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The Charlotte News | Nov. 7, 2013

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Vol. 56, no. 7

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RESULTS OF TURF BOND VOTE

The Charlotte News Volume lVI Number 07 The VoIce of The TowN Thursday, NoVember 7, 2013

CVU continued on page 15

Brett SigurdsonThe charloTTe News

On a recent Friday morning, the kitchen of the Charlotte Congregational Church briefly became a well-oiled machine. There is Nancy Pricer roll-ing out balls of dough into pie crusts. There is Frances Foster filling pie pans with chunks of apples and rolling out pie tops. There is Linda Reynolds crimping the top of each pie to the bot-tom crust to seal it all up—her favorite part of the process, she said.

And then there is Martha Perkins, directing the action. She prepares the dough in a mixer, shows Pricer the best way to knead it on the table, assigns tasks to Foster and Reynolds. But this isn’t a forced march. The kitchen is full of laughter, joking and the sweet smell of future confections.

And thanks to the efforts of volunteers like

these, the church’s fifth annual pie sale was the most successful ever, as the church sold more pies and brought in more money than any prior year.

Perkins attributes the success of the fundraiser to volunteers like Pricer, Foster and Reynolds, who baked 64 pies per week and sold them at the front of the church along Church Hill Street throughout September and October. In total, they sold over 500 pies.

Their efforts raised money to support the church’s outreach programs and organizations like the Lund Center and Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity.

“Buying a pie helps us to help others,” said Perkins.

On this day, Perkins, Pricer, Foster and Reynolds are literally using pies to help others, as they are preparing 16 apple pies for the Joint

Brett SigurdsonThe charloTTe News

Walking through the Quinlan Covered Bridge last Thursday only a few hours before it officially reopened for use, one could almost smell the new-ness of the structure. The hemlock siding, just recently installed along both sides of the 164-year-old bridge, gave the interior a scent of fresh-cut wood. It was easy to see where new, yellow lumber was patched between the structure’s old, tarnished

beams and posts. New bolts shone next to their aged, oxidized counterparts.

However, most of the restoration work complet-ed on the recently reopened bridge off Spear Street Extension in East Charlotte was not so immediately evident, said Emmalee Cherington, a construction engineer on the project, just hours before the bridge was opened to traffic for the first time since March.

Nancy Pricer rolls out a pie crust in the kitchen of the Charlotte Congregational Church while

Martha Perkins (left) and Linda Reynolds discuss making pie dough.

The Sweet Taste of Success

For Bridge, Strength in WaitingWork on the recently opened Quinlan Covered Bridge went three

months over schedule due to unforeseen issues. However, the historic

structure will be stronger for years to come.

Fall Sports Go Out in a Blaze of Color

Edd MerrittThe charloTTe News

Soccer, cross country, football and field hockey have ended their regular seasons with two state championships, one runner up, a berth in the quarterfinals and one in the semi-finals. All in all, it wasn’t a bad fall for Redhawk athletes.

Cross-country runners were among the first to finish their seasons. Coach Scott Bliss said that this year’s squad dem-onstrated the success of distance running as a team sport. Running on Thetford Academy trails, the Redhawk women placed five among the top 13 individual finishers, gaining an 18-point victory over second place St. Johnsbury Academy. It was the tenth time in the last 11 years that CVU has captured the state championship.

As she has been doing all year, Autumn Eastman led the pack. Her time of 18 minutes, 47.4 seconds, was just shy of her record for the Thetford course set in early October at the Woods Trail Run. Sophia Gorman was the second Redhawk across the finish line in sixth place, followed by Emma Putre in tenth. Carly Need in 12th and Haylor Harder in 13th rounded out the leaders. Placing first qualified the Redhawks for the New England Championships, Nov. 9 in Manchester, N.H.

CVU men, led by Zach and Taylor Marshall, came in sec-

NO: 1,969YES: 1,856

Shall $1.5 million in bonds be issued for the purpose of

financing the cost of athletic fields at CVU high school?

Figures are combination of all votes cast in Charlotte, Shelburne, Williston

and Hinesburg. Turnout for the Nov. 5 vote among Charlotters was 23 per-

cent, with 714 voters casting ballots out of 3,122 total registered voters.

Selectboard, CVFRS

Discuss MOA and Budget

John HammerThe charloTTe News

As at so many Selectboard meetings this time of year, the two on Oct. 28 and Nov. 3 included presentations of prelimi-nary budget requests from town committees and officials.

Nevertheless, the contentious discussions between the Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service (CVFRS) and the Selectboard dominated both meetings. The matter of mutual trust on the side of both the CVFRS and some elements of the town as generally personified by the Town Clerk/Treasurer Mary Mead and the town auditors is still missing.

On Oct. 28, the CVFRS discussions began with the prelimi-nary budget, or more exactly, the lack of one. Dave McNally, corporate president of CVFRS submitted a provisional finan-cial report for the period ending September 2013. The report reflected revenues that exceeded the first quarter 2014 budget by nearly 28 percent and showed expenditures at only 17.59 percent of the budget. The principal reason for the savings is that the new firefighter/EMT position has not yet been filled.

The document as presented did not meet the requested pre-

Repairs continued on page 4

Selectboard continued on page 3

Bridge continued on page 10

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Letter

The Charlotte News

The CharloTTe News is a nonprofit community-based newspaper dedicated to informing townspeople of current

events and issues. It serves as a forum for the free exchange of views of town residents and celebrates the people, places

and happenings that make the Town of Charlotte unique.

Contributions in the form of articles, press releases and photographs pertaining to Charlotte-related people and

events are accepted and encouraged from all townspeople and interested individuals. For submission guidelines and deadlines, please visit our website or contact the editor at

[email protected]

Editorial [email protected]

802-425-4949

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Business [email protected]

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PostMastEr: seNd address ChaNges To The CharloTTe News

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CharloTTe, vermoNT 05445TelePhoNe: 425-4949

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The CharloTTe News is published in Charlotte by The Charlotte News, Inc., a Vermont domestic 501(c)4 nonprofit corporation. Distribution is made every other Thursday to all households and businesses in Charlotte and to selected out-

lets in Shelburne, Hinesburg, North Ferrisburgh, Ferrisburgh and Vergennes. It relies on the generous financial contribu-tions of its readers, subscriptions and advertising revenue to

sustain its operations.oN The weB aT:

TheCharloTTeNews.org

gEt involvEd in town govErnMEnt!

The Selectboard is looking for interested citizens to fill the following vacancies:

Trails CommiTTee:1 vacancy, term ends April, 2015CoNservaTioN CommissioN: 1 vacancy, term ends April

2014CharloTTe Park & wildlife refuge oversighT

CommiTTee: 1 vacancyInterested applicants should e-mail, call or stop by the

office for more information.

Dean Bloch, Selectboard Assistant Charlotte Town OfficeP.O. Box 119Charlotte, VT 05445E-mail: [email protected]: 425-3533.

Are you registered to vote?

I have been a “political junkie” for all of my adult life, due mostly to the activity in Wash-ington. I suspect that next year, an election year, may well be the most interesting and/or the most important within my long lifetime. That said, I strongly urge everyone who is not registered to vote, to do so. It follows that if you have friends or neighbors who are not registered, you should urge them to do so also. It may turn out to be one of the most important things you do between now and next Novem-ber, and I can guarantee that you will be glad you did.

Art Ridge Greenbush Road

One Order of Turf

and Grind, PleaseAnd the moon is so full, the stars are so brightAnd my hand is steady, my touch is lightLook in my eyes, hold on real tightAnd I’ll waltz you my darling across Texas tonightI’ll waltz you my darling across Texas tonight -Emmylou Harris, “Waltz Across Texas Tonight”

Turf and grind. Sounds like a McDonalds spe-cialty dinner, doesn’t it? Well, around this neck of the woods, the terms have become contro-

versies rather than fast foods, and that is interesting because, while restaurants are pushing the healthiness of their menus, local activists are simultaneously push-ing artificial playing fields for their kids and fewer opportunities for “dirty dancing” in their schools.

What do AstroTurf and bump and grind have in common? The answer is easy. One creates mud holes under athletes’ feet. The other creates a dirty bend just above the bootstraps. People argue the appropriate-ness of either.

Reading the thousand-and-one ads pushing for arti-ficial turf on CVU’s playing fields and a recent article in the Stowe Reporter describing why the Stowe high school principal canceled the remainder of the sea-son’s dances (with the exception of the prom) because of too much grinding reminded me of my own youth-ful experiences around dancing and mud.

Believe it or not, both terms often fell together in one sentence through clenched teeth from my high school football coach’s mouth, said with a vigor that stored them in my memory for over 50 years.

Huntz was his name. He was renowned through-out Minnesota for his intensity around football. As a result of that, as well as some good ball players—most of them before my time—he was one of the most successful coaches in the state. As players, we listened to him unquestioningly. Even my friend Tom, who asked the reason for nearly everything in life, would only whisper his concern to the person next to him on the bench or wait until we got to the back of the bus before asking why Huntz didn’t call his play in the third quarter. Needless to say, Tom chose law as a profession where he could voice his questions out loud over the course of an entire career.

Back to Huntz and the grind, however. Before

sending a player onto the field, he prepared you for action by not only telling you your assignment but also cutting off your breath by twisting the strings near the top of your shoulder pads. One twist for every word out of his mouth. It was a ritual we had to endure before hitting the field. The closer the game, the harder the twist and the more we couldn’t wait to be released from his grip.

What he often said, however, was apropos of the current state of matters in Vermont high schools. “Dammit, Eddie, I want you to get out there and grind that Albert Lea halfback into the mud so that his jer-sey looks like it got buried in a cow stall in Iowa! You understand me?”

“Grind” and “mud.” Are we about to lose these words that were such crucial elements in Coach Huntz’s vocabulary?

When it comes to the “grind” part, the Stowe article quotes the high school principal as saying that danc-ing as a “grind” is inappropriate, and principals across the country find themselves dealing with the issue. Well, I suppose in my early teenage years my parents also felt that our dancing had gone beyond the realm of appropriateness—which, to them meant even a sin-gle step away from the waltz. They sent me to dancing class as a youngster, hoping that I would stay with their tunes and their benign steps. Hah! Fat chance of that. I was of the Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Big Bop-per era, which we, in turn, tied into Friday nights at the VFW hall following each home football game. Those of us on the team arrived appropriately late, as sports heroes often do. We found our girlfriends in the crowd, and although we didn’t exactly “grind” on the dance floor, we came close. If my father had seen us, he would have called the mayor and asked him to shut the place down.

We had showered before arriving because often our game had been played in the mud of Soldiers’ Field, a poorly lit natural turf layout without grass cover in key spots around midfield and the goal lines.

As I recall, the wetter and muddier the field, the less you hurt when you hit it. Our quarterback (spinback) didn’t have to worry about solid footing because he seldom passed the ball. The only person who really hated the turf was my friend Butch’s mother who, after every game, felt compelled to wash or re-dye his jersey if it wouldn’t come clean. She couldn’t let her son play in a dirty uniform in front of other parents.

It sounds as though nowadays the mud of athletic fields and the grind of high school dances may be short-lived. Makes me a bit nostalgic, particularly for the latter. I owe my grinding to my southern room-mate in college. At our first freshman dance he said, “Edd, jeez get your hips movin’. You can’t just stand there and count steps, man.”

It worked. Almost instantly I was welcomed for a date with a quiet North Dakota girl we called the “Fargo Flash.” Like my blocking assignments in foot-ball, I remember those dance steps to this day—toe to heal and shake that bootie.

I haven’t tried it on AstroTurf, but I’m willing to give it a shot.

OutTakes Commentary by Edd Merritt

The Charlotte News ��1RYHPEHU����������������1RYHPEHU�����������The Charlotte News

2Q�WKH�FRYHUVolunteers selling pies at the Charlotte Congregational ChurCh got into the hal-loween spirit last wednesday. they are (from left) lane morrison, VinCe farr and pat farr. photo by orChard CoVe photog-raphy.

Next issue deadlines

Contributions: thursday, noV. 14, by 5 p.m.letters: monday, noV. 18, by 10 a.m. next publiCation date: thursday, noV. 21

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Clip and mail this coupon to The Charlotte News with your donation today and support your local paper!

Learn Communication Tools at Church Event

Are you frustrated by repeated family argu-ments? Are your simplest requests met with resis-tance? Do you find yourself wishing everyone could “just get along”?

On Thursday, Nov. 7, at 5:30 p.m., the Charlotte Congregational Church presents a new “Things that Matter” evening, this time focusing on learn-ing personality type and temperament tools to reduce conflict and bring greater harmony to ever-changing family dynamics.

Shelburne residents Randy and Ginny Rowland will lead the discussion and explore how cognitive processing plays into the scripts of our lives and those of our pre-adolescent and teenage children. Together they bring many years of experience in management leadership, career counseling and communication training to the table and have much to share. (They are also presently parenting their third teenager.)

Plan on learning at least one thing to help ease the challenge of parenting and communicating with your children, not to mention co-workers, spouses or other family members. There is some-thing for everyone in this conversation.

A soup supper is served at 5:30 p.m., followed by the discussion. A suggested donation of $12 is requested. Please RSVP to Jenny Wright at ucccharlotte.net so we can set a place at the table for you. For further information call 425-3176.

Community Safety Committee Seeks

Public InputCharlotters invited to take online sur-vey, attend special meeting Nov. 12

Does Charlotte have a crime problem? Is speed-ing an issue in town? If so, what can be done?

Charlotte’s Community Safety Committee is looking for input from community members about these issues and more by inviting Charlotters to take an online survey and attend a meeting dedi-cated to receiving public input.

The ad hoc committee was created by the Selectboard to identify the need for police service, to research the costs and advantages of providing it, and to investigate other options for reducing criminal activity and speeding in town.

From now until Nov. 21, Charlotters are encour-aged to take a two-minute survey titled “Policing in Charlotte,” which asks participants their opin-ions regarding crime and speeding in Charlotte as well as the quality of police service in town and how much money the town should appropriate for police service.

Currently, Charlotte budgets $25,000 a year for traffic enforcement, which pays for nearly nine hours of traffic enforcement service per week. The Vermont State Police provide general police ser-vice to Charlotte at no cost to the town.

The survey is hosted at surveymonkey.com/s/charlotte2013csc.

The Community Safety Committee is dedicat-ing its Nov. 12 meeting to receiving public input. Charlotters are encouraged to participate and voice their concerns and ideas. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Town Hall.

liminary FY 2015 budget submission called for in the meeting’s agenda item. McNally noted that since the draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) had not yet been completed it is difficult to anticipate the new financial elements. This task is further complicated by the mandated unified budget that combines the Fire & Res-cue elements with the special funds. CVFRS will present its preliminary budget to the Selectboard on Dec. 9.

McNally also introduced an inter-nal tracking tool that was prepared in accordance with recommendations from the five-year audit conducted earlier this year. He said that this document would reflect the “types of products we hope to be able to provide over the year.” It provides a starting point for conversations to build a budget with some history behind it.

The fact that a preliminary bud-get had not yet been presented at the Oct. 23 meeting continued to be a matter of contention at the Select-board meeting on Nov. 4 as well.

John Snow, vice president of the corporate board, stated that, “It’s fair to say that, unlike last year, where we saw a significant increase in order to get paid fire-fighting staff [in this current budget], we are not at this time mindful of any significant factor like that that would influence our budget request for next year.”

The ongoing discussion concerning the draft MOA between CVFRS and the town continues to eat up meet-ing time. Discussion over the details has centered primarily on the level of oversight that should be given the town. As noted above, there is suspi-cion on many citizens’ parts that past performance at CVFRS on financial matters has been sloppy. Currently, the MOA has provisions for a quar-terly presentation of CVFRS finances to the Selectboard. Mead asked why it was not possible to get monthly reports, including detailed bank state-ments. There was some pushback from the Selectboard who felt that perhaps that was too much detail.

The members of the Selectboard were in favor of a quarterly presenta-tion with standard financial reports monthly. They maintain that these reports are sufficient for them to gauge the financial health of CVFRS and to anticipate problems.

As of the end of the Nov. 4 meeting a number of issues remain outstand-ing, most significantly the need for

completion of Exhibits 1 and 2 of the document and sentences regarding how any operating fund surpluses and deficits would be handled.

Moe Harvey asked whether the Selectboard might form a commit-tee to investigate putting the rescue services out to bid.A survey was con-ducted in the spring of this year that revealed the costs of providing res-cue services per person in Charlotte were considerably higher than in the surrounding eight towns. Chairman Russell agreed that it might be worth looking into.

Discussions on the MOA between the town and CVFRS continued over both meetings with two drafts being studied closely. While the Selectboard sees that financial dealings are becom-ing smoother, the opinion of the con-

trarian factions in town were summed up by Peter Trono, a town auditor, who said, “The history has been that they (CVFRS) are not responsible spenders.”

Safety Committee CharterThe Selectboard approved the char-

ter for the Community Safety Com-mittee. Ed Cafferty, the only member of the committee present, reported that its task is quite daunting but that quite a bit of work had been done, including a “substantial analysis of 911 calls” from Charlotte over the past five years. The committee plans to hold a survey beginning Nov. 7 to ascertain answers to numerous ques-tions that have been raised by the public. Look for them in the Charlotte News, on Front Porch Forum and on the town’s web site.

The committee will endeavor to make a report with preliminary rec-ommendations to the Selectboard on Dec. 16.

New PlaNNiNg/ZoNiNg admiNiStrator

In a late meeting decision on Nov. 4, the Selectboard decided to offer the position of town planner/zoning

administrator/deputy health officer/sewage control officer to Jeannine McCrumb of South Burlington. She will take her position on Dec. 2. This is an expanded position that will receive a salary of $47,840 plus benefits for a 40-hour week with benefits.

towN auditIt had been hoped that the draft

town audit report for the year ending June 30, 2013, would be approved at one of these two meetings, but it has not yet been finalized by the indepen-dent auditors.

other buSiNeSSOther issues covered during the two

meetings include:��WKH�UHTXLUHPHQW�WKDW�ZDUUDQWV�SD\-

ing town employees be signed by at least three Selectmen before the payment file could be released to the bank. The intent would be for this to occur before noon on a Tuesday. This will result in town employees getting their checks or transferred funds on the following Thursday. It was emphasized that this delay is caused by banking procedures.�� DSSURYDO� RI� DQ� 2SHQ� 6SDFH�

Agreement for 2877 Spear Street Associates. This covers plots on Spear Street south of the Spear’s Corner Store complex.� approval of a $6,000 incen-

tive for the contractor working on Bridge 31 for keeping the bridge

passable during pier repair work.�� UHPRYDO�RI� WKH�ZHLJKW� UHVWULFWLRQ�

on Bridge 31, which carries Dorset Street across the LaPlatte River. This means that the weight limit is now 24,000 pounds unless a special per-mit has been issued. Agricultural and emergency vehicles are exempt.��GLVFXVVLRQ�RQ�WKH�VRXUFHV�DQG�XVHV�

of funds for the repair of Bridges 14, 30 and 31. The result was that there is $323,000 set aside from grants and town funding for planning and construction. Included was a list of priorities.��DSSURYDO�RI�D�SD\PHQW�RQ�DQ�LQWHU-

governmental invoice of $5,072 to the Chittenden Unit for Special Investiga-tions for the current year.��approval of a grant resolution and

agreement from the Vermont Com-munity Development Program for the Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity project on Albert’s Way.�� PRYLQJ� WKH� 6HOHFWERDUG� PHHWLQJ�

scheduled for Dec. 23 to Dec. 16.The next regularly scheduled

Selectboard meeting is set for Nov. 25. There is a possibility that a special meeting will be held on Nov. 18.

ProPoSed budget PreSeNtatioN SChedule

November 25Road Commissioner, Affordable Hous-

ing Trust Fund, Energy Committee, Recreation, Intramurals, Conser-vation Commission, Lewis Creek Association,Charlotte Land Trust,

CVFRS

December 9Town Clerk, Library, Senior Center, Charlotte Little League, Selectboard

Selectboardcontinued from page 1

The Charlotte News ��1RYHPEHU����������������1RYHPEHU�����������The Charlotte News

CCS to Host Artisan & Craft

Fair Nov. 16

Nearly 70 Vermont artists and crafters will come together at CCS for the

school’s annual Artisan & Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Vendors will offer handcrafted, unique items, such as fine jewelry, handmade

quilts, hand-turned wood bowls, vases, platters, spinning tops, ornaments, dolls,

chocolates, note cards, knit items, art work, photography and more.

This free event benefits CCS enrichment programs.

For more information on the Artisan & Craft Fair, including a full list of vendors,

visit ccsfairvt.com or facebook.com/pages/CCS-Artisan-Craft-Fair.

Charlotte Representative Mike

Yantachka will join four other speakers

at an educational forum on reducing gun

violence hosted by Gun Sense Vermont

on Monday, Nov. 11, from 6:30-8 p.m. at

Burlington City Hall.

“Vermont is not immune to gun vio-

lence, and our laws are out of date and

incredibly lax. This is a public safety

issue that needs to be discussed,” said Ann

Braden, Gun Sense Vermont founder and

lead organizer.

Yantachka, who has been a longtime

advocate for gun safety legislation and

has co-sponsored bills in the Vermont

State Legislature directed at reducing gun

violence, will join Eliot Nelson, M.D.,

Sally Kerschner, Karen Tronsgard-Scott

and Sean Ackerman, M.D., to discuss how

to better protect the safety of Vermonters.

Dr. Nelson is a pediatrician in the

Vermont Children’s Hospital at Fletcher

Allen and a professor at the UVM College

of Medicine. In 2002, Dr. Nelson received

a Special Achievement Award from the

American Academy of Pediatrics for his

work on firearm injury prevention through

legislative efforts.

Kerschner has worked for over 35 years

as a nurse in community health and mater-

nal and child health and is on the Board of

the Vermont Public Health Association.

She will address gun violence as a public

health issue.

Tronsgard-Scott is the Executive

Director of the Vermont Network Against

Sexual and Domestic Violence. She is a

nationally recognized speaker on issues

related to domestic and sexual violence

and on nonprofit leadership.

Dr. Ackerman is in the third year of his

child psychiatry residency at UVM. He

will speak about the intersection of mental

illness and gun violence.

Gun Sense Vermont is a quickly grow-

ing grassroots organization that is work-

ing to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

It includes gun owners and non-gun own-

ers, doctors and teachers, hunters and vet-

erans, civic leaders and religious leaders,

and it bridges organizations, such as Child

Safe Vermont and the Vermont Public

Health Association.

The forum is free and open to the

public. For more information, go to gun-

sensevt.org/upcoming-events.

Urban Ministry Project, or JUMP, fun-

draising dinner the following evening.

The Congregational Church is one of 26

churches that support the program.

Foster explains that she has enjoyed the

chance to learn how to make pies, as she

never had the opportunity to cook like this

when she was growing up.

“For me, this has been wonderful, not

only to make pies and help benefit our

community but also getting the chance

to work with so many great people,”

she says. There’s a sense of camaraderie

among the volunteers, she adds. And

that feeling of good will is returned by

customers.

“Apple pie takes your troubles away,”

says Perkins, “Buyers go away happy.”

She recounts how a flustered father

pulled in to purchase a pie with his three

crying children. Upon leaving, however,

they all drove away with smiles on their

faces. That’s the power of the pie.

“It’s just marvelous,” said Pricer.

Perkins says the pie sales will continue

each fall indefinitely, though she is hop-

ing to step back from her leadership role

in the near future. The “brains behind the

operation,” as one volunteer described

her, Perkins has devoted a lot of time

to organizing the pie-making operation,

baking pies and even researching how to

make them better. After noticing the crust

was coming out soggy, she spent time

exploring what caused it (the key: don’t

put the cinnamon and sugar mixture on

the crust too early).

Still, Perkins knows she has a great

group of dedicated volunteers who can

step up, and she hopes more members

from the community will get involved.

After all, there’s more to these pies than

just sweetness.

“It’s a community thing,” says Perkins

as she prepares more dough. “It’s fun.”

Linda Reynolds and Frances Foster (right) prepare a pie as Martha Perkins looks on.

Pies continued from page 1

Yantachka to Speak at Gun

Violence Forum

Reg [email protected]

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Morse’s Doodles & Jots Now a Book

You’ve seen Morse’s Doodles & Jots in the Charlotte News—now you can get them in book form.

Charlotter Jim Morse has recently published Morse’s Doodles & Jots through Red Barn Books of Vermont. A doodler and a journal keeper for many years, Morse has created hundreds of images and pithy comments, sprung from his wellspring of hopeful skepticism and decades-long careful observation of the world’s trials, triumphs and tribulations. This compila-tion of his colorful drawings and aphorisms showcases his phil-osophical observations on law and justice, politics, art, religion, health care and more.

A former Vermont Supreme Court justice, Morse has resid-ed in Charlotte since 1971. He has been married for 48 years and has two daughters and five grandchildren.

Morse’s Doodles & Jots is available at booksellers through-out the area and can be ordered through windridgebooksofvt.com/red-barn-books.

Enjoy an evening of wonderful music on Monday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at CVU’s audi-torium when the Hinesburg Artist Series’ 2013–2014 performance season kicks off. Talented local musicians will perform in the Hinesburg Community Band, South County Chorus and In Accord under the direction of Rufus Patrick

The South County Chorus, which features six members from Charlotte, will present selec-tions by Victor Johnson, Larry Shackley, Allan Naplan, Jim Papoulis, Pepper Choplin and

Vicki Tucker Courtney, as well as a wonderful a cappella selection by David Brunner, Viva La Musica.

The Hinesburg Community Band will per-form works by Robert Smith, Carl Strommen, David Schaffer and Charles Carter, and a won-derful novelty composition by John Wasson titled Curtain Call.

The concert is free, though donations are gratefully accepted.

South County Chorus to Kick Off Hinesburg Artist Series Nov. 18

Bitybean Launches Kickstarter Campaign to Go Worldwide

Charlotte-based Bitybean, LLC, is launching a Kickstarter campaign on Friday, Nov. 8, to help bring its UltraCompact baby carrier to parents around the world. The goal of the cam-paign is to raise $25,000 in capital to launch its carrier into full-scale production.

Founder Doug Hartwell created the eight-ounce carrier to solve a problem he identified when his daughter was learning to walk. Bitybean’s conveniently packable carrier can hold a child weighing up to 40 pounds and folds into the size of a phone, giving parents the flexibility to be ready for anything.

Bitybean has won two awards since its creation: a Juvenile Products Manufacturing Asso-ciation (JPMA) “Innovation Award” in 2012 and a “Best in Show” at the New York Baby Show this past May. FitPregnancy magazine also named it the best value carrier in its 2013 Buyer’s Guide.

The company is planning to donate a portion of its profits to national nonprofit Children and Nature Network, which aims to connect children to nature, and the Carrying On Project, which strives to supply child carriers to military families.

For more information about Bitybean’s Kickstarter campaign, visit bitybean.com.

Jim Morse

$55,000OUR GOAL

$20,721RAISED SO FAR

Help us raise $55,000 for our 55th anniversary by making a donation

to the News today. You’ll be entered in a drawing for an iPad or quilt.

Find out more at thecharlottenews.org/support-the-news.

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@ 55

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Kitchens

Additions

Restoration

The warmth of the Mediterranean . . . . . . in the heart of Shelburne

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Edd Merritt The CharloTTe News

Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant is back in the news as its owner, Entergy Corporation, plans to shut it down next year. In a recent article published on VT

Digger, historian Mark Bushnell tells the story of how Charlotte almost became the location for a nuclear plant.

Nuclear energy has a history in Ver-mont going back to at least the 1960s when Charlotte was a bright spot on the map for the Central Vermont Public Service Corporation (CVPS), which was then looking for a site on the shores of Lake Champlain on which to set up a gen-erating station. Current Charlotte News board member and initial editor of the paper Nancy Wood wrote an historical analysis of the proposed project for her graduate thesis. Nancy was particularly close to the debate over location, being the daughter-in-law of Dick and Mary Thurber, who had signed an option to sell 210 acres of their farm in Charlotte to CVPS, as well as being the daughter of Lyman Wood, who was one of the lead-ing opponents of the project.

The Thurbers had purchased the prop-erty in 1937 from the Holmes family (Holmes Road) for a Depression-based foreclosure price of merely $11,000. They worked the farm for the next 30 years, raising beef cattle, pigs and sheep as well as three children. Both Thurbers were active in the community, with Dick serving on the Charlotte School Board that spearheaded the transition from many one-room schoolhous-es scattered through-out town to the cur-rent Charlotte Central School. Mary was a lister who was later elected to the state leg-islature.

The Thurbers began to feel the tax crunch brought about through reappraisal of land, particularly shorefront, which increased their property’s value by nearly one-third above its purchase price. What had been a farm became “valuable lakeshore prop-erty.” Their appeal of the new assessment was denied, and the Thurbers along with their son-in-law, Dynan Candon, began exploring ways of selling parcels of the acreage. As the principal investor in Ver-mont Yankee Nuclear Power Corpora-

tion, CVPS approached them to talk about the possibility of a sale.

How people in the community heard of the option on the Thurber farm is a bit uncertain. However, hear about it they did, and debaters on both sides gathered together rapidly. The strongest opposition came through the Lake Cham-plain Committee (LCC), its secretary-treasurer at the time being Lyman Wood,

Nancy’s father. In the fall of 1968 LCC publicly opposed the establishment of a nuclear power plant anywhere on Lake Champlain.

Other opponents from town included internationally rec-

ognized landscape architect Dan Kiley; Peter Paine, a New York attorney and summer resident of Charlotte; and Peter Bergh, a planner who, while chairing the committee to look into the proposal, was overheard to say that he personally believed it would be a “potential disas-ter.”

The debate went on for nearly ten years, until May 1978 when CVPS rec-ognized that Charlotte had grown an

expanding and increasingly well-orga-nized opposition group to nuclear power, and the company withdrew its proposal and headed to the other side of the state to establish a generating facility.

The controversy had not left town completely, however. In a poll taken in the early 70s there remained one-third of Charlotte residents who still favored con-struction of the plant as a way of gaining cheaper power and lower taxes. Writing in Natural History magazine, Richard Klein said that the nuclear proponents, nonetheless, underestimated the “knowl-edge and organizing ability” of their opposition.

Think what a plant such as Vermont Yankee would have meant to Charlotte. Imagine, if you will, hiking up the Deme-ter trails to the ridgeline near Route 7 and gazing over a Charlotte shoreline dominated by one or more nuclear silos. In addition to presenting a different vista to the West Village, in all likelihood it would also have impacted the town’s cul-ture in ways that would have made Char-lotte dramatically different from what it is now. Given the current state of affairs over nuclear energy, the debate over future prospects would be ongoing.

Vermont Yankee Could Have Been Charlotte Yankee

“Imagine...gazing over a Charlotte shoreline dominated by one or more nuclear silos.”

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SMArt Flicks: The Goonies Attention all swashbucklers and treasure hunters! Shelburne Museum is pleased to present the 1980s film classic The Goonies. Don your favorite pirate costume, sample some high seas treats and participate in a treasure hunt in the Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education. Walking the plank will be optional.

1-4 p.m., Saturday, November 16

Free with Museum admission. Museum Members and children under age 5 are free.

Sign up by April 10 and get $25.00 off your next 3 bills

plus we will donate $10.00 to the Vermont Foodbank!

The Charlotte News ��1RYHPEHU����������������1RYHPEHU�����������The Charlotte News

Do Trees Talk

to Each Other?

Larry HamiltonContributor

Many of you readers are pleased and somewhat amazed by the abundance of fruits and nuts that have been produced this year by trees and shrubs ranging from apple trees to blueberries to hazel-nuts. This has been true also for many species of forest trees. Last spring I wrote a column on the topic of the weather and the wonderful flowering on trees of all descriptions. Flowering crabs at the post office and library were gorgeous, and the crop of crabapples was so heavy that we had to prune them drastically.

Now, the late-summer/early fall crop of nuts on many of our hickories, walnuts, butternuts, bass-wood and ironwood is truly remarkable. More-over, almost all trees are abundantly producing. This synchronous mast (nut and acorns) fall will guarantee that the many species of rodents and other animals such as turkey, grouse, bear, rac-coon and fox do not consume all of the seed on which tree reproduction depends. It is called “swamping,” and it occurs periodically two to five years apart for most species and is a strategy for overwhelming seed predation (including by humans). Trees have to accumulate enough energy to produce flowers and seed, and this is largely governed by favorable growing conditions—espe-cially weather. The wet spring we had this year was a key factor.

But not all synchronous fruiting of a species can be entirely attributed to weather. To successfully regenerate the species, it is not enough for a single tree to just plod along, producing its much-desired

fruit in modest amounts, and then when sufficient sugars and starch have been “banked” in the roots, spend its account lavishly. Trees, in fact, do this at varying rates, depending on their habitats. But in synchrony, in order to swamp out predation it would seem, all individuals of a species over large regions will bear bumper crops. It is as if the trees talked with each other and said, “Okay, gang, let’s all give out in order to survive as a species and in unison.” There are no soloists!

Do trees “converse” with each other? We know that there is communication through pheromones, so that if an insect or pathogen attacks one tree, some kind of signal is transmitted so that neigh-bors initiate more than normal defense mecha-nisms (usually an increase in defense chemicals) against the enemy. Many of these hormone-like compounds are wafted downwind as danger sig-nals. Root grafting, which is common inter-spe-cifically (e.g. with oaks), or root suckering (as in beech, black locust, aspens, pin cherry), may be another means of communication.

Your friendly tree warden, in addition to being a forest ecologist, is also a wanna-be Druid. I hug trees. I even talk to them. And it is not my imagi-nation that occasionally a tree will talk back—or at least convey mood and character somehow. With eyes closed I can distinguish between the murmur of wind in a rustling red oak versus a fluttering of an aspen. Their voices are distinct.

I encourage you to spend quiet time with trees, especially older ones. Perhaps lean against a trunk or limb and close your eyes. Feel their subtle movements and, most importantly, listen. Maybe they’ll reveal to you some of their experience and wisdom about life and cooperation and survival.

Larry Hamilton is a junior druid and Charlotte’s

volunteer tree warden

Children’s Center Hosts Pie for Breakfast

Join the Charlotte Children’s Center for breakfast—a pie breakfast—on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Charlotte Congrega-tional Church from 9-11 a.m.

Attendees are asked to bring a pie to share and a non-perishable food donation for the Charlotte Food Shelf’s Thanksgiving baskets. Entertainment will be provided by Sparkle Stories and Hokum Bros.

This free event is open to the community. For more infor-mation, contact the Children’s Center at 425-3328.

Morse's Doodles & Jots

Infinity is finite in the sense that there is no more than there is.

The Charlotte News ��1RYHPEHU����������������1RYHPEHU�����������The Charlotte News

Julia BeerworthContributor

There have been momen-tous and positive changes this fall for the 14 Charlotte stu-

dents attending the Heartworks and Renaissance schools in Shelburne.

New owners Lisa and Paul Zengil-owski of Hinesburg have a longstand-ing personal history with the schools. Lisa worked as school director of Heartworks for ten years and super-vised all three Heartworks schools prior to assuming her new role as co-owner and school director of the Renaissance School.

The Renaissance School is locat-ed on Shelburne Farms, a 1,400-acre farm nestled along the shores of Lake Champlain. Lisa and Paul are dedi-cated to cultivating an innovative, inter-disciplinary approach to education on Shelburne Farms. The teaching staff is actively weaving collaboration with the farm educators into the existing school curriculum, and the students are engaged in a number of educational and stewardship activities.

As the new owners explain, “We believe in the farm’s educational mis-sion and commitment to sustainabil-ity, and we are strongly committed to integrating it across our curriculum. In doing so, Renaissance School students will learn about their place in the natu-ral world and their ability to have a positive impact on their environment. Through this evolving stewardship program with the farm, students will have an opportunity to have a direct hand in maintaining and enhancing the

farm’s landscape.” The stewardship program at Shel-

burne Farms will help facilitate the connection from learning to farming. Farm educator Christine Nord adds that hands-on learning on the farm “not only has the potential to create real and rel-evant learning opportunities for youth, but also to spark a deep connection which we hope will lead to active citi-zens knowledgeable about their com-munity.”

She wholeheartedly welcomes the recent collaboration. “We hope that students at the Renaissance School will have the opportunity to learn and grow here, feel an intimate connection to their food and fiber, and to develop a love of their farm,” said Nord.

There are four places of stewardship that have been exclusively reserved for the students’ year-round tending. The first of these is the chicken coop, where they will assist in collecting eggs, clean the coop and become expert “chick-enologists.” The second is the forest area near the farmyard, where the stu-dents will gather baseline data through-out the year and observe the growth of various tree species. They will partake in a plat survey to regulate the growth and wellbeing of the forest.

Third, they will learn to identify and remove buckthorn and honeysuckle—invasive species that impede the growth of sugar maples. As stewards of the pond, they will monitor water quality utilizing the biotic index. They will also be sampling various macroinvertebrates living in the pond and caring for the surrounding trail area.

Finally, students will assist the farm education team with planning, planting, weeding and harvesting produce in the

upper garden. Throughout the growing season, they will explore the natural ecosystem of the farm while learning about nutrition, agriculture and envi-ronmental science.

This collaboration with Shelburne Farms and the four primary areas of stewardship are just the tip of the ice-berg of the Renaissance School experi-ence. The children are guided through an academically rigorous course of study that blends traditional classes with strong language, music, drama and art programs.

In sum, the Renaissance School pro-vides an outstanding academic founda-tion for its students and respects and honors the spirit of every child.

Outside the school’s century-old, barn-style door (affectionately dubbed “Hogwarts” by many of its inhabitants) are sloping hills, green pastures and

grazing livestock. In a fast-paced world where one can easily become discon-nected from nature, the Renaissance School strikes a brilliant balance of traditional learning and fun on the farm.

As a Renaissance School teacher, I could not imagine a more idyllic setting for a school or a stronger educational experience for the students. As both a teacher and parent of two children at the school, I have the great fortune of doing what I love: observing my stu-dents and my own children engaged in a educational journey that is both chal-lenging and uplifting.

For more information, please contact Lisa Zengilowski at 985-8209 or [email protected].

Fifth graders (from left) Catie Macauley of Charlotte, Jasmine Crowe of Shelburne and Taegen Yardley of Charlotte gather wood at Shelburne Farms Beach.

At Renaissance School,

Charlotters Get Outside

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WOMEN’SHEALTH CARESERVICES.

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527 Ferry Road, Charlotte / 802-425-2781

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The Charlotte News ��1RYHPEHU����������������1RYHPEHU�����������The Charlotte News

The Lake Champlain Waldorf School has announced the pub-lic launch of a transforma-

tive capital campaign to raise $2.3 million. The effort, called “The Time Is Now,” is the largest cam-paign in the school’s 30-year history.

The campaign will raise money to help fund two significant projects: the purchase and renovation of the for-mer Morgan Horse Museum on Bost-wick Road to become the new high school campus and the construction of a new gym and performance space at the kindergarten and grade school cam-pus.

Alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty and friends of the school kicked off the campaign on Oct. 12 at the site of the future high school. Campaign Co-Chair Maureen Wheeler reports that in the past year $1.8 million has already been raised through generous leadership contributions. The total raised includes the largest single gift in the school’s history: an anonymous donation of $650,000.

“We also now have an historic $200,000 chal-lenge from a group of alumni, grandparents, parents and the Board of Trustees,” said Development Director Lisa Espenshade. “We call them the Four Pillars of the School. When we raise an additional $300,000 from the community, this generous group will award the $200,000.”

“Our campaign’s tremendous prog-ress to date is a reflection of the deep commitment and passion to this educa-tion that lives in the community,” said Wheeler.

The campaign is a result of the school’s programmatic growth and suc-

cess. “We are bursting at the seams,” explains Board President Josh Simonds. “We have outgrown our high school, our grade school needs more room for gym and other subject programs, and we need our early childhood, grade school and high school to all be located near each other, in Shelburne.”

The high school, entering its thir-teenth year, is currently located on Ferry Road in Charlotte.

Thanks to the dedication of a group of parents and grandparents, the school was able to purchase the landmark Morgan Horse property located at the

top of Bostwick Road. The group now is raising money for the substantial renovation that will turn it into a high school. Nestled in meadows and sur-rounding woods, with more than twice the space of the current high school, the three-acre property in the Shelburne Museum District will accommodate more than 100 students and will provide the school with room to meet growing enrollment demands.

Community members marveled at the building’s beauty and serene setting. “It

will be one of the most beautiful high schools in the state,” exclaimed high school alumni parent Sharon Richards.

The kick-off was an opportunity to mark this historic initiative, which will transform both the high school and the grade school of this unique, indepen-dent school. Honorary Campaign Co-Chair Lynette Raap (Will and Lynette Raap started Gardener’s Supply) talked about her long history as one of the founding families in the school.

“The Lake Champlain Waldorf School’s commitment to invest in larger and updated facilities will sup-

port the faculty as they encour-age our students to enter the world confident, com-passionate and wise, through our hub of edu-cation, music and culture,” said Wheeler.

The renovation of the Morgan Horse Museum is scheduled to begin in 2014 and will include, along with aca-demic class-rooms, a multi-use community room, a student common room

with gorgeous views of the Adiron-dacks, a light-filled fine art studio (named for Vermont artists Alden and Mary Bryan), woodworking, handwork and metal-smithing rooms, a profes-sional kitchen for the hot lunch program that features local and organic food, a library, and a science lab dedicated to phenomenological-based science.

The renovation of the grade school Community Room will double the size of the audience space and will include spaces dedicated to arts and to athletics.

Make a Difference at CCS with CY

MentoringWould you enjoy sitting down with

a ten-year-old friend and playing a card game? Do you have time during the school day to relax with a mid-dle school student who enjoys having someone to talk to about her day? How about throwing a ball to an enthusiastic 12-year-old boy?

If you find yourself drawn to any of these activities, you may be ready to become a Connecting Youth mentor at CCS.

The CY Mentoring Program is look-ing for local community members to become volunteer mentors to students who would benefit from the friendship of an additional adult in their lives. Mentors are paired with a fifth through eighth grader and meet for one hour a week at the school during the school day. A designated mentor room houses games, crafts and other activities but is mostly a place for a friendship to develop.

An end of the year survey of our mentors, students and school faculty found that youth in the program felt better about school and themselves, and truly enjoyed having a mentor.

Adults are provided with training and support by the mentor coordinator. If you are interested in learning more or starting an application, please contact Wendy Bratt, CY mentoring coordina-tor, at CCS by phone at 425-2771, ext. 142 or by email at [email protected].

For Waldorf School, the ‘Time is Now’ Lake Champlain school launches $2.3 million capital campaign

A rendering of the student common room at the Lake Champlain Waldorf School’s future campus on Bostwick Road. The school has launched a $2.3 million capital campaign to renovate and expand its Shelburne campuses.

SEND US YOUR NEWS, PHOTOS,

EVENTS: news@charlotte-

newsvt.com

Create a collage inspired by Shelburne Museum’s collections and pictures of your own to make a paperweight that highlights what you are thankful for this season.

1 p.m. and 4 p.m. November 20, Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education.

$20; $15 Members. Registration is required; please call (802) 985-0902.

www.shelburnemuseum.org

wednesday workshop:

Paper-weights

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Because the resto-ration was meant to reinforce the Quinlan Bridge’s structural integ-rity, much of the work on the 164-year-old bridge was hidden from view. Its two steel floor gird-ers that span nearly 90 feet across Lewis Creek were replaced with four new ones that are three inches taller and heavier per square inch than the older beams. Rotted and broken beams and com-ponents from the roof to the floor were also replaced or patched in places most travelers will never see.

What commuters in East Charlotte could see, though, was that the bridge was slower to open than advertised.

As Cherington detailed the scope of work completed on the Quinlan Bridge, she was in the midst of finishing paper-work on the project and paying bills that day, necessary busywork that filled the time as she waited for state officials to

conduct a formal walkthrough to inspect the project before approving its reopen-ing.

Waiting has been a common theme with the bridge, which was originally scheduled to open in late July. However, that date was pushed back at least 14 times due to change orders in the proj-ect, some necessitated by several seri-ous structural issues discovered in the rebuilding process.

Last winter, for example, the concrete bearing seats on which the structure

rests on either side of Lewis Creek were discovered to be so bad they were crum-bling into gravel as workers jackham-mered them.

“There was no concrete to it,” said Cherington, “no cement holding it together. It was like a gravel road hold-ing up the bridge. It was a little scary.”

Once it started the work, the construc-tion crew discovered the backwalls—the L-shaped concrete platforms that sup-port the bridge and stand against the road—were not attached to the bearing seat as they should be, creating another potentially dangerous situation.

“The back wall could have fallen over,” Cherington said. “There was enough pressure of the road pushing it forward and the floor deck pushing it back that it had always, fortunately,

stayed in place. But it easily could have blown out from underneath. Any number of things could have happened with it. That was pretty scary when they discovered that.”

Both of these issues added quite a bit more time to the project, pushing back the projected completion date nearly three months.

“There are so many what-ifs that you don’t know,” said Cherington. “It’s not like you’re sitting down and designing a brand new bridge. You have no idea what you’re going to run into with a bridge like this.”

Other unexpected repairs weren’t so serious. Crews replaced one entire top chord on the down-stream side of the bridge because it had a hole in it. The original contract called for replacing two

(Left and above) Before and after pictures of the Quinlan Covered Bridge's inte-rior. Notice the two original steel in the center of the bridge to the left. They were replaced by four larger beams. In the above picture, new wood components mix with the old.

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or three posts inside the bridge, but as

the construction process went on, three

or four more posts were added, as well as

some diagonal braces to support the roof.

The Quinlan also received 1,200

board feet of roof sheathing, new knee

braces to help stiffen the structure, and

new wood was added to the

at the ends of the arch at bearing ends

to beef up and strengthen the bridge’s

bearing capacity.

Another issue creating a delay in

the bridge’s opening was the time it

took to receive some of the materials

needed for the project. The bottom

chord, which is made up of four pieces

and runs along the bottom of the bridge,

had not been examined since the bridge

was built in the 1850s, said Cherington.

Some pieces of it were rotted out and

needed replacing.

This presented several time-consum-

ing issues. First, as the pine used for the

bottom chord was harvested in the South

and treated in Canada before arriving

in Charlotte, the wait time to receive

it was an issue. Second, a 42-foot por-

tion of the bottom chord had to be spe-

cially ordered, taking nearly ten weeks

to arrive. Finally, because so many other

pieces of the bridge rely on the presence

of the bottom chord, work had to be put

on hold until it was installed.

There were also the bureaucratic hold-

ups that can happen when three differ-

ent entities—in this case Ferrisburgh’s

Vanasse, Hangen, Brustlin, an engi-

neering and design firm, state engi-

neers and the five-member crew from

Wright Construction—all have to be

on the same page.

Cherington noted

there were several

times a design or

its measurements

didn’t quite work,

so adjustments and

approving them

took time.

While restora-

tion of the Quinlan

Bridge is finished, the contractors are

responsible for regrowing the grass and

trees along the banks of the Lewis Creek

near the bridge.

The restoration of the bridge was

completely paid for with state and fed-

eral funds.

The Quinlan Bridge

in April, a month after

work began.

The Quinlan Bridge just

before reopening Oct. 31.

Crews discovered rotting beams

throughout the bridge, causing some

delays in construction

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Finding a safe place to walk in

November takes some planning. Dark-

ness grows to just over nine hours each

day, clouds often hide the sun, and deer

rifle season spans two weeks and three

weekends between Nov. 16 and Dec. 1.

Vermont state parks permit hunting, but

a number of local properties prohibit it.

Shelburne Farms is a beautiful place

to walk in any season and is safe during

rifle season. Ten miles of trails snake

over hills, through woods and across

open fields on the 1,400-acre working

farm. Check in at the Welcome Center,

open between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Dogs

on leashes are permitted through the

end of March. shelburnefarms.org

Burlington’s Intervale is a nonprofit

organization that was created to restore

to fertility one-sixth of all open land in

the city. The Intervale Center hosts a

hive of organic farms and community

gardens, the woodchip--fired McNeil

Electric plant, and a wood depot that

diverts scrap, wood and brush from the

landfill. Walk on dirt roads and paths

as well as one marked path, the Calkins

Trail. intervale.org

In the midst of hunting country,

Green Mountain Audubon in Hun-

tington posts 255 acres of hills and river

valley terrain. Five miles of trails wind

through a range of natural communities,

from hemlock swamp to northern hard-

wood forest. Beavers can make trail

maps obsolete overnight. The Sensory

Trail is designed for those with visual

impairments. vt.audubon.org.

Red Rocks Park in South Burling-

ton hugs the shoreline and bluffs above

Lake Champlain. Four miles of trails

thread through hemlock and pine for-

est, opening to spectacular views of

Shelburne Bay, the broad lake and the

Adirondacks.

Winooski Valley Park District

manages 16 parks in seven area towns;

all properties are posted. Parks are open

from dawn until dusk. Don’t dally after

dark as gates are locked at night. Dogs

must be leashed at all WVPD proper-

ties. Please clean up after pets. wvpd.org/parks.

In the far northern reaches of Col-

chester, a 2.5-mile trail encircles Col-

chester Pond, a WVPD property. The

182-acre preserve is forested and con-

tiguous to protected land in Essex.

Closer to home, Burlington’s Ethan

Allen Homestead hosts nearly three

miles of walking in the Winooski River

Delta, including boardwalks through

wetlands and riverside trails. These

trails connect to the Intervale.

UVM Natural Areas dot the map of

northwest Vermont and include Pease

Mountain in Charlotte, Shelburne Pond,

East Woods in South Burlington, and

Colchester Bog. Properties are posted;

dogs are permitted on leash. uvm.edu

At East Woods, a UVM Natural

Area in South Burlington, a one-mile

un-blazed trail rolls through mixed

hardwood and conifer forest to the

banks of Potash Brook. In the late 19th

century two rail lines briefly crossed

in these woods. Hemlocks, white pines

and hardwoods tower overhead, muting

the rush of traffic on nearby Route 7

and I-189.

Colchester Bog is a spectacular

UVM Natural Area. The walk over

floating boardwalks is short, but bog

scenery is unusual and worth a look. If

you find yourself in Colchester, detour

to the bog adjacent to Airport Park. A

bog evolves where no fresh water flows.

When lake levels are high the bog gets

an infusion of nutrients, which gives

traditional plants an advantage over

those that thrive on suspended mats of

peat, like the carnivorous pitcher plants.

For other ideas consult Local

Motion’s “Trail Finder.” Local Motion

is a member-supported non-profit

dedicated to promoting people-pow-

ered transportation and recreation for

healthy and sustainable Vermont com-

munities. A comprehensive catalog of

trails across the region for walking,

biking, and cross-country skiing can be

found at trailfinder.info. Trail features

at the site include restrooms, parking,

dog friendly, historic site, natural area

and wildlife area.

––––

Savings on ski passes fade with the

foliage; the last deadline for pre-season

purchases is Dec 1.

Cross-country skiing is one of the

least expensive and most healthy forms

of winter exercise—low-impact on

joints and as aerobic as your fitness

allows. In a snowy winter we can ski in

Charlotte. The closest Nordic areas are

a half hour or less from town: Sleepy

Hollow in Huntington (skisleepyhollow.

com), Intervale Cross Country Ski Trail

in Burlington, and Catamount in Wil-

liston (catamountoutdoor.com). Sleepy

Hollow and Catamount have lighted

trails for night skiing three and four

nights a week, respectively. Ski away

your cares after work until closing time,

9 p.m. at Sleepy and 8 p.m. at Cata-

mount.

A great investment in winter safety

is grippers or creepers. Falls on winter

ice cause a host of injuries; stable foot-

ing makes this less likely. The range

of products includes Yaktrax, Micro

Spikes, and Stabil-Icers, among others.

For the holidays give your loved one the

gift of winter freedom.

Elizabeth Bassett is the author of Nature Walks in Northwest Vermont

and the Champlain Valley, available at area businesses.

Out-Doors

by Elizabeth Bassett

Hunting Season Walks and Gearing Up for Winter

Local Purebred Herford Beef

800 Bingham Brook Road, Charlotte 425-3516

Farm grown corn silage & fresh grass dietsAntibiotic, hormone & nitrate freeWhole & half sidesIndividual cuts

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George & Pam DarlingP.O. Box 32

Ferry Road, Charlotte, VT

[email protected]

The Charlotte News ��1RYHPEHU�������������

Charlotte Senior Centerby Mary Recchia,

Activities Coordinator

The Café Menu

MONDAY, NOV. 11: Best cream of

broccoli soup, Cape Cod chopped salad,

holiday spice cake.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13: Polenta

squares topped with herbed mushroom

sauce, hearty kale salad, homemade

dessert.

MONDAY, NOV. 18: Corn chowder

with oyster crackers, kale salad, apple

crisp—and music to munch by.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 20: Traditional

Thanksgiving feast.

Senior LunCheonS are held every

Wednesday at noon. Reservations are

necessary in advance and can be made by

calling the Senior Center at 425-6345. A

$4 donation is requested. Reservations are

not required for the Monday Munch.

Please look for the new Winter Program of activities

and events as an insert in the next issue of the Charlotte News.

––––

Our November Art Exhibit will be the Monet Mamas,

six friends whose passions for art run deep. As their

name implies, they do not take themselves too seriously but

do approach their work with great intensity and the desire

to communicate what is in their hearts and souls. They love

art, the making of art and all the energy that comes with it.

––––

Challenge your brain Wednesday mornings from 10:30-

11:30 a.m. With an eye toward speaking and understanding

the language better, this French Conversation Group

comes together to “chat” about the week’s activities or

interests with a goal of improving fluency through listening

and speaking. A fun, no-pressure way to meet some new

folks, sharpen your mind and practice your French. No fee.––––

Please join Roy Whitmore and Bob Chutter for the

Men’s Breakfast on Nov. 14 from 7:30-9 a.m.

Do you enjoy eating breakfast out in the company of

friends? If so, and if you are willing to share in the prepa-

ration of the meal and related housekeeping duties, then

this may be for you. There are opportunities to practice

your skills and to learn from others—and plenty of time

for sharing conversation. Registration required. Suggested donation: $5.

––––

The 30 Greatest Orchestral Works from The Great

Courses Collection continues on Tuesday afternoons from

1:45-3:15 p.m. Dates: Nov. 12, 19 and 26.

Professor Robert Greenberg of San Francisco Perfor-

mances takes you on a sumptuous grand tour of the sym-

phonic pieces he counts as being among the very greatest

ever written—inviting you to an in-depth contemplation of

what makes these works so memorable and why they live at

the center of our musical culture.

These 30 masterworks form an essential foundation for

any music collection and a focal point for understanding

the orchestral medium and deepening your insight into the

communicative power of music. Details of each lecture are

available at the host desk. Registration required. No Fee.––––

The Block Print Party class with Elizabeth Llewellyn

has changed from four classes to two and will be held Tues-

day, Nov. 19 and 26, from 10 a.m. to noon for a fee of $42.

Block printing is one of the oldest types of printmaking

and has been around for thousands of years. Essentially,

block printing is using a carved material covered in ink

to transfer an image on to paper or fabric. Block printing

can be done with wood, linoleum, rubber or many other

materials. In this class we will be using Speedball Speedy

Carve blocks that are a soft, rubberlike material to carve our

designs. Our designs will be printed on a variety of papers,

notecards and, finally, fabric—just in time for the holidays!

Registration necessary and includes materials.

––––The Wednesday Lun-

cheon on Nov. 20 will be a

Traditional Thanksgiving

Dinner with all the fixings!

We are accepting reserva-

tions beginning Nov. 1 for

expanded seating, with ser-

vice beginning at noon.

Lynn Cummings (center) teaches students painting skills during a recent fall-themed art class titled “Watercolor Explorations” at the Senior Center.

Swap your old incandescent bulbs for CFLs and use 75% less energy.

Find a retailer:

Visit your local retailer or www.efficiencyvermont.com/stores

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Library Contact

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

Upcoming at the librarySoutheast Asian Cooking with Elvie,

Saturday, Nov. 9, 2 p.m. Elvie Golding,

chef and owner of Maple Blues Catering,

shows us how to make Fresh Asian Veg-

gie Stir Fry with Rice Vermicelli (Fili-

pino Pansit) and Tinola Soup. Brighten up

your autumn afternoon with some fresh

flavors and new cooking tips.

Late opening for library staff in-

service, Tuesday, Nov. 12. The library

will be open from noon to 5 p.m.

International Games Day. Saturday,

Nov. 16, all day. Stop in for a round of

rummy, a scrap of Scrabble or a chance to

try our newest games, Tapple and Cross-

Ways. The boards are open and the cards

are out all day, so join us for as long or as

little as you can!

Book Discussion Group, Thursday,

Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m. Join leader Lesley

Wright for a conversation about Russell

Banks’ novel Affliction as the “New Eng-

land Uncovered” series continues. Next

on the bookshelf: A Brother’s Blood by

Michael White. Sponsored by the Ver-

mont Humanities Council and the Friends

of the Charlotte Library.

holiday schedUleThe Charlotte Library will be open on

Monday, Nov. 11 (the Veterans Day holi-

day). We will close at 5 p.m. on Wednes-

day, Nov. 27, and be closed Thursday,

Nov. 28, through Saturday, Nov. 30, for

the Thanksgiving holiday. We will reopen

on Monday, Dec. 2.

on exhibitMixed Media & Book Art by Eliza-

beth Bunsen: Charlotte artist and resi-

dent Elizabeth Bunsen grew up in the

Midwest, traveled, lived and taught art

all around.

“I am a sensualist,” she says. “I love

tuning into all my senses. Process, the

imperfect, the impermanent and the

unfinished sing to me. Along with wood

and stones, I stack words.”

Visit the library and see how those

words, the paper they appear on and the

objects they travel with create thought-

provoking and beautiful art.

Looking for new books? Check out

our new website charlottepubliclibrary.

org. We’ve got up-to-the minute info

on our latest books, activities and

programs. We’d love to hear your

feedback and suggestions.

Don’t forget: renew your library

card. If you haven’t stopped in with your

card, do it today. We’ll check your con-

tact info, give you a new sticker and send

you on your way.

Library Board meeting: Thursday,

Nov. 21, at 5:30 p.m. Board members:

Bonnie Christie (chair), Vince Crock-

enberg, (treasurer), Emily Ferris, (vice-

chair), Dorrice Hammer (secretary), and

Bonnie Ayer (member-at-large).

A Word About Wordless Books From Children’s Librarian Cheryl Sloan

Wordless books are a great way to encourage the art of storytelling. The

child who is not yet reading can understand a book all on his or her own. For

beginning readers, wordless books are a powerful tool for teaching children

how to pull cues from illustrations if they are struggling with the text. Even

children with strong reading skills can use the flow of the story to learn about

writing and the importance of story structure.

When sharing a wordless book with your child, use it as an opportunity

to foster the use of rich vocabulary to describe the illustrations. Let the child

tell the story any way he or she perceives it, encouraging embellishments and

sequencing.

There is no precise way to read a wordless book, so check some out

and enjoy! Some favorite wordless books at the Charlotte Library are:

—The Chicken Thief, Fox and Hen Together and Roosters Revenge by

Beatrice Rodriguez

—A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka

—Journey by Aaron Becker

—The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

—You Can’t Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum by Jacqueline

Preiss Weitzman

—The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

Chalk by Bill Thomson

—The Redbook, Rainstorm and Trainstop by Barbara Lehman

–Chicken and Cat, Chicken and Cat Clean Up, Robot Dreams and Odd Duck by Sara Varon.

The Charlotte News ��1RYHPEHU�������������

Buccaneer Cheerleaders:

a New, Old Tradition

Team looking for new members and volunteers

Jill Gorman

Contributor

What is football season without cheerleaders? Whether in the stands or on the field, cheerleaders are part of our sports culture. For those of us in the over-40 crowd, we most likely grew up having cheerleaders for our high school basketball and football teams. I can’t tell you how many moms have approached me saying, “I love cheerleading. I was a cheerleader in high school.”

It’s a tradition that somehow has gotten lost over the past few decades in some parts of the country—maybe for lack of interest or societal changes in the “idea” of cheerleaders.

Have you ever been channel surfing and come across competitive cheerleading on television? Cheerleading is no longer the girly thing of the past. It is a strenu-ous, competitive, athletic and scary sport that, in many places around the country, includes guys as well. The strength, athleticism and coordination that cheer involves is astounding.

Michele Filardi, a teacher at CCS and a resident of Charlotte, grew up in Florida and, not surprisingly, was a cheerleader in high school. As her two daughters got older, she wanted them to have the opportunity to experi-ence cheer in their high school.

In 2010, Filardi started a cheer team at CVU. Now in its fourth season, it is still going strong. During the first two years, the cheer team was a club, and 15-24 girls were involved. After two years at club status, cheerlead-ing became a team with tryouts and strict guidelines for participation.

In an effort to build a base of girls who know some-thing about cheer before they get to high school, Filardi decided to try to build a cheer program to support the CSSU Buccaneer football program. This fall ten girls from the CSSU district joined the inaugural team. From fifth through eighth grades, they represent every town in the district. We were thankful to have the support of the Buccaneer program—not only financial support to help us through our first year but also vocal support and com-pliments as the girls cheered on their team.

This fall the team practiced three times a week and cheered at four games. In six weeks, these girls learned 15 cheers, a short dance and four stunts (like pyramids). They are runners, equestrians, gymnasts and ballerinas, and cheer incorporates parts of all these disciplines: agil-ity, balance, strength, flexibility and commitment. As two sixth graders lift a girl up by her feet to the height of their neck, then throw her up in the air and catch her, they will tell you “cheer is not easy!”

We hope to build this program next year in order to have a fifth- and sixth-grade team and a seventh- and eighth-grade team. We are looking for interested girls, boys and parents who would like to get involved. If we have enough interest next year, we will apply for grants to purchase uniforms.

We currently have three coaches, but would need a few more to help if the teams grow. Please contact me at [email protected] for more information.

For more information about Buccaneer football, please visit eteamz.com/csbuccaneers/.

ond to South Burlington to also qualify for the New England Championships. The Rebels’ Sidi Abdoulaye led other runners by more than two minutes with what stands as a Division I state record of 16 minutes, 33.8 seconds. Abdoulaye is a senior who fled from his native Mali last year to settle in South Burlington.

It took another team effort for the CVU women’s soccer stars to end the season unde-feated. Goalie Maddie Turnau had seldom had to face as many shots as she did in the final. She was up to the effort, however, making six saves to preserve the 1-0 shutout. Page DuBrul’s shot off Kaelyn Kolasch’s corner kick in the fourth minute of the first half held for the rest of the game.

Moving Mackenzie Kingston forward in the second half seemed to bring the Redhawks around to what became their trademark this year as they main-tained play in the opponent’s end of the field for most of the second half. Coach Stan Williams felt that, prior to that, Essex applied more pressure on CVU than any other team all season. Charlotte’s contributors this year were many: Audrey Allegretta, Ellie Blake, Catherine Cazayoux, Maddie Turnau and led by captains Haliana Burhans and Mackenzie Kingston.

The Redhawk soccer men headed into the state finals with just a single blemish on their record and the number one ranking in the state. They nearly maintained that position, but for the fact that Colchester’s hungry mid-fielders and forwards, backed by solid goal tending, kept CVU out of the net until there were only two minutes left in the game. However, it wasn’t enough for CVU, who dropped the D-1 title game 2-1.

Fortunately for the Lakers, it came within seconds of the second Colchester goal on a free kick. Coach TJ Mead said he felt as though the majority of the game was played at midfield with both teams following similar

offensive strategies. Laker goalie Liam Mooney made some critical saves in the second half, knocking out a free kick that seemed headed for the net and facing a curling ball off a restart that missed the right post by only a foot.

CVU football won its first playoff victory with a 19-0 shutout of Rutland in the Division I quarterfinals. It was a game that saw some less familiar faces step to the fore. Charlotte’s Jason Cora had been the team’s lead-ing rusher. However, Rutland’s defense restricted his performance along with that of Bennett Cazayoux and Steele DuBrul, causing Nick Farrington to fill the breach and be picked as a “Standout Player of the Week” by the Burlington Free Press as a result. He scored two touch-downs and gained 115 yards on the ground. Cora was not far behind with 110 yards for the day, and DuBrul took an eight-yard quarterback keeper into the end zone for the first score of the game.

The Redhawks ran up against a stubborn South Burlington defense and a strong offense, led by all-state stalwart Tanner Contois, as the Rebels downed the Redhawks 27-0 in the state semi-finals. South Burlington’s defense stopped CVU three times inside the Rebel 10-yard line. Once again, Cora paced the team’s attack with 69 yards on 25 carries. DuBrul gained an additional 34 yards, and Jack Austin grabbed three aerials for 42 yards.

It took South Burlington’s field hockey women nearly 60 minutes to find the lone goal that eliminated CVU from the state playoffs. Coming off a penalty corner, the Rebels moved on with a 1-0 win. Evenly matched, the two squads played much of the game back and forth within the midfield zone. South Burlington seemed to have several strong stick handlers who, between foot speed and hand skills, moved the ball forward well.

However, CVU’s posi-tioning, its defenders and Evangeline Dunphy’s goal tending kept them off the

board. CVU had its chances with two penalty corners after time had expired in the first half and a shot that barely missed the net in the second half.

CVU Patrick Reiss fights off a Colchester defender during the D-1 title game. CVU went on to lose the game 2-1.

Charlotter Haliana Burhans runs the ball

up field against Essex during the champi-

onship game. CVU won the title 1-0.

Sports Continued from page 1

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Food Shelf News

by Kerrie Pughe

Holiday givingWe hope you will keep us in your holi-

day giving plans this year. A donation to your local food shelf in honor of someone this time of year is always a different and welcome gift idea. The Food Shelf is run entirely by volunteers, so all donations go directly for food or assistance to our Charlotte 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 & Assistance403 Church Hill RoadP. O. Box 83Charlotte, VT 05445

volunteers neededSave the date: we will be looking for

volunteers to help us set up the Thanks-giving baskets on Friday morning, Nov. 22. We start about 8 a.m. and need only about an hour commitment. Just come on by the Charlotte Congregation Church that morning and join the food basket prep festivities!

We are also looking for a couple vol-unteers who could substitute now and again to help with the regular Wednesday evening distributions. Please call Karen Doris at 425-3252 if you could spare a few hours every other Wednesday eve as a substitute.

CHristmas CardsHave you received too many unsolic-

ited holiday greeting card packets from charities? Or maybe you have holiday greeting cards you don’t plan to use? We could use them at the Food Shelf for our neighbors who might not otherwise be able to send holiday greeting cards to family and friends. If you would like to put stamps on the envelopes, that would be wonderful! The cards could be dropped off at any food shelf donation location listed below.

tHank yous

Thank you to the following people for your support: Ruah Swennerfelt, Louis

Cox, Linda Hamilton and Laura O’Brien. And thank you to the Charlotte Children’s Center for its upcoming food drive.

WisH listWe are running low on kids’ cereals

(Cheerios preferred), low-sodium soups, crackers and tissues.

CHildren’s ClotHing driveWe are still collecting children’s

clothing donations for our neighborhood friends in need. Through the fall we will be collecting good, clean children’s cloth-ing for sizes infant to teenager. Adult clothing suitable for teens will be accepted as well. Please, no stains or holes. We are also accepting clean winter coats, winter boots, rubber boots, sneakers (must be in good condition) and other shoes.

You may drop these items in the basket at the food shelf at the Charlotte Con-gregational Church or email Heather at [email protected] for information to schedule a drop-off of your donations. Thank you!

Donated food drop-off locations: All nonperishable food donations may be dropped off at the Charlotte Library, the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (main entrance) or at the Food Shelf during the distribution mornings. We request that all

fresh foods be dropped off at the Food Shelf by 7:30 a.m. on the distribution mornings (see Ongoing Events calendar).

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

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

We are open to all community res-idents. Privacy is very important and respected.

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

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

The Charlotte News ��1RYHPEHU�������������

Lenson

the Land

Want morePhotos?News?

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www.ChrisvonTrapp.com

Journey to the Dark Side

Robert HyamsContributor

I admit it, I am a card-carrying certified

herbicide applicator. Opinions regarding her-bicide run the gamut—I know Charlotters who can’t live with them and folks who can’t live without. My official position: There is a

limited place for judicial application of non-persistent herbicides to maintain habitat and ecological services. Or, I’m somewhere in the middle.

Needless to say, I spend a lot of time look-ing for invasive plants, and it’s a great time to find them. Take a look around the landscape. If a plant looks green and thriving at the end of October in Vermont, there’s a good chance it is an exotic invasive. In addition to the old standards—buckthorn, honeysuckle and frog-bit—the fall Charlotte landscape has revealed substantial stands of autumn olive, Norway maple and Japanese knotweed.

The control season is winding down. This is a good opportunity for land managers to pause and consider where we’ve been and where we are headed with controlling invasive plant populations. There are so many facets to understand and so many factors to consider. If there is one overarching lesson I’ve learned,

it is this: You need a plan—for most infesta-tions, a fairly detailed multi-year plan.

The following is a rundown of key points to address when formulating a plan.

Part 1: Assess the infestation. Managers need to know the species present, age or size of plants, density, presence of native/desirable plants and proximity to sensitive landscape features, such as streams and wetlands.

Part 2: Determine management objec-

tives. Are you trying to improve habitat, tim-ber stands, recreation values and/or views? Is the goal eradication or control?

Part 3: Evaluate treatment protocols. There is a range of control options—too many to discuss at this time. Some include herbi-cides, while many do not. Often a combination of methods is most effective. When a plant is removed from the landscape, another will take its place, no doubt. Will you replant or leave it to natural succession? How much will it cost?

Part 4: Ongoing monitoring and control. Very few control objectives are met in a single season. How will you monitor and treat until the original infestation is controlled and the

seed source is depleted?Looking ahead to the next

level, how do we, as a town, state and region address the invasive plant problem? There has been plenty of discussion and some proactive develop-ments in this area: ��7KH�&KDUORWWH�&RQVHUYDWLRQ�

Commission has added discus-sion and strategies for invasive plant control to the proposed town plan update.;�� &RRSHUDWLYH� LQYDVLYH� VSH-

cies management areas, or CISMA, represent collabora-tive efforts that span political boundaries. The Lewis Creek Association and Keith Thomp-son, our county forester, are spearheading the formation of a

South Chittenden County CISMA.;��7KH�$GLURQGDFN�3DUN�,QYDVLYH�3ODQW�3UR-

gram has contracted with Yellowwood Asso-ciates to undertake a detailed economic analy-sis of the impacts of invasives on the regional economy.

Needless to say, there’s plenty more hap-pening and plenty more to be done. Stay tuned for further discussion and developments, and read your town plan.

Robert Hyams is a member of the Charlotte

Conservation Commission.

Charlotte Conservation Currents

I selected this view of a section of Raven Ridge because it

shows an interesting example of a geologic thrust in this

picturesque part of town.

—Edd MErritt

This is the first of what we hope will become a monthly submission by townspeople of pictures capturing Charlotte scenes. The Charlotte Land Trust sponsors the series and feels it is a valuable way of remind-ing people of the extent of the natural beauty in town.

We encourage anyone with a photo of Charlotte—it does not nec-essarily have to be of conserved land—to submit it to [email protected] with a brief description of where it is and why you feel the picture indicates the town’s beauty or is a special place to you.

The next issue of the News comes out on Nov. 21. We would like to have pictures submitted by Monday, Nov. 14.

A feature from the

Charlotte Land Trust

A Norway maple infestation in West Charlotte.

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Places To Go & Things To Do

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. Nov. 7 and 21.

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

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

ONGOING EVENTS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7

Planning Commission Meeting, 7 p.m., Town Hall.

Things That Matter, 5:30 p.m., Charlotte Congregational Church. See story on page 3 for more information.

Shelburne Vineyard First Thursday Concert Series with Phil Henry and Gary Moon, 6–-8:30 p.m. Join Shelburne Vineyard for unique concert series. Shelburne Vineyard wine and Fiddlehead beer for sale by the glass to those showing valid ID. Folino’s will also be on site selling wood-fired pizza. Admission is free.

Shrek: The Musical, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall Theater, Middlebury. In a far-away kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Town Hall Theater’s newest resident company presents the hilarious musi-cal, featuring an all-star cast of area performers led by Leigh Guptill, Kim Anderson and Justin Bouvier. Show runs through Nov. 17. Tickets: $23; $18 children 12 and under; available by calling 802-382-9222, at townhallthe-ater.org, or at the box office Monday-Saturday, noon–5 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8

Opening Reception: John Rivers and Marshall Webb, 5:30–-7:30 p.m., All Souls Interfaith Gathering, Shelburne. Celebrate All Soul’s November art show with a reception for local artists Rivers and Webb. The show runs from Nov. 2 to Dec. 4.

Queen City Contra Dance, 8 p.m., Shelburne Town Hall. Join Queen City Contras for its regular dance. Music will be provided by Joanne Garton and Brendan Taaffe. Peter Johnson will call. All are welcome, all dances taught, no partner or experi-ence necessary. Beginners session at 7:45 p.m. Please bring clean soft-soled shoes for dancing. Admission is $8 adults; under 12 free. Dance info: 371-9492 or 343-7165. Website: que-encitycontras.org.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9

Pie for Breakfast, 9–-11 a.m., Charlotte Congregational Church. See story on page 7 for more information.

10th Annual International Festival, 5–-9:30 p.m., Saint Michael’s College, Colchester. Saint Michael’s College invites you to a night of culture, music and performances from around the globe. Performers include Middle Eastern dance by Rehab al Mahfudh, Japanese dance and Drumming Theater by Burlington Taiko, traditional Hawaiian music and dance by the Aloha Hula Dancers, Latin American dance by Freeman and Co, Irish dance by Celtic Knights, and Peruvian music by Inca Swazi. International cuisine will be available. Free for Saint Michael’s students; $5 for the general public.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10

Vintage Fashion at High Tea, 2 p.m., Burlington. Check out this premier event benefiting Burlington Emergency Shelter at the DoubleTree Hotel’s Garden Ballroom. This live, antique fashion show will showcase Lorette Sousie’s private collection and fea-tures 27 local models wearing over 75 fashions from the 1890s through the 1980s. It will be a relaxing afternoon, reminiscent of a bygone era with stun-ning fashions from the turn of the cen-tury. Participants will enjoy sipping lus-cious teas and tasting delightful treats while listening to the graceful melo-dies performed by local classical musi-cians. The afternoon will also feature a silent auction. Attendees are invited to dress for the occasion—period attire is encouraged. Tickets are limited and can be purchased in person through the Flynn Box Office, online at flynntix.org, or by calling 802-86-FLYNN.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11

Forum: Reducing Gun Violence in Vermont, 6:30–-8 p.m., Contois City Hall, Burlington. Sponsored by Gun Sense Vermont, a growing grassroots organization in support of sensible gun laws, the forum will feature as speak-ers experts in public health, domestic violence, mental illness and Vermont’s current gun laws. Free and open to the public. Info: Ann Braden, [email protected].

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12

Community Safety Committee Public Feedback Meeting, 6 p.m., Charlotte Town Hall. See story on page 1 for more information.

Paul Gilles Reading, 7 p.m. Phoenix Books, Burlington. Join Paul Gillies to explore Uncommon Law, Ancient Roads, and Other Ruminations on Vermont Legal History. Vermont was born in conflict and existed as an independent political community until becoming the 14th state in 1791. During those early years Vermonters had to chart their own course in mat-ters of law. From these unique origins, the history of law in Vermont provides a fascinating lens for understanding the history of the Green Mountain State.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13

Charlotte School Directors Board Meeting, 7 p.m., Room 134, CVU.

Elise Guyette presentation, 7 p.m., Ferrisburgh Historical Society, Ferrisburgh. In this presentation, Elise Guyette details the early biracial his-tory of Vermont, focusing on a black farming community in Hinesburg and Huntington. The framework of their lives was the changing racism in Vermont and the country as three generations lived, loved, farmed and

prayed on an isolated hill in northern Vermont. Free. All are welcome.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14

PTO Meeting, 8:30 a.m., CCS cafeteria.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16

CCS Artisan & Craft Fair, 10 a.m.–-3 p.m., CCS. Find great holiday gifts and support local artists while benefitting CCS. See story on page 4 for more infor-mation.

Green Mountain Animal Defenders 30th Anniversary Gala, 6 p.m., South Burlington. Green Mountain Animal Defenders will celebrate 30 years of dedication to helping all animals across Vermont and beyond. The keynote speaker will be Wayne Pacelle, CEO and president of the Humane Society of the United States. The special guest speaker will be critically acclaimed Vermont author Chris Bohjalian. Festivities include a gourmet vegetarian/vegan din-ner, cash bar and exciting silent auction. All funds raised go toward Green Mountain Animal Defenders’ animal protection campaigns. To learn more or purchase tickets (by 11/12/13), please visit gmad.info or contact Pat at [email protected] or 802-878-1102.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17

Meditating for Happiness, 1–-4 p.m., Burlington. Join Ginny Sassaman for a workshop with her sister-in-law Susan Sassaman, a certified Kripalu Let Your Yoga Dance instructor based in Bar Harbor, Me., to learn a variety of tech-niques to practice at home to cultivate greater happiness and well being. No prior meditation or yoga experience is necessary. To preregister, contact Sassaman at 223-1670 or [email protected]. Participants can also preregister by clicking on the PayPal link at happinessparadigm.wordpress.com/happiness-meditation-workshop-in-burlington/.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20

Panel Discussion on Marriage Equality, 7 p.m., Phoenix Books, Burlington. Remember when gay mar-riage was the easiest way to inflame an otherwise mild electorate? Governor Madeleine M. Kunin, Professor Ellen Andersen and Professor Mary Burke will discuss the encouraging story of American acceptance of gay marriage and the roles that politicians—gay and

straight—have played in that history. Susan M. Murray will moderate. This is the Vermont launch event for We Do! American Leaders Who Believe in Marriage Equality, co-edited by Madeleine M. Kunin.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21

3rd Annual Winter Mixer & Wreath Auction: A Fundraiser for the Shelburne Craft School, 6–-8 p.m., Magic Hat Brewery Artifactory, South Burlington. The Board of Directors of the Shelburne Craft School invites the community to the Winter Mixer and Wreath Auction for an enchant-ing holiday-flavored evening. Nibble hors d’oeuvres, sip local wine and beer from the cash bar, jam to the music of the Meat Packers and win your favorite wreath during the live auction with auctioneer Jamie Polli of GameshowsVT. There will be about 25 artisan and festive wreaths to bid on. The bidding starts at $45. Tickets are $35 ($30 for members) and include a complementary glass of wine or beer, light fare and a handcrafted ornament.

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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. 985-3819Trinity 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.

Send your event informa-tion to [email protected] for publiction

in our next issue.

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL

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Warm up to our cool bargains for your fall selections

If your clothes and jewelry

are not becoming to you –

they should be coming to us!Yellow house / 5404 Shelburne Road

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

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The Charlotte News ��1RYHPEHU�������������

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

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

A burst of color can do wonders for your home. Allow the professionals at Lafayette Painting to transform your interior space. We have been changing the colors of Chittenden County since 1977. Call 863-5397 and visit LafayettePaintingInc.com. (-08)

YRC Freight is hiring FT Casual Combo Drivers/Dock Workers! Burlington location. Great pay and benefits! CDL-A w/Combo and Hazmat, 1yr T/T exp, 21yoa req. EOE-M/F/D/V. Able to lift 65 lbs. req. APPLY: www.yrcfreight.com/careers. (-07)

DOG WALKER WANTED: We are seeking a dog lover who would like to walk our two corgi's Monday thru Friday, mid-day, at our home. They are very easy and friendly.Please contact Kate at (802)857-0472. (-08)

The Charlotte News Classifieds: Reach your friends and neighbors for only $7 per issue (payment must be sent before issue date). Please limit your ad to 35 words or fewer. Send to The Charlotte News Classifieds, P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445 or email your ad to [email protected].

Classifieds

Congratulations

Around Town

RegionalBitesby Edd Merritt

Senator Bernie Sanders hosted a con-cert of school choruses in Montpelier High School Auditorium on Oct. 26. Eight schools participated, includ-ing CVU and its choral group led by Charlotte Director Carl Recchia. According to an article in the Oct. 2 Free Press, Sanders worked with Vermont music teachers to develop the idea as a way of "celebrating music and arts education in public Schools." Sanders and Essex High School's cho-ral director Glory Reinstein agreed that studying the arts has a positive effect on student learning. Reinstein is quoted as saying, "The success of an ensemble depends on all of its members."

to Kirsten ( Nelson) O’Connell and her husband, Patrick, whose daughter Kaylee Kathleen O’Connell was born Sept. 27 at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington.

to Meg Smith, who was recently appointed to the board of the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund. A founding member of Vermont Businesses for Sustainable Responsibility, Meg is an active board member of the Charlotte

News, Intervale Center, Young Writers Project and VPR's marketing and development committee.

to Ruby Russell, a recent graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., who was elected to the Sigma Xi Honor Society, indicating that she has demonstrated evidence of research potential in a field of pure or applied science. Ruby is the daughter of Margaret and Michael Russell of Charlotte and a graduate of the Vermont Commons School.

to Christopher Jordan, a student at CVU and a bass trombone player who was selected as one of three Vermont student musicians to participate in

national ensembles in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 30. Christopher qualified by playing in the Vermont All-State Music Festival, after which he submitted a video of himself and a musical resume. Christopher was quoted in the Burlington Free Press on Oct. 26 as saying he enjoys being in high-level festivals because “it adds a feeling of professionalism.” He will graduate from CVU this year and plans to continue his musicianship, studying bass trombone in college.

to Tom and Lori Delia, who, along with their Burlington restaurant Trattoria Delia, were featured in the Oct. 30 Seven Days for opening Sotto Enoteca, a wine bar connected with the restaurant. They plan to use it as part wine bar, part overflow lounge, according to the article. They offer wine by the glass from over 30 choices and “hard-to-find beers,” according to Tom, as well as a selection of craft cocktails.

to Dillon Machavern who recently earned consecutive race car championships by capturing both the Endurance Cup Racing (ECR) and the Tarheel Cup Endurance Series. He then moved along with his team to take the 13-hour Charge of the Headlight Brigade at Virginia International Raceway. Dillon and his three teammates crewed and drove an ITE Class Aston Martin

to victory.

to Tyler Barnes and Julia Kiendl, students at Kent School in Kent, Conn., who earned placement on the honor roll for the fall term 2013-2014. Tyler is in the 6th form (12th grade) and Julia is in the 5th form (11th grade). Both are from Charlotte.

is extended to family and friends of Gerald C. Wilbur of Rochester, Vt., who passed away Oct. 25 at the age of 84. His surviving family includes his daughter Patricia of Charlotte. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Rochester Fire Department, c/o Terry Severy, Rochester, VT 05767.

is extended to family and friends of Albert P. Curtis, Sr., of Williston, who passed away Nov. 1 at the age of 81. His surviving family includes his sister Shirley Laberge, of Charlotte. The family asks that those wishing to make donations in his memory consider giving to the American Heart Association of Vermont.

Sympathy

Food Shelf Receives

SCHIPS GrantOrganization awards over

$12,000 in fall grants

The Charlotte Food Shelf is one of ten local nonprofit organizations and programs to receive part of $12,205 in fall grant award money from SCHIPS, or Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg Inter-faith Projects.

Through selling donated, gently used clothes, collectibles, art and household items at its store in Shelburne, SCHIPS raises money to support area nonprofits that make a difference in the communi-ties they serve.

Other organizations receiving grants are the Boys Scouts of America for its Davis Park Pavilion project in Shel-burne, the Hinesburg Community School for after-school scholarships, the School-house Learning Center, St. Catherine of Siena in Shelburne, the United Church of Hinesburg, the Shelburne Commu-nity School, the Vermont Zen Center in Shelburne and the Hinesburg Community School for a literacy program.

SCHIP gives grants three times a year. Since its inception in 2003, it has award-ed over $450,000.

For more information on SCHIP, visit schipstreasure.org or its Facebook page. For volunteer or donation inquiries, call SCHIP’s Treasure Resale Shop at 985-3595.