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Charlotte News Thursday, May 16, 2019 | Volume LXI Number 22
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Charlotte News
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Vol. 61, no.22 May 16, 2019
Vermont’s oldest nonprofit community newspaper, bringing you local news and views since 1958
Selectboard and VSP listen to residents’ concerns and tackle RFPs
Let’s play ball!
Special meeting set for next Monday to continue speeding discussion
Juliann Phelps The Selectboard continues to tackle a packed spring agenda, with the bulk of the May 13 meeting devoted to hearing concerns from residents regarding speeding on Ferry Road and other roads in Charlotte, as well as a biannual discussion with the Vermont State Police (VSP) about their contracted hours and directed patrols (see below). With this agenda item going over its scheduled time, Selectboard Chair Matt Krasnow recommended that this topic and several other agenda items continue into a special meeting next Monday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. Those included the selection of a contractor for playground reconstruction and a proposed Town Beach accessibility ramp. Recreation Commissioner Chairman Bill Fraser-Harris and Recreation Director Nicole Conley were in attendance to unveil the preliminary designs from the sole contractor to respond to the request for proposal. Selectboard member Louise McCarren noted, “This was really the only vendor in our area; we weren’t really expecting multiple bids.” The playground redesigns will be presented to the Selectboard next week and revised to be accessible to a wider range of age groups. “The donors are not approving the design as it stands now,” said Conley. Fraser-Harris presented the proposed
ramp at the Town Beach, saying “It would increase the accessibility of the lower beach area to persons carrying items, such as stand up paddleboards, kayaks, et cetera.” Krasnow asked about the configuration of the ramp, resident Robert Mack asked what kind of material would be used, and Selectboard Vice Chair Frank Tenney asked whether it would require zoning approval. Krasnow offered, and the board agreed, to conduct a site visit during next week’s special meeting. Fire and Rescue budget report Champlain Valley Fire and Rescue Services Business Operations Manager Patrice Machavern and Tom Cosinuke, president of the Corporate Board of CVFRS, presented the third quarter financial review to the Selectboard. Cosinuke said, “From an expense standpoint, if we are exactly on budget we’d be at 75 percent, and we are actually a little bit under budget at 73.81 percent. Part of the reason that we are under budget is there was a period of time where one of our staff members on the rescue side was out on a worker’s comp claim, and consequently no salary was allocated at that time period.” Cosinuke also noted that Machavern switched to a “billing service that was less expensive, more efficient, and frankly doing a better job.”
Charlotte ball players participated in the Opening Day parade and ceremonies for Shelburne Little League on Saturday. Sam Moore, Henry Bushey, George Taylor, Daniel Tuquiere and Levi Russell all play for the Dodgers in the major league division. Bushey, Taylor and Tuiqere all received special recognition, along with all the other 12-year-olds in the league, for entering their last year of Little League. Photo by Chea Waters Evans
see SELECTBOARD page 15
State Police update Selectboard Chea Waters Evans Police and speeding were on the agenda again at the Selectboard meeting Monday night. The schedule allowed for public comment as well as a regularly scheduled biannual review with the Vermont State Police. Though speeding is a very real concern for many in Charlotte, the police officers’ report revealed that, at least in one spot, speeding is less of a problem than it appears. Lieutenant Bob Lucas and Sergeant Matt Daley, who is also a Charlotte resident, are the town’s regular contacts with the VSP. They were both at the meeting. Charlotte has contracted with the VSP since 2015 to patrol Charlotte. This is a common arrangement the State Police make across the state with towns that don’t have their own municipal police departments. For $30,000 a year, VSP provides approximately 32 hours a month of direct patrolling. The public comment portion of the meeting brought several proponents for lower speed limits in various locations
Vermont State Police Lieutenant Robert Lucas and Sergeant Matthew Daley provide their biannual update to the Selectboard. Photo by Juliann Phelps
around town that are commonly known as areas where motorists speed. VSP patrols monitor those areas more closely than others. Megan Price, who lives on Ferry Road and has been a frequent Selectboard meeting attendee and vocal supporter of a 35 mile-per-hour speed limit on her road, said that she was disheartened by a state trooper’s comment in a recent story in The Charlotte News that it was unlikely that the
speed limit would change on Ferry. Citing concerns about everything from pedestrians to wildlife safety to texting drivers, she advocated for a speed limit change. “I’m here to lower the speeds before somebody dies,” she said. Pedestrian safety was a key concern for most who spoke at the meeting, though how to achieve that goal was another matter. Some thought lower speed limits would do the trick, while others asked for
signs alerting motorists to bicyclists and pedestrians to help slow traffic. Margaret Russell, who is on the Charlotte Trails Committee, said she thought it was important to make townwide policies and changes as opposed to focusing on just a few areas that might be represented by a vocal minority. She also suggested that a different approach be taken instead of increasing police presence in town. “I would much rather see police dollars being spent to make the trails usable and improving pedestrian infrastructure,” she said. Selectboard Chair Matt Krasnow said the board is open to citizen ideas and that he will add it to the next meeting’s agenda, paying specific attention to “action items that don’t cost a lot of money.” Krasnow praised the work the VSP has been doing in the town, noting that in the five years since they began working with Charlotte, he’s seen positive changes. In response to the audience complaints, however, Krasnow pointed out that no see STATE POLICE page 6
2 • May 16, 2019 • The Charlotte News
Letter To The Editor Another native Vermonter relocates
The “crux of the issue” is the perception of cronyism
The people I befriended in Shelburne/ Charlotte will always be near-n-dear-2my-heart. Plus, they represent half my life (yup, sixty years ago Mr. & Mrs. Trahan gave birth to an outgoing child in Burlington). I’m hoping this letter to the editor will make it into the many households I didn’t personally say good bye 2 and serve as a small community’s reminder—that we all are connected to soooo many people. A month ago the husband Dan & I settled in Washington State. House sold (TY, Dottie). Renting house and hope to build—however, just getting here has been the goal all along. If you know me, you get the point. Indulge me if you would while I throw out a few names to send out a “friendly shout” to just a tip of the iceberg folks that are left behind in Vermont (Jim & Mary, Diane, Mary, Liz, Al & Nancy, Larry, Lisa, Jackie and, of course, the Charlotte Grange & Rotarians). Rest assured I’ll be back, and in the meantime think of me when you think “of us community-minded individuals” who do random acts of kindness. And, yes, I’ve already done the Green Up thing, which is another Vermont tradition I’m bringing with me! Keep supporting/reading your local newspapers, it’s a nice extension I believe to the Welcome Good Neighbor way of living that shouts Vermont. Ceal Moran
I want to thank The Charlotte News for its reporting on the ash tree removal RFP, which I believe has been generally accurate and fair. In the most recent article on the subject, however, “A promise to change the process, with some issues unresolved,” there are some inaccuracies that I think need to be corrected. Greg Ranallo of Teacher’s Tree Service is quoted as saying, “...never has a low bid been accepted without an explanation...” Clearly, he misspoke. His point was that higher bids have never been accepted without explanation. That was a central issue. It is not true that “disposal of the wood after the trees were cut down was not listed on the RFP,” and I don’t believe this is what I said at the meeting. Furthermore, I think it is misleading to follow this with the statement, “There lies the crux of the issue: Are items that don’t appear on the RFP allowed to be considered when awarding a contract? And should RFPs in the future be more detailed?” The crux of the issue is the perception of cronyism in awarding town contracts, not the specificity of future RFPs. The detail that needs to be added to town contracts will be explicit criteria upon which proposals are to be evaluated. Presumably this will include things like price, length of time to complete the project, relevant professional experience, level of expertise
and quality of the recommendations. Criteria such as personal experience with the bidder and whether or not Charlottebased companies and/or Charlotte residents are preferred, if considered at all, will hopefully receive less weight. A related question that has been raised is whether it was fair to ask other contending contractors if they were willing to match Chris’s Lawn Care’s offer to remove all the ash trees in the right of way, including the small trees and unmarked trees. My opinion on this is that if a contract award may be made based on criteria other than what was in the RFP, then all contractors need to be given the chance respond. The March 12 RFP, together with a March 24 amendment, specified that the logs were to be set outside of the roadway in a manner that does not impede traffic. The RFP further stated that the contractor could claim the wood if the contractor had secured permission from the landowner to do so. Chipped material was to be delivered to nearby landowners upon request made to the town administrator or be deposited at the former flea market site. Wood left by the roadside tends to disappear quickly, so our expectation was that most of this material would be removed by somebody other than the road commissioner’s crews. Mark Dillenbeck Tree Warden
School and Champlain Valley Union High School, then went to St. Lawrence University. After some years in Boston, marriage, a move to New York City, where she went to graduate school at City College of New York, and a stint in South Florida, she and her husband ended up back here in Charlotte. Change is in the air for Chea and her family this year. In addition to becoming the 19th editor of the The Charlotte News, the oldest of her three sons is graduating from CCS, and she and her family just got a new puppy. Some things remain the same, though. “My mom lives in the same house where we grew up, and my best pals from CCS are still some of my closest friends.” Chea’s undergraduate and graduate education concentrated on fiction writing, which, she says “is pretty funny, considering that the most important aspect of my job right now is getting the facts straight.” “I’ve written for other local papers for the past eight years, and I’m just thrilled to be with The Charlotte News now. I’ve been reading it for over 30 years. And I welcome your input, whether you think I’m a genius or that I royally messed Chea Waters Evans up. The former is always better, The new news editor of the but the latter helps us grow, paper is Chea Waters Evans. Chea and her which is always the goal.” family moved to Charlotte when she was _______________ 11. She graduated from Charlotte Central
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, length and consistency with our house publishing style. • We will make every effort to print each letter in its entirety and to preserve the original intent and wording whenever editing is necessary. We will confer with letter writers before publishing letters and commentaries that in our judgment require significant editing before they can be published. • 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
News from The News The May 2 issue of the paper was Melissa O’Brien’s last as the news editor of the paper; she is, however, staying on as a freelance writer until after her daughter, Coco, graduates CCS Melissa O'Brien in mid-June. She explains her reasons for leaving in her Accidental Pastor column on page 11. During this, her second stint as editor (her first was in 2008), Melissa brought to the paper her own distinct voice and style as well as a variety of new voices— Katherine Arthaud, Joan Weed, Genevieve Trono and Helen Toor—to complement the voices of long-time contributors like Elizabeth Bassett, Edd Merritt and Bradley Carleton. She also interviewed and wrote regular stories profiling Charlotters, introduced broader coverage of town events and meetings—and started a Journalism Club at CCS to introduce young writers to writing for their hometown paper. She’s leaving us with a stronger paper than when she arrived, and for that we are deeply grateful. _______________
The Charlotte News
The Philo Ridge fundraising event held on Sunday, May 5, brought in over $10,000 in donations, and after expenses we cleared over $7,000—all of which will be dedicated to hiring more writers to cover local news on assignment. Photos of the event, as well as our thanks to everyone who helped put it on, are on page 5. Last year, readers of The News, when we asked them how we could specifically improve the paper, said they wanted more coverage of local events and people to complement the features and profiles that we regularly publish. We’ve already made some progress in doing just that, with Melissa’s regular profiles and interviews and Chea Evans' and Juliann Phelps' coverage of town meetings and issues. But we can do more. And with the continuing financial support of both our advertisers and donors, we plan to do just that. The News board is finalizing a new strategic plan to guide us through the next several years. The plan sets a lofty goal: that within the next three years The Charlotte News is recognized as the best community newspaper in Vermont. By providing Charlotters with broader coverage of our community, while continuing to publish the wide range of feature stories and columns that distinguish us from other local community papers, we believe we can become the best community newspaper in the state. We’ll keep you apprised of our progress.
Editorial Staff Managing Editor: Anna Cyr (anna@thecharlottenews.org) News Editor: Chea Waters Evans (chea@thecharlottenews.org) Contributing Editor: Edd Merritt Copy editors: Beth Merritt, Vince Crockenberg Proofreaders: Edd Merritt, Mike & Janet Yantachka Contributing Photographers: Juliann Phelps, Lee Krohn and Sarah Lavoie 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 Lake and sunset.
The Charlotte News • May 16, 2019 • 3
Report from the Legislature
Around Town Edd Merritt
Congratulations to Alice Outwater (daughter of Alice senior, the late Charlotte News columnist) whose book Wild at Heart: America’s Turbulent Relationship With Nature, From Exploitation to Redemption (published by St. Martin’s Press) received strong reviews as a “beautifully written and ultimately hopeful history of our relationship with nature and the wilderness.” In it she describes clearly how far we as a people have come in protecting the environment and what we could lose if we fail to continue our progress. Alan Weisman, author of The World Without Us and Countdown, says that Outwater’s book, in addition to “being infectiously readable,” also “captures the essence of ecology.” Alice grew up in Charlotte and studied engineering at UVM, with graduate work at MIT. She consults on water quality and has lived on farms in Vermont, Hawaii and now Colorado.
Sympathy is extended to family and friends of James Murray who died April 21 at the age of 63. Scots by birth, he, his wife, Kathy, and son Andrew moved to James Murray Charlotte from their previous home in Toronto in 1991. More recently Jim moved into the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester. He worked for AON Insurance Managers in Burlington for 27 years before retiring in 2018. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Jim’s memory be made to the Vermont Food Bank or the UVM Cancer Center/Radiation Oncology.
Regional Bites Charlotte brothers sell company to employees
Brothers Jason and Shaun Patnaude, who grew up in Charlotte, have sold their mechanical and building automation contracting company to its employees, who are located in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York. The company is now part of the Alliance Group of employeeowned companies, whose president is the older brother, Jason. Alliance is one of a number of companies that makes
Vermont one of the most employee-ownedcorporation states in the country. Pizzagalli Construction Company, another business with roots in this end of Chittenden County, was a leader in becoming employee owned.
"E Pluribus Unum" All members of the Vermont House of Representatives meet at least once a day as a body during the legislative Mike Yantachka session to STATE REP. consider the bills on the day’s calendar. These floor sessions begin with an invocation delivered most of the time by a member of the clergy. The Reverend Susan Cooke Kittredge, Associate Pastor of the Charlotte Congregational Church, has done so several times. On other occasions a musical performance by an individual or a group will be provided, and occasionally a member of the House will provide a reflection. Last week it was my privilege to offer some thoughts for consideration. The motto on the currency of the U.S., E Pluribus Unum, translates to “Out of Many, One.” That motto and the Pledge of Allegiance inspired my thoughts and the following comments. Every Tuesday morning we begin by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The last line of that pledge includes the phrase, “with Liberty and Justice for All.” What does the word “all” mean? Some people think it means citizens of our country and nothing more. But I would suggest that the composer of this pledge meant it to include all human beings. The pledge was composed in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister’s son from upstate New York. While there is considerable documentation about different iterations of the pledge from the original text, there is no documentation as to what Mr. Bellamy considered the word “All” to mean. What we do know is that in the post-Civil War era, the idea included those who were at one time enslaved. Since then, waves of immigrants have come to America from various places—Ireland, Eastern Europe, Italy, Latin America, Asia and Africa—and from every corner of the globe, and each wave, other than enslaved persons who were forced to come, faced resistance from those who were already here. Like immigrants that came before them,
Former CVU principal handles a highly diverse student population
Seven Days of May 1–8 ran a lead article on former CVU principal Sean McMannon, who left Redhawk Nation six years ago to become superintendent of schools in Winooski and who has led the state’s most diverse district in a fashion that acknowledges that diversity and works with it rather than against it. Over half of Winooski’s 884 students are black, Asian, Hispanic or multiracial, and 40 percent began their lives speaking a language other than English. Small-town Winooski is the only district in an otherwise whitedominated Vermont that has a majority of minority students. For Sean, this is not unusual. He was a Peace Corps teacher in Botswana following college graduation, and after graduate school and a stint skiing the western slopes of this country, Sean and his wife headed to Alaska where he taught math, Spanish and special education to a student population that was 85 percent indigenous peoples. Sean began at CVU as a teacher and moved to principal in 2005, a position he held for eight years. He said that he “loved CVU, and it’s a great school,” but the opportunity in Winooski was not one he could turn down. In recognition of the population diversity he has “newcomer” classrooms for recent immigrants, and he has doubled the number of home-school liaisons who work with immigrant families in their native languages.
Dan Kiley exhibition opens in Middlebury
May 14 marked the opening of an exhibition of works by world-renowned and Charlotte-based landscape architect, Dan Kiley, as a traveling exhibition of photographs showing his designs worldwide opened at Middlebury’s Henry Sheldon Museum two days ago. Kiley’s employee and later on his partner, Peter Kerr Walker, still resides in Charlotte. By the time Kiley closed his East Farm office here, where he had lived and worked for 50 years, he had generated 1,300 projects, most built but a few left in design phase only. He could well be considered the “premiere landscape architect” of all time. A description of the touring exhibition appears in the May 1 Seven Days.
today’s immigrants generally start out near the bottom of the economic ladder and, with hard work driven by a vision of a better life for their children, rise over generations to a place higher on the ladder. Many, perhaps most, of us here today can recognize our own grandparents or greatgrandparents in today’s immigrants. This illustrates a simple fact: Our differences are superficial. At our core, we are all alike. Those who seek to focus on the perceived differences among us—color, race, ethnicity, gender preference, religion, even politics—create division and weaken us as a society. The true cement that binds us together is love, altruistic love, agape in Greek. It is the core belief of the Judeo-Christian tradition as expressed in the Greatest Commandments to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. And who is our neighbor? Jesus answered the question with the parable of the Good Samaritan at a time when the Samaritans were the outcasts of the Judaic community. It is expressed in the Quran in which the Prophet states that it is the duty of believers to “show kindness to parents, and to kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and to the neighbor that is a kinsman and to the neighbor that is a stranger.” In his new book, Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?, Bill McKibben states, “Another name for human solidarity is love, and when I think about our world in its present form, that is what overwhelms me. The human love that works to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, the love that comes together in defense of sea turtles and sea ice and of all else around us that is good. The love that lets each of us see we’re not the most important thing on earth and makes us okay with that. The love that welcomes us, imperfect, into the world and surrounds us when we die.” So, if we really mean it when we pledge "Liberty and Justice" for All, it truly has to be for all, and our actions should reflect it. 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.
Charlotte News
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Charlotte News Thursday, May 2, 2019 | Volume LXI Number 21
PUBLICATION DATES Thursday, May 30
Copy Deadline: May 23 Ads Deadline: April 24
Thursday, June 13
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4 • May 16, 2019 • The Charlotte News
Town Celebrating Charlotte Sevi Burget Foster
to support The Charlotte News. “It’s a great paper,” he says. “It’s got that hometown feel.” The News board is committed to covering more local news, and that means the paper needs more writers to work on assignment covering local news and events. All of the donations at the event have been put toward hiring those new writers. Bob, who was on his way to “buy a beer and make a donation,” appreciates that the paper comes free. He has lived in Charlotte for less than a year. Lisa Crispin enjoys reading the Selectboard coverage. “It’s really great to have that kind of insight,” she says. Nearly everybody said that they like the photography. Laura loves Katherine Arthaud’s book reviews. Laurie Thompson likes the variety in the paper. John Limanek appreciates that “it doesn’t seem to always be leaning one way.” And they both enjoy reading Edd Merritt’s columns. All in all, Vince didn’t need to spell out the difference between The Citizen and The Charlotte News. Everybody had their own reasons they chose to read The Charlotte News. It’s why they were there, apart from the food, music and beer. Everyone came to support the oldest nonprofit community newspaper in Vermont. Their donations ensured that The Charlotte News will continue on its path to its ultimate goal: being the best community newspaper in Vermont. Sevi is a senior at Vermont Commons School and an intern at The Charlotte News.
On Sunday, May 5, Philo Ridge Farm hosted a family-friendly fundraiser for The Charlotte News. That is, not The Citizen, as Vince Crockenberg, president of the board, made clear. “We are not this paper,” he told the sizable crowd, holding up the latest edition of the for-profit paper, The Citizen. “We are this paper,” he said, waving the colorful front cover of the May 2 issue of the paper. The event was more than a fundraiser; it was a love song to local. Philo Ridge gave farm tours and catered, giving up their chic veranda for stuffed buns, meatballs and colorful crudités. “There’s so much diversity in what they’re doing here,” Suzanne Lourie commented. Her daughter, Isabelle, works at Philo Ridge. “And, it’s close!” The farm is extending its hours, so it will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Beer Glass Trio performed live music, their name a composite of the three members’ names: Julia Beerworth (Beer), Joshua Glass (Glass) and Tim Swanson (Trio). Formed in 2010, Joshua Glass remembers that the musicians “combined our force into a supergroup of superfriends.” Shelburne Tap House, which will be opening its expansion, the Charlotte Tap House, this August in the former Wildflower Farm property off of Route 7, kept the demanding masses hydrated. Their selection ranged from beer to juice boxes. Along with the juice, the younger demographic kept busy with the kids’ table, designing their own front pages for The Charlotte News. One eager participant, who operates under the alias “Woob,” drew over 10 covers. All at the table seemed to be having a good time. Charlie said his favorite part of the event was “running around in the field.” Charlotte’s favorite part was the Philo Ridge food. And Julie declined to name a favorite part but threatened to write a report on me, writing a report. The threat is plausible. In Vince’s speech, he mentioned that of the 165 writers contributing to The Charlotte News this past year, 17 were from Charlotte Central School. In fact, the CCS Journalism Club wrote appreciations about their mothers published in the last issue. Farmer Dave Quickel is one of the contributing writers. He raffled off a CSA Sevi Burget Foster spent time interviewing share to his business, Stony Loam Farm, attendees about The Charlotte News.
Thank you, Charlotte ... What a wonderful evening at Philo Ridge Farm on May 5—sunny day, big crowd, great music and a spectacular venue. All of us here at The Charlotte News would like to thank owners Peter Swift and Diana McCargo, as well as our hosts for the day, Meriwether Hardie and Tad Cooke, for inviting the community to the Farm as a way to support the paper. The tours were special (the sheep!) and the food was exceptional. By the way, the farm market is now officially open for the summer season from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Big thanks also to Barb Cote of The Charlotte Tap House and our local sponsors Switchback Brewing Company and Shacksbury Cider for a great bar. Thank you to farmer and Charlotte News board member Dave Quickel for his generous donation of the Stony Loam Farm share for our raffle. And thank you to Charlotte’s own Beer Glass Trio—Julia Beerworth, Joshua Glass and Tim Swanson—for the great tunes. We couldn’t have pulled this event off without the enthusiastic volunteers, adults and kids, who managed the door, sold raffle tickets, processed credit cards and managed the kids craft area. Thank you all. Finally, thank you to everyone whose donations helped us meet and exceed the $3,300 challenge match put up by the board of The News. And a special thanks to Josie and Hank Kaestner for their generous gift in memory of their friend and The News’s great patron and benefactor, Alice Outwater. We also want to pass along the link to the interesting podcast that Meriwether Hardie mentioned in her brief remarks regarding the importance of keeping local newspapers strong and sustainable: www.npr.org/2018/12/09/675092808/starvingthe-watchdog-who-foots-the-bill-when-newspapers-disappear. If you weren’t able to attend the event but would like to show your financial support for your hometown paper, you can still make an online donation or send a check payable to The Friends of The Charlotte News to Box 211, Charlotte, VT. Thank you, Charlotters, for your support of The Charlotte News and for being a part of our now almost 61 year-old story.
If you want to be a reporter for your hometown paper, let’s talk Chea Evans NEWS EDITOR
Do you get excited over a municipal government meeting? Are you nosy about what’s going on with your neighbors? Do you like to write? Are you interested in what happens in your hometown? If so, I want to talk to you. The Charlotte News is looking for freelance writers and columnists to cover local news and events on assignment. Our goal over the next three years is to become recognized as the best community newspaper in the state. To do that, we need to hire more writers— including interns—and assign them to find and cover a wider range of local news and events. Journalism experience isn’t necessary,
but good writing instincts, a willingness to learn and a curious mindset are. If you’re interested, please send an email along with a writing sample to chea@thecharlottenews.org. If you don’t have a relevant writing sample, write one. Write a sample news story, 750 words or less, and send it in. I look forward to hearing from you.
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The Charlotte News • May 16, 2019 • 5
... for a successful fundraiser
Raffle Winner Emily Caldwell Abbey Pitcavage back right and Charlotte Ziter front right managed the kids craft table.
Ben Novak helped John Berkey (back left) and Stony Loam Farm owner Dave Quickel (right) draw the winning raffle ticket. The prize was a CSA farm share at Stony Loam Farm.
Kylee O’Connell Blakely Witt
Beer Glass Trio
TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS!
Philo Farm animals
6 • May 16, 2019 • The Charlotte News
Town STATE POLICE continued from page 1 police agency—in past years, Charlotte has contracted with both Shelburne police and the Chittenden County Sherriff’s department—will allow Charlotte to dictate their hours or which locations in town they cover or to suggest they only enforce certain laws during their patrols. “You can’t just tell police how to do policing and what’s important,” he said. “If they see an infraction, police can’t turn a blind eye to laws that aren’t being followed, and the town doesn’t have the right to ask them to.” As far as speeding is concerned, he said, “This is a community issue; it’s not an enforcement issue, and it’s not a structural issue with the roads.” VSP representatives Lucas and Daley presented data to back up Krasnow’s comment. After receiving feedback from Charlotters that Ferry Road was an area particularly prone to speeders, the VSP placed a speed cart on the road for two weeks to capture data about motorist behavior. Lucas said that a two-day speed cart placement would result in a dramatic drop in speeders, but that a two-week stint offers a more realistic portrait of traffic speeds in the area. He said that the results from the cart placed on Ferry to troubleshoot after the latest round of complaints were “very surprising.” He said that he is mindful of and
respectful of complaints from residents. “Their perception is reality, and obviously that reality is in their front yard,” Lucas said. Despite the feedback from the community, he said speed cart data revealed that the average speed in the area of the cart was 33 miles per hour, in the 50 mile per hour speed limit zone. He said the 85th percentile was 46 miles per hour—85 being the key percentage used by the state police to assess whether or not a speed limit should be changed. If 85 percent of motorists are exceeding the speed limit, it usually indicates that the limit should be higher. In this case, it was below the posted limit. Lucas said that there were 5,656 vehicles assessed over the two-week period and that 254 were above the speed limit. “Proportionally, it’s not a huge issue,” he said. The Selectboard will continue the speeding conversation at its next meeting, Krasnow said. Mary Anne Ferris, a Lake Road resident, said she disagrees with most and doesn’t think lowering the speed limit to 35 would make a difference. “Most of the speeders that you will see on this road live right there,” she said. “They’re not racing to the ferry.” She did have one suggestion, she said, identifying the problem with a commonly held observation. “I’d like the speed limit to stay right where it is. And I’d like people to learn how to drive.”
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Green Up Charlotte was a success
Electronic waste was collected by Transition Town Charlotte during Green Up Day on May 4. Charlotters filled 12 containers totaling 768 cubic feet of electronic waste. Estimated e-waste collected in order of volume: • Tube TVs, monitors • Stereo components, boom boxes, speakers
• • • • • •
DVD & VCR players Computers, printers, laptops Flat panel TVs Microwaves, toaster ovens Vacuum cleaners Miscellaneous items
Charlotters also filled one dump truck with trash from roadside clean up (green bags), one truck filled with tires and a partial truck with metal scraps.
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Town
Bring us your broken items in need of repair Repair Café is coming May 18 to CVU
Transition Town Charlotte Transition Town Charlotte is hosting their community Repair Café at Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU) on Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All attendees are asked to preregister at transitioncharlottevt.org. Repair Cafes are an easy way for folks to keep many of their belongings repaired and in working order. We have gathered talented local folks who will be volunteering their handy skills for YOU! Just bring your broken stuff to the Repair Café and watch the fixers do their magic. Besides keeping our stuff in working order, other benefits include reducing our landfill and carbon footprint, meeting our neighbors, and learning new skills. These are fun community events where the fixees and fixers chit chat and learn from each other. One of our goals is to educate you so that if the need arises again, you have the skills to fix it yourself. We now have fixers lined up who are offering the following repairs or services: • Mend clothing by hand or sewing machine; repair holey knits; adjust sewing machines • Replace zippers • Repair lamps–replace switches and cords, tighten wobbly bases • Troubleshoot and repair small appliances, electronics, radios, fans, heaters, (de)humidifiers • Sharpen garden tools, replace wooden handles, repair trimmers and weedwhackers • Repair jewelry, replace watch batteries, fix watch bands • Repair furniture, cuckoo clocks, dolls, favorite toys • Sharpen knives, scissors, axes • Patch your blue jeans using Sashiko, Japanese style stitching • Make a blue jean skirt from your old jeans!
• Tune chainsaws • Diagnose and fix computers, laptops, smartphones and printers • Replace smartphone batteries • Tune and minor repair of bicycles, truing of bike wheels • Repair and adjust skateboards Got something different? We are up for all new challenges! We are excited to be offering new fixit skills by CVU students and some professional fixers! The cost? Zero. Zippo. Zilch. We just ask that attendees make a food or monetary donation to the Hinesburg Food Shelf if able. If your repair requires new parts, you will need to buy and bring them. If you’re planning to bring some repair items, we ask you to register ahead so the fixers will have a better idea of what tools and supplies to have on hand. You can register online at TransitionCharlotteVT.org. Home-baked goodies, chili and drinks will be sold. The event is being sponsored by the CVU’s Environmental Action Club and Sustainability Hub, Transition Town Charlotte, the Charlotte Grange, the Charlotte Library and the Charlotte Congregational Church.
Photos by Jamey Gerlaugh
My Father’s Vietnam A Film by Soren Sorenson
Friday May 24th 7:00 PM Charlotte Grange 2898 Spear Street Charlotte, VT 05445 “To be remembered is an honor and the whole of my object.” Loring M. Bailey, Jr.
www.calmfrenzy.com The Vietnam War: A Book and a Film
8 • May 16, 2019 • The Charlotte News
Library News Margaret Woodruff DIRECTOR
Walking Each Other Home Book Discussion Group Mondays, April 29–May 20, 10 a.m. Meets at Charlotte Senior Center Taken from Ram Dass’ quote, “We are all just walking each other home,” this book shows us “how death gives us an unparalleled opening to cultivate gratitude, compassion, mindfulness, and an abiding joy in the simple beauty of living.” Poet and hospice activist Pam MacPherson facilitates our conversations. Copies of the book available at the Charlotte Library. Meets at Charlotte Senior Center. NOTE: This is a repeat offering of the January book group.
Mystery Book Group: Seneca Falls Inheritance Monday, May 20, 10 a.m. In the small town of Seneca Falls, New York, history was in the making. And so was murder.... Amidst the bustle of the Women’s Rights Convention of 1848, the independent, free-thinking town librarian Glynis Tryon is called on by Elizabeth Cady Stanton to help organize the historic event. But when a body turns up in the canal, Glynis puts her natural curiosity and her talent for sleuthing to work and takes a stand against a murderer. Copies available at the Charlotte Library. Memorial Day Film Showing: My Father’s Vietnam Friday, May 24, 7 p.m. Charlotte Grange, 2898 Spear Street, Charlotte A personal documentary about a public
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subject, My Father’s Vietnam personifies the connections made and unmade by the Vietnam War. Featuring never-before-seen photographs and 8mm footage of the era, My Father’s Vietnam is the story of three soldiers, only one of whom returned home alive. Interviews with the filmmaker’s Vietnam veteran father and the friends and family members of two men he served with who were killed there give voice to individuals who continue to silently carry the psychological burdens of a war that ended over 40 years ago. My Father’s Vietnam carries with it the potential to encourage audiences to broach the subjects of service and sacrifice with the veterans in their lives. Co-sponsored with the Charlotte Grange. Great Decisions: The Rise of Populism in Europe Tuesday, May 28, 7 p.m. Join us for a discussion of this timely topic. Reading materials available at the Charlotte Library circulation desk. Mass migration and the problems associated with it have directly abetted the rise of populist parties in Europe. Opposition to immigration was the prime driver of support for Brexit, it brought a far-right party to the German Bundestag for the first time since the 1950s, and it propelled Marine Le Pen to win a third of the vote in the French presidential election. In addition to calling for stronger borders, however, these parties are invariably illiberal, anti-American, anti-NATO and pro-Kremlin, making their rise a matter of serious concern for the national security interests of the United States. Library Book Discussion: The Contract Surgeon Thursday, May 30, 7:30 p.m. This beautifully written historical novel from one of the West’s most popular
writers tells the true story of the friendship between Valentine McGillicuddy, a young doctor, plucked from his prestigious medical career and his newly married wife to serve in the army during the Great Sioux War, and the great chief Crazy Horse. Copies available at the Charlotte Library. 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.
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The Charlotte News • May 16, 2019 • 9
Town Open Studio Weekend brings visitors into Charlotte artists’ spaces NEWS EDITOR
Life and work as an artist can be solitary; talking to an artist about her work can be intimidating. The Vermont Crafts Council’s Open Studio Weekend aims to bridge that gap around the State of Vermont, allowing artists to open their work spaces to the public and allowing people to visit and speak to artists in their natural habitats. Two Charlotte artists, Katie Carleton and Jessica Scriver, are participating in this spring’s Open Studio Weekend on Memorial Day weekend, May 25 and 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The family-friendly, self-guided tour through Vermont’s artists’ studios is an opportunity for people to meet with local artists and craftspeople in their studios. Studio tours, activities and snacks are available, as well as the opportunity to purchase art. This is Scriver’s third year participating
in the weekend. She works frequently in encaustic paint, which is, as she says on her website, “a wax-based paint that is applied using a heated palette then fused to the painting surface using a heat gun. The finish is incredibly lustrous.” In this medium, she also uses maps and other
geological inspirations, and said her work is “really process-oriented. It’s fun for people to come in and learn about the process.” Scriver will do demonstrations of her encaustic work throughout the weekend and will have work available for sale, though she says she wants people to enjoy the visit and not feel like they have to buy something. She said it’s fun for her to share her techniques, which she’s spent years developing, with curious visitors as well as with fellow artists. “I like to talk to people about it,” she said. Carleton is primarily a painter who works mainly on canvas but wanders off toward more whimsical work on occasion, like wooden barrettes and magnets, as well as clay mobiles. She said during open studio weekend she’ll most likely be working on a “giant” painting of exotic birds that she currently has in
progress. She said she’s looking forward to having human company in her studio; her usual work colleagues are a bunny and three cats who hang out with her while she works. Like many artists, she said she feels a bit of insecurity about her work when she shows at a gallery or in a public space, but having people visit in her studio is fun. “It’s my world, and it feels really good to share it with people,” she said. Maps and more information about Open Studio Weekend are available online through the Vermont Crafts Council website at vermontcrafts.com/links/open. html. Jessica Scriver studio is located at 2206 Greenbush Road, and Katherine Carleton Fine Arts Studio is located at 3364 Spear Street.
Nancy and Seamus Farley of Charlotte visited Sriver at last year’s Open Studio Weekend.
“Horse” by Katherine Carleton. “River Mixed Media On Birch” by Jessica Scriver.
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10 • May 16, 2019 • The Charlotte News
Town
A new season at Mt. Philo brings changes for the pooches and others
Chea Waters Evans NEWS EDITOR
In it’s 95th anniversary as a state park— Vermont’s oldest—Mt. Philo State Park continues to be a draw for visitors from all over the state and the country. It’s also a popular destination for Charlotters, who take advantage of its leafy walkways and panoramic views for everything from a morning walk to a family reunion. The park opens the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend this spring, and with its opening some significant changes are at hand. Regular visitors will feel an affect from the changes more acutely than the occasional visitor. Reuben Allen, parks regional manager with Vermont State Parks, coordinates state parks in in the southwest region of Vermont. He said that regular park hours will change from a 10 a.m. opening to an 8 a.m. opening at some point during the season, though he’s not sure when this change will be implemented. The park will still close daily at sunset, and a week later than usual for the season, on Oct. 20, to allow more leaf peepers to check out the fall foliage. Local walkers, many of whom hit the trails at Mt. Philo early in the morning, will eventually be charged to use the park during all opening hours. Allen said the park will be staffed starting at 8 a.m., but they “will not collect fees until 10 a.m.
There is an internal review about when and where, and if and when we will start collecting fees at 8…That’s not going to happen to start out the season.” He said that regular park users will have ample warning before the new fee schedule is
implemented, and that there are several affordable pass options. Allen said the park’s earlier hours will allow Vermont State Parks officials to keep better track of how many visitors use the park, to get more face time with
Photo by Lee Krohn
Local Church Services Charlotte Congregational Church, UCC 403 Church Hill Road 425-3176 | charlotteucc.org Regular Sunday service: 10 a.m. _____________________ 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
those who use the park, and to make sure that people are aware of the new rules regarding dogs and leashes. This last change will have a major impact for local hikers. Park visitors who bring canine friends with them will see new guidelines. Though they’re not implemented as official policy yet, Allen said that in the near future all dogs on state land will need to be on-leash year-round, no matter the time of day. Many Mt. Philo visitors currently walk with their dogs off-leash in the hours before the park officially opens for business, but Allen said this will have to come to an end. He said he can’t pinpoint when, but that it will be during this calendar year. Allen also said that once the park opens for the season, all dogs will need to remain on a leash at all times. “This is for the safety of pets and safety of visitors,” he said. “We ask that people are responsible and use good judgment.” Longtime park rangers John and Kim Frigault will not be returning to Mt. Philo this year. Park rangers Colleen Metzler and Pam Brady will occupy the house and garden at the crest of the hill and lead the management team at the park. Allen said they both have a “tremendously positive attitude and experience working with us and Vermont state parks…The park is going to be in very, very good hands for this season.” The new rangers will be key toward taking the park into the next phase existence. Allen said, “We’re toward the tail end of a long-range management plan—the final version of the plan will be available within next couple months— and we have a couple new projects. One is improvements to basic maintenance, the trails system, the summit trail, and widening the path in some areas.” Allen said that there are future plans in the works for the park, as well. “We also have recently been accepting bids from landscape architecture engineering firms to help us come up with an improved design for the park entrance, parking improvement, and the summit area; to improve the flow of people and to help manage the number of people up at the summit.” He said they hope to award the work in the coming weeks, although the actual construction wouldn’t take place until at least 2020.
Puzzle on page 23
The Charlotte News • May 16, 2019 • 11
Accidental Pastor To everything there is, indeed, a season. I don’t think I ever thought terribly clearly about my time in Charlotte closing down, but here we are. My Melissa O’Brien daughter Coco is graduating from CCS in a few weeks. She started there in pre-K and so it has been a long journey, and though we are still in the process of determining what high school she will attend, my time here in this town will close when she graduates. For the past four years I have lived in two places, Charlotte and Pawlet, where I am the pastor of a UCC church and close to where my aging parents live. Though it has not been easy, I would have it no other way. Now we begin the next phase, hopefully with a lot less time on 22A. My first memory of Charlotte, of having an awareness of Charlotte, dates back to the late ‘80s when I made visits to friends in Burlington after I had graduated from college and was living and teaching in Bedford, New York. For some reason I remember paying attention to the Charlotte sign on Route 7. Maybe some
Preserve your memories
part of my subconscious knew what was in store for me. I moved to Charlotte in about 2001, around the time I was finishing a master’s degree at UVM and right before Richard, my former husband, and I married. Eighteen years is a good stretch, though most certainly I have been around less and less over the past few years. A lot has happened since I first settled on Whalley Road all those years ago. My boys have flown the coop for Montana and Lake Tahoe with nary a glance backward. This is what we want as parents, right? To release and hope that the release is a success, that our offspring are sturdy on their feet and can create community wherever they land. At one point Kristin Baker and I had a brief run as proprietors of Abel & Lovely on the corner of Church Hill and Hinesburg roads. That was a lot of fun and, my gosh, it’s been interesting to see all the enterprises that have occupied that space over the years. The Brick changed hands several times during my tenure here, and new businesses are coming … something I never thought I’d see in Charlotte. We voted down sidewalks in the West Village but, by golly, there’s finally new life in the old Spears’ property, though I have fond memories of summertime burgers at Uncle
Welcome to
“
A lot has happened since I first settled on Whalley Road all those years ago.
”
Sam’s with the kids. I have watched many people come and go over the years. All of the kids in my old neighborhood have grown and left; most of their parents now divorced. My dear friends, Polly, who once owned the Berry Farm, is now happily ensconced in Martha’s Vineyard, and Will Burhans, who once led the Charlotte Congregational Church flock, is now far off in Massachusetts as well. Some friends have died and some have simply moved on … we will all go eventually. It was a time, that’s for sure … time it was … I have a photograph. It’s time. The time does come. My folks are preparing to sell their homestead and may move back to the place where
I grew up: Saratoga Springs. I have finished my second master’s degree, at the Fordham School of Religion, and I suspect there is a new ministry awaiting. Most recently I found myself feeling frustrated that we endure nearly eight months of mostly lousy weather in Vermont. The love affair may be winding down; it’s feeling like my older son, Sam, made a very good choice when he picked a college on the northern shores of Lake Tahoe. I want to thank each of you for participating in one way or another in this truly worthy endeavor: hyper-local, nonprofit community journalism. I believe with all of my heart that it is an essential part of the fabric of a healthy community and that The News is in very good hands moving forward. Please don’t forget that the paper belongs to you and thus you are tasked with its care and feeding. As a pastor I cannot leave without a blessing, a benediction. Allow me, if you will, this final liberty: May we be courageous to take up our given work with joy and enter boldly into God’s great work of restoration. Many blessings, friends, and may every grace be yours. You can read more of Melissa’s work at melissaannobrien.com.
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12 • May 16, 2019 • The Charlotte News
From the Bench Helen Toor Last month I talked about the criminal courts in Vermont. This month, let’s talk about the Civil Division of the state courts and about how jury trials work. Civil cases cover a broad range of topics. They can involve almost any kind of legal claim between or among individuals, businesses or other organizations, or state agencies. Examples of common types of cases are personal injury cases (when people are injured in accidents), contract disputes, employment disputes, boundary disputes, medical malpractice cases, evictions and foreclosures. A person who wins a civil case can win money (called “damages”) or can get a court order directing the other side to do something (this is called “injunctive relief”). That could be an order for a tenant to move out, an order for an employer to rehire the plaintiff, an order declaring where the boundary line is between two properties or an order not to cut down a 100-year-old tree. How does a civil case start? The way a civil case generally starts is by a document called a “complaint” being filed in the court. The court gives it a number (called a docket number) and provides a form called a summons. A copy of the complaint and the summons must be delivered to anyone who is named as a defendant in the case. (A defendant is someone being sued; a plaintiff is the person suing). The delivery is referred to as “serving” the defendant. There are strict rules about how and when this must be done. Generally, it must be done within 60 days of the day the case was filed, although the judge can extend that time if a written request is made explaining why more time is needed. A sheriff or constable has to do the delivery (this is called personal service), unless the defendant agrees in writing that she will accept the papers by mail (this is called waiver of service). There is a special form to be used for this. The plaintiff has to give the court the signed form from the defendant or the form from the sheriff or constable showing they made the delivery.
Let’s be civil
The delivery to a defendant can be left with another person who lives at the defendant’s home, but otherwise it has to be given directly to the defendant. There are also special rules about serving businesses and for defendants who live outside of Vermont or outside of the country. Sometimes when a defendant can’t be found, a judge will approve either having a notice posted on the door at their home or a notice published in the local newspaper where they live. What does the person sued do next? Once defendants have been served, they have a deadline to file a written answer to the complaint. It is 21 days if they were served by sheriff or constable but can be as long as 60 or 90 days if special service was used. If no answer is filed by a defendant, the plaintiff can file what is called a “motion for default judgment.” That basically says “they haven’t responded, so we win.” However, there are some specific details that must be in such motions, including explaining the basis for the claim under oath and telling the court whether the defendant is in military service. That last point is because there is a federal law that gives members of the military who are in active service special protections in court. It is not automatic that you win if you file a motion for default judgment, even though the defendant has not filed anything objecting to the complaint. The judge still has to review your claim and determine that
it is legally valid. For example, if you sued someone and asked for their first-born child as payment for their debt, the judge is not going to sign off on that. Sometimes, instead of an answer, a defendant will file a “motion to dismiss.” This is generally an argument to the judge that even if what the complaint says is true, the defendant still wins. One example of this would be a motion based upon the “statute of limitations,” which is the time period the law allows for a certain type of claim. If the period is three years and the case was filed four years after the event in dispute, the defendant has a good argument that it should be dismissed. Like everything in the law, however, it’s often not black and white. There may be special circumstances that justify the delay, such as learning of the event later. That is what the motions will discuss and what the judge will have to decide. If the motion to dismiss is granted, the case is over, but the plaintiff can appeal the decision to the Vermont Supreme Court. If the motion is dismissed, then the defendant must file an answer and the case proceeds.
The law is often (did I mention this before?!?) not black and white. There is a whole lot of gray in this job.
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What happens next? If the defendant does file an answer, then one of two things usually comes next: either a “status conference” will be scheduled with the judge, or the parties will be asked to file a “discovery schedule.” A status conference is just a court hearing to talk about scheduling. Although it is hard to call any court hearing “informal,” this is as informal as it gets! We are just trying to get everyone’s thoughts
on what needs to happen next and how long it will take before everyone has the information they need to either go to trial or file written motions that might resolve the case. The point of a written discovery schedule is the same. The term “discovery” just means the exchange of information between the parties and sometimes the collection of information from others who are not parties to the case. There are various ways to get such information, and a number of the rules of procedure explain that. Often, we end up having several status conferences in a case as things proceed because nothing ever goes quite according to plan. Sometimes the judge has to resolve disputes about what information each side has to disclose to the other or whether one side should be allowed extra time to do something. Eventually, however, the case is ready for resolution, either by trial or by motion. If it is going to trial, it can be either a jury trial or a trial where the judge (and sometimes one or two assistant judges), not a jury, decides the case. The latter is called a “bench trial,” a “court trial” or a “merits hearing.” All of those terms mean the same thing. Whether the case is one in which the parties are entitled to a jury can be a rather complicated question, but at least in personal injury cases juries are always available as long as at least one party asks for a jury at the beginning of the case. Failing to ask for a jury early on means you lose that right. And interestingly, once one party asks for a jury, it is not entirely up to them to drop that request later if they decide they would prefer a bench trial. Both sides have to agree to waive the jury trial once one side has asked for it. Trials If there is a jury trial, the parties are entitled to a jury of 12 people from the county. The court usually selects juries for several trials on one day from a large group of potential jurors who are called to court for that day. Jury selection is also called “voir dire,” meaning “speak the truth” or see LAW page 14
The Charlotte News • May 16, 2019 • 13
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14 • May 16, 2019 • The Charlotte News
LAW continued from page 12 “see them say.” We have a computer program that randomly selects 24 people for each case, and we bring them up to the front of the courtroom. The process is designed to allow both sides to ask those potential jurors questions to make sure they can be fair to both sides in this particular case. For example, if your best friend is one of the parties, or your boss is a witness, or you had a similar accident three months ago, you might not be a good juror for that case. After the lawyers ask their questions, there is a system for how the lawyers ask the judge to remove certain jurors (called “striking” them), which I won’t try to explain now. That process is used for each case until we have selected our juries for the next few trials. At the trial, each side presents its evidence and the judge rules on objections from one side or the other. Objections are not just based upon a lawyer not liking the question or the evidence. They must be based upon the Vermont Rules of Evidence, and the judge’s job is to interpret those rules and decide when they allow or disallow a certain question, answer or exhibit. That is why you may hear the lawyer say such things as “Objection, hearsay” or “Objection, lack of foundation,” or “Objection, Rule 404(b).” Those are basically code words for certain rules about how evidence must be presented, and the judge has to quickly analyze how they apply to the situation. At the end of the trial, the judge has a
E N RI C H TH E LIFE YO U LIV E O UTD O O RS
conference with the lawyers to finalize her instructions to the jury about the law. The lawyers often disagree, and the law is often (did I mention this before?!?) not black and white. There is a whole lot of gray in this job. So the lawyers often disagree over what the law means and what the jury should be told. The judge must sort out what she thinks is the best interpretation of the law and decide how best to put that into language that is understandable. Once that is sorted out, the lawyers will present their closing arguments and the judge will read the legal instructions aloud to the jury. The jury is then sent to the jury room with copies of the instructions and the exhibits. There is no set amount of time for jury deliberations—it can be minutes, hours or days. It can depend upon the length of the trial, how complicated the issues are and how close the case is. If the jurors have questions, they send notes to the judge that get discussed with the lawyers before a response is provided. Jurors can ask to review some of the testimony, which can be played back from the audio recording. In the old days, there were court reporters who actually sat in court and typed everything, and they could read back their notes. Today, I think they are all gone in our state courts, and everything is audio recorded. Once the jury has a verdict, it is read aloud in court, and the jury is excused. At that point, the case is concluded except for paperwork documenting the verdict. In a criminal case, there would be a separate sentencing hearing if the jury found the defendant guilty, but in a civil case there are
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Like so many other things in court, it is wise to get a lawyer if you ever have to be involved in such an appeal.
usually no further steps required. However, a party does have the option of filing motions asking the trial judge to change the verdict or overturn the verdict and give them a new trial. Such motions might, for example, point out errors that the judge made during the trial (we do make mistakes!), try to persuade the judge that the legal instructions she gave were incorrect or argue that the jury’s verdict misunderstood the evidence. Sometimes there is an error that is easily fixed, such as an obvious math error in the jury’s calculation of damages, and the judge can correct the judgment without any further ado. There are other times when the judge agrees that a new trial is required or that the verdict must be overturned. Most of the time, however, such post-trial motions are not successful. The parties also have the right to file an appeal with the Vermont Supreme Court. In a bench trial, the same evidence would be presented to the judge, and the judge would rule on the same objections. However, the extra steps of jury selection and explaining the law to the jury would not be required. In a short bench trial, the judge can sometimes rule aloud from the bench at the end of the trial. In longer or more complicated cases, the judge will usually take the case “under advisement,” meaning she will review the exhibits and do some research on the legal issues, followed by a written decision. That may be issued within days or it may take a number of weeks or months depending upon the nature of the
case and the judge’s workload. Just as with a jury verdict, parties unhappy with the final ruling have the right to file an appeal or ask the judge to reconsider her decision. Other kinds of civil cases A few words about some other categories of cases that are dealt with in the Civil Division. First, there are cases in which a person seeks an order of protection against someone who is stalking them. Stalking is defined in a complicated way in the law, but generally it involves two or more incidents where the defendant is doing something— such as following or threatening—that would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety. The court can issue a temporary emergency order telling defendant to stay away from the plaintiff. These emergency orders are based only on the plaintiff’s affidavit, which is an exception to the usual rule that we don’t issue any orders until we hear from both sides. Thus, a hearing is held within about 10 days so both sides can testify, and the court decides whether the temporary order should continue or not. Another category of cases in the Civil Division is “small claims” cases. These are cases where the plaintiff is seeking $5,000 or less from the defendant. Although other civil cases can involve a request for a court order to do something, in small claims cases the only thing a plaintiff can win is money. These cases do not have the right to “discovery” that I explained above and are usually resolved within a few months. The Superior Court judge does not usually hear these cases. Instead, lawyers volunteer to sit as judges for a day to hear and decide them. In some other counties, assistant judges hear these cases instead of lawyers. If there is an appeal of a small claims decision, it goes to the Superior Court judge. Civil judges also hear various kinds of appeals. These include appeals from Probate Court, from municipal tax assessments, from people whose driver’s licenses have been revoked for medical reasons by the DMV, and from the Department of Labor’s decisions on worker’s compensation awards. These can be confusing cases because sometimes the law allows a new trial in the Civil Division and sometimes the judge only reviews the written record that led to the decision being appealed. Like so many other things in court, it is wise to get a lawyer if you ever have to be involved in such an appeal.
The Charlotte News • May 16, 2019 • 15
SELECTBOARD continued from page 1 Delving into the budgets versus actual, Cosinuke reviewed the three major sections: Corporate, Fire, and Rescue, noting that Corporate and Fire were slightly higher than budget, saying, “Part of that is because it includes expenses that are front loaded, that are paid in the beginning of the year for services that are apportioned across the full year.” He continued, “Rescue is under, and that brings us to a total budget under where we would be for the year, by about 12 or 13 thousand dollars under.” Road paving, and more on the RFP process The opening of bids and selection of a bid proposal for town road paving included a brief discussion with Road Commissioner Jr Lewis. After opening and reviewing the bids, Krasnow noted one was “considerably less than the other three.” He said, “Traditionally, unless there needs to be some detailed analysis, this contract has been awarded the night of [the opening of bids], with the recommendation of Jr.” The motion carried to select D&F Excavation and Paving Incorporated for town road paving. Given the sensitivity of the recent
discussion around the selection of a contractor to remove ash trees on Lake Road, the Selectboard reviewed an edited version of its original RFP before authorizing a request for bids for cleaning Town Hall. “This is one is a tight (turnaround),” Krasnow said, “but if we learned anything from the about the ash tree bid proposal, for all request for bids we should have a meeting to look at how we can improve the section on awarding criteria. He continued, “What’s missing on the town RFPs is a section that really speaks to how the awarding will be done. It’s one of the things I wanted to take up at next week’s meeting.” The Selectboard also addressed the town mowing and land maintenance contracts, specifically around tree mulching. According to the town administrator’s report, “The contractor (Mow!Mow!Mow!) that was awarded the town mowing contract raised a concern regarding tree mulching portion of the specifications. They believed the request for mowing bids was not clear.” The agenda item was to clarify that Chris’s Lawn Care & Mini Excavating (the contractor who was awarded the mulching contract) would be responsible for mulching all 127 trees located at the Town Beach, in the West Village and at the
Proposed Ramp at the Town Beach - Green line = lowest point of proposed ramp, approximately 101 feet elevation. Red line = 98 feet elevation; 98 ft. and lower is under jurisdiction of Army Corps of Engineers.
park. Krasnow said, “That takes care of this year.” Other agenda items included approving a request from resident Julia Parker Dickerson to plant a butterfly garden at the Quinlan Covered Bridge, authorizing two Thompson’s Point leaseholders to drill wells, approving a request from Kevin Bessett, president of the Green Mountain
Bicycle Club to use south Greenbush Road to conduct time trials three times over the summer and a request from Chittenden Solid Waste District to site Rover at the salt shed on Root Road for collection of hazardous waste on August 3. The Selectboard motioned to go into executive session to discuss a personnel issue before adjourning for the evening.
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The Charlotte News • May 16, 2019 • 17
Sports
Edd Merritt
Charlotte’s Hadley Murphy scores her 100th goal
Rice High School senior Hadley Murphy of Charlotte scored her 100th goal as a Green Knight against Burlington High on May 6, then added a hat trick in a win over Mt. Anthony. Hadley has played on the varsity squad for her four years at Rice and has been team captain for the last two. She began lacrosse at CCS in the 2nd grade, joining the 802-club team in 8th grade and moving indoors in the winter with Top Strung lacrosse clinics. Hadley feels her love for the sport, her speed and quickness have helped her success. She started running indoor track in her sophomore year to increase her speed and endurance, and a part of her scoring and net mindedness comes from the ability to shoot both left- and right-handed. Hadley will attend Colby College in Maine in the fall with a plan to major in cell and molecular biology, joining the lacrosse team as well. Hadley is the daughter of Ray and Dana Murphy.
CVU tennis ends April with a split, starts May with four wins
South Burlington was the splitter, topping the Redhawk men 7-0 and losing to the Hawk women by an identical 7-0 margin. Beginning with the number-one singles player, Sophie Dauerman, who lost her first set 1-6 before coming back to take the next two, the Redhawks’ Corinna Gorman, Rayna Brosseau, Kate Gruenling and the numbertwo doubles pair of Julia Blanck and Riley Boucher won their matches in two sets each. The number-one men’s doubles pair of Henry Bijur and Charlie Majaanes pushed their Wolves’ opponents hardest before losing in three sets. May 9 against Colchester, CVU men and women won both matches, the men 5-2, the women 6-1. Men winners were all in two sets started by number-one Josh Ashooh, followed by numbers three, four and five singles players: Charlie Majaanes, Aiden Greer and Charlotte’s Peter Hyams. The number-one doubles team of Charlotter, Riley Marchand and Ethan Lisley took the fifth win 6-2, 6-2,
Hadley Murphy of Charlotte celebrates with the Lacrosse team against BHS. Photo by Sarah Lavoie
while the second Redhawk pair drove their Colchester opponents to three sets before bowing 4-6, 6-1, 10-8. On the women’s side, Corina Gorman, Ella Kenney, Kate Gruenling and Julia Grant won singles matches, while both doubles pairs topped their Laker opponents in two sets each. May 13 the Redhawk men topped Mt. Mansfield 5-2, and the women won 7-0.
Not good on the pitch for CVU lacrosse
The Redhawk men took their first beating of the season at the hands of South Burlington’s Wolves last Thursday on CVU’s field. The Wolves’ Will Burkin scored what proved to be the game-winning goal with just over five minutes left in the second half to propel South Burlington to a 7-6 win. That left the Redhawks with a 9-win, 1-loss record so far this season. Co-captain Sam Sturim and Jake Schaefer each had a pair of goals for the Hawks, and goalie Bobby Spencer saved 10 shots. The women traveled to Rutland, a trip that resulted in an 18-6 loss to the Raiders despite Sophia Cresta’s hat trick and Sydney Peet’s two goals plus an assist for the Redhawks.
It was Hawks over Wolves in softball and baseball
Haley Chase and Taylor Detch knocking in two runs apiece, coupled with Riley Canty’s nine-strikeout pitching, gave CVO softball a close 4-3 victory over South Burlington. Redhawk defense and pitching held off the Wolves’ comeback bid in the late innings.
Unfortunately, Saturday’s game against Essex ended in a tight-fought 1-0 loss even though Riley Canty gave up only two hits and struck out 10 Hornets. On the baseball diamond CVU men had a bit of an easier time than their female counterparts as they beat the Wolves 5-1. Baker Angstrom drove in two runs, and Ian Parent pitched a full game, giving up only four hits and striking out four as well. They came back on the weekend behind the pitching of Storm Rushford and hitting of Aiden Johnson to beat Essex 6-1 for their 10th straight win this season. Softball’s Cantry and baseball’s Johnson were nominated for Varsity Insider Athletes of the Week for their strong play.
Burlington Invitational brings out runners and throwers
The 47th annual Burlington Invitational Track Meet brought athletes from over 30 high schools in the area to BHS’ Buck Hard Field. CVU was not only well represented but finished third to Essex and St. Johnsbury
Service without a smile.
Photo by Al Frey
in the ranking of combined men’s and women’s team scores. The women held 18 positions among top individual finishers in 18 events—including two freshmen races that were not part of the team total. The 1,500- and 3,000-meter runs were the premier events for the Hawk women, with Ella Whitman winning both races, followed closely by Alice Larson, Alicia Veranneau, Jasmine Nails at 1,500 and Catherine Noel at 3,000. With her wins in two of the meet’s major races, Ella was named the Invitational’s Outstanding Female Athlete. CVU’s 4x100 relay team of Caroline Hill, Reilly Wells, Leah Lambrecht and Amalie Lepple won its race as well. On the men’s ledger, Khomanani Clemmons did well in the two hurdle races, placing sixth at 110 yards and fourth at 300. He was followed in the second race by Calvin Lord who ran sixth. Drew Buley tied for fourth in the high jump, and Zack ZuWallack was the sixth-strongest shot putter.
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Buccaneersfootballvt.org CVU girls lacrosse took a hard loss in Rutland.
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18 • May 16, 2019 • The Charlotte News
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Andrew Swayze and his son Lincoln at Saturday’s Charlotte girls 7-8 grade lacrosse game at Leddy Park in Burlington. Photo by Melissa O’Brien
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The Charlotte News • May 16, 2019 • 19
Health Matters
Can light physical activity improve our health? You may not be able to mow the lawn, but you can sweep the floor
Laurel Lakey The health benefits of regularly performing moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) are well researched and acknowledged, but what about the impact of light physical activity on our well-being? Does daily movement, such as doing the dishes, gardening and short duration walking, have any sizable influence on our health? A small but growing body of research, including two recently published studies in the journal JAMA Network Open, suggest this may be the case. In one study, nearly 6,000 women age 65 and older were asked to wear a hip accelerometer (a device that tracks your movement) over a seven-day period to collect data on the number of minutes they engaged in light physical activity (PA). Researchers then tracked rates of coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in participants over a five-year follow-up period. Light PA was found to have a statistically significant effect on reducing CHD and CVD, even after accounting for sociodemographic, health behavior and health status differences, as well as variations in MVPA rates. Those participants who engaged in greater than five and a half hours a day of light PA were found to reduce their risk of CHD by 42 percent and CVD by 22 percent compared with participants who engaged in less than four hours of light PA a day. A second study compared rates of light physical activity with cerebral function using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure brain volume. A decrease in brain volume—or brain atrophy—is part of the natural aging process, but too much loss can be harmful to our cognition. This study again used an accelerometer to track light PA in over 2,300 participants, male and female, with a mean age of
Older adults who may not be able to perform the recommended 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity could still improve their health by integrating more frequent light physical activity into their day and avoiding prolonged sedentary behavior.
53, and compared rates of light PA with brain volume measurements. Light PA was again found to have a statistically significant impact on preventing brain atrophy, even after adjusting for sociodemographic, health behavior, health status and MVPA differences. Statistical modeling found that every additional hour of light PA per day was linked to a higher brain volume, analogous to about one to two years less brain aging. This research is important to consider for a few reasons. Older adults who may not be able to perform the recommended 150 minutes a week of MVPA could still improve their health by integrating more frequent light physical activity into their day and avoiding prolonged sedentary behavior. For example, although mowing the entire lawn or deep scrubbing a bath tub may be more than a senior can
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manage, lighter tasks such as pruning a bush or sweeping a floor may be manageable. In other words, continuing to move and do as much as you are safely able to could still have a productive influence on your health. Another consideration is the modern workplace, which often involves sitting at a computer for an extended period of time. Although incorporating MVPA into a work day may not always be possible, it is easy to take periodic breaks to fill a water bottle, go to the bathroom or stand up and take a quick standing stretch or lap around the building. Screen time in general, not only in the workplace, has become an increasingly pervasive part of our daily lives, making it even more difficult to avoid prolonged inactivity. Have you ever sat down to check “one thing” on the internet only to find that several minutes, or even hours, have gone by without changing your position? An easy way to begin cutting back on your screen time is to set a timer when you sit down. You may be surprised at how quickly 20-30 minutes can pass by when you are in front of a screen. Other behavioral choices outside of the home and work environment can add up as
well. Instead of driving around a parking lot 10 times in order to find the closest spot to the entrance, try intentionally parking a distance away in order to make yourself take extra steps. When given the option of stairs or the elevator, choose the stairs. Behavioral changes take time, so start small and be patient. With practice, your body will most likely start to crave those light but more frequent doses of physical activity. By inviting a more mindful approach to your daily movement habits you can take an easy and tangible step towards improving your health. Laurel Lakey works as a physical therapist assistant at Dee Physical Therapy in Shelburne and lives in Charlotte with her husband, dog, chickens and flock of sheep. You can contact her with comments or questions by emailing laurellakey@deept.com.
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20 • May 16, 2019 • The Charlotte News
Send Us Your Charlotte News!
Town
On graduation
news@ thecharlottenews.org Rev. Kevin Goldenbogen
It’s graduation season and I’ve got graduation on the brain. Pre-school. Nursery school. Middle school. High school. GED. Undergraduate. Graduate. Post graduate. Certificate. Continuing Ed. Basic Training. And many more. I think it’s safe to say that most of us know someone who will be graduating or will be graduating ourselves. Graduations are everywhere, they affect most of us this time of year, and they are a BIG DEAL. A big deal because the people who will be graduating worked hard and for a long time to be graduating. They were often supported by people along the way who are invested in their graduation. The institutions from which they will graduate are staffed by people who take pride in
SPOTLIGHT
By Jeff Spengler
A Mother’s Day Poem for Miaja She takes on life with a steely calm. She’s tough but sweet, my in-law mom. A matriarch, the leader of this lovely clan, she made room in her heart for her daughter’s new man. For that I am grateful, happy, and charmed, to have a new mom with such open arms. I get kisses and hugs, what can I say? This poem’s a tribute… Happy Mother’s Day! With Love, Jeff Jeff Spengler is the son-in-law of Margaret Kurt of Charlotte. He is married to her oldest daughter, Kristy Kurt Spengler.
their graduates. And the graduations are often connected to some sort of credential that will allow the graduate to move on to the next phase of their education, development and life. Did you catch that last one…this “moving on” after graduation? Having graduated many times in my life from various programs and institutions, I know that graduations usually come with this question: “So what are you going to do now?” It’s a valid question, of course, that gets asked of graduates and which graduates ask themselves. It’s good to wonder what the graduation will produce, to ask what’s next, and to anticipate how the learned knowledge will manifest itself in the world. At the same time, all of the futurefocused questions can be a bit much for the graduate. Dare I say, they can be a bit annoying. Think about it, the graduate has worked hard. Accomplished much. Sacrificed. Experienced ups and downs. Finally, graduation time has arrived, the graduate is standing on top of her or his educational mountain, but all anyone wants to talk about is what the next mountain looks like. Along with that comes exhaustion, frustration, pressure, more pressure and an eclipsing of the present accomplishment. Bummer. When I graduated from college in 1993, my dear mother took me aside one afternoon just after I had received my degree in English literature. “Look,” she said earnestly and lovingly, “as long as I’m alive, you will have food to eat and a place to sleep. So, go out there and follow your dreams. Take risks. Fail and succeed. In the meantime, take some time off and just enjoy all the work you’ve done these past years. I’m so proud of you.” Maybe it was a throwaway conversation for her. Maybe she has no recollection of that conversation. I remember though. I remember, and I have remembered it most of my days since. I remember both the permission she gave me to take risks in the future but also the permission she gave me to just savor my graduation. And I remember the lesson she taught me that day, about how to enjoy the mountaintop I’m on, while also moving toward the next mountain without
”
fear and without anxiety. Thanks, Mom! It’s graduation season and chances are that you will have a chance to send a graduation card, attend a graduation party or congratulate a graduate in person. However you interact with graduates this year, consider treading lightly on the “So what are you going to do now?” question. There is time enough to ask and answer that after the graduation balloons have deflated. Instead, consider emphasizing the “Well done! Great job! Enjoy!” kind of comments. The graduates in your life may appreciate that balance, and they may remember you with gratitude for many years to come. Rev. Kevin Goldenbogen is the senior pastor at the Charlotte Congregational Church. He can be reached at charlotteucc.org; 425-3176 (x11); rev. kemg@gmail.com.
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However you interact with graduates this year, consider treading lightly on the “So what are you going to do now?” question. There is time enough to ask and answer that after the graduation balloons have deflated.
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The Charlotte News • May 16, 2019 • 21
From the Archives - 1963
22 • May 16, 2019 • The Charlotte News
SENIOR CENTER MENUS Suggested donation for all meals: $5 event, so come as you are (within reason) and don’t worry about needing to look “gallery cool.” The Great Room is busier than usual in May, and the best times to see the Art Exhibit are Wednesdays 9:30-11:30, Thursdays and Fridays after 12:30. Take a quick peek at noon Mondays. Please call the Center during the week to check on Sunday availability.
Carolyn Kulik SENIOR CENTER DIRECTOR
We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming. We cannot stop the spring, or the fall, or make them other than they are. They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse. But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives. ~ Gary Zukav With this in mind, we can now stop speculating about when spring will get here and consider, instead, what it is we want to unfurl into the world.
Upcoming Activities
On Wednesday, 5/22, is the last Birding Expedition in May with Hank Kaestner. Please note that this date was changed from 5/12 after the Spring Schedule went to print. It is the last one for spring, but more are planned for the summer. Please call to register and make sure that there is space as these have become very popular. On Thursday, 5/23, the Gents Breakfast meets from 7–9 a.m., in the Café. It may look as though the time has changed for this gathering, but, in fact, it is still the same. Doors have always opened at 7 a.m. for those early risers who choose to help to set up and prep. The meal begins (as always) at 7:30, usually with a ‘share chair’ discussion or presentation topic. And, you need not be retired to make this event—it’s early enough to preface the rest of your day. This friendly group welcomes carpenters, engineers, landscapers, farmers, educators—folks with all sorts of backgrounds and work experience. It continues to grow, so please make a reservation by Tuesday and come for good food, stimulating discussion and camaraderie. Donation of $5 is requested.
Wed. Afternoon Events at 1 p.m. 5/22: Classical Piano Concert with the Segel Family Enjoy listening to the three eldest Segel children play piano! Living in Charlotte, River, 16, Lake, 14, and Juna, 11, are homeschooled and are
all quite accomplished. The classical pieces include “Six Preludes,” Op. 6 by Muczynski, and “Sonatina No.1,” Op. 13 by Kabalevsky. If you have not heard these siblings perform before, prepare to be surprised. This is a free event, and no registration is necessary. 5/29: Tour of Clemmons Farm Barn House with Susan Crockenberg The Barn House, designed by Dr. Jackson Clemmons, and a work of art itself, displays posters from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, as well as a collection of African art from Jack and Lydia’s travels in Africa. The 148-acre farm and its six historic buildings are true gems to learn from and enjoy. Registration is required. A contribution of $10 for the Farm is requested. Meet at the Senior Center to carpool. 6/2: Middle School Concert with Monica Littlefield “The 6th grade chorus at Charlotte Central School will be presenting a short performance of a variety of songs in many styles. Please come join us to hear an afternoon of excellent singing!” This is a free event, and no registration is necessary.
The Summer Schedule (covering June, July and August) will be inserted in The Charlotte News on May 30. It will also appear on our website on June 1. Even if you are not ready to sign up for a class or to volunteer, stop in and say hello—we love to show people around and suggest ways you can become part of the welcoming Senior Center community. The Center is at 212 Ferry Road, Charlotte and is open M-F from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Or give us a call us at 4256345. Residents from other communities are always welcome. Our mission is to serve those over 50. To learn more about the Senior Center, other courses and our menus for the month, please visit our new website: CharlotteSeniorCenterVT.org. See you soon! ________________ Charlotte Senior Center (802) 425-6345 CharlotteSeniorCenterVT.org
Monday Munch
11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. No reservations required.
May 20
Lemony carrot & cauliflower soup Green salad Rice pudding
May 27
CLOSED for Memorial Day
Wednesday Lunch All diners eat at noon. Reservations required.
May 22
Ricotta stuffed shells Homemade dessert
May 29
Lemony roast chicken with olives & potatoes Homemade dessert
Thursday Gents Breakfast
7:30–9 a.m. Reservations required.
May 30 Menu: TBA Topic: TBA (Keep up to date on menus with Front Porch Forum, as these sometimes change.)
Art News
On 5/8, Peter Riley gave an informative slide presentation about how he approaches nature photography, featuring his beautiful photos. Everyone easily doubled their knowledge about damselflies and were impressed by how much patience it takes to get the marvelous shots that Peter accomplishes. If you missed the talk, his photos are up until the end of the month for the May Art Exhibit, and he has a book for sale that includes photos and information about many of the birds, damselflies and landscapes you’ll see on the Senior Center walls. Before you stop by, be sure to check the times that the Great Room (our gallery space) is available. You will not be disappointed. The June Art Exhibit will showcase the colorful, abstract acrylic paintings of Robin Grace. You are cordially invited to the artist’s reception on June 9, from 3–4:30 p.m. with light refreshments. This is a friendly, casual
A conversation with The Charlotte News took place on Wednesday, May 15, at the Charlotte Senior Center. The News staff talked about the future of community newspapers and answered questions from participants. Pictured left to right: The first publisher of The Charlotte News, Nancy Wood, ad manager Elizabeth Langfeldt, news editor Chea Evans, managing editor Anna Cyr and publisher Vince Crockenberg.
The Charlotte News • May 16, 2019 • 23
Classifieds
Calendar of Events We welcome appropriate community event listings with a maximum of 100 words. Print fees may apply to community events outside of Charlotte. Email your events to ads@thecharlottenews.org. Saturday, May 18 Repair Cafe from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Start collecting those items around the house that need to be fixed! The Repair Cafe is this Saturday at CVU from 10-2. If you plan to come remember to register at http://www.transitioncharlottevt.org. We have gathered talented local folks that will be volunteering their handy skills for you. Besides keeping our stuff in working order, other benefits include reducing our landfill and carbon footprint, meeting our neighbors, and learning new skills. These are fun community events where the fixees and fixers chit-chat and learn from each other. One of our goals is to educate you so that if the need arises again, you have the skills to fix it yourself.
Sunday, May 19 Hinesburg Artist Series Spring Concert Come join us for our SPRING CONCERT at 4:30 p.m. in the Champlain Valley Union High School Auditorium. The concert will feature the Hinesburg
Community Band, South County Chorus and In Accord under the direction of Rufus Patrick. All the performing groups will feature selections by George and Ira Gershwin. Special guests include performances by trumpeter Brandon Jones, vocalist Mark Cranmer, and a piano duet performance by Tim Woos and Sammy Angstman. The concert is free. Donations accepted.
Friday, May 24 North Ferrisburgh 90’s Night, 8 p.m to close. Join us for a 90’s inspired evening of drinks, food and music by DJ Michael Douglas at the Village Tavern Bar and Grill, 6640 Route 7. No cover charge.
Saturday, May 25 Plant sale at the Charlotte Senior Center, 212 Ferry Road. Drop off labeled and potted plant donations Monday, May 20 to Friday, May 24.Stop by between 9 a.m. and noon for great prices.
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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THE 1920s ACROSS 1. Estimator’s phrase 5. Pharaohs’ cobras 9. Cheek ____ test 13. Pays the bill 15. Ho-hum 16. Gallup’s inquiry 17. Plural of folium 18. Spiky seed pod 19. *Lucy’s solo in “The Threepenny Opera,” e.g. 20. *It crashed hard 23. *Insulin’s birthplace, e.g. 24. ____ the season! 25. Rolling country, pl. 27. Mark on Pinterest 28. Change a sketch 30. Tag predecessor 33. Garbed 35. Large amount often followed by “of” 38. Grammy of sports 39. Comforter stuffing feathers 41. *Aimee Semple McPherson action 42. Type of wheat 44. Collier’s work place 45. Dublin land 46. City in Syria 48. *Douglas Fairbanks did it 50. Smokeless tobacco brand 51. Fuss to Shakespeare
52. Last letter 53. *New York’s Harlem ____ 60. Et alibi 62. *1920s art style 63. Distinguishing feature 64. Do like phoenix 65. Chutzpah 66. Anatomical dividers 67. December stone 68. Purse for a formal affair 69. *____ Candies DOWN 1. Deals a death blow 2. Place of origin 3. *Like Lindbergh’s transatlantic journey 4. Ear-related 5. Whose music is featured in “Mamma Mia!”? 6. Talk like a drunk 7. Amusement destination 8. Keen-witted 9. Epsom or Évian-lesBains 10. It began in 1914 11. *Al Brown to Al Capone 12. Spill the beans 14. Hinduism’s divine feminine power 21. Kind of pie 22. High rocky hills
Answers on page 10
26. Turkey’s hanging neck skin 27. Baklava dough 28. *Major 1920s electronic device 29. “I Dream of Jeannie” actress 30. “For ____ a Jolly Good Fellow” 31. #5 Across, sing. 32. *Prohibition era establishment 34. Not stiff 36. Feather glue? 37. Visual system organ 40. Interprets, as in tarot cards 43. Product of lacrimation 47. Promise allegiance 49. Receipt listings 50. ____ ____ one’s ways 51. Garlic mayo 52. Goose egg 54. Like a drink in a snifter 55. *Rights and liberties org. 56. Greek god of war 57. Where a bib is tied 58. Repeat a passage from 59. JFK or ORD postings 61. Barker of Tarzan the Ape Man fame
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