The Charlotte News | April 3, 2019

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Charlotte News Wednesday, April 3, 2019 | Volume LXI Number 19

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Vol. 61, no.19 April 3, 2019

Charlotte News

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

What body of water separates the Australian states of Victoria and Tasmania? Vega knows.

Chea Waters Evans

Charlotte sixth grader Vega Tariyal said that for his final question at the Vermont state finals competition of the National Geographic GeoBee, his nervousness ranked a three out of 10. “I was more nervous in the beginning,” he said, during the preliminary rounds. By the time he got to the winning question, he said he felt pretty confident. What body of water separates the Australian states of Victoria and Tasmania? The Bass Strait, of course.

In addition to winning a medal and a prize pack that included stickers and a flashlight, Vega won $1,000 cash and the opportunity to head to Washington, D.C. for the national finals in May. The competition tests students’ knowledge of topics related to geography, cultures, physical features, history, and earth science. Vega said he studied for maybe two days a week leading up to the state competition after he won the Charlotte Central School GeoBee in January.

Vega’s father, Ajat Tariyal, said that Vega is also a ski racer at Mad River Glen, and that long ski weekends cut into his study time. He will amp up his preparation before the national competition now that ski racing season is over and he has more free time before spring soccer starts. Though his lucky socks and soccer jersey helped carry him through the state finals, Ajat said they’ve been told that the national finals require “business

The Champlain Valley School District, which is comprised of six schools in four towns, has one big budget that covers the needs of every school in the district. This is the second year after local schools merged to form one district and the school budget went from being a town-based issue to a district-wide vote. When the numbers come in, it can be difficult to tell where exactly the money goes to each individual school. Charlotte Central School, while facing some minor adjustments in the next year, has no major changes forecast for the coming school year.

The short answers to the questions about this year’s budget are as follows, according to Charlotte Central School principals Stephanie Sumner and Jennifer Roth. Will there be major staffing hourly changes? No. Will there be any noticeable changes at the school from a budgetary or facilities point of view? No.

Starting with the next issue of the paper, we will be publishing on Thursdays instead of Wednesdays, and our email newsletter will appear in our subscribers’ inboxes every week on Thursday mornings as well. We’re making the change so that we can bring our readers more timely coverage of Selectboard and CVSD meetings that occur on Monday and Tuesday nights.

We currently have 814 subscribers to our email newsletter. If if you are not currently a subscriber, you can sign up for it on our website at charlottenewsvt.org/contact, and the newsletter, with links to full stories on our website, will appear in your inbox every Thursday morning for your reading pleasure.

Meet your neighbor Sonja Janjic

Melissa O’Brien NEWS EDITOR

Vega Tariyal

casual attire,” and acknowledged that in Vermont, that has a bit of a different meaning.

The national compeition begins on May 19, and Vega and his family—including his proud grandparents who live in Oklahoma—will be there to cheer him on. He will compete against 53 other GeoBee winners from around the country for the chance to win a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society and an all-expenses-paid Lindblad expedition to the Galápagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavour ll. The secondplace winner will receive a $10,000 college scholarship and the student placing third will receive a $5,000 college scholarship. The top10-scoring students will each receive $1,000 in cash.

Vega’s fans can follow the national competition at natgeoed.org/experiences.

No major changes at CCS, but the Quonset hut could be on its way out Chea Waters Evans

The Charlotte News will publish on Thursdays

Operating under a system that District Superintendent Elaine Pinckney describes as the “equity autonomy matrix,” the school board, administrators from each school and the staff at the district level plan each fiscal year’s budget throughout the calendar year, not just during the traditional “budget season” before Town Meeting Day. Their goal, Pinckney said, is to make sure that all schools’ needs are met and that students are all treated equally, but providing each school with decisionmaking capability for its own particular needs.

For instance, CCS cut a substance-abuse professional out of its budget several years ago, before district consolidation. An SAP provides more than just counseling and information about substances; the title is a bit of a misnomer. The district employs SAPs to cover issues such as how to deal with stress and anxiety, online safety, see SCHOOL page 2

Give us a bit about your background.

Where did you grow up? Go to school?

What dreams did you have for yourself when you were a kid?

I grew up in a small town in Virginia.

My mother was/is an art professor at Washington and Lee University, which made art an important part of my childhood.

I knew from a very early age that I wanted to be a mom. In fact, I wanted 7 children (!) and I wanted to start right when I was 18.

Ha! Throughout my childhood my dreams for my future were always changing....I often dreamt of being a teacher, but I also dreamt of hosting my own TV show similar to Fear Factor, or owning a store with local crafts downstairs and art classes upstairs (the last one kinda stuck).

How did you end up in Charlotte?

My partner and I moved to Charlotte almost three years ago on a bit of a whim.

His friend was selling a property that he felt very connected to, and, just like that, we moved to Charlotte.

What do you find most challenging about life in Vermont?

Winters are challenging for me, but I also find them so special. After my first winter in Vermont, I remember seeing spring in a way I never had before—not only was nature coming back to life, but the people were as well. There was a buzz of energy, a cheer that still captivates me every year.

What’s one of your favorite things about Charlotte?

I love that there are so many wonderful farms and farm stands around and that we can buy locally by just driving down the road.

Kids? Partner?

My partner Alex and I have a little boy, Sawyer. He turned 2 a couple of weeks ago.

Tell us about the work you do and how you got to there.

I recently opened Owl Feet, an art studio for kids in a refurbished woodworking shop on our property. Owl Feet offers a variety of workshops, classes and camps for kids and parents. The programs are focused on openended and self-guided exploration as well as creating with recycled/repurposed materials and forms found in nature. I studied graphic design and elementary education at Champlain College and found myself torn between following a path focused on kids or art. I realized pretty early on that I wanted to work with children, but in a less structured way than the traditional school

setting could provide. After our son was born in 2017, I left my role as a preschool teacher to care for him and a few other kids from our community; and when Sawyer was about a year old, I felt ready to explore my desire to create a space for children on our property.

What do you love about what you do?

I love to brainstorm new ways to use recycled materials and treasures found outside for art projects. And I especially love watching the kids use them to create something that they’re proud of!

Is there any particular dream or vision you have for the future of Charlotte?

I hope to continue to connect with new friends and families and build our little community. Owl Feet feels like an opportunity for me to teach, to learn, and also to connect with the community, and that’s really exciting for me.

What’s something most people don’t know about you? Any secret talents?

I can lick my elbow. Does that count as a secret talent? My father and two of my siblings were born and raised in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (at the time), and came to America during the war.

Dream travel destination?

There are so many places that I’d love to go! My most recent dream is traveling in an RV for a month or more all around the U.S. (particularly out West) and maybe even into Central America, but that’s a bit ambitious.

Patagonia and New Zealand are long-time dreams as well.

What do you think we need to do, each of us, what are we singularly responsible for when it comes to making the world a better place?

Supporting and guiding children to become curious, empathetic, innovative and emotionally attuned beings is at the top of my list. Of course, children are not the singular way for every person to make their mark, but I don’t see how we can make the world a better place if we don’t start with them.

2 • April 3, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Town SCHOOL continued from page 1 healthy relationships and other topics related to student health and safety. CCS will welcome a part-time person in this profession next year to fill a role that is currently filled through curriculum across various classrooms and by the school nurse, Kate Larson.

“The SAP will be filling some components of health curriculum in an integrated approach,” Sumner said.

Staffing letters of intent were due on April 1, Sumner said; at press time, no further information was available regarding which staff members are returning next year and which are retiring or moving on.

Much like staffing needs, the district prioritizes physical building issues across the district and addresses them in order of importance. CVSD Chief Operations Officer Jeanne Jensen said in an email, “Our first priorities are student safety and regulatory compliance. CCS’s immediate projects include a new access control system for the building, replacing the water supply line from the well, replacing the oil tank, and repairing sidewalks and egress ramps for ADA compliance.”

The big question as far as buildings are concerned is the large green monstrosity that has sat like a rusty hulk in the west parking lot of the school for decades: the Quonset hut. Jensen confirmed that it is on the school district’s radar for removal, though the timing of its destruction is still up in the air. Emphasizing that it poses no health risk to students, staff or the community in general, Jensen said that in 2009 a report confirmed that “the building contains both asbestos and PCBs in the caulk used around windows, doors and in the seams of the structure itself.

The demolition of the building would require the use of a contractor licensed to work with hazardous materials.”

“However, CVSD has made great strides at removing all hazardous materials from our schools and the board thinks it’s time to take care of this instance, too.”

News From The News Vince Crockenberg PUBLISHER AND BOARD PRESIDENT

We have added three new members to the Board of Directors of The News— Lane Morrison, John Quinney and Ted Le Blanc—and, alas, said good-bye to two, Patrice Machavern and Louise McCarren.

Lane Morrison joins the board after serving six years on the Charlotte Selectboard, the last three as the board chairman. Joining the News board adds to an extensive community resume that includes, in addition to his Selectboard service, nine years on the CCS school board, previous and now current service on the board of the Charlotte Senior Center, as well as numerous positions at the Charlotte Congregational Church, including his current position as treasurer. Lane, who retired from the Navy with the rank of captain, worked in the defense industry for 40 years and has lived in Charlotte since 1972; his four children and two step children all attended CCS and CVU. John Quinney, retired in 2018 as the general manager of the Energy Co-op of Vermont, after a wide-ranging, 40-year career in sustainable business practices, marketing strategy, regenerative agriculture, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Previous to his work at the Co-op, John worked as a business development and marketing consultant for, among other firms, the Intervale Foundation, the Magic Hat Brewing Company and Gardeners Supply Company; he also was an adjunct professor of environmental entrepreneurship at the UVM business

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school. In Charlotte, John was a member of the Conservation Commission from 2004 to 2008 and served as the town’s Green Up Day coordinator from 2010 to 2014; he is currently a member of the Charlotte Energy Commission, to which he was appointed in 2017.

Ted Le Blanc retired in 2018 as president and CEO from the company he founded in 1996, Global Maritime Transportation Services, a small Shelburne-based software and service company that specializes in regulatory compliance and pricing within the ocean transport industry. From 1978 to 1996, Ted worked for Montreal Shipping, starting out as an accounting clerk and working his way up to general accountant for the company. He is now the newly elected treasurer of The Charlotte News Board of Directors. In his spare time, Ted plays guitar for a local trio, Shannon, Walker and Le Blanc, which is booked on the train car from Burlington to Middlebury for five spots through the summer, at the Mad Taco in Essex at the end of April and at a pot luck dinner on April 12 at the Charlotte Grange.

Patrice Machavern joined the board in 2015 and was elected board treasurer in 2016. In that capacity she kept a sharp eye on the budget and brought The News into the 21st century in its bookkeeping and financial accounting practices. Speaking for the entire board, we are grateful for the financial discipline Patrice brought to the our budget deliberations and especially for overseeing the process by which we reclassified three of our staff members as regular employees rather than independent contractors and then for ensuring we fully complied with the new rules and regulations that accompanied those changes.

Louise McCarren attended her first board meeting as a newly elected member on January 25 of this year. On March 5 she was elected to the Selectboard and shortly afterward resigned from The News board.

She has assured us, however, that she will continue to write and to host events for the paper. So continue to look for her regular gardening column and other contributions in the pages of The News, as well as for the occasional fundraising events she will host for us—and, of course, in our regular coverage of Selectboard meetings during her term in office.

Correction In our March 20 issue, we incorrectly identified the co-chair of the Trails Committee. It’s Laurie Thompson.

We apologize for the error.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Publisher: Vince Crockenberg 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 Contributing Photographers: Juliann Phelps and Matthew Bijur Business Staff Ad manager: Elizabeth Langfeldt (ads@thecharlottenews.org) Bookkeeper: Jessica Lucia (billing@thecharlottenews.org) Board Members President: Vince Crockenberg (vince@thecharlottenews.org) Vice President: Rick Detwiler Treasurer: Ted LeBlanc (treasurer@thecharlottenews.org) Board members: Bob Bloch, Gay Regan, Louisa Schibli, Tom Tiller, Dave Quickel, John Quinney, Lane Morrison Website: thecharlottenews.org Subscription Information The Charlotte News is delivered at no cost to all Charlotte residences. Subscriptions are available for first-class delivery at $40 per calendar year.

Want a subscription? Please send a check payable to The Charlotte News, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445.

Postmaster/Send address changes to: The Charlotte News P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 Telephone: 425-4949 Circulation: 3,000 Copyright © 2019 The Charlotte News, Inc. Member of the New England Newspaper and Press Association and the Vermont Press Association.

ON THE COVER

Photo by Melissa O’Brien

The Charlotte News • April 3, 2019 • 3

Town Boundary proposal dominates Planning Commission meeting

Around Town Edd Merritt

Congratulations:

to Jennifer and Matt Segel of Charlotte whose son Forrest James Segel was born March 2. Forrest is Matt and Jennifer’s seventh child, joining his three sisters and three brothers.

Planning Commission member Gerald Bouchard asks Clark Hinsdale III for clarification of property boundaries.

Photo by Juliann Phelps

Juliann Phelps The March 21 Planning Commission meeting focused primarily on the proposed changes to and comments on the East Charlotte Village District (ECV) boundary and Charlotte Land Use Regulations (LUR). It was clear that the public was also focused primarily on the same agenda item, with approximately 20 people in the audience providing feedback, asking questions and reviewing the three proposed boundary maps. The maps were submitted by Planning Commission Vice Chair Charlie Pughe and residents Clark Hinsdale and Bill Stuono, each of whom presented and explained his rendering.

After presentations, members of the public raised questions regarding the inclusion of open space and conserved land parcels within the proposed village commercial boundary. Hinsdale said, “When you look at the map, the bright green (parcels), those are the Vermont Land Trust parcels. ...That land is conserved, with a capital C.” He added that the open space parcels are conserved “with a lowercase c,” adding, “I just want everybody to know the leadership of the community has authority to change land use agreements, other than the green (parcels).”

Other members of the public offered thoughts regarding the boundary. Carrie Spear asked the commission to consider expanding the village boundary farther south to calm traffic. Sarah Thompson said, “By expanding the village boundary

down roads as a way to slow cars, my concern is that that changes housing density—just to slow down cars.”

Thompson also raised the question about density and current lot sizes. Frank Tenney responded, saying, “The acreage stays the same, the density increases.” Planning Commissioner Marty Illick agreed that the concept is to change the density, saying, “If we can get the concept down, then we can start to crunch some numbers.”

Other comments included concerns about the current speed limits on Spear Street and Hinesburg Road and the benefit of the proposed changes to the community.

Ed Sulva asked, “If this is the commercial zone, even the ones slightly expanded, what are we gaining?” Alex Bunten asked "what the benefit is for residents in the new proposed commercial area?" Jonathan Fisher noted, “Two big factors will be septic and water capacity.”

The agenda item wrapped up with Joslin proposing that at the upcoming May 2 meeting the commission provide “a set of cleaner maps, taking into account the three proposals that were delivered and, based on comments we heard tonight and in the past three meetings, build a projection.”

In other business, the Planning Commission approved the PC-18-194BA Hinsdale open space agreement with modifications. The PC-18-151-SK Hinsdale continuation of sketch plan review was moved to a June meeting, and a PC-18-227-SK Couture-Snead sketch plan review for possible subdivision amendment was approved.

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to playwright, actor, environmental activist and now minister Kathryn Blume who has lived in Charlotte for 22 years and was featured in a recent article about Heady Vermont that appeared in the March 29 Burlington Free Press. Kathryn recently joined the organization as its event coordinator and weed legalization advocate, and under her guidance the organization will sponsor the 2nd annual Vermont Cannabis and Hemp Convention in May. Kathryn majored in drama and environmental studies at Yale and later became a peace activist, designing the Lysistrata Project, which became a worldwide theatrical event for her cause. In addition to her activist plays, her repertoire includes off-Broadway productions, movies and published essays. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Lewis Creek Association and the Vermont Alliance of Conservation Voters plus 350VT. While fighting a physical malady recently, Kathryn says the experience has been abnormal for her.

“Normally, I’m on my horse and charging.”

Meanwhile, she will work with educators from Vermont colleges and universities to teach students about the growing hemp industry. to Susan Ohanian whose letter to the editor appeared in the March 20 issue of Seven Days. In it she says that while the Vermont Legislature spends time discussing whether to ban the use of plastic bags, area stores could “take the positive step of charging for all bags, plastic or paper.” From her time in Germany, Susan recalls that she was charged roughly 25 cents for every bag she needed to carry off her purchases. She ends the letter saying that if “our markets charged accordingly, people would soon

to Charlotte Central School eighth grader Hadley Stockwell who is a member of the Young Tradition Touring Group, a collection of musicians, singers and dancers between the ages of 13 and 19. The group will offer one last Vermont concert at the Elley-Long Music Center in Colchester on April 6 before they depart for New York and New Jersey. The group numbers 28 members, selected by audition, including several from the Adirondack area and Massachusetts.

Artist leaders Pete Sutherland, Jeremiah McLane, Oliver Scanlon and Addison White accompany them.

Sympathy:

is extended to family and friends of William L. Wheeler Sr. of Charlotte who died March 21 at the age of 86. A person known for his communication skills, he held a number of jobs where he could demonstrate that capacity. He was active in Charlotte with the Pony Club, BAHA Youth Hockey and the Charlotte Planning Commission as a charter member and author of the first Town Plan. He and his wife, Pat, were Charlotte residents. His daughter Lisa and her husband, Rob Wilkes, continue to reside here. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory be made to St. Paul’s Cathedral or to the High Horses Therapeutic Riding Program, P.O. Box 278, Sharon, VT 05065. is extended to family and friends of Robert A. Gasser of Burlington who passed away March 17 at the age of 94. He and his wife, Elizabeth, raised four children. Daughter Anne Colmenero lives with her husband, Stephen, and their family in Charlotte.

Regional Bite:

A number of local organizations and companies have contributed to the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) in a variety of ways, from phonathons to donation drives and putting together luncheons for COTS volunteers. The local organizations include La Villa Bistro, Rhino Foods, the Charlotte Central School and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church.

Notice of Vacancies of Elected Positions In accordance with 24 VSA §961, the Town of Charlotte Selectboard hereby provides a notice of vacancies of the following elected positions: Auditor The position has a three-year term. However, in accordance with 24 VSA § 963, the Selectboard can make an appointment only until the next election, at which time the position will be posted for election.

Trustee of Public Funds The position has a three-year term. However, in accordance with 24 VSA § 963, the Selectboard can make an appointment only until the next election, at which time the position will be posted for election.

Town Grand Juror The position has a one-year term.

All positions are volunteer positions.

There is no pay or benefits are offered with any of these position.

The Selectboard invites applicants wishing to be appointed to any of these vacant positions until the next election to submit a letter of interest. Inquiries regarding what the positions entail can be made by calling the Town Clerk/Treasurer’s Office at 425-3071, ext. 1. The deadline for applications is April 12, 2019.

Letters of interest should be submitted to: Charlotte Town Office, Attn: Town Administrator P.O. Box 119, Charlotte, VT 05445 Or by e-mail to: dean@townofcharlotte.com.

4 • April 3, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Report From The Legislature Steps to address climate change This past week in the Vermont House saw several major bills passed with significant floor debate. These included broadband deployment Mike Yantachka (H.513), childcare STATE REP. (H.531), workforce development (H.533) and the major money bills including, transportation (H.529), revenue (H.541) and the budget (H.542), plus a controversial weatherization bill (H.439) that increases the fuel tax by 2 cents per gallon. After many weeks of long hours and input from all the policy committees, the administration and individual legislators, the House Appropriations Committee presented a balanced budget, which passed 139 to 1, that is 2.6 percent higher than last year’s but less than the 3.1 percent increase proposed by the governor. These bills, now headed to the Senate, are significant and deserve describing in more detail than this article will allow. Instead I will focus on elements of the budget that address climate change.

Three reports that were issued last year highlighted the importance of addressing climate change during this session: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming,

“

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation reported that Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased 16 percent over 1990 levels, mainly from transportation (43 percent) and heating (24 percent). We have a global problem that will require global action—including Vermont’s—to solve.

”

the Fourth National Climate Assessment released by the Trump administration, and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Update. The IPCC report noted that we are already seeing the effects of a 1 degree Celsius rise in global temperature and gave a dire warning that we have to reduce global CO2 emissions 45 percent by 2030 to avoid a 1.5 degree increase that would have catastrophic geologic and demographic results worldwide. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation reported that Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased 16 percent over 1990 levels, mainly from transportation (43 percent) and heating (24 percent). We have a global problem that will require global action—including Vermont’s—to solve.

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The House has taken a number of steps in this direction with the passage of the budget and revenue bills. The budget includes $1.5M for an electric vehicle (EV) incentive program, $300,000 for public charging stations, $500,000 for EVs and charging stations for state government, $250,000 to Efficiency Vermont for weatherization assistance for moderate income families, and $350,000 for weatherization workforce training. While the budget passed almost unanimously, the weatherization bill with the fuel tax increase was the most controversial.

We currently pay 2 cents per gallon on heating oil, propane and dyed diesel fuel and 0.75 percent on natural gas. The revenues fund the Weatherization Assistance Program for families below 80 percent of median family income to reduce the amount of fuel needed to heat their homes. Combined with federal funds, the program benefited 860 families in 2018. The need is much greater, however. Because of the understandable prioritization to serve the lowest income families first, many eligible, low-income Vermonters are waiting years to be served while thermal energy continues to be wasted, unnecessary amounts of fossil fuels are burned, and Vermonters continue to live in cold, unhealthy and dangerous conditions.

By increasing the tax from 2 cents to 4 cents on liquid fuels and from 0.75 percent to 1 percent on natural gas, an additional 400 families can be assisted.

This tax increase was debated over two days with several amendments offered.

Opposition centered on the additional cost to the low-income families it’s supposed to help, as well as the additional cost to farmers and loggers who use large amounts of dyed diesel. One amendment was passed to exempt farmers and loggers not only from the increase but also from the existing 2 cents per gallon. (The House earlier also approved an exemption from the sales tax for logging equipment.) This bill, which passed by voice vote, is beneficial for the following reasons: • The weatherization program, in existence from the 1970s, has been very successful in helping low-income families reduce their heating bills, live healthier, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• The additional cost is minimal. A typical household using 750 gals of heating oil a year will have an additional cost of $15 over the entire heating season.

• The price of fuel oil varies 10 times as much during the heating season. This year my deliveries ranged from $2.75/ gallon to $3/gallon. A 2-cent increase adds only $2 more on a 100-gallon delivery, which today costs $290.

• The savings are huge. Weatherization typically saves 29 percent of fuel use, resulting in $500 to $600 savings per season, and results in cumulative savings over time instead of cumulative wasted fuel and money heating a leaky house. This is money that stays in Vermont, compared to 80 percent of fuel dollars that leave Vermont.

• It reduces dependence on LIHEAP and other fuel assistance that lasts only for the season.

• It creates more construction jobs in the weatherization field.

I see this as a win for low-income families, a win for the economy and a win for the environment!

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.

The Charlotte News • April 3, 2019 • 5

Town

Full agenda leads to four-hour meeting

Juliann Phelps The March 25 Selectboard meeting featured reappointments for town positions, contracting actions and the first public hearing on the proposed amendments to the Town Plan.

Dave Marshall and Kate Lampton were reappointed to the West Charlotte Village Wastewater Committee, with terms ending April 30, 2021; Chris Davis was reappointed as emergency management director for term ending April 30, 2020; Deirdre Holmes and Matthew Burke were reappointed to the Energy Committee, with terms ending April 30, 2021; and Mark Dillenbeck was reappointed as tree warden for a term ending April 30, 2020.

Other town business included discussion about the temporary closure of Lake Road between Thompson’s Point Road and Converse Bay Road for removal of ash trees, which, according to Dillenbeck, came up as a question by a contractor responding to the request for proposal (RFP). Additional questions from the public included clarifications around the removal of wood and disposal of wood chips on town property. The agenda item ended with a motion to draft an addendum to the RFP. The Selectboard also amended and approved the draft RFP for the playground, presented by members of the Recreation Commission.

Middlebury Fence Company was selected to replace the westerly section of fence around the Barber Hill Cemetery (West Burying Ground) with industrial grade aluminum fencing and one drive gate. The winning bid was $16,000, and the work is to be completed by June 30.

Selectboard Chair Matt Krasnow manually opened bids for town-wide mowing and brush hogging contracts, and after reading the submissions aloud he proposed that selection would occur at the April 4 meeting, citing “too many moving parts.”

Robert Mack was selected as the lessee for Thompson’s Point agricultural lands.

Rayne Herzog’s Race Vermont application for a 5K, 10K and half marathon on September 7, 2019, was approved, as was Cycle4CMT’s application for a fundraising bicycle ride on August 25, 2019. On a related note, during public comment, resident Megan Price of Ferry Road requested the town consider purchasing signs saying “Road Race Today” and expressed concerns

about the speed limit and safety on Ferry Road, saying that she has observed an increase in texting while driving and sharing a story about a distracted cyclist.

Krasnow agreed saying, “I love the idea about the road race signs. We could have a few. The town could own them and put them out on sandwich boards. We have plenty of races.”

The rest of the meeting was devoted to the continuation of the public hearing for proposed amendments to the Town Plan.

Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission Senior Planner Emily NosseLeirer was in attendance, as were several members of the Planning Commission and Energy Committee. Town Administrator Dean Bloch opened the discussion by reviewing proposed changes to maps and policy language specifically around defining “preferred sites.” The language sparked comment from several members of the Energy Committee and Selectboard member Frank Tenney. Energy Committee Co-Chair Suzy Hodgson asked for clarification on the term “preferred sites.”

Tenney added, “We are trying to figure out [siting] standards, kind of like a building envelop...where you’d have [one] for a renewable energy site.”

Energy Committee member Rebecca Foster proposed a change to the proposed policy language, which was taken under consideration. Bloch presented additional changes, and in the interest of time, the Selectboard made a motion to continue the first hearing to April 22.

Other agenda items to round out the night were the approvals of two revised open space agreements, one for KR Properties, LLC, and the other for Clark Hinsdale III. In Selectboard updates, board member Fritz Tegatz briefed members on the status of the library expansion, noting that the remainder of the architectural portion will be competitively bid and that he is working on drafting an RFP. In addition a group of library members will draft a memorandum of agreement to be submitted to the Selectboard for approval.

Selectboard member Carrie Spear brought up the idea of cleaning up scrap metal in a field off Plouffe Lane; she also noted the condition of the train station on Ferry Road. “The train station is absolutely trashed. There is graffiti on all sides,” she said. “It was really way worse than I’ve ever seen it; it’s really bad.”

Bloch offered to contact the VT State Railway Division about the condition of the property.

Town of Charlotte request for bids for new playground at the Charlotte Town Beach Project Description: Construct and install a new play area to include structures and amenities at the Charlotte Beach Deadline for Bid Submission: Monday, April 22, 2019, at 6 p.m. EDT. Complete Bid Package: A complete bid package may be obtained by downloading it from the Town website at www.charlottevt.org, at the Charlotte Town Office, 159 Ferry Road, Charlotte, or by contacting Recreation Director Nicole Conley at 4256129, ext. 204 or by email at Recreation@townofcharlotte.com.

The condition of the train station was brought up and the VT State Railway Division will be contacted about it.

Photos by Juliann Phelps

6 • April 3, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Town Green Up Day is Saturday, May 4 Kim Findlay GREEN UP DAY CHARLOTTE CO-COORDINATOR, WITH KEN SPENCER

In Charlotte we will be at the Quonset Hut at Charlotte Central School on Saturday, May 4, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to hand out bags, sign you up for a route and collect filled bags. The e-waste recycling team will be there as well to collect for recycling the electronics that you no longer want.

Abbie Foulk, Ken and I are meeting soon to establish exactly what we will be accepting in addition to roadside trash, so stay tuned. Other activities are also getting firmed up. For now, you can

find information at charlottevtgreenupday. com.

Please sign up for a route! It’s easy. You can do this in a variety of ways: by calling Kim at 425-2100 by emailing Kim at farafieldfarm@gmavt.net online at our website, charlottevtgreenupday.com or at the Quonset Hut on Green Up Day. It is important to sign up for a route so that we know which routes have been cleaned up and so that we know where to send folks if they haven’t signed up yet. Knowing which routes are getting taken care of maximizes our volunteer effort and gets more roads cleaned up.

Thank you. More information coming soon.

The Art of Living with the 5 R’s Celebrate Earth Day with your neighbors and learn about the 5 R’s! Transition Charlotte invites everyone to a “Green Drinks and Dinner” night at the Charlotte Senior Center, 6–8:30 p.m. on Earth Day, April 22.

Did you know that your trash travels more than 70 miles to be dumped into a landfill in the Northeast Kingdom? Do you have questions about what can and can’t go into your recycling bin? Are you worried about the health and environmental impact of so much plastic in our lives?

Come join us for a fun and informative evening to learn about the recent challenges to recycling, new regulations about food waste, and the joy of getting to zero waste and becoming plastic free. Lauren Layn, Chittenden Solid Waste District community outreach coordinator, will speak along with Charlotters Abby Foulk, Karen Tuininga and Ruah Swennerfelt, who are on the path to zero waste. Perhaps you’ve figured out strategies that you would like to share too.

Dinner will be provided by Transition volunteers, the Old Brick Store and

the Little Garden Market. Suggested donation: $5-10. BYOB to share, and please RSVP. One reusable produce bag and travel napkin made from repurposed cloth and sewn by Transition Charlotte members will be gifted to all participants. Others will be available for a donation.

Transition Town Charlotte works to connect, inspire and support community resiliency in the face of climate change.

For more information and to RSVP, contact Ruah Swennerfelt at 802-9222259 or by email at ruahswennerfelt@ gmail.com.

FINALLY!

Local Church Services Charlotte Congregational Church, UCC 403 Church Hill Road 425-3176 | charlotteucc.org Regular Sunday service: 10 a.m.

Lent and Easter Services Palm/Passion Sunday - 4/14: Service of Palms & Passion @ 10:00 am Maundy Thursday - 4/18: Foot Washing @ 6:15pm; Service @ 7pm Vigil - 4/18-19: Sanctuary will be open from 8pm (Thurs.) to 3pm (Fri.) Good Friday, Stations of the Cross - 4/19: Prayer Station walk behind church @ 4:00pm Holy Saturday - 4/20: Community Easter Egg Hunt @ 1pm

Easter Sunday - Apr. 21 • Sunrise service @ 5:30 am • Worship service @ 9:00 am • Worship service w/Holy Communion @ 11:00 am _____________________ Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church Spear Street, 425-2637 Sister parish: St. Jude’s Regular schedule of masses: Saturdays, 4:30 p.m. at St. Jude’s Sundays, 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Sundays, 9:30 a.m. at St. Jude’s Lent and Easter Services Good Friday 3:00 p.m. @ OLMC Good Friday 7:00 p.m. @ St. Jude Easter Vigil 8:00 p.m. @ St. Jude Easter Sunday 8:00 a.m. @ OLMC Easter Sunday 9:30 a.m. @ St. Jude Easter Sunday 11:00 a.m. @ OLMC

Photo by Melissa O’Brien

The Charlotte News • April 3, 2019 • 7

Sacred Hunter It’s opening day: time to dance We live, sell and know Charlotte.

Bradley Carleton Even us wacky ice fishermen who love the cold barren environment on the frozen lake share a certain affinity for the second Saturday in April. Known in some circles as the “Glorious Opening Day of Trout Season,” for many of us it is simply the celebration of swiftly flowing water and the hope of hooking up with nice holdover rainbow. For others it means a trip up to the Willoughby River to watch the spawning steelhead catapulting themselves over the rapids as they swim upstream to spawn. For still others, it is the mere camaraderie of sharing a hot cup of French roast coffee from a thermos, talking about the long winter and how many cords of wood we set aflame in our woodstoves.

Whatever the reason, whatever the motivation might be, it is indeed a glorious way to embrace the spring. Hope springs eternal in the heart of an angler.

Even though the chance of catching a tired but hungry trout on a deep beaded nymph fly is remote at best, it is the love of the fight that brings us to the streamside.

We will cast all morning long at every possible hidey-hole in the river. Drifting our fly over the rapids and into the tail of a deep pool, there is hope, there are prayers, that maybe, just maybe, we might feel that tug on the rod and be quick enough to set the hook into a big kype-jawed brown.

Sometimes, it does happen on the first day – but it is the hope and faith that keep us there in conditions that are not amenable to the salmonids. Frustration does not exist. Persistence and faith are the virtues of the experienced angler.

Much like the book A River Runs Through It by Norman McLean, fishing for trout is closer to a religion for some than for those who attend church every Sunday. The sheer power of nature as it is reflected in the hydraulic energy of a briskly flowing stream. The rearranging of pools and underwater landscapes dramatically altered by one ice jam in a brook way up in the mountains, suddenly releasing its pent-up energy. If one is reflective enough to stop and think, “How in the world can a trout survive a winter where the river is locked up and then not get washed out when the giant waves of ice water cascade down from the streams into the river?”

How did this trout eat all winter? Where did he hide? What is this remarkable instinct that drives them to expend so much energy to jump up and over the falls?

If you take the time to ponder these piscatorial philosophies, you will inevitably find yourself with a deepening respect and love for these fish. It is this love, this respect, that draws out the best in humanity. We can return to the stream each year, like a pilgrimage to a watery Mecca, to find the best of ourselves as we cast our lines into the murky depths and pray for a connection.

Lost in thought streamside, hours pass by, and we find that we are in what

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Bradley Carleton

athletes refer to as “the zone.” It is at this pinnacle of mindfulness that it happens.

Bang! The rod bends down toward the rushing water and we bow with it, then raise the tip up quickly but not violently, so as not to pull the hook out of the mouth. The fight begins. The rod begins to thump and swing from side to side as the fish seeks to shake the entomological deceiver from its jaws. Keep the tip up and enough tension to keep the hook set— but not too much. When the fish swings downstream, walk with him. When he swings back up into the raging current, play the rod to the upstream side. It’s like a beautiful choreographed tango where two beings are mirroring each other, connected by a thin piece of monofilament line and a tiny hook. Delicate yet powerful.

Finally, the fish begins to tire, and you gently retrieve the line allowing it to swirl at your feet. Do not reel. Honor the retreat.

Once the fish is brought to hand, take the time to admire the beauty of this miracle.

Will his flesh nurture yours tonight, or will you choose to release him back to the stream to live to fight another day? It seems that that the older I get, the more I choose the latter.

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.

366 BOWN LANE Enjoy unobstructed Lake Champlain and Adirondack sunsets from this four bedroom Contemporary home with over 2,000 square feet of living space on three levels. Wrap around deck, and detached four car garage sited on 11 privated acres.

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380 DOLLIVER DRIVE Build your dream home on this large wooded lot with mowed openings. Very secluded with dug well and buried power to the boundary. Large building envelope. Easy to get to artery roads leading north, south, east and west.

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8 • April 3, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Books

It’s okay to wear white after Labor Day, and don’t spill the bong water

Chea Waters Evans At the dinner table, it’s considered proper manners to pass the food counter-clockwise, to the right. Lizzie Post, etiquette expert and co-president of the Emily Post Institute, wants people to know that when one is passing a joint, those rules don’t apply.

Though pot is usually passed to the left, “It can go in any direction,” she said, “As long as you don’t take it back immediately.”

This advice and more is covered in her new book, Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties. Post grew up in Charlotte and currently lives in Burlington.

With Vermont’s recent end to cannabis prohibition and legalization of the plant in several other states over the past few years, Post applies the regular principles of etiquette to the sometimes-confusing pot culture.

It turns out that the guidelines that apply to regular life also apply to getting high: respect, generosity, gratitude and sharing. As anyone who’s ever been at a party with pot smokers knows, it’s generally an inclusive, genial group that usually embraces the idea that the more, the merrier.

“As an etiquette expert, I love that ‘kind’ is a word for good bud,” she said.

It exemplifies the spirit behind cannabis culture and the etiquette surrounding it. On the practical side, that means using common sense and graciousness when you’re sharing with others. In her book, Post addresses everything from how much to chit-chat with your cannabis delivery person (no need to talk forever, a simple hello and a thank you is fine), to how to address the issue with the parent of your child’s playdate (ask

“

As an etiquette expert, I love that ‘kind’ is a word for good bud,” Post said. It exemplifies the spirit behind cannabis culture and the etiquette surrounding it.

”

permission to ask questions about their usage, and if you’re uncomfortable, offer to host the kids at home or at a playground).

If you are a first-time cannabis consumer, the language and rituals surrounding its use can be overwhelming and intimidating. Post said there’s no need to feel embarrassed or nerdy about asking questions. “Cannabis enthusiasts are really excited to share,” she said, adding that the positive vibes associated with pot use apply to cannabis etiquette. “I try not to overcorrect someone who’s new— it’s not fun,” she said. Generally, she writes in the book, it’s best to avoid such faux pas as burning a joint unevenly, spilling bong water, or dropping and breaking someone’s favorite pipe. If an unfortunate event occurs, though, she said, a sincere apology and honest attempt to remedy the situation is always the right thing to do.

The book also contains a handy glossary of terms, as well as a primer on how to

Photo contributed

Lizzie Post.

consume with others. There are also tips on who smokes first, how to politely decline, and when and where it’s best to save your cannabis consumption for later or make your usage a discreet activity. There’s also a helpful tip for pot smokers whether they’re new or have decades of experience: “Dude, I’m so high: There’s talking about how high you are because you are just amazed by it and then there’s talking about the kind of high you’re experiencing. Both are mind-blowingly awesome for the person experiencing it but less awesome for those who are hearing it if it gets repeated over and over again.”

Along with sharing the high, germs can get shared along the way, too, and she said it’s

good form to do your best to avoid getting your spit all over a bowl or vape pen or joint. “It’s gross,” she said. “No one likes a soggy joint.” If you feel the need, it’s okay to discreetly wipe the end of a pen or bowl or to burn the bowl a bit and let it cool before passing it on. Sometimes, though, it’s an occupational hazard, she said.

Respect, Post said, is the key to a fun and relaxed cannabis experience—much like in any other social situation. Being aware of others and their preferences, using polite language, picking up on social cues, and being generous of spirit are important in everyday life, and that courtesy extends to cannabis consumption. Post notes, “Different tokes for different folks.”

Property Transfers Mar 7 Patrick and Caroline Slater to Andrew Hale and Hannah Perry, 6.97 acres with dwelling, 127 Prindle Road, $945,000.

Mar 11 Andrew and Caroline Stifler to Sybil J. Keefe, 1.25 acres with dwelling, 1496 Church Hill Road, $405,000.

Mar 11 Samuel and Lindsay Smith to Heather Bartlett, 0.47 acre with dwell-

ing, 2812 Mount Philo Road, $335,000.

Mar 11 Chutter Family Living Trust to Andrew and Caroline Stifler, 2.78 acres with dwelling, 65 Stone Wall Lane, $452,500.

Mar 29 Katherine Verman to Justin Reidy and Meaghin Kennedy, 18.39 acres with dwelling, 251 Upper Old Town Trail, $639,000.

Mar 29 Nordic Holsteins LLC to Steven S. Schubart, 79.29 acres with mobile home, 1621 Hinesburg Road and 1711 Hinesburg Road, $300,000.

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Mar 29 Gordon Troy to Shawn and Lindsie Barone, 21.5 acres with dwelling, 3333 Lake Road, $760,500.

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The Charlotte News • April 3, 2019 • 9

Charlotte Library News Margaret Woodruff

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.)

DIRECTOR

PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN Story Time Tuesdays • Baby Time, 9 a.m. Join us at the Charlotte Library to share and enjoy songs and stories for babies and their caregivers.

• Preschool Story Time, 10:30 a.m.

Drop-in sessions with stories, crafts, songs & fun. For ages 3 to 5.

Access Health Information on Your iPad & General Q&A Wednesday, April 10, 1 p.m. Learn how to access trustworthy health information on Charlotte Library’s new iPads or on your own. Plenty of time for general questions and a few tips. Please bring your iPad, if you have one. Please register at Charlotte Senior Center, 425-6345.

Superhero Book Club Wednesdays, April 10 & 17, 3:15 p.m.

A book club just for 1st and 2nd graders.

Learn about the superheroes who live and work around us every day. Create your own superhero world! Registration required.

Please call or email the library to sign up.

Seed Library Session: Soil Health & Composting for Home Gardeners Wednesday, April 10, 7 p.m. Master Gardener Karen Tuininga and local composting enthusiast Abby Foulk will discuss what it takes for your garden soil to be healthy and simple ways to give it what it needs by making and using your own compost. Take the mystery out of composting with yard debris, manure, kitchen scraps, worm bins and more! This program is part of the Gardener Support Series of the Charlotte Seed Library. See Charlotte Library website for more details.

Coding Club Returns!

Thursday, March 21-April 18, 3:15 p.m.

Art. Design. Coding. Creating art doesn’t always happen with a paintbrush or a pencil.

Sometimes, art is made with a computer. Join Coding Club to learn how to create artistic, interactive and fun computer programs.

You’ll spray paint graffiti, make animations, create interactive paintings, make a photo image filter and more. Beginners welcome!

4th grade & up. Space is limited, registration required. Please email or call the library at 425-3864.

Mac Monday: Understanding Mac Photos with Melissa Mendelsohn.

Monday, April 15, 11 a.m. Melissa Mendelsohn of Orchard Road Computers will run you through the basics of Mac Photos.

Learn where your images are, how to access them, and ways to keep them organized.

This program is specific to Mac desktops and laptops (not iPads or iPhones). It is recommended, but not required, to bring your laptop if you have one.

Youth Yoga Tuesday, April 23, 2 p.m. Youth Yoga with Lynn Alpeter of Yoga Roots. Based upon the Kidding Around Yoga curriculum, this class will introduce children to yoga in an accessible way. It includes lots of music, movement and creativity. All ages are welcome but recommended for ages 5 to 10.

Parents are welcome to join in.

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS & FAMILIES Staying Healthy in a Changing Climate: Be Tick Smart!

Tuesday, April 2, 6:30 p.m. The spread of tick-borne diseases to humans, including Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, is on the rise in Vermont. “Be Tick Smart” and learn about tick-borne diseases and how to prevent tick bites with Susan Schoenfeld from the Vermont Department of Health. Presented in collaboration with Carpenter-Carse Library as part of our Supporting a Healthy Community from Head to Toe series. (Funded in part by

Great Decisions: Refugees & Global Migration Tuesday, April 16, 7 p.m. Today, no countries have open borders. Every state in today’s global system has its own laws and policies about who is permitted to cross its borders and how they will do so. Who determines whether someone is a refugee or a migrant? How have different countries, including the United States, reacted to migration? How effective are the international laws, policies and organizations that have evolved to assist and protect refugees and migrants? Join us for a discussion of this timely topic. Reading materials available at the library circulation desk.

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This secluded 3 bedroom home could be your own personal wildlife sanctuary.

Situated near Mt. Philo State Park, this five acre property enjoys true Vermont natural beauty. The spacious second story master bedroom is the most stunning feature of the home with views of lake Champlain and Adirondacks.

The master bathroom includes a private Whirlpool tub, dual sinks. The large mudroom with plenty of storage space is right off the three bay garage. The kitchen features an enormous island with open view of the living room and centrally located wood stove for cold winter nights.

PRICE REDUCED - HINESBURG $439,000

Privacy, views, and energy efficiency were all considered in this award winning custom home built by Chuck Reiss. This three level contemporary features passive solar southern exposure windows with views of the meadow, mountains, and perennial gardens. Enjoy eight acres at the end of a private road with mature fruit trees, berries, flower gardens, and a cedar lined yard. Solar photovoltaic electricity, radiant heat, mini split heat pump, and a pellet stove ensure heat with minimal fuel used. Open light filled staircases lead to second level with three bedrooms, a full bathroom and laundry. Bonus third floor of 640 sq feet is sheet rocked, ready to be finished for your studio or hobbies.

Call Margo - 453-4190 1317 Davis Road, Monkton 802-482-5232 | vermontgreentree.com

Staying Healthy in a Changing Climate: What Pet Owners Need to Know About Ticks & Lyme Disease Tuesday, April 16, 6:30 p.m., CarpenterCarse Library, Hinesburg. Believe it or not, warm weather is on the way. And with it come health risks for your pets. What can be done to help protect your dog from the dangers of tick bites? Dr. Liam Bisson of Shelburne Veterinary Hospital will share information about how to prevent tick-borne illness. He will also discuss how to recognize the symptoms of Lyme disease and will go over the current course of treatment for the illness. (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.)

Windows Wednesday: Understanding Windows Photos with Melissa Mendelsohn Wednesday, April 17, 10 a.m. Melissa Mendelsohn of Orchard Road Computers will run you through the basics of Windows 10 Photos. Learn where your images are, how to access them and ways to keep them organized. This program is specific to Windows 10 desktops and laptops. It is recommended, but not required, to bring your laptop if you have one.

Men’s Book Group: Lost in Shangri-La Wednesday, April 17, 7 p.m. Check in at the library desk for this month’s selection.

Film Showing: A Quiet Digital Revolution Thursday, April 18, 7 p.m. Front Porch Forum is the focus of a new independent documentary from Canadian filmmaker Peter Strauss: The Story of Vermont’s Quiet Digital Revolution. The film follows the stories of several FPF members, each from different walks of life. How does participation on their local forums transform them and their communities? The documentary debuted in Vermont at the Vermont International Film Festival in late October 2018 to an enthusiastic audience.

Library Book Discussion: Killers of the Flower Moon Thursday, April 25, 7:30 p.m. Join us to discuss the true-crime account of the Osage murders and the birth of the FBI. The story undercover team, including a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, together with the Osage, began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.

Charlotte Library 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.

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 & Instagram: @CharlotteVTLib.

10 • April 3, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Books Three memoirs you should add to your spring reading list Genevieve Trono I read for all kinds of reasons, sometimes for pleasure, sometimes to escape. Other times I read to learn new perspectives.

One of the reasons I have recently been drawn to reading memoirs is because they give me a deeper understanding of how someone’s experiences influenced the person they are today. I am often surprised by the connections I find after reading about someone’s life, even when that life seems so different from my own.

When I reflected on my website about my favorite books of 2018, four out of nine were memoirs. Below is a list of my three favorites. For a full list, you can visit genthebookworm.com.

Becoming by Michelle Obama Becoming is about the life of someone I, and many others, find incredibly admirable and inspiring, and not just for her politics.

“For every door that’s been opened to me, I’ve tried to open my door to others.

And here is what I have to say, finally:

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Let’s invite one another in. Maybe then we can begin to fear less, to make fewer wrong assumptions, to let go of the biases and stereotypes that unnecessarily divide us. Maybe we can better embrace the ways we are the same. It’s not about being perfect. It’s not about where you get yourself in the end. There’s power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there’s grace in being willing to know and hear others.

This, for me, is how we become.” ―Michelle Obama, Becoming What I loved most about this book was Obama’s honesty about her life and experiences, including her ambivalence about being involved in politics even throughout her time in the White House.

Reading this book felt a lot like having a meaningful conversation with her about life, race, careers, marriage, parenting and being a citizen in our country.

From Obama’s childhood on the south side of Chicago to her time living in the White House, she finds the delicate balance of being real but also being deeply aware of and insightful about both the challenges and triumphs that helped her on her path of becoming.

“Now I think it’s one of the most useless questions an adult can ask a child—What do you want to be when you grow up? As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that’s the end.” ―Michelle Obama, Becoming I enjoyed this book immensely and mourned when it was over. I especially enjoyed listening to Obama narrate it herself on audio.

bad will happen? Or are we afraid because we are told we should be and because we want to avoid being judged poor parents by other people? And what happens when we don’t let kids navigate the tricky waters of childhood friendship or have their own “I did this!” moments after figuring out something difficult by trial and error?

“Are you afraid someone will hurt them?” I asked.

She lifted her fork, paused for a moment, seemed to be considering. “No,” she said. “Well … I don’t know. I guess it’s other people. I worry that if I let them out of my sight, other people will see us and think I’m doing something wrong. I feel like it doesn’t matter what I think; that if other people think I’m doing something dangerous, then it’s dangerous. I suppose I can’t quite tell where my own anxieties end and other people’s begin. I don’t know if I’m afraid for my kids, or if I’m afraid other people will be afraid and will judge me for my lack of fear.”

—Kim Brooks, Small Animals

Small Animals by Kim Brooks In Small Animals, Kim Brooks shares the story of what happened to her and her family but also explores the broader topic of how fear has become such a big part of how we parent in today’s society.

Are we afraid to let our kids go out and explore, walk alone to a friend’s house or play at a park because we think something

In March of 2011, Brooks was videotaped by a “concerned” bystander for leaving her four-year-old son in her locked car for five minutes. It was on a mild day with the windows cracked open, in a parking lot outside a store where she ran in to pick something up. She was criminally charged for this choice and was required to do community service.

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In Small Animals, Brooks walks us through her story and also shares stories about other women who, coming from less privileged backgrounds, were treated far more harshly for similar actions.

This is a thought-provoking and important book, not just for parents of young children but for all of us as members of our society. I recommend it highly.

Call Me American: A Memoir

by Abdi Nor Iftin This is the story of the author’s years-long struggle to escape his wartorn country, Somalia, to become an American citizen. It’s a powerful story of survival and persistence that is, in turns, heartbreaking and yet filled with hope.

It’s also an important reminder about just how many people are desperately trying to flee their impoverished and violence-wracked native countries just for a chance at survival. At a time when immigration is such a hot-button issue here in the United States, taking the time to read stories like Iftan’s humanizes the experience of many immigrants and provides an important, and often missing, perspective on their lives.

“My future was a mystery, but at least I was leaving hell forever.”

—Abdi Iftin, Call Me American

Call Me American should be required reading for everyone.

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The Charlotte News • April 3, 2019 • 11

Education CCS students win first place in state competition

Raising the Black Lives Matter flag Staff report

Photo by Chea Waters Evans

A team of 6th grade problem-solvers competed—and won first place—at the Vermont State Destination Imagination competition in Burlington on March 23.

They also received a special award for teamwork and team spirit.

Destination Imagination is a national creative problem-solving competition that consists of a long-term challenge and an instant challenge. The team wanted for months to create a skit and symptom checker for a medical mystery.

Their choice for a mysterious condition? Puberty.

The Charlotte Central School team members were, from left to right, Kate Silverman, Elizabeth Nostrand, Whitley Pidgeon, Ronan Evans and Charlie Buchwald.

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On February 19, the Racial Alliance Committee (RAC), led by CVU students Katelyn Wong, Paige Thibault, Akuch Dau and Prince Yodishembo, presented the following proposal to the CVSD board: “We propose that the Black Lives Matter flag will be raised at CVU in honor of Black History Month. We affirm that Black Lives Matter is a peaceful and empowering grassroots movement, advocating for racial justice and collective liberation. By raising the flag, we hope to make CVU a more inclusive and equitable environment, committed to making all members feel welcome and appreciated.

“The racist and anti-Semitic hate speech found at CVU this past month is a clear indication that our school has a deeper problem than just ignorance or lack of awareness regarding race. Our curriculum and culture do not educate or advocate for racial equity nearly enough. Raising the Black Lives Matter flag, as a united school community, is a positive step our district can take to cause meaningful change and start necessary conversations.

Raising the flag is a public declaration that, yes, the lives of our black students and community members of color do matter, and should be valued as such. ….

“CVU’s core principles are to respect

ourselves, respect each other, and respect the place. That narrative would be incomplete without showing due respect and recognition to students of color, as diversity only strengthens our community.

It is the job of CVU, and not just RAC, to start discussions, raise awareness, and lead by example in dismantling hate and implicit bias. Now, more than ever, we must rise up from unfortunate events to tackle issues head on, with not only words, but with actions. This is why we should raise the flag.”

On March 19, the CVSD voted 11-1 to approve flying the Black Lives Matter flag for 30 days. Two days later, on March 21, RAC sent a message to all CVU students and faculty, saying, “Flying the flag is a catalyst for desperately needed dialogue, a statement of solidarity, and a commitment to equitable change. We affirm that Black Lives Matter is a peaceful and empowering grassroots movement, advocating for justice and collective liberation. By supporting and standing

by Black Lives Matter as a school community, we are taking a proactive stance against bias, ignorance, and hate.”

On Thursday, April 4, at 1:30 the BLM flag will be raised on a second flagpole outside CVU, where it will fly for 30 days.

12 • April 3, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Tree Warden Charlotte’s proactive response to the emerald ash borer problem Mark Dillenbeck CHARLOTTE TREE WARDEN

Foresters, homeowners, local leaders and environmentalists have few choices when confronting the emerald ash borer (EAB). The damage wrought by this exotic beetle, first detected in Michigan in 2002, is devastating. Ash trees throughout North America are now formally classified as critically endangered and may become extinct in the wild during our lifetimes.

Many millions have already died in areas where EAB has taken hold.

Our Vermont State Forest Health Program manager, Barbara Schultz, estimates that we can expect ash tree mortality of 99.7%.

This is the tragic reality for which we Charlotters need to prepare. As our ash trees follow the fate of the American chestnut, elm and butternut, we need to take practical measures to ensure public safety, maintain unobstructed roadways, and preserve the beauty of our landscape. Importantly, we need to accomplish these objectives in a manner that minimizes the burden to taxpayers.

Faced with the grim realities of certain emerald ash borer infestation, we recognize there is no “do- nothing” option. Instead we are developing an informed, proactive plan that weighs our community’s limited choices, taking into account safety, cost and aesthetics.

With regard to ash trees in public spaces and along our roadsides, we could wait until they start to succumb to EAB and deal with the problem at that point. The principal advantage of this approach is that it would allow us to postpone the expense and effort of removing ash trees for the maximum amount of time. There are problems with this reactive approach, however. The EAB infestation, once it arrives, will run its course quickly, leaving us to deal with a great number of dying or dead ash trees in a short period of time, perhaps two to three years.

Our road commissioner could anticipate an unusually large number of emergency calls to remove fallen trees. These calls would happen at random times and at random points and would require repeat visits by crews to the same areas. That would be an expensive way to operate.

Another problem has to do with the physical structure of ash trees themselves.

Dead ash trees in general—and EAB-killed ash trees in particular—tend to crumble and are prone to catastrophic failure. They present a particular hazard to chainsaw operators and can be difficult and dangerous to fell compared to other kinds of trees.

This can make removing a dead ash tree significantly more expensive than removing a live one.

These considerations have led us to develop a proactive approach being adopted by other towns and cities threatened by EAB. The first element is to choose some trees to preserve with chemical treatments. We have identified seven ash trees on town property that we want to conserve in this manner. We are also encouraging landowners to consider chemical treatment of select ash trees on their properties. These treatments, however, are expensive, typically $150 to $400 per tree, and need to be repeated every two years in perpetuity. It is not a viable solution for most trees in the public right of way.

The second element is to begin now to remove currently live but doomed ash

trees. This option has several advantages. It will enable the town to space out the costs of tree removals over a longer period of time. In addition, by removing most trees while they are still alive we will avoid the additional expense and danger of dead ash tree removals. Finally, by removing all potentially hazardous ash trees along a section of roadway, we will be able to operate more efficiently and therefore at less expense. Our enjoyment of roadways free of the sight of an unusually large number of dead and dying trees is an important secondary benefit.

Lake Road from Thompson’s Point Road to Ferry Road will be a test case. We chose this section of road because it has one of the highest concentrations of ash trees in Charlotte. Sometime between now and the end of June crews will come to fell these trees. The crews will chip the tree tops, and the chips will be given to nearby landowners.

The logs will be left by the roadside and will be available to the respective landowners to use for firewood if they choose. While authority to remove potential hazard trees in the right-of-way resides with the town, the wood belongs to the landowners. Any unclaimed wood will be moved by the road commissioner’s crew to the site of the old flea market on Route 7 where it will be available upon request (details to be worked out with Town Administrator Dean Bloch) to residents for noncommercial purposes.

Lessons learned from the Lake Road test case will be applied to the rest of Charlotte. The current proactive approach is not set in stone, and the Charlotte EAB Preparedness Plan Group (see insert) is open to suggestions and feedback. Thank you in advance for your support of our efforts to address the EAB challenge in an informed, cost-effective and safety-conscious manner.

Advice for landowners While it is important for the town to

begin multiyear phased removals of ash trees now, individual landowners have more time to plan and act. EAB has not yet been detected in Charlotte, and in the worst case we will not see trees killed by EAB for another two or three years at the soonest. It is not necessary for property owners to start cutting down ash trees at this time. In addition, it is currently not necessary to begin chemical treatments. The State advises that people hold off on treatment until EAB has been detected within 15 miles of your location. We are not at that point yet.

It is a good idea, however, to start planning. Decide which trees, if any, you want to keep by chemical treatment. Some ash trees can safely be left to die in place. Other trees may threaten structures or vehicles and will need to be removed. Now is a good time to start developing a plan and budget. We recommend seeking the advice of an experienced, professional arborist.

For additional information about EAB and management options, please consult the Tree Warden section of the town website.

Charlotte EAB Preparedness Management Plan The Town of Charlotte has an Emerald Ash Borer Preparedness Planning Group that has produced a draft plan to address the challenge of the EAB. The draft plan is available for review and comment in the Tree Warden section of the town website.

The larvae of the emerald ash borer tunnel under the bark of the tree and disrupt the flow of water from the tree’s roots to its crown, eventually killing the tree.

Courtesy of Science Policy Exchange forest pests project

Lake Road tree cutting Last Wednesday, March 27, Road Commissioner Jr Lewis and Tree Warden Mark Dillenbeck conducted a site visit for contractors interested in responding to the RFP for the Lake Road tree cutting. Arborist Greg Smith and his son Eli showed up and recommended that trees be marked to enable accurate and fair proposals.

Subsequently Chris Fortin also volunteered to help. On Saturday, March 30, VJ Comai, Greg Smith, Fortin and Dillenbeck went to Lake Road and marked trees covering first three-tenths of a mile, which everybody thought was beyond what we’d get for the $10K currently available.

Ash trees on Lake Road identified for removal.

Photo by Vince Crockenberg

The Charlotte News • April 3, 2019 • 13

Into The Woods

Town of Charlotte Beach

On trails and water

jobs in Vermont,” or AMPs, were developed by Vermont’s Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. The implementation of the AMPs protects I often visit woodlots where it’s clear water quality and prevents soil erosion that some active management, often during and immediately after a logging through the strategic harvesting of trees, operation, specifying would benefit the how to properly health and resilience stabilize all of the forest, the of forestry quality of wildlife There are a few simple facets infrastructure, habitat or some other from skid trails to ways to protect water important objective. log landings, and In an ideal world I illustrating how to quality, minimize soil would pick which trees design and install to cut to satisfy those disturbance and protect stream crossings objectives, wave a such as culverts and magic wand, and they forestry infrastructure bridges. If properly would be transported implemented on a to a location of my in the course of logging. logging job the AMPs choosing. In reality, also help to protect Properly designing a large equipment landowners and traveling on logging loggers from water system of skid trails, trails and roads, quality violations. what I call “forestry including minimizing At the same time, infrastructure,” the AMP practices is required to cut their number, length and help stabilize forestry and transport trees infrastructure for out of the woods. steepness, is critical. long-term use.

This infrastructure

There are a is somewhat of a few simple ways compromise—enabling to protect water us to manage our quality, minimize forests for a variety of soil disturbance uses and benefits but and protect forestry also providing some notable challenges. infrastructure in the course of logging.

Forestry infrastructure is comprised of Properly designing a system of skid basically three components. “Skid trails,” trails, including minimizing their number, the paths that logging equipment uses length and steepness, is critical.

When to transport trees out of the woods, are developing a logging contract, you should named for “skidders,” the most common always require that AMPs be implemented type of logging machines in our woods. and followed by the logger throughout A “log landing” is an open area where the harvest. Operating under frozen trees are deposited, cut into products and conditions whenever possible will reduce loaded onto trucks. “Truck roads” are generally of the one-lane variety, passable impacts to your soils and infrastructure, and keeping logging equipment on main by log trucks and connecting the log skid trails will mitigate soil impacts in landing to town roads. the woods. Well placed, installed and When water finds its way onto forestry maintained “waterbars” on skid trails, infrastructure it can gain volume and per the AMPs, will divert runoff into momentum, causing soil erosion.

Uncontrolled runoff from skid trails, truck undisturbed areas, where soil particles and roads and log landings can create ruts, rills runoff are captured.

If you’re in the Lake Champlain Basin, and gullies, washing soil particles into and you inherited poorly-maintained, streams and other bodies of water. These particles form a layer of sediment that can washed-out and/or actively eroding degrade fish, reptile and amphibian habitat logging infrastructure, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (“sedimentation) and can lead to water (RCPP) may have funding available to quality degradation downstream in our rivers, lakes and ponds (“eutrophication”). help you stabilize these features. For more information about this program please Steep skid trails, wheel ruts and exposed contact me or your local NRCS Service soil all further increase the chances and Center. potential severity of soil erosion.

As described above, forestry Soil erosion is also problematic for infrastructure is a compromise, with our ability to manage our forests in the a series of challenges and potential long term. In previous articles I have pitfalls. However, it is also critical to the discussed Vermont’s working landscape management of our forests, supporting and the positive role that thoughtful, their health and productivity and our responsible forest management can play working landscape. Taking steps to create in our forests and our communities. stable forestry infrastructure will protect Having well-designed, stable skid trails, water quality, aquatic habitats and our truck roads and log landings supports ability to manage our forests in the future.

Vermont’s working forests by protecting For more information on Vermont’s our ability to manage them into the AMPs, go to fpr.vermont.gov/forest/ future. By contrast, poorly designed and/ managing-your-woodlands/acceptableor maintained forestry infrastructure can become “washed out,” unusable or require management-practices.

The author can be reached at ethan. expensive restoration, which can make tapper@vermont.gov, at (802)-585-9099 forest management in the future difficult or at his office at 111 West Street, Essex or impossible.

The “acceptable management practices Junction. for maintaining water quality on logging

Ethan Tapper

CHITTENDEN COUNTY FORESTER

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”

Job Title: Beach attendant Supervisor: Recreation director Start Date: Memorial Day weekend End Date: After Labor Day Job Description The beach attendant position is a part-time seasonal position that begins Memorial Day weekend. The beach attendant will be responsible for the maintenance of the beach area and the facilities located near the beach (e.g. tennis court, playground, volleyball court and picnic area). Dependent on the shift, the beach attendant will be responsible for setup or clean-up of the beach. During their shift the beach attendants will supervise the parking area and manage the sale of all parking passes. There will be daily responsibilities to help maintain the cleanliness of the beach and its facilities.

Job Responsibilities 1. Morning set-up and/or night pick-up, which includes unlocking/locking bathrooms, posting signs, organizing parking passes, checking supplies, etc.

2. Manage and distribute parking passes 3. Deposit all revenue from parking pass sales at the end of their shift 4. Assist individuals at the beach with any questions or concerns 5. Track and report all parking pass payments 6. Complete all assigned tasks efficiently 7. Janitorial duties will be required (proper protective gear will be provided) 8. Oversee and assist with approved private events at the beach 9. Enforce all beach rules and regulations 10. Report any issues to the Recreation Coordinator in a timely manner Qualifications • Great customers service skills • Strong communication skills • Ability to handle and exchange money • Very dependable • Must be assertive • If hired, attendant must attend paid training session that will occur the weekend before Memorial Day weekend.

Preferred Qualifications • First Aid and CPR certification • 1-2 years of work experience Hours: Part-time to average 20-25 hours per week.

Work Conditions: Work is outside, generally during good weather conditions. Some lifting will be required.

Please submit a job application with three references to the Charlotte town office. Applications can be found on our town website or you can fill one out at the town offices.

The recreation director will be reviewing applications and will be contacting individuals mid-April. Should you have any questions please see the email or phone information listed below.

Nicole Conley, recreation director. Email: Recreation@townofcharlotte.com.

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14 • April 3, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Food Shelf News Castle, Robert and Kathryn Mesaros, and Cynthia Marshall.

Susan Ohanian Many people wonder about the relationship between the Vermont Foodbank and the Charlotte Food Shelf.

The Vermont Foodbank secures large quantities of food from grocery stores, food manufacturers, farms, businesses and elsewhere. The Foodbank does not give food directly to individuals but makes it available to a network of food shelves and other sites with food distribution programs. Currently, the Charlotte Food Shelf is one of 215 network partners in the state working with the Foodbank to make sure that everyone in Vermont has adequate food.

As well as distributing food, the Vermont Food Bank visits local members in the network to seek suggestions for ways to work better together to provide the best possible nutrition to help low-income members of our communities throughout the state. Part of the visit also involves making sure that member sites provide a clean and organized location for food storing and distribution. Thanks to all the hard work of our many volunteers, the Charlotte Food Shelf passed this inspection with flying colors.

Mon-do-min Take a look at the Foodbank logo.

There’s a wonderful story drawn from Abenaki legend explaining this logo, a black bird with a kernel of corn. The black

bird symbolizes the vessel for gathering, the yellow kernel, the food we share, and Mon-do-min, the act of nurturing others. It is a good story for a family to talk about: vtfoodbank.org/2010/08/come-closer-ihave-a-story-to-share.html. With that story in mind, we give thanks to our community nurturers.

Thank you to Community Bakers who provided chocolate cake, frosted cupcakes, cookies and bars for the March distributions.

Thank you to the generous people who donated the $40 Walgreens and Bed Bath & Beyond gift cards anonymously.

Thank you to the Charlotte Congregational Church and Our Lady of Mount Carmel members for their Lenten Food Drives, stocking the food shelf with much needed food items aimed at children—such as healthy cereal and afterschool snacks. A special thanks to Mary Gable for donating cereal and to Bethany Myrick for the bountiful supply of canned goods.

Thank you for financial contributions from Margaret Berlin, Nancy & David Pricer, Henri Proutt in San Francisco, Charles and Elisabeth DesLauriers, Anne

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Rummage sale alert The Charlotte Grange, longtime supporters of the Food Shelf, holds its semi-annual rummage sale this week: Friday, April 5, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Saturday, April 6, 8 a.m.–noon (BULK RATE DAY). Come and find clothes for the whole family as well as household items, kitchen wares, knickknacks, toys and games, and lots more. And the proceeds benefit the community.

Wish list The next time you go shopping for groceries, think about adding some afterschool snacks for kids. On the Food Shelf wish list: Rice Krispies, Cheerios, pudding cups. We also need vegetable oil and toothpaste.

Important distribution dates at the Charlotte Congregational Church Wednesday, April 10, 24: 5–7 p.m.

Thursday, April 11, 25: 7:30–9 a.m.

Financial assistance As a reminder, the Food Shelf has some funds available for emergency assistance with fuel and electric bills. You may contact Pat Rodar at 425-3083 if you need assistance.

We are available 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 Pat at 425-3083. For more information

call Karen at 425-3252.

Donations We are a volunteer organization, so all donations you make to the Food Shelf go directly for food or assistance to our local neighbors in need. Should you wish to honor someone with a donation, a special acknowledgement will be sent to that person. Checks may be mailed to Charlotte Food Shelf & 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. Please check expiration dates.

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.

Baked goods for the Hunger is Hard (Baking is Easy) group can be dropped off on the Wednesday distribution dates by noon at the Congregational Church or at Holly Rochefort’s house at 86 Spear Street, where a bin sits on the porch.

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.

The Charlotte News • April 3, 2019 • 15

Out Takes

Stand like an Egyptian

Edd Merritt We should be together We should be together my friends We can be together We will be We must begin here and now A new continent of earth and fire Tear down the wall . . .

“We Can Be Together” – Jefferson Airplane (Paul Kantner) Well, maybe I learned my lesson—don’t borrow images and expect not to get any feedback. A couple of issues ago, I suggested (tongue firmly in cheek, mind you) that perhaps a wall around East Charlotte, once its parameters were determined, would solve its invasion by the immigrants from the west.

Although a number of Charlotters caught its drift, several also suggested that I should be hanged by my toes and that the piece demonstrated why The Charlotte News was in such trouble, having to rely on journalistic misfits such as me for commentary. Hey, what else is one going to do to keep the fireplace lit?

I can take a hint and have decided to rectify my previous suggestion by removing the promotion of a wall around the east village.

But I don’t want the notion of a visual artifact to disappear entirely. So I suggest we replace the wall with a pyramid. You know, those things from ancient Egypt that housed pharaohs and other members of their families plus memorabilia, animals and other personal items they would want to have with them as they carry themselves eternally after death.

How is that for an upbeat suggestion?

It did not hurt that I just finished reading a book by one of my favorite authors – Terry Pratchett – titled Pyramids. As you may know, most of his novels (and he wrote over 40 in his lifetime) are set on Disc World, a flat world that rests atop the backs of four elephants who are themselves riding on the shell of a gigantic turtle that is slowly moving through space. Pyramids happens to focus on current kings and gods and their final resting places. The lead characters in the book are learning to be assassins in order to keep the pyramids full and operable.

I don’t believe we need to go quite that far in East Charlotte. However, a replicated Egyptian monument with a mummified pharaoh and hieroglyphs inside it in the middle of the East Charlotte green would serve to promote the village as the center of a hierarchy that those of us residents want to sustain.

But we need a pharaoh, someone who personifies the village and who, mummified, would remain in the pyramid with all the goodies that accompany “pharaohship.” I have that someone in mind but do not want to press him/her upon our village. However, agricultural mementoes such as cattle and corncobs, maybe a milking machine, would be the things to keep this pharaoh happy through eternity.

In ancient Egypt the pharaoh saw himself as the most powerful person in the region and a strong religious leader. I’m not certain how Charlotte’s priests, ministers, rabbis and other religious overseers would view anyone else in that capacity, but since we don’t have a mayor, we need a pharaoh, and the pharaoh needs a place to keep his remains. Voila! What better place than smack dab in the center of East Charlotte?

Now that we have designated the place, we need to construct this edifice. Given

Elements of the “The Great Pyramids of Giza” by Matt Wan is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Original image from Flickr.com.

that pharaohs often hold high moral as well as high financial status, I think we could make it a centerpiece of affordable housing that is being planned to surround it. The pyramid could provide a different style in its neighborhood and yet would complement the multiple dwelling units planned for across the street. There could be a fast-food area on the pyramid’s ground level, selling bacon and cheeseburgers to mummified customers, and everyone from the neighborhood and beyond could contribute parts and labor to its construction.

Of course it would need the approval of the Zoning Commission, Planning Commission and Selectboard before the first brick is laid, but as we’ve been told over and over again, they are all soft touches when you want to rid green space of nat-

ural growth and replace it with dwellings.

Besides, pyramids do point heavenward and carry a religious seal of approval.

Not to compete with Giza, though, the Charlotte pyramid would fall somewhere in the vicinity of the 200th to 300th “Wonder of the World.” We don’t want to push out the Tunbridge World’s Fair that already carries a well-publicized notoriety once the sun goes down.

So forget my suggestion of a walled village. The pyramid may be seen as a response to a local emergency. (Leave the “national” one to Reynosa, Mexico, and McAllen, Texas.) Pyramid tours will be held Fridays through Sundays, and the money collected will go to Jr. and the road crew.

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16 • April 3, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Conservation Currents The monarch butterfly challenge: Can we reverse its population decline?

“

Mary Van Vleck The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) has been in the news recently.

The populations of these colorful and much loved butterflies have declined 90 percent in the past 20 years, and people are alarmed. Why has the monarch disappeared, and what can we do to reverse this trend?

This beautiful orange and black butterfly, 3½ to 4 inches across, used to be a common sight in flower gardens and grassy fields throughout the country, where they flitted from one flower to the next collecting nectar and laying eggs on the ubiquitous and abundant milkweed plant.

The larvae feed on the common milkweed plant almost exclusively.

Decades ago, most children were familiar with the monarch larva, a strikingly black, yellow and white striped caterpillar that made serious dents in the fleshy leaves as they grew and then spun themselves into brilliant green cocoons dangling from a leaf, turning orange and black as the caterpillar inside morphed into the adult butterfly.

Then in the fall, swarms of colorful butterflies gathered to migrate south.

They were eye-catching, and people loved them, knowing that those seemingly frail butterflies migrated to some mysterious place far away. People were fascinated,

Monarch butterfly.

appreciating all aspects of this insect: the caterpillar, the chrysalis (cocoon), and the butterfly. Because of the larva’s association with the milkweed plant, they were known as milkweed butterflies and also the king of butterflies, and so became the monarch. It is the only butterfly known to migrate south for the winter.

Monarchs have three or four generations over the course of a summer. The first three generations live two to six weeks each, changing from egg to larva to chrysalis to butterfly. The fourth generation, which emerges in late summer, is genetically programmed to live for six or eight months in order to migrate to Mexico and back. So the butterflies that migrate the next fall are the great-great grandchildren of those that migrated the previous year.

Without being shown the way and coming from all over the eastern U.S. and Canada, monarchs take two to three months and fly up to three thousand miles to a mountainous area west of Mexico City, where they settle on the same fir trees where their ancestors have wintered for centuries. It is estimated that more than a billion settle there, so numerous that they can weigh down the branches on which they land.

In the spring, those same individuals leave their southern roosts and begin the journey north, back to where their lives began, laying their eggs along the way on the undersides of milkweed leaves on which the tiny caterpillars will feed when they hatch.

There are many reasons for the swift decline of these insects. Their habitat has been lost both in the north and on their wintering grounds in Mexico, given over to houses and more agriculture. Milkweed, so essential to the larvae, has been systematically removed by homeowners and farmers. Considered weeds by most, it was removed very effectively from fields with ever-stronger chemicals as they became available.

As people have become aware of the disappearing monarchs, more and more people are eager to help them. In 1986 the Mexican government conserved the

Courtesy National Geographic Kids

Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, which protects two square miles in the Sierra Madre Mountains; logging is no longer allowed there, though some illegal logging continues. In the north, conservation organizations are protecting fields and encouraging the growth of the milkweed plants so essential to the monarch caterpillars. People are encouraged to include the milkweed plant in their perennial gardens along with other nectar-producing plants, such as Joe Pye weed, whose nectar nourishes the adult, and milkweed seeds and seedlings are becoming available for sale.

Many companies sell seed packets and seedlings online and offer helpful advice. However, now that warm weather is arriving, it is best to buy plants already started, since the seeds need a cold period in order to germinate. Gardener’s Supply currently has the seeds for sale, which would need six to eight weeks in the refrigerator before being sown into peat pots or directly into the soil, and by late April they will have milkweed plants in peat pots in the perennial section, ready for planting in your gardens. (Warning: The seeds are very slow to start; one can feel much more successful starting with young plants.)

Another way to help is to encourage the milkweed plants that may already grow on

Monarch caterpillar

There are many reasons for the swift decline of these insects: their habitat has been lost both in the north and on their wintering grounds in Mexico, given over to houses and more agriculture.

Milkweed, so essential to the larvae, has been systematically removed by homeowners and farmers.

”

your property, viewing them as important native plants rather than as unwelcome weeds. It is nice to think that people will rally across the U.S. by growing and protecting the plants so essential to this butterfly and to putting aside acreage for them.

Many of us here in Charlotte are likely to lend a hand, and perhaps we’ll have more monarchs around in the future. There is reason to hope!

Mary Van Vleck is a member of the Charlotte Conservation Commission.

Meetings of the commission are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m., and the public is invited to attend.

The Charlotte News • April 3, 2019 • 17

Sunny Side Up Bright eyes and bushy eyebrows— Wednesdays with the CSH Rotary Not long ago, Melissa O’Brien wrote about having breakfast with the Charlotte Shelburne Hinesburg Rotary.

She told of the Carrie Fenn laughter, the kindness, the attentiveness—all true. Wednesday morning Rotary meetings are a hump-day bright spot during what can often feel like a dark week.

I joined the CSH Rotary last year at the invitation of John Hammer, former Charlotter and current resident of Shelburne. If you know John, you’ll agree he may be one of the most delightful people on our planet—smart, energetic, interesting and a true lover of life. John called me every Tuesday evening for about two months, reminding me about the next day’s Rotary meeting, until finally, out of guilt for his dedication, I showed up. And I’m so glad I did.

Last week, I managed to make it to a meeting after a long lapse, and just being in that room for an hour reminded me why I joined. Hands for Honduras (an annual service trip organized by super woman Linda Gilbert), tackling the opioid crisis, fundraising for community groups, putting together toiletry bags for kids in foster care or building a shed for the Charlotte beach attendants—this is how Rotarians spend their free time. This past meeting was a debrief on the Pies for Breakfast outreach event, held recently at Shelburne Vineyards, where Rotary volunteers served dozens of pies to hungry community members to spread the word on who and what is Rotary.

Rotary reminds us that we are not

islands, and we start each meeting with the Four Way Test, adopted by Rotary in 1943: “Of the things we think, say or do: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned?

Will it build good will and better friendships?

Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”

The Four Way Test helps to guide Rotarians in their personal and professional lives and reminds us to be our best selves.

When you think of Rotary, you might think of a bunch of old guys sitting around grumbling. And yeah, there’s a bit of that (good-natured grumbling, I am quick to add), but Rotarians, men and women, run the age gamut. Rotarians hail from many different walks and stages of life. You’ll find Republicans, Democrats and probably a few libertarians, doctors, professors, real estate professionals. Every meeting, we each plunk a dollar or two in a fish net, offering up something that happened during the week that made us happy: visits from grandkids, lunch with an old friend, shout out to a fellow Rotarian. We eat a delicious fresh breakfast of eggs, fruit, toast and muffins, enjoy camaraderie, hear from a compelling speaker who enlightens us, and head out into the rest of our day feeling a bit lighter than when we went in.

Rotary takes a bit of time and a very little bit of money for dues and such, but what it takes it gives back in spades. You might think you don’t have time to be a Rotarian (you do) or you won’t fit in (you will), and nowhere will you be more welcome in a room of strangers than when you walk into a room of Rotarians.

The CSH Rotary meets every Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church in Shelburne.

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18 • April 3, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Outdoors

Signs of spring

“

Elizabeth Bassett

If the kids grow up with frequent human contact, they will be excellent pets and easy to milk.

New life is everywhere. Sometimes we have to slow down to see it: snow fleas bounding across the dirty-white canvas of melting snow or hepatica leaves peeking from beneath leaf litter. Other signs of spring are so energetic they are impossible to miss: red-winged blackbirds wrangling for territory, flocks of robins pecking for worms, cardinals brightening the woods, and peepers and wood frogs piercing the night with their love songs.

Goats in the ‘hood In my neighborhood kids are bounding: baby Nigerian Dwarf goats that Margaret Aiken raises for their milk. “Nigerian Dwarfs are known for their friendly personalities,” says Margaret. “Their milk has an especially high butterfat content in addition to a rich and deliciously sweet flavor.”

Mother goats can have as many as four or five kids but only have two teats. “The girls are pretty polite,” Margaret says, “waiting in line for a teat, but the little boys can be pretty pushy, shoving the females aside to get ahead.” Hmmmmmm…..

What will become of these frisky, hyperenergetic little kids? “I will keep some of the females for milk and to produce babies in

”

Photo by Elizabeth Bassett

future years,” Margaret says. “Other females will be sold for their milk. I will sell the neutered males as pets.” A goat for a pet? I imagine cartoons of goats ripping shirts off the clothesline and rummaging through trash cans.

“The breed is very gentle,” Margaret says.

Tom’s marine Otter Creek • Lake ChampLain

“If the kids grow up with frequent human contact, they will be excellent pets and easy to milk.” What do they eat? “The moms get grain in their final month of pregnancy and while they are producing milk,” Margaret says. “Otherwise, they are browsers, not grazers, so they eat brush rather than grass.

They love poison ivy!”

In my book this is the best possible reason to own a pet goat.

Vernal pool update On a frigid day in early March it was nearly impossible to locate “our” vernal pool, the one that a team of Charlotters is monitoring. The pool was invisible beneath a thick blanket of snow. But one warm and rainy day can make a world of difference at this time of year. A mere week later, not only was the depression that hosts the vernal pool visible but open water ringed a small part of it. That same week, monitors in Massachusetts had observed some salamanders sunning themselves on bare south-facing hillsides, even as snow covered most of the ground. We found no sunbathing

salamanders in Charlotte.

We mounted an acoustic monitor on a tree that will record the mating songs and croaks of amphibians in coming weeks. The recorder is programmed to record for 10 minutes each evening at 8 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. On future visits we will measure the percentage of ice and open water and soon thereafter egg masses from frogs and salamanders. With any luck we will be able to identify the eggs as they develop in coming weeks.

Early sunbathers In a more normal month of March— when it’s warmer than 2019—mourning cloak butterflies flutter around Chittenden County on sunny days. Their dark brown wings, the color of mourners’ clothes, are ringed with iridescent blue spots and a white border. These early spring butterflies have not recently emerged from a chrysalis but have overwintered as adults in cracks and crevices of tree bark.

Mourning cloaks bring specific adaptations to their winter survival: antifreeze-like chemicals, glycerols, in their blood, and isometric shivering that raises body temperature to 15 or more degrees above ambient temperatures. This allows mourning cloaks to emerge on sunny days.

As their wings warm in the sunshine they feed on any available tree sap and then perch in a sunny spot to look for a passing mate.

Keep an eye out for these brown-winged harbingers of spring.

Meanwhile, happy early spring!

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The Charlotte News • April 3, 2019 • 19

Accidental Pastor

Humility found in the most unlikely of places Melissa O’Brien I went to the Architectural Digest Design Show in New York two weeks ago. It was a terrific concentration of furniture and arts and lighting, decorative stuff, electronics, appliances. It was overwhelming, of course, to try to take it all in in a few hours, but it was hugely inspirational and fun. In part because of the stuff there but mostly because of the people.

I wanted to know everyone’s story: What inspires you? How did you get started doing this? How do you make this thing? Is the show going well for you? What I found was that people were more than happy to answer my questions. Which is why I know so much now about the field bed that Riley, the brains behind Hinterland, is making. Also, I very much want one, not because it makes any sense in my life or I need one, but because I met the person who makes the thing and he told me about what inspired him and who he is and how long he’s been making things and what he loves the most about all of it.

The thing has a story; the story is meaningful.

The guy standing there had come to New York from British Columbia, and when I asked him what inspired him to create the field bed he told me a story about army camp beds and his relationship to the woods where he lives and how those things manifested in his idea for this beautiful little bed. Suddenly the bed sitting there in the middle of a huge warehouse in the middle of a huge city meant something.

I think that’s the way it’s supposed to work. I really believe that things we make aren’t all that meaningful unless they matter to us in some important way that has nothing to do with making a living.

When the heart is in the object, the object

matters. Otherwise it’s just taking up space in an already overcrowded, filled-with-crap world.

If you’re going to make something, make it timeless. Make it because you can’t not make it. Make it because it looks like all your dreams.

Of all the things I saw, it was the furniture of Campagna that went straight to the marrow for me. I saw the booth from a short distance and it took my breath away; I had one of those moments I’ve described here before, when something resonates with me on a level where words don’t make sense or even matter.

The young man whose work it is was humble, almost invisible, really. I didn’t take any pictures because I wanted to touch everything; I wanted to know as much as I could about the person and the work.

A Gem of a meal

Coco Eyre Gem feels less like a restaurant than a warm and cozy house, and Flynn’s cooking is out of this world.

Here’s what a food writer for The New York Times said about it: “His cooking is nuanced, his plating is often lyrical and the flavors, at least this spring and summer, have been delicate, subtle and very fresh. The vegetables and fruits he uses in profusion look and taste as if they had dropped off the vine right on to the hand-spun, earth-toned ceramic dishes.”

Our dinner consisted of 12 courses. We started the evening with raw scallops and pickled white asparagus, a combination I would have never thought of. There was lamb tartare with chamomile and nasturtium; delicate Bluepoint oysters with sweet potato and rye.

My favorite dish of the night had to be the oranges with bottarga (salted cured roe of the mullet fish) and fresh cheese. The saltiness of the cheese paired perfectly with the light acidity of the fresh oranges.

We ended the evening with a parsnip cake topped with a toasted oat ice cream, a chanterelle cinnamon roll and candied parsnip and apple.

The food we ate that night inspired me to rekindle the love I used to have for cooking

Photo by Melissa O’Brien

Chef Flynn McGarry

The lines of his chairs and tables are clean and elegant and reminded me of the work of architect John Pawson. Nothing fussy.

Nothing to detract from the purpose of the piece: this is most obviously a chair meant to be sat upon: this is most obviously a table, meant to be used for work or eating.

Nothing frivolous. I loved it so and I told the maker as much: “Your work touches the heart.” To which he responded with gratitude, “That means everything, thank you.”

“You’re welcome; you’ve earned it.”

What surprised me about the people I met at that fancy show, the ones I found myself talking with, was how modest and grounded they were. How important their work was to them and how elegantly the pieces of themselves were reflected in the things they were making; how they faded

into the background, and the work, the objects, told the story.

The same story had played out the night before at the restaurant called Gem. The owner, Flynn McGarry, has every reason to think himself something important.

Because he is; he has been cooking for the public since he was about 12, and today he runs a successful restaurant in New York at 20. (Watch the wonderful documentary called Chef Flynn to learn more of his story.)

One might expect Flynn to be…a little obnoxious, a young man with a large ego. One would have thought he would be hidden away in a kitchen, too busy or important to speak with diners at his restaurant …you know, that chef thing.

He was anything but. Flynn was humble and kind and completely present.

He brought food to our table and cleared our plates. He took the time to answer our questions, he told Coco to keep cooking, and his old friend and member of the staff, Nora, invited her back to work in the kitchen with him. Flynn was lovely in every way and already knows how life works: It’s not about him, it’s about the food.

He is a magician, a scientist, an artist. Flynn himself is small, quiet and unassuming; his food playful, gorgeous, astonishing. In my 53 years here I have never experienced the fruits of this world done like that. In the hands of Flynn McGarry food becomes a vehicle, transporting the eater to another realm. The dishes were visually enchanting, colorful.

The tastes…words fail.

It was funny. We went to some very fancy places in New York recently. And discovered there some of the most talented, sparkling, humble, kind and respectful humans you can imagine.

There is hope, friends, there is.

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Serving the Champlain Valley since 1945

Oranges with bottarga and fresh cheese.

Photo by Coco Eyre

when I was on Chopped Junior. I got burned out after all the intense training and prep and the weirdness of the TV world, but after eating at Gem I started to remember all the amazing things you could do with just a few simple ingredients, and I was inspired by the fact that Flynn is only 20 and he’s running his own restaurant already. I cannot wait to make my way back to Gem in the near future.

Family owned, local business

20 • April 3, 2019 • The Charlotte News

Sports

Edd Merritt

It’s all-star court and ice teams and all-star games

It is a bit cold for spring sports to begin; however, teams are warming up indoors and rosters of top winter sports players are appearing in the media.

Last Saturday saw the 35th annual Rotary Classic hockey game in Essex, Austin squad versus Harris, men and women. Essex’s Francesca Martin led the Austin team to a 4-0 win on the women’s side, while BFA-St. Albans’ Cooper Cioffi turned the tide with a 4-2 victory for Harris men. Charlotte’s Caroline Reynolds and her CVU/MMU teammates Brianna Brosseau and Payton Skillen played for Harris women while Redhawks Charlie Averill, Logan Cody, Nick Lyman, Ben Ross and Jake Schaefer skated for the Harris men.

In the North/South Senior All-Star Classic basketball games played at Windsor High School, the teams split with the North men winning 118-89, and the South women winning 84-70. In that game CVU’s Meghan Gilwee paced the north squad with 10 points.

Move on to all-star rosters as selected by coaches. First, we will look at basketball. Despite a loss in the state finals and a disappointing finish to an otherwise undefeated season, five CVU teammates were selected by division coaches for all-state mention. Mekkena Boyd and Catherine Gilwee were named first-team Metro Division; Harper Mead, second team; and Kaylee Beyor and Meghan Gilwee received honorable mention.

Spring warm ups

The coaches also selected their “dream dozen.” These included Mekkena Boyd and Catherine Gilwee from the Redhawk women and Ethan Harvey from the Redhawk men in Division I. Kaylee Bayor, Meghan Gilwee and Harper Mead were named Division I women’s senior all-stars, and Cole Otley, a men’s DI all-star.

Charlotte’s Catherine Reynolds was selected an academic all-star among Tier 2 women’s hockey players. Charlie Averill on the second team and Nick Lyman on the third team gained all-star status among Division I men.

Charlotte Nordic skiers have well-groomed edges

Nordic men and women placed a number of skiers among the 2019 allstars. Among the women, Emma Strack led the CVU group with Charlotte’s Finn and Isabell Mittelstadt, Sadie Holmes and Chloe Silverman finishing in the top rank as well. Emma and freshman Finn were top-ten awardees with Sadie gaining honorable mention.

Among the men, Jared Leonard was the top Redhawk with Charlotte’s Skyler Heininger in the pack. Leonard and Jonathan McAuliffe were the only CVU skiers among the top ten, Leonard finishing 7th and McAuliffe gaining honorable mention.

Indoor rundown.

Colby Jordan skis in U.S. Alpine Tech Championships

Waterville Valley, Maine, was the site of the Toyota U. S. Alpine Tech Championships. Among the entrants was Colby Jordan from Charlotte and St. Michael’s College. He earned an invitation to this event because of the points he earned from previous races this winter. Competing against skiers who have skied in world-cup events, Colby, a Purple-Knight junior, finished 64th out of 95 starters.

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The Charlotte News • April 3, 2019 • 21

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see a course or an event that requires registration, please do not wait until the week it begins (or the day before) to enroll. Keep in mind that it is always fine to call and cancel your sign-up (no reason required), but it is best to indicate interest as soon as possible. We will be looking to offer other UVM Community Health Improvement series in the future. Stay tuned.

Coming Soon Avoiding Fraud and Con Artists – on 4/24, sponsored by People’s United Bank and AARP Road Hike #1 – on 4/30 at 9 a.m. with Marty Morrissey Pastel Painting – on 5/7 with Shirley Reid-Thompson Play Reading – on 5/23 with Sean Moran And much more. . .

“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.”

- Doug Larson Well, yes—and sometimes, no. The numbered spot where I park my car in front of my place has a significant indentation and loves to gather all the water available from surrounding areas. Not a puddle—more like a pond.

Maddeningly, the water is only at the driver’s side rear door and not on the passenger’s side at all. Of course, this rear door is the one I use to stash my items to take to work, etc. At times, I have parked in the carport across the often-slippery pavement, and I am ashamed to admit that it took me quite a while to realize that all I had to do to avoid the water dance was to maneuver my car with the back facing my front door—and leave some space to walk behind it. A little inconvenient but oh-somuch drier.

Free Wednesday Afternoon Events at 1p.m.

Today, 4/3 garden designer Charlotte Albers will present English Gardens of the Cotswolds. She will show highlights of her tour last spring to England’s National Trust Hidcote Manor, Sezincote, and the garden designed by Rosemary Verey in Gloucestershire.

On 4/10, Susanna Kahn, the Charlotte Library’s tech librarian, will discuss Accessing Mental Health Services on Your iPad. This will be a brief review of how to access trustworthy health information on the library’s new iPads— or your own. There will be plenty of time for general questions and a few tips.

Please bring your iPad, if you have one.

Registration is requested.

On 4/17, everyone is invited to the CCS Music Concert directed by Monica Littlefield.

The Senior Center welcomes back middle school students from Charlotte Central School who will be performing a short concert as part of the Ukulele Band and the Concert Choir.

On 3/27, Vince Crockenberg gave his twice-delayed presentation on Cuba After Fidel, and it was worth the wait. His years in the classroom were evident (in a good way), and people have already asked when he is coming back with a geo-political

topic. (Great question!)

One of the things that is truly wonderful about the Senior Center is how engaged audiences are with the presenters, as well as with the topics being presented.

People do not come to just be passively entertained, but rather they bring their own experiences and understanding of the topic to learn more and be part of an exchange. It just doesn’t get any better than that—at any age!

Courses and Other Events Today, 4/3, Mindfulness for Life begins with Jill Abilock. She has recently taught the Wednesday classes at 9 a.m. and will be offering this series on Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. The entire series offers mindfulness techniques to help you meet life’s challenges with strength and ease and deepen fulfillment from all of life’s joys. Beginners are welcome. Fee: $20 for the 8-week series.

If you missed today’s Birding Expeditions with Hank Kaestner, you can still sign up for the trips next month on 5/8 and 5/22. (Please note that the original dates have changed.) The group carpools and meets 10 minutes before departure at 9 a.m. Registration is required. No fee.

On Wed., 4/10, is our recurring Foot Clinic, starting at 9:15 a.m. with the kind assistance of Martha McAuliffe, R.N.; Julia Jacques, LPN, AEMT; and Samantha Wendell. This clinic does require preregistration and is now taking names only for the waiting list, but the Blood Pressure Clinic at 11:30 welcomes walkins. Call to sign up for the next Foot Clinic on 5/15.

On Thurs., 4/11, is the Blood Drive from 2–7 p.m. If you have been considering it, now is the time to act; it is your chance to help save a life by donating blood at the Senior Center. We are always happy to host the American Red Cross blood drives, and our friendly volunteers, comfortable space and great snacks make giving blood here a pleasure.

Disappointingly, the series on Living with Chronic Pain, which was to begin on 4/18, has been canceled. Both a staffing change and low enrollment were reasons that UVM ended the enrollment time earlier than expected. And this is an opportunity to stress that if you

Art News The April Art Exhibit is “Potpourri.”

It is a variety of colorful, interesting and varied works in watercolor, acrylic and mixed media by Lynn Cummings and her students.

The public is invited to an Artists’ Reception for the above show on Friday, 4/12, from 1:30-2:30. It will be a chance to speak with the artists about their work and creative process and enjoy some light refreshments.

Whenever you plan to stop by to visit any exhibits, please note the best times to see Art Exhibits below since the Center’s exhibition space is used for many other events and classes. Please note that the times do change every month.

See you soon!

Best times to see art exhibits in April are: Tuesdays after 2:30, and Thursdays and Fridays after 12:30.

You might also catch a quick peek at about noon on Mondays and Wednesdays. Please call the Center during the week to check on Sunday afternoon availability.

SENIOR CENTER MENUS Suggested donation for all meals: $5

Monday Munch

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

No reservations required.

April 8

Italian sausage & cheese Tortellini soup Green salad Homemade sessert

April 15

Bolognese lentil sauce over Parmesan squash cake Greens & carrots Lemon cake

Wednesday Lunch All diners eat at noon.

Reservations required.

April 3

Meatloaf w/ roasted potatoes Steamed asparagus Birthday cake & ice cream

April 10

Chicken cacciatore & pasta Cheesecake bars

April 17

Oven-fried chicken w/ mashed potatoes Glazed carrots Cherry angel trifle

Thursday Gents Breakfast

7:30–9 a.m.

Reservations required.

April 11 Menu: TBA Topic: TBA (Keep up to date on menus with Front Porch Forum, as they sometimes change.)

The Charlotte News • April 3, 2019 • 23

Classifieds Reach your friends and neighbors for only $12 per issue.

(Payment must be sent before issue date.) Please limit your ad to 35 words or fewer and send it to The Charlotte News Classifieds, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 or email ads@thecharlottenews.org.

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13. Yo-Yo’s instrument 14. Read-only storage 15. Clear the chalkboard 16. Macho one 17. Gobbled up 18. Prepare for winter takeoff 19. *”2001: A Space ____” 21. *First man in space 23. Rocketman’s title 24. Green gemstone 25. Middle-earth creature 28. Dharma teacher 30. *Like space 35. Actress Gilbert 37. Heartburn relief 39. Parent, to a child 40. All over again 41. Pertaining to Os 43. Rani’s dress 44. Great reviews 46. 1,000 grams 47. Moon pull 48. *NASA’s human spaceflight program 50. Major European river 52. Huxley’s choice 53. Bookie’s quote 55. Two halves

57. *Robotic space explorer 61. *Kennedy Space Center location 65. Pleasant smell 66. Be indisposed 68. “____ death do us part” 69. Manicurist’s office 70. Court 71. Underwater breathing organs 72. Benevolent fellows 73. Car nut 74. Conversation starter DOWN 1. Acoustic phenomenon 2. Lou of The Velvet Underground 3. Abounding with elms 4. Teacher’s audience 5. Throat lymph node 6. Carhop’s carrier 7. *Like Venus 8. *____ Centauri or ____ Nebula 9. *____ 51 10. Bear’s den 11. Fungal spore sacs 12. “As ____ on TV” 15. Push one’s way into 20. One of the Muses 22. Internet pop-ups

24. Comfy nightwear 25. City in Japan 26. Piled up, as in debt 27. Words to live by 29. *Falcon Heavy entrepreneur 31. *Kind of frontier?

32. 21st century letter 33. Smart candy?

34. ____-and-true 36. Military no-show 38. Place for a house plant 42. Business-oriented programming language 45. *”For the Benefit of All,” e.g.

49. “___ to Joy” 51. As much as necessary 54. A southern ____ 56. Bert’s partner 57. Bud holder 58. Instead of written 59. Part of an egg 60. Singer-songwriter Tori 61. Use a cat o’ nine tails 62. It will 63. Popular pickling herb 64. Additionally 67. Promise to pay

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Help us keep the paper going If you enjoy the stories and the news we publish in each issue of The Charlotte News, your financial gift to the paper will ensure that we continue to provide for your reading pleasure in 2019.

All contributions—and we welcome them in any amount— are tax deductible. Donate online at: www.charlottenewsvt.org/donate-to-the-charlotte-news Or send a check made out to The Friends of The Charlotte News, PO Box 211, Charlotte, VT 05445.

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