermont Department of Health, provided additional information on groundwater and water testing. She recommends affected landowners test or retest their wells because, “Once you have these changes in hydraulics in the system, you will see changes in quantity of water, and will see changes in the quality of water.”

You can find more information and order kits at tinyurl.com/yagberul The question on the minds of affected landowners was “Why”? And while no clear answer exists, Gale, Larsen and Chevalier all agree that the summer drought had an impact on the water table.

“We had a drought in summer, and there is a lag time,” said Gale. And the cluster of wells? “Sounds like they were taking from the same aquifer,” said Larsen.

“

The town plans acknowledged limited groundwater supplies in portions of the West Village and that “a clearer understanding [is needed] of the potential impacts on current users and of the quantity and quality of potable water.

”

see WELLS page 12

Selectboard passes budget and approves warning for Town Meeting Municipal tax rate to increase by one-third of a cent

Juliann Phelps The January 14 Selectboard meeting opened and adjourned early, with the Charlotte Library addition and FY20 budget among the agenda items. First, however, during public comment portion of the meeting, Chair Lane Morrison was recognized for his contributions to the board. Bill Stuono said, “Thanks for your years of service to the board. A lot of good things have happened during your tenure here. You are attentive, knowledgeable, run a good meeting, and we will miss you.”

Approximately 25 attendees were at the meeting to hear updates on the library addition and FY20 budget.

Jonathan Silverman, chair of the Charlotte Library Board of Trustees, read from a prepared handout. The “Charlotte Library Expansion Project Information” handout outlined key visitor and library program metrics as well as a timeline of activities.

Selectboard Chair Morrison asked for an update on the board’s fundraising for the project, to which Nan Mason, the board treasurer, replied, “We have raised $350,000, halfway to our goal of $700,000. Since the last meeting, we got a

couple of substantial donations.”

Questions from the Selectboard ranged from plans to raise the remaining $350,000 and plans if fundraising falls short. Both Mr. Silverman and Ms. Mason replied that the library board is still in the quiet phase of its fundraising and have time but, if necessary, would consider adjusting the expansion plan. The Selectboard also noted that a sketch plan review would have to be conducted by the Planning Commission, and Mr. Tegatz volunteered to be the point of contact for the process.

The Selectboard then passed Article 8 of the draft warning for Town Meeting, to wit: Shall bonds of the Town of Charlotte in an amount not to exceed $700,000 be issued to finance the construction of an addition to the Charlotte Library?

The FY20 budget was next on the agenda and started off with a discussion about reinstating the Energy Committee budget. John Quinney, the treasurer of the Energy Committee, represented the group and requested the reinstatement, noting that the committee would increase communications to the Selectboard about proposed energy audits to town buildings and an upcoming weatherizing campaign.

The Selectboard voted to restore the

Energy Committee budget to $4,500 for FY20.

Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services was well represented during the FY20 budget discussion. Mr. Morrison, noting a large group of Fire and Rescue personnel standing at the back of the room, commented “We have all of Fire and Rescue in full force. You are here to make sure the budget goes as you desire.”

He paraphrased concerns raised at the previous budget meeting, which were addressed, and no further comments were made. The Selectboard motioned and passed Article 7 of the draft warning for Town Meeting, asking whether the Town shall issue bonds for the purchase of a new ambulance.

As additional budget line items were discussed, including legal expenses for both the Selectboard and Planning and Zoning, Town Administrator Dean Bloch made real-time changes to the budget, with these results: total expenses of $3,264,779, with $1,881,785 raised by taxes and $1,382,994 raised by nontax revenue (for example, zoning permit applications fees, highway grants, Senior Center fees).

This represents an increase of one-

third of a cent on the 2019 municipal tax rate, which translates into an increase from $397 this year to $405 next year per $200,000 of assessed valuation.

The Selectboard then passed Article 3 of the draft warning for town meeting, asking the town to approve the Selectboard budget for FY20, and finally passed the full draft warning for the annual town meeting. The warning will be available on the town website, charlottevt.org, later this week.

In other business, the Selectboard approved Duncan Murdoch to continue his forest bathing walks in the Charlotte Wildlife Refuge. This year he is planning to coordinate with ParkRx, a “movement to integrate nature connection into integrative health care,” according to Mr. Murdoch. The board also approved StageWorks to provide sound and lighting for the night before and on Town Meeting Day and Teachers Tree Service to cut branches over the town museums and clean gutters. Finally the board offered employment to Rita Pozirekides as minutes-taker for Selectboard, Planning Commission and Zoning Board meetings; she will be a contract employee with a start date of around February 1.

2 • January 23, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Report from the Legislature What is a caucus?

While the first week of a new legislative biennium is filled with pomp and circumstance— the swearing in of new members, Mike Yantachka election of CONTRIBUTOR the speaker, appointments to standing committees and the inauguration of the governor—the next two weeks are generally spent introducing the committees to the agencies and departments they will be working with, as well as to nongovernmental stakeholders in the policy areas they will be dealing with. Most committees have a majority of members new to the committee, and it is important to ground everyone in the basics before the real work of considering legislation begins.

Most legislative work is done within the 14 standing committees, such as energy and technology, transportation, health

RAISE YOUR HAND

care, etc. However, most legislators have interests beyond the areas in their own committee’s jurisdiction. Legislators with similar interests will often meet together in a caucus to discuss strategy, hear from interested parties and advise the standing committees on policy. There are at least 15 such caucuses in the Vermont House. Caucus meetings are held in the Statehouse at set times each week and are open to the public. Most are tri-partisan, i.e. not restricted to members of one political party.

There are, of course, the party caucuses: Democratic, Republican and Progressive.

Every Tuesday morning the party caucuses meet to hear announcements, get introductions to bills that are being offered or that are scheduled for debate, and to hear from party leadership. While these caucuses are partisan, there is usually a member or two from the other parties to observe and report back to their own caucus.

Of the nonpartisan caucuses several are regional caucuses: Rutland County, Addison County, Franklin County, and

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

Windham County. Like college, new members of the Legislature who haven’t served before are called “freshmen.”

Relationships developed during orientation among the “class” members tend to persist and are helpful in bridging partisan divides. Hence, there is a Freshman Caucus that provides both a social and supportive framework for folks going through an accelerated learning process.

Then there are the working caucuses that are focused on interests that may span several policy areas. These include the Rural Economic Development Caucus in which issues common to rural areas are discussed to identify problems and suggest solutions. The Climate Solutions Caucus, as the name suggests, include members who are concerned about climate change and the effects it will have on Vermont. They discuss approaches to helping Vermonters reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The Working Vermonters Caucus is oriented toward labor and business issues, giving working Vermonters a voice, and improving job opportunities and working conditions in Vermont. I am a member of and attend all three of these caucus meetings when I can.

Three other caucuses include the Youth Caucus, the Older Vermonters Caucus and the Legislative Women’s Caucus.

Finally, a Parliamentary Review Caucus meets early every Friday as a class in parliamentary procedure. Knowing the rules of debate and procedure is very helpful during floor debates. The caucus system enables the Vermont Legislature to work more harmoniously and effectively because it helps to identify areas of agreement and improve working relationships among legislators with differing political philosophies.

I welcome your emails (myantachka. dfa@gmail.com), phone calls (802-2335238) or in-person contacts. This article and others can be found at my website, MikeYantachka.com.

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ON THE COVER: Snow on Whalley Road Photo by Melissa O’Brien

The Charlotte News • January 23, 2019 • 3

Around Town Edd Merritt

Congratulations:

to former Charlotte residents Becca von Trapp Muller and her husband, Rye Muller, on the birth of their second son, Oakley Orion Muller, on October 16, 2018.

Oakley’s grandparents are Jane von Trapp and Tom Goelz of Redding, Connecticut, and Chris von Trapp and Kelly Sweeney of Waltham, Vermont. The Mullers now farm organically on Full Belly Farm in Guinda, California. to the following Charlotte Central School students who competed in the district level Mathcounts competition at Williston Central School on January 11: 8th graders Emma Jemely, Joe Jacobs, Grace McNally, Haley Stockwell, Jadin Brown, Zack Santos and Peter Gilliam plus 7th grader Owen Deale.

A team of Emma, Joe, Owen and Grace will compete in the regional competition at the University of Vermont on February 16. to former Charlotte News editor, Alex Bunten who was recruited as special projects manager by the Burlington Business Association. He will work closely with the City of Burlington to improve its parking and transportation dynamics. Formed in 1978 to help advance formation of the Church Street Marketplace as a pedestrian mall, the BBA now focuses on issues such as transportation and parking, public safety, maintenance and improvement of the city’s infrastructure, cleanliness, signage, taxes and zoning. Kelly Devine, BBA’s executive director, says that Alex brings experience and strategic thinking to the job and has “excellent organizational skills.”

After growing up in Charlotte, Alex studied in colleges and universities overseas in Edinburgh, Scotland, Sweden and Spain as well as Russia. He comes to BBA from Pale Morning Media in Waitsfield where he managed public relations portfolios for national and international outdoor brands and snuck in a bit of skiing as well. to Jack and Lydia Clemons of Charlotte who were featured in the January 16 issue

of Seven Days for the showing of their collection of African Art in the Amy Tarrant Gallery in Burlington. The work was collected over several decades, including a trip to Africa in 1984 when Jack was still practicing pathology at UVM. He was offered a position at what became the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre. His wife, Lydia, joined him as nurse anesthetist.

That began 20 years of travel throughout Africa. Beginning by transforming a blacksmith shop on their Charlotte farm into a rural storefront, which also served as an art gallery, the Clemmons closed the store in 2012 and turned the farm into a nonprofit African Culture center, which it remains.

They hoped to educate people through art, and the article quotes their daughter, Lydia Jr., as saying that “no object is as important (to them) as the story and people behind the object.”

Sympathy: is expressed to family and friends of Elizabeth (Buff) Clark of South Burlington who passed away January 12 at the age of 76. Originally from California, she married Steven Clark of Charlotte where they lived for over 50 years.

He predeceased her. She will be buried next to him in Charlotte. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations in her memory be made to either a local animal shelter or to the Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation. is extended to family and friends of Robert J. Carpenter of Middlebury who passed away January 6 at the age of 88. Following a period in New York, he and his family moved to Vermont, first to Burlington, then to Charlotte in 1985. His wife, Elsa, predeceased him in December of last year.

The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations in his memory be made to the Paul N. Carpenter ’33 Scholarship Fund at Bates College (ATTN: Gift Processing, 2 Andrews Rd., Lewiston, ME 04240) or to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (4472 Basin Harbor Rd., Vergennes, VT 05491).

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4 • January 23, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Charlotte Selectboard draft agenda Monday, January 28, 2019 At the Charlotte Town Hall – 159 Ferry Road Agenda is subject to change—check agenda posted on charlottevt.org on the Friday prior to meeting for final agenda Reasonable accommodation shall be provided upon request to ensure this meeting is accessible to all individuals regardless of disability.

Times are approximate 6 p.m. Capital budget—discussion 6:50 Necessity Resolutions for bond votes for the ambulance and the Library addition 7:00 Adjustments to the agenda 7:01 Public Comment 7:05 Julian Kulski—interview for appointment to the Charlotte Park & Wildlife Refuge Oversight Committee 7:15 Energy section of Town Plan—read-through 8:15 Request for Bids to Replace Westerly Boundary Fence at West Burying Ground (Barber Hill Cemetery) 8:30 Certificate of Highway Mileage 8:35 Railroad crossing at Thompson’s Point Road 8:40 Roland’s Place, Incorporated—renewal of First Class Restaurant/Bar License to Sell Malt and Vinous Beverages, May 1, 2019 – April 30, 2020 8:45 Selectboard updates 8:50 Minutes: January 14 8:55 Approve warrants to pay bills 9:00 Adjournment Members: Matthew Krasnow; Lane Morrison; Carrie Spear; Fritz Tegatz;

Frank Tenney Town administrator: Dean Bloch. Minute taker: __________________ Next meetings: February 11 @ 7 p.m. Regular meeting, February 25 @ 7 p.m.

Regular meeting

Winter’s Magic Then and Now Joyce Gallimore

Morning pours light in the high window, Icicles hanging glasslike from the gutter, Long, jagged teeth of dinosaur dreams, Translucent in the early morning sun.

Wintry images of my childhood pop to mind, An eager explorer of yards beyond ours, Enticed by dangling icicles dripping sunlight, Why not reach up and take one down?

I touched a long tooth to grab its end, Naive until the spears fell down at me, Wincing from the pain, I headed home, No crying, lest I be kept safely inside.

Young eyes open to winter’s wonder, Under cozy covers gazing out at oaks, Their branches coated in shiny ice, Wondering what the day would bring.

Photo by Joyce Galimore

Ice cream to be made from fresh snow, Watching our dog take deer like leaps, We might build a fort or igloo with friends, Or find a hill to speed down on sleds.

Old houses wearing nature’s jewelry, Trees wrapped in their winter fur coats, Snowmen wearing scarfs & charcoal smiles, Saying goodbye as the temperature rises.

Squeals of delight next door bring me back, Kids are building a snowman with their mom, Still feeling child wonder, I grab gloves and coat, We’ll build a snowman in our front yard.

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The Charlotte News • January 23, 2019 • 5

Remembering Tom O’Brien

An example to us Molly McClaskey and Gill Barlow Friends sat on the porch on a summer night.

We lit a fire and dragged our chairs around it as the sun slipped behind the Adirondacks, leaving traces of peach and pink across the sky and lake.

Tom noticed twilight’s approach as it settled like a shawl around us. “What a show,” he said.

No matter how lively the conversation was, Tom stopped to appreciate the sky, the air, a rising moon or chirping tree frogs. He revered the natural landscape around us; one could see how it filled him up. Tom knew how to pause, how to be still, and it was contagious. When he noticed the fireflies, we all did, and we reveled in the magic of the evening.

We skied today; it was the kind of day when the sun makes the fields dance as if covered in diamonds. We paused; we felt the warmth and wonder, as Tom would have.

Cherish the moment

One more hug

Meg Smith

Melissa O’Brien

My Tom O’Brien story starts on Lake Champlain.

We were headed out on his boat when I asked, “Where do you want to go?” After thinking for a moment, Tom responded, “Right here.” So we stopped, right there in the middle of the lake. We swam and sat on the stern with our feet in the water, and I listened to Tom talk about the lake and people who lived on the New York side. He told me the history of a resort I’ve motored by a 100 times but knew nothing about.

Then another boat approached and slowly trolled by. Just 20 feet from us, the fisherman on that boat pulled out the biggest fish I’ve ever seen caught on the lake. One of those Tom moments. A moment I normally would have missed.

He cherished those moments. He understood people and places and was engaging in a way that brought people together. He did this with a unique smile. His family and friends will always miss that unique insight and essence of his life. He had a special understanding of those with him and appreciated the special place where we live.

Tom was one of the kindest people I have ever known. We affectionately called each other “cuz” even though we weren’t related. I was amazed by this because my dad and brother are both Tom O’Brien. I thought it was so funny to meet another one.

He was patient and understanding with me when I was at the paper the first go-round. He always asked the good questions, the important questions.

And his care was genuine. Tom exuded warmth and compassion. I loved hearing him talk about his family because they were the very most important thing to him.

I was fortunate to sit for a long afternoon with Tom not long before he died. It’s such a strange and beautiful thing, so marinated in sorrow, when friends know this time might be the last … this time might be the last. He was his same old self even though the disease had stolen so much of his physical presence. He asked the good questions and told tremendous stories. We laughed and cried and wondered why and how and when. I really would give anything to have one more hug. But I do know that Tom is in the forest now, and in the snowflakes and in the early morning light. Still, I’d give almost anything to see that smile again.

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6 • January 23, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Charlotte Library News supper highlighting our top choices and bring your own! Need some ideas? Stop by the library to get inspiration from our Ottolenghi cookbook collection.

Bread, salad and beverages provided.

This program takes place at the Charlotte Senior Center.

Margaret Woodruff DIRECTOR

We Fed an Island Community Supper Wednesday, Jan. 23, 5:30 p.m.

Inspired by Jose Argues’ work in Puerto Rico, we’re hosting a potluck supper with a Caribbean flair. Bring a dish to share, inspired by the warm-weather flavors of Puerto Rico and her island neighbors. Jean Andersson-Swayze brings tales from her experience as a doctor in disaster zones across the globe to teach and encourage us to support those in need. We’ll also have copies of Argues’ book, based on his efforts, for review and discussion. Co-sponsored by the Charlotte Library and the Charlotte Congregational Church, UCC; this program takes place in the vestry of the Charlotte Congregational Church.

Mental Health Conversations: Risk & Resilience Tuesday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m.

Join us for a panel discussion with experts in anxiety treatment, suicide prevention and resilience building.

Learn about what to look for (signs and symptoms) and how to start a conversation with a loved one. There will be time for questions, and the libraries will provide online resources and a curated collection of print and video materials for browsing and borrowing.

Panel discussion featuring: • Charlotte McCorkel, LICSW, project director of Integration, Howard Center • Eliza Pillard, LICSW, family wellness coach at the Vermont Center for Children, Youth and

•

Families at the UVM Medical Center Joanne Wolfe, M.A., M.Ed, licensed psychologist

This project is funded in part by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Cooperative Agreement Number UG4LM012347 with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester.

A partner program takes places at the Carpenter-Carse Library in Hinesburg on Wednesday, Feb. 20.

Seed Fever!

Wednesday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m.

As gardeners know, seed fever is an infectious condition, which strikes hard at this time of year, often brought on by exposure to new seed catalogs with their lavish colors and exuberant descriptions. Your head spins and your fingers twitch. The only real relief from this fever comes in the spring when once again those fingers get back in contact with seeds and soil. Please join us for the first of a series of support sessions organized by the Charlotte Seed Library.

Facilitated by Seed Library Coordinator Linda Hamilton and Master Gardener Karen Tuininga, we’ll discuss setting goals for your vegetable garden, choosing varieties, starting seeds indoors, preparing to save seeds and where to get help when you need it. In March, the support session will focus on garden layout and planting: what, where and how. More details on library website, charlottepubliclibrary.org.

Surviving the Future Book Discussion Thursday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m.

Join Transition Town Charlotte and the Charlotte Library for a look into the future where the arts and community engagement in fun becomes an essential element to a healthy community. David Fleming’s engaging book shows that it is not only desirable but actually the only system with a realistic claim to longevity. This final session covers Part 3 and Appendices.

Copies available at the Charlotte Library.

Ottolenghi Potluck Supper Tuesday, Feb. 12, 5:30 p.m.

Do you have a favorite recipe from this chef superstar’s repertoire? Join us for

Saving History: Jim Donovan and Work with ICOMOS Wednesday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m.

Jim Donovan, Charlotte resident and secretary general of the ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee, shares some insights into the World Heritage Sites program in this illustrated, experiential talk. Learn what ICOMOS stands for and what it and Jim’s committee do to assist in the selection and management of World Heritage Sites all around the world.

Men’s Book Group, News of the World

by Paulette Jiles Wednesday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m.

“In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction.” Meet up to read and discuss this Paulette Jiles novel.

Copies available at the library circulation desk beginning Jan. 24.

Book Discussion, The Manticore by Robertson Davies Thursday, Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m.

The second book in The Deptford Trilogy, this novels continues the story of David Staunton, a man pleased with his success but haunted by his relationship with his larger-than-life father. As he seeks help through therapy, he encounters a wonderful cast of characters who help connect him to his past and the death of his father. Copies available at the library circulation desk.

Soup Supper: Visit with Madeline Kunin Wednesday, Feb. 27, 5:30 p.m.

The former Vermont governor and U.S. ambassador to Switzerland joins us for a discussion of her latest book, A Coming of Age: My Journey to the Eighties, and the questions aging raises for us all, whatever our walk of life.

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

Next library board meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m.

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

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

Local libraries to host mental health conversations Between 1996 and 2016, the suicide rate in Vermont increased by more than 48 percent—the second highest increase nationally according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This rising rate of suicide, paired with the social stigma attached to mental health problems, indicates a need for safe spaces for communities to learn and talk about issues of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

Recognizing these issues within their own towns, the Charlotte and CarpenterCarse (Hinesburg) libraries have teamed up to host “Mental Health Conversations: Risk and Resiliency” during the month of February. The public libraries will host two evenings of panel presentations with mental health professionals and a separate event that features Pulitzer Prize-winning and Emmy Award-winning writer and critic Ron Powers, author of No One Cares About Crazy People, at the Carpenter-Carse Library.

The panel discussions will take place on Feb. 5 at the Charlotte Library and Feb. 20 at the Carpenter-Carse Library. Both panel presentations start at 7 p.m. The panelists are Charlotte McCorkel, LICSW, project director of Integration, Howard Center; Joanne Wolfe, M.A., M.Ed., licensed psychologist; and Eliza Pillard LICSW, family wellness coach at the Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families at the UVM Medical Center. Themes will include anxiety, depression and suicide prevention.

Discussion topics will be what to look for (signs and symptoms) and how to start a conversation with a loved one. There will be time for questions, and the libraries will provide online resources and a curated collection of print and video materials for browsing and borrowing.

The Carpenter-Carse Library will welcome Ron Powers on Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. Powers is a New York Times bestselling author who lives in Vermont. Author of 16 books, his most recent one, No One Cares About Crazy People: The Chaos and Heartbreak of Mental Health in America, offers an account of the social history of mental illness in America, as well as his personal story of his two sons’ battles with schizophrenia. At the library Ron will speak of his family’s journey with mental illness as well as his research on mental health and the health care system.

These discussions and presentations are made possible by the All of Us grants through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. The Carpenter-Carse and Charlotte libraries will also receive iPads through one of the grants. The iPads will be loaded with reputable medical resources and then circulated at the libraries so patrons can browse a wealth of mental health information privately and securely.

This project is funded in part by the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services, under Cooperative Agreement Number UG4LM012347 with the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester.

The mental health conversations are part of Charlotte and Carpenter-Carse libraries’ initiative, “Healthy Communities: Head to Toe.” Another topic the libraries will focus on this April is tick-borne illnesses.

The Charlotte News • January 23, 2019 • 7

Town

A love of baking: an interview with Meg Dawson, Philo Ridge Farm pastry chef

“the organization and muscle memory of things. It’s a constant learning process.

You also get a physical It’s 6:30 AM, an hour before the representation of all your sun has risen over the hills, and Meg hard work.”

Dawson is in the kitchen preparing After New York Meg for a long day. Meg is the pastry moved back to Virginia chef at Philo Ridge Farm and she where she continued to bake. begins her day moving quickly She worked at the Dog and between the oven and the counter, Pig Show a “crazy and fun” working hard to prepare the baked place she says. Three years treats many have come to know and ago Meg decided to move to love at the Farm.

Vermont to be near family.

Raised in Richmond, Virginia, She worked at Shelburne Meg made her way to Charlotte Farms and at The Great via Charlottesville, Virginia, and Northern in Burlington. Last Brooklyn, New York. Meg grew up Meg Dawson speaks to Journalism Club students at CCS. March she applied at Philo Photo by Melissa O’Brien with her mother and grandmother Ridge Farm, not knowing cooking amazing food for her all that her old friend, Francine during her time there. the time. “My grandmother had a huge Stephens, from her Bklyn Larder days, was It wasn’t until after she graduated that influence on me,” she says. In high school managing the Farm. “I couldn’t believe Meg began baking and decided to move Meg began cooking and working as a they were here in Charlotte!”Meg says with to New York. There she worked at Bklyn waitress, not sure then where any of this Larder making pastries with Caitlin Daniels an enormous smile. Seems the full circle of would take her. She went to the University whom she names as huge inspiration to her. life caught up with Meg here in Charlotte, of Virginia and earned a degree in religious baking at Philo Ridge, a job she says she Meg describes her love of baking as studies, working in restaurants as a server loves, fully.

CCS students Sylvie Miller and Prue Stephens

Food Shelf News Susan Ohanian Many thanks for the significant contribution made by the Charlotte Central School, which made the Holiday Boxes a huge success, benefiting 24 family recipients.

We deeply appreciate and thank Kris Gerson for coordinating the CCS effort, as well as the many students, staff and families who so generously contributed donated goods, beautifully decorated boxes, handmade baked goods and considerable time to this community project. The Charlotte Food Shelf volunteers regret the omission of our appreciation for this invaluable CCS tradition.

We also regret the omission of the wonderful contribution of 24 beautiful balsam wreaths with ribbons from Horsford Gardens & Nursery.

Everyone connected with the Food Shelf is grateful for our community, and the list of more contributions is already growing for the next Charlotte News announcement.

Lewis Creek Association hosts free film screening of Toxic Puzzle Kate Kelly LEWIS CREEK ASSOCIATION

The Lewis Creek Association will host a free screening of Toxic Puzzle: Hunt for the Hidden Killer, a documentary about scientist Dr. Paul Cox’s team investigating linkages between toxins produced by blue-green algae and the neurodegenerative diseases ALS, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Discussion will follow with UVM scientists Jon Erickson and Rachelle Gould highlighting their research on blue-green algae found in Vermont lakes.

The Lewis Creek Association is a

nonprofit conservation organization that does sustainability and conservation work in towns of the middle Lake Champlain Valley. LCA works primarily within the watershed boundaries of the LaPlatte River, Thorp Brook, Kimball Brook, Holmes Brook, McCabe’s Brook and Lewis Creek to service the watershed towns of Shelburne, Charlotte, Ferrisburgh, Hinesburg, Monkton and Starksboro.

LCA has been involved with water-quality sampling for many years, providing data to the state that can inform research on the links between nutrient loading in our rivers and streams and blue-green algal blooms in our lakes. The

screening is free and refreshments will be served.

Please join us Thursday, Jan. 31, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., at the Charlotte Senior Center. The film will begin at about 6:45 and lasts 82 minutes. Discussion will

follow.

For more information on the film screening, please visit our website at lewiscreek.org or contact glyndam3@ gmail.com or call 802-355-0015.

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8 • January 23, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Health Matters Timothy Gould, DPT

It’s officially resolution season, and once again weight loss can be assumed to be one of the most common goals of the new year. If trying to work toward your ideal body weight is in your sights for 2019,

Lift weight to lose weight then consider an alternative to some of the methods you may have tried in the past.

Although diet and aerobic exercise are traditional staples in a weight loss program, research has demonstrated that strength training holds great benefit in shedding pounds and can in some cases be even more effective than aerobic and diet programs.

We are all familiar with the formula: To lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take in. The equation may be simple, but the real life application can be difficult. Typically, we focus our weight loss program in the realm of aerobic or “cardio” exercises (jogging, cycling, swimming, etc.), which indeed can produce good caloric consumption. In the process, however, your body will often break down fats as well as muscle to provide the energy for such exercise. If you aren’t working to maintain good muscle mass, you are doing yourself a disservice in your weight loss endeavors.

Muscle tissue is highly metabolic, meaning that it consumes calories at a high rate. The more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you will burn. This applies even when you are at rest and the muscle isn’t being stressed—it is consuming calories simply to exist. Your base metabolic rate (BMR) is a measure of how many calories you burn just to maintain normal function, and a body with more muscle mass has a greater BMR than one with less. So on those off days, rest days or “cheat days” where you may not be getting a workout in, your muscle tissue is still at work burning calories.

So if a strength training program designed to build muscle tissue will give your metabolism a boost and stoke the fires of weight loss, why don’t more people think of it as a necessary part of their program?

It may have something to do with some misconceptions about strength training.

Many people equate “muscle building” with

“

Muscle tissue is highly metabolic, meaning that it consumes calories at a high rate. The more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you will burn. This applies even when you are at rest and the muscle isn’t being stressed—it is consuming calories simply to exist.

”

“bulking up” and are fearful that instead of looking trimmer, their muscles will stretch their clothes to the next size up. The good news is that, unless you are dedicated to a very specific regimen emphasizing high volume muscle hypertrophy, that isn’t going to happen.

Another misconception is that strength training will increase your body weight.

Again, unless that is a designed goal in your program, it’s unlikely to occur. It’s true that muscle does weigh more than fat, so as you gain muscle the scale may not fluctuate a lot at first. But muscle is also a lot leaner than fat. So as your body burns fat and creates muscle, you’ll see the benefits in how lean you look and how clothes fit.

Admittedly, the title of this article is somewhat misleading in that strength training doesn’t need to be lifting weights.

Body weight resistance exercise—squats, push ups, pull ups, lunges, dynamic abdominal exercises—are considered strength training elements as well. Whether you are doing your strength training at home with no equipment, using bands and light weights, or using heavier resistance with weights at the gym, the goal of strength training is to elicit muscular exhaustion.

Working a muscle to its capacity so as to create targeted muscle fatigue is what stimulates the cycle of muscle tissue

breakdown, repair and rebuilding.

The sets and repetitions required to meet this demand will depend on the amount of resistance you are using. So whether you are using light resistance and high repetition or heavy resistance and low repetition, the exhaustion effect is the goal.

To raise your heart rate during your strength training program, which in turn increases energy demands and burns more calories, take shorter rest periods between sets or perform exercises in a circuit. Work in quick bursts (30 seconds) of cardio (jumping rope, jumping jacks, air squats, jogging in place) between sets of your strength exercises to intensify the effect.

If weight loss is a goal of yours this year, try something different. Cardio/aerobic exercise is excellent and has its own list of benefits that cannot be discounted. Likewise proper nutrition is essential in lasting weight control. So as you build your plan of attack for 2019, consider adding strength training to those staples for the most effective program. The science supports it, and your results will show.

Timothy Gould holds a doctorate in

physical therapy from SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, and works at Dee Physical Therapy in Shelburne. He can be reached at timothygould@deept com.

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The Charlotte News • January 23, 2019 • 9

Gardening

The Charlotte alchemist: An interview with Steve Wisbaum Vera Maroney

“The medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy that focused on the attempt to change less valuable metals into gold, to find a universal cure for disease, and to discover a means of prolonging life indefinitely is called alchemy. It was practiced in much of the ancient world, from China and India to Greece.”

Hard to imagine, but we have one right here in Charlotte…Steve Wisbaum and Champlain Valley Compost. Really, poop into gold. I spoke with Steve recently about his work.

Steve, you have been doing this since 1996. What attracted you to this?

My interest in compost really started about 40 years ago when I was an environmental studies student at Sonoma State University in northern California. As the assistant manager of the university’s organic garden, making compost became a big part of my job. Watching this alchemical process of turning garden waste and manure into dark, crumbly compost that then produced such bountiful harvests left me trying to figure out how I could turn making compost into a career after I graduated in 1982. And, while it took 14 years for the many pieces to all fall into place, in 1996 I started Champlain Valley Compost Co. For the first few years, I was only doing “custom” composting, which means I was hauling my compost turner and skid-steer around Vermont, making compost for my customers to use and/or sell. But after my friends and neighbors started asking to buy compost, I realized that there was an opportunity to make and sell my own compost. It’s even hard for me to believe, but over these past 22 years I’ve transformed over 50,000 cubic yards of horse and dairy manure into over 25,000 cubic yards of compost and compost-based topsoil and raised bed mix that’s been used by at least a few thousand home gardeners, farmers and landscape contractors throughout northwest Vermont.

How do you make the compost?

I could write a pretty hefty book filled with all the lessons I’ve learned about making compost over these past 40 years.

But it pretty much all comes down to starting with a good mix of relatively fresh materials that have an optimal amount of moisture (not too much or too little) and then keeping the process going by maintaining an optimal amount of moisture and oxygen by turning (and sometimes watering) the piles every few weeks with my tractor-pulled compost turner.

Where do you get the raw material?

The raw material I use is exclusively horse and dairy manure (along with the bedding) that comes from horse and dairy farms in and around Chittenden County, with the majority of these farms being located in Charlotte.

How long does it take?

When the compost microbes have lots of fresh manure and bedding to eat and sufficient water and oxygen, the process takes as little as two to three months.

How does this improve the Charlotte clay soil?

I wrote an article that’s posted on my website called “Compost and the Living Soil” (cvcompost.com/benarticle.php) that provides a more comprehensive answer to this question. But basically, compost improves both sandy and clay soils in a variety of ways. First of all, compost contains and adds to the soil the macro- and micro-nutrients that were in the original raw materials that were used to make the compost. Compost also contains high levels of semi-decomposed organic matter that is essential for maintaining soil fertility.

This organic matter also improves water infiltration and reduces compaction in clay soil, while it improves the water- and nutrient-holding capacity of sandy soils.

Compost also contains high populations of beneficial soil micro-organisms that improve nutrient cycling in soil.

There are a variety of ways to increase the organic matter content in soil, including growing cover crops and using management-intensive rotational grazing.

However, adding compost is the most practical way for home gardeners to increase the organic matter content of their soils.

Compost, rather than mulch, is in the opinion of many the preferred topping for gardens. You know what is in it, and it can be dug into the soil with ease.

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*********************** So, let’s get out and create alchemy of our own… and wait patiently for the spring.

Hey, time to sharpen tools, draw maps of our gardens, and dream.

Vera Maroney has lived in Charlotte for 45 years and in the same house in West Charlotte for 40 years—plenty of time to make every gardening mistake multiple times. She cherishes the local nurseries, the UVM Extension Master Gardener Program and the uncertainty of gardening. And she’s an avid reader of The Charlotte News.

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10 • January 23, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Writer’s Corner Jonathan Silverman Whether rushed or relaxed, greeted by a gorgeous sunrise or a wicked cold wind, have a full slate of appointments or a day of leisure, we begin our day with some form of breakfast. That is, we put “things” together that agree with our palette, time constraints and what just happens to be around to break our evening fast and start our day.

My morning ritual includes cereal.

Whether I am planning to teach, meet a colleague or friend, stack wood or take on an art project, I scout what is available on the shelves, in the fridge, or resting in the fruit bowl. As a chef might first take out a fresh garlic and red onion to begin a stir fry, I reach for a jar of oats. For me, this is just the beginning, a prelude to creative gruel cookery.

Does my individual approach to breakfast reflect who I am and how I approach the mysteries of life? Is my morning ritual one that conveys a creative process or one that falls under a neurotic discipline? Am I a cog on the eternal life of grain? Do others embrace cereal as a launching pad for a day’s journey?

My curiosities (as well as a challenge

by The Charlotte News publisher to write something) led me to dig a bit deeper into my cereal bowl with the risk of unveiling

Morning gruel flexibility that the ACA has afforded, is doing the right thing to move the needle forward on cost and quality.

ménage. I might add ginger, turmeric or cinnamon for a spicy pick-me-up. If I sense the blend is bland (unsweetened) I dab in honey or maple syrup. (OK, maybe a bit more that a dab!) My allergies keep me away from hazelnuts and Brazil nuts.

With the exception of hot humid summer days I like my cereal warm. This requires a “delicate” touch to not scald any added milk. If I choose oat grits I need to be sure they are well-cooked for that nutty texture and taste. Since I might serendipitously mix steel-cut oats, with oat and honey granola sprinkled with 7-grain seeds, dates and chopped apple, I wonder what I can call what I am eating. Cereal? Porridge?

Oatmeal? Gruel?

****************************

my idiosyncrasies and curiosities about the culture of my morning mix. Perhaps my morning cereal habits are influenced by my dad who was a Wheaties guy for years who then, as many do, and with a bit of reluctance and relief, moved on to bran.

Unlike my dad, I engage in a research that is based on previous concoctions ranging from quite tasty to vile. Each day’s cereal is different, though the interplay of improvisation with intent is consistent. That is, I want a bit of control, yet I treasure the element of surprise. I ponder options such as granola, Weetabix, brown rice, dates, almonds, coconut and yogurt to join my

At a breakfast with Charlotte friends recently I sheepishly shared that I was writing an article about porridge. To my surprise, I was swarmed with past and present morning cereal rituals and questions (as if I were a porridge scholar or conducting a research for Quaker Oats).

“When I was living in West Africa I had a bowl of millet cereal every morning.”

“When I was a kid I had Cream of Wheat every morning” “Funny you should mention that because I have a combination of Cream of Wheat and Wheatena every day!” “What is the difference between

Vermont, “empowered by the

”

oatmeal and porridge?” “And why do people refer to cereal as gruel?” Wow! I unveiled a gold mine of curiosity, memories and more daily rituals.

Not surprisingly, oatmeal consists of oats whereas porridge refers to different crushed grains such as wheat, rice or barley, as well as oats. Cooking oats and other grains has been around a long time. As Alistair Moffat, who has studied the development of early humans through his research on DNA markers, notes, “The great invention, the greatest revolution in our history was the invention of farming. Farming changed the world because of the invention of porridge.” The implication is that after shifting from migrating and hunting/ gathering to farming and homesteading our ancestors cultivated grains as a source for food and drink. Whether oats, quinoa, polenta, barley, millet or congee (rice), porridge-like cereal has been a staple in diverse cultures throughout the world for thousands of years. The term “gruel” is used colloquially for a thin porridge, typically associated with peasants and consistent with its Latin origin that conveys meal of grains.

In addition to the ease in growing, porridge is not difficult to digest and offers vital nutrients. Whole grains typically will provide some protein and fiber as well see GRUEL page 15

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The Charlotte News • January 23, 2019 • 11

Sports Report Rink rats love it

My grandsons arrived from Providence late on Friday, and the first thing they Edd Merritt wanted to do was collect skates and sticks and head to the rink behind Daddy’s old school. It didn’t matter that there was a bit of snow blowing or the possibility of the lights not working. Thanks to the town’s Recreation Commission, it had ice, goals and lights— the only elements needed to produce “blades of glory.”

Other skaters arrived and pretty soon the sticks formed a pile; the teams were formed and the fun began.

Often I think that this is what sports should be about. Unfortunately, they have grown beyond the boundaries of games and turned into events in which only the hard-driven athletes, power parents, overpaid coaches and win-hungry fans define the parameters. Fun of the game itself has often been lost.

That is why the rink at CCS, built and maintained by volunteers, provides a repository for sports to gain back its spirit of good play. Oh, you can play just as seriously as if you were in the TD Center, recounting the amazing moves you might have made were the snow not so deep or the ice a tad too flaky. My son forgot to bring his skates with him, but one of the features of the Charlotte rink is the box of used skates in the warming shed.

Unfortunately, the best fit for Chris was a pair of goalie skates. While he is a good skater and player, he forgot the difficulty in making sharp turns with goalie skates and set keister to ice a number of times.

Perhaps he should have checked with younger brother who wore the goalie blades most of his youth to learn the ins and outs.

I myself grew up playing on rinks like the one at CCS. We played after lunch and after school. Who played against whom often depended on who did not have family duties to perform first and not necessarily who were buddies with teammates, and hockey skill ability was not always a deciding factor.

So, keep up the good work, Rec folks, and the North Country winter will handle the rest.

Women hoopsters continue their winning ways

Some of the CVU women’s basketball winning margins may cause the reader to look to another medium to determine its correctness. The latest example was last week’s 69-9 win over Spaulding. A 25-0 lead in the first quarter did not hurt matters. As has been the theme this year, scoring has been spread among a number of individuals. As team leader, Charlotter Maryn Askew’s 11 points was the game high, followed by Kaylee Beyer’s 10.

Catherine Gilwee played both ends of the court with six steals and seven points.

Ella Woodruff, another CCS product, was strong under the boards, gathering seven rebounds.

In a rematch of last year’s state championship game, CVU had traveled to the Kingdom to play St. Johnsbury on Jan. 8 with revenge on the Redhawks’ minds. Perhaps the time to ponder on the trip helped their cause. Mekkena Boyd’s sharp shooting for a career high 18 points led CVU to a 49-40 victory and overcame its 2018 state championship loss to SJA. This, in turn, was the Academy’s first loss this season after seven victories.

Vermont Sports Hall of Fame inducts CVU grad Ann Battelle

A U.S. mogul skier on four Olympic teams, Williston’s Ann Battelle was inducted into the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. Ann placed among the top 10 in three of her four Olympics. While at CVU and at Middlebury College, she showed her all-around athleticism, playing several sports in addition to her skiing.

Mason Otley goes over his defenders.

Downhill skiers thrive on white

Jay Peak was the site of the recent Alpine races among skiers from CVU, Lyndon and St. Johnsbury Academies and South Burlington—with several independent racers. Olivia Zubarik led the Redhawk women finishing second to Lyndon’s Lena Sauter. Emma McMahan in seventh place and Claire Goldman in ninth were other Hawks among the top ten.

Charlotte’s Sean Gillam finishing fourth was the only CVU skier among the fastest 10 men.

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12 • January 23, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Town

Planning Commission tackles subdividing and boundary adjustments

Chea Waters Evans Boundary adjustments and lot-splitting were on the agenda at the January 17 Planning Commission meeting at Town Hall. The commission met for two sketch plan reviews and a request for reconsideration on a previous decision.

The meeting began with a sketch plan review for Linda Radimer’s property at 2012 Prindle Road. Planning Commission members had made a site visit earlier in the day to assess the 10-acre property that Radimer proposed splitting into two lots, one 3.3 acres and the other 7.7.

The commission discussed various options for creating a boundary line to divide the current property, focusing mainly on whether to split it in half with two lots that each have road frontage, or whether to create the second lot behind the first and then provide right of way through the first lot, which would have road access. The commission voted to proceed with the second option.

The next item on the agenda took up the majority of the meeting time. David and Diane Nichols own nearly 315 acres at 138 Morningside Drive off of Spear Street, south of the intersection with Charlotte Hinesburg Road; the commission conducted a site visit to this property, as well. Though Nichols was out of town, he still participated in the meeting via smartphone.

Clark Hinsdale, Nichols’ friend and neighbor, stood in for Nichols at the meeting, outlining his proposal to divide the current parcel, which includes land conserved through the Vermont Land Trust, into three parcels, two of which would be farm and conserved land, the third of which would be a small site for a future retirement residence for the Nicholses.

Hinsdale outlined the Nichols’ plans

for the property. In his sketch plan application, Nichols wrote, “I conserved a large part of my farm. I now want to sell that protected land to a young farmer. The new boundary lines are to delineate the conserved land from the unconserved land. Lot 3 is to provide a place for me to live because I can’t keep my original house because, per Land Trust, it has to be sold with the conserved land.”

After much discussion of house placement (commission member Marty Ilick remarked that the house site choice was “not that brilliant,” and Nichols responded, “I chose that spot because I like that spot”), plans for the future of the property and the impact of this decision on things like farm financing and current usage taxes, Hinsdale threw “a curveball” into the discussion. He proposed splitting the lot into two parcels rather than three, with the option of subdividing lot 2 in the future. Commission Vice Chair Charlie Pughe noted that people are usually approaching the commission with requests for more lots, not fewer; Town Planner Daryl Benoit concurred, saying, “Combining lots is a good thing.”

The commission moved to consider the sketch plan be classified as a boundary adjustment, and all approved.

The third item on the agenda was a request from Gill Barlow and Molly McClaskey for reconsideration of a December 14 commission decision regarding an application they had made for a boundary adjustment at 4100 Mt. Philo Road. The request was approved and will be addressed at the March 7 meeting.

The commission then deliberated during an executive session on a matter to be revealed at a later date.

Wellwater testing According to the Vermont Department of Health there are no testing requirements for private wells. However, to ensure that drinking water is safe, the following testing schedule is recommended: • Kit A - Total Coliform Bacterial test (annually) • Kit C - Inorganic Chemical Test (every five years) • Kit RA - Gross Alpha Radiation Test (every five years) You can find more information and order kits at tinyurl.com/ yagberul

“

The 2008 Town Plan acknowledged limited groundwater supplies in portions of the West Village and that “a clearer understanding [is needed] of the potential impacts on current users and of the quantity and quality of potable water.

WELLS

continued from page 1

Groundwater and town planning “It’s all in water balance—what comes in and what comes out—that’s why we do these studies,” said Gale. “These studies highlight areas potentially more favorable, routinely higher yielding wells that are more readily accessible. You don’t develop in an area with a limited water supply that can’t support the population. Fortunately in Vermont we have fairly abundant water.”

About the 2010 study she added, “Charlotte was pretty proactive on this groundwater issue...the town had a lot of interest in how to build [groundwater] into a town plan.”

The 2008 Charlotte town plan includes a section on groundwater, noting “Additional work is needed, however, to identify and map ground water resources and understand resource characteristics and any limitations.... Only in this way can the Town rationally plan for development, and take measures to protect groundwater quantity and quality for current and future residents.”

The town plan acknowledged limited groundwater supplies in portions of the West Village and that “a clearer understanding [is needed] of the potential impacts on current users and of the quantity and quality of potable water.” The 2018 Charlotte Town Plan contains less information about groundwater, labeling “water supply and ground water recharge areas” as areas of high public value. (As of now, it looks like there are no planned changes to the subsection that covers waste water and potable water in the 2019 amendments to the Town Plan.) Peter Joslin, Chair of the Planning

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Commission said, “We have a plan to look at in more detail, but we don’t know when.

Right now our focus is on the energy section [of the town plan]. We are also undertaking updating the land use regs. We don’t forsee anything specific, or more updates to the town plan other than the energy section, but there doesn’t mean there couldn’t be.”

Moore and Mosher expressed concerns about additional development in the West Village as it relates to groundwater and septic and have brought their concerns to the town at Selectboard and Planning Commission meetings as recently as last month. Moore also shared articles from The Charlotte News and the Burlington Free Press, which have previously covered this subject, saying, “It’s not like people are quiet or unaware.” She would like to see the town establish a water committee, similar to the waste water committee. “There is a water problem in the West Village, everything we said, we predicted. It’s happened. It’s reality.”

“I have a 10,000 gallon cistern in an ice house in the backyard,” Moore said. “I might have to think about getting that going again.”

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The Charlotte News • January 23, 2019 • 13

Sacred Hunter Bradley Carleton Indulge me for a moment and allow me to write about the same topic as last month.

I am obsessed. It started off innocuously, like a mere sniffle at the beginning of a common cold. It soon developed into a fever pitch with me tossing and turning in my bed at night. I would soak the sheets in sweat dreaming about the next day on the ice.

It all started with a day two weeks ago when my fishing buddies and I were hosting a great friend from Michigan, Rudy Castro.

Rudy is the best fisherman I have ever met.

And I’ve met professional bass fisherman and big name celebrities, but Rudy, day in and day out, catches more fish than anyone I’ve ever known. I’ve even witnessed him sitting four feet in front of me during a derby where I could not catch a thing out of my hole and he was bailing rock bass so fast that it was the spectacle of the derby.

Seeing my failing attempts, he looked over his shoulder and cast his lure four feet backwards over his shoulder, landed his lure in my hole (a target, mind you, only five inches in diameter). As his lure sank, he jerked his rod suddenly and set the hook on a beautiful fish before his bait ever hit the bottom. He spun around, reeled it in, and asked me “Carleton, what’s the problem with that hole?” I was stunned.

So, along comes my buddy who I see only once or twice a year, and he wants

Best day of ice fishing

to fish with us for a manual guy. Call couple of days before me old fashioned When we show up at he goes home. Well, or just too poor the north end of the lake take into consideration to buy one of that our respect for this these fancy new before sunrise, we all look character runs deeper devices, but I drill at one another and begin to than Champlain, and we my holes with realize that we have got loving intention. question our sanity. No one to get him on some fish!

else is there. “This is not a When we show up My friend Doug at the north end of the Hartwell of good sign,” I say. lake before sunrise, we Vergennes is first all look at one another to score as he and begin to question reels up a nice our sanity. No one else fat smallmouth is there. “This is not a bass (which has good sign,” I say. “If this to be released place was hot, we’d be due to seasonal struggling to find a place to park.” But have regulations), but we snap a good picture of no fear! If Rudy is with us, if there is even him before he returns this denizen of the one fish in this lake, he will have caught it deep to its marine habitat. Next, of course, before anyone else gets a bite. So we venture is Rudy. He pulls up a mammoth 13-inch forth onto the frozen surface. yellow perch, and his rod is just about The light snow crunches like Styrofoam bending in half. Then Chris hits one, then under our feet. On the open spots, the ice Ozzie, then Josh, then finally...me. From glistens clear and black. We trek out half that point on, after figuring out that these a mile to a remote corner, where our maps particular fish are biting ever so gently, we tell us lies a weed bed in 23 feet of water. adjust our technique.

We begin drilling holes. Chris Thayer of Then another fisherman points out to Charlotte is grinning ear to ear, using his new Rudy that when he brings a fish up through electric drill-adapted auger, knocking out the icy cylinder he picks it up, turns it upside one hole every eight seconds. Josh Tucker of down and shakes it over the hole. A gizzardHinesburg is doing the same and just a shade full of freshwater shrimp spills out of its more quickly than Chris. Me, I’m still a mouth and back into the hole. The fish are

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actually not biting. They are sucking the shrimp off of the weeds, which means that we will not see the rod tip snap downward like we would with most fish. We will instead see the rod tip gently raise up as they suck the bait from below in a vertical assault.

We spend the entire day on the ice, and several of us fill our buckets with the legal limit of 50 perch, all over 9 inches and many between 10 and 13 inches. All day long, the sun is out, the wind is light and we are all focused on the next bite. It was truly one of my best days of ice fishing ever, and, most important, the camaraderie and spirit of the outdoors kept us all enthralled in our present moment, from dawn to dusk.

If you would like to learn to ice fish but aren’t sure of making the investment in a license (do not think about going without one), you may want to join us on Free Ice Fishing Day, Saturday, Jan. 26, at Knight Point State Park in North Hero. VT Fish and Wildlife personnel will provide equipment, instructions on techniques for specific species, warming huts and even a fish fry and hot cocoa (bring your own mug if you can). This will be the winter event of the season. Registration starts at 11 a.m. and the festivities run through 3 p.m. See you on the ice!

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

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14 • January 23, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Carolyn Kulik SENIOR CENTER DIRECTOR

“Cold! If the thermometer had been an inch longer, we’d have frozen to death. “ - Mark Twain ~~~ So many words for cold: nippy, frigid, freezing, brutal, brisk, refreshing, crisp, bitter, glacial, biting, piercing, numbing, raw, arctic – and a few others I’ve never heard of, like gelid and brumal. But, living in Vermont, we all know that there is cold – and then there is COLD. It does force you to be mindful and choose the right boots and gloves for the day.

Have you ever noticed that your very perception of the cold—and the words you choose to describe it—depend on whether you intend to go skiing or snowshoeing— or stay at home and bake or read a book?

The ongoing, weekly Mindfulness class, with Jill Abilock, which meets Wednesdays at 9 a.m. is resuming as of 1/23. (There is a possibility that it might also be offered on a Tues. or Thurs. at 2:30 in the future.)

Walk-ins are welcome, no registration is necessary, and there is no charge for the classes.

Tomorrow, 1/24, is the fourth Thursday, and that means the Gents’ Breakfast meets from 7:30-9 a.m., in the Café. On the menu is Frittatas with biscuits, fruit and juice.

In the “share chair” is Vince Crockenberg, who will talk about Cuba after Fidel, with slides.

Our new, amazing 55-inch HD screen

in the Café was used for the first time last Friday – and it did not disappoint!

Although it was originally thought of for use at the men’s breakfast, it will certainly be used in presentations for small groups from time to time. So, it will be utilized on 2/1 at 10 a.m. for Lynn Cummings’ Watercolor Video & Discussion, showing world-renowned artists creating their masterpieces. Be sure to register for that, as space is limited.

Shape-Note Singing on 1/20 was canceled due to snow. The next gathering will be on 2/17, from 1-3 p.m. This traditional a cappella, four-part harmony is also known as Sacred Harp. The “fullbody, shout-it-out singing” does not require a good voice. Songbooks are provided.

Stop by to listen or sing—and leave whenever you wish. No fee. [Check out this link for some background: youtube. com/watch?v=YaLnG7vfVOc, or go to YouTube and put in “I’m Going Home” (Royce Hall concert).]

The re-forming monthly Writers Group, scheduled for second Fridays, 1 to 3 p.m., is looking for one or two more writers of stories, autobiographical pieces or poetry. Please register to indicate your interest. This is intended to be a gathering for mutual support and encouragement – not a course. (But, a writing course is being planned for the spring.)

The January Book Discussion Group, which is reading Walking Each Other Home by Ram Das and Mirabai Bush, is off to a flying start. It is full to overflowing,

so it will be offered twice again: once in March and once in May. The signups for those two new sessions will begin after the new Spring Schedule is published on 2/20.

The new courses will also take place on Mondays at 10 a.m. Please note that these two new sessions are not intended to be continuations of the current course.

New Course Coming in mid-February is a new course titled Creating in 3-D with Linda Finkelstein. It will meet on four Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 11, starting 2/14.

It will focus on creating small sculptural artworks using wooden pieces and found objects. You might take the time to look up Louise Nevelson and the totem arts of the Pacific Northwest Haida tribe, since they will be used for inspiration. This is a great course for those who are drawing- or painting-averse, or who would like to be creative in another way while having fun.

Cost for the series of four is $60.

A five-week session of the Feldenkrais Method will begin again on Tuesday, 1/29 from 1 to 2 p.m. with Mischul Brownstone.

This gentle, mindful approach to movement is subtle, yet effective, in increasing vitality and rediscovering lost abilities. Series is $75, with preregistration required.

Free Wed. Afternoon Events at 1 o’clock Today, 1/23, an Ancestry Workshop with Dan Cole, Jenny Cole and Mary Cheney will provide you with advice and information about useful online resources, such as Ancestry and Heritage Quest, as well as local history information from the Charlotte Library collection. Bring your research questions.

On 1/30, you will be treated to a unique, behind-the-scenes look at The Making of a Conductor with Benjamin Klemme, the VT Youth Orchestra Association’s music director. Klemme will discuss the training and apprenticeship that prepares an individual to become an orchestral conductor, sharing illustrations from his and others’ life-long endeavor to master this demanding craft.

On 2/6, Hank Kaestner (our resident bird expert) will present Iceland and Ice Land, taking us to two different locations near and beyond the Arctic Circle: Iceland and Alaska (Ice Land). Come with him to see fascinating cultural, geographical and ornithological highlights of these two northern locales.

Art News This is the last week of Coming Full Circle, the colorful quilt show by members of the Champlain Valley Quilters Guild.

Don’t miss it!

The February Art Exhibit showcases watercolors and photography by Judy Brook who says, “The natural world inspires me—be it plant stamens, animals’ eyes, water droplets, rust, bird feathers or patterns found in nature. I am a biologist by training and passion who discovered, after retiring from teaching high school and college for 30 years, the exciting worlds of poetry, watercolor, and photography.”

(Note the best times to visit Art Exhibits in sidebar.)

Ideas for staying warm: draft stoppers,

SENIOR CENTER MENUS Suggested donation for all meals: $5

Monday Munch

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

No reservations required.

January 28

Butternut squash soup Red cabbage slaw w/ beets Pumpkin cream puffs

February 4

Chicken, barley & sweet potato soup Winter greens salad Honey pecan bars

Wednesday Lunch All diners eat at noon.

Reservations required.

January 30

Stuffed peppers Homemade dessert

February 6

Shepherd’s pie Homemade birthday cake & ice cream

Thursday Gents Breakfast

7:30–9 a.m.

Reservations required.

January 24

Frittatas w/ biscuits, fruit & juice Topic: Vince Crockenberg on Cuba after Fidel (Keep up to date on Menus with Front Porch Forum, as they sometimes change.)

flannel sheets, soup, two or three big dogs to hang with. Words for warmth: kindliness, amiability, enthusiasm, and hospitality.

See you soon!

Best times to see art exhibits in Jan. and Feb.: Since the Center is utilized for many classes and events, the best times are Tuesdays and Wednesdays after 2:30, and Thursdays and Fridays after 12:30. Please call the Center during the week to check on Sunday availability.

____________________ Charlotte Center (802)425-6345 CharlotteSeniorCenterVT.org

The Charlotte News • January 23, 2019 • 15

Accidental Pastor

Breakfast with the Rotarians

I had the loved his participatory journalism style. privilege to speak George immersed himself in places most of to the Shelburneus wouldn’t dream of going: professional Charlottefootball and hockey and boxing. He Hinesburg Rotary played for the New York Philharmonic and last week. It was did stand-up comedy at Caesars Palace. so much fun, such Also, he was the unofficial Fireworks a lovely surprise Commissioner of New York City. Who to go behind the doesn’t want to be that? That guy knew Melissa O’Brien scenes, if you will, how to have fun. He allowed his curiosity NEWS EDITOR at an organization to propel him forward into all kinds of I’ve known of interesting things, and then he wrote about forever and never it. had a clue what it was or what its purpose Standing in front of the kind and is. attentive members of the Rotary, I told The first thing I learned is that the the story of how I had once said yes to folks who show up for that early morning an invitation to lead a worship service breakfast meeting laugh a lot. Total surprise. even though I had never done it before.

I expected a bunch of tired Rotarians, not Saying yes requires a willingness to fail quite awake enough yet to hear me describe at something. Lots and lots of people are the differences between the two Charlotte afraid that that might happen: that they newspapers (three, several years ago). will try something new and find they aren’t These folks were having way too much fun much good at it. But can you imagine a life for a 7:30 a.m. meeting. filled with never trying at all? Failure is as I’m always grateful when someone gives important in our our stages of evolution as me a microphone, an audience and the success. opportunity to talk about anything I want to When we are young we’re naturally talk about. I mean, let’s face it, that’s a lot of curious about everything. I heard a freedom. There’s a little risk statistic recently that the involved for the inviting average 4-year-old girl asks And that, I organization. something like 250 questions I did not, however, take a day, but by the time she’s in closed my talk any liberties. I drank my school full-time that number coffee and then got up with, is why we has dropped off drastically— to talk about two things: because in school the need to stay The Charlotte News and emphasis is on the answers, curiosity. not the questions. curious. Why I talked about how the When I was teaching we need to lift word “Yes” has gotten me second grade about a hundred into some very interesting ago I set up something our faces from years situations in this life: Yes called the Invention Center in our screens turned me into a writer, our classroom. Nothing was photographer, pastor and invented, really. Kids and have a look being news editor, to name a few. brought appliances and small I talked about how I so electronics in from home (this around. admired George Plimpton was pre-computer, pre-cell when he was alive, how I phone) that were (hopefully)

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GRUEL

continued from page 10

provide some protein and fiber as well as zinc, iron, vitamin B and magnesium.

Porridge is known to strengthen the immune system and maintain the “viscosity” of the digestive system. Perhaps viscosity is a more digestible way to indicate the importance of regularity.

Though many of us in Vermont embrace oats for our daily porridge, oats lag way behind corn, rice, wheat and barley production worldwide. Nonetheless, we who favor morning oats have options when perusing the shelves at our local market— from Quaker Oats, the cereal of choice when I was a kid, to Scottish or Irish steel-cut oat groats. OK, so what are groats and why steel-cut? Groats is a Scottish term for uncut, unbroken oat grains. The “steel” blade cuts them into itty bitty pieces that resemble short-grain rice. These gritty bits take a wee

longer to cook and often require a night’s soaking (indeed, an act of devotion). The texture of steel cut proves to be nuttier.

I was hoping for some Celtic vs. Gaelic folklore to distinguish Scottish oats from Irish oats, but alas it may just be bragging rights for where the oats are grown and an appeal to one’s heritage (or what might sound healthier or more exotic). And, not to be undone, Vermont is one of the states that offers state-certified organic-raised oats.

For those wondering, Russia produces the world’s largest amount of oats, Canada is second, and the U.S. is sixth. *********************************** As noted, I mix granola with my porridge.

Granola has an interesting history. Muesli, perhaps the root of granola, was invented by the Swiss physician Max BirascherBenner and made by toasting various grains, especially oats, and adding fruits and nuts.

The inventor of the term granola as a brand was a Christian abolitionist living in the time

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broken and took them apart, ostensibly to build new things with the parts. But what they loved the most was the taking apart.

They loved seeing what was inside a toaster or a hair dryer. One time I put a microscope on the table thinking they might want a tool to see the really tiny parts and within about 10 minutes — the time it took me to place it on the table and walk back to my desk to start taking attendance — they had completely dismantled that thing.

Curiosity is a fabulous thing. And so important in the lifelong development of our brains. We know a lot more about neuroplasticity than we used to. There is a good chance our brains are being reshaped by our addiction to our phones and computers. There is a good chance, I

told those attentive Rotarians, that we are becoming a wholly different kind of people.

And that, I closed my talk with, is why we need to stay curious. Why we need to lift our faces from our screens and have a look around. Why we need to stay curious about how things work and what our neighbors are doing. Why we must keep caring about what’s happening in the world around us.

Which is why, of course, we need small town journalism and wonderful organizations like the Rotary more than ever, to keep us informed and connected.

All in all it was a terrific morning and a fine reminder of how much good and light we have right here in our little corner of the world.

of the Civil War by the name of James Caleb Jackson. Jackson was a health reformer, directed a sanitarium and named his cereal from the Latin word for grain, granum (changing it to granula). He believed that granula would instill good Christian values, help you prepare for the second coming, and decrease “carnal desire.”

In the late 1800s, physician and Seventh Day Adventist John Henry Kellogg changed the name from granula to granola (to prevent from being sued by Jackson). Hoping to popularize the health qualities of grains, nuts, and fruits, he baked whole grains with the intent of creating a breakfast dish. Like Jackson, Kellogg ran a sanitarium, Battle Creek, and insisted on a healthy regime for his patients, which included a vegetarian diet, hydrotherapy and daily enemas.

Granola did not prove to be a commercial success for Kellogg; however, the corn and wheat flakes he and his brother developed proved to be more popular.

Unlike Kellogg or Jackson I have no interest in popularizing my brand (nor will I

establish a sanitarium in Charlotte). I am just one of millions throughout the world who relies on morning grains.

Of course, we all can recall Oliver’s plea for a second bowl of gruel: Child as he was, he was desperate with hunger, and reckless with misery. He rose from the table; and advancing to the master, basin and spoon in hand, said: somewhat alarmed at his own temerity: “Please, sir, I want some more.” (Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist, 1838).

As History of Food author Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat notes, porridge is enjoyed by those who live in castles as well as cottages. My home surely is more like a cottage, and whether what I eat is called cereal, porridge, oatmeal, gruel or mush, like Oliver, I would like more……

Jonathan Silverman is a 28-year Charlotte resident, a Saint Michael’s College professor emeritus, the current chair of the Charlotte Library Board of Trustees and a porridge enthusiast.

Charlotte Fire and Rescue members receive promotions At the Jan 9 members meeting, the following members received promotions: Devin St. George - Battalion Chief Suppression and Technical Rescue C-3 Zack Trono - Lieutenant K-2 Trevor Denton - Lieutenant K-3 Jon Davis - Captain K-1 Fritz Tegatz - Engineer K-66 Rob Mullin - AEMT Deputy Chief and Rescue Head of Service C-2

Chris Davis - Battalion Chief Emergency Management C-4 Mike Gorden - Battalion Chief Rescue C-5 Dick St. George - Fire & Rescue Chief C-1

Fritz Tegatz, Chris Davis, Rob Mullin, Dick St. George, John Davis, Zack Trono, Trevor Denton and Devin St. George.

U.S. POSTAGE PAID MAILED FROM ZIP CODE 05482 PERMIT NO. 9

Photos by Jennifer Bora

presorted standard

Zack Trono, Devin St. George and Trevor Denton.