The Charlotte News | Oct. 9, 2014

Charlotte News Volume lVII Number 05 The VoIce of The TowN Thursday, ocTober 9, 2014

Th

e C

ha

rl

ot

te

Ne

ws

Hom

etown Paper Since 1958

Deliver to:

LO

CA

L B

OX

HO

LD

ER

U.S. PO

STAG

E PAID

MA

ILED FR

OM

ZIP CO

DE 05482

PERM

IT NO

. 9

presorted standard

The Hometown Paper Since 1958

Feeling the Spirit at Baptist Corners 1 Planners Talk Economy 1

The Power of the Primitive 12 CCS X-Country Makes Its Mark 17

Perennial Sale! May 24 - 30

BUY LOCAL, STAY LOCAL, PLANT NOW!

802-425-2811

HUGE Tree, Shrub, & Perennial SALE! SALE! SALE! Sale EXTENDED, Dont Miss IT!OPEN EVERYDAY 8:30am - 5pmwww.horsfordnursery.com

Fall Harvest Sale!!! Now through October 16th, 2014

The Charlotte NewsVolume lVII Number 05 The VoIce of The TowN Thursday, ocTober 9, 2014

Brett SigurdsonThe charloTTe News

The directors from the five Chitten-den South Supervisory Union (CSSU) schools agreed to terms on a new three-year contract. Among the changes to the existing contract is a 3.25-percent year-ly salary increase for teachers through 2017.

The new contract, ratified by CSSU school boards in Septemberthe teach-ers will vote on it this weekcomes on the heels of a July fact-finders report that illustrates some key differences between the negotiators for CSSU and for the Chittenden South Education Associa-tion (CSEA) representing the districts teachers. The results of that mediation, heard by fact-finder John B. Cochran, are the bedrock for the new agreement, said Erik Beal, CCSs representative to the negotiation table.

One of the main differences between the groups was increases to teacher sala-ries. In its FY2014 budget, salaries and

benefits accounted for 75 percent of dis-trict expenditures, roughly $5.6 million of the total $7.5 million budget.

According to Cochrans report, CSEA proposed what amounted to a 4.75-per-cent yearly salary increase, a figure based on increases of over 4 percent in Burlington and Milton teacher salaries and three to 3.5 percent in all other county districts.

The Association acknowledges that teacher salaries in the CSSU are highly competitive, which is a reflection of the educational achievements of its stu-dents, wrote Cochran. Therefore, to continue that record of excellence, it is important for teachers in the CSSU to maintain their relative position among teachers in the county.

CSEA negotiators argued that the CSSU districtsCharlotte, Shelburne, Hinesburg, Williston and St. Georgehave the means to pay for the proposed increases, citing figures showing collec-

Brett SigurdsonThe charloTTe News

At the Town Plan Workshop on hous-ing and economic development Sept. 25, over 30 people filled Town Hall to express their thoughts on two of the most pressing issues facing Charlotte: how can Charlotte encourage more demographic growth and how can it become more busi-ness friendly? Furthermore, do Charlot-ters want these?

Yet, throughout the two-hour meeting, attendees looked back more than they looked forward, as much of the discus-sion at the meetingthe fifth and last of the Planning Commissions public workshops on the 2015 Town Plancen-tered on how the town developed an anti-business image and a high-priced housing market. By the end of the meeting, two potential answers revealed themselves: Charlotte has had too much planning for

economic development and too little for housing growth.

Economic DEvElopmEntThis fact is made clear in the open-

ing of the draft Economic Development chapter of the 2015 Town Plan, which was released in late September, the final section of the plan to be released for pub-lic feedback.

Over the past few decades, we have successfully responded to the desires for conservation of open land and the need to protect important natural resources, yet we have not succeeded at concentrating residential development in the villages or providing adequate commercial ser-vices, states the language of the plan.

Yet the actual economic picture in Charlotte is fuzzy, explained Brandy Saxton, a planning consultant, at the meeting. For example, the Vermont Sec-retary of State lists 500 registered busi-nesses in Charlotte, yet some of them

are registered at Charlotte addresses while the activ-ity is based outside of the town. Between 25 and 30 percent of Charlottes res-idents work in Charlotte, many of them in home occupations, though self-employed individuals may not register with the state. Only a few businesses are located in the designated village commercial dis-tricts or light-industrial district.

One picture was a bit more clear for some at the meeting: Charlotte has an unfriendly business cli-mate, something that starts with Char-lottes strict zoning regulations and an approval process that makes it easy for just a few people to derail a project.

Howard Seaver, a Charlotte attorney,

told the audience hes had clients inter-ested in opening new businesses in Char-lotte, but they came up against too much red tape.

This years Tractor Parade is just one way that East Charlotte continues a rich tradition of community

Emma SlaterThe charloTTe News

Most Charlotters have passed through the tightly packed rows of Spears Corner Store in East Charlotte, but few realize that they are participating in a tradition

that extends over 200 years as they walk through the aisles. Whether they knew it as Tenneys, Marbles or Spears store, and whether they arrived in a buggy, a tractor or an F-150, Charlotters have helped to perpetu-ate the legacy of Baptist Corners.

According to Around the Mountains by William Wallace Higby, East Charlotte since an early day has been known as Baptist Corners, and will doubtless be so designated in a local way through future years.

More specifically, Baptist Corners includes the Corner Store and surrounding greens, and was referred

District Reaches Agreement on New Teacher ContractsCSSU teachers to receive 3.25-percent yearly raise over course of the next three years

Emma SlaterThe charloTTe News

At 1:15 p.m. on Sept. 27, the Burlington Airport tower alerted the Vermont State Police in New Haven of a potential plane crash at the Basin Harbor Airport, involving pilot Roger Teese and his wife, Joanne Baker.

Teese, a Charlotter, had recently fueled up his 1958 Piper Tri-Pacer fixed-wing prop plane at the Middlebury Airport and was head-ing to the Basin Harbor Club for lunch with his

Planning Commission Focuses on Economy, Housing with Final Town Plan WorkshopCommission also releases final draft Town Plan chapter on economic development

Town Plan to be Delayed Beyond March DeadlineAt the Town Plan workshop Sept. 25, Planning & Zon-

ing Administrator Jeannine McCrumb told the audience the Planning Commission will delay attempts to ready the Town Plan for authorization on Town Meeting Day in March 2015 as originally planned.

Based on what weve heard, were thinking we have some more work to do, so we may not make that goal, said McCrumb. However, we dont want to lose momen-tum on what were doing.

The commission plans to review all of the comments it has received and complete by late November a respon-siveness summary detailing the feedback the town has received on the plan.

The Planning Commission will take comments on the first draft until Oct. 15. Comments can be submitted any time by email to [email protected], by mail to Charlotte Planning & Zoning, Attn: Town Plan Comments, P.O. Box 119, Charlotte, VT 05445, or hand delivered to Town Hall.

Workshop, continued on page 8

Malfunction, continued on page 7

Tractor Parade, continued on page 10

Roger Teeses 1958 Piper Tri-Pacer prop plane sits safely on the ground after a tear in a window seam forced the Charlotte pilot (above) to do an emergency landing in a field.

Charlotte Pilot Unhurt After Plane Malfunction

Keeping the Spirit

Teacher Contracts continued on page 16

if You GoWhat: easT charloTTe TracTor ParadeWhEn: saTurday, ocT. 12, 11 a.m.5 P.m.WhErE: easT charloTTe, corNer of hINesburg road aNd sPear sT.cost: free

Festivities include free pony rides and chil-drens games, barnyard pets, open air market and music. The annual event kicks off with a dance party fundraiser at the Old Lantern, Friday, Oct. 10. Admission is $5.

The Charlotte News October 9, 2014 32 October 9, 2014 The Charlotte News

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

Editor in ChiEf..BreTT sigurdsoNContributing Editoredd merriTTProduCtion & dEsign Editor.liNda williamsoNContributing Editor..emma slaTerCoPy Editors..BeTh merriTT, leslie BoTjer, viNCe CroCkeNBerg, edd merriTT

Business Staffads: [email protected]

802-343-0279CirCulaTioN: [email protected]

businEss ManagErshaNley hiNgeadvErtising ManagEr moNiCa marshall

CirCulation grouP.. valerie leBeNsohN

PublishEd by and for CharlottErs sinCE 1958

amos Baehrroel BoumaNsBradley CarleToNBarrie duNsmorelarry hamilToNkaryN luNde

jim morsealiCe ouTwaTermary reCChiakerrie Pugheleigh simPsoNmargareT woodruff

Contributors

Board MembersCo-PrEsidEnt...Tom oBrieNCo-PrEsidEnt.viNCe CroCkeNBergsECrEtary.....johN hammerMEMbErs....kaThy luCe,

louisa sChiBli, roBiN TurNau, raChel CummiNgs, miChael hauleNBeek, meg smiTh, NaNCy wood

PostMastEr: seNd address ChaNges To The CharloTTe News

P.o. Box 251, ferry road BusiNess ParkCharloTTe, vermoNT 05445

TelePhoNe: 425-4949

Subscription informationThe CharloTTe News is delivered aT No CosT To all

CharloTTe resideNCes. PersoNal or ouT-of-TowN suBsCriP-TioNs are availaBle for $20 Per year (Bulk mailiNg) or $40 Per year (firsT Class). Please seNd CheCk or moNey

order To The address Below.

CirCulation: 3,000 CoPies Per issue.CoPyright 2014 thE CharlottE nEws, inC.

PrintEd by uPPEr vallEy PrEss

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

On the coveremma slaTer Took This PhoTo of auBe, The NewesT memBer of The sPears CorNer sTore family.

Next issue deadlines

NexT issue daTe: Thurs., oCT. 23CoNTriBuTioNs: moNday, oCT. 13 By 5 P.m. leTTers: moNday, oCT. 6, By 10 a.m.

The Charlotte News Annual FundraiserYES! I would like to support The Charlotte News! Enclosed is my check in the following amount: $__________

Name __________________________________________

E-mail__________________________________________

Address _________________________________________________________

q I prefer to remain anonymous. Do not thank me publicly in The Charlotte News. Please make your checkpayable to: The Charlotte News and mail to P.O. Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445

Commentary

In the wake of a recent series of embarrassing security blunders by the Secret Serviceand a very rough session before a congres-sional committee two days agoJulie Pierson, the Secret Service director, resigned. Commentator and veteran ABC News corre-spondent Barrie Dunsmore pro-vides his perspective.

Barrie DunsmoreCoNTriBuTor

While covering seven American presidents, I reported on the two threats to President Gerald Ford and on the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. And over the years I had regular inter-action with Secret Service agents in the White House detail.

I think it is fair to say they near-ly all registered high on the Gung Ho meter, as you would expect from those who without hesita-tion were expected to give their lives for those they were assigned

to protect. They spent a lot of time pumping iron and staying in shape. And while polite, generally kept their distance from reporters.

New technologies and social networks have presented the Secret Service with many new challenges. But high tech also pro-vides them with sophisticated new weaponsas I was to discover shortly after I turned in my foreign correspondents raincoat.

As a fellow at the Kenne-dy School at Harvard, I was work-ing on a research paper analyzing the potential consequences of live television coverage of war. One of my interviewees was the Clinton White House press secretary Mike McCurry. As I no longer had a White House press badge, I went through a full security check at the northwest White House gate. After being cleared and given a visitors pass, I walked up and into the offices of the West Wing. After another security check and just as I was about to be taken to McCurrys office, an alarm went off. I was immediately stopped firmly by a uniformed officer who grabbed my bag and demanded, Are you carrying something nuclear?

For a moment, I was totally per-plexed. Then suddenly I remem-bered that the day before Id had a thallium heart stress test. Thallium is a nuclear isotope. I explained this to the officer, who radioed his superior. Apparently this had

happened before, and after some discussion I was escorted to my appointment.

Its still impressive to me that a miniscule amount of nuclear material in my blood stream was instantly detected in the West Wing. And generally I find it hard to reconcile my experiences with the Secret Service with the kind of Keystone Cops performance demonstrated in recent yearssix incidents of fence jumpers, agents carousing while on foreign trips and bullets breaking win-dows on the Truman balcony but going undetected by agents for four days.

On Tuesday I watched two hours of testimony by Julia Pier-son, the first woman director of the Secret Service. The chairman of the House Committee on Over-sight is Republican Congressman Darryl Issa who has adopted for-mer Senator Joe McCarthy as a role model. His professed concern for the person of the current presi-dent doesnt exactly ring true.

But the criticisms of Piersons leadership were strongly biparti-san. And to be frank, she did not make a very persuasive case for herself or her president. HShPresi-dent Obama is hardly to blame for the Secret Service shortcomings, but in the heat of an election cam-paign, its hiser competence that is implicitly being questioned.

Secret Service Shortcomings Get Politicized

Selectboard Regular Meetings are usually at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Sometimes they begin earlier; check online at charlottevt.org or with the Town Clerk (425-3071). Chair: Lane Morrison (425-2495), Matthew Krasnow (922-2153), Ellie Russell (425-5276), Charles Russell (425-4757), Fritz Tegatz (425-5564). CCS School Board Regular Meetings are usually at 6:30 p.m. at CVU on the third Tuesday of each month. Chair Kristin Wright (425-5105), Clyde Baldwin (425-3366), Susan Nostrand (425-4999), Erik Beal (425-2140), Mark

McDermott (425-4860). Planning Commission Regular Meetings are usually at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Chair Jeffrey McDonald (425-4429), Vice Chair Peter Joslin, Gerald Bouchard, Paul Landler, Linda Radimer, Donna Stearns, Marty Illick.

Committee meetings are listed on the town website. Check times and agendas online or by phone; for the town: charlottevt.org, Town Hall, 425-3071 or 425-3533; for CCS: ccsvt.us, CSSU office, 383-1234.

PUBLIC MEETINGS


Letters

Mums, Sedum & Fall Dcor!20%-50% Off all TreesShrubs & Perennials

through Oct 31stOpen Mon-Fri 8-5 Sat & Sun 9-5

2638 Ethan Allen Hwy, New Haven 802-453-5382

CSSU didnt answer the call for change

Someone asked me what Charlotte has to show for a contract with the teachers for 3.25 percent per year for three years.

The answer is, Nothing.Unless you subscribe to the logic that

if you go into a store with a sale sign in the window and spend $100 on an item with a tag on it that reads $200, you saved $100. You didnt save $100perhaps you spent less than you might have on a different daybut there was no saving. You have $100 less than you had before.

In every negotiation the difference in money (for example, in this case) between 2 percent and 3.25 percent is character-ized as, insignificant, hardly worth worrying about, or, my favorite, bug dust.

While at a specific point in time these descriptions may be accurate, over time this logic has allowed the cost of the ser-vice to go through the roof.

Folks, this is cowardice in the face of adversity. Pure and simple. For decades the same people have been paying hom-age to the same imaginary belief that everybody is getting along and using this as an excuse for not standing their ground. Very few have the courage to acknowl-edge that the reason to stand ones ground at this point is for the sake of the futurenot the present. This short-sightedness/fear has turned out to be very expensive and counterproductive, because, unfortu-nately, it gets worse.

The accurate answer to the question of what we have to show for the contract, then, is Less than nothing.

The emperors new clothes mindset that pervades the thinking of the negotiat-ing team (and the CCS board by agree-ing), in addition to providing a raise that does not correspond to what the financial fortunes of the community are likely to be for the next three years, has led to a provision that strips the Charlotte board of a critical capacity. Until the CCS board foolishly signed this contract the board controlled the length of the school day. We are now bound to a uniform work daya handicap that will have profound

implications for the future, both finan-cially and administratively.

This extremely ill-advised step is spun by CSSU and the negotiating team as a step toward flexibility.

No.It has long been questioned whether

the contracted staff are hourly workers punching a time clock or salaried profes-sionals who realize that some days are longer, some are shorter, and their obli-gation is to solve the problem at hand as directed by the administration based on existing conditions.

Sadly, the uniform length-of-day pro-viso confirms the answer: contracted staff are hourly workers. This is the final step in defining the VSEA as a 20th century industrial-style, labor-versus-manage-ment union.

Piece by piece the Legislature, school boards of limited perspective and nego-tiating teams of inadequate resolve have been intimidated into allowing the well-being of the community and students to suffer.

Among things NOT placed in the con-tract which should have been:

1) Reduction in staff by means other than seniority.

2) The administrations ability to assign a teacher as needed and to require that teacher to work toward whatever new certification may be needed (at the board/communitys expense).

As has been observed before: pay atten-tion to whom you send to the Legislature and whom you elect to the school board. Get specific answers from them about specific problems. Ask them, Whos going to pay for it, and what are we going to get for the money?

In addition to the cost of labor there are cost drivers in the form of mandates and regulations that have to be adjusted in order to address the overall problem. However, at this point in time, the nego-tiating team/school board did not answer the bell when called upon to deal with the issue before them.

Clyde BaldwinMember, CCS School Board

Farm-Crafted Compost

Compost and topsoil for gardening connoisseurs

Fall Sale 15% Off

Made locally from 100% farm manure

Approved for use on organic farms

Convenient Delivery No MinimumAlso Available:

Topsoil Plus - Raised Bed MixTM: A weed-free blend of compost, silt, peat moss, high-carbon wood ash, and broad spectrum rock dust.Topsoil Plus - Lawn MixTM: A weed-free blend of compost and silt providing optimum water-holding

capacity for lush green lawns.

Champlain Valley Compost Co.Serving NW Vermont gardeners since 1996

425-5556www.cvcompost.com

TM

Saying Good-bye to Gordon Brown

Im teaching a writing course at Cham-plain College right now, and I often tell my students its the little things that make a big difference in writinga well-placed comma, just the right word, a surprising sentence. The same holds true at this paper. The Charlotte News exists because of a certain selfless spirit exhibited by volunteers who donate their time to get the paper in your hands week after week. There are no small jobs hereevery little bit of volunteer help makes a big difference to us.

Thats why its with heavy hearts the staff and board of The News shares the passing of Gordon Brown, one of our most dedicated volunteers.

Despite the fact that his main task was affixing mailing labels to issues, Gordon was definitely a difference-maker at The News.

On publication day every other Thurs-day, Gordon was generally the first to arrive at the Charlotte Senior Center, ready to assist with the newspaper distri-bution. According to Shanley Hinge, our business manager in charge of circula-tion, Gordon made my job a lot more fun, and I always looked forward to working with him on Thursday mornings.

He was so excited to see each new issue, and gleefully shared the paper with any-one who walked into the Senior Center that morning. Gordon took great pleasure in bringing a bundle of papers to The Old Brick store, placing them in a prominent position, amongst the other papers. He helped me to understand how much value The Charlotte News brings to many in our community.

But it wasnt just his excitement for a new issuewe were all taken by his desire to just help. I remember once during a phone conversation he sug-gested I think about using a voice-recognition software to make writing easier. I shrugged it off, halfheart-edly told him Id look into it. He called me back five minutes later with price esti-mates and a phone number

to call for more info. Thats how he was.Gordon had many opinions and lots of

information to share, Shanley recalled. He might share a tip on iPhone shortcuts, the place to find the best local raspberries, or stories about meeting Betsy Pratt, Mad River Glens former owner.

Indeed, with Gordons passing, well miss the little things he brought to The News. They all add up to a big loss.

For Gordons obituary, please turn to page 19.

Brett SigurdsonEditor-in-Chief

News from The News

Thank You, Spear Family

Im writing this message to say thanks to Bid, Helena and family for their many years of operating Uncle Sams Creemee stand. My children, now adults, and many of the area children would attend the Red Cross swimming lessons given free at Hills Bay each year back in the 50s. We

would treat our children to a creemee at Uncle Sams if they passed that day into a new group. It became a yearly tradition. I missed stopping by this summer and was sorry to hear that they had closed. We wish you all the best, and thanks for the many memories.

Florence VincentNorth Ferrisburgh

EileenFisher


CROP Hunger Walk to Follow Tractor ParadeCVU students show their spirit for the annual CROP Hunger walk, which, for the first time, will follow the East Charlotte Tractor Parade on Sunday, Oct. 12, at 1 p.m. Participants are asked to gather at Nichols Farm by 12:45 p.m. in advance of the walk. There is a $10 minimum donation to participate in the walk. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Charlotte Food Shelf and other hunger organizations. For more information, visit cwsglobal.org or contact Carol Geske at 802-651-8977.

John HammerThe CharloTTe News

The Selectboard meeting of October 6 was advanced from that scheduled for the following Monday, and perhaps thats the reason for so little action. At the meeting, there was an active debate as to whether game or surveillance cameras ought to be deployed to cover town recreation areas. Numerous acts of vehicular vandalism have occurred at the Town Beach recently.

Selectboard member Matt Krasnow will investigate the privacy issues and potential equipment available and rein-troduce the subject at the next session. State troopers will be asked to provide more coverage of that area in the future. Also, Trooper Ben Katz, the contact with the town, will be asked to present the State Police quarterly report on its con-tracted coverage of the town at the next Selectboard meeting.

Another action with impact on the town was granting Race Vermont permission to hold three races on Charlotte roads on June 28, Aug. 16 and Sept. 12 next year. These races will be much the same as in previous years, starting and ending at the Shelburne Town Beach and spreading onto Greenbush, Orchard, Lake, Ferry and sometimes Thompsons Point roads. Police and traffic control will be pro-vided at intersections and Race Vermont, which is a for-profit concern, will pay the Charlotte Recreation Commission one dollar per racer.

Funds were approved to cover the costs of transportation and lodging for Sharon Balaban during Mary Meads vacation from Oct. 1 to 11. Meads vacation was scheduled before Balaban announced her resignation and move to California. Ms. Balaban will be serving as temporary town clerk/treasurer in Meads absence.

Climate Systems Inc. and Patterson

Fuels currently perform annual mainte-nance on the air conditioning and heating/boiler systems respectively in the towns buildings. The Selectboard renewed one-year contracts for both these firms com-mencing on Nov. 1.

Two listings were omitted from the published Grand List as the result of a fail-ure to enter the properties into the software program before the list was published. As a result, the Selectboard approved their addition which will precipitate a letter to the owners notifying them of the change.

The contract and deposit for the library roof replacement was deferred once again pending further review and possible addi-tions to refine the conditions of work a bit further. The work will not be scheduled until spring next year. The Selectboard also deferred an action passed at the last regular meeting in which it approved an amount not to exceed $7,500 for a speed-sign trailer. The change in heart came after the company added a significant transportation charge, causing the mem-bers and public to question whether com-petition ought to be sought. Action was deferred until the next meeting.

During the Selectboard update portion of the session, Selectman Tegatz reported that it will not be possible to complete the Spear Street bridge guardrails this autumn. Work continues on the plan-ning for the Carpenter Road bridge, with consideration being given to the decking and increased signage. Work continues on redesigning the repair of the Seguin/Rule (upper) covered bridge.

The co-housing segment of the town trail system is virtually complete and will be inaugurated on November 8 at 1 p.m.

The next Selectboard meeting will be scheduled for October 27. It is expected that this meeting will have a very full agenda, and it will begin at 6 p.m.

Selectboard Talks Town Beach Surveillance

BOOto dry

food for

your cat.

Just say

Call us at 860-CATS(2287)

to find out why canned food is the better choice.

Feline Veterinary Hospital and Boarding Suites

Affectionately Cats

www.affectionatelycats.com


Stella Pappas Stars in Winnie-the-Pooh Performance

When the Saints & Poets Production Com-pany stages A.A. Milnes famous tales of Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends, it will count a Charlotter among its cast. Thirteen-year-old Stella Pappas stars as Christopher Robin, a young friend of the bear of very little brain.

The play concerns Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl and Eeyore, who see the mysterious Kanga move to the forest with her son Roo. Their worst fears are realized when Piglet is taken into Kangas household where he is bathed (with soap!) and fed spoonfuls of Strengthening Medi-cine. Pooh vows to save his friend...but will the bears love of

sweet honey foil his plans? Brought

to life with a combination of live actors and puppets by the Burlington areas acclaimed puppet theater company, Winnie-the-Pooh is suitable for all ages.

Winnie-the-Pooh will run October 10 through 19 at the Off Center for the Dramatic Arts in Burl-ington. Shows are Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children 12 and under.

Tickets may be pur-chased by calling 86-FLYNN, online at flynntix.org or at the door. Additional information (including cast and crew biographies) is available at saintsandpoetsproductions.org.

Heat pumps have been around for decades, running refrigerators by moving heat from food inside our refrigerators to outside them and air conditioners by moving heat from inside to outside our houses. At a presentation at the library on Thursday, September. 25, Bill Kallock explained to an audience of 35 that modern cold- climate heat pumps, using new advances in refrigeration, can now use this familiar process to heat our homes by capturing heat from outside air as cold as -16 degrees below zero.

What makes cold-climate heat pumps cost effective in Vermont, said Kallock, is that, since they are moving heat rather than creating it, they are able to deliver three to four units of

heat for each unit of energy used by the heat pump itself. So the efficiency of the heat pump in terms of energy usage is 300 to 400 percent, much higher than the 65 to 85 percent system efficiencies of fossil fuels and wood and the 100 percent efficiency of electric baseboard heat.

Because of the higher efficiency of the heat pump, added said Kallock, you could think of it as providing heat for your house not at 14 cents but at 3.5 to 5 cents per kilowatt hour.

The event was organized by Charlottes Energy Committee and the Charlotte Library. From left, Ted Panicucci, who wants to make his old farmhouse on

Prindle Road more energy efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels; Suzy Hodgson, chair of the Charlotte Energy Committee; and Bill Kallock, a utility energy efficiency and smart grid consultant and a member of the Charlotte Energy Committee

Presentation Details Benefits of Cold Climate Heat Pumps

Charlotter Stella Pappas stars as Christopher Robin in the Saints & Poets Production Companys Winnie-the-Pooh.


VNA to Hold Flu Clinic at Senior Center Oct. 22

The Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and

Grand Isle Counties (VNA) will offer a flu clinic at the Charlotte Senior Center on Oct. 22 from 13 p.m.

The flu shots are available to adults ages 18 and over and are administered by a licensed nurse. This year the VNA will administer the quadrivalent flu vaccine, which protects against four different strains of the flutwo influenza A viruses and two influenza B viruses. To learn more about the quadrivalent vac-cine, visit the Centers for Disease Control website at cdc.gov/flu.

Peg Slagle, R.N., VNA infection control officer, explains, It takes about two weeks after vaccina-tion for your body to develop an immune response. Get vaccinated now so you will be protected all season long. She added that recent news reports indicate there may be an increase in cases this flu season. Everyone should reduce the risk of becoming ill by receiving an early flu shot to pro-tect both themselves and their family, said Slagle. A flu shot is especially important for people at high risk of having serious flu-related complications, including:

pregnant women people 65 and older people of any age with certain chronic medical

conditions residents of nursing home and long-term care

facilities people who live with or care for those at high risk

for complications from flu, including: - health care workers - household contacts of persons in the high-risk

population and - household contacts and outside caregivers of

children younger than 6 months of age (children who are too young to be vaccinated).

Medicare B or Medicaid cards are required for a vaccine at no charge. Please bring and show your card at registration in order for the fee to be waived. All others will pay a $41 fee. Cash or checks are accepted. Credit cards are currently being accepted at public clinics.

For more information, contact the VNA at (802) 658-1900 or visit vnacares.org.

Antique Beams Stolen from Ferry Road Barn

Troopers from the Vermont State Police are currently investigating the theft of approximately 14 antique wood beams that were being stored in an unsecured barn off Ferry Road belonging to Robert Stoddard of Starksboro. The beams, which were going to be used in a home construc-tion project, are approximately 150 years old and are worth between $3,000 and $5,000. Anyone with information is asked to contact Trooper Andrew Leise at the Williston State Police Bar-racks at 878-7111.

Malfunction continued from page 1

Data ColleCtion anD inspeCtion to Begin in

QuaDrant 2Ben Saunders, who works with the Listers as town

data collector, is currently in the field completing the data collection and inspection of properties in the first quadrant. In the next couple of weeks he will begin inspecting properties in quadrant 2. This quadrant consists of all properties east of Ethan Allen Highway (Route 7) and north of Church Hill and Hinesburg roads. The east boundary is the Hinesburg town line and the north boundary is the Shelburne town line.

Postcards will be mailed out a week or two ahead of the projected property inspection, and the inspections will take place on Fridays. If no one is at home when Saunders arrives, a card will be left to let you know he was there. If he needs to get into your house or has a question, a card will be left at your house asking you to call the listers office.

If you have any questions about the process, please call the listers office at 425-3855.

wife. Although the weather was beautiful, Teese experienced a serious malfunction of a part that may be deemed defective. Three miles out from the landing strip, Teese heard a pop and air came rushing into the plane through a split seam along the window. The plane began to buffet in the wind, creating drag and becoming more of a parachute instead of an airplane.

It was obvious after a few minutes that I wasnt going to be able to make the airstrip, he said.

Guiding the compromised aircraft over nearby homes and trees, Teese was able to land the plane safely in a field near Basin Harbor. He and his wife were uninjured. After landing, the couple walked through farmers fields to the nearby airbase, where they were picked up in another plane that had recently landed. They then taxied with the pilot and shared a lunch altogether at the Basin Harbor Club restaurant before speaking with police authorities.

Overall, Teese said that the incident happened very quickly, and while it was especially discon-certing to pass closely over the nearby homes, it was a lovely feeling to reach the field. Although he had never encountered an emergency situation such as this landing, Teese explained that he had practiced simulations with an FAA-appointed examiner. Rather than discouraging him from flying in the future, Teese said the landing made him feel more confident in his ability as a pilot to manage crises.

There are many ways to make your home cooler when its hot, and warmer when its coldas well as lower your energy costs.

Were here to answer questions, connect you with a certified contractor, discuss financing options, and help cover the costs:

Bob Murphy Customer Engagement, Efficiency Vermont

Connect with Efficiency Vermont at 855-388-9477 or www.efficiencyvermont.com/savings

*Not valid for Vermont Gas Systems customers.

Feel cozy at home this winter

$100 off your home

energy audit

Incentives up to

$2000upon completing

qualifying improvements

Plus

$500* for installing a new

qualifying heating system

Take action on #ButtonUpVT Day, November 1.

8 October 9, 2014 The Charlotte News

Regulations are written to discourage all types of businesses, he said. He, like others, spoke specifically to the towns conditional uses. The current land use regulations have 35 conditional uses to 23 permitted uses.

Some cited the former Steves Citgo on Route 7 as an example of the effects of the towns heavy-handed regulations. The towns current land use regulations allow gas stations only in the village commercial district under conditional use, and a new buyer would be limited to selling gas and to 30-square feet of retail service, provided the Planning Commission okays it.

However, the draft Economic Devel-opment chapter addresses this in clear terms. The necessary balance between conservation and economic activity should be achieved by clearly designating district purposes, permitted uses and review crite-ria in our zoning districts, it says. Pro-posals for development and other private action that are consistent with those pur-poses, uses and criteria should be approved with as little review as necessary.

The draft chapter also calls for add-ing a development review board, which would review non-administrative applica-tions and consider zoning appeals. This would free up the Planning Commission to dedicate itself to town planning instead of development review and site planning.

But the question at the heart of so much of the talk surrounding economic devel-opment in Charlotte came up: how much

development do people want? Many at the meeting acknowledged having more shop-ping opportunities nearby would make liv-ing in Charlotte more convenient for those who live or want to live in town.

Lindsay Longe said that to attract younger generations to Charlotte, which several at the meeting advocated, the town needs businesses that provide essential services.

Its almost moot to dwell on afford-able housing if those lifestyle desires are not going to be available to those people, she said.

HousingThe nights other main topic, housing,

also centered on a need to make changes at the planning level. According to sta-tistics by Saxton, housing development in Charlotte has occurred primarily in the towns vast rural district. Between 2004 and 2013, 140 residential lots and single-family homes were created in Charlotte, most of them scattered in no discernible pattern. This runs contrary to the towns stated objective in the current Town Plan to center growth in the east and west villages.

This trend is linked to the towns five-acre minimum parcel size, something that could also be contributing to the cost of Charlottes real estate. According to numbers provided by Saxton, the median sale price on a house in Charlotte in 2013 was $430,000, well above the averages for Chittenden County ($250,000) and the state ($180,000).

Thus, a good portion of the conversa-tion centered on how to promote afford-able housing in more dense develop-

ments in village areas. One suggestion that has cropped up over and over again at planning workshops is a senior hous-ing development in the West Village. Others suggested promoting home-shar-ing or multi-dwelling units. Carrie Spear suggested mobile home units like those near Spears Corner Store in East Char-lotte, which are affordable and, by their clustered nature, promote community.

For such a development to happen, the town would have to change its zoning regulations from a mandated minimum of five acres, something many in the crowd seemed to agree on.

Seaver noted, however, that many people move to Charlotte for the open space, so simply minimizing zoning would set up battles between people who want affordable housing versus the people who want large lots and houses and so forth. We can do both.

Said Planning Commission member Marty Illick, We should have different districts in town. But where do we want the density to be greaterthe village area versus the rural district?

Before Charlotte can think about more development, it needs to think about infrastructure, said Chris Von Trapp, a real estate agent. He told a story of talk-ing to his daughter in Mumbai, India, on his cell phone.

I had to warn her I was coming into Charlottethe town with the big-gest per-capita income of every town in Vermont and my phone is going to die, he said. I think youve got to be really aware of the consumer who does come to your community and they have no reception. They get right back in the car. Youre done.

septicBy the end of the meeting it became

clear the real question for town leaders and taxpayers to answer is, Does Charlotte want to invest in a wastewater system in the east and west villages? For with-out such investments in infrastructure, talk of more and cheaper housing and increased economic development would likely remain just that.

Currently only the town buildings in the West Village are hooked up to the towns wastewater system, though a recent study commissioned by the Selectboard reveals Charlotte could support a larger septic system that would allow for more devel-opment.

Because we dont have the wastewater were working from a point of weakness in coming up with a plan to address this, said Dave Marshall, a member of that committee. It could be a springboard for everything else.

Yet Robert Mack noted that the town has vetoed having the Chittenden County Water District move south several times because not enough Charlotters want sep-tic. He suggested putting the issue to the town.

Marty Illick, a Planning Commission member, said 30 years ago she didnt want septic and water because of the chance of more development, but now its different.

If we want to develop, if we want to enable growth, we have to do it, she said. We have to start with septic in the west village. Thats where it starts.

The Selectboard is currently in the pro-cess of applying for a septic planning grant, which could be the first step in mak-ing this a reality, said Town Administrator Dean Bloch.

Workshop continued from page 1

birdseyebuilding

(802) 264-4888www.peasemountainlaw.com

[email protected] Ferry Road, Suite 100

Charlotte, Vermont

Personal Service, Professional ResultsMichael T. Russell Member Attorney

Serving Charlotte for 15 Years

Business Formation & ConsultingConstruction, Development & Subdivision

Real Estate TransactionsWills & Trusts


Managing Our Resources Through

ConservationRoel BoumansContributor

Penny wise and pound foolish is an adage that can apply to conservation. Saving ten cents a pound on rice by buying 50 pounds probably makes sense, but saving ten cents a pound on lettuce by buying 50 pounds probably results in a bunch of wasted lettuce. So lets look at some words that help us to appreciate the character and uses of natural resources and to understand the necessity of different approaches to conservation.

First of all, a resource is something available for use in the future. Resources degrade over timesome fast, like lettuce, and others slowly, like rice. Conservation is about maintaining value over time and is different than efficiency, which is about getting the most out of resources when you finally put them to use. But a failure in conserva-tion is similar to a failure in efficiency because each leads to waste.

In the conventional market-value discussion of resources, the most common adjectives used are public and private. I want to introduce the terms excludable and rival, which are used by ecological economists to think more insightfully about resources and their value over timeand allow us in particular to think about how we relate to resources as individuals.

Excludable is when the use of the resource can be restricted; for example I put up no tres-passing signs around my property to prevent others from using it. Rival means that if I am using the resource, you cannot. The large fish I just caught and brought home for dinner is not in the lake anymore for you to catch.

The rivalry of resources tends not to change over time. Not so with excludability because that is largely a function of people. Laws, or power, and technology determine what is and is not excludable. At the core of excludability is enforce-ment.

But rivalry and excludability raise ques-tions. When is private ownership the best way to go? Is it feasible to manage a particular resource as a public resource? How do private and public decisions impact each other?

Consider the idea of sharing, which has been largely overshadowed by the market perspective of competition. Hip waders can be shared, but not simultaneously. Hip waders are perfectly rival; if Im using them, you cant, at least not at the same time. Sunsets, however, are non-rival. Who has not had the wish you were here response to a glorious sunset? Or been fortunate enough to share a soft silent smile of recognition with the persons watching the sunset with you. The very nature of value in a sunset is the more the merrier!

Now, think of trying to privatize the sunset by controlling all access points to it. The result is obvious: you spend sweat and treasure and ruin it for everybody! Sunsets are non-excludable and non-rival.

If we want to derive the most benefit from what we have, we need to ask whether the value of a resource increases or decreases when we share it.

Nowhere is the need to share clearer than with respect to the atmosphere, as Peter Barnes argues in Who Owns the Sky? We must learn to share the sky by setting limits on how much each of us can burnor more people will die from the effects of global climate change, literally. Right now the atmosphere is largely non-excludable, yet it is inherently rival, because when I burn carbon dioxide into the air, there is less capacity for you to burn. Both as individuals and collectively we cant use the atmosphere as a dump and keep breathing it.

But simplistic public/private ideologies are not grounded in sharing, and a competitive market perspective will doom us to failure. But how do you stop the other guy from dumping, assuming, of course, that you are willing to stop dumping yourself? Questions of rivalry and excludability are rife in the global debate about carbon foot-prints and climate change.

The Charlotte Conservation Commissions legal role is to advise the Planning Commission on the impact of its decisions on the social and natural resources of the town. This new perspective of rival and excludable bears directly on important questions here in Charlotte, questions ranging from invasive organisms and preserving views-capes to agricultural land use and carbon capture. Only, when we recognize that property values are as dependent on reducing environmental degrada-tion as they are on a fresh coat of paint, and that conservation is like preventive maintenance, can we avoid being property wise and environmen-tally foolish, ruining real estate development for ourselves and others.

Amos Baehr contributed to this article. Roel Boumans is co-chair of the Conservation Commission.

Charlotte Conservation Currents

Karyn Lunde submitted this picture of a praying mantis on a leaf outside her home recently. Have

a picture youd like to share? Send it to [email protected].

Contact Gary Franklin [email protected]

A full-service law firm, Primmer represents a wide range of clients in the public, private, government and non-profit sectors.

Our clients include individuals as well as companies in all stages of growth and development from entrepreneurs and start-ups to established family businesses and large corporations.

With a regional presence and more than forty attorneys, our experienced professionals deliver practical and eexperienced professionals deliver practical and effective legal representation in an increasingly complex business environment.

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

- landscape design & installations- San Juan fiberglass pool & spa installations-Fall clean-ups & woodlands management

8 0 2 . 4 3 4 . 3 5 0 0 w w w . l a n d s h a p e s . n e t

Shaping Vermonts landscape for the past twenty years.

Timberlane Dental Group was founded in 1973 to provide comprehensive dental care extending throughout a patients

lifefrom the first infant oral exam through adulthood. Today, 40-plus years later, were as happy as ever to be caring

for Vermonters.

OrthodonticsPeriodontics & Implant Dentistry

Pediatric DentistryGeneral & Cosmetic Dentistry

A smile is happiness youll find right under

your nose. Tom Wilson, actor/writer/comedian

Burlington, 1127 North Avenue Essex Junction, 87 Main StreetSouth Burlington, 60 Timber Lane Shelburne, 5070 Shelburne Road

802-559-1190 timberlanedental.com

10% offto Charlotters

in October


to as such until an address change was recently made for emergency identifi-cation. Carrie Spear, who has owned the Corner Store since April 2001, was concerned that Baptist Corners was losing its identity with this change and felt that she needed to help sustain the spiritual legacy of the area.

The Corner Store has existed in various forms since 1797, according to Carrie. The store has had many shopkeepers since then, each making additions to the physical property and surrounding community. The store was first called Marbles Store, under the ownership of the Marble family, in 1969. The following two owners, Ellen Sheehan and Leo Perez, kept this name as well. Although Carrie changed it to Spears Store, with the permission of the original Marble family, she is pas-sionate about retaining the integrity of their community-minded business.

I was drawn to this area, to this store. I felt spiritually called, she said. Carrie described the Spirit of Baptist Corners as a sense of happiness and community felt by both the employ-ees and the customers who are drawn to it. Although the store has changed shape at the hands of many differ-ent shopkeepers over time, this social atmosphere is a common thread that connects each of them.

In fact, visitors to the Corner Store have often described a similar calling

to the store that Carrie herself experienced. Specifically she refers to her gray-haired angels, older friends with wisdom who always seem to show up at the store when Carrie needs help. These include Terence Tenney, the Tractor Parade ladies and many of the wonderful volun-teers who help make the Tractor Parade possible.

Carrie also remem-bers a special support-er of Baptist Corners, Gerald Aube, a friend who passed away in February 2013. Aube was a blessing in the everyday life of the Corner Store shop-keepers, whom he helped daily and behind the scenes for almost 50 years. A tall farmer who lived just off of Spear Street, friends remember how he would drive a car filled with anything and everything around Charlotte at an even 30 mph, pulling over for other drivers to pass. Carrie also described how he loved cats, and they loved him. He would often leave in the eve-ning saying, Gotta go feed the cats! She imagines now that Aube is look-ing down at them from heaven, in the same way that the shopkeepers were blessed with him in and out of [their] daily lives.

Just as Gerald Aube helped the Sheehan family, he also aided Carries transition into her ownership of the Corner Store. One day, just a few weeks into her new role, Carrie was sit-ting down to rest when Aube remarked, Helen never sat around. That was the end of that, and Carrie joked that she hasnt sat down since.

The hardworking nature that Aube mentioned was one of Helen Sheehans identifying traits. Carrie recognizes Sheehan as the reason she first stopped in at the Corner Store, and explained how much she is missed, as she was a family lady and loved by every-one. Carrie also remarked that Helen Sheehans granddaughters continue the

tradition of their grandmothers work at the store.

As for her own mark in the Baptist Corners legacy, Carrie Spear is known for advocat-ing the development of East Charlotte and for her dedication to creating a family environ-ment within the store. Although Gerald Aube is no longer around, Carrie has commemorated his friendship and contributions to the store by naming her new kitten in his memory. Carrie says that Aube, a little orange kitten, makes so many people happy here. The kitten already has a large following at the store, fulfilling his role as a mascot of Baptist Corners and spread-ing its spirit with his playful personality.

Since 2001, the first year of her ownership, Carrie has host-ed the annual Tractor Parade. Theres not a sad face in the crowd on Tractor Parade day, according to Carrie. As a plat-form for celebrating generations of the farming heritage, it serves to remind the community of its roots in agriculture. Although it started as a small event, it has drawn visitors from all over New England to share in the spirit of Baptist Corners.

This year the East Charlotte Tractor Parade will take place October 12 from 11:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m., preceded by a dance party at the Old Lantern on October 10 from 7 to 11 p.m. to benefit the parade. Admission is $5 and families are welcome.

Tractor Parade continued from page 1

Carrie Spear at Spears Corner Store in East Charlotte.

This photo, from Around the Mountains, shows Baptist Corners facing south from Hinesburg Road around 1910. What was once the Charlie Johns store on the imme-diate left is now Spear's Corner Store.

SHARE YOUR MILESTONES

Births

AwardsMarriages

Engagements

email: [email protected]

Long Point Residence25 minutes to Burlington & the airport, this upgraded

Cottage has quality finishes, upgraded kitchen, living

room, fireplace, family room, study, & sunroom overlooking

the lake. Ferrisburgh.$499,000 | MLS# 4229805

Lakeshore Home & CottageOn Lapham Island, this year round home built in 1996 has been meticulously maintained.

Main house has plenty of room, & the charming Cottage offers additional guest space

or proven rental. Bridport.$329,000 | MLS# 4227253

Chris von Trapp, [email protected]

(802) 343-4591

www.ChrisvonTrapp.com

Views of Sugarbush NorthThese are the views you

always dreamed about. This 3 bedroom Contemporary Cape has an open floor

plan design, private master bedroom, & living room with cathedral ceiling. Charlotte.$597,500 | MLS# 4378694

Flat, Open, Super Location!Close to Shelburne in North Charlotte, this 100% open lot is the perfect canvas for you to build your dream home.

Suited for raising animals or crops, this is the perfect size

for a gentleman farmer.$189,000 | MLS# 4336749


Bradley CarletonContributor

As I sit in my tree stand in a mature maple 20 feet above the ground, I am in awe of the beauty around me. The light filters through the gold and red canopy above me, spilling onto the musky forest floor. It feels like I am in a cathedral. I am sitting here practicing being still and mindful only of my surroundings, but I am overcome with gratitude and wonder.

I begin to think ancient thoughtsthoughts about how humans have connected to nature and how in the beginning man learned everything we needed to know from animals. We learned to make calls imitating birds and studied the movements and patterns of four leggeds. We learned to hunt by watching larger carnivorous ani-mals. And ultimately, we learned that we needed them if we were to survive.

This need translated to a closer connection. In order to eat, primitive people had to understand the animals or plants that they could use for nourishment and often times learned from experience those organisms could kill them via tooth and fang or via the stomach.

I hypothesize that primitive man was in some way grateful for his successful hunt, although he probably didnt sit around and pray about it. He just felt it. Food is good. I need food to survive. Therefore I need animals and

plants, so they become important to me. I rely on them.

As I am pondering these possibilities I drift into my own analysis of why I hunt now, when it would be so much easier to go to the grocery store and purchase the vegetables and meat I need. But do I feel any connection to this food? Am I grateful for it? I may be grateful that I have enough money for the purchase, but am I grateful for the animal or plant? Have I studied its habitat and patterns? Do I honor and respect its life?

When I hunt, I feel love. Love for the woods. Love for the breeze. Love for the sunset and the trees. Love for the sound of the geese flying high over-head. Love for the animal I am seeking.

I am filled with an appreciation of all that surrounds me and for who I am as a part of it. I am both insignificant and valuable at the same time. My value is not greater than and not less than that of the animals, the plants and the sun that warms my face. I am at one with my universe. It is then that the universe rewards me with what I need.

A doe steps into the open space beneath my stand. She looks over her shoulder with a maternal glance. Following her is a smallish fawn, no doubt delivered late in the spring. The fawn follows its mother directly under my tree. I watch in utter amazement as they work their way past my lad-der. I am invisible.

They sense no threat from me and thus their sixth sense accepts my presence as something natural. They wander off behind my stand, and I say a prayer of thanks to the Great Spirit for their visit.

At the edge of the field that abuts the woods, a gray squirrel squeals loudly at something I cannot see. A twig

snaps. My heart races. I practice breathing like I had

never done it before. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. Con-scious of every breath. Through the tangles that envelop the ditch lead-ing to the field, I catch a glimpse of motion.

Brown motion. Then suddenly a stomp and a loud blowing sound. The wind has switched direction and this animal, this deer, smells something that is unfamiliar in these woods.

Behind an old oak I see a head lift, and the sun glints off of a set of gorgeous antlers.

Another stomp and blow. The buck is looking right at my tree. He is out of range for my bow.

He lifts his head up into the pillar of light and scans up the tree until our eyes are locked on one another.

I wait. Measured breathing, not blinking. We are joined in a primitive moment.

I can see his chest expanding and contracting with mine.

Suddenly, his tail swishes from side to side. He turns his head to the west and begins to slowly walk away from me toward the field.

The sun sets and the birds get quiet. I sit down in my seat and take a deep breath. I say out loud, Thank you, Great Spirit, for my brothers visit. I have received a gift of beauty and wonder this evening that will remain as a memory for the rest of my life. And I am grateful.

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

A view from the authors tree stand during last years deer hunt.

The Power of the Primitive

Providing Repair, Refinishing, Restoration and Transport

George & Pam DarlingP.O. Box 32

Ferry Road, Charlotte, VT

[email protected]

Wonderful single story, 2 bedrm home on 10 acres with a small stream and views of Mt. Ellen. Sunny bright interior. Large 25x22 living room with fireplace, formal dining room, newly renovated kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, large wrap deck and 2 car attached garage. Very good condition. $359,000 MLS # 4374146

Dottie Waller, Realtor, CBR

846-78491-800-864-6226 x7849Dottie.waller@lmsre.

com

Starksboro

The Charlotte News October 9, 2014 13

The Caf Menu

MONDAY, OCT. 13: Chicken mulligatawny soup, green salad, apple harvest cake

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 15: Catch of the day, homemade dessert

MONDAY, OCT. 20: Pumpkin black bean soup, green salad, roasted apple sundaes

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22: Beef stew, homemade dessert Senior LunCheonS are held every Wednesday at noon. Reservations are necessary in advance and can be made by calling the Senior Center at 425-6345. A $4 dona-tion is requested. Reservations are not required for the Monday Munch.

Charlotte Senior Centerby Mary Recchia,

Activities Coordinator

Just a reminder that the meeting time for the strength-maintenance class has been changed from 12:301:30 p.m. to 11:00noon.

The Center is pleased to host the

American Red Cross Blood Drive for this much-needed community event on Thursday, Oct. 9, from 27 p.m. The comfortable atmosphere and great snacks make giving the Gift of Life at this site most pleasurable.

New sessions of our old favorites

chair yoga, gentle yoga, Pilates and tai chi, begin the week of Oct. 13. Please call the Center for more information or to register. Not sure which class is right for you? Please feel free to give one a try.

The viewing time for The 30 Greatest

Orchestral Works from the Great Courses Collection is also changed from 1:453:15 p.m. to 12:302 p.m., still on Tuesdays. Dates remaining are Oct. 14, 21 and 28 and Nov. 4 and 11, noting that each lecture is able to stand on its own.

Professor Robert Greenberg of San Francisco Performances takes you on a sumptuous grand tour of the symphonic pieces he counts as being among the very greatest ever writteninviting 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.

Marty Morrisseys last fall hike in the

Champlain Valley will be on Tuesday, Oct. 14, to Little River State Park. The Stevenson Brook trail at Little River is 2.5 miles long with a 750-foot ascent; it joins the Dailey Loop trail for a 1.5 mile return down the hillside. The Cotton Brook trail is accessed from Moscow at the northern end of the reservoir and

is a state forest road that ascends 1,470 feet and is part of an 11-mile loop. We can pick the distance to go up and then retrace our steps. Please bring water, food and good hiking or walking shoes for departure from the Senior Center at 9 a.m. Registration required. No fee.

Join Hank Kaestner for another

birding expedition on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 9 a.m. in search of shorebirds, ducks, herons and migrating land birds. Good views are guaranteed through Hanks O-my-God telescope. Please meet at the Center so we can carpool together to the location Hank has scouted for spectacular bird watching. Register for this event; if we have to change the date due to bird migration or weather, we will call you. Registration required. No fee.

Elizabeth Llewellyn will lead

a colored pencil open studio on Thursdays from 1011:30 a.m. on Oct. 30, Nov. 6, 13 and 20, and Dec. 4 and 11.

This class is designed for the more experienced color pencil artist. Each student will be responsible for providing reference pieces and will

work independently with guidance from the instructor. As colored pencil fans we will enjoy learning from each other in a relaxed, supportive environment. Open to artists with previous colored pencil experience. Registration necessary. Limit 10. Fee: $80.

Please join us Wednesday afternoons

beginning at 1 for a collection of lectures, performances and special events that showcase the diverse interests of our community. No registration or fee.

Oct. 15: The Human Jukebox: Peter Rosenblum Singer/Guitarist

Peters playlist includes nearly 200 of your favorite oldies from the 50s to the 70s, from ballads to blues to rock n roll. Performing spontaneously by request, his engaging singing and guitar work creates a lively interplay with all who join the fun.

Oct. 22: Flu Clinic with the VNAThe requirements for receiving a shot

at this clinic are being 18 years of age or older and having Medicare B, a Medicaid card, BC/BS, MVP or $41 in cash or check.

The last Martin boat trip of the season was on a cold and gray Sept. 18. Many gathered on the banks of the Otter Creek in Vergennes to thank the Martins with cake, balloons and lots of stories about their travels on the Nancy Ann, spon-sored by the Senior Center.

!!!:EHI;JIJH;;JIEKJ>8KHB?D=JED"LJ >;7BJ>OB?L?D=C7HA;J$9EC

BURNT ROCK FARMOrg Spaghe"i Squash$$$$ 99 /lbEh]Fkhfb[L_a_d]FejWje $1.09 /lbEh]Wd_YOWci$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $1.69 /lb ROCKVILLE MARKET FARMEh] 8k[hdkj IgkWi^ 99 /lbEh]Fh[#9kj8k[hdkj$2.99 /20 ozALBERTS ORGANICSEh]Fec[]hWdWj[$$$$$$$$$$ 99 /ea9[b[ho>[Whji$$$$$$$$$ $1.49 /10 ozBLACK RIVER PRODUCEEh]FWhid_fi$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $1.99 /lbEh]7leYWZe$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $1.09 /lbEh]8hkii[biIfhekji $5.99 /lb

>K=;ED;:7OEDBOFHE:K9;I7B; We've invited vendors from near and far to oer phenomenal produce at rock-bo"om prices! Heres just a taste of some terrific deals

FRESH OFF THETRUCK SALE!


Taking Care by Alice D. Outwater, Ph.D.

How an Eagle Family Bound My Own

As a child with four older siblings I always longed to be more grown-up. Their lives brimmed with excitement, enticing experiences and privileges beyond my reach. Louise, my younger sister, and I were the bookends who dealt with boring bedtime rules and knowing wed never catch up.

Mine was a generation when the post-man delivered mail twice a day. We were abundant letter writers, and the two black stand-up phones in our large house were used judiciously. The world moved at a slower pace than it does today. Rapid change appeared overnight due to the Internet, cell phones and television.

Well, I finally did grow up. Now Ive become the elder. Two generations have died and I feel compelled to carry on family traditions. Being the oldest aunt suggests serious responsibilities to keep us in touch with each other.

My inspiration comes from our New England history dating back to the late 1700s. The offspring were educated at eastern colleges, with the men becoming lawyers, bankers and doctors. All mar-ried appropriately. During holidays many gathered at our ample Remsen Street house in Brooklyn Heights, New York. Since the early 1900s cousins had spent summers at the family compound on Sebec Lake, Maine.

By the 1920s a few black sheep had left the fold for circumstances long since forgotten. Now we rarely gather together for vacations or even holidays.

My own children are far flung, rang-ing from California to Tanzania, Africa. Some cousins have settled in Paris, Lon-don and Amsterdam.

Recently I published two memoirs of our immediate family, 82 Remsen Street: Growing up in Brooklyn Heights and Revisiting Remsen Street. Everyone in the extended group received copies so theyd have a sense of our roots through shared grandparents.

To foster cohesion, I sent out monthly emails announcing birthdays. I encour-aged everyone to dispatch a greeting and add a few sentences about their own lives. This got off to a reluctant start with just Happy Birthday. Better than nothing, I reasoned, but so uninteresting. The next year I recommended writing a haiku plus personal news. I even concocted lively examples. That also fell flat.

At last another family showed us how. My generous niece Biri, the owner of the summer property, welcomed us all to Sebec Lake. For a second year she had noticed a nest of bald eagles high in a pine tree a few feet away from the cottage. Maine Wildlife Rangers rushed over to check out the twins born in early spring.

Email reports flew back and forth. Personal news and pictures were often included. New bonds seemed to be form-ing. Even black sheep resurfaced.

Soon the bird babies were nearly adult size and fairly bursting out of their nest. The parents hustled back and forth with tasty fish flapping from their talons. The youngsters screeched outlandishly all day, turning the once-peaceful setting into a raucous nursery.

One night a windstorm flung the nest and one twin to the ground. The adults flew off. The other twin clung to a

tree branch high up. When the parents returned they continued to feed only that baby. The favored sibling stepped on the fish to pull it apart for easy eating. Morsels often fell to the ground. Despite the risk from prowling raccoons and lack of enough food the eaglet on the ground managed nicely, adding frogs, crickets and smaller insects to its diet. It became the larger one. Biri kept us all entranced with photographs and reports.

Finally the time arrived for the eaglets to practice flying. Their comical false starts entertained us, but they eventually gained height. Then the day arrived: their strengthened wings flapped up and down, suspending them sufficiently to reach a nearby cove. Everyone on the porch waved goodbye, grateful they took their raucous noise and teenage behavior with them.

Connecting our cousins has been rewarding as I detect energy increase between family members. Hopefully the momentum will continue and build.

It took these eagles to remind us what research shows: families who keep in touch thrive more throughout their lives.

Alice Outwater is a part-time Charlotte resident and author of the books 82 Remsen Street and Revisiting Remsen Street.

Food Shelf News

Kerrie PugheCONTRIBUTOR

Thank you to Dr. and Mrs. Stetson for the donations of seven apple pies from the pie sale. The pie sale is a popular fun-draiser for the Charlotte Congregational Church held on Wednesdays and Fridays 47 p.m. during apple season.A special thanks to all those members of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and the Charlotte Congregational Church who have been filling our drop baskets weekly.

We appreciate the support from Jim and Kathleen Manchester and from Jeanette

Thibault. Thank you to Remo and Donna Pizzagalli for filling in our wish list.

AnnuAl meeting We held our annual meeting at the Senior Center on Sept. 25. We discussed finances as well as plans for the coming year. Our donations this past fiscal year totaled $39,050. This includes private donations, Shelburne Supermarket cof-fee bar proceeds, a SCHIP grant, as well as matching funds from the Feinstein Challenge. Expenses totaled $37,793, which include items such as food pur-

chases, the Shoe In Program, holiday gift cards to include in baskets, emergency fuel and childrens clothing. For more details you may contact Karen Doris. trAnsition town ChArlotte gArden

Thank you to Transition Town volun-teers and the staff at the library for the fresh bounty from the garden.

spACe for grACeOn the last Wednesday distribution

each month, a meal will be served by the Congregational Church at 6 p.m. At 6:30

p.m. there will be a service of song and prayer. All are welcome. Thank you for the wonderful chili and bread served in September.

grAnge Clothing driveThis year the Food Shelf partnered

with the Charlotte Grange to collect and distribute clothing to families in need (childrens winter boots, coats, etc.). We appreciate all the donations, and we thank all of those who volunteered to help with collection and distribution.

CAlling All knittersWe love those hand- made gloves and

hats. If you have some spare time and yarn, now is a good time to start the knit-ting so we have a good supply by cold weather.

new volunteersWelcome to Andrea Harvey, who will

be helping with food shopping, Jerry Schwartz, who will be helping with dis-tribution and the heavy lifting, and Elaine Edelman, who is helping harvest the church garden and assisting with food

distribution.We hope you will plan to join us for

the holiday basket set up at the Charlotte Congregational Church. See our Impor-tant Dates insert for dates and times. We hope you will plan to include the Food Shelf in your holiday giving plans, per-haps a donation in honor or memory of a friend, family member, coworker or teacher?

The Charlotte Food Shelf is run entire-ly by volunteers so all donations go directly for food or assistance to our neighbors in need. If you are a customer of yourfarmstand.com, you may make a donation to the Food Shelf as part of your online order. The Charlotte Food Shelf is located on the lower level of the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry.

Distribution days/times are posted in this newspaper and on the bulletin board in the Charlotte Congregational Church Hall. You may also call the Food Shelf number (4253252) for a recording of the distribution times.

For more information call Karen at 4253252 or visit our website at https://sites.google.com/site/charlottefood-shelfvt/.

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

Dustless Floor Sandingquick dry environmentally friendly finishes

Custom Installation

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

(802) [email protected]

U BRUSH HOG WORKU TILLINGU SMALL TRACTOR WORKU YORK RAKE -72 FINISH MOWERU SMALL CHIPPER

PAT LECLAIRE802.985.8225

Mason Associates Educational Consultants

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

Benjamin Mason, MEd, CEP

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

Rick GomezMaster Electrician

for over 25 years

[email protected] rvgelectric.com

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

[email protected] rvgelectric.com

Julie ElitzerRealtor 550 Hinesburg Road So. Burlington, VT 05403

[email protected]

Office: 802-846-7817Cell: 802-922-5868Toll Free: 800-864-6226

LMSRE.COMLang McLaughry Real Estate

Linda H. SparksBroker, GRI, CRSSenior Associate

[email protected]

Direct: 802-846-7860Office: 802-864-0541Cell: 802-734-2930

LMSRE.COMLang McLaughry Real Estate

Cindi Burnsrealtor

Burns real estate team802-373-3506

[email protected]

Business Directory


tive per capita income at eight percent above the statewide average and annual wages collectively at 16 percent higher than state averages. CSEA officials also contended the district towns have low unemployment, are planning new busi-ness and housing developments and have low tax rates after income adjustments are factored.

According to the report, negotiators for the district proposed a two-percent increase as a fair and equitable salary increase that reflects the fiscal challenges facing it.

At CSSU negotiators cited consumer price index figures that show that consum-ers experienced only a 1.5- to 1.7-percent increase in buying power since 2012, that median adjusted gross income for CSSU families increased only between 0.5 and 1.6 percent a year between 2006 and 2011, and that no other public or private employ-ees in the state received that high a raise.

But these numbers were also tied to something elsepushback from the voters.

The Board asserts that public support

for schools is eroding because of increases in school budgets, which are caused large-ly by increasing salary and benefit expen-ditures, states the report. At the same time, teachers in the CSSU are among if not the highest paid in the county and have received recent raises that far exceed the average taxpayer and the CPI. Therefore, the sizable salary increases sought by the Association are simply unreasonable and unsustainable.

In trying to reach a compromise Cochran determined 3.25 percent per year a fair wage settlement, adding that, with infla-tion factored in, the salary increase would actually be in the realm of 1.75 percent.

Beal noted CCS was one of the stron-gest voices for lower salary increases.

For evidence, Beal pointed to the ballot box, where Charlotters have voted down or narrowly passed previous school budgets.

Charlotte tax rates have been trending higher and that has made passing our school budgets increasingly difficult," he said. "Its not just salary increases locally that affect our taxes, but thanks to Act 60, we bear a share of the burden of school budget increases happening elsewhere in Vermont. Our board is forced to compensate by cut-ting other parts of CCSs budget.

Despite the CCS boards position, Beal acknowledged the difficulties of the pro-

cess of negotiating as part of a collective. In the end, the board voted 4-1 to ratify the agreement.

We understood that Charlottes are concerned, said Beal. From day one we advocated for restraint. But given the sal-ary increases in other Chittenden county towns and a fact-finding system based on comparables, 3.25 percent was about as good as we could get out of that process. In the end we carefully considered our options and voted to ratify.

Not all board members agreed, how-ever. In a letter to the editor in this weeks News, board member Clyde Baldwinthe only member to vote against ratifying the agreementblasted the decision on the grounds that CSSU has allowed too many little increases to add up over time.

While the increase in salaries will increase the schools baseline budget going forward, Cochran advised against other proposals that would have raised spending for the districts. For instance, to improve teacher competency and training, CSEA negotiators proposed a five-percent increase to the districts professional development pool, at a district cost upwards of $34,000, noted CSSU negotiators. Further, CSEAs insurance buyout proposal that teachers receive a higher payment for not partici-pating in the schools insurance plan was

also denied as being too costly. The same applied to a CSEA proposal to increase a severance payout from $5,000 to $7,500.

The fact-finders hearing in early May followed the impasse reached by CSSU and CSEA negotiators on its previous agreement, in effect from July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014.

In the end, the new agreement represent-ed a victory for everyone involved, said Lisa Bisbee, chief negotiator for CSEA.

The agreement represents hundreds of hours of discussions, negotiations and ultimately concessions by both parties, she wrote in an email message. I believe the final agreement will be a contract that is good for the community, the students and the teachers in CSSU. We are lucky to have a strong master contract that has been refined for the past 15 years. As schools change, the contract needs to reflect those changes.

She added, While we did not get every-thing we wanted, we were able to find the areas where compromise was needed and we represented the teachers interests consistently.

Bisbee noted CSEA teachers are sched-uled to receive a summary of the tentative agreement from their negotiating team on Oct. 8 and will have a chance to ratify it then. She is confident the agreement will pass.

Teacher Contracts continued from page 1

Jane Kiley, REALTORYour Right Choice in Any Market

Call/text (802) 343-9980 JaneKileyRealEstate.com

[email protected]

$281,000 Below Assessment! Offered At$599,000 Charlotte4 bedroom, 5 bathroom home on 10 acres with tennis court, in-ground pool, river frontage, and two story barn. Stunning kitchen. Hardwood floors. Master suite with sauna, fireplace, and studio. Walkout finished basement. Home office. Easy commute to Burlington, FAHC and CVU.

MLS# 4365545

...................................................


Grass to Trees, Lawn to

WoodlandLarry HamiltonContributor

Well, you surely have cut the grass for the last time this year. Time to put the mower into storage, cleaned and possibly sharpened, drained if its gas-powered. Its possibly also a good time to think about whether you really do wish to devote so much time, labor and cost to maintaining the greensward next year and thereafter.

Maintaining lawns of exotic (non-native) grass species produces some environmental harms. There is noise and air pollution from mower engines (among the worst emitters of internal combustion engines). This can be obviated by a switch to battery electric power, especially good if you are generating your own solar or wind-derived electricity. Second, there is groundwater and surface-flow water pollution from lawn treatment chemicals (fertilizers and herbicides).

Lawns are really biological deserts compared to other natural vegetative covers. The typical suburban lawn is a highly simplified community consisting of a few species of non-native plants that provide neither food nor shelter for the animals we like to see and whose habitat we have taken over. This includes butterflies, pollinating insects and songbirdsparticularly insect-eating warblers and neotropical migrants. Native insects, those little things that run the world, are the protein plant-eating base of higher trophic levels of our native animals. Landowners in Charlotte are truly landscape gardeners who can make a difference in the management of our towns wildlife.

In his superb book Bringing Nature Home, Douglas Tallamy emphasizes this and has hard data to back it up, including how many insects a bird

needs to successfully feed and raise its youngphenomenal numbers! Chickadees will feed 380-590 insects per day to a clutch. Thats 6,000-9,000 insects needed before the chicks fledge!

He has rated woody and herbaceous plants in terms of their support of insects, using butterflies and moths as surrogates for all insects since they provide the most abundant data.

The top insect-hosting trees are oaks, black cherry, willow and birch, in that order. Herbaceous plants leading the list are goldenrod, asters, sunflowers and joe pyeweed. Non-native species in general are near the bottom of the lists.

Sometimes we wish that non-native trees did have more leaf-devouring insects, reducing their aggressiveness. Unfortunately, past landscaping practices employed many, many alien species.

A revolution, however, is occurring.For instance, there is a Lawn to Woodland movement abroad in the land. For those weary of so much lawn care and who love to have trees, I have placed bulletins in the Town Hall on selecting tree species for planting, planting techniques and early tree care. Technical help is also available from vtfpr.org/urban (go to Vermont Tree Selection Guide). There is also a shift by thoughtful homeowners to pollinator and wildlife friendly vegetation instead of labor-intensive grass. Just Google pollinator friendly gardens and see the extent of technical help available. One good source is Pollinator Partnership at pollinator.org/guides.htm

For those wishing to re-landscape away from grass to wildlife and pollinator friendly native shrubs, trees and ground cover, there are excellent local landscape businesses to work with. You can eliminate a large area of difficult mowing or simply reduce the sheer size of your grass area, converting it to a pleasing mixture of beautiful and useful plants, while retaining enough grass to keep your battery-powered mower from rusting.

Larry Hamilton is Charlottes volunteer tree warden.

A lawnor "biological desert"out-side of Charlotte.

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIALFeaturing Environmentally Friendly Flooring Solutions

Hardwood Bamboo Cork Marmoleum Rubber WoolLocally Owned & Operated

802-658-9336 257 PINE STREET, BURLINGTON www.NEFCVT.COM


THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9

Selectboard meeting, 8:30 a.m., Town Hall. Agenda and more info at charlottevt.org.

Vinyasa Flow Community Class, 45:15 p.m., Yoga Roots, Shelburne. An invigorating Vinyasa Flow to stretch the body, mind, and spirit! This class is open to all levels. Suggested donation: $5-10. More info: yogarootsvt.com or 985-0090.

Opening Reception: Of Land and LocalA Statewide Exhibit of Contemporary Art, Shelburne Farms, 58 p.m. Exhibit runs through Oct. 26. More info: oflandandlocalvt.org.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10

Tractor Parade Dance Party, 711 p.m., Old Lantern. Help raise money for the annual East Charlotte Tractor Parade. Music by Night Moves Entertainment, cash bar and a la carte menu. Admission: $5.

AARP Smart Driver Course, 12:305 p.m., Wake Robin, Shelburne. The 4.5 hour refresher course is open to all drivers 50 and older. The curriculum addresses the normal physical changes brought on by the aging process and how these changes can affect driving ability and then offers ways to compen-sate for those changes. The course also addresses changes in vehicles, regulations and roads. Participants will also learn how to interact with other road users, including truckers, bikers, pedestrians and distracted drivers. Cost: $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members. More info: 802-264-5107.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11

Arts & Crafts Open House/Fall Celebration, 10 a.m.4 p.m., Birds of Vermont Museum, Huntington. Celebrate fall with us! Woodcarvers, scavenger hunts, outdoor meadow games, soap carving, refreshments, craft tables and more. Even some Put a Bird On it face paint! Volunteers wel-come! Schedule of events will be posted on site, and on our website if possible. Cost: Free for mem-bers, $5 for non-members.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12

East Charlotte Tractor Parade, 11 a.m.5 p.m. See story on front page.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14

Presentation: Fiv

Documents

The Charlotte News | Oct. 9, 2014