The Charlotte News | Feb. 13, 2014

The Charlotte News Volume lVI Number 13 The VoIce of The TowN Thursday, february 13, 2014

Nancy WoodTHE CHARLOTTE NEWS

Now that the dust has settled on budget preparations and finalizing the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services (CVFRS), the Selectboard was faced with a lighter agenda Feb. 10.

Less weighty issues, ranging from approval of summer races to discussion of a request for bids for brush hogging town lands, were handled with efficiency and good humor. A change in tone, more reminiscent of the rancor that has characterized many meetings over the last year, did not occur until the final item on the agenda: an innocent sound-ing discussion of “public communication procedures.”

Ellie Russell presented the board with a packet of over 20 emails sent and received over the last month. Most are between her and Peter Trono, who was requesting detailed information and invoices about the new ambulance, par-ticularly the tires, rims and striping, and the use of a $3,400 rebate and the handling of a $3,100 refund. Trono indicated that, as a taxpayer and a business owner who has purchased many vehicles on a tight budget, he considered the special-ized equipment unnecessary and overly expensive.

Russell sits on the board of CVFRS as the representa-tive of the Selectboard and is the conduit for information between the two boards. Her responses to the emails indi-cated that not all the documents requested were available but that she understood that all the special equipment pur-chased was for safety reasons. Trono indicated frustration

Brett SigurdsonThe charloTTe News

The Community Safety Com-mittee (CSC) last week released its report to the Selectboard on how to address criminal activ-ity and traffic enforcement in Charlotte. While the committee stopped short of making con-crete recommendations to the town, the 36-page report none-theless offers the board a range of options and cost estimates to combat what some in Charlotte see as growing issues of home invasions and speeding on town roads. The options reviewed by the committee include paying for increased police coverage, installing traffic-slowing mea-sures and setting up a perma-nent safety committee.

The committee was appointed by the Selectboard in July 2013, and its report is the product of over six months of research that included open meetings, a public hearing and an electronic survey undertaken by the committee.

As part of its research, the CSC looked at five years of police call data provided by the Vermont State Police (VSP) and the Shelburne Police Depart-ment (SPD), both of which pro-vide law enforcement coverage to Charlotte. Between January 2008 and August 2013, the committee found an average of 44 calls per month in 80 differ-ent categories. The most com-mon calls over the 68-month period were for alarms (427 calls), agency assist (361), sus-picious activity (337) and motor vehicle complaints (227).

In analyzing the call data, the CSC found no noticeable trends indicating an overall upward tick in crime in Charlotte.

“Looking into each of the dif-ferent categories of calls, none showed change that would be considered particularly notice-able, sizable, or worrisome given the type of calls and the number of calls involved,” stat-ed the committee in its report.

This sentiment runs coun-ter to the feeling expressed by

many Charlotters in a three-week survey the CSC conduct-ed late last year.

Of the 116 respondents in the poll, 41 percent indicated they believe there is a crime prob-lem in Charlotte; 25 percent do not. Similarly, 38 percent of respondents feel speeding is a problem in Charlotte while 33 percent do not. However, a sig-nificant number of respondents indicated they were neutral on the questions, and many did not respond to either question.

The CSC in its report pointed out that, “If nothing else [the responses] are useful to demon-strate the range of perspectives that exist on these topics.”

A ChArlotte poliCe forCe?The CSC’s survey found

most respondents—64 per-cent—believe the town’s cur-rent police service is adequate. Currently, the Shelburne police provide about eight hours of

A Day of Frosty Fun

2nd Annual Snodeo Comes to

East Charlotte Feb. 15

While there wasn’t enough snow to make last year’s inaugural Snodeo in East Charlotte quite what it could have been, this year is a different story. And Carrie Spear is planning to make the second Snodeo on Feb. 15 as much fun as the snow is deep.

Like last year, this year’s Snodeo will take place in and around Spear’s Corner Store and will feature both outdoor and indoor events, said Spear. Beginning at 3 p.m., attendees will find snow bowling, a snowbank treasure hunt and other games, not to mention sledding, on the green outside the store. Inside, Spear will host a beer and food tasting.

At 6 p.m., a potluck will begin featuring “critter chili” and meat pies. Attendees are invited to bring a dish to share. The night will end with a fire and s’mores.

Spear is still working out more ideas for the event and encourages visitors to bring skis and snowshoes and snowmobiles for more wintertime fun. She also encourages visitors to sport funky attire. A prize will be awarded for the best hat at the event.

Those interested in helping with the event or in need of more information can call Spear at 425-4444.

Safety Committee Report Offers Path

Forward on Crime, Speeding

Special Selectboard meeting on report Feb. 25

Safety Committee

continued on page 12

Emails Spark

Discussion of Public

Communication

Lewis family thanked at Selectboard meeting

Selectboard

continued on page 7

Winter Awakening on the WaterPeter Fenn took this picture of Carrie MacKillop as the sun rose behind her on a recent early

morning adventure on frozen Lake Champlain. Have a great picture you’d like to see in print?

Send it to [email protected].

Now is the best time to invest in solar.

To schedule a free site evaluation, call us at (802) 872-9600 or visit www.allsuntrackers.com

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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 usually 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 usually 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.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Recycling Batteries

When the Moretown landfill was closed by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources last year because of contamination and odor problems, Ver-mont was left with only one active landfill for the entire state. While some southern Vermont towns and solid waste districts ship their garbage across the borders to New York and New Hampshire, the rest of Vermont must rely on the Coventry landfill to meet its needs. This location is also finite and will someday have to close as well.

To extend that day as far into the future as pos-sible, we must learn to reduce the amount of waste we generate or else repurpose it and divert it from our remaining landfill.

The Vermont Legislature has been addressing the problem of solid waste since 1987, when it passed Act 78 creating the first solid waste districts. More recently Act 148, addressing the diversion of yard waste and organic waste from landfills, was passed in 2012. And last year Vermont partnered with paint manufacturers to establish a paint steward-ship program, which will allow unused paint to be returned for recycling at participating paint retailers. Other stewardship programs, in which manufactur-ers assume the cost of recycling, include electronic waste, mercury light bulbs and mercury thermostats, which have all been banned from Vermont landfills.

There are other materials that we continue to dis-pose of in the trash because they are not currently recyclable by the methods available at Vermont recycling facilities. One of these materials is single-use batteries, also known as primary batteries. There are more than 190 manufacturers of primary batteries sold in the U.S.

According to an industry report, approximately 5.4 billion units of single-use batteries were shipped in the U.S. in 2010, including about 10 million in Vermont. Recoverable materials from primary batter-ies include zinc, manganese and steel. Offsetting the need for virgin materials is typically the best way to reduce a product’s overall lifecycle impact. Material

recovery reduces the energy consumption needed to acquire virgin materials as well as other environmen-tal impacts from mining.

However, it is not economically feasible for our solid waste districts to pay for a primary battery recycling program. While there is an active recharge-able battery recycling program run by the industry, single-use batteries have not been included. This is now about to change.

Like the paint manufacturers, the primary battery industry has become proactive in supporting a bat-tery stewardship program. Energizer, Panasonic and Duracell, producers that account for more than half of the batteries sold in the U.S., are ready to partner with Vermont and other states to collect, ship and recycle primary batteries. House bill H.695, currently being developed by the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, will update Vermont’s solid waste laws to require all solid waste districts and municipalities, as well as retailers on a voluntary basis, to act as collection points. It will also encour-age other primary battery manufacturers to join an existing stewardship program or form one of their own. Only primary batteries made by participating manufacturers will be allowed to be sold in Vermont beginning in 2016.

Finally, the bill will set up a process that will allow the industry-sponsored stewardship programs to recover recycling costs from each other and from nonparticipating manufacturers.

While recycling and material diversion has come a long way in Vermont, we still have a long way to go. Only 35 percent of the waste stream in Vermont is recycled. In Chittenden County, it’s a little better at about 60 percent. But I have seen too many recy-clable bottles and cans, paper and plastic routinely thrown into trash cans and barrels. It is incumbent on all of us to take personal responsibility for recycling our own waste and to remind others to do the same.

I continue to welcome your thoughts and questions and can be reached by phone (425-3960) or by email ([email protected]), and you can find my website at MikeYantachka.com.

Legislative Report by Representative Mike Yantachka

CorreCtion

In the previous issue of the News, we mistakenly printed that CVU’s FY2014-15 budget proposal is $36,400 higher than last year’s approved budget. The amount is actually $364,000. We apologize for the error and any confusion it may have caused.

PUBLIC NOTICE – AT&T – A.SSTA Colchester

AT&T proposes a new wireless communications facility to be located at 2091 Main Street, in Colchester, Chittenden County, Vermont, and will entail the construction of a monopole along with ancillary equipment at ground level. Comments regarding the potential effects of the proposed facility on historic properties should be directed in writing or via email to: IVI Telecom Services, Inc., 55 West Red Oak Lane, White Plains, New York 10604 or [email protected] and received within 30 calendar days of the date of this notice.


Letters

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The Charlotte News accepts all signed let-ters pertaining to issues of local and national interest. Letters must be 300 words or fewer, include your full name and town, and reach us by the appropriate deadline. Writers will only have letters published once every four weeks. The Charlotte News reserves the right to edit for style and length. Your submission options are [email protected] or The

Charlotte News, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT

05445. All opinions expressed in Letters and Commentaries are those of the writers and not of The Charlotte News, which is published as an independent, nonprofit, unbiased community service and forum.

Christie committed to

town

I am writing in support of Bonnie Christie, who is running for the two-year Selectboard seat. As the Select-board liaison to the Library Board, where Bonnie is chair, and the Com-munity Safety Committee, where Bon-nie is a member, I have been in a posi-tion to see how she functions in these capacities. I have been very impressed by her dedication to the two groups, her ability to get information needed to make decisions on issues by doing the research, and her willingness to express her opinions. To her credit, she also reaches out to understand the positions of others who have differ-ent views. Bonnie is committed to the town. I believe she would be an excel-lent addition to the Selectboard.

John Owen Selectboard member

For two-year seat,

Christie exceptional

candidate We are fortunate to have Bonnie

Christie running for the Selectboard. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Bonnie on the Library Board of Trust-ees, where she has done an excellent job of chairing the board. She is knowl-edgeable, intelligent, hard working, responsible, open minded and willing to look “outside the box” for solutions. All this plus being a very pleasant per-son to work with!

I know the two-year term she is seeking has three candidates running for it, so the vote will probably be split, making it harder for any of the three to win, but I’m hoping you’ll agree with me that Bonnie is the exceptional can-didate we are looking for.

Dorrice HammerCharlotte

Christie a thoughtful,

inclusive candidate

I’ve worked closely with Bonnie Christie on the Charlotte Library Board of Trustees for the past two years and have thoroughly enjoyed our working relationship. As the current chair of the board, Bonnie is dedicated to the well-being of both the staff and the patrons of the library, she carefully prepares for and does her homework on the issues that come before the board—from building the annual bud-get to implementing the strategic plan the board adopted two years ago—and she reads widely about the present and future of public libraries to help inform her and the board’s thinking about how the library can most fully serve the larg-est number of people in Charlotte, from preschoolers to senior citizens.

Speaking as the treasurer of the library board, I’ll miss Bonnie if she’s elected to the Selectboard. But the Selectboard and the town will greatly benefit from her thoughtful, inclusive approach to deciding the broad range of matters that concern us as a community. And that’s why I’m pleased to endorse her for the two-year Selectboard position.

Vince CrockenbergThompson’s Point Road

In Support of Town

Clerk Mead Our Charlotte Town Clerk Mary

Mead is an efficient and dependable individual. Her responsibilities require immense attention to detail and much tedious paperwork. I have observed her at work over the years—in the Town Hall, at meetings and elections—and she demonstrates consistent diligence to the job we have elected her to do. I would suggest that the explanatory let-ters she has submitted to the local papers represent her last straw of patience for our collective body of elected officials, the Selectboard.

I have gleaned that members of the Selectboard have recently been pressur-ing the town clerk, perhaps to alleviate the perceived tensions with Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services. CVFRS is, indeed, a private corpora-tion that receives its operating funds from the town. This arrangement was not always clear to me, as I thought our town owned the facility and equip-ment of a volunteer-based organization. While it’s no easy task to run a fire and rescue service on volunteer steam, CVFRS is not the only civic organiza-tion facing a shrinking volunteer base. Many elected officials take their seats after running unopposed for office.

Regardless, there is no need for Mary Mead to be the “fall guy” in the process of straightening up the financial opera-tions of CVFRS. Mead has most cer-tainly held true to her statutory obliga-tions, and the lion’s share of those duties involve watching over our tax dollars.

Divisiveness is typically unpleasant, but it often takes a division of the house to solve a problem. If you question the actions of our town clerk or other elected officials, why not go speak with them in person? We live in a small town where this is possible.

One more thing, this letter was sub-mitted to both local papers without scrutiny from anyone else.

Sincerely in good faith,

Robin ReidGreenbush Road

Helen Toor recently submitted this photo of a frozen tree bud

encased in ice.

Take the Charlotte News Town Plan Survey

CVFRS to Interview for Full-time Firefighter

PositionFive applicants from around the state

have been chosen for a round of inter-views with Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue (CVFRS) to provide full-time day coverage for operations at the fire station.

As part of its budget appropriation from the town last year, CVFRS reserved $60,000 for the position to provide day-time coverage for fire calls due to a critical shortage of trained firefighters available to respond to calls.

While some have questioned CVFRS’s slow movement toward making a hire, Fire Chief Chris Davis said the organi-zation took its time to come up with a thorough job description for the position and to circulate it to all of the fire depart-ments in Vermont. Aside from providing daytime coverage for calls, the firefighter will assist with station duties, paperwork, training, public education and building and equipment maintenance.

“We consider the weekday daytime firefighter to be a fire response multiply-ing factor, augmenting our present avail-able volunteers during a known period of the week when we are short staffed due to work, family or travel commit-ments,” said Davis of the role the new hire will play.

On a typical weekday, Davis notes there are between one and seven officers or volunteer firefighters available to respond to fires or car accidents. With limited personnel to respond to reported structure fires, CVFRS often has to call neighboring towns for help on weekdays and vice versa.

The five candidates will be inter-viewed in the coming weeks. CVFRS hopes to announce its selection of the full-time hire in early March.

Despite the planned hire, CVFRS is always looking for volunteers who are interested in a challenge and making a positive impact on their community. The organization offers training within the department and the state level.

Those who are interested are invited to check out CVFRS on Facebook, or to contact the organization by email or phone, or to just stop by the station when someone is there.

As the Planning Commission pre-pares a potentially wide-ranging revi-sion to Charlotte’s Town Plan—the first major rewrite of the document in nearly 15 years—the Charlotte News is kicking off a series of articles that investigates how the town has changed in that time and what these changes could mean for Charlotte’s future.

To coincide with this series, which we’ve called “Charlotte’s Web,” the News has created a survey that asks Charlotters what they envision for their town’s future. We’re hoping to get as many Charlotters as possible to take ten minutes to answer the questions, and we’ll share the results with readers in

a future issue and on the web. You can find the survey at surveymonkey.com/s/9D7VWFS. It can also be accessed from our website, thecharlottenews.org. The survey will close March 7.

Finally, we’ve created a web page devoted to the Town Plan, a place where Charlotters can read the current Town Plan, see drafts of the new plan and read the articles in the series. Check it out at charlottestownplan.wordpress.com.

Be on the lookout for more articles in our “Charlotte’s Web” series in upcom-ing issues of the Charlotte News, your nonprofit, independent, local source for news.


More Salt for Charlotte’s

Roads?Larry Hamilton

Contributor

The difficult moments we have expe-

rienced several times this winter with

driving on our roads has again led some

residents to question the current policy on

use of de-icing salt. They favor a substan-

tial increase in salt, approaching a “bare

roads” policy. I would be derelict in my

duties as tree warden if I did not weigh in

on this issue.

I support the current policy, not long ago

reaffirmed by public discussion and vote,

of using minimal road salt as a de-icer and

then only when and where the road com-

missioner feels he has no other adequate

alternative for reducing extreme hazard. I

advise against the mandatory increased use

of salt for the following reasons:

The general negative aspects of using road salt (especially sodium chloride).

These include rusting vehicles, corroded

bridges and metal culverts, groundwa-

ter contamination (including wells and

springs), increased salt concentration in

streams and serious adverse impact on

roadside vegetation (including trees).

Water issues. De-icing salt does not

stay on the road surface. It runs off or

is subsequently plowed off into ditches,

which lead to streams and eventually to the

lake. This is not a trivial matter, as seen in

the White Mountains, for example, where

some streams are now ten times saltier than

they were in the 1970s due to road salt.

(See Northern Woodlands, Winter 2005,

page 15.) Sand also moves off the road

surface, but much sand is trapped/filtered

by ditch vegetation, rather than creating

sediment in streams. We know this because

periodically our road commissioner has to

clean deposited sediment out of ditches

and culverts.

Although a small amount of sodium

chloride or other de-icing salts can be

absorbed by roadside vegetation, most is

not trapped or filtered out. Plowing and

vehicle movement whip salts up into fine

particles, which spray several yards onto

adjacent land. Groundwater is contaminat-

ed by salt, and this can be of particular con-

cern to residents with high blood pressure

who need to keep their sodium intake low.

The water supply supervisor for the

Vermont Agency of Transportation report-

ed in a January 8, 2002 Burlington Free

Press article, that AoT investigates five

to six complaints per year from property

owners who believe their wells have been

polluted by road salt. In the past 20 years

AoT has had to replace 69 wells (both dug

and drilled wells, and springs) and pay

damages to residents for another 16 wells.

Roadside vegetation issues. Sodium

changes the way soil particles aggregate,

leading to compaction. This action imi-

tates drought and restricts plants’ access to

water and oxygen. Salt gradually converts

roadside vegetation to more salt-tolerant

species, which include common buckthorn,

staghorn sumac, Norway maple and hon-

eysuckle—all of which are undesirable,

aggressive aliens.

Salt causes gradual decline and hastened

death of older roadside trees, especially

maples, beech, white pine and hemlock.

Salt spray directly causes leaf damage on

trees, shrubs and forbs, with resulting death

of lower branches, or of entire trees and

shrubs if they are small.

Salt in soil water is taken

up by trees and shrubs.

Chloride is toxic at certain

levels, as are the sodium

ions, in part because they

restrict the uptake of mag-

nesium and potassium ions

needed for healthy growth.

At a certain level they actu-

ally kill tissue.

Charlotte is currently

engaged in a major road-

side tree restoration project

funded by the Rutter Family

Charlotte Beautification

Fund and widely support-

ed by residents. While the

project committee has been

careful to select the most

salt-tolerant species in loca-

tions that are most suscep-

tible to salt impact, it must

be remembered that this is

“tolerance” only and not

immunity from damage.

Effectiveness of salt. Salt loses its effectiveness

when temperatures get down

to the levels we experi-

enced in late January. Even

Shelburne, with its bare

pavement policy, was unable

to keep Dorset Street ice-free. People

simply have to drive with more care, not

just throw more salt. Salt loses its potency

when temperatures are in single digits. The

Saratoga Dept. of Public Works in New

York has stated, “When you get down to

the low 20s or teens, salt won’t do a thing.”

They simply use more sand, which gives

greater tire traction.

Surely, in view of the adverse impacts,

isn’t a viable alternative slower, more care-

ful driving when serious icy conditions

exist and leaving home a few minutes ear-

lier for work or other commitments?

Larry Hamilton is Charlotte’s volunteer

tree warden.

Greenbush Road after a recent snowstorm.

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AllEarth Renewables was recently awarded two national top-product hon-ors for its AllSun solar tracker design.

The pallet system for the innovative AllSun Tracker won “Top Products of 2013” from Solar Power World and was also one of eight products to win “2013 Top Products” by Electrical Products and Solutions magazine.

“We take a lot of pride in our compa-ny’s engineering and lean manufactur-ing,” said David Blittersdorf, president and CEO of AllEarth Renewables and a resident of Charlotte. “This product was designed with our growing network of nationwide solar installers in mind, allowing them to both get our tracker quickly and make their installation jobs easier.”

Utilizing the rails of the solar track-er frame, the AllSun Tracker Pallet was designed to allow nationwide shipping to installers or directly to job sites. The completely pre-engineered system

simplifies supply chain management and installation by including the entire tracker and all materials needed for a solar installation.

The dual-axis AllSun Tracker is designed for residential- and commer-cial-scale installations. By tracking the sun each day, the system boosts energy production by up to 45 percent over rooftop installations.

“Each year we choose what we believe are top products in the electrical industry market,” wrote Electrical Products and Solutions. “The products and services chosen are each unique, beneficial and reliable in their own right.”

In 2012, AllEarth Renewables was among the top 500 fastest-growing com-panies nationwide and has installed over 1,750 complete, grid-connected solar tracker systems. The dual axis tracker was previously named a “Top-10 Green Product” by BuildingGreen.com.

AllEarth Renewables pallet system for the innovative AllSun Tracker won “Top Products of 2013” from Solar Power World and was also one of eight products to win “2013 Top Products” by Electrical Products and Solutions.

AllEarth Renewables Wins Award for Solar Tracker System

A fire broke out last Thursday at a garage on Church Hill Road that houses Lewis Excavating, causing minor dam-age to the roof.

According to Charlotte Volunteer Fire Chief Chris Davis, a neighbor reported seeing flames shooting up from the top of the garage, which hous-es excavating and plowing vehicles used by Jr Lewis for his business and also in his capacity as town road com-missioner.

When crews responded, they found the fire was confined to the roof system in an area centered around a chimney flue. The fire was knocked down in about a minute, said Fire Warden Dick St. George. In total, firefighters were on the scene for over an hour.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. According to Davis, the fire started in the wood framing around the chimney, though the cause was not related to the operation of the garage stove.

Damage to the building’s roof and the chimney was relatively minor, noted St. George. He estimates the cost of it at around $5,000.

Davis credits Lewis and his crew with moving quickly to remove vehi-cles from the garage as CVFRS volun-teers pulled into the scene.

“The quick actions of Jr Lewis using

fire extinguishers on the blaze while his crew backed the plow trucks out of the building as Charlotte fire crews entered with hoses made all the difference in the outcome,” he said.

Also helpful: the fact that many CVFRS volunteers were already togeth-er.

“We were actually at the station for a meeting,” said Davis, “so we had a quick response. It worked out well.”

In total, 19 CVFRS volunteers responded to the fire. About 20 other firefighters from Hinesburg, Shelburne, Vergennes and Ferrisburgh provided mutual aid.

The year 2014 has already been a busy one for CVFRS, which has had 16 calls since Jan. 1, several of them for chimney fires. While the Lewis Exca-vating fire wasn’t technically a chim-ney fire, Davis noted it serves to remind residents with wood-burning stoves to get their chimneys cleaned once a year to avoid creosote buildup and the mak-ings for a chimney fire.

“Due to the continued cold weather, we urge all homeowners who heat with wood to please have their chimneys cleaned. It is time,” said Davis. “Clean-ing now can prevent a chimney fire that can lead to a house fire.”

Fire Damages Lewis Garage

(Left to right) Shelburne FD Lt. Pierre Grangien, Assistant Chief Jim Buell and Lt. John Goodrich assist Charlotte FD Captain Devin St. George with roof lad-dering, venting and fire suppression.

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At the end of September, Erik Andrus

took his handmade sailing barge, Ceres,

on a 10-day journey down the Hud-

son River to deliver Vermont potatoes,

apples, maple syrup and the like to hun-

gry New Yorkers, an event remarkable

only because this was 2013.

Andrus will give a presentation on the

Vermont Sail Freight Project on Sunday,

Feb. 16, at the Ferrisburgh Community

Center/Town Hall beginning at 2 p.m.

Between the opening of the Cham-

plain Canal in 1823 and the advent of the

railroad in the late 1860s, sailing barges

were a vital link between farmland up

the Hudson Valley and the ever-growing

population of New York City.

Today, fleets of trucks, not boats,

make the same journey in six hours or

less. But Andus says speed isn’t every-

thing.

“Moving cargo along the highways

is notorious for being one of the worst

jobs, and it burns 60 gallons of diesel per

trip,” he said. “Being in communion with

the working waterway and with natural

forces looks a lot better to me. It’s kind

of my belief that the future might look a

lot like the past.”

What became the Vermont Sail Freight

Project was originally just Andrus’s

“crazy idea,” born of his love for farm-

ing, water and building things out of

wood. He’ll be the first to tell you that

he’s a rice farmer, not a boat builder.

But then again, five years ago he wasn’t

a rice farmer either. He was a wheat and

barley farmer whose fields wouldn’t

stop flooding. Apparently for Andrus

water equals opportunity of all kinds.

The project got off the ground with

a successful Kickstarter campaign and

some additional fund-raising (including

an unsolicited $10,000 gift from the band

Phish). Andrus then teamed up with the

Willowell Foundation, a nonprofit dedi-

cated to environmental education, and

sought out boat-building experts to make

sure the proj-

ect wouldn’t

sink. If all goes

well, he hopes

the venture will

become self-

s u s t a i n i n g —

even profitable.

The barge

can take on 15

tons of cargo

at a time—

“ E v e r y t h i n g

from maple

syrup to Christ-

mas trees,

d e p e n d i n g

on the sea-

son,” Andrus said—and he expects

to make eight trips per year, selling

mostly to individual customers who

will pre-order through his website.

Andrus doesn’t plan to abandon farm-

ing for a life on the river, so he’s hoping

an entrepreneuring young bargeman (or

woman) will step up to the plate. It isn’t

exactly a get-rich-quick scheme, but then

again, speed isn’t everything.

Ceres and her crew on Lake Champlain last year. The barge

made a trip to New York City last fall to deliver local food as

part of the Vermont Sail Freight Project.

Andrus to Present on Vermont Sail Freight Project Feb. 16 in Ferrisburgh

Charlotte’s Lewis Creek

Association has been awarded

$67,600 from the Vermont Department

of Environmental Conservation’s

Ecosystem Restoration Program to

work with the Town of Hinesburg

to design two village stormwater

infiltration projects and to install one

project by 2015.

Both projects will serve the dual

purpose of protecting the state’s

water quality and supporting the

Lewis Creek Association’s mission

to protect, maintain and restore Lewis

Creek and neighboring watersheds.

For the first project, stormwater-

remediation recommendations will

be prepared for two village locations:

the corner of Route 116 and Silver

Street and the Patrick Brook water-

shed. The final design will reduce

sediment and nutrient pollution in

the LaPlatte River corridor and Lake

Champlain. The second project, a

large stormwater rain garden, will be

installed at the Silver Street and 116

location.

These natural landscape improve-

ments will, at less cost than more

traditional approaches, help to infil-

trate runoff from impervious sur-

faces, which are major contributors

of sediment and nutrients and which

would otherwise reduce stream sta-

bility and degrade the aquatic habitat

in Hinesburg’s streams and rivers.

“This installation can serve as a

demonstration site to showcase how

to locate and design beautiful green

infrastructure in a village setting,

and how to design and maintain

roadside drainage that reduces the

impacts of stormwater runoff,” said

Jim Pease, an environmental scien-

tist with the Vermont Department of

Environmental Conservation.

Ecosystem restoration grants are

made available to Vermont munici-

palities, local or regional governmen-

tal agencies, nonprofit organizations

and citizens groups as part of the

Ecosystem Restoration Program’s

ongoing efforts to reduce surface

water pollution from phosphorus and

sediment.

Funded projects typically involve

efforts to improve stream stabil-

ity, protect against flood hazards,

improve in-stream and riparian habi-

tat, lessen the effects of stormwater

runoff, protect and restore riparian

wetlands, re-establish lake shoreline

native vegetation, and enhance the

environmental and economic sustain-

ability of agricultural lands.

Lewis Creek Association Gets State Funds to

Address Stormwater Mitigation in Hinesburg

CVFRS Urges Charlotters to be Ice Aware

Because of the recent snow, Charlotte Volunteer Fire

& Rescue is urging caution for anyone who wishes to

venture out onto ponds or the lake. There were reports

of thin ice before the snow fell, and these and other

areas can become more dangerous with snow cover.

CVFRS urges people to call 911 immediately if they

are aware that someone has fallen through the ice. By

doing so, help will be on the way in the event they are

not able to get themselves out.

Also, fire and rescue personnel urge people that do

fall through the ice and get themselves out to contact

911 to report they are safe. This prevents others from

calling 911 if they see the hole or see the person fall in

but not safely get out.

Fire Chief Chris Davis noted that last week in Addi-

son County an individual fell through the ice on an

ATV. He was able to get out, but others who saw the

hole and the 4-wheeler on the bottom called 911, and it

triggered a multi-agency response while the individual

was safe and warming up in his home.


Make this Valentine’s Day extra spe-cial for your family and give them the gift of friendship with a Fresh Air child. This summer join volunteer host families in the Charlotte area who open their hearts and homes to New York City children.

Each summer, over 4,000 inner-city children visit suburban, rural and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada through the Fresh Air Fund’s Volunteer Host Family Program.

“We love sharing the wonders of light-ning bugs, playing in the backyard, and swimming with our Fresh Air friend!” said Liz, a Fresh Air host.

Fresh Air children are boys and girls from six to 18 years old who live in New York City. Children on first-time visits are six to 12 years old and stay for one or two weeks. Children who are reinvited by host families may continue with the Fresh Air Fund through age 18 and can enjoy extended trips.

Families find hosting so rewarding that more than 65 percent of all Fresh Air children are invited to visit the same host families year after year. Through the eyes of Fresh Air children, families often rediscover the beauty of their own com-munities.

The Fresh Air Fund, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer experiences to more than 1.8 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877.

For more information on hosting a Fresh Air child this summer, please con-tact Deb Olsen at 425-2957 or visit The Fresh Air Fund online at freshair.org.

This Valentine’s Day Open Your Heart to a Fresh Air Child

that the answers he received were not adequate and criticized Russell for not answering quickly enough.

She told the Selectboard that the public has a right to know and to ask ques-tions, and that she had tried to answer all the questions “as appropriate under the MOA with CVFRS.” Board member Lane Morrison said there had been 25 e-mails since Jan. 16 about the ambulance, and “enough is enough.” He said that deci-sions about the details of the ambulance are the type of decisions delegated to CVFRS in their professional status and that “micromanagement is not what the Selectboard wants to do.” Ladue said to Russell, “As you have, give honest answers to all questions.” He suggested sometimes it is necessary to have a meet-ing to resolve issues.

Fritz Tegatz questioned, “What is micromanaging—making the decisions or reporting?” Ladue responded that the ambulance is a big purchase by the tax-payers, who should feel proud of it, and CVFRS should be proud about sharing information about the purchase.

CVFRS has offered to come quarterly to the Selectboard to answer questions that the public may have. Ed Sulva, CVFRS treasurer, said about the ambu-lance purchase, “We will report every detail when final.” He had just received the final invoice that day.

A note to all: As a general rule, all written communications with an elected official that are about town business, including e-mails, are considered public documents.

Lewis FamiLy TradiTion ConTinuesFor many years, Town Constable

Cowboy Lewis was in charge of open-ing and closing the gates at Demeter Park, now called the Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge. Arline Lewis, Cowboy’s wife, went with him most of the time. After his death five years ago, Arline con-tinued to do the gates for a small stipend from the town, and recently her family, including her son Jr Lewis and daughter Mary Boyd, has filled in for her.

The Selectboard formalized this arrangement Monday night by hiring Boyd to open and close the gates. Boyd will start officially this week and said she

would be assisted by her husband, Chris, and her brother.

Boyd asked the Selectboard to give her guidance on how to deal with cars that are still in the parking lots at the time the gate is supposed to be closed, which is a half hour after dusk. She said this is the biggest problem that occurs frequently. Several suggestions were made, including closing the gate and leaving a note on the car indicating that the owner can call her to have the gate reopened for a fee of $25.

The Parks Committee, represented at the meeting by Jenny Cole and Sue Smith, was asked to propose a policy. Cole thanked the Lewis family for their many years performing this service.

monumenT move by Town ParTyBoard member Winslow Ladue report-

ed that plans for moving the World War II monument from near CCS to the Town Green are close to final. Bids will be sought, preferably from local contractors, for the heavy lifting and transporting, and a request for proposals is being prepared with the help of Dave Marshall for the curtain drain needed to keep the area dry.

Proposed House Move Would Impact View, Town Easement

Ellie Russell reported that the new owners of the Varney Farm on Route 7, adjacent to the Park, are proposing to move the farmhouse. The issue is cur-rently before the Planning Commission, which has recommended a change in location that would have less impact on the view but that would affect the Town’s easement, which includes a parking lot for vehicles and horse trailers.

Poison ParsniP and PaymenTEach year the town seeks bids for

mowing and land maintenance and brush-hogging for town-owned lands. In order to avoid the spread of invasive plants such as poison parsnip, the Park Oversight Committee has requested that the mow-ers be washed before being brought into the park. This led to a broader discussion about how the town can encourage land-owners to help eradicate the poison pars-nip that has become ever-present along the roads in Charlotte, outside of the town right-of-way. The right-of-way is mowed on a schedule designed to discourage the plants.

A section in the proposal about pay-ment on a per-mowing basis was removed after it was clarified that payment is for

the contract amount for work expected for the season.

ChamP run aPProvedThe CCS PTO is organizing the 12th

annual Champ “Fun” Run, a fundraiser for CCS that includes 5K and10K runs. In the past it has taken place on a Sunday afternoon. This year the request is for closing Hinesburg Road between Church Hill Road and Mt. Philo Road from 8:15– 10:15 a.m. Concerns about police pres-ence, signage and the impact on church services were debated, assurances were received that all would be dealt with, and approval was granted.

Approval was also given for the Green Mountain Getaway MS Bike Ride on Aug. 2 and 3, 2014.

In other actions, the board discussed and approved the grant proposal by

the Charlotte Trails Committee for the first section of a trail along State Park Road near Mt. Philo; an agreement with Vermont Department of Corrections for community service work by small groups of nonviolent women offenders in the park this summer; extension of last year’s bridge engineering grant to Dec. 31, 2015; and the certificate of highway mileage sent annually to the state.

The board also approved a job descrip-tion for administrative assistant and advertising the position. This is the job currently held by longtime town employ-ee Gloria Warden. Warden is running as a write-in candidate for town clerk and trea-surer in Ferrisburgh, and if she wins, the position would be open right after Town Meeting. Candidates for the job would be considered only if that occurs.

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YWP Announces Vermont Writes Day Feb. 13

Grant Wood’s American Gothic (1930)

The Dance of Death

A boy who dreams to be a soldierAnd fight the evil menHe thinks he will be so much bolder Than his mother henWhen war rolls through the landHe thinks his dream’s come trueHe gets up and quits his bandAnd leaves them all so blueHe then enrolls into the army He thinks he’s become a manHe did not expect remarks so smarmy Or the filthy bath panWith gun in hand, he marches outWithout a hint of fear He then realizes with a pout Gunshots are a sound he cannot hearHe steps out onto the battlefield Side by side with friends

When the enemy does not yield Almost all would meet their endsOnly the boy would make it home With a heavy heartAs he sat beneath the domeHe knew he hadn’t played his partBut forever would the piper pipeAnd lead boys out to warOf these boys there is no “type”

They all will crave the roarYet they all would give their lives And take their final breathThey all will lose their livesIn this endless dance of death

Josie FoxGrade 8

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Dark Corner

I wonder what loneliness isa bird left from the flocka runaway with no home to return toa shoe with no counterparta book unreadan unnoticed treasurea joke not saidso what is it like, loneliness

Antonio PuglieseGrade 8

Students, teachers, prin-cipals, school staff mem-bers and guests will write together in the annual state-wide Vermont Writes Day presented by the Young Writers Project (YWP) on Feb. 13. YWP’s goal for this day is to help people understand the importance of writing for learning, work and life. Last year about 90 schools participated.

On Feb. 13, writers around the state are encouraged to post their work on youngwritersproject.org, share their writing in the classroom and provide each other feedback. Writing will also be published in YWP’s Newspaper Series, in an e-book, on vtdigger.org and on Vermont Public Radio’s web-site, vpr.net.

Participants are asked to write poetry or prose for seven minutes on one of the following prompts:

Gothic: Today is the birthday of Grant Wood (Feb. 13, 1891–Feb. 12, 1942), artist of the iconic painting American Gothic (1930).

The artist uses great detail in this painting—his models are his sister, his dentist and a house in his native Iowa. Write a story, based either on this paint-ing or on a topic of your choice, provid-

ing as much detail as possible in setting, character, etc.

Spider: You are about to crush a spider when something stops you. Describe what happens.

Valentine: I love you because…Prize: You have received the best

prize you can imagine. What is it and why is it so valuable to you? What is the story behind the prize?

Alive: Describe a place where you feel most alive.

Six words: Create as many six-word stories as you can in seven minutes.

General writing: Write about any-thing in any genre you like, poetry or prose.

Please browse youngwritersproject.org or contact YWP for more informa-tion. Schools may choose any seven minutes during the day on Feb. 13, so times will vary. Check with local schools about the timing of their events.

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Far left: Fifth grader Oscar Williams sings “Quiet” from the Broadway musical Matilda.

Fourth graders (from left) Evelyn Emmons, Sophie Pidgeon and Maddie Donaldson entertain the audience with a comical skit called “The House is on Fire.”

Sixth grader Sam Zinner, a crowd favorite, plays piano and sings “Trojans” by Atlas Genius.

ccs

Talent Night

The always-popular CCS Variety Show last week displayed the many talents of Charlotte stu-dents who did everything from act to sing to dance. At left, Olivia Santos wows the crowd with her hula hooping skills while (right) Rory McDermott sings “Castle on a Cloud” from Les Miserables.

Photos by Karyn Lunde

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Joanna CummingsContributor

What are invasive plants and why are they such a big problem? Non-native invasive species are plants, animals and other organisms either accidentally or intentionally intro-duced from other places. Once inva-sive species are established, fishing, hunting, forestry, tourism and agri-culture can be affected.

In order to control the spread of invasive species, the Charlotte Invasives Committee (CHIC) formed to develop a management plan for town-owned lands. One thousand dol-lars has been allocated in the town budget to identify and assess affected areas and create detailed treatment and monitoring plans. Members of CHIC include the Charlotte Conservation Commission, Charlotte Wildlife Refuge Oversight Committee and the Lewis Creek Association.

Due to the lack of natural controls and their high reproductive ability, invasive species can quickly become widespread. Invasive plants, in particu-lar, tend to grow faster, taller or broader, robbing space, light and nutrients from native flora. They change not only the way an area looks but also the way it functions ecologically.

Infestations can disrupt water absorp-tion as well as circulation, nutrient cycling and even create a toxic environ-ment. They also degrade habitat qual-

ity, which can reduce the number and variety of fish and wildlife. Invasive species also pose risks to human health and safety by exacerbating allergies and potentially introducing new dis-eases.

Familiar invasive plants include Japanese honeysuckle, garlic mustard, Norway maple, purple loosestrife and common buckthorn. Frogbit, an invader in Charlotte’s Town Farm Bay wetland, has been the focus of an ongo-ing removal project to prevent wetland

functions from being adversely affect-ed. The Charlotte Wildlife Refuge’s Oversight Committee developed a plan to manage several invasive species in the park, to restore wildlife habitat and to enhance scenic and recreation oppor-tunities.

Another invasive plant that grows in wetlands, marshes and along river and

lake shores is common reed. It is a tall grass topped with a large tassel or plume of tiny flowers that, if left unchecked, will replace native grasses, provide poor quality habitat for insects, birds and amphibians, and reduce fish popula-tions due to high egg and fry mortality. It grows in many areas of town, and a notable patch of this grass can be found along the town office driveway.

There are numerous invasive species on our town lands and on private proper-ty too. However, they can be controlled if the infestation is relatively new, as is the case with common reed, or if man-agement is consistent over several years. Although common reed is growing at several locations, the areas are small, and control is feasible and economical if action is taken early.

The allocation of funds for invasive species control is setting an excellent precedent for long-term stewardship of town lands. We hope that citizens of Charlotte feel the same and will support the committee’s efforts this year and for years to come.

For more information about the CHIC committee please contact us at [email protected].

Joanna Cummings is the co-chair of the Charlotte Conservation Commission.

Invasion of the Habitat Snatchers

Committee forms to manage invasive species on town lands

Kate LamptonContributor

The Charlotte Land Trust (CLT) is pleased to announce that at the end of 2013 George Burrill and Lola Van Wagenen donated a conservation ease-ment on approximately 24 acres of their land on Higbee Road. The property is important as a clayplain forest ecosys-tem and is also part of a larger network of wildlife corridors associated with Pease Mountain and Thorp Brook.

Clayplain forests were once a pre-dominant feature of the Champlain Valley, but much forest land was lost from conversion to farmland. In recent years the importance of this ecosystem has been recognized, and conservation of remaining sections has become a pri-ority. The Burrill–Van Wagenen prop-erty contains not only a good example of clayplain forest but also a rarer variant of sand over clay.

Jesse Mohr, the consulting ecologist used by the Charlotte Land Trust to assess the property, noted, “While we do not know too much about it, the sand-over clay variant of valley clayplain forest is thought to be relatively rare. The sand-over-clay forest on George’s property is of better condition than most I have seen in Charlotte.”

The Burrill–Van Wagenen property is also a notable addition to Charlotte’s network of conserved lands for its importance as wildlife habitat. The property’s forests, streams and ponds provide a rich mix of natural features that support a wide array of wildlife. On site visits to the property, signs of coyote, fox, weasel, mink, deer, turkey, bobcat and barred owl were all spotted. Mohr described the property as “part of a loosely connected network of for-ested and aquatic habitats that extends between Pease Mountain and Mount Philo, two of Charlotte’s premier natu-ral areas.”

The Charlotte Land Trust works with local landowners to conserve the appro-priate agricultural, natural and scenic resources in town. Easements are craft-ed to suit the features of the land and landowners’ current and future plans.

Speaking of his project, Burrill said, “I appreciate the (CLT) board’s interest and think this would be a great addition for a conservation easement.”

CLT feels Charlotte is fortunate to have landowners such as Burrill and Van Wagenen who choose to donate their conservation easement as a par-ticularly generous way of preserving the future of Charlotte’s special landscape.

Burrill and Van Waganen Conserve 24 Acres off Higbee Road

A look at land recently conserved by George Burrill and Lola Van Wagenen.

Common reed is an invasive species that grows in wetlands, marshes and along river and lake shores.

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Joanna CummingsContributor

The mission of the Charlotte Con-servation Commission is to support the Town Plan by promoting land and other resource use decisions that protect and enhance Charlotte’s natural and cultural resources. During the 2012-2013 fis-cal year, the commission accomplished several projects that strengthened citi-zen connections to our natural resources and met many goals of the Town Plan.

Within the commission, leadership changed hands from Robert Hyams, who chaired the commission for four years, to a shared role with the appoint-ment of Roel Boumans and myself as co-chairs. We bring a wealth of knowl-edge and breadth of experience in the conservation field, such as conserva-tion planning, project management and administration, outreach and education program development, natural history interpretation and GIS mapping exper-tise.

The Conservation Commission plays a key role in subdivision review for our town as an advisor to the Planning Commission on the impact of devel-opment on natural resources of high public value. Helping permit applicants plan and develop with natural resources in mind will save landowners a lot of upfront expense and benefit the town with more sustainable and environmen-tally conscious development practices. We are preparing several publications for distribution at the town office and on the town website, with information on topics such as low-impact develop-

ment, minimizing soil compaction, pro-tecting natural water flows and reduc-ing stormwater runoff.

The Town Farm Bay and wetland complexes at the mouths of Thorp and Kimball brooks constitute one of Char-lotte’s premier ecological assets. Con-servation Commission member Mari-ana De Brul spearheaded a project that explored the feasibility and benefits of petitioning the state to change the designation of the wetlands from Class II to Class I. The area has been called “one of the fin-est wetland complexes on the shores of Lake Cham-plain” and “a rare, intact cross-section of landscape from open water to bottom-land forest.” A survey at the 2011 Town Party revealed that town wetlands were the second most commonly cited “most important” natu-ral resource.

Another important project that focuses on the Town Farm Bay wetlands is con-trol of frogbit, an invasive plant species. It has been a coordinated effort with the Lewis Creek Associa-tion, Charlotte residents and invasive species experts Sue Smith and Jenny Cole, and citizens in Shelburne. Frog-bit is not native to Vermont, and, like water chestnut, it has no natural predators. If left uncon-trolled frogbit will invade wetlands, eventually out-competing native plant and animal species, which can alter the important ecological functions of this wetland complex.

Funding is minimal, and the work of removing frogbit is intensive, but the effort has been successful in reducing its presence in the wetland. The Con-servation Commission has contributed

funding and participated as coordina-tors and frogbit “pickers.” The commis-sion will continue to support this project in the coming year and will reach out to fellow Charlotters for help as well.

Partnerships and collaboration are very important to the success of the commission’s work in our com-munity. An outreach program about watersheds and water quality, called Charlotte WatershED, was created by forming partnerships with the Charlotte

Library, Transition Town Charlotte, the Lewis Creek Association, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conser-vation and Shelburne Farms. Charlotte WatershED’s purpose, as a community education initiative and call-to-action, is to help citizens think regionally about the health of our water resources and to act locally to protect and improve them. Five community workshops were hosted at the Charlotte Senior Center

and the library during 2013, funded by a small grant and generous contributions by the partners. This year grants are being sought to fund “citizen science” activities, workshops and educational materials.

Another aspect of our community outreach effort is this monthly column in the Charlotte News, coordinated by commission member Holly Sullivan. Her work has enabled us to have a con-tinuous presence in the town newspaper with articles that educate, inform and tell stories about the richness of our nat-ural resources. Article topics in the last year covered subjects such as butterflies in Charlotte, protecting grassland bird habitat, how to use iNaturalist, and a journey to the “dark side” of herbicides.

The Charlotte Town Plan is sched-uled for a five-year review and rewrite. Over the past year the Conservation Commission has devoted many hours to preparing a draft of the natural resourc-es section for the Planning Commission. There are several key considerations for natural resource conservation in Char-lotte, such as habitat fragmentation, water quality of streams, wetlands and Lake Champlain, invasive species con-trol and the effects of changing weather patterns. The updated Town Plan will address these issues and impacts and include effective goals and strategies we can all take.

Looking ahead to the next fiscal year, the commission considers the revi-sion of the Town Plan an opportunity to renew our commitments and forge ahead with new strategies that balance natural resource conservation with our rural, small village character. Let us know what you think about natural resource conservation by contacting the commission at [email protected].

Charlotte Conservation Currents

A Year in Review and the Year Ahead

Marty Illick points out local watersheds at a WatershED event last year.

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service to the town per week for an annual cost of $25,000, while the state police (VSP) provides coverage at no cost to the town. However, the Town of Shelburne is currently re-evaluating its contract for coverage in Charlotte, the report stated, and the cost of the con-tract is likely to increase.

The SPD was one of four outside agencies the CSC contacted for cost estimates for providing police services ingat 40, 20 and 10 hours a week. Of the four, only VSP and Shelburne were interested in providing the services.

According to a quote from VSP, the department could provide a state trooper to the town, for patrol above and beyond what the agency already provides, at a cost of $49,175 per year for up to 15 hours of service per week.

The SPD did not have a cost esti-mate available at the time of the report, though the Shelburne police chief has been working with the Shelburne Selectboard and town manager to deter-mine the costs of the services requested.

Another option the CSC explored is a Charlotte-centered police force. It offered four options to the Selectboard,

ranging in cost from $82,000 for a part-time police officer who would work three shifts per week to $387,000 for a five-member, full-time police force. A one- or a two-officer, full-time police service, the other two options, would cost between $131,000 and $206,000, according to the report.

These estimates include start-up costs for leasing a police vehicle, purchas-ing dispatch and other equipment and costs for office space. The committee pointed out that this doesn’t include all of the possible budgetary expenses, spe-cifically overtime, which is not easily predicted given unknowns such as case work and court time.

The report also noted that a Charlotte police force would likely necessitate a change in management to the town “in order to achieve a buffer between the [Selectboard] and the Police Officers.”

“Sleeping policemen”

The CSC explored a number of non-police options that would address speed-ing issues along Ferry Road, Greenbush Road, Spear Street Extension and Mt. Philo Road.

Chief among them is installing speed tables, which are built to a height of about four inches and feature an overall crossing distance of 22 feet, requiring

vehicles to reduce speeds to between 25 and 27 mph to cross. When used in a series, they effectively discourage driv-ers from speeding in between.

The CSC preferred speed tables to speed bumps and speed humps, as research indicates that, generally, emer-gency responders prefer speed tables—they delay a vehicle by less than three seconds per hump—and tables do not and not odamage snow plows.

Another benefit to these “sleeping policemen”—so called because they are always working and low-cost rela-tive to police services—is they require little maintenance or attention and can be tested on a road and evaluated for use elsewhere. However, implementing them would require engineering studies and would cost upward of $5,000 each to install.

Other non-police options to reduce speed suggested by the CSC include posting suitable speed limits, incorpo-rating multi-way stops at some intersec-tions,, and painting shoulder striping to create the appearance of decreased road width, which tends to slow down drivers.

Because each of the problem traf-fic areas poses different issues, the CSC recommended creating a multi-year, community-led plan for address-

ing them over time.“For example, some areas may

require more police presence, while oth-ers might benefit from simple signage upgrades. The biggest problem areas could be identified and prioritized, leav-ing the less travelled or less dangerous roads for a second tier of plans.”

These speed-mitigation recommen-dations carry an extra bit of weight, noted the committee in its report, given the likely increase of traffic on Char-lotte’s thoroughfares when construction begins on Route 7 in 2015.

Finally, the CSC report recommend-ed thats the town undertake a campaign to educate and address perceived crime and speeding issues in town.

A major part of this education and outreach would come from a permanent Community Safety Committee, which the report stateds would facilitate com-munication between Charlotters and the Selectboard, as well as monitor local crime, advise the Selectboard on issues of police enforcement and evaluate broader issues of road safety.

Charlotters will have more time to provide input regarding the report at a special Selectboard meeting on Tues-day, Feb. 25, beginning at 7:30 p.m. To read the report beforehand, visit the town website at charlottevt.org.

Safety Committee continued from page 1

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A Look at the History of Police in Charlotte

According to a brief history in the Community Safety Committee’s report provided by Ed Cafferty and Dan Cole, Charlotte had a police department from 1970 to 1990. Here’s how it began:

Back in 1970, the Charlotte Police Department was organized with Select Board approval. Each member attended the next Law Enforce-ment Training School held in Chittenden Counry. The 30-hour training course covered 24 hours of scene control, law and legal responsibilities, legal liabilities, and 6 hours of firearm law, training, and qualification, certifying the graduates as Special Officers. The volunteer Police Service was organized to provide emergency assistance and routine police patrol to our area on a volunteer basis. Cases involving extensive investigation were referred to the State Police. The police members devoted their spare time and were not paid.

The original members were Chief Samuel W. Spear and Assistant Chief William C. Horsford; with officers Rodney Bora, Earl Burns, James Barnes, Frank Johnson, George Roscoe. Each member supplied his own uniform and vehicle. Patrols began in August 1970, and the department handled 69 complaints by the end of the year.

A used police cruiser and an emergency telephone system were purchased for $1800 from the Harry Webb fund. The department also received individual donations, and donations from the Cedar Beach Asso-ciation. They began without a police radio, with no office supplies, and had to buy their own ammunition. The Town budget request for 1971 was $1500 to equip and operate the cruiser. The remainder of the budget was funded by the Police Department Project, which was funded primarily from receipts from Bingo, and cash donations.

Cafferty and Cole noted the police force continued until 1989, when a substantial amount of cash transactions caused some to question the volunteer police department’s finances. There were no police services contracted between 1990 and 2005. In 2006, Charlotte contracted with the Chittenden County Sherriff’s Office for services. In 2008, the town began its current contract with the Shelburne Police Department.

Police call Data for charlotte, Vt, Jan 08–aug 13

The Community Safety Committee provided a categorized list of calls to police made by Charlotters over a five-year period for its report to the Selectboard. This chart shows the top 23 types of calls and their frequency. In total, the CSC outlined 80 call types in the report.

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I’m just wandering around Dinky-town

It’s where I want to be…Dinkytown – Cokempg3.org

It was the summer of ’65. I had a fresh baccalaureate, and my dad told me he’d help pay for graduate school if I went then, not later.

What did I know about life outside of school? I was always warned that if you don’t go straight through to your life’s work, you were a failure. And as we all know, parents don’t pay for failures.

In 1965 what were my choices? The Mekong Delta was one. Law or medi-cal schools were what my father had in mind. So, naturally, I chose journal-ism. Thirty-five years later I finally got around to practicing it, thanks to the Charlotte News.

Back in the sixties, though, I was a fan of Eric Severeid, a fellow Minne-sotan who had attended the University of Minnesota and worked for the Min-neapolis Star and Tribune while an undergraduate. Maybe I could follow in his footsteps.

And where else could a starving young student live in Minneapolis but in Dinkytown? A few years earli-er there had been a young musician named Robert Zimmerman (aka Bob Dylan) who also lived in Dinkytown and managed to get thrown out of the Ten O’Clock Scholar, a coffee house down the block, because they thought his singing sounded like a muskellunge in heat at the bottom of Lake Millacs.

Dinkytown Minneapolis was actual-ly a hub of activity when I lived there. It was not far from the West Bank of the Mississippi’s Triangle Bar, where my favorite musicians of the time, Dave “Snaker” Ray, “Spider” John Koerner and Tony “Little Sun” Glover, performed on the bumper pool table while we sat around and snapped our fingers. I loved listening to three white guys from the far North singing black blues from the Deep South. At least for a sum-mer, Dinky-town was a hip place to be.

G r a d u -ate school, on the other hand, wasn’t, and I decided that, despite what I knew of draft boards and military life (which was practically nothing), I would defy my father’s w i s h e s , avoid the draft and join the Navy. I arrived longhaired and ready for Offi-cer Candidate School and the Newport jazz festival.

A bad eye sent me to enlisted boot camp, and after three years of service mostly spent in the Gulf of Tonkin, I landed with the Grateful Dead in San Francisco and drove east, stopping at home to wash clothes before heading on to New York City’s Greenwich Vil-lage. Hey, it worked for Dylan—why

not me? Six months of living on my severance pay, though, convinced me that I ought to get a job.

Since the New York Times felt I was a bit raw and untested for their news staff, they suggested I look into advertising, and it was not until about five years ago that I realized I fol-lowed the Mad Men down Wall Street. I wrote ads for “ethical” pharmaceu-ticals, mainly prescription drugs. (So, what makes aspirin unethical? I don’t

know.)W h a t

began in one Dinkytown got me to the Big Apple, from which I gradually headed north to what I’ve discovered is another Dinkytown, but not quite of the same variety as my Twin Cities neigh-borhood.

A f t e r hanging in

Charlotte for nearly 30 years, the term “dinky” can sometimes carry a less than noble connotation. Recently, I think, we’re seeing some of that play out in our town governance. A lot of finger pointing without the willing-ness to step back from our individual animosities and ask what we can do to promote a) more effective governance and b) a more humane atmosphere in our east and west villages. After all, we do see each other often about the town,

and it’s nice to hold a conversation every now and then that doesn’t have to do with the Grinch down the street who murdered the reasonable tax rate.

Raw language doesn’t help matters. Calling people bullies or “spineless serfs” leads to the kind of non-con-structive environment that doesn’t help residents of a “dinky town” live well collectively.

In a letter that appeared in the Jan. 30 Charlotte News, Ruth Uphold said succinctly that “something must be done to reverse the present hostilities” in town, and she suggested mediation. A neighbor at our camp in Eden is a trained mediator who has operated effectively to turn landowner asso-ciation meetings from potential fin-ger-pointing exercises into productive sessions. Mediation is a learned and practiced skill. It is not simply a matter of being Mr. or Ms. Nice Person.

I would agree with Dr. Uphold that we should prepare ourselves to con-duct an insightful and courteous Town Meeting. Otherwise we are likely to continue on the path that seems to turn more and more Charlotters away from maintaining what could be a friendlier burgh.

I’ll call the question. Can we leave our clubs at the door and enter into a sane discussion on March 4? Can we help make our dinky town a bit better place to live, so that if “you’re trav-elin’ in the north country fair, where the winds hit heavy on the borderline,” you’ll find a town culture that tastes good and sticks to your ribs?

Do We Want to Keep the “Dinky” in Dinkytown?OutTakes

Commentary by Edd Merritt

Raw language doesn’t help matters. Calling people bullies or “spineless serfs” leads to the kind of non-constructive environment that doesn’t help residents of a “dinky town” live well collectively.


Charlotte Senior Centerby Mary Recchia,

Activities CoordinatorThe Café Menu

MONDAY, FEB. 17: hearty vegetable soup, Caesar salad, divine lemon cake

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19: Tibetan chicken curry, basmati rice, homemade dessert

MONDAY, FEB. 24: cheddar cheese soup, kale salad, bread, dessert

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 26: shepherd’s pie, homemade dessert

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 dona-tion is requested. Reservations are not required for the Monday

Please look for our new Spring Program as an insert in your next issue of the Charlotte News.

––––Snow days! If there is ever a ques-

tion whether the Senior Center is closed due to weather, know that we will fol-low the CSSU school closings that are posted on local television and radio stations as well at cssu.org.

––––The February Art Exhibit will

be works by Elizabeth Bunsen. Be... Dream... Play... sums up Elizabeth’s essence as a creative free spirit. She seems to carry with her a never-ending curiosity and sense of wonder, and the resulting art that she creates is infused with color, spirit and a feeling of joy. This show depicts her love and collabo-ration with nature: silk, wool and paper imprinted with leaves.

––––Cheer up the winter, chase the blues

away and come get lost in our pre-sentation of Verdi’s opera, Un Ballo in Maschera, live on the big screen Thursday, Feb. 20, from 1–3 p.m.

This DVD recording is on loan from the Academy of Vocal Arts of Philadelphia, which has a mission to be the world’s premier institution for train-ing young artists as international opera soloists. Distinguished by its reputation for high-quality performances, many renowned Metropolitan Opera singers began their careers at the AVA; gradu-ates include James Morris and, more recently, Angela Meade. Registration required. No fee.

––––Do you love theater? Do you appre-

ciate the spoken word? Our play read-ing group will meet on Friday, Feb. 28, from 1–3:30 p.m. and is for people who

enjoy—or suspect they might enjoy —reading plays aloud with others. As a participant or a listener, no experience is necessary; scripts are provided, and all are welcome to join us as we contin-ue to broaden our exposure to this rich and poignant form of literature. Parts have been assigned for this reading, but please let us know if you would like to be given a part for our next reading on March 28.

––––We have added an additional Yang

tai chi chuan beginner class with John Creech on Fridays from 9–10 a.m.

Yes, you can learn the true Yang fam-ily style of tai chi famous for its myriad benefits to health and wellbeing. The flowing movements and postures will increase flexibility, improve balance and strengthen core muscles.

Practitioners will cultivate a deeper sense of relaxation, increased energy level and a real sense of confidence and presence. John Creech has been studying and practicing tai chi for 10 years and invites you to come learn and practice together. Registration neces-sary. Fee: $42 for 6 classes.

–––– How to Look at and Understand

Great Art, from the Great Courses Collection continues on Tuesdays from 1:45–3:15 p.m.

What does it take to truly know what you’re seeing when you look at art? What technical skills and knowledge are needed to comprehend the full rich-ness of art works, to unpack the hidden significance of master paintings, sculp-tures, prints and more? Award-winning Professor Sharon Latchaw Hirsh of Rosemont College speaks to these and other compelling questions in richly

illustrated lectures that take you on an in-depth exploration of the practical skill of viewing art.

Using timeless masterpieces of Western painting, sculpture and graphic art, Professor Hirsh gives you the spe-cific visual and interpretive knowledge you need to approach great artworks, find their deeper meanings and reach startling new levels of appreciation. Details of each lecture available at host desk. No Fee.

Events following the Wednesday luncheon. Those who do not share lunch with us are welcome to drop in around 1 p.m. to enjoy the after lunch offerings:

Feb. 19: The Exuma Islands, Bahamas, with Judy Tuttle. Through her photographs of the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas, Judy will try to convey the incredible color and beauty along the shore or as viewed from the deck of the Escapaid, which was home while she visited. Come and be nourished by this water world, with its rollers on bare empty beaches, gulls calling and salt spray sweetening the air.

Feb. 26: Journey into the Great Unknown with Norman and Betsy Silcox. Norman and Betsy bring to life the expedition of Major John Wesley Powell, which took place in 1869 into the last blank spot on the map of the U.S. Follow in the wake of Powell down the Green and Colorado Rivers into the great unknown.

Red Cross Blood Drive

Feb. 13Give a special Valentine’s Day

gift this year—the gift of life—at

the American Red Cross blood

drive at the Charlotte Senior Cen-

ter Feb. 13 from 2–7 p.m. For more

information, or to make an appoint-

ment, call 1-800-RED CROSS or

visit redcrossblood.org.

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Victorian Farmhouse

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Want more News? Pictures? Updates?

SPORTS

Dedicated to

Their Dreams

In light of the Winter Olympics, the

mother of a local student athlete looks

at what it takes to compete at a high

level—and maintain a high GPA.

Michelle JordanContributor

What kind of kid at age 17 finds him-self careening down the slopes doing 70 mph in a Super G race or flying off jumps sailing through the air landing 55-60 feet from takeoff going high enough to do various double backflips?

Good question. For three Charlotte boys this is their dream and their reality.

Three short years ago, CCS gradu-ated Colby Jordan, Scott Schibli and Kurt Weidman. All three were friends because they shared a love of soccer and also had a growing passion for their alpine winter sport. Now juniors, the three friends have parted ways to com-pete at a higher level. Kurt launched off to Stratton Mountain School, Scott to Green Mountain Valley School, and Colby to Mount Mansfield Win-ter Academy from November through April.

Colby and Scott are alpine ski racers competing in four events: slalom, giant slalom, super G and downhill. Kurt is

a snowboarder who competes in slope-style and boardercross, along with rail jams. Both skiing and snowboarding have much in common. Training, rac-ing and competitions must take place during the day, since most mountain’ slopes are not outfitted with lights from top to bottom. And because of this Colby, Scott and Kurt decided to attend academies to help them balance their academics with their passion.

When not on the road, all three have something in com-mon: the home-hill training/academic schedule. The boys rise at 6 a.m., eat breakfast and catch a van to the moun-tain to arrive by 7:15. They fit in some dry-land training, perhaps review some training or racing film and then hit the lifts. They train until noon, catch the van back to school, grab a quick lunch and head to class.

Classes are scheduled until 5 p.m. After that, they may head back to the gym for some more dry-land training. This is followed by dinner, study- hall until 9:30 p.m., and then they need to prep their skis or board for the following day, which can take upward of an hour each night. Ideally lights are out by 10:30 p.m., but only if they don’t have more studying to do.

Of course, race days are totally dif-

ferent. For Colby and Scott, many races are part of a two- to five-day series. Most races take place throughout New England during the week and can be hours away,

r e q u i r i n g travel to the respective m o u n t a i n the night b e f o r e . S l e e p i n g in strange hotel rooms packed with fellow rac-ers, trying to

find a quiet corner to catch up on your studies is tricky. Keep in mind, main-taining a strong GPA is imperative, and preparing for ACT/SAT exams at the same time is nearly impossible.

Alpine racing occurs on many lev-els. Scott and Colby are considered

U18s. They race mainly at an International Ski Federation, or FIS, level of skiing. Recently both boys competed against a handful of U18s, U21s and SRs (over 22 years old). There were several members of the U.S. ski and other national ski teams in addition to skiers from Division I colleges. Some competitors were a hair away from being picked to go to the Olympics.

Most races that Colby and Scott attend have 120-150 rac-ers. Many names are the same from race to race, but many are new. A “points” system ranks racers worldwide, from World Cup skiers on down. So, essen-tially, at each race they are competing against every other racer in the world. The bottom line: at each race Colby and Scott have to finish two runs.

Their combined two-run time in part determines a point value for that race. The other part is determined by who is at the race and how they raced against them.

Kurt’s snowboarding competitions take him a bit farther, to Colorado, Pennsylvania and California. Soon he’ll find himself in Sun Valley, Idaho. Snowboarding is also grouped by age. Kurt is in the junior men’s division for ages 16-17. He competes at Unit-ed States of America Snowboarding Association (USASA) events through-out New England against ten to 20 other riders. However, at the USASA Nationals, he is one of 65 competitors. Kurt also competes on the Revolution Tour, where there are 110 competitors in his age group. Slopestyle competi-tions are judged on rail techniques and jumps. Boardercross, however, is a timed event and simply a free-for-all to get to the finish line.

Colby and Scott are seeing how far their skiing might take them, always with college in mind. Both would like to ski Division I in college, and there are only slightly more than a handful of schools to choose from. For Kurt, snowboarding isn’t really established as a collegiate sport yet, but it is close. Despite this, Kurt will continue to work hard at his sport.

The training, competition and aca-demics demand a physical, psycho-logical and emotional toughness from dedicated student athletes like Colby, Scott and Kurt. Their heads must stay in the game because injuries are all too common in these winter sports and the conditions of the course change every day, every minute.

But all three are dedicated to their sport. They’re the kind of kids who are willing to leave the warmth of their beds to ride a chairlift to the top of a mountain at sunrise with a wind chill of 30 below to risk injury time and time again. They are the kind of kids who are driven, goal oriented, organized, committed, willing to forgo sleep and hanging with friends to make the daily sacrifices to live their dreams.

Scott Schibli races giant slalom.

Colby Jordan competes in a race for Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy.

Kurt Weidman

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SPORTS by Edd Merritt

Women’s basketball remains the lone unbeaten team this winter

With its latest win, a 71-33 defeat of Mount Anthony, the CVU women’s basketball team remains unbeaten this season. Showing a sharp-shooting offense coupled with a tight defense and solid positioning under the boards leading to numerous fast breaks, the Redhawks continue to rack up win after win. Emily Kinneston and Kaelyn Kolasch, along with Charlotte’s Laurel Jaunich and Sadie Otley, have been offensive stalwarts all year. Against Mount Anthony, Kinneston and Amanda Beatty each pumped in 14 points, while Jaunich followed close behind with 13, adding 11 rebounds. Jaunich and Kinneston led CVU to a 48-point win over archrival Essex earlier in the week, following a 54-18 defeat of North Country that saw the Redhawks’ first-quarter total just two points shy of North Country’s total for the entire game.

Redhawk men’s hockey bounces back from CSB Cup loss

Much like a number of Olympic athletes who go from teammates to enemies during the international games, so too do the high school hockey players from CVU and South Burlington. That is why the CSB Cup between the two schools takes on added meaning, regardless of earlier records. Prior to this year’s game at Cairns Arena, CVU was unbeaten, with a lone tie to blemish its record. Once the game started, however, the Rebels wasted no time in scoring three goals in an 80-second span, leading to a 5-3 win. To be fair, the Redhawks played without several upperclassmen who were serving a four-game suspension for violating school policy. However, to indicate the importance of the cup to both teams, a Rebel player was quoted in the Free Press saying, “This (game) is the state championship of the regular season.” CVU returned

to its winning ways six days later with a 6-3 defeat of North Country in the Jay Peak Ice Haus.

Several Redhawks compete in state indoor track championships

Indoor track held its state championship at Norwich University on Saturday, Feb. 8. Although CVU did not send a full contingent, Redhawk runners finished among the top three in several races. Charlotte’s Haliana Burhans was third in the 55-meter dash, part of a cluster of racers who crossed the line within a second of each other. Sierra Morton was third in the 300-meter run, and the women’s 4x200 relay team also finished third. On the men’s side, Tawn Tomasi took third at 55 meters, and following in their sisters’ footsteps, the men’s 4x200 relay team came in a close second to South Burlington.

After starting 2014 on the winning track, CVU men’s basketball switches lanes.

Essex was the last victim of the Redhawk men’s basketball team which squeaked out a victory over the Hornets 57-54. Charlotte’s Lucas Aube was the leading scorer with 18 points. In its next game, however,Colchester held on for a 48-46 win, scoring the winning basket just as time expired. And in the following three games, despite Aube’s efforts, the men lost to Rice 56-31 and to Burlington 67-51. The Burlington game saw Aube lead CVU with 14 points, followed by nine in a losing effort against Spaulding. The Redhawks stand at 5 wins, 12 losses.

Rebel/Hawks go two and two since the end of January

CVU and South Burlington’s combined women’s hockey team brought its record up to 8 wins, 6 losses

at the beginning of February before losing twice since then. Front-running Middlebury shut out the Rebel/Hawks 4-0, and North Country evened CVU’s wins and losses with a 5-1 defeat on February 8. A week earlier Sarah Fisher’s four-goal effort, aided by Rachel Pitcher’s two goals, Courtney Barrett’s goal and three assists, Molly Dunphy’s goal and two assists plus Casey Johnson’s goal gave CVU a much needed 9-4 home victory over Missisquoi.

Annabella Pugliese hits for two against Spaulding.

U8 Girls Hockey Jamboree

at Cairns Arena Feb. 16

Participants in the U8 Girls Hockey Program pause for a quick picture after a recent jamboree at Gutterson Arena. Now in its second year, the U8 program, through the Chittenden South Burlington Hockey Association, draws players from Charlotte, Shelburne, Williston, Hinesburg, South Burlington and St. George. The popularity of the program continues to rise, and the all-girl format saw almost 30 hockey players this year.

To cap the end of a successful year that began in October, the program will hold a U8 girls jamboree on Feb. 16 at Cairns Arena’s rink two from 7 to 9 a.m. Girls ages 8 to 12 who want to try hockey for the first time are invited to attend. For more information on this event and the U8 program, visit csbhockey.com.

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George & Pam DarlingP.O. Box 32

Ferry Road, Charlotte, VT

[email protected]


BREAKING NEWS!

www.thecharlottenews.org

Library information

Director

Margaret Woodruff

Hours

Mon, Wed: 10 a.m.-–7 p.m.Tues, Thurs, Fri: 10 a.m.-–5 p.m.

Sat: 9 a.m.-–2 p.m.

Phone 425-3864

Email [email protected]

Website charlottepubliclibrary.org

by Margaret Woodruff

Please note: the Charlotte Library will be closed Monday, Feb. 17, for the President’s Day holiday.

Upcoming at the Library

Kids programs and activities

Full STEAM Ahead: Friday Free

For All for Preschoolers, Fridays,

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. From rocks, blocks and socks to babies, bugs and hairy bread, we’ll investigate it all using our science, technology, engi-neering, arts and math skills. Join us for discovery and diversion every Friday morning through Feb. 14. Suitable for ages 3 to 5 who are comfortable in a story time setting without parent or caregiver; parent/caregiver must remain in library. Please call 425-3864 or email charlottelibraryvt@gmail to sign up.

Winter Kinder Afterschool,

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 3:15 to 4:30

p.m. You’re not the only critter out-side on these frosty days. Come to the library and discover all the wonderful things happening outside our windows and under the snow. How are the birds and animals keeping warm? How do frogs and turtles survive? Where do all those tracks go? Ride the bus from CCS with a parent note. Please call 425-3864 or email charlottelibraryvt@ gmail.com to sign up.

vacation programs

Vacation Maker Craft–Duct Tape,

Monday, Feb. 24, 10:30–11:30 a.m. Let your personality shine through as we design wearable art with duct tape. Grades 3 and up.

Vacation Movie: Turbo, Wednes-

day, Feb. 26, 1:00 p.m. Popcorn and a movie at the library. Rated PG.

adult and family programs

Wool Night @ the Library,

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 5:30 p.m. Get your woolies on and join us for an evening presentation by Bay Ham-mond and Drew and Brittany Slabaugh. Hammond, recently appointed as farm manager at Green Mountain College, has over 20 years of experience rais-ing sheep for wool and for meat. The Slabaughs raise and tend registered Icelandic sheep and more right here at Shakey Ground Farm in Charlotte. Enjoy samples of Nor’Easter chili and Nitty Gritty cornbread courtesy of your-farmstand.com. Learn how to knit a hat in under two hours, how to needle felt, crochet and more.

Mystery Book Club. Thursday,

Feb. 20, 11 a.m. History mystery? Hard-boiled whodunit? Cloak-and-dag-ger caper? True-to-life thriller? Myster-ies remain the most popular genre at the Charlotte Library. We welcome the chance to share new and old favorites. So if you have a passion for mysteries of any kind, we hope you’ll join us on Thursday as we kick off our Mystery Book Club. Bring some favorite titles to share as we delve into the detective domain. We’ll provide the coffee and muffins to keep us going.

Stay tuned for…Seed Starting Workshops, 6 Book Challenge Char-lotte Style, Zooniverse and more!

Did you know? You can access online information from the Charlotte Library on everything from auto repair to newspaper archives through the Ver-mont Online Library. Check the tab on our website and log in to a world of knowledge.

library board meeting

Thursday, Feb. 20, at 5:30 p.m. Board members: Bonnie Ayer, member-at-large; Bonnie Christie, chair; Vince Crockenberg, treasurer; Emily Ferris, vice chair; Dorrice Hammer, secretary.

CCS Essential Early Education Peer Program Accepting Applications

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The CCS Essential Early Education Program is now accepting applications for a random drawing for communi-ty peers for the 2014-15 school year. Our preschool is a 5 STAR accredited licensed early education program that provides a play-based, developmen-tally appropriate environment for all children. Our curriculum is based on the Vermont Early Learning Standards (VELS) and Creative Curriculum/TSGold. We believe that a diverse classroom offers opportunities for adults and children to practice accep-tance and compassion and also provides a broad range of learning experiences.

The program is designed for pre-school age children with developmental delays and community peers who reside in Charlotte. The program follows the Charlotte Central School calendar and students are able to utilize the Charlotte Central School buses for transportation in the morning.

Peers who will be age 3 or older by

September 1, 2014, but not yet 5 years old, are eligible for a four day a week program that will run from 8:05 a.m.-noon each day.

If you are interested in your child being considered, please fill out the form below and mail it to:

Kathie WagnerCharlotte Central School408 Hinesburg RoadCharlotte, VT 05445

Applications must be received by Feb. 17. Students will be selected via a lottery and parents will be notified by Feb. 24. Applications are also available on the CCS website, under "Teams" and "Early Education Program."

For more information, please contact Kathie Wagner at 425-6656

Public Input Sought for Mt. Philo Long-Range Plan

The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources is seeking public input for the update of the long-range manage-ment plan for Mt. Philo State Park in Charlotte.

Mt. Philo, Vermont’s oldest state park, is domi-nated by the 968-foot Mount Philo with spectacular views of the Champlain Valley and the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The park is popular for camping, hiking, dog walking, sledding and snowmobiling. The 2010 gift of the Allmon parcel brings the total acreage of Mt. Philo State Park to 232 acres.

The planning process began in 2012 with resource inventories that identi-fied natural communities, rare, threat-

ened and endangered species, forest cover types, unique wildlife habitats, rare plant communities and other eco-logically sensitive areas. Recreational,

cultural and historic land uses were also mapped.

An online sur-vey has been developed to offer an opportunity for input into this pro-cess. To complete the survey go to s u r v e y m o n k e y .com/s/MtPhiloSP.

The deadline for submission of the survey is April 6, 2014.

To learn about the planning proj-ect timeline and other public input opportunities go to vtfpr.org/lands/Mt.PhiloStatePark.cfm.

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Now is the Time

Luke Adler and his band Eight 02 are getting the

chance of a lifetime.

Brett SigurdsonThe CharloTTe News

When Luke Adler was young he had a poster of legendary skiers Phil and Steve Mahre on his bedroom wall. Adler had dreams of join-ing them on the U.S. ski team. In 1980, a far-off dream inter-sected with real-ity, and Adler, who would spend much of his youth as a professional skier, found himself on a ski lift with Phil Mahre, riding to the top of a mountain as teammates com-peting for the same cause: some kind of individual and team triumph.

Over 30 years later Adler moves just as purpose-fully and gracefully around his home on Greenbush Road as he did on the moun-tain then. Maybe that’s because there’s a certain excitement to his mien lately, no doubt because he will soon get a chance to meet another child-hood hero, musician Jeff Lorber, when Adler’s jazz-fusion band Eight 02 trav-els to Los Angeles next week to record with the legendary artist, one of the masters of the genre.

To understand the enormity of this opportunity for the band and for Adler, consider that he has been a die-hard Lober fan since the 1970s, that Adler knows the man’s music so well that he can replicate drum parts from Lorb-er’s entire catalog upon request, that Adler was once so focused on a Lorber live show that he ignored a woman he thought was hitting on him.

That the woman turned out to know just as much Lorber music as he—she was Lorber’s sister after all—embodies in some way Adler’s feeling that he and the band were destined to work with Lorber. That’s why when he received a call from Lorber last year regarding a few Eight 02 tracks that he heard, Adler took it mostly in stride.

“It was shocking,” said Adler of the call, “but in a way I almost expected it because I’ve been chasing him for so long.”

The opportunity to record with Lorb-er is both a dream come true and a test for Adler and Eight 02—an opportunity to take their band to the next level and perhaps convert those who are too quick to write off their brand of music, which they call “accessible jazz fusion.”

Adler describes Eight 02’s sound as a combination of straight-ahead jazz combined with funk and R&B, a groove-centric genre that maintains the improvisational musicianship that jazz is celebrated for. Critics of the music,

though, lump the band’s style in with “smooth jazz”—think elevator or on-hold music—which relies on overly polished horns, synthesizers and drum machines.

Ultimately for Adler and the other three members of the band, the chance to work with a leader in the genre they play is an opportunity to make a name for themselves nationally and locally, for they are in the odd position of having a large following in England, Swit-zerland and Rus-sia, as well as in California, Ala-bama and North

Carolina, while being almost unknown locally, especially among younger music fans.

Adler himself was a young fan of jazz-fusion, though it wasn’t always that way. He grew up listening to rock n’ roll bands like local boys Aerosmith in his Concord, Mass. bedroom. As Adler describes it, he liked the drums, the raw rock sound. But when he was 12 a friend of his brother brought him a Chick Corea record.

“I heard that music and it changed my life,” said Adler. “The drumming was difficult, hard to do. I couldn’t believe it. I said ‘I don’t know how you play like that but I want to know how.’”

Adler’s interest in drumming, howev-er which began when his parents bought him a drum kit at 14, clashed with his desire to be a competitive ski racer. Despite studying with Boston Pops tym-panist Fred Buda, Adler gave up drum-ming to dedicate himself to making the U.S. ski team, on which he competed from 1980 to 1984.

After committing to UVM on a ski

scholarship, Adler backed out and began working his way back into drumming. In 1990, at the age of 29, Adler made the commitment to being a full-time drummer and, while living in Randolph, began to drive the four hours to and from Boston each week to study with renowned percussionist Gary Chaffee.

He played in a number of bands locally, including Burlington’s Big Joe Burrell and the Unknown Blues Band, from 1992 to 1999, and Kilimanjaro, which features Charlotter Charles Eller. But in 2000 Adler gave it all up and moved to Santa Monica to work con-struction. He didn’t play for seven years until Paul Asbell, guitarist for Kili-manjaro, called and asked him to come back; his return culminated in a 2011 performance at the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In July 2011, Adler sat in with key-board player Peter Engisch and guitar-ist Jerome Monachino of Picture This for a Burlington gig. It went so well the three began talking about forming a group. Later they’d add saxophonist Chris Peterman. They christened the project Eight 02 and began playing local gigs, securing a regular spot at the Mar-riott in Burlington and recording a well-

received EP called Drive, which would climb to number five on the Billboard smooth jazz charts.

After the album, Eight 02 wrote a couple of songs that they thought Lorb-er might like—one was called PLT, or “Pete’s Lorber Tune.” Through a number of channels, Lorber received the tracks and liked what he heard. In November Adler received the call.

Lorber wanted to work with the band and would recruit bass player Jimmy Haslip—one of the best in the world—to produce a few Eight 02 songs over a four-day period in February.

“There couldn’t be two bet-ter people who we could work with,” said Adler.

Yet the band quickly learned how hard it is to work with musicians the caliber of Lorber and Haslip. Adler and the band have been send-ing them musical ideas and recordings since last year, many of which have been rejected, meaning Eight 02 has to come up with another new groove or melody.

Adler remains undaunted. At a recent rehearsal, he told the rest of the band he knew

at least 100 people who would love the opportunity the band has been given. He skied with some of the best when he was competing, and he knows what it takes to succeed.

“These guys work consistently with the best players in the world—literally, they’re the best players out there,” Adler said. “It’s just like going to jazz school for a week—it just doesn’t get any better than that. You couldn’t pay enough for it. It’s as lucky as it gets.”

In this chance to record with his hero, Adler sees another dream intersecting with reality. Meeting a hero again, just like meeting Phil Mahre on the ski lift, isn’t something that Adler is shrugging off. It’s another chance for an individual and shared triumph.

“That’s a rare opportunity,” said Adler. “It’s not lost on me. I think it will be that for me again, for everyone in the band.”

Eight 02 will play the Brick Church Music series in Williston on Feb. 14 before traveling to California to record with Lorber. To find out more about the band and its upcoming performances, visit eight02jazz.com.

Luke Adler at the drums in a promo pic for his band Eight 02.

Members of jazz-fusion group Eight 02 are (from left) Luke Adler, Chris Peterman, Peter Engisch and Jerome Monachino.

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SEND US YOUR NEWS, PHOTOS,

EVENTS news@charlotte-

newsvt.com

by Kerrie Pughe

Thank YouThank you to the following for sup-

port and help this season. Tim and Mary Volk, Karol Josselyn, Kosi Thurber, Bill and Gerry Leckerling, Lilyanna Menk and family in honor of CCS teacher Maureen Little, Horsfords, Dakin Farms and employees for jel-lies and jams sent from Fran and a

gift of pancake mix and maple syrup from Joe, Anne Kelton for the Omaha steaks, the knitters from the Charlotte Grange and the mitten tree at the Char-lotte Library for the beautiful gifts of hats, mittens and scarves, and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, Charlotte Congregational Church and Charlotte Organic Coop.

A special thank you to Diane Cote for sending out 140 thank you notes and notices of gifts for the Food Shelf!

Thanks to all our community mem-bers who have generously supported and made the mission of the Charlotte Food Shelf possible throughout the year.

Wish listHot cereal mixes, crackers, soup,

deodorant and shampoo.

Donations We welcome donations any time of

the year. Your local Food Shelf is run entirely by volunteers, so all donations go directly for food or assistance to our

neighbors in need. If you are a customer of yourfarmstand.com, you may make a donation to the Food Shelf as part of your online order. Otherwise checks may be mailed to:

Charlotte Food Shelf &Assistance

403 Church Hill RoadP. O. Box 83

Charlotte, VT 05445

Donated Food Drop-Off LocationsAll nonperishable food donations

may be dropped off at the Charlotte Library, the Charlotte Congregation-al 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 morn-ings (see Ongoing Events calendar on page 22).

The Charlotte Food Shelf is located on the lower level of the Charlotte Con-gregational Church vestry. We are open

from 7:30–9:30 a.m. on the following Thursdays for food distribution: Feb. 20, March 13 and 27, April 10 and 17. We are also open from 5–7 p.m. on the Wednesday before each Thursday distribution morning.

We are open to all community resi-dents. Privacy is very important and respected in our mission of neighbor helping neighbor.

For emergency food call John 425-3130.

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

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

Food Shelf News

ANDSHAPESlands c ape d e s i gn & in s t a l l a t i onL

Shaping Vermont’s woodland landscape for 20 years.

- cross country ski & snowshoe trail clearing- brush & invasive species removal - ornamental & fruit tree pruning

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A Mindful Winter Walk

Bradley CarletonContributor

The mind of a true hunter is one of connection. Connection to all the surroundings, even to those unseen by the common senses. In some African tribes, hunters have learned to read the “energy paths” of light, similar to auras seen by some people. They follow these bluish-white streams of light to “see” where the animal they are pursuing has traveled. For the rest of us, we learn to read tracks.

On a bright February day after a snowstorm, I venture up the southwest side of Pease Mountain. My father-in-law, Brian Hoyt, and I start out from his house. We notice the small trails where field mice have burrowed under the snow. We come upon a stand of locusts with their deeply indented bark and sage-green moss covering the jagged edges. I ask him if he thinks it's true that moss only grows on the north side of trees. He shrugs and says, “That’s what they say, but I think it’s an old wives’ tale.”

Further up the hill we meander through some pines, when a partridge explodes from under a pinecone-laden tree. The bird takes to the air in a burst of snow, brown wings thundering together, to fly an escape route that not even a jet fighter could navigate. “Partridge!” I shout. Technically they are called ruffed grouse, but I like to call them by their colloquial moniker just to tick off the gentry. If you really want to be snobby about it, call them Bonasa umbellus, which means “good to roast” or “valued as a game bird.” Partridge medicine (what this bird represents in Native American ideology) is community, fertility, mobility and invisibility. There is much to learn from Bonasa umbellus.

As we summit the cliffs we begin to see a story played out in the snow. It takes some time to reveal itself. First we see the tracks of a large, cat-like being with its belly drag-ging on the top of the snow. It's crouching and trying to sneak up to the edge of the cliff. Why? We surmise it’s a fisher cat, judging by the claws and conical-shaped footprint. Then the tracks disap-pear off the edge of the cliff. We look over the 10-foot drop to the next plateau and see where he enters the snow in a deep hole. Is he under the snow even now? Where did he go?

We climb down around the boulders and, at the edge of a little flat spot, discover another hole with paw prints and the outline of primary feathers from a large wing. They are scratched in the snow in a perfectly sym-metrical pattern as if beating against the surface in an attempt

to take flight. It is then we discover blood where the feet of a turkey had been.

“I’ll bet the rest of the story is below this drop-off,” I tell Brian.

We climb down the slippery rocks to the next flat spot, and, sure enough, there are the remains of a turkey splayed between two sharp rocks, with only its head eaten off. Fisher cats are notori-ous for doing this. The carnage reminds me that Nature can be as violent as she is beautiful. The fisher cat will have lived through another harsh winter because he was courageous enough to dive off of a cliff, burrow under the snow and still hit his target, coming up to ambush the bird from underneath the wintry forest floor.

Nature has all the drama of an Academy Award—winning movie, but when you have discovered it for yourself—and borne witness to the mystery—you are not just a viewer. You are a participant.

On the walk home we pass a yellow birch with a chaga mushroom growing out of its side. I cut off a chunk of it and put it in my jacket pocket. Chaga, or Inonotus obliquus, is revered by Native heal-ers for its medicinal qualities. Laboratory studies have indicated possible future potential in cancer therapy as an antioxidant, in immunotherapy, and as an anti-inflammatory.

Whether you choose to believe this or not, it makes a wonderful tea.

Back at the house we have quite a story to share with everyone. We brew the chaga and sit down in front of the woodstove to replay the story of our winter walk. At the core of the storytelling, I realize that the root of all happiness is wonder. And there is no place to find such wonder as in the winter woods.

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.


Places To Go & Things To Do 5HJXODU&KXUFK6HUYLFHV

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. Feb.20,

March 13 and 27. Lower level of the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry. Information: Karen at 425-3252; for emergency food call John at 425-3130.

FRIDAYSAA Meeting, Congregational Church Vestry, 8 p.m.Charlotte Playgroup, 9:30–11 a.m., CCS MPR. Free,

ages 0-5.

ONGOING EVENTS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13CCS PTO meeting, 6 p.m., library.

Agenda will focus on the 2014-15 budget with School Board members and CCS administration.

Simplicity Parenting Series, 7–9 p.m., Lake Champlain Waldorf School, Shelburne. Join the slow parent-ing movement and learn ways to simplify your home life, slow down your family’s schedule, and deepen your relationship with your chil-dren. Designed for parents with chil-dren ages 3-12. Introductory session is free. More info: lakechamplainwal-dorfschool.org.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14Aaron Flinn in Concert, 8 p.m., North

Ferrisburgh. Join Charlotte-based musician for intimate Valentine’s Day house concert in beautiful old barn that once housed Philo Records. $20 suggested donation. Parking limited, so carpooling encouraged. Address: 126 Covered Bridge Road, North Ferrisburgh. More info: [email protected].

La Musique and Du Chocolat, 5–7:30 p.m., Shelburne Museum. Celebrate your sweetheart and sweet tooth with la musique from Jean-Jacques Psaute and Deja-Nous and du chocolat with artisan chocolate courtesy of local chocolatiers. Deja- Nous brings the romance of Paris to the Pizzagalli Center with lively French Cabaret music. The group’s repertoire high-lights various periods and styles of popular and jazz songs featuring Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Claude Nougaro, Charles Aznavour, Yves Montand, Charles Trenet and others. Admission: $15. Museum members receive a $3 discount. Cash bar and complimentary chocolates from local artisan makers including, Blackflower Chocolate, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Laughing Moon Chocolates and Vermont Nut Free Chocolates. More info: shelbur-nemuseum.org.

Valentines’s Day with the Gryphon Trio and Patricia O’Callaghan, 7:30 p.m., UVM Recital Hall. The University of Vermont Lane Series is thrilled to present the Gryphon Trio with Patricia O’Callaghan for its annual Valentine’s Day concert. The concert will include arrangements of songs by Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake and Laurie Anderson, as well as traditional melodies from Mexico, Argentina and Chile. Tickets are $30 adults/$15 stu-dents. More info: uvm.edu.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 152nd Annual Snodeo, 3 p.m., East

Charlotte. Celebrate the snow in and around Spear’s Corner Store. For information, see story on front page.

Wood Duck Carving Class with David Tuttle, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington. Come to a one-day carving class with

David Tuttle of the Green Mountain Woodcarvers. We will carve and paint a wood duck. Wood blank, eyes, snacks, and coffee provided. No carv-ing experience required. Beginners are as welcome as experts. Do bring your tools and gloves if you have them; if you don’t, let us know. Dave often brings some knives, gloves, etc. to sell. Please bring your lunch. Cost: $25/members, $35/non-members. More info: 434-2167.

Hockey Fights Cancer Night, Cairns Arena, South Burlington. Rice Memorial High School Boys’ and girls’ hockey teams will be hosting its 2nd annual Hockey Fights Cancer “HFC” Night! The proceeds will go to The American Cancer Society in the name of Emily Lyman, Class of 2016, who lost her young life to cancer last December 2012. Three games will take place beginning at 4:20 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Dollars will be raised through basket raffles, prizes, 50/50 Raffle. Information from the American Cancer society on early detection will be on-site.

Jeff Bryant in Concert, 7 p.m., All Souls Interfaith Gathering, Shelburne. Jeff Bryant’s songwriting draws from his years of experience playing many styles of music from country to rock, R&B to soul. His pop/soul sensibility combined with lyrical simplicity creates seductive and captivating melodies. Tickets: $15. More info: flynntix.com or 985-3819.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16EvenSong Service: Karen Kevra

and Rebecca Kauffman, 5 p.m., All Souls Interfaith Gathering, Shelburne. Karen Kevra has won attention as one of the country’s outstanding flut-ists through her distinctive warm and extroverted performances and was recently praised by the New York Times for her “freshness and drive”. Rebecca Kauffman a Pennsylvania-born and Vermont-based harpist, has been the principal harpist of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra (HSO) in Harrisburg, Penn., since 1979, and has performed with various orchestras throughout the northeast, including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Reading Symphony Orchestra, Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra in Ithaca NY, and the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. More info: 985-3819.

Vermont Sail Freight Project Presentation, 2 p.m., Ferrisburgh Community Center/Town Hall. At the end of September 2013, Erik Andrus took his handmade sailing barge, Ceres, on a 10-day journey down the Hudson River to deliver Vermont potatoes, apples, maple syrup and the like to hungry New Yorkers. Andrus will discuss the trip and how it came about. Free. For more info, see article on page 6.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18Healthy Fats with Doug

Flacks, 7–9 p.m., Lake Champlain Waldorf School, Shelburne. Low-fat, no-fat, whole fat? Having trouble understanding what is a “healthy fat” and what is not? Biodynamic farmer, scholar and food activ-ist Doug Flack will lead a free workshop that will explore the history of fats in the American diet and offer practical ways to identify and include healthy fats in our every-day eating. Workshop participants will have an opportunity to sample nutrient-dense foods, learn about local sources of healthy fats for the whole family and take home recipes. Flack, who has been farming since 1976 and runs the Flack Family Farm in Enosburg Falls will focus on fats from pastured animals but will also delve into the importance of plant- and fruit-based fats. More info: JoAnne Dennee, [email protected].

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19Zoning Board Meeting, 7 p.m., Town

Hall

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20Planning Commission Meeting, 7

p.m., Town Hall. On the agenda: Charlotte’s Town Plan

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21No School, CCS. Parent-teacher con-

ferencesReading: Jennifer McMahon, 7 p.m.,

Phoenix Books, Burlington. Join Jennifer McMahon for a reading, dis-cussion, and book signing of her new novel The Winter People. McMahon is the author of six novels, includ-ing the New York Times bestsellers Island of Lost Girls and Promise Not to Tell. She graduated from Goddard College and studied poetry in the MFA Writing Program at Vermont College. She currently lives with her partner and daughter in Montpelier, Vermont. Free. More info: phoenixbooks.biz.

“Mir Zaynen Do (We are here!)”: Jewish Song from the Shtetl to the Promised Land, 7:30 p.m., McCarthy Arts Center at Saint Michael’s College. Join Counterpoint Vocal Ensemble for this free concert. More info: counterpointchorus.org.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22

Pete Seeger Remembrance, 4 p.m., Charlotte Congregational Church Fellowship Hall. Come together to honor Pete Seeger—singer, song-writer, activist, teacher and vision-ary. Bring your voices, your favorite Seeger songs, your banjos, guitars, etc., and your memories. Bear witness to his legacy by singing, sharing sto-ries, and listening to select recordings. All are welcome!

Genetic Genealogy - Part 1, 10:30 a.m.–noon, Vermont Genealogy Library, Fort Ethan Allen, Colchester. DNA tests can be used to confirm or refute genealogical relationships and save researchers enormous time chasing false leads. Join us for this talk and learn how to test your matri-lineal and patrilineal lines, as well as choosing the right company to use and analyze the data. Cost: $5.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24Selectboard Meeting, 7 p.m.

No School, CCS. Break through Feb. 28.

No School, CVU. Break through Feb. 28

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25Selectboard Meeting, 7:30 p.m.

Agenda will focus on Community Safety Committee report.


to Arles Netherwood-Schwesig and David Schmidt who earned placement on the Champlain College dean’s list for the fall semester 2013.

to Chase Weaver, a freshman at Clarkson University, Potsdam, N.Y., majoring in civil engineering, who earned placement on the dean’s list for the fall semester 2013.

to Elise Sherman, a student at Ithaca College, Ithaca, N.Y., who earned placement on the dean’s list for the fall semester 2013.

to the following students at the University of Vermont who earned placement on UVM’s dean’s list for the fall semester 2013: Zoe Adams, community and international development major; Benjamin Comai, environmental studies major; Carter Curran, psychology major; Laura Gagnon, anthropology major; Daniel Hebert, biology major; Laura Jackson, environmental studies major; Ezra Mount-Finette, undeclared major; Samuel Raszka, biology major; Elizabeth Richards, mechanical engineering major; Sienna Searles, neuroscience major; Donna Waterman, undeclared major; Kyla Williamson, mathematics major.

to Ian Sloan, a student at the Community College of Vermont who earned placement on the dean’s list for the fall term 2013.

to the following students at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., who earned placement on the college’s dean’s list for the fall semester 2013: Andrew Blake, a senior, the son of Tony and Sara Blake, and Laura Shapiro, a junior, the daughter of Sharon Morrison and Robert Shapiro.

to Andrew Murray, a student at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., who earned placement on the dean’s list for the fall semester 2013.

to Christine Whiteside, a freshman at Virginia Technical College, Blacksburg, Va., majoring in general engineering who earned placement on the dean’s list for the fall semester 2013.

to Yvonne Janssen-Heininger, Ph.D., a professor of pathology at the University of Vermont who was named chair of the Lung Injury, Repair and Remodeling study section for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) beginning July 1. Dr. Janssen-Heininger joined the UVM faculty in 1996 after earning her Ph.D. from Maastricht University in the Netherlands and

completing a postdoctoral fellowship at UVM from 1993-1996. Her research focuses on inflammatory lung diseases and ways to better understand chronic inflammation remodeling and lung cancer.

to Kristen L’Esperance of CULTivation Design of Charlotte who received “Best of Houzz 2014 Award” by Houzz, a leading platform for home modeling and design. L’Esperance was named a winner in the “customer satisfaction” category, and she said she appreciates the opportunity to send potential customers to Houzz in order to “find pictures of materials or architectural styles they appreciate.” CULTivation Design offers a multi-disciplinary studio that combines art, design, architecture and construction.

to Clark Hinsdale, owner of Nordic Dairy Farm in Charlotte and president of the Vermont Farm Bureau who was featured in an article in the Jan. 31 Burlington

Free Press describing the 80th Vermont Farm Show at the Champlain Valley Exposition on Jan. 30. The article mentions Clark’s long involvement with the bureau, dating back to the early 1970s. It is a period that has seen the growth of organic dairy farms throughout Vermont.

to Tom Gardner, who has been appointed cheese operations manager at Shelburne Farms. He came to the farm in 2010 as a cheesemaker after having worked in that capacity at Spring Brook Farm in Redding, Vt. In his new role he will work with Head Cheesemaker Kate Turcotte and will be responsible for managing production, inventory, processing and shipping.

to Narayan Plasha, the weekend supervisor of the produce department of Healthy Living Market in South Burlington who was featured in an article in the Jan. 29 Seven Days. In it, Plasha talks about the increase in local farms committing to growing and selling their fresh produce year round. He says that as a result they sell four or five varieties of turnips as well as roots that store well. As a purchaser for the store, he is able to discuss what comes into the market and the pleasure he gets in tasting it.

to the CVU Team for the Penguin Plunge that hit the frigid waters of Lake Champlain and brought in over $40,000 for the Special Olympics. Math teacher Peter Booth called himself the CVU Penguin Plunge

Super Overlord in a Burlington Free Press article appearing on Feb. 9. As an incentive to CVU students, for every $10,000 raised, a teacher gets a head shave. Booth, Mark Pogacht, Mike Burris and Rahn Fleming will be shaved at the school’s annual winter carnival.

is extended to family and friends of John Morris Sr. of Grand Isle who passed away Jan. 24 at the age of 75. His surviving family includes his daughter Laura Blood and Laura’s husband, Neal, along with their children, Andrea and Michael, of Charlotte. The family asks that those wishing to make donations in his name consider doing so to the Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties, 110 Prim Road, Colchester, VT 05446 or to the Grand Isle Sheriff’s Department, P.O. Box 168, North Hero, VT 05474.

is extended to family and friends of Roberta E. Evans of Charlotte who passed away Feb. 6 at the age of 83. Her surviving family includes her husband, John, of Charlotte and her daughter, Carol Small, and Carol’s husband, Lester, also of Charlotte. The family asks that those wishing to make contributions in her name consider doing so to the American Cancer Society, donate.cancer.org, or to the National Kidney Foundation, kidney.org.

is extended to family and friends of Frederick Anderson Jr. of Shelburne who passed away Feb. 6 at the age of 87. Fred served Charlotte as an auditor for many years, was a member of the CVU School Board, moderated many town meetings and was a justice of the peace. He served on the Prudential Committee of the Charlotte Congregational Church and chaired the Wing Fund. He and his wife, Barbara, who survives him, grew and sold Christmas trees in Charlotte for 35 years. They were married for 62 years. The family asks that those wishing to make contributions in his name consider doing so to the Howard Center, 208 Flynn Avenue, Ste. 31, Burlington, VT 05401.

Buying or selling a home this spring? Lafayette Painting can make your property stand out with a beautiful, fresh paint job. Our professional, experi-enced crews are ready to help. Call 863-5397 or visit LafayettePaintingInc.com. (-14)

NEW AT THE MT. PHILO INN: Overnight Accommodations Spacious 2-3 bedroom suites avail-able 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.

Around TownCongratulations

Sympathy

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].

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Tom Gardner

SCHIPs in Need of

Donations, Volunteers

SCHIP’s Treasure Resale Shop, located on Route 7 in the heart of Shelburne Village, is in need of two things: donations of jewelry to replen-ish its stock after the holidays and volunteers to help fill spots left open by loyal volunteers who have left temporarily for warmer temperatures.

Through the efforts of volunteers and shop staff, SCHIP (Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg Interfaith Project) is celebrating its 10th anniversa-ry this year and has granted more than $450,000 to other nonprofits in the three communities it serves.

If you can give just a couple of hours a week to help at the shop, please call 985-3595 as soon as possible. Training is provided.

Simplicity Parenting Course Offered in Shelburne

Waldorf workshop series explores the

slow parenting movement

Life is so demanding that it can be hard for parents to realize their dreams of deeply connecting to their families. The Simplicity Parenting Series is an oppor-tunity for parents of children ages 3-12 to explore ways to simplify their home life, deepen their relationships with their children and create the family life they really want.

Anne Shapiro, a Waldorf teacher with 20 years of teaching experience, a mother of three grown children and trained facilitator in Simplicity Parenting, will lead five workshops that will help parents learn how to slow down and experience how truly joyful a simplified life with children can be.

These classes are an effective blend of warm sup-port, learning and discussion and are based on the work of Kim John Payne, an internationally renowned family consultant, educator, researcher and author of Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power

of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure

Kids.The first workshop, “What Is Simplicity Parenting?”

takes place Feb. 13 from 7–9 p.m. at the Lake Champlain Waldorf School and is free. The series continues with “Soul Fever” on Feb. 20, “Rhythm and Schedules” on March 6, “Filtering Out the Adult World” on March 13 and “Simplicity Parenting to Go” on March 20.

The four additional workshops run from 7–9 p.m.; each costs $20 per person or $30 per couple. Classes can be taken individually or as a series. Preregistration is required as space is limited. Please call 802-985-2827, ext. 12.

The Charlotte News | Feb. 13, 2014

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Transcript of The Charlotte News | Feb. 13, 2014