the charlotte news | sept. 26, 2013

The Charlotte News Volume lVI Number 04 The VoIce of The TowN Thursday, sepTember 26, 2013

Auditors continued on page 9

A herd of miniature horses runs through Jim and Barbara Amblos’ pasture.

The couple currently has 28 of the dog-sized animals.

Small Horses, Big Passion

Emma SlaterThe charloTTe News

The experience of visiting min-iature horses in their pasture is reminiscent of Alice Liddell’s

adventure down the rabbit hole in Alice

in Wonderland, when she swells to an outlandish size. If you took a pic-ture from a distance, you wouldn’t be able to spot the difference between a full-sized horse and a miniature horse.

In person, though, a miniature horse’s shoulders come up to just below an

adult’s waist. These animals are known for being exceptionally curious and friendly, as well as playful and intel-ligent. The moment one gives a playful buck, they race around the pasture to keep warm in the crisp autumn air.

These miniature horses are part of Jim and Barbara Amblos’ farm off Route 7 in Charlotte. At its height the herd had 60 head, but it is now reduced to a more manageable size of 28 mares, geldings

For Jim and Barbara Amblo, owning miniature horses

is a hobby they just can’t quit

Horses continued on page 12

Charlotte Assured A Place

in Snowboard History

Heather ManningcoNTrIbuTor

Thanks to Greg Manning, Charlotte will have eternal rep-resentation in

snowboarding history.Manning and the

other four members of the Vermont Snow Posse (VTSP) will be inducted into the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 4.

The other mem-bers of VTSP joining “G-Man” Manning in the hall of fame—Josh “JAB” Brownlee of Burlington, Jeff “Brush” Brushie of Hinesburg, Matt “Matty L” Lawrence of Burlington and Kris “Sweez” Swierz of Hinesburg—are each proud to be the second Snowboard inductees. The Vermont snowboard

industry had its first induction last year by honoring the successes of Jake and Donna Burton of Burton Snowboards.

VTSP started in the mid-1980s as a group of middle-school boys who

loved skateboarding. Due to the rural nature of Vermont, Burlington, with its sidewalks and pavement, was the natural place for these young athletes to con-vene and practice their skills together. These five “skateboard junk-ies” spent their sum-mers competing around Vermont.

In high school, these extreme sports enthusiasts took a chance at snowboard-ing, as it was just starting to gain popu-larity. When the Vermont winter set

Greg Manning to be inducted into Vermont Ski and

Snowboard Hall of Fame

Manning continued on page 7

Nancy WoodThe charloTTe News

The Selectboard attracted a crowd Monday night, many eager to hear the results of a traffic study of Spear Street conducted by the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) at the request of the town. Transportation planning engineers Jason Charest, PE, and Sai Sarepalli presented data gathered during the sum-mer using Automatic Traffic Readers (ATRs), tubes placed at several locations on Spear Street. Monitoring was also done on Hinesburg Road on either side

of the intersection of Spear Street and Hinesburg Road.

Currently, Spear Street has no town-set speed limit, which puts it by default under the state statutory 50 mph limit that applies to all unmarked paved roads in the state. In East Charlotte there are signs for 30 mph and 40 mph, but the engineers said these are unenforceable because the limits were not set by ordi-nance; there was no traffic study recom-mending them; and the signs do not meet standards for size and reflectivity.

The engineers were showered with

Planners Recommend 45 mph

Speed Limit on Spear Street

Selectboard continued on page 5

A Letter of

Consequence

In submitting a letter to the Select-

board, two town auditors are either

standing up for taxpayers or adding

to Town Hall discord, depending on

whom you ask.

Brett SigurdsonThe charloTTe News

Na n c y W o o d h a d n e v e r seen so much interest in a Board of Auditors’ meeting.

Aside from the two other elected mem-bers, Peter Trono and Robert Mack, there have been at least eight other Charlotters who have attended their last two meet-ings Sept. 3 and 16.

“We’re starting to get a following,” Wood said after the latter meeting.

But it’s not that the attendees are interested in accounting or accrual as much as they are with the charges for purchases a contractor made four years ago while working on town-funded proj-ects and what the debate over it says about town politics at this moment in time.

The latest chapter in a schism that has long been growing between the Select-board and members of the community critical of it, specifically in regard to spending and accountability, came in the form of a letter from Mack and Trono last week. In it, the two auditors outline their case for revisiting the issue of taxable tool charges made by Dick St. George of Charlotte for projects he

spearheaded at the Senior Center and Town Hall between 2008 and 2012.

In August, the Selectboard voted to require St. George to pay $88.38 in sales tax that was not charged on $1,473.06 of taxable items purchased using the town’s tax-exempt status at Rice Lum-ber. “He is allowed to keep the tools and materials he purchased as a compromise, given that the Selectboard approved the invoices and Rice did not charge tax on the items as it should have,” said Charles Russell, chair of the Selectboard. The Selectboard also vowed to review its bid process for the future.

However, the Board of Auditors was not satisfied with the Selectboard’s han-dling of the issue and revisited the issue at its Sept. 3 meeting.

Russell and Lane Morrison, the Selectboard member who studied the issue and made the recommendations, both attended to listen to the auditors’ thoughts on the matter. Not hearing any new information, Russell felt it wasn’t worth pursuing the matter further.

Despite this, Mack and Trono pre-pared a letter to the Selectboard. For her part, Wood contributed to some of the language of the letter, mostly to tone it down. Otherwise, she voted against sending it on the grounds of overreach—the Board of Auditors has no authority over the Selectboard, she noted—and she did not sign it.

The letter states bluntly the settlement the Selectboard agreed upon is “not in the best interest of Charlotte taxpayers.” St. George should pay the full amount on taxable items he purchased, it states.

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Commentary

In Diplomatic

Solution for Syria,

Signs of Hope

Barrie DunsmoreCoNTriBuTor

I wouldn’t minimize the difficul-ties in destroying Syria’s chemical weapons. But as someone who cov-ered the U.S.-Soviet strategic arms limitation negotiations for many years, let me offer some perspec-tive.

Negotiations for the second Stra-tegic Arms Limitation Treaty had been going on for five years when in 1977 the American and Russian delegations granted me and an ABC News film crew access to a week of actual negotiations in Geneva. That week’s plenary session and the

daily side negotiations were devoted mostly to one sentence in the pro-posed treaty, which began, “These missiles, among others…”

At issue was whether the Latin equivalent inter alia would be pref-erable to “among others” and where in the sentence to place it. What took a week could have been decided in a minute, but in those days the speed of arms talks reflected the state of American-Russian relations at that moment. The Cold War is over, but that is still essentially true.

There are serious problems relat-ed to disarming the Syrians of their chemical weapons. But it’s evident that both Moscow and Washington have decided that this is something that serves each side’s interests. And I think Syrian President Assad will do what he is told by his bene-factor, Russian President Putin.

Once a final resolution can be agreed to in the United Nations Security Council—and that could still take some time—the securing and destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons by United Nations inspec-tors should proceed as scheduled.

Much has been made of the dif-ficulties they will face because a civil war is waging. On that I would make two points. The Unit-ed Nations weapons inspectors are gutsy people and not easily scared. And, we know that the chemical weapons are clearly in areas that are under the direct control of Assad and his military. In other words, they are not in places likely to come under direct fire from the rebels.

As to the timing and method of destruction, those are complex technical questions, and it may take more than six months. But this shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

There will inevitably be snags and delays. There will also prob-ably be uncertainties about whether every last ounce of saran or mus-tard gas has been destroyed. But if this deal works as I think it can, it needs to be measured—not in terms of perfection, but compared to the alternatives.

The United States and the rest of the world could have decided to do nothing in the wake of the Assad’s criminal use of poison gas against his own civilians, setting a danger-ous precedent.

Or, America could have launched air strikes against Syria’s chemi-cal capabilities, which would have reduced but not entirely eliminated them. I supported this action even if there was some risk of widen-ing Syria’s civil war. However, the proposed diplomatic solution is a far better option—although I remain convinced it would never have emerged as a possibility without the threat of force.

This commentary originally

aired on Vermont Public Radio on

Sept. 19, 2013. Barrie Dunsmore

is a journalist who covered foreign

affairs for ABC News for 30 years.

His columns and commentaries are

featured in the Rutland Herald/Montpelier Times Argus and on

VPR. He lives in Charlotte.

As someone who cuts and pulls a lot of common buckthorn and wild parsnip in Shelburne and Charlotte, I was interested in the Charlotte Conservation Currents article [“In Defense of Weeds,” Sept. 12, 2013] that asks what the new weeds of this past century could be saying to us.

The first thing they say to me is that we’re in a global world and more species with no natural enemies or competitors on this continent are on their way here, with devastating effects to the area’s natural diversity, especially where plants and birds are concerned.

They also remind me that our society is far more sedentary and intimidated by manual labor than any in human history. This is a danger-ous combination, especially given the cultural disconnect between the health of an ecosystem and the well-being of its people.

I think it’s more common to see a senior citizen pulling wild parsnip or loosestrife in fields and roadways than anyone else. Wild parsnip is a new weed to them, but seniors often have a clearer understanding of the difference between being on top of a problem and having it on top of you. They’re also more likely to have a sense of responsibility for seeds that land on their neighbors’ properties.

The folks who introduced buck-thorn to Shelburne Farms and other parts of Vermont a century ago were unaware of the ramifications for their neighborhoods, but we don’t have the luxury of that ignorance today. Now, landowners with hilltops full of adult buckthorn can and should

understand the bad choices they’re making for all of their neighbors.

Out-of-check species don’t stop spreading when we make excuses, either. Hiding behind theories about the pace of evolution or the false securities offered by this chemical or that power tool doesn’t change the legacies we create for ourselves. The lazy man works the hardest, and to give up is to pass a much bigger and more expensive burden on to future generations.

After cutting and pulling all day, it can be a relief driving home to Bris-tol and seeing the buckthorn gradu-ally disappear from the highway, especially in October, when the bril-liant reds of dogwoods and viburnum (often buckthorn’s first victims, after the birds) remind the viewer what a healthy New England forest really looks like.

This summer, I put a lot of energy into raising awareness about how to keep Starksboro and Bristol from going the way of Shelburne and Charlotte, ecologically speaking. Many in Hinesburg and Monkton (our “buffer” towns for the time being) seem to have made the grave and un-neighborly decision that buckthorn is just another tree in the forest and not capable of killing most any plant in its path over time.

Therefore, my expectations for bringing attention to a plant people don’t commonly see in Bristol were low. However, I was surprised to discover that, given an explanation, most people seemed to appreciate what we stand to lose if nothing is done, and I found enough help to

start clearing buckthorn from target areas between Route 116 and Monk-ton Ridge.

Mount Philo, like Bristol, has a huge amount to lose in terms of for-est health over the coming decades. It has a rich diversity of common and uncommon native plants. Unlike Bristol, however, it is completely surrounded by mature buckthorn, a plant that loves to devour hilltops as it already has at every peak in Shel-burne. Awareness and an ethic of work and responsibility could save this place, too.

I think Monkton and even Char-lotte could change course and leave healthier farms and forests to their posterity, but to do so would involve a significant cultural shift toward interacting with our landscapes. For as long as there’s been forest in New England, people have manipulated its growth for their own benefit. Today, our passive and dismissive attitudes toward the forest have allowed mas-sive wastelands to develop where there were once complex ecosystems and rich farmland.

Getting Charlotte out from under a problem like buckthorn doesn’t require some monumental one-time fix. It’s a matter of changing per-spective to see in terms of decades instead of seasons and to work per-sistently instead of exhaustingly.

A healthier relationship with the land today can make life brighter for people and wildlife alike in the future!

David WebbBristol

Weeds a Reminder We Need to Interact with Landscape


On the cover

The TransiTion from summer To fall is cap-Tured by marTin J. miles. find more of his picTures aT 802’s View on facebook.

Selectboard Regular Meetings are usually at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Sometimes they begin earlier; check online at charlottevt.org or with the Town Clerk (425-3071). Chair: Charles Russell (425-4757), Ellie Russell (425-5276), Winslow Ladue (425-2275), John Owen (425-4632),Lane Morrison (425-2495). CCS School Board Regular Meetings are usu-ally at 6:30 p.m. in the CCS Library on the third Tuesday of each month. Clyde Baldwin (425-3366), Edorah Frazer (425-4937), Kristin Wright (425-5105).

Erik Beal (425-2140) Mark McDermott (425-4860). Planning Commission Regular Meetings are usu-ally at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Chair: Jeffrey McDonald (425-4429), Vice Chair: Jim Donovan, Gerald Bouchard, Peter Joslin, Paul Landler, Linda Radimer, Ellie Russell.

Committee meetings are listed on the town website.

Check times and agendas online or by phone; for the

town: charlottevt.org, Town Hall, 425-3071 or 425-3533;

for CCS: ccsvt.us, CSSU office, 383-1234.

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A Look at the Selectboard’s Latest Work

Ellie RussellconTribuTor

The Selectboard you elected in March has had a busy and pro-ductive first six months. In addi-tion to the ongoing, more-or-less routine business of the town we have been working on a number of projects.

These include an update of the paid absence policies in our personnel policies manual; work with the Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services (CVFRS) on a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the town to formal-ize our relationship; an evaluation of workload and structure in the Planning & Zoning office; con-tinuing attention to town safety and security issues on our roads and in our homes; improved communication systems among each other and town-wide (hence articles like this one); the bridge repair and management projects and continued planning for town-owned lands, including a final agreement with regard to the Burns property.

CVFRSWe have been working closely

with a very capable and dedi-cated CVFRS Board of Directors. Having a Selectboard member on the CVFRS board has proven very beneficial for both CVFRS and the Selectboard. CVFRS has man-aged a smooth transition of finan-cial bookkeeping from the town back to CVFRS and developed and implemented financial con-trol and monitoring systems. The CVFRS employment of Patrice Machavern as an administrative assistant has been very helpful in developing these systems.

The formulation of a MOA between the town and CVFRS has been slow but constructive. The slow progress has been large-ly due to difficulty in schedul-ing meeting times as the team consists of otherwise-busy vol-unteers.The team includes Dave McNally, president of CVFRS; John Snow, vice-president of CVFRS; Mark McDermott, a law-yer and community board mem-

ber of CVFRS; and Charles Russell and myself from the Selectboard.

With the assistance of our town lawyer, Joe McLean, and Mark, a draft has been developed and largely agreed upon. The draft identifies the level of service to be provided by CVFRS, describes how the financial support from the town for operating and cap-ital expenses is appropriat-ed and monitored, and sets up systems for transparent and open communication between the two entities.

Attachments will define lease arrangements for town-owned vehicles and the firehouse to CVFRS. What remains is an agreement that CVFRS will receive a fixed appropriation from the town and will be responsible for both any deficit and any surplus, both of which will be capped at ten percent of the town appropria-tion. Any surplus will go toward CVFRS’s operating expenses. A CVFRS deficit exceeding the cap will require CVFRS/Town nego-tiations.

Stay tuned.

Pay policiesWe realized that leave-time

pay was not being paid consis-tently due to different interpreta-tions of the policy and confus-ing policy language. We have amended the personnel polices to address these inequities and have established approved work hours that define how employees with varying work hours are paid for leave time.

The new program was put in place at the start of the fiscal year and provides a fair pay sys-tem that is in compliance with state and federal law. We also improved our time sheet policies and procedures.

Staff reorganizationOver the past 15 years or so

we have seen a steady increase in workload for the Selectboard that was initially addressed by having Dean Bloch work full-time with half of his time devoted to his job as town planner and the other half as Selectboard assistant.

Increasingly, the demands of his role as Selectboard assistant grew and consequently tended to draw from his planning duties,

increasing the need for him to work overtime hours.

There is also a need to improve our human resources communica-tions and management. To address these problems we did a thorough review of town administrative needs and of the job demands and duties for Planning & Zoning. Because Tom Mansfield, our zon-ing administrator, has notified us of his intent to retire at the end of this year, we have a good oppor-tunity to introduce some staffing changes.

The results of the evaluation showed that Planning & Zoning responsibilities could be handled by one full-time person. They also showed the town’s administrative needs require a full-time person. The Selectboard has approved replacing Tom with a full-time combined town planner/zoning administrator, thus allowing the Selectboard assistant to be a full-time position.

The next step will be to upgrade the Selectboard assistant position to town administrator. We believe these changes will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of town operations and will great-ly relieve the pressure on the Selectboard members, who now commit many more hours to the town than is reasonable.

These are just a few of the many issues that keep your Selectboard busy.

Check our town website (char-lottevt.org) to find more detailed information as well as Selectboard agendas and minutes. And, of course, feel free to contact any one of us for more information or with any questions you may have.

Work Begins on Dorset Street Bridge

Workers from Blow and Cote, Inc., of Morrisville began

work on the Dorset Street Bridge last week. The Selectboard

earlier this month accepted a bid from the company for

repair of the pier supporting the bridge. The bid price the

town accepted was $92,025 plus $6,000 for six days of

traffic control for a total of $98,025. A state grant pays 90

percent of the project’s cost. The contractors believe they

won’t have to close the bridge through the process, which

should end the first week of October.

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Ellie Russell

Correction: In the last issue of the Charlotte News, we inadvertently listed the date of the third annual Comedy on the Brain fundraiser as Sept. 29 in two plac-es. The event actually took place Sept. 19. We apologize for the error and any inconvenience it may have caused.

��6HSWHPEHU��The Charlotte News

On Sept. 29, the Lewis Creek Asso-ciation (LCA) will hold its annual party at Point Bay Marina in Charlotte. Aside from providing a fun afternoon with local music and delicious food and drink, the event will serve to honor the marina’s staff and others who have helped with and inspired this year’s water quality projects.

This year, LCA has a lot of celebrat-ing to do. This past season, 20 resident volunteers monitored E. coli, nutrient and

sediment levels in six nearby streams, while 100 volunteers harvested ten tons of invasive European frog-bit from Town Farm Bay, the lower LaPlatte, McCabe’s Brook and Lewis Creek. Many of these volunteers were from a network of coop-erating local groups, including the Char-lotte Land Trust and the Charlotte Con-servation Commission, among many oth-ers. Point Bay Marina and the Shelburne Bay Boat Club hosted the frog-bit control project.

At the party, LCA members will share information on water quality improve-ment projects identified in the organi-zation’s Data Collection and Planning Program, which identified four priority parcels for reducing nutrient and sedi-ment loading to Lake Champlain.

The group will also share the story of a local newlywed couple who donated all of their cash wedding gifts to LCA to help it carry on its stewardship work.

The party will begin at 3 p.m. and end at 6 p.m. For more information, visit lewiscreek.org.

Lewis Creek Association to Hold Annual Party Sept. 29

Help fight hunger one step at a time with the Charlotte CROP Hunger Walk, which will take place on Sunday, Sept. 29.

This year Charlotte and some 2,000 cities and towns nationwide are joining together in interfaith community CROP Hunger Walks around the theme “ending hunger one step at a time.”

Looking to make a difference in these trying times, the Charlotte CROP Hunger Walk has set a goal of 50 walk-ers and hopes to raise $2,500 to help stop hunger and poverty here in our commu-nity and around the world through self-help initiatives. A por-tion of the funds raised here in Charlotte will go to the Charlotte Food Shelf.

Last year, nearly 30 walkers raised more than $2,145 in their locally orga-nized CROP Hunger Walk.

This year’s walk will start at the

Congregational Church at 11:30 a.m., proceed to Charlotte Central School and return to the church. There will be light refreshments, homemade soup and cook-ies, and a small celebration at the conclu-sion in the church vestry.

The event presents a way for youth to begin taking action about hunger issues

here in Charlotte and around the world. The walk is 1.5 miles long, eas-ily manageable for young children.

The Charlotte event will include members of the Charlotte Congregational Church Sunday School, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Sunday School,

CVU High School students, Waldorf and CCS grade school students, and Charlotte Food Shelf volunteers.

For more information about the Charlotte CROP Hunger Walk, contact Krista Scheele at 561-374-0811, or [email protected].

Setting Sail for Warm Waters

Charlotte CROP Hunger Walk Sept. 29

Now retired from his practice at Charlotte Family Health Center, Richard “Bunky” Bernstein recently traded his title of “doctor” for “captain.” On Sunday, Sept. 15, he and his wife, Carol Hanley, set off for warmer waters in their 35-foot sloop, Luna. They’ll first be sailing to Florida via the Hudson River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and then later on to the Bahamas, where they’ll spend the winter. If you’d like to follow their journey, Bunky will blog about the trip at goodsloopluna.blogspot.com.

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“Endless Boundaries...”hawkcreekfence.com (802) 425-7157


The Lake Shoreland Protection Commission will conduct a public meet-ing on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. at City Hall in Burlington.

At the meeting, the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) will provide an over-view of the health, value and regulation of lake shorelands in Vermont. After the ANR presentation, the public will be invited to provide input during a moder-ated question and answer period.

The Vermont General Assembly estab-lished the Lake Shoreland Protection Commission in Section E.126.1 of Act 50 of 2013 in order to:

�� provide information to the pub-lic regarding the current health of waters of the state, including the results of the 2012 Agency of Natural Resources’ State Water Quality Remediation, Implementation, and Funding Report;

�� inform the public regarding the regulation of state waters, includ-ing requirements the state may need to meet in implementing the cleanup plan for Lake Champlain;

�� summarize for the public the status of efforts to address and improve the quality of all state waters, and how regulation of shoreland activ-ity impacts water quality;

�� take public input regarding the regulation of, disturbance, clear-ing and creation of impervious surfaces in the shorelands of lakes.

Public participants may be asked to limit their statements or questions in order to allow participation by all interested persons.

An agenda for the meeting, as well as addi-tional information and documents, can be accessed on the Lake Shoreland Protection Commission website at https://leg2.vermont.gov/sites/legislature/LSP/default.aspx.

Please contact Gabrielle Malina or Michael O’Grady by phone or email (828-2231 or [email protected] or [email protected]) with any ques-tions regarding scheduling or documents.

For any other questions, contact Senator Robert Hartwell, chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy, at [email protected] or at 345-1552.

Shoreland Protection

Public Meeting Oct. 3questions about the methodology used to determine new limits. The guiding princi-ple, they said, is that a speed limit “should be within five mph of the 85th percentile speed of free flowing traffic.” Based on the data collected, the 85th per-centile speed on Spear Street is 56 mph. In other words, 85 percent of the cars were going 56 mph or less. If that were the only criteria, the recommended speed limit would be 51 mph. However, they consider other factors such as road width, condi-tion of the shoulder, curves and hills, sight distance, roadside development, pedestrian and bicycle activity, and reported crash experience for at least a 12-month period.

Based on all of the factors, the final recommendation by the CCRPC traffic study is to set a speed limit of 45 mph on the entire study area of Spear Street from Prindle Road north to the Shelburne line, right through East Charlotte village. The engineers said the old 30 mph and 40 mph signs should be removed.

Carrie Spear and David Nichols, among others, objected to what would amount to an increase in the speed limit through the built-up village area. They pointed out that there are many houses, children, the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and the Grange. Spear said they are aiming for a safe and friendly village where people can walk and children can learn to ride their bikes. A parent raised the question of safety at the school bus stop. Another was concerned about crossing the street to her mailbox.

Others questioned the validity of the data, all gathered during summer months rather than during more difficult winter conditions when people tend to drive more slowly. Ed Cafferty, a member of the newly formed town Safety Committee, said that there is a complete lack of enforcement, so many people speed unchecked, which could have skewed the data.

Selectboard Chair Charles Russell said that there would be further discussion at a later meeting before any decisions are made. Consideration will be given to traf-fic calming measures, such as narrowing traffic lanes by striping along the edges. Also, they will look into the possibility of taking advantage of the loophole that allows speed limits set by ordinance,

but without a traffic study, to become enforceable after five years.

CUSI requests additional funding

Five representatives from the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations (CUSI) described the program that provides spe-cialized investigation, prosecution and victim assistance services in cases of sexual assault and serious child abuse.

Kristine Bickford, director of the Children’s Advocacy Center at CUSI, explained that the program, started 20 years ago, has relied on state grants and the generosity of communities for fund-ing, plus in-kind donations of detective services from area police departments. CUSI is trying a new population-based formula to determine the level of contri-bution needed from each town and is ask-ing the Selectboard to consider increasing Charlotte’s current donation of $3,000 to the formula-based request of $5,064.

Kristin Wright, Charlotte’s representa-tive on the CUSI board, highlighted the importance of having this specialized service in place should it be needed by Charlotters. Two or three cases have involved local residents in each of the last two years.

Town health insurance unclear

The Selectboard and employees of the town are sorting through the options offered through Vermont Health Connect (VHC), the state’s new health insurance exchange, trying to find a health insur-ance plan comparable to the one currently provided by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT). VLCT will no longer be offering employee health insurance to towns with fewer than 50 employees, so Charlotte must purchase insurance through the exchange.

Decisions have to be made about how to do that, with either the town purchasing a plan for all the employees, or the town making a contribution for all employees, allowing them to choose the plan they want.

In other business, the board approved the agreement with Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services (CVFRS) regard-ing patient billing revenue, allowing CVFRS to keep all of the revenue from rescue services while reducing the town appropriation by the amount budgeted. The board also discussed the latest draft of the memorandum of agreement with CVFRS.

Selectboard continued from page 1

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Collecting with a Vision: Shelburne Museum and the Emergence of the Americana Movement A one-day symposium featuring noted experts from historians to curators speaking on the history and psychology of collecting and collections.

10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5. Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education. $50 for Non-members, $45 for Members. To register, please contact Cathy Walsh, (802) 985-0865 or [email protected]

Vermont residents half-price admission(802)985-3346

s p o n s o r e d b y :


The Champlain Valley Superintendents Association

(CVSA) has scheduled four regional forums, including one at

CVU Oct. 10, to collaboratively discuss the proposed Calen-

dar 2.0 with area residents, families, students and educators.

The superintendents in CVSA want to engage families and

educators in brainstorming ideas for a school calendar that

supports and maximizes learning by all students.

Superintendents are exploring options around how to cre-

ate a more efficient and effective use of the school calendar,

with time and support as variables leading to positive student

outcomes. This calendar is a proposal intended to stimulate

conversation.

The calendar proposed by CVSA preserves the current 175

student days while shifting about ten days into summer in

order to build in blocks of times, or intersessions, during the

school year. The goal of the proposed calendar is to organize

student instruction time so students have opportunities to

pause and reflect and expand upon their learning.

These intersessions are designed to be used in a variety of

ways, including student-enrichment opportunities, chances to

provide timely intervention for students who need it, in-depth

and project-based learning, opportunities for teacher profes-

sional development, opportunities for teachers to review stu-

dent data during non-instructional times, and opportunities for

families to schedule routine appointments or take vacations

without interrupting learning blocks of time.

The current century-old calendar offers limited flexibility

in how time is paced throughout the school year. As a result,

opportunities for additional learning time for students occur only

during the summer months, which is often not available for many

students. In addition, teacher professional development days are

either front-loaded at the beginning or end of the year, with early

release days structured throughout the year, and teachers leaving

the classroom for professional development opportunities.

Intersessions could also provide time for students to par-

ticipate in relevant learning activities, such as internships,

foreign language trips and job shadowing, without being out

of the classroom.

“While earlier information indicated a 2014-2015 timeline,

implementation of a new calendar is flexible, and this pro-

posal is a starter intended to stimulate conversation,” CVSA

Co-Chair Judith DeNova said. “Superintendents recognize

change is hard and wish to engage the community in this

change process.”

The forums are designed to provide an opportunity for fami-

lies and educators to connect directly about how time could

be used to further the quality of education in this region of

Vermont.

The forums are open to parents, educators, students and

interested residents. Please join the superintendents, and be

prepared to have a creative conversation as to how time can

better be used to support student learning on

��:HGQHVGD\��2FW��S�P��DW�(VVH[�+LJK�6FKRRO��7KXUVGD\��2FW��S�P��DW�%)$�6W��$OEDQV��:HGQHVGD\��2FW��S�P��DW�%XUOLQJWRQ�+LJK�6FKRRO��7KXUVGD\��2FW��S�P��DW�&98+6The forums will be facilitated and have been created in a

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conversations about how a calendar could be created, and a

closing. Ideas and suggestions will be compiled and made

public after the forums and will be used by superintendents to

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Senate Panel to Hold Forum on Current Use Program Oct. 8

A special Senate committee will hold

a public forum on the state’s Current Use

SURJUDP�RQ�7XHVGD\��2FW��IURP��±��S�P��DW�)HUULVEXUJK�&HQWUDO�6FKRRO��7KH�FRPPLW-tee is inviting all Vermont citizens with an

interest in or experience with the program

to comment on its effectiveness, efficiencies

and the fairness of the law.

Current Use, also called the Use Value

$SSUDLVDO�SURJUDP��ZDV�DGRSWHG�LQ��E\�the Vermont Legislature. The purpose of the

law is to allow the valuation and taxation of

farm and forest land based on its remaining

in agricultural or forest use instead of its

value in the market place.

The primary objectives of the program

are to keep Vermont’s agricultural and

forest land in production, to help slow the

development of these lands, and to achieve

greater equity in property taxation on unde-

veloped land.

About one- third of Vermont’s land is

enrolled in the program.

The six members of the committee—

VHQDWRUV�5REHUW�6WDUU��5REHUW�+DUWZHOO��7LP�$VKH��0DUN�0DF'RQDOG��&KULVWRSKHU�%UD\�and Richard Westman—chair or serve on

standing committees on agriculture, natural

resources, finance and appropriations.

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Public Encouraged to Participate in Calendar 2.0

Forum at CVU Oct. 10

Freedom & Unity: The Vermont Movie to

Play State This Fall

Ambitious six-part film collaborative features Charlotte’s Ken Peck and Yvan Plouffe

Freedom & Unity: The Vermont Movie, a six-part collaborative docu-

mentary series led by award-winning

filmmaker Nora Jacobson, will premier

6HSW��DW�WKH�%DUUH�2SHUD�+RXVH�The Vermont Movie is a collabora-

tion of three dozen critically acclaimed

Vermont filmmakers and historians,

including Charlotte’s Ken Peck. It is

the first documentary series about the

many voices and cultural and political

traditions that give the Green Moun-

tain State its egalitarian ideals and

bold, iconoclastic spirit.

Peck’s contribution, “Phil and

Yvan,” is a profile of two “flatland-

HUV�´� IRUPHU� *RYHUQRU� 3KLO� +RII� DQG�Charlotte’s Yvan Plouffe, who discuss

the changes they’ve seen in Vermont

since they moved to the state.

Other Vermont filmakers who con-

tributed to the project include Romaine

Tenney, who explores the state’s Act

250 law, Olivia Jampol, who examines

race relations in Vermont, and Meghan

O’Rourke, who examines local media

in the state.

Locally, Charlotters can check out

SRUWLRQV�RI�WKH�ILOP�LQ�%XUOLQJWRQ�)UL-GD\��2FW��DQG�6XQGD\��2FW��GXULQJ�WKH� 9HUPRQW� ,QWHUQDWLRQDO� )HVWLYDO¶V�pre-fest gala reception.

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part one of the film Oct. 7.

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ing and a list of others, as well as more

information about the film, visit thev-

ermontmovie.com.

SEND US YOUR NEWS, PHOTOS, EVENTS [email protected]

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Kitchens

Additions

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in and their skateboards were stored until spring, posse members were thrilled to try out their tricks and stunts on the snow. All had passes to Bolton Valley, which became VTSP’s winter home base. By this time, they began writing “VTSP” on their snowboards and had it printed on stickers and T-shirts.

Eventually, the five became the Boarding House Snowboard Team. Andy Coghlan, the owner of the Burlington snowboard store, sponsored the team as it travelled around New England, competing in the Vermont-based Green Mountain Snowboard Series. All went on to enter competitions in the New England Cup Series, which included New York and all of New England.

One by one, VTSP made connections with snowboard companies and industry clothing and apparel companies, including Rossingnol, DynaStar, Apocalypse, Oakley, Grindrite and Look. And, one by one, VTSP members turned professional. Their careers really took off at the ages of 18 and 19.

“Brush” took the competition to the highest level, becoming both world and national champion in the halfpipe, through the sponsorship and the support of Burton Snowboards and Jake Burton.

Manning says he started out boarding on a Burton 150 Elite, which he had “perma-nently borrowed” from his brother, Buddy, and that his “practice slope” was Mack’s hill at The Old Lantern. He competed in ten U.S. Opens in the halfpipe. However, before the halfpipe was even a competition event, VTSP competed in all the disciplines:

slalom, GS, downline, Super G and moguls.Manning had always known that action

sports would be his career, and in 1999 he founded his consulting business, GM Consulting. GM Consulting works for and supports all aspects of action sports.

After being away from Vermont for approximately 15 years, Manning returned to Charlotte in the spring of 2011. He and his wife, Renny, wanted to raise their fam-ily here.

“I have come full circle,” he said. “I am now snowboarding with my wife, and we are teaching our daughters, Dicey (8) and Libby (6), to board. They are learning at the Old Lantern hill just like I did. They are enjoying the same slopes at Stowe, Bolton Valley and Sugarbush that I rode 20 years ago. It is a very satisfying feeling!”

Lance Violette, from the Hall of Fame Committee, told Manning that VTSP is being celebrated in part for its members’ athletic achievements and also as pioneers in the Vermont snowboard world. They were one of the original snowboard groups, whose members 20 years ago—prior to today’s social media, digital photography and instant videography—were pound-ing the slopes and promoting themselves and their love of the sport by networking the “old-fashioned way,” through word of mouth and by making personal appearances.

The induction ceremony will be held from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum in Stowe. It is open to the public.

The event will include still photos, slides and video clips of these five amazing ath-letes. VTSP memorabilia will be displayed at the museum for one year. After that time, certain pieces of this collection will become part of the museum’s permanent collection.

Spear’s Corner Store to Host Newcomers Party Sept. 28

Carrie Spear has seen so many new faces walk into her East Charlotte store in the last two months she has taken to writing down unfamiliar names on index cards she keeps behind the counter. By her count, she has 14 family names written down, though she knows there are more she hasn’t added.

This gave her an idea to hold an open house for new and not-so-new Charlotters to mix and mingle on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 1-6 p.m. in and around Spear’s Corner Store.

“It’s just an opportunity for folks to meet or meet all over again,” said Spear.

The event will feature burgers compliments of Charlotte’s Fat Cow Farm and a beverage tasting.

RSVPs are not required but appreciated. For more info, call Spear at 425-4444.

Shelburne Orchards Hosts 12th Annual Pie Fest and Cider House Run Sept. 29

You can be a baker, eater or runner at the 12th annual Pie Fest and Cider House Run, both of which will take place on Sunday, Sept. 29, at Shelburne Orchards.

The Cider House Run is a family-friendly two- or four-mile run or two-mile walk through the orchard beginning at 11 a.m.

The registration fee for the event is $25 for those 12 and older. The cost includes a $5 coupon for pick-your-own apples. Children 12 and under can run free but are asked to pay $8 for the coupon.

Race-day check-in is from 9:45-10:45 a.m. For more info, contact Rayne Herzog at 316-7142, [email protected], or go to racevermont.com/cider-house-runwalk.

Those who have registered for the already full Pie Fest will have their work judged by a panel of three local judges beginning at noon. Judges are Stacy Fraser, test kitchen manager for EatingWell and professional pie baker, Chef David Hugo, owner of Starry Night Café and Executive Chef at the Inn at Shelburne Farms, and Jodi Whalen, co-owner of August First and Stacks.

“Even though we tell everyone ahead of time who the judges are, no one’s allowed to try to bribe the judges,” said Shelburne Orchards owner Nick Cowles.

The first place winner will receive $200. Visitors are encouraged to help eat the pies after they’ve been judged,

said organizer Megan Humphrey.For more information about either event, go to shelburneorchards.com.

Manning continued from page 1

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“Align your investment returns with your values: busting the myths of social-ly responsible investing” is the topic of a talk by Tom Gainey from Pax World Fund in Portsmouth, N.H. It takes place on Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Charlotte Congregational Church beginning with a soup supper at 5:30 p.m.

Pax World Fund, the first socially responsible mutual fund in America, was started in 1971 by its founders who were active in peace, equitable housing and employment issues for the United Methodist Church.

Pax World provides investors with a vehicle that allows them to align their investments with their values and empowers them to challenge cor-porations to establish and meet high standards of social and environmen-tal responsibility. Its pioneering work guided development of the sustain-able investing industry’s philosophies. Today, Pax World (paxworld.com) con-tinues to be a leader in the investment world, with a broad range of investment strategies that have a proven, long-term track record.

This event is the first in a community-

wide series entitled “Things That Mat-ter” that the Charlotte Congregational Church is hosting. Socially responsible investing is a relevant topic for the church as it considers its own endow-ment fund. The “Things That Matter” series will cover a wide range of top-ics from socially responsible investing to parenting teenagers, to end-of-life considerations. The public is invited to participate with a suggested donation of $12 or more to attend.

VNA Flu Clinic in Charlotte Oct. 16

The Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Coun-ties (VNA) will hold a flu clinic at the Charlotte Senior Center on Oct. 16 from 1-3 p.m.

The vaccine will protect against three strains of flu. The VNA stresses that everyone should receive a flu shot each fall to reduce the risk of illness to the recipient and those around him or her.

A flu shot is especially important for people with high risk of having seri-ous flu-related complications including:� ��3UHJQDQW�ZRPHQ� ��3HRSOH��\HDUV�ROG� ��3HRSOH�RI�DQ\�DJH�ZLWK�FHUWDLQ�FKURQLF�PHGLFDO�FRQGLWLRQV� ��1XUVLQJ�KRPH�DQG�ORQJ�WHUP�FDUH�IDFLOLW\�UHVLGHQWV� ��3HRSOH�ZKR�OLYH�ZLWK�RU�FDUH�IRU�WKRVH�DW�KLJK�ULVN�IRU�FRPSOLFD� tions from flu, including: - Health care workers - Household contacts of persons in the high risk population - Household contacts and outside caregivers of children younger than 6 months of age (children who are too young to be vaccinated).Eligible individuals should present their Medicare B, Medicaid, Blue Cross

Blue Shield or MVP insurance cards when registering. For all other adults aged 18 and older, a fee of $30 will be accepted. Documentation for reim-bursement from other third-party insurers will be provided.

For more information on VNA services and programs, please contact the VNA at (802) 658-1900 or visit vnacares.org.

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Congregation at Church Program Focuses on Socially Responsible Investing

O’Hanian begs questions of Common Core Standards

Charlotte’s Susan O’Hanian, a longtime educator and author of 25 books on education policy and prac-tice, published a piece in the Sept. 10 VTDigger opinion section. The “Dig-ger” is an online publication of the Vermont Journalism Trust.

Entitling the piece “Begging the Question,” Susan asks state legislators why, in her opinion, they chose not to answer her 28 questions about how the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) apply to educational practic-es in Vermont. After sending her que-ries to the governor and a number of others in the Statehouse, she received only a single response, that from Edu-cation Secretary Armondo Vilaseca.

It was a two-page reply, plus a three-page resource list. After reading it, Susan feels he skirted most of her questions. One of her primary inqui-ries concerns the democratic nature of the standards. She asks whether local school boards were consulted and whether the significant amount of money spent by the nationwide Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in the creation and promotion of CCSS “shut teachers out of the process.”

Susan lists a number of publica-tions and reports favoring CCSS, all backed by multi-million-dollar sup-port from the Gates Foundation. She ends her article by suggesting that Vermonters who care about public education heed a New Testament warning, which says, “If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”

Her full piece can be found at vtdigger.org/2013/09/10/ohanian-begging-the-question/.

Isabella Carrara rides at the Kentucky Horse Park

Isabella Carrara, Charlotte resident and senior at the Vermont Commons School, competed in the North Amer-

ican Junior Young Rider Champion-ships (NAJYRC) at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ken. The NAJYRC is the premier equestrian competition in North America for junior riders ages 14-21. It is sanc-tioned by the Olympic organization as the equestrian junior Olympics.

Isabella competed in the discipline of “eventing,” a competition that was introduced in the Olympics of 1912. Eventing tests the teamwork between horse and rider. Historically it was the ultimate test for the cav-alry horse.

According to her mother Kath-leen, Bella has been looking forward to NAJYRC for as long as she can remember. Last year she and her Irish sport horse, Memphis, competed successfully in Maryland, which con-vinced her that the Kentucky champi-onships were a real option.

It meant, however, some serious preparation in warmer climates than Vermont could offer. So, Bella’s par-ents hooked up horse and trailer and drove to South Carolina in February. Vermont Commons was very sup-portive of her opportunity, and she did her schoolwork remotely.

Once south, Isabella trained with Kelli Temple, an Olymipic eventer and former member of the Charlotte Pony Club.

Unfortunately for Memphis, trage-dy struck as he tore a suspensory liga-ment while galloping. A major injury, it can require up to a year for recov-ery. However, on a trip to a horse trial without Bella, Kelli found an Irish sport horse named Dan to replace Memphis. Another trainer stepped in to train Bella and Dan while Kelli was away.

On July 11, Bella, Dan, mom and dad packed the trailer once more and headed back to Kentucky, along with Hinesburg’s Shelby Hanlon as groom. Bella was one of only two riders to represent New England and New York at the championships.

She and Dan placed 16th out of 45 pairs. She is already looking forward to next year and getting back on Memphis, who is healing well.

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Auditorscontinued from page 1

“The idea of $88.38 going to the Ver-mont Department of Taxes and noth-ing to the taxpayers is not any sort of compromise,” states the letter, “nor is it acceptable.”

However, Russell checked with the town’s attorney, Joseph McLean, about requiring St. George to pay more than the $88.38 agreed upon. McLean said it would be a legal stretch, said Russell.

Trono and Mack also take the Select-board to task for not bringing an impar-tial, third-party contractor into the equa-tion, something they did prior to writ-ing the letting. After consulting with contractor Peter Denton, they reported Denton used a single blade on a recent Town Hall project where St. George spent $749 on saw blades, ranging in price from $16 to $100, for the three projects.

“Mr. Denton also reported that he used one drill bit on the same project,” the letter continues. “Mr. St. George charged 42 drill bits on the Town’s account at Rice Lumber. It is unlikely that the Vermont Department of Taxes is making special considerations for consumables based on this informa-tion.”

Russell maintains that a third party could only speculate on St. George’s methods, and this alone isn’t enough to revisit the board’s decision.

In the letter, Mack and Trono claim that Charles Russell, Ellie Russell, and John Owen should have recused them-selves from voting on the matter due to a conflict of interest, as they hired St. George to work on personal projects during the period he also worked on town projects, and thus could have used supplies charged to the town.

“It is likely that in serving these cus-tomers, Mr. St. George utilized tools that had been charged to the Town account at Rice Lumber,” the letter states.

This is a charge both Charles Rus-sell and Ellie Russell have disputed at Selectboard meetings, while Owen claimed he was “uncomfortable” with voting on the matter, according to the letter.

In questioning St. George’s purchas-ing ethic for the town, Mack and Trono question the legitimacy of his purchases for Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue (CVFRS). Mack and Trono allege that outside auditors have “observed ques-tionable charges by Mr. St. George and

others at CVFRS regarding personal items.”

“Mr. St. George is the number one signer on CVFRS invoices,” the let-ter states. “It would be derelict of the Select Board to not order a review of CVFRS invoices signed by Mr. St. George.”

Asked for substantiation of these claims, David McNally, president of CVFRS’s corporate board, did not respond in time for publication.

The letter concludes with a sum-mary of Mack and Trono’s recommen-dations. They recommend St. George be eliminated as an authorized signer for the town—something the Select-board discussed at a meeting one month ago—as well as for CVFRS, and that he be barred forever from working as a contractor on town-funded projects.

When contacted about the allega-tions and the auditor’s recommenda-tions, St. George declined to comment on the charges outlined in the letter, though he did call the allegations “per-sonal,” something Wood and Russell also alluded to.

“It sounds like a witch hunt,” said Wood. “Here we go again. To bring another individual to task on jobs that have very loose guidelines and no clear idea of what was allowed of charges, it was a really good example of why the Selectboard needs a new policy. It certainly has the feeling of antagonism that took place through the Fire & Rescue debate.”

Said Russell, “I think they admitted as much as they could we didn’t have new information about this. They just didn’t like the decision we made.”

Yet, those surprised with Trono and Mack’s pressing this issue perhaps should not be. In a candidate profile published in the News just prior to Town Meeting Day in March, Mack noted, “We need a Selectboard that remembers and takes seri-ously the phrase ‘Fiscal Respon-sibility.’”

In the same feature, Trono cites the personal interest in the town auditors’ role he developed after his business, Trono Fuels, lost over $200,000 through embezzlement by a long-time employee between 2005 and 2010. He also called the Select-board’s handling of CVFRS’s audit process last year “foolish” and “nothing less than madden-ing and shameful.”

“We are not finished with this audit process, yet,” Trono said at the time, two months after a draft audit of a forensic audit was released showing no wrongdoing by CVFRS’s staff. “And when we are, I want to have represented all of us and assure the taxpayers of Charlotte that we have arrived at the truth.”

It’s a sentiment he echoed at the Sept. 3 auditors’ meeting. Accusing the Selectboard of trying to “save face” by requiring St. George to pay only the tax on his purchases because its members rashly signed off on the purchases, Trono stated, “It’s not [an agreement] I think the taxpayers would be happy in knowing that was negotiated on their behalf.”

But some wonder if Mack and Trono are pushing too hard in the name of rep-resenting the taxpayer’s best interests.

Russell had strong words for the letter, calling it “disgusting,” a sign of how “uncareful” Trono and Mack are about the allegations they are making.

“I’m concerned it could get the town sued,” he said of the letter.

But Russell also sees the letter adding to the cloud of negativity hanging over Ferry Road and the subsequent effect on future volunteerism.

“Until we get past this kind of witch-hunt mentality we’re going to keep having trouble getting volunteers and costing the town money,” he said. “It’s just going to get harder to get people to come in and be public officials.”

It’s a sentiment Seth Zimmerman shared at the Sept. 3 meeting and echoed by others at the Sept. 16 meet-ing: “Enough,” he said. “This is a beautiful place to live. I’m tired of the fighting in town.”

There was little discussion of the issue at Monday evening’s Selectboard meeting, though Jenny Cole questioned the necessity of elected auditors. State statute allows for a town to do away with the position by vote if the town utilizes independent auditors.

Otherwise, Morrison requested the letter be acknowledged for the record, reflecting that the board had made its decision on the matter.

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A team of Charlotte-Shelburne Rotary Club members, including Project Committee chair Michael Clapp, helped put the finish-ing touches on the recently completed compost shed at CCS on Saturday, Sept. 14. In total, eight Rotary members contributed to the project, adding siding and the compost bins. Charlotter Jim Huntington, owner of New England Housewrights, designed and led the construction of the timber-frame compost shed, which will be used for the on-site processing of cafeteria food scraps. Steve Wisbaum of Champlain Valley Compost Company donated over five cubic yards to the effort. Compost from the shed will be used on the nearby raised-bed vegetable gardens to grow locally produced food for the CCS cafeteria. The place-ment of the gardens near the wetlands allows for the study of gardening, soil, compost ecology and the watershed.

Deadline for SCHIP Grants Sept. 30

Shelburne Charlotte Hinesburg Interfaith Projects (SCHIP), the nonprofit organization that

raises funds at its resale shop at the Shelburne Town Center, is accepting applications for its next

round of grants. Applications from nonprofit organizations are due by Sept. 30.

Since SCHIP began making grants in 2004, the organization has continued its mission to raise

funds to improve the lives of our neighbors and strengthen our communities. In total, SCHIP has

granted more than $440,000 to projects in local communities. Grants have ranged from a few

hundred to several thousand dollars. Grants may not exceed $5,000.

An applicant must have 501(c)(3) status or submit its application through an organization that

does. Projects must serve residents of the communities of Shelburne, Charlotte and/or Hinesburg.

Funds may not be applied to annual operating budgets or used for permanent staffing.

To obtain an application email [email protected] or stop by the shop at 5404 Shel-

burne Road in Shelburne.

Rotary Finishes CCS

Compost Shed

Green Mountain Habitat Needs Truck Driver

Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity is looking for a person to drive the truck that picks up

donated household items for the Habitat ReStore in Williston. Habitat has a box truck, and the

position requires someone with a clean driving record and the ability to lift 50+ pounds. It is a

full-time position with a starting pay of $12 per hour. The person must deal well with customers.

Anyone who is interested or who may know someone for the position may call David Mullin at

872-8726.

Apple Pies for Sale at Congregational Church

It’s become a scene as common in fall as changing leaves. Volunteers like Jeannie MacDonough and David Pricer sell homemade apple pies at the Congregational Church to raise money for the church. MacDonough said they usually have about 30 pies baked for Wednesdays and Fridays and that the pies generally sell out by the end of the day. Sales run from 4-6 p.m. and will continue into October.


A Community Facility: A Look at CVU’s

Building and Grounds

Kevin RiellContributor

This month’s article focuses on

CVU’s physical plant. Kevin Riell, Ath-

letic Director, describes how the school

building and grounds have changed

over time, as well as plans for the

future.

In 1961, members of Hinesburg, Williston, Charlotte and Shelburne formed committees to discuss a

union high school. Originally, the idea was to provide a simple and practi-cal structure to accommodate an ini-tial body of 750 students, thus union-izing the high schools for grades 9 through 12 in these townships.

Barbara Snelling, who has held a vari-ety of positions in the State of Vermont, including serving as lieutenant governor for two terms, played a major role in the establishment of CVU and served as its first School Board chairperson. Cham-plain Valley Union High School was formed in 1964.

Since the inception of the union high school, CVU has gone through many physical transitions and facelifts. The first major addition and renovation occurred in 1978 with the creation of the Lucien Lambert Library. Then, in 1981, ten additional classrooms were added along with architecturally designed sky-lights. From 1993 to 1995, a science wing, additional parking, an athletic field upgrade, a mini gym, a direction center and a student center were added to help with ever-increasing student enrollment and educational reform.

The most expensive upgrade ($18 to $19 million) occurred between 2003 and 2005 and included the addition of square footage and renovations to new

and existing space. The project helped to create a freshman core “D” wing, gym-nasium, wood chip boiler, all-weather track, library, learning center, fitness center, cafeteria, classrooms, staff offic-es and locker rooms. A $1 million dollar upgrade to the CVU auditorium took place in 2008-09, supported by gener-ous private donations and community- approved monies from the construction fund.

Over the last few years, CVU has made a concerted effort to reduce energy consumption. Most recently, students of the CVU Environmental Action Club have been actively involved in compost-ing, recycling and participating in Effi-ciency Vermont’s 10% Energy Chal-lenge. Looking at major facility renova-tions in terms of energy consumption, the following projects have been done:

1. In 2005, HVAC systems ener-gy recovery wheels and software were installed, resulting in recouped heat being sent back into the building. All major hydraulic pumps were equipped with variable-frequency drives, which speed up and slow down the pumps based on need.

2. Currently, Green Mountain Power (GMP), along with CVU, is undertaking an $80,000 retrofit to our current light-ing system. Anticipated savings will cover the cost of the project through GMP. This will be completed this Sep-tember.

3. In addition, CVU has changed over to a town-fed Vermont gas line to replace our oil burner (used as a back-up system to our wood chip boiler).

This ongoing commitment to the CVU facility has created numerous opportuni-ties for our students to excel, as evi-denced by many state championships, academic awards and arts performances.

It should be noted that CVU also strives to provide opportunities for the community at large. Community mem-bers and local clubs have benefited tremendously from access to the fitness and health facilities (including the track and gymnasiums), and facility upgrades have also provided more offerings in

CVU Access, CVU’s adult education/enrichment programming. The audito-rium, gymnasium and other upgrades also offer opportunities for residents to avail themselves of quality athletic, arts and theater programming that feature CVU students.

How are facility maintenance/improvement projects prioritized? CVU currently has a five-year maintenance plan in place, with discussions under way to extend the plan to ten years. This plan is reviewed and updated on an annual basis, allowing CVU to plan ahead for major mechanical, building and grounds expenses. It was this pro-cess, for example, that led to recent discussions on the need to address main-tenance concerns regarding our playing fields.

These discussions initiated a study, completed by Gale Associates, which included an evaluation of artificial turf fields as an alternative to the renova-

tion of our existing natural turf. After annual review of the plan, it is some-times necessary to defer maintenance based on prioritization of needed items and unanticipated budget expenditures. This assessment is always done, first and foremost, with the safety of the commu-nity in mind.

The five- to ten-year plan helps to guide us in our budget process and gives us a facility that contributes to the edu-cational program and evolving needs of both our students and the broader CVU community.

Upcoming EventsOctober 25, 26, 27, Auditorium:

Spamalot!

Charlotte Representatives to the CVU School Board

Lorna Jimerson 425-2497

Marilyn Richardson

News From CVU

CCS PTO Kicks off School Year with Harvest Fest Sept. 26

Organization announces new meeting times and this

year’s fundraisers

The CCS PTO will celebrate the onset of fall and the new school year with its Back-to-School Harvest Pot-luck Sept. 26. From 5-8 p.m., families will be able to cook on available grills, listen to live music, and join in fun for all ages.

The event will offer families a chance to reconnect, see the school’s new compost shed, kitchen gardens and pear trees, and hear about the events and initiatives the PTO has planned.

Among them is its new, rotating meeting schedule. The PTO will hold a morning meeting on the second Thurs-day of the month and an evening meet-ing with pizza and childcare the second Wednesday of the subsequent month.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. The PTO’s following meeting will be Thursday, Nov. 14, at 8:30 a.m. in the cafeteria.

The PTO is initiating two fundrais-ers this year. The first, a Buy Local coupon book, offers discounts at area businesses such as The Flying Pig, Jamie Two Coats, Skinny Pancake, Small Dog Electronics, Cookie Love and many more. Each coupon book

costs $20. The PTO will receive $10 for each book sold.

The PTO is also selling new “spirit wear” T-shirts, which cost $15 for black or white and $20 for tie-dyed.

Coupon books and T-shirts will be on sale at the Multi Purpose Room student drop-off through October, as well as at curriculum nights, the Soccer Jamboree and the Harvest Potluck.

Funds raised from selling these will go into the PTO’s budget to support computers, classroom supplies, enrich-ment projects and more.

Finally, the PTO is encouraging Charlotters to participate in the Han-naford Helps Schools program, run-ning now through Dec. 1. Those buy-ing four items from over 700 partici-pating products in one transaction will receive a certificate at checkout. Drop your certificates into CCS’s collection tower. For each certificate the school will receive $3.

A list of eligible products is avail-able on the PTO’s homepage on the CCS website.

For questions about this or other PTO programs, write [email protected].

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and stallions. The Amblo’s’ ten-acre

farm also includes chickens and a flock

of peacocks, whose sole purpose, Jim

says, is to “get rid of extra money.”

The miniature horse is a draft spe-

cies that was bred by seven original

families who first imported miniature

horses to the United States in 1962 from

Argentina. These horses were always

somewhat of a novelty due to their

size and were once quite valuable as a

result of their rarity. According to the

American Miniature Horse Association,

the ideal conformation for a miniature

horse should resemble that of a full-sized

counterpart in proportion. Although

these little animals are similar to a large

dog in size, they clearly exhibit the per-

sonality of a horse, and have specific

dietary requirements.

The first miniature stallion that the

Amblos purchased was from a jock-

ey who lived in Richmond. The man

would stop by regularly with a trailer

of horses he was interested in selling,

and one day he called them up to show

them a mini. In order to keep the stal-

lion company the Amblos bought him

two “girlfriends,” and the herd began

to grow. Although they have made

efforts to downsize, Amblo says that

the process was more like “sell one,

buy three.”

When the Amblos first began to

develop their miniature horses, it was

nearly impossible to find harnesses,

bridles or any other pieces of tack

designed specifically for a miniature

horse. The best option was to take a

piece of pony tack and adjust it by

punching new holes and cutting the

straps, a process Jim compares to cut-

ting a dress to fit a new person. Like

people, each of the horses has a unique

conformation.

The quality of the final product was

invariably unsatisfy-

ing, though, so he

went back to tinker-

ing and began to

construct his own

tack. The process of

cutting leather straps

can be very frustrat-

ing, so he jokes that

he and Barbara could

only make six straps

at a time without it

ending in divorce.

Similarly, Jim, a

carpenter by trade,

began to experi-

ment with building

his own carts. Each

cart has slightly dif-

ferent features and

varies in how it car-

ries weight, display-

ing an evolution in

the craft. Almost all

of the materials are

things you could find

in your garage or

at your local hard-

ware store. With a

little welding, Jim

fits together copper

and steel plumb-

ing pipes, recycled

wood and a section

of couch cushion to

create a quality cart.

He is constantly troubleshooting with

the rig to improve.

“Every time we go out we change

things around,” he said.

The pinnacle of this cart construc-

tion is the miniature-sized replica of

the Budweiser wagon, identical down

to the hydraulic brakes and built-in

sound system. The Amblos bring this

cart to fairs in the back of a trailer that

has been retrofitted to carry a maxi-

mum of 10 adult miniature horses as

well—essentially a party bus for minis.

The Amblos’ team of eight miniature

horses is a familiar spectacle

at the Addison County Field

Days and the Champlain

Valley Fair. These horses

are named after Snow White

and the Seven Dwarfes.

Preparation for these events

is year round, as Jim trains

the horses himself and builds

all of the equipment. In addi-

tion, he tends the horses’ voluminous,

disco-ready manes, which manage to

tangle with burrs shortly after being

brushed out. (This is an arduous pro-

cess that involves copious amounts of

WD40, which Jim endorses as an effec-

tive detangler with a great scent.)

After these visits to the fair, the

horses are each trained to step up

onto an antique Toledo scale to have

their respective weights measured and

recorded for comparison after the stress

and activity. They typically weigh in

at just less than 300 pounds and oblig-

ingly hop off the scale to receive a

small handful of treats, just like kids

getting stickers after a trip to the doc-

tor’s office.

A visit to the Amblos’ farm is impres-

sive, not only to appreciate the Amblos

for the hard work, ingenuity and excel-

lent animal husbandry but also to see

their generosity and support and pas-

sion for miniature horses.

Horsescontinued from page 1

Jim Amblo, in his signature striped hat, with one of his min-iature stallions.

Shop Local EventThursday – Sunday

We will be donating 10% of all Eileen Fisher sales to the Champlain College Single Parent Program.

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The Charlotte News ��6HSWHPEHU��

By Jed Pauls

Frank had José cornered in the hay-loft.

He’d stopped by the old Lavalley Farm that morning to pick up some tools Ron Lavalley hadn’t thought to return. Frank really wasn’t happy with Ron. He kept Frank’s tools all the time and then started hiring Mexican “ille-gals,” as Frank liked to say with a shake of his head. His neighbor’s kid needed work, and these jokers were taking pay-checks to kick cows and drink beer.

When Frank had pulled in and saw that little brown man walking out of the trailer, something finally snapped. Slam-ming on the brakes got José’s attention, but no one would have expected to see Frank jump out of an idling car barking nonsense. Frank had had enough. But this looked crazy.

Up in the loft, it was already getting hot. Frank had caught José off guard, all right; he’d nearly run out of his boots into the nearest open door. After following at an easy pace Frank didn’t really know what to do next, but the fact that José was terrified made him happy. He smirked and thought that this would be the part of his movie where Toby Keith would sing the truth about the tidal wave and the Mexican border.

“It’s not my fault, amigo. Not my fault you came here without your papers.”

Frank liked to narrate his life as if a camera were filming a documentary. He lived alone and sometimes flipped the switch on that loneliness—from the slow death of having no one, ever, to share supper with, to the invincibility that came with being the one hero in the spotlight.

The early morning sunlight spiked through the spaces in the barn-board siding, illuminating streaks of hay dust kicked up in José’s scramble for posi-tion. Frank couldn’t see José very well. The bars of clouded light kept him blind enough to stay put—stuck in his smiling rage.

Footsteps broke the silence. And then a familiar voice:

“Whatcha doing here, Frank?”“Getting all the tools you kept of

mine, Ron.” Adding with a sideways nod toward José, “And keeping order.”

“Get the tools and leave.”“I’ll be reporting you, Ron. Because

I’m an American citizen. Home of the land of the free, Ron.”

Ron knew Frank was a lot of talk. Although this time Frank surprised him by cornering José the way he did. Frank wasn’t always predictable, and that made Ron nervous. It always had.

But Frank followed orders and got his stuff. All the tools were clean and piled neatly beside the old milk room off the end of the barn. He tossed them in the back seat and drove off. Frank didn’t actually report Ron. He didn’t even know who he’d report him to. In fact, he’d just seen a police officer laughing with a Mexican-looking guy at the pizza place the other day.

***

Frank was a mentor for a fifth grader at the school. Every Tuesday he’d meet Chris in the cafeteria for the last hour of the day. Chris’s father died of cancer, which left his mother to raise him and his three sisters on her own. They lived out of town by all the farms, so they didn’t have any close neighbors—just corn and hay fields and isolation and a

car that always needed gas. Frank really liked Chris, and Chris’s favorite part of school was Tuesday afternoons.

They usually played checkers and talked baseball. Even in the winter they talked baseball. Chris liked to talk about Derek Jeter in the same way that Frank liked to talk about Carl Yastrzemski. For Frank, it made the conversations feel like time travel. On Tuesday afternoons he felt like a kid again and wished life was as simple as helping Dad with the cows and listening to the Sox on the radio.

Frank still couldn’t get José out of his mind. “Hey Chris, what do you think of all those Mexicans on those farms near your house?”

“They seem like nice guys. Mom takes a couple of ‘em to the store on Mondays.”

That wasn’t what Frank wanted to hear. This whole immigration thing was a simple case of robbery, and a kid like Chris was supposed to know that.

“But don’t you know…,” Frank just stopped. Chris didn’t need more on his plate. He had it hard enough.

Chris added more, though. “One guy goes to the drug store to send money home to his family. Sometimes I wish Dad could send us money, but he can’t.”

Scared of what might come up next in the conversation, Frank asked, “Did you catch the game last night?”

***

Ron didn’t want to ask Frank for anything, but he really needed him. Say what you want about Frank, but he came when you called.

Ron sat down at the kitchen table and dialed his number.

“Hey there, Frank. Gerardo was pulled over last night. He’s been detained. Think you can pick up some hours?...

“Yes, Frank, I know…“You’re right, Dad never hired any

of these guys but that was different times…

“It’s complicated, Frank…“So I need help with afternoon milk-

ing. I can cover the rest. Probably 4 to 9 will do…

“Thanks, Frank. I owe you one.”Frank showed up just before 4 and

started bringing in the cows. When the first group was in, he put the Red Sox game on the radio and started getting things ready.

A minute later, José hopped down into the parlor and snapped on some gloves. They started dipping teats and washing udders together. Everything ran smoothly that afternoon so the work got done fast. In fact, José was so good at his job that Frank wondered if he was even needed for the 4 to 9 shift. But he showed up the next day and the next.

The days were mixed—sometimes the cows were easy, sometimes they weren’t. One day a chain broke on a gate and Frank saw something pretty amazing. A few loud whistles (like some tropical birds, he imagined) and two other guys showed up out of nowhere and separated the mixed cows in no time. The humid, fetid barn mixed with the birdcalls and rolling, staccato Spanish sounds made Frank feel like he was thousands of miles from the home he thought he knew.

Each day José asked Frank about his family. One day Frank learned enough Spanish to ask José about his.

The 4 to 9 ShiftThe Charlotte News is pleased to announce the winner of the second

installment of the Fiction Contest. This round we called for a 1,000-word

original, unpublished story that fit the prompt: “It’s not my fault.” Jed

Pauls’ nuanced story used the prompt as a springboard into a look at the

complicated issue of migrant farm labor. His layered and sensitive narra-

tive suggests, really, that the labor issue is not a question of fault so much

as an opportunity for personal growth. Jed is a paraeducator in the sev-

enth and eighth grades at CCS. This is his first published story. The next

call for stories will be in January. Stay tuned.

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OutTakes Commentary by Edd Merritt

Alabama BoundCome round by my side and I’ll sing you a song.

I’ll sing it softly; it’ll do no one wrong.

On Birmingham Sunday the blood ran like wine,

And the choir kept singing of Freedom.

— Richard Fariña, “Birmingham Sunday”

The topic of anniversaries has been playing in my mind for several weeks. The 50th anniver-sary of the civil rights march on Washington

in August 1963 occurred last month, and Georgia congressman John Lewis played a prominent role in it, as well as in the original Washington march and the freedom rides that preceded it.

Reading articles recapping that period in our coun-try’s history and trying to recall the impact it had on me as a young college student brought back thoughts about the sharp bend in the road of life it prompted. Lewis, of course, has remained a leading figure in the growth of desegregation in the South. His assent to holding a current congressional seat from Georgia would have been unthinkable then.

There were a couple of other things that were seared in my mind about civil rights in the 60s. One was a picture from the July 15 New York Times that accompanied a story about George Zimmerman’s acquittal on the charges in the shooting death of Tra-von Martin. The other was picking up a book by Ray-mond Arsenault entitled Freedom Riders: 1961 and

the Struggle for Racial Justice (published by Oxford University Press in 2006), which looks into the series of bus rides through Alabama, Mississippi and other parts of the Deep South during a time when state and federal laws were being tested largely by a group of black and white college students who chose to openly defy the Jim Crow laws of separateness. The book delves graphically into the violence committed by the Ku Klux Klan and other segregationists in places like Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama, and Jack-son, Mississippi.

The picture in the Times of defense attorneys Mark O’Mara and Don West laughing after Zimmerman’s acquittal rekindled harsh feelings that cropped up in the 60s and anger toward these two supposedly

learned attorneys, who are seemingly laughing at their client’s lack of blame for killing someone, regardless of the questionability of the circumstances. Their pub-lic lack of compassion for death would lead me, were I able, at the very least to yank their law licenses. But, let me digress a bit. Freedom Riders played a particularly immediate role in my college life. One of the early whites to make the ride from Birmingham to Montgomery was to become an acquaintance of mine, Jim Zwerg, a Beloit College student from Wisconsin who enrolled in an exchange program at Fisk Univer-sity in 1960.

Fisk was a predominantly African-American school in Nashville, Tenn., and Zwerg was a white sociology major from Appleton, Wis. He made national head-lines as one of two white students who, along with eight blacks, including John Lewis—who served as one of the “Rider Leaders”—traveled from Nashville across the Alabama line to Birmingham, where the

“Freedom Ride” would officially begin. None of the riders was older than 23.

“Zwergie,” as we called him, became interested in the immediate impact of racism while rooming at Beloit with Robert Carter, one of the few African-American students at this liberal arts college in the Upper Midwest. I met him the fall after his freedom ride. He had been a member of the fraternity to which I pledged, but he de-pledged after learning that Carter could not become a member because of his race.

Zwerg remained what we called a “social member,” I believe partly because of his wonderful singing voice. My house, the Betas, was big into singing. He

and I were barbershop quartetters. He could hit every note needed, tenor or base, and he often covered up for the rest of us.

John Lewis along with other southern students formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Commit-tee (SNCC) in the fall of 1960. Zwerg joined SNCC and, in an early action, tried to give a movie-theater ticket to a black man who accompanied him. Zwerg was hit with a monkey wrench and knocked out. It was just the beginning of violence against him, though.

When the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) began the Freedom Rides aimed at de-segregating public transportation, SNCC at Fisk decided to send reinforcements. Zwerg volunteered. When his bus arrived in Montgomery, a mob of segregationists was waiting with baseball bats, clubs and chains. The streets leading into the bus station were sealed off by the mobs, and newscasters and photographers were not allowed near.

As Zwerg and Lewis stepped off the bus, the mob attacked them. Photographers eventually managed to get close enough to snap some pictures. Zwerg, white, was the first to be assaulted. He prayed as the attackers closed in on him. According to author Raymond Arsenault, people screamed “filthy Com-munists, nigger lovers, you’re not going to integrate Montgomery.”

Eventually, Zwerg was beaten to the point of pass-ing out. He was thrown over a fence, and the mob went looking for others. Convinced his friend was near death, Lewis, another rider and a reporter found a black cab driver to take him to a hospital. How-ever, before going, a deputy sheriff read the barely conscious Zwerg an injunction and would not allow him to be transported by the black driver. He’d have to wait for a white-operated ambulance, which never came. Eventually, a deputy was ordered to transport him to the hospital by car, perhaps truly saving his life.

We have obviously come a ways since Montgom-ery in 1961. Yet, incidents such as the Travon Martin shooting remind us how much farther we need to go. Perhaps we have a different kind of segregation now—gated communities with neighborhood watches carrying guns, something as repellent as was the ear-lier exclusion by race.

The jury may have been right. George Zimmer-man may not have been the true culprit. Racism may now lhave become economic favoratism. Those in the upper strata may feel compelled to seal themselves off from their lower neighbors and protect their cliques. I don’t know what may be comparable to “Freedom Rides” today. I do know that Klansmen and churlish lawyers have certain things in common.

Jim Zwerg lays in a hospital bed after

being beaten at the outset of a Freedom

Ride in Alabama in 1961, an incident

recounted in the Montgomery newspaper

he clutches.

Fall is in the air and in the Shop too!

Yellow house on west side of Rte 7 in Shelburne Village / 5404 Shelburne Road

Mon-Fri 10-5, Sat 10-4 / 985-3595 www.schipstreasure.org

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Ruah SwennerfeltContributor

On Sept. 14, a sparkly Saturday morning, several people gath-ered to harvest potatoes and

tomatoes from the Charlotte Library food garden. The garden was origi-nally inspired by the Transition US’s 2012 “May Challenge” to increase food production in communities. Transition Town Charlotte approached the Charlotte Library about creating a garden on the library’s grounds; the suggestion was met with smiling approval and encour-agement.

That year, we had a successful potato garden, and most of the harvest was donated to the Charlotte Food Shelf. Some spuds were held back for com-munity eating delight at a “Spud Fest,” where Charlotters were treated to quite a variety of potato treats.

Transition US posted a “May Chal-lenge” again this year, and we decid-

ed to expand the food production to include tomatoes and green beans in addition to the potatoes.

During the summer, the harvest was so plen-tiful that library staff members picked toma-toes and offered sam-ples at the front desk! Some children looked forward to a tasty snack of a cherry tomato dur-

ing each library visit. Scores of toma-toes were donated to the Food Shelf, as were the green beans as they ripened.

Now more tomatoes and the harvest of potatoes have made their way to the Food Shelf, and plans are being hatched for the second annual Spud Fest, to be held at the Charlotte Senior Center on Sunday, Oct. 20, beginning at 5 p.m. So save the date and start looking for some tantalizing potato recipes and consider including tomatoes and green beans. Do you know of any potato desserts? There’s a challenge for someone!

Growing food on town land is a way to share the land with those who are in need. We don’t need to have only ornamental flora around our libraries and town halls. We can be productive, make a difference in someone’s life, and come together as a community.

Next spring we’ll be planting blue-berry bushes, thanks to the generosity of Pelkey’s Blueberries. I bet we can entice some children to snack on blue-berries. Maybe you’ll even sneak a few when you visit the library.

Angela Manno (of New York City), Ruth Uphold and Margaret Woodruff pose with this year’s harvest from the Charlotte Library’s food garden, which was planted in conjunction with Transition Town Charlotte.

Transition Town Charlotte’s

Library Garden Produces Bounty

Second annual Spud Fest to be held Oct. 20

Upcoming at the Library

Banned Books Week, Sept. 23–28.

Banned Books Week is the national book community’s annual celebration of the freedom to read. Hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. Stop by the Charlotte Library to see our dis-play and discover what you could have missed!

Seed Savers Workshop, Saturday,

Sept. 28, 10–11:30 am. In anticipation of building our seed library and making more seeds available for planting next spring, join Joan Weed, veteran seed saver and master gardener, for a hands-on how-to. She’ll provide the tips for easy and productive seed saving, assur-ing another harvest next year. Feel free to bring you own seeds, especially those

from plants grown with our Seed Library seeds this past spring. We will also have plenty of seeds to save and share. Please call the library to let us know you will be coming: 425-3864.

Saturday Stories, Saturday, Sept.

28, at 10 a.m. Stephen Brooks brings his bag of stories to the library for Saturday morning reading. Drop in to hear some old favorites and discover some new ones. For children and families of all ages.

Lunchbox Story Time for Kinder-

garteners. Monday, Sept. 30, at 12:15

p.m.

Friday Free-for-All Preschool Story

Time. Friday, Oct. 4, at 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday Night Knitting. Wednes-

day, Oct. 2, at 5:30 p.m. Join us to compare notes, knits and share good company.

Ginger Johnson, Wednesday, Oct.

2, at 7 p.m, In her 2013 memoir, Good Dad, Bad Dad, My Dad, Ginger Johnson, a former CCS teacher and fiber artist, takes readers on a roller coaster journey through the past, laughing at the absurd and honoring complicated emotional rela-tionships. Catch up with Ginger and hear her engaging view of families with all their quirks.

Library Applesauce! Wednesday,

Oct. 9. The town apple tree is loaded with apples so we are making applesauce all day. Stop in for a taste, share your favor-ite recipe, and enjoy a terrific apple book.

'New England

Uncovered' Book

Series Theme

The library’s fall/winter book dis-cussion series begins on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. with discus-sion of Peyton Place by Grace Metalious. Other titles in the series are Affliction by Russell Banks, A Brother’s Blood by Michael White, and I’m a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson.

The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Charlotte Library and the Vermont Humanities Council. Lesley Wright will facilitate discus-sions. Copies of the books can be borrowed from the library. The pro-gram is free and open to the public, and the library is ADA accessible.

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Charlotte Senior Centerby Mary Recchia,

Activities Coordinator

The Café Menu

Monday, SepTeMber 30: pump-kin black bean soup, spinach salad, apple surprise

WedneSday, oCTober 2: oven-fried chicken drumsticks, brocco-li salad, baked potatoes, birthday cake & ice cream

Monday, oCTober 7: chicken mul-ligatawny soup, salad, homemade dessert

WedneSday, oCTober 9: Aunt Mildred's casserole, homemade des-sert

Senior LunCheonS are held every Wednesday at noon. Reservations are necessary in advance and can be made by calling the Senior Center at 425-6345. A $4 donation is requested. Reservations are not required for the Monday Munch.

Nan Mason and Patty Horsford take a break on the Senior Center’s last Sojourn

Bike trip, a gorgeous 25-mile ride to Kingsland Bay on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

A group pauses for a picture during the last kayak trip of the season at Shelburne Beach Sept.

13. The Senior Center hosted several kayak excursions just for women throughout the summer.

Want more News? Pictures? Updates?

The October Art Exhibit, titled “Plein Air and Alla Prima Paintings,” will feature works by Jan Ghiringhelli. This will be a collection of landscapes, florals, still lifes and a few figures.

Jan works in oil, pastel and acrylic and uses watercolors as under paintings for her pastels. Jan received Best in Show in the current Northern Vermont Artist Association show at the Visions of Vermont art gallery in Jeffersonville.

––––Victor Gardy’s Math Magic contin-

ues Tuesday afternoons from 1:45–2:45 p.m. with unique tricks and techniques to perform mental math calculations. This half-hour lecture with a half hour of practice will have you amazing your family and friends. Learning secrets of mental math with only elementary school arithmetic is accessible and fun with just a little practice. Registration required. No Fee.

––––Join Marty Morrissey for Fall Hikes

in the Champlain Valley on Tues-day, Oct. 1, when we will hike Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain in Keesville, N.Y. On Oct. 8, we head to Spirit in Nature Trails in Ripton.

A full description of these trips and the degree of difficulty is available at the host desk. Please bring water, food and good hiking or walking shoes for departure from the Senior Center at 8:30 a.m. Registration required. No fee.

––––The Genealogy Group led by Carl

Tatlock will gather on Oct. 3 from 1–3 p.m. Do you want to research your ancestors but are not sure how to get started? Have you started your search and need some ideas on what to try next? Come have some fun, share ideas, trade information and tell stories of your journey through history. Fam-ily Tree Maker and Ancestory.com are available at the center to assist you in your search. No Fee.

––––

Watercolor Exploration, Fall-Themed Painting with Lynn Cum-mings, M.Ed, begins on Tuesdays from 9:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. on Oct. 8, 15, 22 and 29, and Nov. 5 and 12.

Want to learn to produce loose, colorful fall-themed watercolor paintings? Want to try something differ-ent and learn new ways of designing your paintings? Get ready to have fun and try some techniques and ways of looking at your subject that you may not have explored before.

Please get a materials list at the host desk prior to class, as some new items have been added. Beginners and intermediates welcome. Registration required. First

four classes: $96. All six:

$144.

––––

Our second Poetry Read-ing with Jim Lovejoy will take place Monday, Oct. 7, at 1 p.m. This after-lunch poetry reading opportunity provides a regular time for listening, reading, writing and discussing this wonderful form of literary expression.

Whether a favorite poem you have

written, a book of poetry you enjoy, a literary journal or a poem from Poets.org, pack a poem in your pocket and join Jim as he guides a wonderful after-

noon of poetry reading. No fee.

Events following the Wednes-day luncheon at 1 p.m. For those who do not share lunch with us, you are welcome to drop in around 1 p.m. to enjoy the after-lunch offerings:

October 2: The Human Juke-box: Peter Rosenblum (singer/guitarist). Peter’s playlist includes nearly 200 of your favorite oldies from the ‘50s to the ‘70s, from bal-lads to blues to rock ‘n’ roll. Per-forming spontaneously by request, his engaging singing and guitar

work creates a lively interplay with all who join the fun.

October 9: Gardens of Paris with Charlotte Albers. Travel through the streets of Paris in this visual journey that includes the incomparable Lux-embourg Garden and Palace Royal, the Tuilleries, medieval herb gardens at Musee Cluny, and lesser known parks and green pockets like the courtyard at Musee Carnavalet, where ornate par-terre symmetry pairs with lush borders in the old Latin Quarter.

Learn about French style—classic and modern—with Charlotte Albers, a garden writer and designer based in Shelburne, whose passion for beautiful landscapes will inspire you. Armchair adventure at its best!

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The Role of Protein in Overall Health

A look at amounts needed, protein

quality and when we need it the most

Mary Anne Kyburz-LadueContributor

Surveys have shown that two out of three Americans today are interested in health and wellness, and understanding the benefits of protein is part of

enhancing one’s health awareness. Dietary proteins provide the daily sources of amino acids that support multiple body functions, such as making up the building blocks for body proteins (enzymes, hormones), serving as an energy source for muscle, enhancing the immune system, and maintaining bone health and body weight.

The quality of dietary protein is based on amino acid composition and digestibility. Proteins are found in both animal and plant sources, with animal sources being higher in protein. High-protein animal sources include eggs, milk, lean beef, pork, skinless chicken and fish.

In comparison, plant sources, such as nuts, beans and legumes, and seeds, are more limited in protein content and do not have all the amino acid makeup of a complete protein. Even the best plant sources, such as legumes,

which contain all nine essential amino acids, are limited in two of the amino acids (methionine and lysine) and low in leucine, and are less digestible proteins than those from animal sources. Combining different plant sources of protein does improve the overall quality of the protein in ensuring the amino acid makeup is more complete.

C o n s i d e r i n g the variety of important roles of dietary protein in the human body, consuming ade-quate amounts of high-quality pro-tein is essential for overall health. The recommen-dation for getting adequate protein is based on body weight. There is a difference between adequate and opti-mal amounts.

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is the minimal amount to be adequate for health and to prevent deficiencies, up to the acceptable macronutrient distribu-tion range (AMDR), which establishes the upper range of protein, fat and carbohydrates. The AMDR would allow for protein consumption in a range from 0.8 g/kg to 2.0 g/kg of body weight. For a 150-pound (68 kg) woman that would be in the range of 54 to 136 grams of protein per day; for a 180-pound (or 82 kg) man that would be 66 to 164 grams of protein per day.

New research has also shown that protein intakes above the minimum requirements can improve adult health and provide benefits for the treatment and preven-tion of diseases, including obesity, osteoporosis, meta-bolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Food consumption triggers a series of physiologic and metabolic changes, including an increase in protein building, or synthesis, and a decrease in protein break-down. Research has shown that 90 grams of protein per day, distributed evenly at three meals, stimulates maximum protein synthesis in the body. Eating pro-tein at every meal is a different meal pattern than what is “typical,” with the typical pattern being eating the most protein with the evening meal. Research shows that

eating a minimum of 30 grams of high-quality protein that contains 2.5 grams of leucine at each meal may be the best way to maintain healthy muscles and bones in adults.

Leucine assists in protein synthesis by helping in muscle building and maintenance. If a meal has inad-

equate amounts of leucine, muscle synthesis is blocked and there is greater muscle breakdown. Leucine is pres-ent in all protein-rich foods, with highest amounts in ani-mal proteins, such as dairy, eggs, beef, chicken, fish, milk, and lesser amounts in nuts, soybeans, lentils, hum-mus and asparagus.

Another important research finding is that the meal response for protein lasts about three hours. If one meal contains most of the protein and leucine to stimulate mus-cle synthesis, the body will

be in a positive (anabolic) state for only three hours after dinner—and in a negative (catabolic) state for 21 hours. This pattern of eating can lead to slow loss of lean muscle tissue during weight loss, during bed rest and as we age.

Some examples of the protein content of various foods are: ��R]��RI�FKLFNHQ��J��R]��VLUORLQ��J��ò�FXS�FRWWDJH�FKHHVH��J��R]��VR\�PLON��J��7E��SHDQXW�EXWWHU��J��R]��FKHHVH��J��ZKROH�HJJ��J��R]��ILVK��J��FXS�VR\EHDQV��J��ò�FXS�HGDPDPH��J��

Mary Anne Kyburz-Ladue is a registered dietician

and works as a clinical dietician and certified diabetes

educator at Thomas Chittenden Health Center in Wil-

liston. She lives in Charlotte.

“Research shows that eat-ing a minimum of 30 grams of high-quality protein may be the best way to maintain healthy muscles and bones in adults.”

Seeking Ad MAnAger

The Charlotte News is seeking an enthusiastic advertising manager. The ideal candidate will be comfortable selling the benefits (in person, on the phone and via email) of advertising in Charlotte’s hometown newspaper and on the new website, closing deals and recording the details. The hours are flexible (averag-ing 15-20 per week) and concentrated around our twice-a-month production schedule. Sales or related experience, computer skills and a sense of humor are good starting qualifications. We work with and can provide training for InDesign, Photoshop and FileMakerPro. We invite you to join our creative and hardworking team committed to the nonprofit mission of The Charlotte News. Please respond by email only, including a current resume, to Tom O’Brien, Board Co-Chair, at [email protected].

BuSineSS MAnAger/Bookkeeping ServiceS needed

We are seeking an individual proficient with QuickBooks to provide bookkeep-

ing services for The Charlotte News, the nonprofit community newspaper in Char-lotte. Services include accounts receivable (including timely invoicing of advertis-ers for each issue), monthly statements as needed, accounts payable, deposits, bank reconciliations, ordering office supplies, distribution coordination and maintaining donor and subscriber lists. The work averages 20 to 30 hours per issue, 24 issues per year. Pay $400-$450 per issue, depending on experience. Please send resume and references via email to Nancy Wood, Treasurer, at [email protected].


SPORTS by Edd MerrittRec

News by Kristin

Hartley

Fall is officially here! The air is crisp, the leaves are turning, and you can hear the sounds of soccer on our Charlotte soccer fields.

Soccer is in full swing, thanks to our many parent volunteers. Every Saturday morning our fields are filled with red T-shirts and smiling faces. On Oct. 5 our annual Soccer Jamboree takes place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We will be hosting seven towns. Come enjoy the games and the concession stand hosted by our eighth grade class. The game schedules should be out soon.

Fall is a beautiful time to visit the Town Beach. Our tennis courts are still open and are newly washed and in great shape. Please remember that the beach is no longer staffed, so whatever you bring in you need to carry out. Thanks!

Our fall afterschool piano classes as well as driver’s education are now full. We are currently adding a Celtic Dance class. The instructor, Heather Morris, will introduce the fundamentals of Irish Step and Scottish High-land technique in a creative and enjoyable environment. Children will explore a variety of rhythms and movements associated with Celtic group and solo dances including jigs, reels and the sword dance. The classes will take place at the Congregational Church Ves-try on Saturday mornings beginning Oct. 26. An 8–9 a.m. class for ages eight and above will be held working on soft shoe-Irish Ceili dances. A 9–10 a.m. class for ages ten and above will include percussive footwork and Scottish step dances. There will be three six-week sessions. You can find registration forms and more information on our town website, charlottevt.org, or you can sign up at the town offices.

The town is currently looking for a new ice rink coordinator for this winter season. If you have rink experience and would like to help out, please contact Bill Fraser-Harris at 343-7038 or at [email protected].

We now have a space on our town web-page under the “Recreation” tab for Com-munity Recreation. Our website address is charlottevt.org.

If you have an interest that you would like to share with your neighbors or if you would like to spearhead an activity you can list it here. Something you would like to add? Notify me at [email protected] or at 425-6129 ext. 204.

As always, if you are in need of a scholar-ship for your child for any of these programs,

Spirit Day brings out the best in CVU teams

Spirit at CVU brimmed around the Hinesburg fields last Saturday as all four Redhawk teams showed their prowess. In a sweep, the men’s and women’s soccer squads, field hockey and football all won. And, while they were running in St. Albans rather than at home, the men’s and women’s cross-country teams both won the BFA Invitational.

Half of the top ten women runners are from CVU

Led again by Autumn Eastman, the lady Redhawk cross-country team posted a victory at Hard’ack Recreation Area over ten other Vermont high schools. Following Eastman, Emma Putre, Sophie Gorman and Abby Keim finished within two seconds of each other in third, fourth and fifth places. Carly Neeld in seventh was only nine seconds back of the trio. Earlier, Eastman had been named a Top Performer by the Burlington Free

Press following her victory at the Shaker Invitational in New York.

Redhawk men cross-country runners capture first

Zach and Tyler Marshall finished in third and sixth places, respectively, to power the CVU men’s cross-country runners to a first-place team finish over eleven competitors. The Redhawks’ closest competition came from Mount Mansfield Union with Essex a distant third.

Redhawk opponents are still looking for a goal

While Charlotte’s Haliana Burhans and Mackenzie Kingston continue to put the ball in the opponent’s net, CVU’s defenders and midfielders, backstopped in goal by Maddie Turnau, control matters at their end of the pitch, keeping it out of the Redhawk strings. They have been successful enough to compile a perfect 6-0 season without a goal allowed. The record continued on Spirit Day as Haliana scored twice, and Mackenzie assisted for a 3-0 win over Burlington. The two had shared goals in a victory over Essex four days earlier. Another 3-0 win over South Burlington showed the effectiveness of the CVU plan, as

Turnau was called upon for only two saves while the Rebel goalkeeper faced 15 shots.

National Soccer Coaches Association looks carefully at Redhawks

They are off to a perfect start to the season. They have not allowed a goal in their six wins, and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) is looking carefully at the CVU women’s soccer team for ranking among the top 25 in the country. Currently, CVU sits in fifth position in NSCAA’s New England Regional poll.

CVU men’s soccer gangs up on Burlington

These two teams faced each other in last year’s Division I state championship, and the rivalry has not receded. Two weeks prior, CVU won a close contest in Burlington 1-0, and the Redhawks did not take the Seahorses lightly coming into Spirit Day. Freshman Nolan Jimmo opened the scoring just over three minutes into the game. The second goal, a fast header by Patrick McHue off a free kick by Zack Evans, appeared to take BHS by surprise as Evans placed his kick perfectly in order for McHue to head it into the upper corner well away from Burlington’s goalkeeper. Following wins over Harwood and Middlebury, the Spirit Day triumph keeps the men on par with their sisters at 6-0 for the season.

Football likes Saturday afternoon sunshine

St. Johnsbury came down from the Kingdom to face an unbeaten CVU squad. Behind a strong offense led by Steele DuBrul at quarterback and Jason Cora at running back, the Redhawks pulled out a 30-14 Division I win. Cora ran for 199 yards plus a touchdown, while DuBrul scored twice from within St. Johnsbury’s 15-yard line. Max Whitcomb opened the CVU scoring with a field goal, and CVU kept St. J. away from the ball while it finished with 355 rushing yards. Cora had been named one of the Free Press’ Top Performers a week earlier for his “all around effort in the win over Essex . . . 131 rushing yards, three touchdowns,” and defensively, nine tackles, three of which resulted in losses.

Field hockey comes back on Spirit Day

Catching the “spirit” of its fellow fall sports teams, CVU field hockey regained its winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Mount Abraham. Having suffered their first loss of the season at South Burlington a few days earlier, the Redhawks needed to rebound against Mount Abe. It took the better part of the game, however, before they found the net. Katie Arms scored with 12 minutes remaining in the second period on an assist from Molly Dunphy. Evangeline Dunphy saved five shots for the shutout.

CVU’s Nik Baya sets up for a left-footed kick just outside the Burlington High

School box.

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Volunteers Annual Meeting

On Wednesday, Sept. 11, we held our annual volunteers meeting. We reviewed last fiscal year numbers and talked about plans for the coming fiscal year.

We had a 13-percent increase in cash donations over the previous year, or $34,667. Our expenditures were $36,465. These expenditures included approximate-ly $25,184 in food purchases from the Ver-mont Food Bank, Costco, Hannaford and Shelburne Supermarket. The remainder of the expenditures were for assistance with fuel and utility costs for neighbors with emergency needs, for children’s school supplies and clothing, for holiday gifts and for food shelf supplies.

In addition, we continue to maintain a healthy balance in our checking account for emergencies.

New volunteers

The Food Shelf would like to welcome new volunteers Liz DesLauriers, Janet Schwarz, Nancy Barnes and Rice High School student Connor Gorman.

Volunteers needed

The Food Shelf is looking for additional volunteers to help shop for and transport food to the Food Shelf. The work requires a small commitment of time every couple of weeks—and healthy muscles! We pur-chase in bulk from Costco, so being able to lift those large items in and out of a car is essential. Many hands (with strong muscles) make light work.

In addition, we are looking for a few volunteers to help us with Wednesday evening and Thursday morning food dis-tribution at the Food Shelf in the Charlotte Congregational Church.

If you have a few hours a month to help out, please email Karen Doris at [email protected] or call her at 425-3252.

We also will be looking for volunteers to help us set up the Thanksgiving baskets Friday morning, Nov. 22. We start about 8 a.m. and need only about an hour's com-mitment. Just come on by the Charlotte Congregational Church that morning and join the food basket prep festivities.

Thank yous

Thank you to yourfarmstand.com cus-tomers for including donations to the Food Shelf with your orders. Thank you to Mike

Walker and Shelburne Supermarket for your support.

Wish list

We need glass jars with tops to use in breaking down bulk items for distribution. Do you have jars you could donate?

We are also in need of tissues, Q-tips, and kids' healthy snacks. If you can donate any of these items, please drop them in the donation drop-off locations noted below.

Children’s clothing drive

We are collecting children’s clothing donations for our neighborhood friends in need. From now through the fall we will be collecting good, clean children’s clothing for sizes infant to teenager. Adult clothing suitable for teens will be accepted as well. Please—no stains or holes.

We are also accepting clean winter coats, winter boots, rubber boots, sneakers (in good condition) and other shoes.

You may drop these items in the basket at the Food Shelf at the Charlotte Congre-gational Church or email Heather at [email protected] for information on scheduling a drop-off of your donations.

The Food Shelf is run entirely by vol-unteers so all donations go directly for food or assistance. If you are a customer of yourfarmstand.com, you may make a donation to the Food Shelf as part of your online order. Donation checks may be mailed to:

Charlotte Food Shelf & AssistanceP. O. Box 83Charlotte, VT 05445

Donated food drop-off locations: All non-perishable 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 by 7:30 a.m. on the distribution mornings (see Ongoing Events calendar).

The Charlotte Food Shelf is located on the lower level of the Charlotte Congrega-tional Church vestry. We are open from 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. on the following Thurs-days for food distribution: Oct. 10 and 24, Nov. 7 and 21, and Dec. 5 and 19, as well as the Wednesday evening before each Thursday distribution from 5–7 p.m.

Thanksgiving baskets will be distrib-uted on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 8:30 a.m., and Christmas/Holiday baskets will be dis-tributed on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 8:30 a.m.

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 at 425-3130. For emergency assistance (electric-ity, fuel), call Karen at 425-3252.

For more information call Karen 425-3252 or visit our website at https://sites.google.com/site/charlottefoodshelfvt/.

Business Directory

Food Shelf News

by Kerrie Pughe

Dennis Bates

206 Walker Hill Road, Williston, Vermont 05495Phone 879.6645 Fax 879.4144

Walls Walks Patios Custom Floors Showers Etc. Manufactured and Natural Stone Brick Block Ceramic Slate Quarry

“Dustless” Floor Sandingquick dry environmentally friendly finishes

Custom Installation

Tom McLaughlin - OwnerP.O. Box 371Bristol, VT 05443

(802) [email protected]

BRUSH HOG WORK

TILLING SMALL TRACTOR WORK

YORK RAKE -72” FINISH MOWER

SMALL CHIPPER

PAT LECLAIRE802.985.8225

Mason Associates Educational Consultants

P.O. Box 592687 Greenbush RdCharlotte, VT 05445Phone: 802-425-7600Cell: [email protected]

Benjamin Mason, MEd, CEP

RVG Electrical Services, LLC3317 Bristol Road, Bristol, VT 05443

Rick GomezMaster Electrician

for over 25 years

[email protected] rvgelectric.com

Phone: 802-453-3245Cell: 802-233-9462

[email protected] rvgelectric.com

Julie Elitzer

Realtor

550 Hinesburg Road

So. Burlington, VT 05403

[email protected]

2IÀFH��&HOO��7ROO�)UHH��

LMSRE.COM

Lang McLaughry Real Estate

Je! AlbertsonDPT | Fellow of the American Academy

of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists

South Burlington23 San Remo Drivetel 865.0010

www.DeePT.com

Shelburne 166 Athletic Drivetel 985.4440

Since 1988

Linda H.

Sparks

Broker, GRI, CRS

Senior Associate

[email protected]

Direct: 802-846-78602IÀFH��Cell: 802-734-2930

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Lang McLaughry Spera


Autumn’s Blessing

Bradley CarletonContributor

We’d been working on the farm last month when we noticed the large flock of resident Canada geese using the wheat field to the north. The farmer was visibly perturbed that the birds had imprinted on his field, and he knew that later this year he would have a problem when he tilled it under and the winter wheat sprouts began to pop up out of the fertile soil. Two hundred geese can do a lot of dam-age to a seeded field.

Some local folks who walked the road every day for exercise looked upon the birds as harmless and beautiful. To the farmer they were a nuisance, destroying his livelihood and making it more dif-ficult to bring his grains to market, where they would be turned into bread and beer that the walking people enjoyed when they returned home.

To my merry band of Sacred Hunters, the geese were a majestic resource.

Personally, of all the animals on earth, I feel the stron-gest kinship with the goose. Maybe it’s that some people perceive both of us a nuisance, while others see us as wondrous and communicative beings. I enjoy talking to the geese and have learned more than 20 distinctly dif-ferent vocalizations.

Some folks may think that hunters are only focused on one thing: killing. This is an oversimplification of a profoundly deep experience.

As dawn begins to fade from its dark blues and purples into the pastel hues of salmon and heliotrope, we listen intently for the waking honks of the flock roost-ing on the bay. The occasional Her-Onk echoes over the brightening, gold landscape. We tuck our heads down into the layout blinds, camouflaged in wheat stalks. We

are surrounded by full-body decoys with velvet-flocked heads in multiple positions, each displaying a specific posture to an incoming flock.

We wait. When we finally decide that they may not show up for

awhile, we decide to pour a cup of French roast coffee sweetened with maple syrup out of the shiny thermos with the Ducks Unlimited logo on it. John, one of my closest hunting partners, offers up the ubiquitous cruel-lers. It is an annual ritual to watch the sun come up and share laughter, donuts and coffee with my crew. As another hunting partner, Larry, passes the chrome-plated cup to me, we both hear the sound. Herrrrrp.

It is too close. There is a bird in the air—and he sees us sitting upright and sharing our breakfast. “Busted!” I proclaim, as he glides over us from behind and pumps his powerful wings, carrying him to the distant horizon.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t go to the bay flock and tell them what he saw!” says Chris.

We must be more careful. Coffee and donuts are stored beneath the fabric doors of the blind, and we slink back down into our camo caves.

Fifteen minutes pass; we start thinking that maybe he did tattle on us. We begin to relax again when Zack, our mentee, spots a flock of a dozen against the trees to the north. They are not calling.

“Flag ‘em!” I whisper. My friend Chris begins to

wave the goose-shaped black, brown and white flag on a stick with zestful enthusiasm, flap-ping the wings as if to imitate a bird landing in the spread.

“No calling,” I whisper again. “When they get in close enough, let’s hit ‘em with a feeding murmur and a gentle spit cluck or two, OK?”

The birds turn, a good half mile away and begin to make a beeline for our field. In minutes they are a mere 300 yards out,

cupping their mighty wings and waffling air through their primaries, dropping altitude. “One more flag sequence, then set it down,” I instruct Chris. He does a quick three flaps and sets the flag on the ground.

They are now 150 yards out, and my heart is pounding through my chest. I can feel it in my ears, thumping with excitement.

“Feeding murmur and gentle clucks,” I command the troops. As if we were sitting at the Old Brick Store, conversing with the locals, the birds begin to talk back to us. Her-her-onk Er-er-er-er they reply. Black patent leather feet drop from their bodies

like aircraft dropping their landing gear to come in for a landing.

“Get ready, gentlemen!” I call out. As the giant geese begin to backpedal at the foot of the

decoy spread, I say to myself, “Great Spirit, please help us to shoot straight.”

I call out loud, “Take ‘em!” The valley erupts in the percussive rhythm of migratory history. We are here to participate in the cycle of life. We are one with our brothers, the geese.

For a brief moment we are deeply connected to the spirit of these magnificent creatures, our lives inextrica-bly linked to one another. To live we must take the life of other beings, sentient or otherwise. “Even the trees and leaves have spirits,” I think. “For when one Indian takes of the Earth, he does so with remorse and the knowledge that he must do so to sustain his people.”

I walk up to the lead bird. He has an aluminum band on his leg, designating that he has met mankind at least once before. As his spirit passes into mine, I pray.

Bradley Carleton is Executive Director of Sacred Hunter.org, a nonprofit that seeks to educate the public on the spiritual connection of man to nature and raises funds for Traditions Outdoor Mentoring.org, which mentors at-risk young men in outdoor pursuits.

Larry Litke of Charlotte does a goose call during a recent hunt.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

Snake Mountain Bluegrass with The Connor Sisters, 8 p.m., Town Hall Theater, Middlebury. Local bluegrass experts team up with the extraor-dinary Connor Sisters, who sing in the purest blue-grass style. Tickets $17/$10 students. Available by calling 802-382-9222, at townhalltheater.org, or at the box office Monday-Saturday, noon–5:00 pm.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

Hunters Film Festival, 5–9 p.m., Film House at Main Street Landing, Burlington. The film festival will consist of eight professionally filmed hunts of 10-20 minutes apiece. The films include hunts of elk, mountain goat, a 230-class whitetail, ducks and geese, grizzly bear, and exotic aoudad and javelina. The event will benefit Sacred Hunter’s mentoring program, Traditions Outdoor Mentoring, which works with at-risk 13- to 16-year-old boys, teaching them the values of conservation and ethics while they learn to hunt, fish and forage. Raffle. Films start at 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $16 at door or online. More info: sacredhunter.org.

“The Witch, The Wheel and the Sleepy Princess” by the Very Merry Theater, 2 p.m., Phoenix Books, Burlington. Join us for marionettes, music and the timeless tale of sleeping beauty! Older children and adults will appreciate this nuanced version of a beloved fairy tale, while younger children will love the puppets and pageantry. Very Merry Theatre is a nonprofit theater company for children and teenag-ers that produces shows in many schools, at their own 333 Stage in Burlington’s old north end, and at a variety of other locations year round. This is their first show at Phoenix Books Burlington. Free.

Elizabeth Bluemle Talk, League of Vermont Writers Fall Program, 8:30 a.m. Best Western Hotel, Waterbury. Join other writers from throughout the state for talk by Bluemle, a Charlotte author and co-owner of the Flying Pig, and other writers. She’ll talk to writers about writing and marketing children’s books, including working with independent book-stores to connect with readers. All League events are open to members and nonmembers alike. Fees for this program are $40 for League members and $45 for nonmembers and include morning refresh-ment and catered lunch.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

The Cider House Run/Walk & Pie Fest, 11:00 a.m., Shelburne Orchards. Enjoy the fall weather with a run and pie. The Pie Fest consists of three local judges taste-testing 30 double-crusted apple pies. Judges will use their finely tuned palates to deter-mine the winners among pies. First-place winner walks away with $200 cash. Run registration is $25 for anyone over 12 and includes a $5 coupon for pick-your-own apples. Kids under 12 can run for free but are asked to pay $8 for the coupon. Children in backpacks and strollers are free. More info: shelbur-neorchards.com.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2

An Evening with Billy Collins, 7 p.m. UVM’s Ira Allen Chapel. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins will speak about and read from his work in a special Vermont Humanities Council event. Collins’ appearance also opens the new season of First

Wednesdays in Chittenden County. It is one of nine talks around the state taking place on the same night as part of First Wednesdays, VHC’s monthly free lecture program taking place October through May. Free and open to the public.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3

“Are You Ready?” A Live Forum About Vermont Health Connect, 6:30–7:30 p.m., Burlington. Find out more about the state’s new health care exchange. Ask your questions at a live forum on Thursday, October 3, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Channel 17 Studio. Vermont Health Connect “navigators” from the Community Health Centers of Burlington, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, and Vermont Campaign for Health Care Security Education Fund will be on hand to answer your questions. If you cannot make it in person, please follow along on Channel 17/Town Meeting TV, or stream it live on the web cctv.org/live_events or on the Seven Days website at 7dvt.com/. The call-in number for the program is 802-862-3966.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4

First Friday Art Walk, 5–8 p.m., Burlington. From Flynn Avenue and Pine Street in the South End Arts District to the Church Street Marketplace to the Waterfront, there is so much to see at the 40 gal-leries and art venues that are part of Burlington’s incredible art scene. They stay open during First Friday Art to welcome you and show you the latest work by local artists. Visit the website to learn more and see a list of participating venues. Pick up your copy of Art Map Burlington around town to plan your First Friday walk.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5

Oktoberfeast 2, noon–5 p.m. Magic Hat Brewery, South Burlington. The Magic Hat Artifactory is host-ing Oktoberfeast 2, a benefit for the Vermont Food Bank, which will feature Vermont food purveyors sampling and selling their goods in a farmers mar-ket setting. Enjoy copious amounts of samples from all our vendors and purchase your favorite items to bring home. There will be a $5 entry fee that will benefit the Vermont Food Bank. Additional event features include live music from the Blind Owl Band, an outdoor beer garden and special cask releases. For more information go to MagicHat.Net/Oktoberfeast.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7

Burlington Writers Workshop Meeting, 6:30–8 p.m., Halflounge, Burlington. Members get the chance to read and respond to the writing of other members. Participants must join group to participate. Ongoing event. Free; preregister at meetup.com.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9

PTO Meeting, 6 p.m., cafeteria.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10

Calendar 2.0 Public Forum, 6:30 p.m., CVU. Superintendents are exploring options around how to create a more efficient and effective use of the school calendar, with time and support as the vari-

ables to positive student outcomes. This calendar is a proposal intended to stimulate conversation. The evenings will be broken up into four parts: a general introduction/background, an activity for participants to provide their opinions to specific questions related to the proposed Calendar 2.0, an activity for partici-pants to have conversations about how a calendar could be created, and a closing. More info: school-calendar2.blogspot.com.

Ignite Burlington, 4:45–8:30 p.m., the Film House at Main Street Landing, Burlington. Ignite Burlington is an evening event of presentations designed to inspire, educate, and entertain the greater Burlington community. In one evening, attendees will hear dynamic speakers from our communities talk about their passion projects and inspirational success stories. Speakers include Ann Zuccardy, Tom Murphy, David Hill, Aaron Fastman, Ela Wojtowicz. Presentations begin at 6 p.m. More info: facebook.com/.Igniteburlington.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12

The Breeding Ecology of Snowy Owls, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., Richmond Public Library. What is this huge white bird we see in some winters? Where does it live? What does it eat? Why is it only here some-times? Join Denver Holt of the Owl Institute for our evening Lucille Greenough Enrichment program and discover snowy owls. Sponsored by the Birds of Vermont Museum. Free, but donations to our Flood Recovery will be greatly welcomed.

Places To Go & Things To Do 5HJXODU�&KXUFK�6HUYLFHV

6$785'$<6St. Jude, Mass, Hinesburg, 4:30 p.m.681'$<6

Community Alliance Church, Hinesburg, Gathering Place, 9 a.m., Sunday School, 9 a.m., Worship, 10:15 a.m. Information: 482-2132.

Charlotte Congregational Church, Worship, 10 a.m., Sunday School, 10 a.m. Information: 425-3176.

Lighthouse Baptist Church, 90 Mechanicsville Rd., Hinesburg, 10:30 a.m., Evening Service, 6 p.m. Information: 482-2588.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mass, 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Information: 425-2637.

St. Jude, Mass, Hinesburg, 9:30 a.m. Information: 482-2290.

North Ferrisburgh United Methodist Church, Hollow Road, Worship, 10 a.m., Sunday School, 9:45 a.m. Information: 425-2770.

Cross Roads Chapel, Relocated to the Brown Church on Route 7, Ferrisburgh. Worship, 11 a.m. Information: 425-3625.

Assembly of God Christian Center, Rtes. 7 and 22A, Ferrisburgh, Sunday worship, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Sunday School, 9 a.m. Information: 877-3903.

All Souls Interfaith Gathering, 291 Bostwick Farm Road, Shelburne. Sunday Service 9 a.m., Evensong Service 5 p.m. 985-3819

Trinity Episcopal Church, 5171 Shelburne Rd., Shelburne, 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, 9:15 - 10:15 a.m. “Space for Grace” (educational hour), 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist (with child care and Sunday School). 985-2269.

United Church of Hinesburg, 10570 Route 116. Sunday service 10 a.m. September through June; 9 a.m. July through August. Sunday School during services. 482-3352

MONDAYSSenior Center Café, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Featuring

soup, salads, homemade bread and dessert. No reservations necessary.

Charlotte Multi-Age Coed Pickup Basketball Open Gym, 7–9 p.m. at the CCS gym. High school stu-dents welcome. Call 425-3997.

WEDNESDAYSCharlotte/Shelburne Rotary Club, 7:30–8:30 a.m.,

Parish Hall, Trinity Episcopal Church, Shelburne.

Newcomers Club of Charlotte, Shelburne and sur-rounding area meets once a month on the third Wednesday from September to June. Variety of pro-grams, day trips and locations. Information: Orchard Corl, president, 985-3870.

AA Meeting, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, 7 p.m.Senior Luncheon, Senior Center, noon. For reserva-

tions, call 425-6345 before 2 p.m. on previous Monday. Volunteer Fire Dept. Mtg., 7:30 p.m., Fire Station.Charlotte Multi-Age Coed Pickup Basketball Open

Gym, 7-9 p.m. at the CCS gym. High school stu-

dents welcome. Call 425-3997 for information.

THURSDAYSFood Shelf, open from 7:30-9:30 a.m. Oct. 10 and 24.

Lower level of the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry. Information: Karen at 425-3252; for emer-gency food call John at 425-3130.

FRIDAYSAA Meeting, Congregational Church Vestry, 8 p.m.

ONGOING EVENTS


MAXIM OUTDOOR WOOD PELLET FURNACE by Central Boiler. Heat your entire home and hot water. Boivin Farm Supply 802-236-2389 (-05)

BUCKTHORN, HONEYSUCKLE, PARSNIP REMOVAL. Get on top of out-of-control plant species. Curb worst spreading or go native for the long term. Dave 453-4992 WildGardensVT.com (56-04)

FOR SALE - ‘03 Chevy Tahoe $2,500 and ‘05 Motorcross Off Road Bike $2,000. Email inquiry to [email protected].

DRIVERS: YRC Freight is hiring FT Casual Combo Drivers/Dock Workers! Burlington location. Great pay and benefits! CDL-A w/Combo and Hazmat, 1yr T/T exp, 21yoa req. EOE-M/F/D/V. Able to lift 65 lbs. req. APPLY: www.yrcfreight.com/careers

Interior painting can be hassle free with Lafayette

Painting. This fall, let us complete your next project. On-time service, courteous crews and professional craftsmanship are what you can expect. Call 863-5397 and visit LafayettePaintingInc.com. (-04)

NEED YOUR VEHICLE DRIVEN SOUTH THIS YEAR? Very experienced driver with great references, still has open dates. Call 482-2894, or [email protected] (04)

FOR SALE: 2001 Volvo S40. A high school dream. Too many new parts to mention. Fresh Michelin snow tires, dealer maintained. No issues. $3,200 obo. Call 425-3400.

BRUSH HOGGING: Reasonable rates. Call Adam 802-578-8347. (56-09)

EXPERIENCED CARPENTER: Looking to fill in fall season. Painting, repairs, doors/windows, skylights, interior and exterior siding, drywall, floors and trim. Many great references. Sean, 922-2143 (-04)

NEW FURNITURE: Mattress sets, kitchen cabinets, furniture. All new, wholesale prices. Delivery available. www.BNBFurniture.com or (802) 735-3431. (-05)

HELP WANTED: Large property needs help with land-scaping maintenance, including mowing with Hustler X-1 Z-mower, tractor meadow cutting/tilling, tree prun-ing/cutting, garden mulching/weeding/fall cleanup. Looking for young, energetic, capable and dependable person with landscaping experience. Flexible hours. Please call 985-8269. (-05)

New at the Mt. Philo Inn: Overnight Accommodations Spacious 2-3 bedroom suites available by the day, week or month. Adjacent to Mt. Philo State Park, with panoramic views of Lake Champlain. Each "wing" in the historic inn has a private entrance, full kitchen, laundry, and porch. MtPhiloInn.com 802-425-3335

The Charlotte News 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. Send to The Charlotte News

Classifieds, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 or

email your ad to [email protected].

Classifieds

Sympathy

Congratulations

Around Town

to Sara Wool-Rodriguez and Gabriel Rodriguez

on the birth of their son William Robert Rodriguez, September 3 at Fletcher Allen Health Care.

to Julie and Christopher Duplantis whose daughter Mallory was born July 22 at Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington.

to Sam Quinney who recently earned a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago. A week later, on June 22, Sam and Kelly Smith, who met while serving in Teach for America, were married on top of Mt. Philo. The son of Colleen Armstrong and John Quinney, Sam was awarded a Presidential Management Fellowship and now works as a research analyst in the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, Department of Education, Washington, D.C.

to Jane Ann Kantor of Charlotte whose artistry was awarded third place in Burlington’s South End Arts and Business Association’s (SEABA) annual Artist Juried Show, part of the Art Hop that took place September 6-8. Over 100 works were entered in the show. Forty-five were selected for judging, and the top three were chosen by Pavel Zoubok, a New York City gallery owner and founding member of the nonprofit arts organization the International Collage Center. Much of Jane’s work displays animals and birds in front of vibrant colors

and above maps. She says she has always been fascinated with the “beauty and art of maps.” She explores the map as a “conceptual tool of abstract representation.” She says she will often deconstruct maps to “twist the otherwise obvious to convey a completely different sort of information to the viewer.”

to Katharine and Amanda Russell of Charlotte, both students in the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences at Binghamton University, Binghamton, N.Y., who earned placement on the school’s Deans List for the spring semester 2013.

is extended to family and friends of Jane

McClaskey of Burlington who passed away September 8 at the age of 92. Her surviving family includes her daughter Molly McClaskey and Molly’s husband, Gill Barlow, of Charlotte.

is extended to family and friends of Catherine

(“Kay”) Matthews of Shelburne who passed away September 16 at the age of 96. Her surviving family includes her daughter Barbara Lawrence and Barbara’s husband, Bud, of Charlotte. The family asks that those wishing to make gifts in her memory consider doing so to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, HDSA.org.

Baginski Designs for Strut Fashion Show

Jenna Baginski (third from left) designed and created five

dresses for the Strut fashion show during Burlington’s South

End Art Hop Sept. 7. Modeling her work are (from left) Zoe

Louchheim, Julie Sulva, Anne Bedell, Amelia Pflaster and Noelle

DesLauriers. This is Jenna’s second year as a Strut designer.

‘Visions’ Exhibit to

Celebrate Charlotte-

Inspired Artist

C a r o l y n W a l t o n ’ s “ B r e e z y Day on Lake Champlain” is one of sev-eral paintings that will be displayed at the Luxton-Jones Gallery in Shelburne for a new exhibit called “ V i s i o n s , ” opening Sept. 28 and running through Dec. 28. The exhibit, which celebrates 15 years of the gallery dis-playing Walton’s work, also features art by Athenia Schinto of Shelburne and Susan Bull Riley of South Burlington, among others. Walton is a former Shel-burne resident who still visits and paints in and around Shelburne frequently, including in Charlotte. For this exhibit she has created many stunning new oil paint-ings inspired by the beautiful lake and mountains that surround this area. The exhibit will also show several of the paintings from her recent trip to Provence in France. An opening reception is planned for Sept. 28 from 2–7 p.m. For the fourth year in a row, the gallery will donate a portion of all sales during this exhibit to the Humane Society of Chittenden County.

Grange Rummage Sale Oct. 3-5

The Charlotte Grange will hold its fall rummage sale October 3–5 and is looking to collect items for it.

The Grange welcomes clothes in wearable condition in all sizes, as well as books, shoes, lamps, dishes, toys, housewares and jewelry. However, rummage sale planners request no computers or TVs or other items bigger than a breadbox.

Items can be dropped off at the Grange at 2858 Spear Street on ��6DWXUGD\��6HSW��IURP��D�P�±��S�P��0RQGD\��6HSW��IURP��D�P�±��S�P��DQG��7XHVGD\��2FW��IURP��D�P�±��S�P� The Rummage sale hours are 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, Friday, Oct. 4,

from 9 a.m.–7 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 5, from 8 a.m.–noon, when there will be a $2/bag sale.

For questions about donations or the sale please contact Deb Stone at 578-4237.

the charlotte news | sept. 26, 2013

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