The Charlotte News | May 3, 2017

The

Charlotte News Charlotte’s award-winning community newspaper

VOLUME LIX NUMBER 20

THE VOICE OF THE TOWN

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017

OPERATION EARTH DAY Charlotters reforest elm trees at Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge page 10

On the inside: • Keith Morrill fills us in on Selectboard misstep, page 1 • The News announces some changes, pages 2 & 3 • Get ready for the CCS Champ Run, page 8

CharlotteNewsVT.org

Charlotte News

The

Vol. 59, no. 20 May 3, 2017

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

Military mom speaks to students about serving overseas

Sr. Joanne LaFreniere, RSM CONTRIBUTOR

When the family of Master Sergeant Christina Walsh informed the Mater Christi School community that she was being deployed overseas at the beginning of the holiday season, word was spread and plans were made to help make her absence a little less stressful for the family.

Among the activities that the school community took on was providing hot meals for the family as often as possible.

The girls’ teachers, Mrs. Leslie Sem and Mrs. Miranda McClellan, helped facilitate the project.

In February, the Walsh children, Isabella, grade 2, and Giuliana, grade 1, discovered that even though their mom would not be home with them on Valentine’s Day, they would be able to see and talk to her on Feb. 14. Through the magic of Skype the two girls, along with their classmates, spent about half an hour chatting with Master Sergeant Walsh, and when she informed them that her location was a secret, they asked many questions trying to guess where she was. The Mater Christi School community still doesn’t know to what country she was deployed!

She did promise the children that, when she came home, she would come to school for a visit.

Master Sergeant kept her promise

Master Sergeant Christina Walsh speaks to students at Mater Christi School last week.

Courtesy photo shortly after returning home and, during were particularly tickled when she the week of April 9, made arrangements admitted that when she meets her husband, with Ana’s and Bella’s teachers to visit the who is also in the Air Force at the base, school. All of the first and second graders she salutes him because he outranks her. once again crowded into the second grade It was obvious that two little girls were classroom, anxiously waiting to see their thrilled that their mom was home and that classmates’ mother in person. She arrived she had come to school so their classmates in her “everyday” uniform and spent about could see and hear the person with whom 30 minutes talking to the students about they had visited on Skype earlier in the the duties of an Air Force sergeant. year.

The children (and adults in the room)

Flat Rock Road subdivision dispute headed to court-ordered mediation Keith Morrill STAFF WRITER

The Town of Charlotte and one of its property owners remain divided over the fate of two lots on Flat Rock Road on Thompson’s Point. Or is it one lot? That’s the question both parties seek to answer in a dispute that has been fraught with missteps and complications. Now, nearly a year after the dispute began, it is headed to court-ordered mediation this summer.

The problem originated from a 2014 Selectboard decision in which the owner of lot 127, Paul Arthaud, requested that the town terminate his old lease and create two new leases, dividing the property into lots 127 and 128. The Selectboard granted the request. Shortly thereafter, Arthaud sold 127 and the house built there to Nina Cucchiari and Norman Ernstring. He retained ownership of lot 128 and its small, dilapidated cabin.

see DISPUTE page 2

Lot 128 on Flat Rock Road is home to a small, dilapidated cabin. A Selectboard misstep and zoning issues prevent the owner from selling or making upgrades.

Photo by Lynn Monty

Persist5K race celebrates Mother’s Day in the spirit of The Women’s March

Margo Swayze of Charlotte models the Persist5k headband by Skida.

Photo by Jean Andersson-Swayze Submitted by Meg Smith DIRECTOR OF THE VERMONT WOMEN’S FUND

When Jean Andersson-Swayze of Charlotte came back from the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., this past January, she was fired up. “I marched in D.C. with my 11-year-old daughter, and when we got home I had so much energy and fire in my belly I wanted to keep that feeling going, but I wasn’t sure how,” she said. “I just knew I had to do something.”

Andersson-Swayze approached the women in her 6 a.m. boot camp class that meets twice a week in the Charlotte elementary school gym. “When I proposed the idea of organizing a 5K race that captured the spirit of the Women’s March, they were all in.” Andersson-Swayze, a doctor with a practice in Middlebury and the mother of three children under the age of 11, cannot hide the excitement in her voice. “Twelve of us met in my living room in February to think about how we could make this happen, and between the skill set of our group, and with the invaluable help of a professional race outfit called Zombie Run who agreed to donate their services, it all came together. The icing on the cake

Community Events 4 • Home & Garden 14-16 • Senior Center 19

see RACE page 2

2 • May 3, 2017 • The Charlotte News

News from The News

Welcome staff writer Keith Morrill to The News Keith Morrill was born and raised in Vermont and never got very far— geographically speaking.

He earned two degrees from the University of Vermont: his bachelor’s degree in English in 2005 and his master of arts in teaching in 2011.

He’s been a library worker at the University of Vermont and a high school English and Latin teacher in Vermont’s public schools. But these days he’s strictly a freelancer writer and editor and stay-athome dad—with a little teaching on the side. He is the owner of Little City Editing, the senior editor for Addison County’s Zig Zag Lit Mag, and a copyeditor for the Hugo-nominated speculative fiction e-zine, Strange Horizons.

He currently resides in Vergennes with his wife, Devon, and their three children: Emerson, 7, Elias, 4, and Evangeline, 11 months.

DISPUTE

continued from page 1 All seemed well until 2016, when Arthaud signed an agreement of sale for lot 128 with Carrie and Peter Fenn. The couple applied for a permit to demolish the derelict cabin on 128 and replace it with marginally larger one. On July 12, Charlotte’s zoning board of adjustment denied the permit, saying that the division of lot 127 had been illegal.

Selectboard Chair Lane Morrison acknowledges the misstep on the part of the Selectboard. “We shouldn’t have subdivided,” Morrison said. “We made a mistake.”

Arthaud has claimed the permit denial has cost him about $60,000 in profit and has informally sought recompense from the town, plus up to $10,000 in legal fees.

In response, the town has filed a claim with its insurance company VCLT Property and Casualty Intermunicipal Fund. “Right now

The Charlotte News The Charlotte News is a nonprofit community-based newspaper dedicated to informing townspeople of current events and issues. It serves as a forum for the free exchange of views of town residents and celebrates the people, places and happenings that make the Town of Charlotte unique.

When he’s not bound to a desk and a laptop, he’s enjoying gardening and chess and likes to get out (in any season) hiking, camping and basking in the beauty of Vermont’s great outdoors. the insurance company is not supporting that claim,” explains Morrison, though the town continues to pursue it.

Despite numerous Selectboard meetings to address the problem, no satisfactory agreement has been reached, and in August, Arthaud challenged the zoning board of adjustment’s decision by filing an appeal to Vermont’s environmental court.

The court ruled that the parties must move to mediation, a fairly typical outcome in the Vermont environmental court system says Arthaud’s lawyer, Liam Murphy. “These things are part of the normal process these days in land-use appeals,” Murphy said.

“Most cases do go to mediation unless there’s a real reason for them not to go.”

While he says it’s too early to speculate on the outcome of the mediation, the process could be advantageous for both parties. “My experience has been that many cases can be resolved, because you can be a little more creative in mediation or a settlement than you can where a judge has to make a decision one way or another.”

ON THE COVER: Rodney

Centeno of Charlotte and his children, Rio, 8, and Aviana, 6, plant disease-resistant elm trees at Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge on Earth Day, April 22.

Photo by Lynn Monty

Keith Morrill (left) and his daughter Evie (right) lending dad a helping hand.

Courtesy photos

RACE

continued from page 1 was when we realized the best available day was the Sunday of Mother’s Day— that absolutely sealed it!”

The race takes place on Sunday, May 14, at 9 a.m., beginning at Battery Park in Burlington and following the bike path. The race is noncompetitive and will not be timed. A one-mile walking route is also available. “This is about carrying on the spirit of the Women’s March,” says Andersson-Swayze, “and is open to all. It’s a chance to wear our pink hats again and carry our posters and signs. Most of all, this is not for women only. We want everyone who loves and respects women to participate!”

To register for the race, go to Persist5k. com. Skida, the Vermont-based, womenowned hat company, is creating a special pink headband with the Persist5K logo that will be given to the first 500 registrants (see website for details).

Registration is $35 per person (12 and under is $10) until May 1 when the cost will increase to $40. Registration is also open at the day of the race but the cost increases to $45.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Vermont Women’s Fund, an organization that supports women and girls throughout the state of Vermont.

Its director, Meg Smith, is also a member of the Charlotte boot camp class. “The Vermont Women’s Fund has been championing the rights of women for over 20 years and was founded in the same spirit as this event.” Smith explains, “At that time, a group of women got together because they felt that not enough was being done to help women and girls in Vermont. They mobilized women throughout Vermont by establishing a fund dedicated solely to support women’s causes.” For more information, see vermontwomensfund. org.

Contributions in the form of articles, press releases and photographs pertaining to Charlotte-related people and events are accepted and encouraged. For submission guidelines and deadlines, please visit our website or contact the editor at news@thecharlottenews.org.

The Charlotte News is published in Charlotte by The Charlotte News, Inc., a Vermont domestic 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation. Distribution is made every other Thursday to all households and businesses in Charlotte and to more than 50 outlets in Shelburne, Hinesburg, North Ferrisburgh, Ferrisburgh, Vergennes and Burlington. The Charlotte News relies on the generous financial contributions of its readers, subscriptions and advertising revenue to sustain its operations.

Editorial Staff news@thecharlottenews.org / 425-4949 Editor in chief: Lynn Monty Layout manager: Anna Cyr Staff writer: Keith Morrill Contributing editors: Edd Merritt Copy editors: Beth Merritt, Vince Crockenberg, Carol Hanley, Edd Merritt, Janet Yantachka Business Staff ads@thecharlottenews.org / 343-0279 Ad manager: Monica Marshall Business manager: Shanley Hinge Board Members President: Vince Crockenberg Secretary: Treasurer: Patrice Machavern Board members: Rachel Allard, Bob Bloch, Rick Detwiler, Carol Hanley, Gay Regan, Louisa Schibli Contributors Carol Alfred, Rachel Carter, Dorothy Hill, Jim Hyde, Joanne LaFreniere, Hannah Manley, Alice Outwater, Kerrie Pughe, Mary Recchia, Julie Silverman, Vera SimonNobes, Meg Smith, Margaret Woodruff and Mike Yantachka 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, PO Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445.

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

Copyright © 2017 The Charlotte News, Inc. Printed in Burlington, Vermont, by Gannet Publishing Services Member of the New England Newspaper and Press Association and the Vermont Press Association.

News from The News

John Hammer retires from The News board; Rachel Allard joins it

The Charlotte News • May 3, 2017 • 3

Pet Of The Month

Vince Crockenberg

PRESIDENT, THE CHARLOTTE NEWS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

At its April 20 meeting The Charlotte News board of directors accepted the retirement of John Hammer from the board and welcomed new board member Rachel Allard.

John joined the board in 2001 and is, by far, the longest serving member in the board’s history. Over those 16 years, John worked with 10 different editors of the paper—starting with Laura Cahners in 2001 and finishing with Lynn Monty this year. And for the past eight years John served as the board’s secretary, recording the minutes of every board meeting and organizing and maintaining the board’s extensive digital and paper records. His work as secretary was such that at its April 20 meeting the board elected two of its members to do the work John had previously done alone.

In addition to his board service, John has written for The News since 1992, when his first piece, an article “on the conservation implications of the Charlotte Town Draft Subdivision and Zoning Regulations,” appeared in the December 17 issue. His work as a writer for the paper reached its zenith in 2012 when he accepted the job of being the paper’s regular volunteer Selectboard reporter. Having sat through innumerable hours of Monday evening Selectboard meetings over the past five years and then staying up late on Monday nights and into Tuesday mornings to write up the story in time to meet publication deadlines, John (and doubtless his wife, Dorrice) is now quite ready to pass that particular task on to a new reporter.

In recognition of his extraordinary service to the paper, the board unanimously bestowed on John the first-ever title of emeritus director.

Having bestowed the title, current board members will feel somewhat freer to call on John—at least occasionally and only as needed—when we need to know where the rest of the bodies are buried.

Our newest member Rachel Allard grew up at the foot of Camel’s Hump, graduated from Mount Mansfield Union High School and Boston University’s School of Communication and is currently vice president for operations at Union Street Media, a Burlington-

Hannah Manley DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AT HOMEWARD BOUND

Sammy is a strong, active hound who lives up to the breed characteristics– and then some! He likes to chase, run and follow his nose. Sammy gets along with other dogs but should be

Rachel Allard

Meet Sammy supervised with cats as he will chase them if they run. Potential adopters should be aware that he can be overprotective of people and places he calls his own, and be sure that any children in the household respect his boundaries. Everyone at the shelter just loves this guy!

Homeward Bound, Addison County’s Humane Society, is open Tuesday–Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. We’re located at 236 Boardman Street in Middlebury.

For more information call Addison County’s Humane Society at (802) 388-1100 ext. 224.

Sammy, 5, Red Tick Hound Courtesy photo

John Hammer

Courtesy photos

based digital marketing service and technology provider for the real estate industry. She is also the vice chair of the board of directors of the North Country Federal Credit Union and volunteers on the leadership team for Girl Develop It Burlington, a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for women interested in learning web and software development.

Rachel brings to the board extensive digital expertise that will help us make Charlotters’ stories accessible to everyone—on the web as well as in print.

And while Rachel works in Burlington and lives in Williston, she has a special connection to Charlotte—she and her husband, Eric, were married on top of Mount Philo on May 30, 2015, in a ceremony officiated by her grandfather.

“It was,” she said, “magical.”

4 • May 3, 2017 • The Charlotte News

Around Town Edd Merritt CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Charlotter Kathryn Blume, spoke for “350 Vermont” in Montpelier on April 29 in concert with the Climate March in Washington. According to an article in Sunday’s Burlington Free Press, Kathryn said that approximately 400 Vermonters traveled to the capital for that event to express concern over lack of effort to halt the change that is changing the world’s landscapes. She said they surrounded the White House and remained silent but visible.

Award, and Carr, an Honor Award. At the other end of the spectrum, Large Scale Residential Design/Build, Charlie Proutt of Distinctive Landscaping won an award for excellence for his project, “A Modernist Oasis.”

Congratulations: to the following Charlotters who received Industry Awards from Green Works recently.

Under the category of Commercial Design/ Build, Christian D’Andrea of Distinctive Landscaping won an Excellence Award for a project he calls “Dining in Nature.”

Two Charlotters, Brian Pellerin, also of Distinctive Landscaping, and Nate Carr of Church Hill Landscapes won awards for their Small Scale Residential Design/Build projects, Pellerin’s titled “Small Space, Bold Terrace,” Carr’s “Outdoor Kitchen and Pool Patio.” Pellerin recived an Excellence

to the following staff who are retiring from Charlotte Central School at the end of this school year: Robyn Davis, Alice Trageser, and Leslie Williams, and to Cindy Schell, who, while not retiring, will leave CCS. The following people will join the school beginning in 2017-2018: Marley Evans, 7/8 grade ELA/Humanities, Cassandra Townshend, Special Education Administrator/ CVSD Behavior Systems Director and Ash Cotton, Art Teacher.

Temporary staff, 6th-grade teacher Natasha Grey and 3rd- and 4th-grade teacher Linda Poirier have been hired into permanent positions. to Mark McDermott, a longtime member of the Charlotte Central School Board, who is leaving it to take on a new role as Director of Labor Relations, Policy and Legal Services for Champlain Valley School District (CVSD). And to Lynne Jaunich who replaces Mark on the board.

Sympathy: is extended to family and friends of James Mahan of Burlington who passed away April 15 at the age of 63. His surviving family includes his niece Beth (Mahan) Tenney and her family of Charlotte.

Regional bite: New poll finds 21 percent of Vermonters favor secession The late Duke University economist and Charlotte resident Thomas Naylor was a leading proponent of Vermont (and whatever

Welcome to the world!

Heather Armell Morse and Greg Armell welcomed Thomas (Tommy) Cecil Armell into the world April 21.

He weighed 8 pounds 1.5 ounces and was 20 inches long. He has jet black hair and blue eyes. Courtesy photo other New England states cared to follow) seceding from the Union and becoming its own country. A recent poll conducted by the University of Vermont’s Center for rural studies found that the number of proponents increased with Trump’s election from 11.8 percent in 2007 to nearly 21 percent in 2017.

In a Seven Days article on April 26, Rob Williams, a former yak farmer and leader of the “Second Vermont Republic” movement was quoted as saying; “The grotesque nature of the Trump presidency has helped crystallize things for Vermonters.” The UVM survey results, he feels, have given his movement more energy to press on as they have been doing since 2004.

Community Events Race: Lewis Creek Covered Bridges 5K/10K & Half Marathon at 8 a.m. on May 13 in Charlotte. The 5K & 10K is $30 and the half marathon is $45 if registered

by May 9. Add $10 to race day registration. Price includes finisher medal for all three divisions. For more information visit RaceVermont.com.

Ferrisburgh rummage sale: The Annual North Ferrisburgh Methodist Church Rummage Sale will be held at 227 Old Hollow Road Thursday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A dollar-a-bag day will be Saturday, May 6, from 8 to 11 a.m. Proceeds will benefit children and youth going to church summer camps and on mission trips.

SCHIP: This spring as you sort through your clothes please remember SCHIP’s Treasure Resale Shop, which has donated more than $615,000 to other nonprofits in the past decade. Donate, volunteer or shop. SCHIP’s accepts any season clothing at any time during the year, provided it is gently used. It also accepts home décor, jewelry and other small items. Call the shop at 9853595 for more information.

Grange rummage sale: This year’s Charlotte Grange Spring Rummage Sale will be later than usual. It will be held Friday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, May 6, from 8 a.m. to noon.

Garden club: The Shelburne/Charlotte Garden Club will meet at 10 a.m. at Horsford’s Nursery in Charlotte on May 9. Bring a container to plant annuals.

A greenhouse tour with Eileen is planned to get ideas for gardens for the coming season. Gloria Good and Ann Mead are planning this meeting. For information,

please call Ann at 985-2657.

Walk/Ride: The Lund Mother’s Day Ride and Walk for Children will be on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 14.

With 55-, 30-, 16- and 4-mile rides and a walk there is something for everyone. Food, music, festivities and fun follow the rides/walk. Celebrate Mother’s Day doing something active, fun and beneficial to local women, children and families. Sign up today at bike. lundvt.org. Or call Sophie at (802) 448-3617.

Race: The Persist5K Race celebrates Mother’s Day in the spirit of The Women’s March. It will be held at 9 a.m. on Sunday, May 14, beginning at Battery Park in Burlington and then following the bike path. The race is noncompetitive and will not be timed. A onemile walking route is also available. To register visit persist5k.com.

Open house: Vermont artists with original art or handmade crafts are invited to participate in Shelburne Pond Studios’ Vermont Craft Council Spring Open Studios weekend. Saturday, May 27, and Sunday, May 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Application fee $35. Contact kastockman@aol.com for an application and details.

Summer Tai Chi: Open to all adults, whether beginners or advanced students. Designed to keep you engaged and current in your practice. All programs offer a falls prevention component and are safe for persons with inflammatory joint conditions. These will be held on Mondays from 10 to 11 a.m. from June 5 to Aug. 14 at the Charlotte Congregational Church. To register please contact Mary West at (802) 922-0498 or email igolflikeagirl@gmail.com.

The Charlotte News • May 3, 2017 • 5

Report from the Legislature

Laws and sausage

Rep. Mike Yantachka

By the time you read this, the Vermont Legislature will be within days of adjournment.

You’ve probably heard the saying that legislating is a lot like making sausage.

This is never truer than in the last couple of weeks of Vermont’s legislative session. An example of how this works can be illustrated by Senate bill S.52.

S.52 was originally crafted to make some changes to the Public Service Board process for conducting CPG (Certificate of Public Good) hearings. As you may remember from previous articles, most bills have to be passed out of the House or Senate by a certain date called “crossover,” usually a week or two after Town Meeting, to be considered by the other body. There are exceptions, but these are limited to certain types of bills like money bills and municipal charter bills. However, there are ways to get around this limitation, as S.52 demonstrates.

As it came over from the Senate, the bill gives municipal and regional planning commissions a little more control over

the 45-day pre-application period when a developer notifies the local commission of its intention to site an energy generation project. It allows the commission to require the Department of Public Service to attend a local hearing and to hire an expert at the applicant’s expense to evaluate the project.

It also extends by a few days the time for the commission to make recommendations to the PSB regarding the project. In addition, the bill standardizes the comment periods for energy, meteorological stations, and telecommunication facilities CPG applications to 30 days from their current periods ranging from 21 to 30 days. It gives the Department of Public Service authority to investigate complaints regarding noncompliance with CPG terms and conditions and to issue administrative citations and penalties up to $5,000 for violations. Finally, the bill would change the name of the Public Service Board to the Public Utility Commission, the name used by most other states. The last provision would help alleviate the public’s confusion between the Department and the Board.

Here’s where the art of legislative scheduling becomes creative. Since the Energy & Technology Committee passed a number of bills earlier in the session that were not yet acted upon by the Senate, we decided to add them to S.52. These bills included the telecommunication

facility siting process renewal bill (H.50), the ten-year telecommunication planning bill (H.347), and the appliance energy efficiency standards bill (H.411). If by the end of the session the Senate never got around to acting on them, their language would be included in S.52. Also, since we were unable to finish a bill to have the Department of Public Service study the feasibility and benefits of energy storage technology, e.g. batteries, on the electric grid, we added this language as well.

The House passed these amendments to S.52, which was then returned to the Senate. The Senate can accept the amendments, thereby enacting it and sending it to the Governor. Or, it can make further amendments and send it back to the House. Or, it can decide not to concur and ask for a Committee of Conference between the House and Senate to iron out the differences. In the meantime, if any of the bills that were added passed the Senate before S.52 was finalized, the language corresponding to the enacted bill could be removed from S.52. Thus, from a variety of ingredients, a final bill can emerge.

This “sausage-making” process occurs frequently as the House and Senate work to come to a consensus on various pieces of legislation before time runs out. I hope the “sausage” will taste good, or at least be in good taste.

I encourage you to let me know your concerns and opinions. I can be reached by phone (802) 233-5238 or by email at myantachka.dfa@gmail.com.

6 • May 3, 2017 • The Charlotte News

Happy Mother’s Day from the Fresh Air Fund

Rotary raffles off a 2017 Honda FIT or $12,000 in cash Staff report

The Fresh Air Fund, an independent, nonprofit agency, has provided free summer experiences to more than 1.8 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877.

Courtesy photo Submitted by Julie Silverman of the Fresh Air Fund This Mother’s Day the Fresh Air Fund recognizes the many remarkable women in Vermont who take on the role of “Fresh Air mom.” They open their hearts and homes to children from New York City’s lowincome communities through the fund’s Friendly Towns Program.

Each summer, nearly 4,000 children visit volunteer host families in rural, suburban and small-town communities in the Vermont area. There is no such thing as a “typical” host family, just the excitement to share the simple joys of summer with a child from a low-income New York City community. First-time Fresh Air children

are boys and girls from seven to 12 years old. Children who are invited again by host families may continue with the Fresh Air Fund through age 18 and can enjoy extended trips.

“Before Jamie came the first summer, we thought a lot about what we were going to give her during the visit. It did not take us long to realize that what made our experience truly remarkable is what Jamie gave us. She’s provided us with a new perspective and countless laughs and smiles,” says Helene, a Fresh Air host mother.

To learn more about hosting a Fresh Air child this summer, please contact Marion Sullivan at (802) 877-3028 or the Fresh Air Fund at freshair.org.

The newly named CharlotteShelburne-Hinesburg Rotary Club holds its 38th Annual Car Raffle in which it will raffle off a 2017 Honda FIT or $12,000 in cash. The raffle is a principal fund-raiser for the club’s projects, which support local and international efforts in serving people and communities.

Primary among these is $10,000 ($4K, $2.5K, $2K & $1.5K) in educational scholarships to persons from the three towns and an annual $5,000 donation to the Hands-to-Honduras Tela project.

The event will be held on Friday, May 12, in the Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms.

Cocktails start at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7, followed by the exciting drawing sequence beginning around 8.

Only 100 balls are sold so the chance of winning is one in a hundred.

A package of door prizes will be awarded after every 10 tickets/balls have been drawn. It is a “win/win” event for everybody because so many people take home prizes and the money raised goes right back into the communities served.

The owner of the very first ticket/ ball drawn this year will automatically receive $100 in cash! In addition, there will be a three $250 cash awards after the first, second and third groups of 30 balls have been drawn. The

suspense keeps mounting and the odds of winning the grand prize get bigger and bigger, so the event truly is fun.

There can be only one winner of the car or the cash. But when the last 10 balls remain, there is an opportunity for the individual finalists to decide among themselves whether to “split” the car or take the cash. After each of the remaining balls is drawn, the opportunity is once again given to the remaining ball-holders to negotiate.

A ticket for $275 buys one ball and entitles the purchaser to two dinners.

Additional dinners may be purchased at a cost of $20 per person.

Questions or purchases should be addressed to Ric Flood at 658-1511 or email him at ric.flood@comcast.net.

The Charlotte News • May 3, 2017 • 7

Town Charlotte Cemetery Commission update The Charlotte Cemetery Commission is a volunteer organization comprised of dedicated supporters and led by three elected commissioners. Our main focus is the maintenance and conservation of our town cemeteries: the West Burying Ground (aka Barber Hill) on Greenbush Road and the East Burying Ground (on Spear Street), as well as a number of smaller family plots around town.

As Charlotters, we believe in the cultural and historical significance of these landmark graveyards and that our community is enriched by the lives and deeds of the people who settled here before us. In honor of those founding families, their foresight and hard work, we strive to maintain their stone monuments and their earthly remains that have been entrusted to our care.

West Burying Ground by the numbers 1785:

The year Brownson Keelor was interred, our first known burial.

He was one year old.

1267:

The number of steps on Greenbush Road to reach the north gate of the cemetery from the Old Brick Store.

73:

Number of unmarked graves revealed by ground-penetrating radar on October 11, 2016.

23:

The number of years graveyard occupant Salmon Hurlburt was born before George Washington. Hurlburt was born in 1709.

13:

The number of Barbers buried in the West Burying Ground, aka Barber Hill Cemetery.

3: Number of spellings used for the 34 members of the Peas/Peese/ Pease family.

2: Number of sons lost by Eli and Meriba Hoskins, when the boys drowned on January 8, 1842.

Seymour was only 24, Eli, just 13.

1: Number of resident woodchucks (which is currently being relocated).

Prepare for the U.S. Postal Carriers Food Drive

Food Shelf News Kerrie Pughe CONTRIBUTOR

Saturday May 13 is the annual U.S. Postal Service Carriers Food Drive. The mail carriers will be collecting in Shelburne and Charlotte to benefit the community food shelves in each town. Our postal carriers will help make the process easy. Simply leave your nonperishable food donation at your mailbox by 9 a.m. Saturday morning (May 13), and they will pick it up when they deliver your mail.

As some of you may know, both Shelburne and Charlotte have limited shelf capacity; thus we are limited in the range of items we are able to offer. Our hope for this food drive is to focus on the most sought-after items.

Any items from the list below would be greatly appreciated.

- 100% juice packs - fruit cups (apple, peach, etc) - granola type bars, cheese or peanut butter cracker packets - canned tuna or chicken - pasta sauces along with spaghetti and elbow pasta

- ketchup, mayo and yellow mustard We much appreciate your attention to expiration dates.

For more information about the annual food drive, email charlottefoodshelf@gmail. com or visit our page, Charlotte Community Food Shelf and Assistance, on Facebook.

Many thanks for your continued support from your Shelburne and Charlotte Food Shelf volunteers!

Food Shelf Visit Statistics 2017 to date: January, 19 visits, total number served 63 February, 23 visits, total number served 72 March, 20 visits, total number served 74

Thank you

Thank you to Dr. Teresa Meyer for the donation given in gratitude for Mary Volk.

Also, thank you to our anonymous donor; we received the cash.

Wish list

We are in need of clean pint and quart size jars with lids to be used to distribute shampoo, laundry soap and cleaning supplies. Please, no narrow-mouth jars (too messy to try to fill).

Donations

We are a volunteer organization so all donations you make to the food shelf go directly for food and/or assistance to our local neighbors in need. Thank you so much for considering donating today. Checks may be mailed to Charlotte Food Shelf & Assistance, P O Box 83, Charlotte, Vermont 05445.

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

New Facebook page

“Like” us at our new Facebook page Charlotte Community Food Shelf and Assistance to see photos and get updates on all the Food Shelf activities.

The food shelf is located on the lower level of the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry. Distribution days/times are posted in this newspaper and on the bulletin board in the Charlotte Congregational Church Hall.

You may also call the food shelf number 425-3252 for a recording of the distribution times.

We are open to all community residents.

Privacy is very important and respected in our mission of neighbor helping neighbor.

For emergency food call John 425-3130.

For emergency assistance (electricity, fuel) call Cindi at 425-3234. For more information call Karen at 425-3252.

Important upcoming 2017 Charlotte Food Shelf distribution dates: Wednesdays, May 10, 24 and June 7, 21, from 5–7 p.m.

Thursdays, May 11, 25 and June 8, 22, from 7:30–9:30 a.m.

Farmers potluck dinner and upcoming rummage sale Dorothy Hill CONTRIBUTOR

Spring is finally here, and it’s time to open our windows and doors and let the longer days in!

On March 28, the Charlotte Grange welcomed local farmers to a Spring Equinox Potluck dinner and discussion. We enjoyed fabulous contributions cooked up from farm and field, including delicacies such as deviled eggs and pure maple sap beverage. The Grange is reaching out to our rural community of both producers and

consumers of food and fiber in an effort to make meaningful connections. Many farmers in attendance agreed that marketing their products is a very important but steep hurdle for them as business people.

We discussed different ideas and hope to incorporate them in the future. The Grange plans to publish “Featured Farmer” articles in upcoming Charlotte News editions as a way to help spread the word on our local producers. Stay tuned!

Rummage sale

Another Grange springtime tradition is our annual spring rummage sale to be held

this Friday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, May 6, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Grange Hall on Spear Street. Be sure to stop by—it’s a great sale.

Grange survey

We are reviewing the results of our community survey that was available on Town Meeting Day at our display table.

Let us know if you would like to fill out a survey—we will send one to you. We appreciate the input from our neighbors!

For photos from the Farmers Potluck evening and other Grange events, go to our Facebook page at Charlotte Grange #398.

8 • May 3, 2017 • The Charlotte News

Education CCS kids meet their neighbors: humans, horses, chickens, oh my!

Vera Simon-Nobes CONTRIBUTOR

Why did the students cross the road? To get to Pine Ridge Farm, of course! Earlier this spring, David and Sue Schermerhorn welcomed a group of 11 Charlotte Central School students to their farm to explore the barn, learn about chickens and even meet a horse! The excursion was an option during CCS’s Exploratory, an event that brings students together in multi-age groups for nontraditional learning experiences on the last day of school before vacation.

As a farmer and educator at Philo Ridge Farm (the old Foote Farm), I have relished the chance to welcome students to our farm through the exploratories over the last couple of years. I was equally excited

to help set up a visit to our neighbors at Pine Ridge Farm, which is located directly across from CCS. The students started their adventure by grinding corn for the chickens. We carefully crossed the street where we met farmers Dave and Sue Schermerhorn and observed their solar panels, chicken yard, gardening hand tools, historic barn, horses and stalls, and hayloft.

This farm-based education exploratory was a science lesson, a social studies adventure, a team- building endeavor, and of course it was plain old fun. Scratching the nose of a horse you see from the school bus window each day and holding a warm, freshly laid egg are experiences that foster curiosity and community. Thank you so much, Dave and Sue, for making this visit

possible.

A farm visit in the students’ words “We were doing Exploratories at school.

I was dying to be in Meet Your Neighbors.

We went next door to the farm across the street. When we got there we wanted to see the chickens! We went to see them, and Vera said we could go in and say ‘hi’ three at a time. I went first with two other people but the chickens were all out in the yard. I looked in the nesting boxes and found two eggs! The farmers said they would keep them. They were beautiful. One was white and one was brown. That was the greatest time ever.” Sarah, age 8.

“As you enter the room the sweet smell of hay comes through. You see mountains

of hay and muddy boots. You realized you have entered the hay bale room. You assume there’s not a lot of room. But there’s a secret about to unfold. The hay doesn’t sit, it goes down. It goes down to the horses and they can’t wait for more to come.” Estelle, age 11.

“Today I saw four horses and I got to pet an Appaloosa. He was named Remedy.

Appaloosa is a spotted horse breed. I love horses because I inherited it from my grandmother. Hip hip hooray! Yay horses!”

Flossy, age 7.

“I saw one Americana, two longhorns, three Wyandottes in one smallish coop.

see CCS KIDS page 9

Champ Run celebrates 15th year The Champ Run will celebrate its 15th year at Charlotte Central School on June 8. This is a community event celebrating the end of the school year and is a key fundraiser for the PTO. The run has evolved from a road race, with chip timing, to a fun trail run organized by school cross country coach Dave Baird. In addition to the run, there will be a potluck and BBQ with a basket raffle of more than 15 themed baskets. For more info call 425-2771.

David and Sue Schermerhorn welcomed a group of 11 Charlotte Central School students to their farm to explore the barn, learn about chickens and even meet a horse!

Courtesy photo

Charlotte Central School update Staff report The Champlain Valley School District Board approved the resignation of Mark McDermott as a member of the board and appointed Lynne Jaunich to replace him.

McDermott has been appointed director of labor relations, policy and legal services for CVSD. That board will be in full operation on July 1.

Teachers retiring from Charlotte Central School at the end of this school year are Robyn Davis, Alice Trageser, Leslie

Williams and Cindy Schnell.

Newcomers for the 2017-2018 school year are Marley Evans who will take over Leslie Williams’ responsibilities.

Cassandra Townshend will take over for Alicia Kurth as special education administrator, and Ash Cotton will be teaching art in place of Alice Trageser.

Natasha Grey, 6th grade teacher, and Linda Poirier, teacher in the 3rd and 4rth grades, have been hired into permanent positions at the school.

The Charlotte News • May 3, 2017 • 9

Education Pick up your Green Up Day bags at the library! by a grant from John and Alice Outwater.

Tuesday, May 2, 7 p.m.: Great Decisions, Conflict in the South China Sea. This region is a locus of competing territorial claims, with China its most vocal claimant. Materials at desk.

Thursdays, 3:15 p.m.: Coding Club.

Join kids coding with Scratch. Beginners and advanced. 4th grade and up.

Submitted by Margaret Woodruff May 1 to May 5: Choose Privacy Week.

Find out how to safeguard your privacy on the Internet: learn to generate a secure password, use a password manager and download helpful software and addons. Try the “Virtual Privacy Lab” and get a custom privacy toolkit.

Tuesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, 9 a.m. Baby Time @ the Library! Join us to chat, sing songs, and read to Baby.

Sponsored by Building Bright Futures.

Tuesdays, May 2 and 9, 2:15 p.m.

TinkerBelles Explore the World. Join us to experiment with tools and topics of the STEM world. For grades 3–5. Funded

Young Writers Project is an independent nonprofit that engages students to write, helps them improve and connects them with authentic audiences. Here are submissions by Charlotte students.

Black Smoke Why, why?

Most things … so black like smoke.

Injustice is important.

Why can’t things be chill and sunny?

But no they can’t.

I hate things being so black and dark...

I want to be happy but I can’t knowing the end is upon us.

Mariposa Robinson, Grade 6 World of Problems Gun shots, bombing, segregation.

It happens every day, families torn apart, people killed, churches and houses

Fridays, May 5, 12, 19 and 26, 10:30 a.m. Friday Free for All. Join us each Friday for a new adventure with stories, experiments and snacks! For ages 3–5.

Saturday, May 6: Seed Library @ Green Up Day. Pick up your seeds as you drop off your trash at the Charlotte and Shelburne Green Up Day sites!

Monday, May 15, 10 a.m. Mystery Book Group: Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson. A literary thriller featuring Jackson Brodie and named for an Emily Dickinson poem. Copies available at desk.

Tuesday, May 16, 7 p.m. Great Decisions, Saudi Arabia in Transition.

burned down.

It happens every day.

Black people are segregated.

But why? They are just people. Normal human beings just like you and I. They just have a different skin color.

But why does that matter?

Animals are dying off because of poachers, rainforests are disappearing, farm animals are getting slaughtered for us to enjoy.

But why?

Our president banned immigrants from certain countries trying to come into this country to get away from war trying so hard not to die.

These are world problems. They happen every day.

But guess what, there’s more, more problems that happen, more people dying, more black people segregated, animals

As Saudi Arabia struggles to adjust to a drastic decline in oil revenue, there are attempts to transform the country and shift more power to the younger generation. Materials at desk.

Wednesday, May 17, 7 p.m. Long Trail Canine Rescue. Meet the people and puppies in this life-changing group.

Learn how to help their efforts or find a pet of your own!

Friday, May 19, 8:30 a.m. Garden Session: Plant a Seed, Defend the Future. Help sow the library garden, enjoy refreshments and “defend the future.” Slow Food Materials provided by a grant from Friends of the Charlotte Library.

Thursday, May 25, 7 p.m. Privacy and Safety on the Internet. Jason DuquetteHoffman from the Vermont Attorney General’s Office Consumer Assistance Program walks you through Internet safety basics and explains common consumer complaints.

Monday, May 29: Library closed for Memorial Day holiday.

slaughtered.

But why? Why does it have to happen?

What has happened to our country, to our world?

We need more people to help, we need more joy, we need more people to change the world.

Coco Eyre, Grade 6 Cabin Here I am, this is me Right here for all to see I sit alone, waiting for the time Where floorboards creak and doorbells chime I want a family to hold me tight And keep me company during cold prairie nights Here I am, this is me Right here for all to see I stand right here, rusted and red I can’t wait to fall into the earth, my bed.

Hadley Stockwell, Grade 6

CCS KIDS

continued from page 8 Two longhorns with side combs tilted to the left, one Americana with a fan tail with some orange color tinted on it, three Wyandottes with silver-like lace arranged around the outside of each feather with perfection.”

Lucy, age 14.

“Dear Dave and Sue Schermerhorn, I like your chickens and horses. I saw four horses at a farm. One of the horses was named Remedy.” Alexis, age 9.

“Dave Schermerhorn of Pine Ridge Farm was a firefighter for the Charlotte Fire Department.” Sawyer, age 11. “[I noticed] the chicken coop design, and the way they set up the farm.” Zach, age 13.

“It was wonderful to see the inside of the Schermerhorns’ amazing barn and learn a little more of Charlotte’s history. Seeing the variety of breeds and hearing students’ connections was especially wonderful.”

Ms. Grey, 6th grade teacher.

Other students who came on the farm visit included Taylor, age 13; Jason, age 12; Mavis, age 7; and Kayden, age 7. Thank you to all the students. They were respectful and thoughtful during our visit.

By the way, did you know: The Schermerhorns’ barn can fit about 1,000 square bales of hay.

In addition to the six chickens they currently have, they will order six new chicks this spring.

Dave Schermerhorn was the chief of the Charlotte Fire Department for 16 years.

They use baling twine from hay bales to keep hawks, owls and other aerial predators away from their chicken yard. Electric fence keeps foxes, fisher, raccoons and other ground predators away.

Local Church Services Charlotte Congregational Church, UCC 403 Church Hill Road, 425-3176

Regular Sunday service: 10 a.m.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church

The Charlotte News! like us on facebook!

Spear Street, 425-2637 Sister parish: St. Jude’s, Hinesburg

Regular schedule of masses: Saturday, 4:30 p.m., at St. Jude’s Sunday, 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Sunday, 9:30 a.m., at St. Jude’s

10 • May 3, 2017 • The Charlotte News

Earth Day volunteers plant 25 elm trees in town Lynn Monty

See more on our website and Facebook page! www.TheCharlotteNews.org

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Gray skies persisted but rain held off long enough on Earth Day to allow for a major effort in giving back to Mother Nature. Charlotters, tall and small, joined forces to repopulate the Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge with elm trees.

“With all of this heavy mud, this is really a task,” Vince Crockenberg said while wielding his shovel. Incidentally, Crockenberg is the president of the board here at The News, but he wasn’t there serving in that capacity. He was present in honor of Larry Hamilton, Charlotte’s long-time tree warden who recently passed away. “This is my ongoing homage to my dear friend,” he said.

Mud-covered children squealed with glee during the entire hours-long process. Their hands-on educational experience was led by Jessie Bradley, who serves on the park’s oversight committee. She was there guiding Melanie and Rodney Centeno of Charlotte and their children, Aviana, 6, and Rio, 8, who were, at times, busy “saving” earthworms from the steel rim of the shovel. Be sure to check out the video on The Charlotte News Facebook page to see what took place.

Tree Warden Mark Dillenbeck assembled four work groups that day.

He distributed maps of the park along with shovels, mallets and the like.

Areas were pre-staked where the elms would find new life.

Originally, elm trees grew all over the park until Dutch elm disease took hold. Now there are none. In a valiant effort, Dillenbeck and his crew of more than a dozen volunteers planted 25 disease-resistant elm trees in the park April 22.

Jessie Bradley volunteers due to an affinity for wildlife, particularly birds, she said. “I have been a part of the park since Rockefeller donated it,” she said. “It’s a great place and an amazing resource in town. We could use more volunteers though.”

Volunteering to work on projects like this in town binds a community and keeps taxes down, Bradley said. Not to mention it keeps invasives at bay and protects precious resources.

Volunteer Alexa Lewis said she was there to give the elms a good start. “We need to make sure the earth renews itself and keeps the soil strong and the water intact,” she said.

Dillenbeck said Horsford Gardens & Nursery generously cared for the trees for three weeks leading up to the Earth Day planting. They supplied them at cost, and the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program grant allowed this attempt at reforestation of elms in the park to happen. Next the team will make sure the elms are watered until they are well established.

The Nature Conservancy is donating an additional 15 trees of three varieties to be planted at the park and elsewhere in town.

Deliver

!

Tree W a work g rden Mark Dil roups t lenbeck o Charlot te on Ea plant disease assembled fo rth Day u . Pho resistant elms r to by Ly in nn Mon ty while s m r o rthw e f a li e d il d n W and no fi a Cente harlotte Park n ia v A C Rio and elm trees at onty M g plantin Photo by Lynn .

Refuge

! e r o l p x E

Dig! Protect!

Alexa Lewis prepares an elm for successful growth at Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge on Earth Day, April 22.

Photo by Lynn Monty

Jessie Bradley makes

the park. room for new elms at Photo by Lynn Monty

The Charlotte News!

More on Facebook!

The Charlotte News • May 3, 2017 • 11

Taking Care Alice D. Outwater Ph. D. CONTRIBUTOR

This was my year following college and I was in Washington, D.C., searching for my first job. In an unusuaI arrangement I was renting a room from Admiral and Mrs. McDonald who had purchased an enormous house near Dupont Circle. They had invited me to one of their parties and I entered the ballroom that must have had half the top brass in the city—distinguished-looking men in uniforms with stripes on their sleeves and ribbons on their chests. The women were stylish and assured. Everyone was relaxed and friendly. I assumed the most important had more stripes on their sleeves. Several rivaled the Admiral’s, including stars on their lapels. Conversation glided along, and they relished telling me how they had acquired them.

First jobs are a right of passage Over tea the next afternoon Mrs. McDonald congratulated me on fitting in easily. “One of the admirals wanted your phone number,” she said. “My advice is don’t go that route. There are ample attractive young men in your age group and stick to them. Don’t make your life more complicated than it needs to be.” I didn’t understand her implications at the time.

That was the only warning she ever gave me and it was well advised.

One late afternoon as I got off the subway Mrs. McDonald was outside in her evening dress sweeping the sidewalk. A party was scheduled and she was tidying up. I wondered where the handyman was but saluted her unpredictable spirit.

I was elated to be hired at the International Bank and Monetary Fund on H Street, only two blocks from the White House.

The striking white stone building with its marble floors was one of the few buildings in the city to be air-conditioned. Inside the row of mirrored elevators silently zipped up to the top floor. I was hired as a Code Clerk with offices in the cave-like basement but they assured me I would be promoted.

All messages from abroad were considered

top secret and arrived in code. I decided this added glamor to my job as everyone upstairs depended on the contents in these telegrams to make their policies.

In addition to decoding I volunteered to deliver the translated messages—often to the President of the IMF in his elegant office overlooking the city. Everything was formal with many visiting dignitaries arriving for hush-hush meetings.

Dashing up and down in the elevators, I got a sense of who worked in the building: it was filled with young men sent from prominent families, mainly Egyptians and Saudis, to learn about world banking; they would later return to their countries in responsible positions.

A friend and I often took our lunch sandwiches to Lafayette Park where we sat on a bench and chatted. On the way we passed Harry Truman who paused to tip his hat and greet us. He smiled cordially. He was accompanied by one Secret Service man. In this era the White House was so accessible you could almost walk in the front door—it wasn’t until later that barricades were built around it.

As I left after work in the late afternoon,

Grab a green bag, pick a route and Green Up! Staff report Green Up Day is an annual statewide event where more than 22,000 volunteers come together to remove litter from Vermont’s roadsides and public spaces.

More than 50,000 bags of trash are collected annually.

Visit CharlotteVTGreenUpDay.com for helpful links and videos about reducing the waste stream, recycling, composting and more. Sign up for routes in Charlotte on this site and view a map of all town roads.

Bring all filled bags, tires and scrap metal collected from roadsides to the Quonset hut at Charlotte Central School on Saturday, May 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Sunday, May 7, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Need compost? On Green Up Day, May 6, from 9 a.m. to noon, you can buy bulk

compost at the Charlotte Central School sixth annual compost sale in the Charlotte Central School west Quonset parking lot. Bring your 5-gallon, 20-gallon or 33-gallon cans to the school volunteer. Shovel labor will be provided. Prices are $3 per 5-gallon can, $12 per 20-gallon can, and $18 per 33-gallon can.

This is a drop-in sale, first come and first served, while supplies last. Compost is generously donated by Champlain Valley Compost Company. Proceeds go to CCS compost shed and school gardens.

Again this year there will be a tree and shrub sale, with apple, plum, pear, shipova, currants, gooseberries, quince, elderberry

and honeyberry available offered by Vermont Edible Landscapes. Ten percent of these proceeds will benefit CCS gardens.

CCS compost shed tours will be given by 6th grade students. Drop in between 9 and 10 a.m. to learn about thermophilic and backyard composting techniques.

For more information contact Abby Foulk of the CCS Sustainability Committee at afoulk@ gmavt.net or 802-999-8501.

the sidewalk was lined with black limousines. The rotund occupant in the back seat filled with plush pillows rolled down the window and in his thick accent asked, “Aleece, could I give you a ride?” “We met in the elevator at the IMF.” If I was going to the train station I would accept his offer, otherwise I declined and took the trolley up Wisconsin Avenue. I felt uncomfortable agreeing to the occasional dinner invitation, sensing I might suddenly find myself in over my head—whatever that meant.

As I glanced down the line of shiny black cars, a woman in fishnet stockings sometimes appeared from nowhere. She wore a mink fur around her flimsy seethrough dress and hurriedly stepped into the back seat where a gentleman waited.

Her demeanor didn’t fit with any of the secretaries at the IMF. I wondered what other type of plans for the evening?

First jobs really are a rite of passage into adulthood both personally and professionally. You must have had memories of yours, the people you worked with and how you handled the culture into which you were thrust.

WHAT: Green Up Day WHEN: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, and 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, May 7 WHERE: The Quonset hut at Charlotte Central School on Charlotte-Hinesburg Road INFO: Visit CharlotteVTGreenUpDay.com or email Kim Findlay at farafieldfarm@ gmavt.net or Ken Spencer at spenken@icloud.com.

12 • May 3, 2017 • The Charlotte News

Sports Edd’s Sports Report Edd Merritt CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

CVU baseball has it on the mound and at the plate

Looking at reports of its last three ball games, one notices a variety of leading hitters and winning pitchers, something traditionally found in strong teams. In its most recent victory, Charlotte’s George Davis doubled in the winning run with a bender to right field in the fifth inning to make it 2-1 for the Redhawks. Hunter Anderson went the distance on the mound, allowing last year’s state champions a lone run in the third inning. CVU coach Tim Albertson said that his pitcher “really competed– that’s what it came down to at the end.”

The three previous games were also wins, one over Milton 21-5, one over North Country 19-7 and the closest an 8-2 victory over Middlebury. Liam Reiner pitched against North Country, Kyle Rivers shut down Milton, and Colin Vincent struck out seven while driving in two runs himself against the Mids. Jacob Murphy, Storm Rushford and Chris O’Brien had multiple hits as they led the way at the plate in the two lopsided victories.

Gorman leads women’s track to a second place finish at St. Jay

Sophia Gorman’s first place at 3,000 meters and third at 1,500 were handles on CVU’s

second place team slot behind winner St. Johnsbury Academy. Allison Kloeckner won both shot put and discus, and Sierra Morton won the 200-meter dash.

The men’s team also finished in second place behind the hometown Hilltoppers. As he has been doing much of the early season, Tyler Marshall captured first place at 800 and 1,500 meters. Max Rieley won the discus and Elliot Eastman the pole-vault.

At the Essex Vacational Meet later in April, Kloeckner and Murphy won the two CVU first places, Murphy at 1,500 meters, Kloeckner in the shot put.

Tennis teams both top the nets in wins over St. Johnsbury

Both men’s and women’s tennis teams continued their winning ways against St. Johnsbury Academy, the men at Davis Park, Shelburne, the women on the Academy courts. Redhawk women continued undefeated in individual matches with lone Charlotter, Meara Heininger shutting out her Hilltopper opponent 7-0, 7-0. Playing on home courts, the men took their opponents by three individual matches, 5-2.

There were no Charlotters serving this time.

The women stand at three wins, no losses for the season; the men are two and zero.

Men’s lacrosse stands four and one

Middlebury and CVU have always produced close lacrosse games. Middlebury seems to feed on its collegiate ally in town.

CVU has built up a strong feeder program, with even its principal a former Vermont high school All American. Last Friday’s game was no different as the Redhawks traveled down the road, took advantage of Middlebury penalties by getting goals

on three different men-up situations and topped the Tigers 8-7. Attack man Jake Schaefer hit the net twice with his colleague up front, Charlotter Walter Braun adding a goal and an assist. Charley Bernicke duplicated Braun’s efforts, and Johnny Gay was called upon for five saves. The ball stayed in the Redhawks’ offensive end much of the game with the Middlebury goalie stopping 15 shots.

Another Braun, Will, helped CVU top Cape Elizabeth, Maine, in an out-of-state contest on April 21 by an identical 8-7 score. The Brauns have been active around the net much of the season. In mid-April Walter led the hawks over Essex with two goals and an assist to flesh out Bernicke’s four goals to lead the Hawks over one of their top in-state rival Hornets, 10-7.

Women’s lacrosse gets back on the pitch

Having had two games cancelled because of wet fields, CVU women LAXers lost to Mt. Mansfield 11-8 on Saturday.

Lydia Maitland scored half of the CVU goals with Gabby Provost hitting the net twice. The team stands at two wins and two losses for the season.

Softball brings its record up to three and three

After being down by nine runs to the visitors from St. Johnsbury, CVU’s softball team scored three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to top its comeback victory at 14-13. The Hilltoppers had scored 10 runs in the third inning before CVU started to eat away at their lead, and the two final innings provided the real dessert. Josie Sinopoli came home on a passed ball for the winning run. Natalie Gagnon pitched and hit for the victory, knocking in three RBIs.

One Charlotter in the list of Vermonters who finished the Boston Marathon

Congratulations to Sara Moses who was the lone Charlotte resident to finish the Boston Marathon. She was one of 80 Vermont residents to run the full race.

Seeking members for West Village Wastewater Committee The Selectboard would like to appoint three additional members to the West Charlotte Village Wastewater Committee. The committee will be developing policies and drafting ordinance language that would govern connections to and use of the town wastewater system, which will ultimately need to be approved by the Selectboard. Any person who will be applying to connect to the system or who has any other conflict of interest will be disqualified from committee membership. Please contact Town Administrator Dean Bloch if you are interested or have questions regarding the committee. Phone: 425-3071 ext. 5; e-mail: dean@townofcharlotte.com.

Morningside Cemetery Association annual meeting

The trustees of the Morningside Cemetery Association wish to notify all members of the annual association meeting to be held at the Charlotte Town Offices on Ferry Road on May 7 at 4 p.m. All owners of plots in Morningside Cemetery are association members and are invited to attend.

An election of the five members of the board of trustees will take place.

Other cemetery business will be discussed. Please call Janice Garen, president at 425-2393 or Nancy Richardson, secretary/treasurer at 539-2110 to RSVP if you plan to attend.

The Charlotte News • May 3, 2017 • 13

Sports Mother’s Day Ride and Walk for Children Join the Lund Mother’s Day Ride and Walk for Children presented by North Country Federal Credit Union on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 14, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. With 55-, 30-, 16- and 4-mile rides and a walk there is something for everyone. Food, music, festivities and fun follow the event. Celebrate Mother’s Day doing something active, fun and beneficial to local women, children and families. Sign up at bike.lundvt.org or call (802) 448-3617.

All routes start and end at Rice Memorial High School, 99 Proctor Avenue in South Burlington. Bagels, fruit and coffee greet riders and walkers during registration, and after the ride there is live music, activities, ice cream and food.

All money raised supports Lund’s adoption, education, treatment and family

support programs. Registration fees are $10 for a family ride and walk with a $10 fundraising minimum, $50 for adults in longer rides with $100 fundraising minimum, $25 for children in longer rides with no fundraising minimum.

Lund was founded in 1890 as a maternity home for women on the edges of society. Today Lund is an integrated, family-centered adoption, education, treatment and family support agency serving over 4,800 Vermonters each year.

The heart of Lund’s work is to empower families to break cycles of poverty, addiction and abuse.

To find out more about Lund, visit our website, lundvt.org.

Seasonal cycling fundraisers soon to hit our shores Staff report The Selectboard has just approved a few more fundraising bicycle rides through town: the Cycle4CMT, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and three Green Mountain Bicycle Club time trials. The time trial rides are timed, with bicyclers going one at a time on an outand-back course on south Greenbush Road—these are free and open to the public.

The May 8 Selectboard meeting will include an application by Vermont Cares for a fundraising bicycle ride, and the May 22 meeting will include an application from the Kelly Brush Foundation for a fundraising bicycle ride.

Over the summer and early fall there will be five or six bicycling/fundraising events, two running races sponsored

by RaceVT.com (Rayne Herzog), one

intercollegiate club bicycle race hosted

by UVM, and three bicycling time trials (open to the public). There may also be an across-the-lake swim.

“There are actually fewer events this year that the last few years because RaceVT.com is not holding triathlons, as it did in previous years,” said Dean Bloch, Charlotte town administrator.

Most events have three or so courses of different lengths and come south on Greenbush Road, and some cross Route 7 at Ferry Road and go back north on Spear Street. Some continue down Greenbush to Ferrisburgh and Vergennes; these may cross Route 7 in Ferrisburgh and go back north via Spear Street. The Kelly Brush Ride comes north from Middlebury and then does it all in reverse.

Lund celebrates more than 125 years of building families and changing lives in Vermont. Its Mother’s Day Ride and Walk for Children is scheduled for 8 a.m. on May 14.

Courtesy photo

14 • May 3, 2017 • The Charlotte News

Home & Garden Low-cost local food Pile your plate with Vermont food on a budget

Rachel Carter

VERMONT SUSTAINABLE JOBS FUND

Vermonters enjoy local food and beverages in a variety of ways—growing or foraging their own, purchasing directly from a farmer or at the store, hunting or fishing, eating at schools and institutions serving local food, finding food from a community

food shelf or the Vermont Foodbank, or just by trading with friends and neighbors.

Agriculture in Vermont is steeped in tradition, which helps define our communities and our state. The local food movement of recent years has created opportunities for new products and food businesses to be developed and expand— creating more jobs for Vermonters and keeping money here in the state to help the entire Vermont community.

Local food in Vermont is considered to be anything produced or processed in the state plus 30 miles from the border and is included in a regional food system covering

the Northeast and Quebec. The types and costs of local food will vary. Some products are marketed to urban areas like Boston and New York City to help farmers and producers pay for the cost to produce the food and so that other products can be made more affordable for folks back home.

Local food is considered by many Vermonters to be tastier and healthier, and it’s made by neighbors and fellow Vermonters we trust. Still, budgets and time are often tight. Here are some ways to get your share of local food without breaking the bank.

How to find local food on a budget

Buy farm direct: Vermont is home to about 7,300 farms, with farms located in every county in the state. Buying directly from a farm is an easy way to find local food that’s in season, fresh and often less expensive than what you’ll find in the grocery store.

Farmstands sell everything from beef and pork to carrots and eggs and are generally open between May and October (although some are open year-round). Pickyour-own begins with berries in June and runs through October with apples. Locally grown directories distributed in different regions across the state are helpful guides to find farms and farmstands in your area.

Another buy direct option are farmers markets, which are typically once a week and offer local food from farmers and producers. More than 40 farmers markets in Vermont now accept EBT cards, which

see LOCAL FOOD page 16

The Charlotte News • May 3, 2017 • 15

Home & Garden

16 • May 3, 2017 • The Charlotte News

Home & Garden LOCAL FOOD

continued from page 14

Agriculture in Vermont is steeped in tradition, which helps define our communities and pride in our state.

Courtesy photo

carry 3SquaresVT benefits.

Many Vermont farms also offer CSAs (community supported agriculture), where farm shares can be purchased in advance of the growing season for weekly pickups of local food all season long. Some farms offer winter or yearround CSAs as well.

Find CSAs or farmers markets at nofavt.org.

Bulk up: Save significantly in the bulk container section at Costco, Hannaford or your local food co-op, where you can load up on locally grown or processed flour, cornmeal, maple syrup, coffee, hot cereal mixes, granola and more at volume-discount prices.

Grow your own: Seeds can be found at garden centers and hardware stores around the state, including High Mowing Organic Seeds—a Vermont company that cultivates its own seeds in northern Vermont. In May, veggie and herb starts are sold everywhere from garden centers and hardware stores to farmers markets and tag sales, with many bargains to be found.

Raise your own and trade: Maybe you grow tomatoes, have a few chickens, or raise your own pigs while your neighbor is a beekeeper on a small farm with a few goats and cattle. Trading your produce, eggs and pork for goat’s milk, honey and beef is an easy way to save money and share food.

Foodbanks and food shelves: The Vermont Foodbank, and food shelves,

meal sites, senior centers, shelters and youth programs offer a place where anyone can access food assistance in an environment that is open, diverse and welcoming. Find a foodbank or food shelf at vtfoodbank.org.

Hunting and fishing: Vermont offers a variety of hunting seasons throughout the year for deer, turkey, bear, moose, small game and waterfowl. Vermont is also home to world-class fishing, offering opportunities to catch trout, pike, Atlantic salmon, perch and more. You can buy a hunting or fishing license online on the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife website or at the department’s Montpelier office in the Dewey Building located on National Life Drive. Fishing licenses are also sold at general stores and town clerk’s offices across the state. More information at vtfishandwildlife.com.

Grow from food scraps: Instead of throwing out your semi-used vegetables, consider planting them. Even though not every scrap will grow into a whole new vegetable, many will thrive. To start, save and plant the tops of vegetables like beets, carrots, and parsnips with at least a quarter of an inch of the vegetable intact for best results. Just add water, and you’ll enjoy fresh veggies for free.

Coupons: Several coupon programs help connect Vermonters with healthy local food. The Crop Cash program helps the 85,000 Vermonters currently receiving 3SquaresVT/SNAP funds to turn $10 in benefits into $20 in food every time they visit the farmers market.

The Charlotte News • May 3, 2017 • 17

Out Takes

Edd Merritt

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

I was hanging out the other day, waiting for my wife to return from work at the Senior Center, so I turned to Spotify and decided to listen to Pink Floyd’s The Wall (showing my age, eh?). I actually began by listening to a rendition of one of the album’s songs, “Mother,” done by Sinead O’Connor and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, accompanied

by Garth Hudson, Rick Danko and Levon Helm from The Band. It’s a great version.

Listening to the lyrics, I said to myself, “Wow, talk about timely 40 years after it hit vinyl.” Here are a few lines that struck me in light of today’s environment: “Mother, do you think they’ll drop the bomb?”

Mother, should I run for president?”

“Mother, should I trust the government?”

“Mama’s gonna to make all of your nightmares come true, Mama’s gonna put all of her fears into you.”

“Ooh babe, of course mama’s gonna help build the wall.”

“Mama, did it need to be so high?”

The wall. Yes! Waters was far ahead of his time in foreseeing cement blocks between kids and their elders. Well, those kids are now post-millennial, and some of them face a wall of a different kind. There’s

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Was it mother who made him do it?

this dude in the White House, you see, talking walls of several varieties in addition to the one keeping immigrants out of Texas.

There are walls to the top of towers, walls between mansions to which presidents can flee. There are fewer walls than most political families have between offspring and government, and no wall whatsoever between what he Twitters and what he thinks of himself. If he were only a third as thought provoking as some previous presidents, he’d be dangerous. There are walls between where he stands financially compared to his constituents, but remember he didn’t become a billionaire as a result of his own hard labor. Daddy passed the buck to him, and young Donald put the Trump name on just about everything that struck the landscape as a result, from city towers to verdant golf courses.

So was our president listening to his mother back in the late 1970s when The Wall came out? Was “Mama gonna make all his nightmares come true?” Was she gonna put all her fears into sonny? (Did she actually color his hair? Left to its own devices, his naturally blond waves, prior to being painted, would likely have followed the path of many of his political predecessors who grayed as a result of the time and commitment necessary to lead a nation that, as a democracy, argued within itself—no political activist stays pure blond for long. Gray quickly colors the Oval Office.)

Waters and fellow members of his “Floyds” focused on mother’s role in the development of her offspring. They raise the

possible explanation of today’s presidential personality as being homegrown. If family is an important element of our learning constellation, was mama behind the Trump that sees himself as all-knowing, unwilling, often, to listen to others before making a cryptic comment about their place in society in contrast to his? He is managing to build a substantial wall between himself and many in this nation—Vermont legislators, thankfully, are in line with the anti-Trump charge in Congress. Charlotters at Town Meeting voted to impeach him.

(Too little, too late, but giving credence to the possibility nonetheless).

As one who is now involved with words and their impact on readers, I find it curious how our president seems to personalize policies. He doesn’t simply focus on what he sees as important to change health-care practices, he has to call it a name, “Obamacare,” to build the cliché that his predecessor is identified with bad procedure. It becomes a short cut to what are really complex ways of paying for treating and maintaining the health of the nation’s medically needy.

Former Charlotter and ABC journalist Barrie Dunsmore lays much of the blame at the feet of drug companies. But isn’t corporate enterprise what Trump wants to see enhanced rather than see suffer under government oversight? Barrie notes in an article for the Rutland Herald and Barre Times Argus that opioid makers have played a major role in hooking people on excessive use of drugs.

I can remember, in fact, my own reliance

on corporate pharmaceutical firms sending freebies to my father, a physician, who would in turn pass them on to me during hay fever season. I don’t think I ever took the same drug twice in a row, even though the companies wanted to convince my dad that theirs were better and, therefore, he ought to purchase them for his real patients.

They were fighting an uphill battle, though.

The effects of most anti-pollen allergy drugs were hard to distinguish one from another. What really worked was moving to New York City where pollen stopped somewhere just west of the Hudson River.

(There were several other maladies to replace it, however, not the least of which were headaches from the New York state of mind. “The world stops at the end of my block” was a common refrain) On a finishing note, I’ll recite the tale of our daily cardinal. We have a young redbird who dives at our house windows day after day. The windows, in turn, being solid panes of glass, do not give in to his inquisition.

They act as walls to his brain. I don’t know whether mama cardinal contributed DNA that keeps him coming back for an impossible incursion, but his brain cells make me wonder how similar they are to our president’s, both in quality and in quantity.

Every gene seems to go into making bird and man colorful but not always smart. The bird is cute, and while one red topknot and one painted blond topknot make each head distinctive, it’s what’s inside in the cranium that counts. In at least a few instances, that filler material seems about equal in both bird and president.

18 • May 3, 2017 • The Charlotte News

Health Matters Jim Hyde CONTRIBUTOR

Lost in all of the attention being paid to the demonization of climate science by the Trump administration is the fact that all the sciences are being slashed. The president’s budget proposal for 2018 cuts $6 billion (20 percent) from the National Institutes of Health, the principal health sciences funder for our nation. The National Science Foundation, which awards more than $7 billion in research grants yearly, wasn’t even mentioned in the president’s budget, while massive cuts are proposed in the space, energy, earth, weather and behavioral sciences.

Savings from these cuts, as well as reductions in spending for education, the arts and humanities, are being used to fund a 9 percent ($54 billion) increase in defense spending, a 7 percent ($2.8 billion) increase for Homeland Security, and a 6 percent ($4.4 billion) increase in Veterans Affairs.

Some programs slated for elimination have small budgets—for example, the Fogarty Center for Global Health ($70 million).

Others with larger budgets—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is slated for a $250 million cut—are still pitifully small when compared to the Department of Defense.

It would be more understandable if these cuts were the result of a careful analysis, but they are not. No, it’s about more than belt

Why is Trump at war with science?

tightening. It appears that we have turned a corner and entered a world in which ideology and pandering to special interests are the principal motivating factors.

How did this happen to a nation with such a long and distinguished history in science and technology?

First, the populist sentiment expressed in the last election showed that there is a significant minority of people in this country who are fundamentally opposed to “government” having any role in their lives, and that includes being funders and supporters of science. Scientific research and investigation is inherently expensive.

It often requires use of highly sophisticated and expensive equipment that only government has the resources to finance.

This is true not only in fields like particle physics and space exploration but in the biological and the health sciences as well.

Second, religious fundamentalists view science as the enemy. Some fundamentalist Christian groups see evolutionary biology and even the geological sciences as weapons for attacking inerrant biblical “truths.” As these same groups have gained political power, they have made new friends in Washington. Science and its purveyors are not to be trusted—and they certainly are not to be financially supported.

Third, there is a deep philosophical divide between politicians who are ruled by ideology and the followers of the scientific method who rely on data-driven answers and conclusions. Facts that don’t quite fit with ideological dictates can be profoundly threatening.

The Trump administration’s position on climate science is a case in point. If you don’t like the science, just get rid of the scientists.

Yet the examples of denial go way beyond the environment and include vaccine policy, fossil fuel emissions, renewable energy and even weather forecasting.

Fourth, science-driven policy can lead to regulations that threaten powerful and entrenched business interests. Science and technology can be of huge benefit to business—take for example robotics, renewable energy, or information and computer technology. But when science leads to regulations that threaten return on investment for owners and shareholders, the rhetoric changes, and talk of “job killing” regulations takes over.

Consider the recent lifting of the cleanwater standards. Contaminated mining debris can now be dumped into valleys, streams and rivers. These changes may make coal mining more profitable, but they won’t bring back jobs to an industry dying for other reasons. The main impact on workers won’t be more jobs—it will be greater exposure to heavy metals.

No wonder the fossil fuel, chemical and pharmaceutical industries are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the deregulation bus.

Finally, science is about the search for truth. Scientists rely on observable, measurable facts. They start with hypotheses, conduct experiments or observe the natural world and look for confirmation or rejection of these hypotheses in the data.

It is an inherently democratic process. Each bit of data or information is given weight such that, ideally, although not always, the outcome is unbiased. Compare this to the political world we now inhabit, with its “fake news,” “alternative facts” and lying.

The threat becomes obvious. Who knows?

We may soon witness Sean Spicer trying to explain why pi—the ratio of a circle’s diameter to its circumference—is simply a fiction perpetrated on us by the Obama administration.

What are the consequences of these antiscience developments?

For one, we stand to lose our lead as a preeminent producer of new scientific discoveries and research. The loss of funding at the governmental level cannot possibly be replaced privately by even

the likes of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Michael Bloomberg. That the private sector can or will fill this void is a lunatic notion. Who will fund research in pure mathematics? What private sector company is going to study the epidemiology of Zika virus? Where will the research on rare, orphan diseases come from?

Still worse we are sending a message to young people that discourages them from seeking careers in the basic sciences.

Increasingly, they will come to realize that there will be no money for training or to support their research going forward. Once the pipeline of highly trained and educated young scientists closes down, it will likely take a generation to start it up again. In that period of time we may well cede our leadership role in science and technology to China, India or Japan.

In the medical and biological sciences the loss of money to support applied research will quite likely result in the loss of our ability to respond to new and emerging infectious diseases, to develop and deploy new diagnostic and treatment modalities and to protect ourselves from environmental threats to our health through air, water and soil. The infrastructure required to support basic research cannot be built in a few years like a shopping mall. It requires years of nurturing but can be lost quickly.

Worst of all, devaluing science means turning our backs on critical thinking, the capacity to question and the search to understand the world around us. The Trump administration values none of these things. It’s easy to drop bombs, build walls, fire missiles and sign executive orders.

Our choices are not constrained by lack of resources; they are constrained by a lack of leadership. Surely, the leader of the wealthiest country in the world ought to be able to find a way forward that allows us to preserve our security while at the same time maintaining our leadership in science, education and the arts.

The Charlotte News • May 3, 2017 • 19

Essential Elements Carol Alfred CONTRIBUTOR

With April’s Earth Day and May’s GreenUp Day fast approaching, I find myself more and more puzzled by a phenomenon I witness every time I leave my house. This is no natural phenomenon—it is entirely manmade which, I believe, makes it even more puzzling. The puzzle? Litter. The setting?

Vermont. Yes, the picture postcard, idyllic, Green Mountain State, Vermont.

I live in tiny (population 2,200), rural Monkton,Vermont. It is about mid-way between Burlington and Middlebury and is blessed with more than its share of natural beauty. The heart of town is called Monkton Ridge and is where Town Hall, the Monkton General Store, Monkton’s one church and the 20’ x 20’ library flank its major north-south

Spring cleaning road. This ridge road offers breathtaking views of the Green Mountains to the east and New York’s Adirondacks to the west. And nestled just below the western ridge is sleepy Monkton Pond. It is not unusual to see a car pulled over on the eastern side of the road, driver nearby and intent on photographing Camel’s Hump. Or the car and photographer are parked on the western side of the road where a prized shot would capture multiple tiers of the Adirondacks, including ski slopescarred White Face. And let’s not forget little Monkton Pond in the foreground.

The beauty of the scenery I am describing hardly fits one’s image of litter. Yet any route around town is far from pristine; all paved and dirt roads are dotted with trash. As an almost daily three-and-a-half-season walker/ runner around town, I can’t help but fixate on the litter, ruefully inventorying it as I pass.

The litter falls into three main categories: trash from smoking, trash from eating/ drinking and trash from anywhere and everywhere else. Cigarette butts are omnipresent; cigarette packages frequent.

Senior Center News

Mary Recchia CONTRIBUTOR

Getting Ready for an Active Summer?

Ginger Lambert will help you achieve that goal on Tuesday mornings from 9:15–10.

Using timed intervals and a series of stations this class will incorporate body weight, light weights and other cardio/ strength building tools to boost strength, cardiovascular fitness, agility and flexibility.

Joint and ligament issues will be taken into account. Every exercise can be modified for any ability or level of fitness. If you have been looking for a class that challenges you but doesn’t leave you in the dust, then this is for you. Registration necessary. Limit 10.

Fee: $10 per class.

The last Spring Road Hike in the Champlain Valley with Marty Morrissey will be on May 9 to Underhill State Park.

Please meet at the Center 10 minutes prior to our 9 a.m. departure with water, good hiking or walking shoes, and a snack or lunch. Details of the hike are in the sign-up book at the host desk. Registration required.

No fee.

Join Liz Fotouhi and Friends on Friday, May 5, beginning at 11:30 a.m. for a Spring Tea. While delighting in fragrant tea, savory treats and sweet confections we will welcome and celebrate the return of the lovely lady we call “Spring.” We will be reading and discussing poems about spring by some of our favorite writers. Bring your favorite poem to share, whether from a beloved poet or one you have penned yourself. All are welcome—dress is casual!

Registration necessary. Max. 25. Suggested donation: $4.

All levels of artists will enjoy Bold, Brave

& Colorful—Intuitive Painting in Acrylic with Lynn Cummings, even if you haven’t made art since kindergarten! The class will be held on Tuesday mornings in May from 9:15–12:15. Dates: May 9, 16, 23 and 30. You’ll learn about color, shape, design and how to paint intuitively, as Lynn guides you through exercises designed to help tap into the creativity that you have inside. Acrylic is a forgiving medium and is a fun way to make art. You’ll also learn to use different mediums, papers and objects to create texture in your work. Be prepared to have fun and express yourself in ways you didn’t think possible! Please make sure you receive the necessary materials list at least a week prior to the first class by contacting Lynn at Lynn.Cummings@uvm. edu. Registration necessary. Max. 12. Fee: $111.

On Wednesday morning May 10 from 9–11:30 join Janice Baush and learn how to make Hand Stamped Greeting Cards.

Unleash that creative spirit! You do not have to be an artist, but this could open that part of you! In this small, hands-on class you will create two cards that you can take and use. This is like scrapbooking (same materials used), but, of course, much smaller. A sample of what we will be making is available in the foyer at the Center. All materials will be supplied. Registration required. Max. 8. No fee.

Colored Pencil Shortcuts with Elizabeth Llewellyn begins Thursday mornings from 10 to noon. Dates: May 11, 18, 25 and June 1. Colored pencils are a very versatile medium. They can be applied to resemble watercolour, pastel, acrylic or oil paintings, but it is a slow process to layer all of those colours! This is why coloured pencil artists have developed various “shortcuts” to help

Bottles and cans blemish gullies, fields and even well-kept lawns. Food detritus is almost as bad. Some days I witness the sequence of a whole meal consumed in transit via packaging tossed out the window as the diner finished: drinking straw wrapper, whoosh; burger paper, whoosh; box from fries, whoosh; napkins and carry-out bag, whoosh. Usually the last item jettisoned is the cup with straw inside, WHOOSH! Most distressing is when I see a Happy Meal wrapper/box mixed in with the other trash because I can’t help but imagine the dialogue inside the vehicle: Litterer Sr., “All done, son? I’ll open your window—give your trash the old heave ho. Good job!”

Litterer Jr., “Oops! My toy wrapper. Open the window again, please.” (Ironically, Monkton has no McDonald’s, Burger King, etc. The closest such business is almost 20 miles away.)

Even the public pond access is not immune to litter. Again I imagine the scenario: Litterer #1, “What a great spot for a picnic!

But time to go. Just leave the trash near this

speed up the process. In this four-week class we will explore blending solvents (non-toxic) and toned papers as ways of shortening the time frame for completing paintings and producing different effects.

Please bring whatever coloured pencils you have, an HB graphite pencil and a kneaded eraser to the first class where more instruction on supplies will be provided.

Registration necessary. Limit 10. Fee: $85.

A collection of lectures, performances and special events showcasing the diverse interests of our community, Wednesday afternoons beginning at 1 o’clock. No registration or fee.

May 3: From Opera to Broadway, with Helen Lyons Helen Lyons, an internationally acclaimed soprano and native of Vermont, presents an eclectic program of beloved works from the operatic, classical and musical theater genres. The sound of beautiful singing will make the walls of the Great Room ring!

Come be transported through an afternoon of sublime music. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

May 10: Great Composers, with Damon Ferrante Music professor Damon Ferrante will be our host for this piano-oriented performance.

He will present a lively and fun concert of famous classical music pieces, performed by children and adults from our area.

Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and other great composers’ works will be featured, along with some lesser-known gems, including some Baroque pieces for the viola da gamba performed by Barbara Colombo.

May 17: Charlotte Central School Musicians A select group of student musicians from Charlotte Central School will delight you with a variety of special songs they have been working on all semester in anticipation of their spring performances.

rock.” Litterer #2, “Sure. I’ll throw out that broken hairbrush and busted beach ball that are on the backseat, too. This was so nice!

Let’s come back soon.”

These scenarios are illogical, I know, but deliberate littering is even more so.

Is its cause mindlessness? Callousness?

Selfishness? All of the above? So hard to understand. Sadly, even harder to stop.

Littering due to carelessness, however, is not as dismaying since its solution lies with you and me. Owners of open-bed pickups can better secure what’s back there. Recyclers and trash haulers can take more care as they lug and dump their bins. Shoppers can watch their receipts, coupons, bags, etc. Parents can keep a better eye on their little ones while conscientiously training them not to litter. Those physically able can participate in Green Up Day patrols or set their own days to pitch in to clear around town. A little vigilance goes a long way—as well as the simple act of bending down to retrieve an item dropped.

Another spring event is Mother’s Day; a rite of the season is springcleaning. Mother Earth could certainly use our help to make and to keep her clean!

Classifieds Reach your friends and neighbors for only $7 per issue. (Payment must be sent before issue date.) Please limit your ad to 35 words or fewer and send it to The Charlotte News Classifieds, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 or email ads@thecharlottenews.org.

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Privacy, space and tranquility. Bigger on the inside. MtPhiloInn.com 802-425-3335 Let Lupine Painting help warm up your home this winter with a fresh coat of paint or brand new look. Trusted and stressfree painting for 20+ years. Call for a free consultation (802)598-9940.

Tree Service. Lot clearing. Tree and brush removal. Local and fully insured. Call Bud 802-734-4503 Offices For Rent in west Charlotte village, SW corner of Greenbush and Ferry. Lake views, basic Internet included, common kitchen, deck and showers, $300-$525/ month, contact 802-318-6228 or 2848.

Greenbush@gmail.com

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