The Charlotte News | Nov. 21, 2013

The Charlotte News Volume lVI Number 08 The VoIce of The TowN Thursday, NoVember 21, 2013

Policecontinued on page 4

Poor Insulation, Leaky Roof, a Deluge of Costs

Brett SigurdsonThe charloTTe News

If members of the school board and community needed a metaphor for just how bad the maintenance issues

are at CCS, they probably couldn’t have done better than fifth grade teach-er David Baird’s classroom. It cur-rently features a large black trash bag

tied to the rafters to help direct water leaking from the roof to four paint buckets just below, clustered togeth-er in the same way as the students’ desks amid which they are placed.

Or perhaps the group, on an hour-long tour of the school just prior to a special board meeting Nov. 5 to discuss how to deal with maintenance issues, was struck by the lift elevator that connects

the cafeteria to the library. It was ruled permanently out of commission that day, as it’s no longer possible to replace the parts that broke—the only company that manufactures them went out of business.

Or perhaps it was the concrete stor-age area just off the cafeteria used for storing boxes of records. Before opening the door, CCS Facilities Manager Dave Leblanc soberly warned, “Be advised

that there is asbestos in that room.”There were certainly other mainte-

nance issues highlighted during the tour that could have left a visual imprint on the group’s collective psyche—a broken boiler, outdated and potentially costly

During a recent tour of CCS, it became clear the school has serious and costly maintenance issues.

However, for the school board, it is less clear how to fix them.

Repairs continued on page 11

Painting Heavenly PicturesBrett Sigurdson

The charloTTe News

One day Charlotter Linda S. Reynolds was driving through the bitter winter cold on Spear

Street when she spotted a barn with its door hanging off the hinges. And though the temperature registered near 17-below, the delicate way in which the snow swept off the barn compelled her to pull over, grab paper and paint, and begin transcribing what she saw and felt.

Despite the fact she had only the steering wheel for an easel, despite her water dish slowly developing a frozen crust, despite the fact she had to con-stantly restart the car to keep warm, Reynolds didn’t leave until she finished the painting.

Reynolds recounts this story in a com-fortable chair at her home off Church

Hill Road, where she surrounds herself with beautiful things that, like the land-scapes on her walls, she can’t help but collect: rocks from Thompson’s Point, antiques, musical instruments. Reynolds does this kind of thing regularly, she says. She’ll be driving through Charlotte when something in the landscape will beckon her, too beautiful to pass up without recording. In fact, the only thing perhaps out of the ordinary about this story is that she had her paints with her. Nowadays she carries a camera.

Her paintings are visual representa-tions of moments in which something is deeply felt. Look above a table near her fireplace and see a small framed water-color painting of a snowy winter scene in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains Reynolds

Painting continued on page 12Linda Reynolds puts the finishing touches on a watercolor at her home in Charlotte.

A Charlotte Police Department? Safety Committee Discusses Issue

Brett SigurdsonThe charloTTe News

Does Charlotte have a problem with burglaries and speeding?

It depends who you ask. At a public forum hosted by Charlotte’s

Community Safety Committee on Nov. 12 at Town Hall, attendees received answers in the negative and the affirma-tive. The seven-member ad-hoc group formed by the Selectboard earlier this year has been charged with studying criminal activity in Charlotte and issu-ing recommendations to the board about ways to address it.

At the meeting, the committee shared the findings of five years of police calls and engaged an audience that, at least initially, was outnumbered by the com-mittee members at the table. A total of roughly ten people appeared for the meeting.

Ben Pualwan, the committee’s chair, began the meeting by discussing the

68 months of data the group had exam-ined. The numbers consisted of what Charlotte’s Constable Josh Flore deemed “nature” calls, a generic classifica-tion like “car accident” or “burglary.” Details of where an incident happened or response time were not part of the data, said Pualwan.

Each call was broken down by month and kind on a spreadsheet to illustrate the total number of calls per month from January 2008 to August 2013 as well as the category of incident. The numbers range from a low of 25 calls in one month to a high of 78 in another.

Pualwan noted the committee has not yet drawn any firm conclusions from the data.

“I see a relatively indeterminate vari-ability over the months,” said Pualwan. “To me as a Charlotter, that’s good news. It means we haven’t seen a spike

Job Description, Public Discourse Cause Contentious Select Meeting

John HammerThe charloTTe News

Were you to read the agenda for the Nov. 18 Selectboard meeting, you would have thought it would be a quiet evening. But that was not to be the case.

Tucked away in agenda item 12 was approval of a job description for town administrator. This position had been established at the Selectboard meeting on Aug. 12. The job description in ques-tion was drafted by Ellie Russell based on tasks currently accomplished by Selectboard Administrative Assistant Dean Bloch, with some additions from neighboring towns. The justification for the new position was driven by the fact that, as Russell said, “the responsibili-ties being now placed on the Selectboard are extremely time-consuming, and if you want qualified new people for the Selectboard to run this town, you’ve got to make it a job that they can reason-ably do. And right now, that’s not the case.”

A number of the audience had read the draft position description and were con-cerned with the Selectboard’s authority being turned over to a town administra-tor. They feared that the position might evolve into that of a town manager who has the authority to make decisions on his or her own without the direction of the Selectboard.

The discussion went back and forth between the Selectboard and the audi-ence with many productive changes suggested. In the last analysis, the “job summary” was significantly changed to reflect the role of the town administra-tor as being subject to the control of the Selectboard.

Nancy Wood read the job summa-ry for Jericho’s town administrator: “The Town Administrator enforces the policies and procedures of the Jericho Selectboard.” Wording similar to this will now be placed in the job summary

Selectboardcontinued on page 16

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

Barrie DunsmoreContributor

The Tea Party

emerged as a tangi-ble political force in the summer of 2009, aided and abetted by FOX News. The anger, which was its signature in town meetings around the country, was stoked

by the likes of Sarah Palin, the erstwhile vice presi-dential candidate.

She was the first to suggest that the universal health care plan being considered included a “death panel” of bureaucrats who would make the life and death decisions about who was “worthy of medical care.” She went even further by suggesting that under the president’s plan that panel would decide if her son with Down Syndrome should be euthanized.

Immediately, the usual suspects—Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Bachman and FOX News anchors—took up the death panel chant, further incit-ing all those Tea-partiers yelling and waving their fists at town meetings that August.

However, fear of death panels went mainstream when Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined the fray. Grassley had the credibility these other critics didn’t have because he was on a six-person Sen-ate Finance Committee panel formed to produce a bipartisan universal health care plan. So it was big news when at one of his own town meetings in Iowa, Grassley told the restive crowd, “You have every right to fear. We should not have a government plan to decide when to pull the plug on grandma.”

A few weeks ago I attended a small private dinner in New York City for Olympia Snowe, the three-term moderate Republican senator from Maine who decided last year not to seek reelection because she could no longer tolerate the toxic partisanship of Washington. As it happens, Senator Snowe had also been a member of that Senate Finance Committee gang of six of which Senator Grassley had been the ranking Republican.

In discussing the group’s attempts to reach a bipar-tisan deal, she spoke of the negative impact of what Grassley had said on this panel’s efforts. She said she had called him and told him there was nothing in the plans they were discussing that remotely came close to death panels or pulling the plug on grandma. To her astonishment his response was, “I know.”

Actually, about two weeks after Grassley had made his original charge, he appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” In a long convoluted answer he essentially recanted what he had told his town meet-ing. But the damage had already been done. At the end of the summer of ’09—in spite of numerous mainstream media reports quoting a wide range of academics and physicians debunking the death panel myth—85 percent of Americans had heard about it, and a third of those believed it. At the end of 2009, Politifact designated the death panel myth “The Lie of the Year.”

I raise the contentious word “lie” because in the past two weeks President Barack Obama has been

accused of lying to the American people about the benefits of Obamacare. Mitt Romney, whose casual relationship with the truth was a feature of his 2012 presidential campaign, called the president a liar on “Meet the Press.” There is hardly a Republican office-holder in the country who has not by now also done so.

At issue, of course, is Obama’s frequently stated promise that if you liked your current medical insur-ance policy, you would be allowed to keep it—peri-od. That turns out not to be true, at least, not exactly. Many people who buy their own health insurance on the individual market—less than five percent of those who have insurance—are evidently being informed by their insurers that their policies have been canceled. In many cases it’s because their cov-erage falls below the minimum standards set by the Affordable Care Act. They may be able to get better coverage and even have their premiums subsidized. But because the ACA website is still not working properly they have no way of knowing what their options are.

It would have been better if Obama had said, “For 95 percent of you, if you like your current insurance you can keep it. For the rest of you in the private markets, we will do our best to give you better insur-ance and in many cases help you pay the premiums.” That would have been full disclosure. Admittedly, that doesn’t make for a snappy sound bite. It’s like having a bumper sticker of a hundred or so words. Still, what he said was not true, and he is now paying a heavy price for that.

I believe that presidents should not lie. However, I also believe in proportionality. Lies that do great harm to many people, such as starting a war under false pretenses with enormous costs in human lives and national treasure, in my view represent a greater sin than, say, lies about one’s sex life. Republicans in Congress were quite happy to give President George W. Bush a total pass in the first instance but forced an impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in the second.

Likewise, many of those who are crying crocodile tears for those whose health care policies have been canceled are the very people who are fighting beyond all reason to kill Obamacare. That would deprive 30 to 50 million Americans of any health insurance at all and leave many millions more still subject to the capricious, profit-driven whims of the insurance companies about what is or is not covered.

That is the status quo to which the Obamacare hat-ers want to return, and they have consistently lied—not to mention taken the country to the brink of eco-nomic disaster—to achieve that highly dubious goal.

In fact, the framework for Obamacare is the creation of the Conservative Heritage Foundation, supported by mainstream Republicans as a counter to then-—President Clinton’s health care proposal. It only became “socialized medicine” when that “Kenyan-born,” “Muslim,” “Communist” “usurper” forced it on this country.

Yes. There are lies, and then there are lies.

Barrie Dunsmore is a journalist who covered foreign

affairs for ABC News for 30 years. This column was

featured in the Nov. 10 edition of the Rutland Herald/Montpelier Times Argus. His commentaries also air

weekly on Vermont Public Radio. He lives in Char-

lotte.

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In Washington, What Constitutes a Lie?


CVU Board Seeks Input on Turf Field Issue

On behalf of the CVU board, I’d like to thank everyone who voted on the CVU athletic field bond. Though the board is obviously disappointed, we appreciate your taking the time to exercise your democratic right to vote on this issue.

The CVU board is now faced with a dilemma. The playing fields still need repair. Over-usage and poor drain-age cause our five athletic fields to be unplayable at different times of the year. Estimated costs to proper-ly address the drainage problems are high—about $300,000 for each field.

The board will be considering its options during the next few board meetings. Thus we are seeking feed-back and input from our five commu-nities.

Please let us know what you think. The best way to reach me is with an email ([email protected]). All input will be shared with the entire board.

Thank you again.

Lorna JimersonCharlotte Representative

CVU School Board

Letter

Solar Array Site Under Review by Planning Commissiom

The Charlotte Plannning Commission is reviewing two parcels of land owned by the Hinsdale Trust on the north side of Charlotte/Hinesburg Road in East Charlotte. The parcels are part of property that the state Public Service Board approved for a 15-acre solar energy array of fixed photovoltaic panels. The Hinsdale Trust plans to sell the parcels to Charlotte Solar, Inc. which will build and maintain the project. Zoning Administrator Tom Mansfield felt that the owners and builders may be nearing a construction deadline.

New town officer to handle many dutiesStarting Dec. 2 Jeannine McCrumb

will take on a variety of responsibilities in the town Planning and Zoning Office. In addition to replacing retiring Zoning Administrator,Tom Mansfield, she will assume the roles of both sewage control officer and deputy health officer. She comes with a background in planning and zoning in Richmond and as an analyst with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.

Charlotte provides Phish phoodIn an interview with Seven Days on

Nov. 6, Phish bassist Mike Gordon, when asked whether there was a particular Vermont setting that inspired him to write music, said that while the place changes, Charlotte’s beach by the covered bridge provided that setting at one time. He would bring his guitar to the rocks, sit, watch and strum. “It’s cool because beaches slope down and this one doesn’t. It’s just flat when you sit on the rocks.” He would imagine the waves were his audience, sing his lines and ask himself, “Does this resonate with me?”

You helped us Thrive! Now you’re invited . . .

. . . to the Charlotte News’ 2013 Winter Party and Raffle Friday, December 6, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Charlotte News office (823 Ferry Road)

From our list of 2013 contributors, we willdraw the names of winners for an exquisite

ANTIQUE QUILTNEW APPLE IPAD

There is still time to enter. With each con-tribution to the News you are automatically entered.

For more information on our Thrive@ 55 campaign, visit thecharlottenews.org.

Thank you!

On Tuesday, Nov. 12, Vermont State Police responded to a reported jewelry theft from a residence in Charlotte. Upon speaking with the homeowner, police determined that the theft was likely conducted by a contractor working on the residence.

During the course of the investigation the police discov-ered that Scott Michael Fysh had an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Florida for violating probation stemming from charges related to theft, dealing in stolen property and receiv-ing money from a pawnbroker by false verification.

Fysh admitted to selling some of the property to a local

secondhand dealer and giving other pieces of the stolen prop-erty to someone else to sell. A check of the two secondhand dealers where the property was sold revealed that the dealers did not hold onto the property as required by law and sub-sequently shipped the stolen items out of state for smelting.

Fysh was arrested for grand larceny and sale of stolen property as well as for being a fugitive from justice. He is awaiting extradition to Florida.

The Vermont State Police want to remind all secondhand dealers that they are required to keep all precious metal purchases on site for ten days and keep accurate records of each sale.

Charlotte Grange Chimney Gets New Flue

Matthew Hough, Glenn Stidsen (pictured) and David Perrin all worked

to refurbish the chimney on the Grange in East Charlotte. According to

Hough, water had been leaking into the upstairs room for some time, and

one of the flues needed to be closed and the other repaired. Maintenance

had been neglected, he said. A crack ran through all of the flue blocks.

Stidsen also rebuilt the chimney on the Quinlan School House at the Town

Green, and Hough erected a stone wall around the graveyard just north of

Spears Corner.

Kristin WrightContributor

The budgeting process is in full swing at Charlotte Central School. Tuesday, Nov. 19, was our budget forum and budget meet-ing, wherein we heard presentations regard-ing our baseline budget, facilities budget and supervisory union assessments.

If you are interested in learning about the budget, please consider attending our upcoming budget meetings. Hearing from the community early in the process better enables the board to make decisions that reflect the values of our neighbors The dates and topics are listed below:

Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m. at CCS: Instructional program and special education

Dec. 17, 6:30 p.m. at CCS: Decision packets, revenue and tax implications

Jan. 7, 6:30 p.m. at CCS: Final budget, revenue and tax implications

Jan. 14, 6 p.m. at CCS: Budget article approval

March 4, 7 a.m to 7 p.m. at CCS MPR: School budget vote and Town Meeting

Budget information continues to be post-ed on our website as it becomes available. You may access this at ccsvt.org/school-board/FY 14 Budget.

Your suggestions and questions are always welcome. Please contact us any-time at [email protected].

We hope to see you at a school board meeting soon.

Kristin Wright is the chair of the CCS

School Board.

TownBitesby Edd Merritt

Florida Man Arrested for Charlotte Theft

CCS Budget Forums Set

[email protected]@charlottenewsvt.com


in trouble in Charlotte at the level that

would require an increase in calls for

police service.”

Lieutenant James Whitcomb, sta-

tion commander for the Vermont State

Police’s (VSP) Williston barracks, was

on hand at the meeting and said he was

comforted to see the numbers followed

the same trends he has seen.

“What heartens me is we’re not see-

ing in Charlotte a massive influx of

burglaries, while in other areas I think

we have seen that in the past few years,”

Whitcomb said.

Moreover, each spike in Charlotte’s

call numbers for a given category has

explanations, said Whitcomb. For exam-

ple, higher numbers of burglaries and

thefts often correspond with a spike in

drugs flowing into the area.

“Through experience, I think the real-

ity is burglaries are driven by drugs to a

large degree,” said Whitcomb, adding that

burglaries are usually of jewelry or gold

or other items that can be sold for cash

quickly.

Furthermore, Whitcomb said home

burglaries can be high when there is a

coordinated ring. He cited the recent arrest

of a Vergennes

man who may be

linked to a rash

of burglaries in

Ferrisburgh.

Similarly, in

Charlotte a

spate of 18 car

break-ins and a

home burglary

that took place

throughout town

in a two-month

period in the

fall of 2010 was

attributed to two

people. A month

later, three peo-

ple were arrested for their involvement in

a number of burglaries at Cedar Beach. In

both cases, arrests stopped the activity.

Whitcomb said these trends have

always been prevalent, but it hasn’t been

until recently that they’ve come to feel

like worrisome trends to communities

such as Charlotte. He specifically cited

Front Porch Forum as both a blessing and

a curse. While he appreciates the fact that

residents can exchange information on the

popular communi-

ty bulletin board,

he also explained

how uncorrobo-

rated posts on the

forum can have a

dark edge.

“I’ve seen it in

different areas—a

thought that there

is a heightened

amount of crime

based on someone

reporting how bad

something is,” said

Whitcomb. “Well,

that’s been there

the whole time, but

there hasn’t been a venue where everyone

can comment, and it can pick up from

there and create a wave.”

SpeedingAt this time, the committee’s infor-

mation on speeding is perhaps more

anecdotal than numerical. Pualwan noted

at the meeting the committee has two

speed studies, but it has yet to do any-

thing with the numbers. Yet, even with

the numbers they may have, committee

member Bonnie Christie told Whitcomb

there were likely “hundreds” more inci-

dents of speeding in Charlotte than are

reported. She lives on Greenbush Road

in West Charlotte village, one of the

town’s problem areas.

Whitcomb said VSP conducts coordi-

nated directed patrols to the most prob-

lematic areas of the town, such as Ferry

Road, Route 7, Hinesburg Road near CCS

and especially Mt. Philo Road, which

is the worst area for speeding in both

Shelburne and Charlotte, said Shelburne

Police Chief Jim Warden, who noted that

drivers are sometimes clocked upwards

of 90 mph.

“We know our areas that are historical-

ly problematic,” said Whitcomb. “We’re

certainly open to the idea of sending peo-

ple to certain areas if we receive a com-

plaint, and that’s generally the practice.”

Warden said his department has done

speed patrols at several problem areas in

Police continued from page 1

“What heartens me is we’re not seeing in Charlotte a massive influx of burglaries,

while in other areas I think we have seen that in the past few years.” —Lieut. James Whitcomb

Morse’s Doodles & Jots

Wherefore art?

Jim Morse is a former Vermont Supreme Court justice living in Charlotte. Find more of his Doodles & Jots in his book, available at the Flying Pig Book-store or online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Red Barn Books.

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The Charlotte News ��1RYHPEHU��

A week-long extravaganza with art activities, games, and live music. Ten live holiday trees decorated in themes inspired by the Museum’s collections. December 3 - 8. Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education.

Trees generously donated by local growers Breezy Acres Tree Farm, Fontaine Tree Farms and Vermont Evergreens.

deck the halls is part of the family day series generously sponsored by:

1-4 p.m. Dec. 3 through Dec. 7, noon-4 p.m. Dec. 8. Vermont residents $5 adults; $3 children. For more information call 802-985-3346 or visit www.shelburne-museum.org

Deck the H a l ls

Charlotte, but they can’t all be covered at once.

“The problem is you’re getting complaints, and

we’re getting calls at the office from Spear, Dorset,

we’re getting them from other locations in town,”

said Warden. “So, we’ve

got to spread this out. We

can’t just go to one loca-

tion.”

Furthermore, once an

area is patrolled heavily,

speeding does go down

for two weeks before

“it goes right back once

again,” he said.

Bruce Hasse, who lives

on Spear Street, has expe-

rienced dump trucks and

cars speeding past his

house.

“It needs to be looked

at more carefully,” he

told the committee. “And

everybody knows it. I’d

be happy to pay for more police protection.”

Hasse attributes the speeding issue to a change

in Charlotte’s demographics. “We’re not the rural

community we used to be, unfortunately,” he

said. “We’re a bedroom community now. A lot

of people who are commuting don’t live on these

streets. They don’t have ownership of them.”

However, Chris Morse, who lives on Mt. Philo

Road, said that while he sees speeding every day,

he isn’t bothered by it and he is careful to keep his

kids and pets away from the street.

“I accept the fact that I live on a busy road,”

he said.

At whAt cost?The Community Safety Committee plans to pro-

vide estimates of the cost of extra police service

in its report, though it would be the Selectboard’s

role to price out and propose specific options.

Currently, the town has a contract for police ser-

vice with Shelburne Police Department at $25,000

a year. This provides about eight hours of traffic

enforcement service per week above what VSP

provides for free, though that number fluctuates,

Warden told the committee.

In studying the numbers, the committee will

examine the costs of providing service beyond this,

with options ranging from contracting for more

services—from police departments in Shelburne,

Hinesburg or South Burlington or from the VSP—

to beginning a police department in Charlotte.

The committee has not yet provided numbers

for such options, though Pualwan said contracting

for more service could cost three times as much

as the town now pays Shelburne. Contracting with

VSP may not be an option either.

Whitcomb oversees 23 officers at the Williston

barracks, and he has between four and seven offi-

cers on patrol at any one time for the 14 communi-

ties of Chittenden and Lamoille counties it serves.

Because his office, like the whole of the VSP,

is currently under-

staffed and because

Williston has contracts

for enhanced enforce-

ment in four towns, he

could offer Charlotte

only a limited amount

of additional contract

time.

For Charlotte’s own

police force, the price

would be even greater.

“It’s going to be

an expensive proposi-

tion,” said Pualwan.

“We’re talking in the

range of hundreds of

thousands of dollars.”

“That seems to be a

lot of money for a crime that doesn’t seem to be

increasing,” said Morse. “What we’re doing now

seems to be working.”

Chief Warden disagreed. He recommended

Charlotte start its own police force. “There’s a lot

of stuff you see here that we do that’s not recorded

here,” he told the crowd. “Some of these calls are

starting to get more serious.”

Warden did not respond to a request for clarifi-

cation on the nature of these serious calls in time

for publication.

There was discussion at the meeting about mak-

ing Flore full time. Currently, Flore, a certified

law enforcement officer, is paid $2,600 per year

as town constable. Because his budget and pay are

small, he often defers Charlotte calls to Shelburne

or the state police if he can’t triage the situation

himself.

“If I had the equipment and they were willing

to pay me a better salary than I’m getting, I’d

be more than happy to be doing my thing,” said

Flore, “but I’m very limited based on the budget

and equipment.”

Moreover, there would be several issues in pay-

ing a one-man police force, including coverage

on days off and vacations and the typically high

burnout rate for one- or two-man departments.

There are other options to explore, includ-

ing non-police enforcement like neighborhood

watches and speed bumps, though time ran out at

the forum before the committee could talk about

these in more depth.

The committee will present its findings and

recommendations to the Selectboard by the end of

the year. The public is invited to its meetings on

the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month.

“We’re not the rural com-

munity we used to be,

unfortunately. We’re a

bedroom community now.

A lot of people who are

commuting don’t live on

these streets. They don’t

have ownership of them.”

—Bruce Hasse

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Charlotter Eliza-beth Conrad VanBus-kirk will read from her new book, Beyond the

Stones of Machu Pic-

chu: Folk Tales and

Stories of Inca Life, at Shelburne Town Hall on Sunday, Dec. 8, beginning at 4 p.m.

The event, which is being hosted by the Flying Pig Bookstore, will feature readings from the book, which brings to life tradition-al Andean folk tales through VanBuskirk’s words and the illustra-tions of Angel Callañaupa Alvarez.

The book is written for both adults and children and provides an in-depth look into South American Native Peo-ple, their customs, everyday lives, inci-dents of change, and profound appre-ciation and celebration of the natural world. The paintings and stories pro-vide a rare glimpse into Inca people’s creative work, especially the famous Andean practice of weaving and other textile arts.

“The primary intent of Beyond the

Stones of Machu Picchu: Folks Tales

and Stories of Inca Life is to intro-duce readers to a rich culture over-looked in the education of most of us,” said VanBuskirk, “and to provide new ways of looking at our world. I hope to deepen the experience of the many travelers who visit Machu Picchu and Cusco by vicariously placing them inside Inca villages to experience life in the high-elevations of the mountains. I have included authentic and little-known Inca traditions and hope that readers will feel enlightened by tales and stories like ‘The Gift of Quinoa,’ ‘The Bear Prince,’ and ‘The First Hair-cutting,’ and respond with delight in Angel’s stunning art.”

VanBuskirk spent many years mak-ing frequent trips to Peru and Bolivia to research Andean textiles and to observe

how the Andean weav-ing traditions relate to contemporary Inca peo-ple’s lives and beliefs. Through her trips, she found herself wanting to spread the word that Inca people are very much alive today, they still make glorious weavings and practice the vital tra-ditions of their ancestors related to the closeness and celebration of the natural world.

As an educator, Van-Buskirk has given lec-tures and presentations about Inca art and culture

throughout the United States at uni-versities, museums, libraries and other venues where she shows examples of Inca weavings and other Inca items of interest.

“Often, the Inca world comes as a fresh new experience to most children,” she said, “and I am passionate about working with teachers and educators to come up with creative ways to intro-duce these cultures into school curricu-lums and library programs.”

Alvarez’s illustrations are distin-guished by his expansive imagination, delightful humor, sense of space and composition, and story-telling skills. His art shares a wide perspective, vivid-ly illustrating scenes from little-known but time-honored traditions like the annual pilgrimage to the Ice Moun-tain—the ceremony of Qoyllu Riti, Star of the Snow, and other events that mark the life of Inca people in the past and today.

At the reading, VanBuskirk will bring a collection of jakimas, which are the narrow bands Peruvian children make to practice their village’s weav-ing patterns. Everyone who buys a book will get a jakima while supplies last.

For more information, or to RSVP for the event, call the Flying Pig Book-store at 985-3999.

VanBuskirk Gives Readers Glimpse of Inca LifeCharlotte author to hold reading for new book in Shelburne Dec. 8

Elizabeth VanBuskirk

The Charlotte Congregational Church invites the community to herald the holi-days with a sing-along performance of Handel’s Messiah on Sunday, Dec. 8, beginning at 4 p.m.

Discover the magnificence of Handel’s masterpiece, whether it is for the first time or as a seasoned veteran. Performed throughout the centuries, the Messiah is a traditional tribute to the Yuletide season. Come to sing or just to listen and be sur-rounded by beautiful music.

This special evening of music is a recit-al where the audience sings along as the chorus, accompanied by Vermont Sym-phony Orchestra members and vocalists. (Musical instruction is provided.)

This marks the third year of the Char-lotte Congregational Church’s sing-along and brings the talents of Jane Kittredge and Russell Wilson on violin, Harold Lieberman on viola, Dieuwke Davydov

on cello, Ray Vega and Jim Duncan on trumpet, Jeremy Levine on timpani, Luke Baker on bass and Carl Recchia on continuo.

The vocal soloists include Ellen Bos-worth, soprano; Linda Patterson, mezzo; Adam Hall, tenor; and Stephen Falbel, bass. Anne Decker will lead the orches-tra, chorus and audience.

Tickets are $12 per adult and $40 for a group of four. They can be purchased in advance at the Shelburne Supermarket or at the Charlotte Congregational Church. The church office hours are Monday through Friday, 8–11 a.m. Tickets may be reserved by calling the church at 425-3176. They will also be available for sale at the door.

For more information, contact the Charlotte Congregational Church or visit its website at charlottecongregational-church.org.

The audience becomes part of the performance of Handel’s Messiah at a previ-

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Messiah Sing-Along Dec. 8

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On Saturday evening, Nov. 9, con-firmation candidates from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Charlotte and St. Jude’s Church in Hinesburg honored both towns’ fire and rescue volunteers and police departments by hosting a lasagna dinner.

Father David Cray, pastor at both par-ishes, started the evening off with a word of thanks and a special blessing for those community servants who keep us safe in their respective areas of expertise.

Marie Cookson, director of religious education for the churches, designed and organized the event. Works of mercy are one of the defining compo-nents in the Catholic faith, so as part of the two-year preparation to become adult members of the parish, confirma-tion candidates reach out to serve their communities and parishes.

“This is very nice to get together with the fire and the police,” said Hinesburg

Police Chief Frank Koss. “In fact, we are very appreciative about the thoughts that were given tonight for the dinner.”

“This is awesome, that a youth group was wanting to do this,” agreed Charlotte Fire Chief Chris Davis.

Tom Boivin and Steve Aube, senior firefighters from Hines-burg, summed it up by stating that the meal was excellent, the kids did a great job, with great leadership by Cookson.

Neighboring towns’ fire and rescue departments meet throughout the year to train and drill together, so they already know each other. Charlotte Res-cue Chief Meg Modley said, “This is a really nice opportunity for us to get together, to have a nice warm meal—I thank the kids for pulling this together.”

In response to the teens’ show of appreciation, Davis emphasized that their expression of goodwill is exposing them to the value of different types of

community service, which will prepare them well to give back as adults. He offered the teens the hope that they will consider serving in a fire or rescue capacity or on the police force.

As if to sweeten the deal, Cookson noted that there is a plan to make this an annual event, broadening it to include

members from other adjoining towns who serve in these important capacities.

“One of the best things about living in a small community is that if you want to get involved, you almost always can,” said Davis. “Someone can make a difference in their small town.”

Teens from Neighboring Towns Celebrate Public Servants

Fire and rescue volunteers from Charlotte and Hinesburg line up for a lasagna dinner prepared by confirmation candidates from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church on Nov. 9.

Volunteers Preserve Thompson’s Point Trees

Volunteers Sue Smith and Vince Crockenberg, along with Tree War-den Larry Hamilton, saved some trees along East Thompson’s Point Road recently. Of the 32 planted along this byway under the Rutter Fund program of roadside tree restoration, six needed an assist due to their roots being overly buried within the soil, which is pushed up by the creation of a berm to reduce field flooding. Most trees are doing well, and the staking has been removed with the feeling that they can now cope with the high winds of this area. Two trees need to be replaced. The Rutter Fund is working with the landowner to assure the continued health of these trees. Volunteers were rewarded with hot chocolate at the Old Brick Store.

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The Vermont Chapter of the Ameri-can Institute of Architects (AIAVT), based in Charlotte, has displayed on its website 39 architectural project photo-graphs for a “People’s Choice Compe-tition” in which visitors may cast their vote for their one favorite project based on any criteria they see fit.

The goal of the online display is to increase public awareness of and appreciation for architecture.

The People’s Choice Exhibit is part of a larger event that AIAVT will host at the State House in Montpelier on Dec. 5: the AIAVT Annual Meeting and Design Awards Program, where the recipient of the People’s Choice

Award will be announced.Exhibit project entries are the work of

AIAVT architects in Burlington, Mont-pelier, Bennington, White River Junction and many other communities, including Charlotte. While most of the projects are located throughout Vermont, proj-ects located anywhere in the world and designed by AIAVT architects are eligible.

Projects range from commercial (academic buildings, medical facilities, multiuse complexes) to residential (sin-gle-family and multifamily dwellings).

To cast a vote, visit aiavt.org. Voting will remain open until Nov. 27.

At its Nov. 13 meeting, CVU’s school board discussed what actions to take in the wake of the failed bond vote that would have provided $1.5 million toward a $2.6 million project to build two turf fields at the school. On Monday, Nov. 11, the Facilities Committee met with turf field representa-tives to discuss the Nov. 5 bond defeat and to consider next steps. The board expressed concerns about incorrect information posted on Front Porch Forum and how to respond to that. There remain real maintenance issues for the fields, and some sort of action needs to be taken.

Audience members at the meeting were largely present for comments on the turf field project.

John Howe noted that people who made the petition did an excellent job, but he would like to discourage the board from having another special vote. Instead, he would like it brought up at a town meeting and perhaps poll the community on what it wants. He suggested building support for a scaled-down version of the project and then holding another special vote during general election next November.

Another audience member disagreed with Howe. She has been involved with football over the past 11 years and was hopeful the school board would move forward on this sooner rather than later. She felt the fund-raising efforts should be respected and that the vote was close.

Fred Palmer felt as though some of the comments were a referendum on sports rather than on the field. He said more information was needed, as he felt the community had read all of the informa-tion.

The board will ask the communication committee to put together proposals for the board to consider after committee

members have gathered information and solicited community feedback on the vote.

New staNdards aNd assessmeNtsPresentations to the board included an

overview of Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) that in the spring of 2015 will replace the NECAP assessments in language arts and mathematics as the standardized summative assessments for stu-dents in grades 9–11. SBAC will be given on computers and features computer-adaptive testing.

Each test is unique to the student—each time a question is answered it helps deter-mine what the next question will be.

In addition, new national standards called Common Core State Standards will replace the current state standards. Administrators and lead teachers will provide profession-al development to support instruction and implementation of the standards, which the board hopes to see in place for the 2014-15 school year.

search for New priNcipalThe board appointed a search commit-

tee to fill the position of school principal; members of the committee include Director Lorna Jimerson of Charlotte.

The board postponed until its next meet-ing a motion to approve a student trip to China.

The board does not meet in regular ses-sion during December and January. Instead it will hold budget meetings on Nov. 18 and Dec. 4 and 9, all at 6 p.m. at CVU in room 140/142.

Editor’s note: this article is based on the unapproved minutes of the meeting, which were provided to the News courtesy of Sandy Raymond, the executive assistant to the board and the official minutes taker.

CVU Board Talks Turf Field Defeat

“Chapel,” by Robert Peabody Brown of St. Johnsbury, was chosen as AIA’s People’s Choice Award Winner in 2012.

Vermont Architects Seek ‘People’s Choice’Charlotte-based group invites public to vote on 39 projects


CVU has been named one of Vermont’s first Energy Star schools. This achievement places the school in the top 25 percent of energy efficient schools in the country and signifies that it meets stringent U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for healthy ventilation, year-round comfort and lighting quality.

CVU was recognized at an award ceremony on Nov. 7 at Camel’s Hump Middle School in Richmond, along with ten other Vermont schools that achieved Energy Star designation. The ceremony also marked the launch of Project Green School, an ini-tiative that aims to put all Ver-mont schools on the path toward Energy Star designation by 2020.

“We are working hard to make CVU more sustainable, and a large part of this effort is emphasizing the importance of energy con-servation,” said Jeff Evans, CVU interim principal. “Students are leading this work with our Whole School Energy Challenge project, and this award reflects the commit-ment of everyone—students, faculty, staff and administrators—working together to reduce our energy use.”

Three CVU students, members of CVU’s EnACT leadership team, spoke at the event: Cally Braun of Charlotte, Cameron Har-ris of Shelburne and Miranda Selinger of Hinesburg. EnACT adviser Katie Antos-Ketcham, sophomore EnACT member Car-men Fisher-Olvera of Williston and facili-

ties staff member Tom Mongeon attended the event as well.

Among those in attendance at the award ceremony were Representative Peter Welch, Vermont Secretary of Education Armando Vilaseca and representatives of the EPA, the Vermont Superintendents Associa-tion’s School Energy Management Program (VSA-SEMP) and Efficiency Vermont.

“The 11 schools we are honoring today have done great work,” said Jim Merriam, director of Efficiency Vermont. “But the steps they have taken are within reach of any school in our state. With focused effort and enhanced support through Project Green School, we are looking forward to helping every community in Vermont pro-vide a healthier and more energy efficient environment for their students.”

(Left to right) CVU students Cally Braun, Miranda

Selinger and Cameron Harris speak at an awards

ceremony in Richmond marking CVU as one of

Vermont’s first Energy Star schools.

CVU Wins National Recognition for Energy Efficiency

Lynn CamaraContributor

Charlotte Central School enthusias-tically celebrated Red Ribbon Week recently with the theme “A Healthy Me.” The celebration was coordinated by the CCS CY (Connecting Youth) LEAD (Leadership Education the Anti-Drug) group for the middle-level stu-dents.

The LEAD group consists of 16 seventh and eighth grade students who work to raise awareness about making healthy choices and preventing sub-stance use. LEAD participants plan activities promoting health and well-ness with their peers, school and com-munity.

The Red Ribbon Week event cul-minated in a fifth through eighth grade assembly put on by the LEAD group. At the assembly the poetry winners

read their poems and all contest win-ners were announced. The celebration featured a visit and performance from Champ and a CY LEAD presentation about the significance of Red Ribbon Week and other activities the group is involved in at CCS.

Congratulations to Mr. Moore’s class-room for winning the 2013 Red Ribbon Week Door Decorating Contest. Mr. Baird’s and Mrs. Muroski’s classroom doors came in second, and Mrs. Wil-liams’ classroom doors were third. The doors shared messages about healthy, self-respecting choices and were judged by LEAD members on their creativity, educational component and neatness. Congratulations also to seventh grad-er Hannah Cleveland for winning the 2013 Red Ribbon Week Individual Art contest with her poem “Hospitalized” and to seventh grader Rayonna Silver-man for placing second with her poem “Wisdom From the Forest.”

CCS Celebrates Health During

Red Ribbon Week

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heating system, a leak-prone roof. And these aren’t even the most daunting: the whole of the oldest portion of the school, a wing that was built in 1939 and now houses the library and cafeteria, has a laundry list of costly issues, including poor insulation and electric and plumb-ing problems. According to CSSU’s Facilities Committee, the costs of repairs

and renovations to CCS could cost over $6 million.

All of this lent a palpable sense of angst to the discussion when the group—which consisted of 13 school officials and five Charlotters—returned to the library for the special meeting. After an hour of discussion, there were still more ques-tions than answers about how to proceed with addressing the potentially costly endeavor.

‘A host of problems’The special school board meeting was

the product of a report shared by CCS school board member Mark McDermott, a member of the Facilities Committee, at the board’s October meeting. There he had highlighted the issues in the entire school as well as a list of recommenda-tions for fixes that include two plans for completely demolishing the 1939 wing and building a new cafeteria and library. One idea, which calls for addressing all the school’s issues and for building a new library and cafeteria on the southeast side of the school, is estimated to cost $6.2 million. The other plan calls for building a new cafeteria and library atop the foot-print of the 1939 wing. It is estimated to cost $6.8 million.

The tour illustrated why the costs could be so high. Led by McDermott, the group began in the most problematic area, the 1939 building. The wood-frame structure has “a host of problems,” McDermott noted, including substandard insulation and windows that lack thermal resistance. Both should be entirely replaced, accord-ing to the Facilities Committee’s report. The committee also recommended com-pletely replacing the plumbing and elec-tric equipment and reshingling the roof.

These three issues—insulation, plumb-ing and electric, and a leaky roof—were a common theme as the tour progressed. In the cafeteria, housed in the 1939 wing’s lower level, Leblanc lifted a ceiling tile in the cafeteria to show a mess of wires just above. Because of the lack of space, there is no room to add air-handling equipment, without which pipes can freeze. Also, the kind of electrical wire used is below cur-rent code, Leblanc added. And because the wing is “maxed out” on its electrical capacity, he can’t add more outlets.

The insulation is also a problem in the annex of the cafeteria, noted Lee Dore of Dore & Whittier Architects, who has been involved with the Facilities Committee. He pointed to the area where the Live Y’ers after-school program takes place. In the winter, participants often can see their breath and have to wear their jackets in the room, he said.

McDermott led the group to the second floor of the 1996 wing of CCS, where a deluge of water can threaten the leak-prone roof. According to Leblanc, the roof is pitched so that water moves to a drain, where it flows away from the build-ing. However, the drain cannot always handle the water, which subsequently leaks in weak spots on the roof.

In the school’s boiler room, Leblanc explained how one of the school’s twin

two-million-BTU boilers has a cracked panel. While not an immediate danger, it could present an issue if it did eventu-ally go out, leaving one boiler to heat the entire school.

Another issue is the inefficiency of the school’s pneumatic heating system, which heats the building by forced air. This is often inefficient as it can leave some parts of the building too hot or too cold, said Leblanc. Often during the cold-est days of the winter months, the boilers are run at maximum power, as there is no way to more accurately regulate them. This adds to the school’s energy costs.

In a hallway in the 1996 portion of the building, McDermott showed the group a two-hour firewall built in case of a fire emergency. While CCS was grandfathered into the current fire code, if the school undergoes any major reno-vation work of the type suggested by the Facilities Committee, new fire alarm and sprinkler systems would have to be installed, which would require a fire pump and water storage container, the biggest portion of its $1.5 million overall estimated cost.

Costs vs. sAfetyWhile the issues throughout the build-

ing were clear, the dollar numbers were not. Neither Leblanc nor CSSU’s Chief Operations Officer Bob Mason could compare the cost of fixing the school to the cost of maintaining the building’s problem areas. These will be provided at a later date.

“I can just tell you that it’s quite a bit of our maintenance,” Leblanc said. “It’s the biggest frustration by far because there’s so much that needs to be done with this building. Where do you start? I always run it to the problem—how do I spend the taxpayers’ money wisely in this building. I’m not sure there’s a way to do that. I don’t know. That’s where the frustration comes in. It’s just a never-ending chase in this building.”

Dore, a Charlotter, suggested that the school need not pursue $6 million in renovations at once.

“You can do stuff in chunks, and that’s the way this facility has been done for years. The trick is packaging them in chunks that make sense.”

For example, if sprinklers were being installed in the ceilings throughout the entire school, then it would make sense to do all the renovations to the ceiling areas at once.

For some community members who

Repairscontinued from page 1

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attended the meeting the cost of ensur-

ing Charlotte’s schoolchildren were safe

mattered little.

“How many schools in the United

States don’t have a sprinkler system to

protect the kids?” asked Richard Sicotte.

“I think that’s outrageous, and I think

it’s a disgrace that one of the wealthi-

est communities in the state of Vermont

doesn’t have them in their school. It’s a

no brainer.”

“You have to make the environment

safe for children that are here,” he said.

“You just have to, and there’s not a price

tag you can put on it.”

Charlotter Joe Ng noted that fixing the

school was about investing in Charlotte’s

future.

“We are competing with Williston and

South Burlington and Shelburne and all

those towns for people who will move

here,” he said. “What do we want to

invest in the community? Children are

our future.”

Board member Erik Beal agreed with

Sicotte and Ng.

“I consider the safety element to be one

of our primary responsibilities as a board,

so that’s a big concern for me,” he said.

However, Mason noted that there isn’t

any one issue that threatens the health and

safety of the students at the moment.

“There’s no rush,” he said. “I think

we’ve got some time.”

Members of the school board vowed

to send specific questions to McDermott

and the Facilities Committee, which will

meet again in early December. Its mem-

bers plan to begin addressing immediately

some of the specific questions CCS’s

school directors submit to them in prepa-

ration for future discussions.

“I fully expect that we’ll have many of

these before we come to a real decision,”

said McDermott.

CCS School Board member Erik Beal (left) listens as Mark McDermott dis-cusses leaks in the school’s roof under a trash bag that is directing water into buckets on the floor of a 5th-grade classroom.

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glimpsed while skiing. While everyone else in her group went on ahead, she painted the bald mountain dotted with evergreen trees. The picture sports a crease down the middle. She had to fold it to put it her pocket for the rest of the trip.

Look in her pile of paintings recently completed and see the awe-inspiring view of the Adirondacks rising from Lake Champlain that drivers see heading south on Route 7 into Charlotte. She couldn’t stop for this one—the highway is too busy—but the view is so ingrained in her she gives it life.

Look at the wall above her couch and see a series of landscape watercolors with roads moving into some distant vanishing point of mountains, rolling hills, trees, water, all of them a record of the beauty her eye has seen.

It was these rolling hills that attracted Reynolds to Vermont. Born in the bustle of urban Connecticut near Long Island Sound, Reynolds was not used to seeing green space. Still, she loved the water and open space she could find and became closely con-nected to nature.

“I’m very conscious of the weather, very sensi-tive to the light, temperature, time of day, being out under trees,” she said. “I’m an outdoor person.”

Reynolds vividly recalls a moment when her life was set on its current course. One day she fell asleep and woke up in the verdant hills around Woodstock, Vt., where her parents had taken her during the night to an old Victorian house on Dunham Hill. She awoke to the rolling hills around it and fell in love.

“I decided when I was six that if it isn’t heaven, it’s close enough for me,” she said. “I want to live here.”

The house was sold when she was 13, and Reynolds describes herself as “horrified.” She vowed to move to Vermont, to find an old house on a hill, as soon as she could. Something about this desire has driven her ever since.

After earning her degree at the Rhode Island School of Design, Reynolds moved to Vermont to live the life of an artist. In 1978, after five years of living hand to mouth, she took a job teaching com-mercial art at Burlington High School’s vocational center, teaching students the rudiments of art and helping the best students prepare for art school. She left there in 1992 and began teaching at Mt. Abraham High School in Bristol, from which she retired in 2012. Now she is living the life of the art-ist as she splits her time between homes in Charlotte and Monkton, where, she says, she has found a house that had the look and feel and smell of the house on Dunham Hill.

Reynolds feels things deeply. As she talks about the power of the colors and the objects she sees, she begins to tear up. Her aesthetic comes from loving

Painting continued from page 1


BREAKING NEWS! www.thecharlottenews.org

the landscape, the way branches grow out of trunks, the way leaves look in the trees during the different seasons.

“I paint because of the feeling places give me,” she said. “I’m so intent on getting that feeling that sometimes it works. Sometimes the strength of my intent of loving the scene gets somehow embedded in the paper in the paint and the brushes and it communicates to other people.”

Now others can catch a little bit of what she sees at an exhibition of her work in the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry. The paintings are mostly of local scenes and they span her career. Each picture aligns with a line from a church hymn.

Reynolds is a member of the church’s choir, and she admits that even while she sings she sees nature.

“While I’m singing I have landscapes going through my head,” she said. “I see the land-scapes, and it’s easy to hook up the feeling of the picture to the feeling of the hymn. There’s not a lot of difference to me between the inspiration I get from looking at the sky and the inspiration I get from singing a hymn.”

One of the landscapes in the collection paints such a heavenly picture. It captures a view she glimpsed in North Ferrisburgh during that bleak time of year when it’s not quite winter and not quite spring, that time of year when the sky can turn pink and the Adirondacks look blue in the distance and the dynamics of it all steal your eyes away from the road before you.

For this painting, Reynolds picked a verse from the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” to accom-pany the painting, though one gets the feeling that it could accompany all her work.

Reynolds’ paintings will be hanging in the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry until the end of November. The vestry is open 8 to 11 a.m., though Reynolds is willing to set up a personal viewing by appointment. She is also available for commissions for budgets large and small, and for classes and private lessons. For more information, contact her at 989-3234.

These two watercolors by Charlotte Linda S. Reynolds capture the landscape the drives her creativity. The above painting, in particular, may look familiar to Charlotters.


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A Look at Delirium in Elderly Adults

An acute decline in mental status, now known as

delirium, is common and life-threatening in persons

aged 65 and older. It is often the first, and sometimes

the only, sign of serious illness in frail elders, and it

often triggers a course of events that lead to decline

in self-care abilities, loss of independence, morbidity

(e.g., injurious falls, persistent confusion and associ-

ated behaviors) and death. Fortunately, research has

shown that it may be preventable.

The prevalence of delirium increases with age,

occurring in up to 14 percent of persons over the age

of 85, and often leads to emergency room evaluation.

One quarter of older persons admitted to the hospital

have symptoms of delirium, and almost 60 percent

develop delirium during hospitalization, especially

post-operatively. Up to 70 percent of long-stay nurs-

ing home residents develop delirium, and the inci-

dence rises to about 85 percent among patients in

intensive care units and those at the end of life.

How will i recognize delirium?In order that loved ones experiencing delirium

receive proper care and achieve optimal health out-

comes, caregivers should know what to look for and

help the person get immediate medical attention.

The hallmark of delirium is a sudden decline in

cognition and attention. Symptoms occur abruptly

within hours or days. They may come and go, and

their severity increases and decreases over the course

of the day. Signs of delirium include the following:

�� GLIILFXOW\� IRFXVLQJ�� VXVWDLQLQJ� RU� VKLIWLQJ� DWWHQ-

tion; losing train of thought; having problems follow-

ing directions;

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e.g., bugs) or illusions (misinterpreting the environ-

ment, e.g., thinking a blowing curtain is a ghost);

�� SV\FKRPRWRU� SUREOHPV� UDQJLQJ� IURP� ILGJHWLQJ�and restlessness to lethargy;

�� DOWHUHG� VOHHS�ZDNH� F\FOHV�� LQFOXGLQJ� GURZVLQHVV�during the day and insomnia at night, or fragmented

sleep; and

�� HPRWLRQDO� GLVWXUEDQFHV� VXFK� DV� IHDU�� DQ[LHW\��paranoia, depression, irritability, apathy, anger and

euphoria.

Unfortunately, doctors and nurses unfamiliar with

the clinical characteristics often miss signs of delir-

ium. Delirium may be misdiagnosed as depression,

psychosis or some other psychiatric disorder, or even

as a worsening of an underlying dementia.

Delirium and dementia are highly interrelated;

the majority of delirium cases occur in patients with

dementia. But in contrast to dementia, which is a

chronic state of confusion that develops over months

and years, delirium is an acute confused state that

develops over hours and days. Misdiagnosis can lead

to under-evaluation and non-treatment of potentially

treatable conditions, as well as to inappropriate treat-

ment leading to further cognitive decline.

diagnosis and managementDiagnosis of delirium is made by clinicians at the

bedside via a thorough medical history and physical

exam. Because signs of delirium may fluctuate and

may not be present during an exam, it is crucial that

FDUHJLYHUV� JLYH� FOLQLFLDQV� D� KLVWRU\� RI� WKH� SHUVRQ¶V�usual—or baseline—cognitive functioning, how it

has suddenly declined, and any relevant associated

observations. For the provider, determining the acuity

of the decline is the essential first step in making a

diagnosis of delirium.

Once diagnosed, the provider will then order labo-

ratory tests to identify, evaluate and treat potential

conditions that may have caused delirium.

Delirium is often precipitated by conditions outside

the brain itself. Infections, stroke, dehydration, meta-

bolic disturbances, pain, surgery and other invasive

procedures are common culprits. In addition, almost

any drug can cause delirium in a susceptible person,

regardless of whether it is prescribed, bought over the

counter, is an herbal remedy or is used alone or in

combination with other drugs.

Inconsistent use of prescribed medications or sud-

denly stopping a drug without medical supervision

can also cause delirium. So the provider will also

conduct a thorough medication review for any poten-

tial drug interactions and known delirium-producing

drugs and determine if the offending drug(s) can be

discontinued, given at a lower dose or substituted with

another drug or non-pharmacological alternative.

A comprehensive approach to delirium care is

focused on managing symptoms of delirium, treat-

ing its underlying causes, preventing complications

and ultimately preventing reoccurrence. Families can

help affected relatives by providing orienting cues,

being a calming influence, assuring them that they

are not going crazy but that infection, drugs or the

after-effects of surgery are making them temporarily

confused, and participating with them in their reha-

bilitation.

Katharine M. Murphy, Ph.D., APRN, is a geron-

tological nurse practitioner in the Division of Pri-

mary Care Internal Medicine at Fletcher Allen Health

Care. She has conducted delirium research in post-

acute and long-term care nursing facility populations.

She lives in Charlotte.

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The Café Menu

MONDAY, NOV. 25:

Mushroom soup supreme, tossed

green salad, fruit cobbler with

whipped cream.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 27:

Crab salad plate, homemade

dessert.

MONDAY, DEC. 2:

Beet-lettuce medley, chicken

surprise, Christmas cookies.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 4:

Mulligatawny stew, tossed salad,

birthday cake and ice cream.

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 pro-

gram of activities and events as an

insert in this issue of the Charlotte News.

And a reminder: the Senior Center

will be closed for the Thanksgiving

holiday on Nov. 28 and 29.

––––

Come enjoy three classic holiday

films on the big screen in the Great

Room on Tuesdays from 1:30-3:30

p.m.

Dec. 3: The Nutcracker Dec. 10: Elf Dec. 17: The Polar Express.

Registration required. No fee.–––

Poetry reading continues with Jim

Lovejoy on Dec. 2 from 1-3 p.m.

Building on the fun and excitement that

has developed with our Poem in Your

Pocket readings over the years, this

after-lunch poetry reading opportunity

will provide a regular time for listen-

ing, reading, writing and discussing

this wonderful form of literary expres-

sion.

Whether a favorite poem you have

written, a book of poetry you enjoy, a

literary journal or a poem from Poets.

org, pack a poem in your pocket and

join Jim as he guides a wonderful after-

noon of poetry reading. No fee.

––––

A new session of pilates with Phyl-

lis Bartling begins Thursdays from

8:30 –9:30 a.m. Dates: Dec. 5, 12 and

19, and Jan. 9, 16 and 23.

This is not your granddaughter’s

Pilates class! This mat Pilates class has

been designed for folks 55 years and

older to be challenging yet with safety

in mind. Pilates specifically targets

the core muscle groups, including the

lower abdominals, lower back and glu-

teals, to improve balance, strength and

posture. Exercises will be done on the

floor on mats (a rolled-up towel to put

under your head is a good idea). Regis-tration required. Fee: $42.

––––New sessions of chair yoga with

Tiny Sikkes and gentle yoga with Jean

White begin Monday, Dec. 2, from

9:30–10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-noon,

respectively. Session I dates: Dec. 2, 9

and 16, and Jan. 6, 13 and 20.

Using chairs for balance and for all

seated postures, the chair class makes

yoga accessible to those who are chal-

lenged by balance, the ability to come

to the floor or any physical limitations.

In Gentle Yoga, you will learn classic

yoga postures in a gentle way—perfect

for beginners, those with injuries or

even experienced students just want-

ing a relaxed pace and easy style. You

are welcome to come try a class and

see which one might be right for you.

Please bring a blanket and yoga mat.

Registration required. Fee: $60 per session.

––––

A winter centerpiece workshop

with Charlotte Albers will be held on

Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 10 -11:30 a.m.

Celebrate the season by making a

fresh arrangement for your holiday

table using aromatic greens and cut-

tings, including wine-red dogwood

stems, yellow dogwood, winterberry,

evergreen holly, rhododendron and fra-

grant boxwood. Bring a container of

your choice that holds water, a pair of

pruners and an apron or smock. Feel

free to bring something from your own

garden to use or contribute. Charlotte

will bring cuttings from her gardens

and demonstrate techniques, as well

as provide information about favorite

plants to consider when designing beds

and borders for winter interest. Reg-

istration required. Minimum: 5. Fee: $20.

Events following the Wednseday

luncheon. Those who do not share

lunch with us are welcome to drop in

around 1 p.m. to enjoy the after lunch

offerings:

Dec. 4: Annual tree decorating.

The smell of balsam, seasonal desserts

and songs in the air will be the backdrop

for you to catch some holiday spirit.

All hands will be needed to steady the

ladders and help fill the large tree with

our hand-made ornaments while Car-

lanne Herzog encourages a sing-along

as she tinkles the ivories.

Dec. 11: A cello choir for the

holidays with Judy Chaves. You will

delight in the three-part harmonies of

this small cello choir as members play

an assortment of traditional holiday

carols, some dating back to early Eng-

land, as well as carols from France,

Catalonia and southern Appalachia.

And there’ll definitely be at least one

sing-along to “Jingle Bells.”

Charlotte Senior Centerby Mary Recchia,

Activities Coordinator

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

Find a retailer:

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


of this document. The change seemed to quell many of the comments from the floor.

Stephen Brooks summed it up as, “[executing] the policies and decisions of the Selectboard.” The job description will be rewritten with this meeting’s comments in mind and published with the agenda for next meeting on Nov. 25. It should be noted that the Selectboard agendas and meeting packets are available to the public on the town website (charlottevt.org) on Fridays before the meeting.

Five minutes after this last action was closed, the battle over procedures for Selectboard meetings was once again elicited. The Selectboard raised this agenda item in an effort to determine how best to control meet-ings while including active citizen participation from the audience. The fundamental question was whether to limit public comments to early or late in the meeting or allow discussion with each agenda item. The issue was summarized by the newest Selectboard member, Lane Morrison, who said, “Trying to get what I call ‘productive work’ done when we have so much to get through and we have different audiences, it’s just not efficient.”

Ellie Russell put it this way, “It’s the balance between public opinion and our ability to act effi-ciently.”

John Owen said, “I don’t think we should be arguing back and forth.”

Comments from the audience immediately turned to the fact that items discussed were not circulated to the public with sufficient time for them to digest them. The result is the need for greater discussion and often contentious dialog.

This line of discussion was ruled not germane, and as a result the discussion of the issue became more and more heated. While nothing was resolved, there was obviously a general feeling on the part of Selectboard members that public discussion has an important place in Selectboard meetings. They were simply uncertain where these discussions should be placed on the agen-da or if clearer guidelines are needed. Further discus-sion on this matter will be forthcoming.

In more routine matters the Selectboard:�� KHDUG� D� FRPSUHKHQVLYH� UHSRUW� IURP� :LQVORZ�

Ladue on the state of the town’s bridges. The annual State inspection report has just been received, and he went over many of the deficiencies to be considered in the near future. Principal of these was the need for work on the Carpenter Road bridge deck and on the bearings, which need cleaning and repainting. This is a significant job and is estimated to cost around $125,000. Some work needs to be done on the Holmes Creek covered bridge, and the State inspection has revealed the need to look at some rot in the superstruc-ture of the upper (or Seguin) covered bridge. These tasks will be the subject of future Selectboard decisions before Town Meeting.

�� DXWKRUL]HG� SRVWLQJ� RI� WKH� QHZ� WRZQ� DGPLQLVWUD-tor position in accordance with Section 3.1.8 of the Charlotte Personnel Policies. This gives present town employees five days lead-time before the vacancy is presented to the public.�� DSSURYHG� D� UHTXHVW� E\� D� 5LFKDUG� &RUOH\� RI� ��

Thompson’s Point Road to build a barn in a conserved area. Such a barn is authorized under the provisions in the grant of rights for agricultural uses. In this case, Corley anticipates housing goats in this structure.�� DSSURYHG� D� VHUYLFH� FRQWUDFW� ZLWK� 1RUWKHDVW�

Woodland Training to provide chainsaw classes for volunteers and town employees in April. These classes will be fee-based and probably result in no cost to the town. Some questions were raised as to the possibility of utilizing free classes available from UVM. ��DXWKRUL]HG�&KDLU�&KDUOHV�5XVVHOO�WR�VLJQ�WKH�SURM-

ect acceptance letter for the completion of the Quinlan bridge rehabilitation. �� DSSURYHG� SD\PHQW� RI� �� IURP� WKH�

Improvement and Repair Fund for the Charlotte Senior Center to install new parking lot lighting. This repre-sents the first 80 percent of payment due for scheduled project completion on Nov. 22.��DSSURYHG�ZLWK�VRPH�PLQRU�DOWHUDWLRQV� WKH� WRZQ¶V�

draft audit report for the year ending June 30, 2013.�� DSSURYHG� RQH�\HDU� FRQWUDFWV� IRU� +9$&� SUHYHQ-

tative maintenance with Patterson Fuels for heating systems and Climate Systems Inc. for cooling and air handling. ��DSSURYHG�D�SURUDWLRQ�RI�(\HPHG�9LVLRQ�3ODQ�EHQ-

efits for part time town employees who work between 20 and 30 hours per week.

Selectboard continued from page 1

Tell 'Em You Saw it in the News!


by Margaret Woodruff

Holiday scHedule

The Charlotte Library will close at

5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27 and be

closed Thursday, Nov. 28, through Sat-

urday, Nov. 30, for the Thanksgiving

holiday. We will reopen on Monday,

Dec. 2. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

upcoming at tHe library

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

England Uncovered” series continues.

Next on the bookshelf: A Brother’s Blood by Michael White. Sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council and the Friends of the Charlotte Library.

Mitten tree day, Friday, Dec. 6.

Help us fill our “tree” with mittens,

hats, scarves and other warm accesso-

ries for the winter months to come. We

will donate the items to help our neigh-

bors in need around the community.

If you’d like to knit mittens or a hat,

drop by the library for a look at our

knitting how-to books and magazines.

Winter accessories can be dropped off

at the library during open hours begin-

ning Dec. 6.

after-scHool programs Holiday gift making. A season of

gift giving and great stories awaits

us.

Make it easier by creating a few of

those treasures and listen to some win-

ter stories at the library. Stay tuned for

tea jounals, a mitten tree party, and

more.

Wednesday, Dec. 11, 3:15–4:15

p.m.: Kindergarten-2nd grade

Wednesday, Dec. 13, 3:15–4:15

p.m.: 3rd grade and up

on exHibit

Mixed 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.

Be thankful for your library card.

Renew it today. If you haven’t stopped

in with your card, do it today. We’ll

check your contact 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).

Library Develops

Vision Statement

Every day we strive to bring the

most intriguing books, the liveliest

programs and the most welcoming

space for the Charlotte community

and anyone else who happens to

stop in. With the help of Place Cre-

ative and our library focus group,

we developed the following state-

ment about our commitment and our

intention. As always, we’d love to

hear your feedback, comments and

suggestions.

At the Charlotte Library, we’re creating a rich, inclusive experience for our residents and visitors by providing the very best traditional and contemporary library services, books, information and connections to the world around us. We have deep roots in the community, and we celebrate our heritage and col-laborate with other groups and indi-viduals of all ages and backgrounds. Always free and open, the only entrance requirement is interest.

We represent the new face of information technology—focused on innovative, life-long learning and enlightened entertainment. We are committed to a sustainable and enduring presence in Charlotte, pro-viding access to knowledge and the expertise of a librarian for success.

We have a responsive culture pas-sionate about meeting our rapidly changing world and being at the center of it. Our staff members tend to be generalists who know so much about so many things and, natu-rally, are well read. As we create new ways of connecting to infor-mation and building literacy in the community, we’ll foster the friendly atmosphere that welcomes toddlers, teenagers, and seniors—and every-one in between.

Our people empower us; the building, collections and programs enhance the work and vital role the library plays in our civilization.

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Library 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.

CVU Nordic

Fundraiser

Raises Money to

Support Team

The CVU Nordic ski team is holding

its annual online auction to raise money

for additional coaching staff, uniforms,

waxes and training equipment.

The auction contains a wide variety

of food, dining, sport and travel items.

To view all the auction items and bid

on them, visit the team’s auction web-

page at biddingforgood.com/cvunordic.

Click on “register to bid” to create an

account and sign in, then choose “view

all items.”

Nordic skiing is a sport that is avail-

able to all who wish to be part of the

team. CVU Nordic has grown to be one

of the largest in the state, with over 80

participants from Charlotte, Hinesburg,

Shelburne, St. George and Williston.

This is a hard-working, dedicated group

of student athletes. Both the boys’ and

girls’ teams won the state champion-

ships last season despite the limited

snow.

Winning bidders will be notified by

email and asked to notify the CVU

Nordic team of their chosen method of

payment.

Winners who live within the CVU

school district may pick up their items

at CVU on Dec. 5 or 6 from 3:30–6:30

p.m. Payment by cash or check (made

payable to CVU Nordic Ski Team) will

be accepted then.

After 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 6, all items

that have not been picked up at CVU,

including all winning bids from out-

side the CVU school district, will be

shipped to the winning bidder, and

the winning bidder’s credit card will

be charged for the bid amount plus

shipping cost. Please consider a three

percent addition to your final pay-

ment to cover credit card expenses.

Thank you for supporting the CVU

Nordic ski team.


SPORTS by Edd Merritt

The weather is changing, and winter is on its way. Soon enough, we will be outside enjoying the ice rink, sliding on Mt. Philo and cross-country skiing on the Demeter Trail.

The Charlotte skating rink is located right next to CCS. We have lights and a warming hut that lend to fun evenings on the ice. Rink opening and ice conditions will be posted on the town website under the “Recreation” tab.

Let me know if you are interested in setting up specific hockey nights, and we can publicize a hockey pick-up game night. Rink rules are posted at the warm-ing hut as well as on the website.

This year we will once again be sharing a reduced ski-and-ride ticket program at Smuggler’s Notch with the Hinesburg Recreation Department. This program allows families and individu-als to enjoy skiing and riding, rentals and lessons at affordable prices. This program consists of five Sundays: Jan. 26, Feb. 2 and 9, and March 2 and 9. By committing early, filling out forms and paying by the Wednesday before (checks to Hinesburg Recreation), and dropping them off at the Charlotte town offices, you can ski and ride for $25 for adults and $20 for children! Find out more on the town website. Think snow!

For indoor winter recreation we are still taking registrations for basketball.

Charlotte’s recreation basketball pro-gram provides a venue for athletes to learn and master basketball skills in a fun, positive environment. Winning is not the primary objective—development of sportsmanship, teamwork, respect for others and discipline are all part of the program.

First and 2nd graders will have train-ing practices one to two times a week (dependent on coaches and gym space) throughout the season. Third through 6th grade teams will practice twice weekly with games mostly on Saturday morn-

ings between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Their games will be against other town teams. Any 6th–8th grader who attends CCS tryouts and does not make a team may sign up for recreation basketball. We will have a 7th–8th recreation team if there are enough players and a volunteer coach.

Early basketball registration is Oct. 29 through Nov. 16 at a cost of $40 (subtract $5 if you don’t need a T-shirt). After Nov. 19 the cost is $60, unless a 6th-8th grader.

Practice will begin either the week of Dec. 2 or 9 at the coaches’ discretion and will happen on weeknights 6–7:30 p.m. or Saturday from 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Times will be posted as coaches determine their availability. Check the Charlotte town website for practice time updates.

Once again Charlotte is lucky to have Heather Morris teaching Celtic dance. There is still room in the current session if you would like to join in. We will be holding two more sessions throughout the school year. Classes take place Sat-urday mornings and include a group for kindergarteners, for eight and above, and for ten and above. Placement will depend on age and experience.

If your child is interested in play-ing the drums, we now have the gifted Andrew Gagnon teaching after-school percussion on Thursdays. There still are a few openings. We will be holding another session after the holiday break as well.

After-school piano is currently full, but if you would like to add your child’s name to the waiting list, the next session will begin after the holidays.

With the New Year we will be offer-ing an Early Morning Fitness Boot Camp at CCS for adults. Class begins at 6 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday. You will be fin-ished with your workout before the sun rises! Come work on your New Year’s resolution with a group of friends. This class is a great workout. Modifications will be addressed for all fitness levels.

Recreation registration forms can be found online at charlottevt.org under the “Recreation” tab. You may also find forms at our Town offices.

As always there are full and partial scholarships available for all recreation programs. If you have any questions, contact me at [email protected] or 425-6129, ext. 204.

RecNews

by Kristin

Hartley

Women’s Cross Country Runners Among the Top 10 in New England

Led by this year’s perennial winner, Autumn Eastman, CVU women’s cross country team finished sixth in the New England Regional races held in Manchester, N.H., Nov. 9. Eastman, who has committed to run next year for Georgetown University, finished third among individuals, 30 seconds behind the winner who set a new course record for Derryfield Park. Sophie Gorman was the second CVU finisher in 40th place, followed by Abbie Keim 101st, Kestrel Grevatt 143rd, Haley Harder 156th and Carly Neeld 190th. The team’s average time was 19 minutes, 24.64 seconds.

Men’s Cross Country Among the Top 25 in New England

The Redhawk men runners placed 22nd among all teams from New England running in Manchester. Again, the Marshalls, Tyler finishing 64th and Tucker in 81st, were the leaders for CVU. Calvin McClellan in 169th, Harken Spillane in 192nd, Will Kay in 215th, Tylor Wong in 219th and Devon Cantor in 228th were other finishers.

Northern Vermont High School Football All-Stars Show Redhawk Helmets

Charlotte’s Tim Halvorson along with teammates Steele DuBrul and Pierce Farrington were part of the North All-Star football team that faced its “rebel” counterparts in Middlebury November 16. Led by Rutland High quarterback Nick Bowles, who passed

for 146 yards, the South prevailed in a low scoring game, 17-6.

Three CVU Footballers Trade Redhawk Helmets for Scottish Kilts

Brothers Konnor and Ryan Fleming from Charlotte and their CVU teammate, freshman Harvey Ottinger, all played football for Minnesota’s Macalester College this fall. The Fleming brothers led the Scot defense, Ryan a sophomore at inside linebacker and Konnor a junior at defensive back. Ryan led the team in unassisted tackles, plugging holes from his linebacker slot. Konnor returns kickoffs and punts, with one 76-yarder for a touchdown against Trinity Baptist. Ottinger is also a linebacker and looks forward to more consistent playing time in the future. The Macs finished their season on a winning note with a 7-0 victory over Twin-Cities rival Hamline, giving them a four-win, six-loss record for the fall.

Redhawk Pitcher Supple Opts for the ACC

Junior Rayne Supple, the winning pitcher on CVU’s Division I state championship baseball team last spring, has given a verbal commitment to attend Wake Forest University in the fall of 2015 according to an article in the November 6 Burlington Free Press. Wake plays in the highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference against schools such as Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, North Carolina and others.

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SPORTS

Jeff BolibaContributor

The Vermont Principals Association made it official this year that volleyball would be an “exhibition sport” for the first time in Vermont. This means volleyball now has a chance to become a varsity sport within three years.

Having grown up in California around volleyball and played in college, I was excited to help CVU build a volleyball program.

We lost our first official match of the year. We learned a lot and knew what we had to work on to compete at the high school level. Each week we got stronger and grew closer as a team. Then it all started to click, and we won eight straight matches to end the regular season with an 8-1 record.

At the state championship at John-son State College we were the number -two seed heading into the tournament, something we had been preparing for all season. The CVU boys found ways to

win some really close matches against Burlington and Lyndon. They went 12-0 in round-robin pool play with strong team performances.

CVU became the number-one seed heading into the playoffs. We squared off against Burlington in a best-of-three match and won in two games to advance to the final state championship match against Essex.

Essex came out strong and took the first game. We then battled back to win the second game and force a tiebreak game to 15. It was a close final game that the CVU boys ended up losing 15-13.

These boys had not played volleyball before, yet in a matter of two months they all became solid players and runner- up state champions. I could not be more proud of this team.

Thanks to Kevin Riell for supporting boys’ volleyball at CVU.

Jeff Boliba is the coach of the boys’ vol-

leyball team.

Boys’ Volleyball Nearly

Grabs State Crown

Members of the CVU boys’ volleyball team are (front, from left) Ryan Keelan,

Cam Rivard, Jeffrey Boliba, Nathan Comai, Matt Spear; (middle) Matt Palmer,

Liam Donnelly; (back) Micah Ranallo, Caleb Geffken, Jasper White-Hansen,

Brendan Gannon, Will Bernicke, Anthony Burds, Jarrett Slote and Head Coach

Jeff Boliba. Missing from the photo is Colby Jordan.

The future looks bright for the CVU girls’ volleyball program. Our vol-leyball club officially began at the end of August 2013. More than 21 girls showed up, determined to work together as a team, not as a first-year club. Though many of the girls had no prior experience, our hard work and determination led us to a state title.

The Vermont Principals Associa-tion (VPA) has established volleyball as an exhibition sport for the next two years in hopes that by the 2015 school year volleyball will be recognized as a varsity sport in Vermont. CVU is one of nine teams playing in the exhibition sport.

“Our girls walked into practice ready to learn and work hard,” Head Coach Dana Poulsen said when asked about the state tournament. “The 21 girls involved in the program realized that everyone would have to share opportunities and experiences on the court. I have been coaching varsity sports off and on since 1993, and these girls are the kindest and hardest work-ing bunch I have ever had the pleasure to coach.”

We played against four teams in the beginning of the state championship tournament. After winning all four games in our bracket, we advanced to the semifinals where we played

Burlington High School. BHS was the only team we had lost to in the regular season, but we had also beat them. We knew we had to win, but it was going to be hard.

We won the first set but lost the second by a score of 15-5. The third set was probably the most stressful for any of us during the entire season. We had to win, or we’d be done. Luck-ily, the whole team felt the pressure but took it in and pushed through and won the last set. This was a three-set match, and in the final set we were down 14-11. Though Burlington had multiple game-point opportunities, we never gave up, winning 16-14 in a heart-stopping match. No one was expecting us to win that third set. We couldn’t tell you exactly how we man-aged to push through, but before we knew it, we had made it to the finals. We were going to the state champion-ship.

In the state championship finals against Essex High School, we played as a cohesive unit and picked up momentum from the start. Our will-ingness to work as a team through every point allowed us to bring home the state title.

This article was written by the CVU

girls’ volleyball team.

The CVU girls’ volleyball team members are all smiles as they hoist the state

championship trophy. The team beat Essex High School to take the first-ever state

championship in the sport.

In Its First Year,

Girls Volleyball Takes Title


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Food Shelf News

by Kerrie Pughe

Holiday giving

We 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 Charlotte Food Shelf is run entirely by volunteers, so all donations go directly for food or assis-tance to our neighbors in need. If you are a customer of yourfarmstand.com, you may make a donation to the Food Shelf as part of your online order; otherwise checks

may be mailed to:

Charlotte Food Shelf & Assistance403 Church Hill RoadP. O. Box 83Charlotte, VT 05445

Holiday giving trees

The Giving Trees at the Charlotte Con-gregational Church and at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel will be available beginning Sun-day, Dec. 1. Pick an ornament—and it will tell you what is on the wish list for a child in need in our community. We need the unwrapped gifts turned in by the following Sunday, Dec. 7. Thank you in advance for your time and generosity.

Volunteers needed

Come on by the Charlotte Congrega-tional Church on Friday, Nov. 22, begin-ning at 8 a.m. for about an hour to help us prepare 27 Thanksgiving food baskets for our neighbors. On Dec. 13, starting at about 8 a.m., we will put together the Christmas/holiday baskets. Please plan to join us for that as well.

We are also looking for a couple of vol-unteers to help with the regular Wednes-day evening food distributions. Please call Karen Doris at 425-3252 if you can spare a couple of hours every other Wednesday evening as a substitute.

Wish list

As the holiday season approaches, we will start collecting items for the food baskets. We need pie crust mix, roll mix, stuffing, canned vegetables, pie fixings such as sweetened or condensed milk and canned pie filling, candy, coffee, crackers, olives, mayonnaise, fruit juice, cranberry sauce, aluminum foil, festive napkins, tur-

key gravy, sugar and soups (especially cream-based and mushroom soups). These items can be placed in our drop off loca-tions noted below. Thank you!

Christmas cards

Have you received too many unsolicited holiday greeting card packets from chari-ties? Or maybe you have holiday greeting cards you don’t plan to use? We could use them at the Food Shelf for our neigh-bors 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 you

Thank you to Margaret Berlin as well as Robbie and Sue Hall for their support. We appreciate the potatoes fresh from the gar-den from Jim Manchester. Thank you to Point Bay Marina and Captain Gutowski for the donations from the food drive during their annual end-of-season party. Thank you, Anne Castle and Charlotte Organic COOP, for the monthly support. Thank you to everyone who donated to the clothing, warm coat and boot drive. The community and recent SCHIPS grant clothed 22 children with gently used and new winter items. A special thank you goes to Heather Karshagen, Cindi Robin-son, Diane Cote and Janet Landrigan for sorting and organizing.

Our holiday food baskets will include a turkey donated by the Charlotte/Shelburne Rotary; thank you to Linda Shivone of the Rotary for coordinating this. Thank you to Jim Spadiccini for the many years of coordinating this for the Rotary and Food Shelf, and we wish you well in your move to warmer weather!

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 fresh foods be dropped off by 7:30 a.m. on the distribution mornings.

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

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

For emergency food call John at 425-3130. For emergency assistance (elec-tricity, 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/.

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www.ChrisvonTrapp.com

Bradley Carleton

ContriButor

I leave a slight crack open at the top

of the bedroom window because

I like fresh air when I sleep. Even

when it’s cold, it’s nice to snuggle down

under the Hudson Bay blanket with

the down duvet on top. In December,

sometimes the Arctic Clippers cause

the curtains to swish wildly against the

glass pane. Frequently this will awaken

me even during a deep sleep. I will often

roll over, pull the covers up higher and

seek warmth against the body of my

mate. It’s my legs that most feel the

cold. They seem to tingle with the cold,

my capillaries expanding to allow for

easier blood flow.

I am thinking of human comforts

as I sit under the canvas spray curtain

of my duck boat, huddled next to the

propane heater. I can hear the north-

west wind pounding wavelets against

my hull as the boat rocks gently to

and fro. The sky is just beginning to

show reluctant signs of awakening

to another brisk morning. The blue-

greens give way to salmon and purple

streaks highlighted against the cirrus

clouds. The sound of whistling wings

rises to a crescendo above me.

They’re finally here: ducks.

The Arctic blast has locked up most

of the swamps and now the only food

and open water is in the bay, where

the wind blows wild celery into the

shoreline, where I sit waiting amid

my bobbing decoys. Silhouetted by

the backlight of the sky I can see

large flocks of birds seeking shelter

and food. They have come in during

the night, riding the wave of the cold

front.

I pour a cup of French roast coffee

and munch on a frosted cruller while

I wait for the legal shooting hour to

begin. I am surrounded by the wild

quacking and raspy “mmmphs” of

big drake mallards as they survey my

spread. My heartbeat quickens. I keep

my head low, hugging the side of the

canvas blind covered in grass.

I can hear slush ice rubbing on the

starboard hull as it builds. This will

likely be one of the last days I can

access this spot. The season is coming

to a close, and the big redlegged mal-

lards and black ducks are just getting

here.

These are the hardiest specimens of

their species. They thrive in adversity

and pride themselves on outlasting

the fair weather hunters of early fall.

Their cheeks bulge at the sides, their

magnificent iridescent green heads

strike bold poses. Their auburn chests

are puffed out proudly, and their tail

feathers have the regal triple curl.

Affixed to their necks are clean, white

bowties. But the most noticeable char-

acteristic of these late migrators is

their beet-red legs.

Some folks claim it’s because the

capillaries of their powerful feet are

expanded to allow circulation while

swimming among the ice floes. Biolo-

gists tend to discount this but offer no

good reason for the anomaly.

As the minutes tick by toward legal

shooting time, I am preparing for the

moment. I load my old autoloader

shotgun, and the “click” from the

shell passing into the chamber sends

a dozen birds clawing for altitude

from my decoy spread. They’ve heard

that sound before, somewhere way up

north when the last hunter tried to take

them.

At last, my watch alarm signals it

is time.

I spot a flock of 20 birds to my

south, swinging over the bay, fight-

ing the wind. I take a deep breath and

bear down on my diaphragm to blow

a powerful hail call. They turn. The

flock is now winging its way toward

me with abandon. I utter a feeding

chuckle and a lonely hen “quack,”

inviting them down.

They turn over the frozen swamp

and set their wings in cupped forma-

tion. They wiffle from side to side,

spilling air from their mighty pinions.

Red legs drop down from their flanks,

and as they hang over the spread ready

to light, I rise and do what humanity

has done for generations.

In the moment I am living, breath-

ing and feeling all my senses height-

ened by the connection.

It is the end of the season and the

redlegs are in.

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

Redlegs

The author after a successful mallard hunt.


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. 21

and Dec. 5 and 19. Lower level of the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry. Information: Karen at 425-3252; for emergency food call John at 425-3130.

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

ONGOING EVENTS

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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. 985-3819

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

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

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Planning Commission Meeting, 7 p.m., Town Hall. Bulk of meeting will be work session on revisions to Town Plan.

The French Flute: From Blovet to Bolling, 7:30 p.m., Saint Micheal’s College. A celebration of French classical music and the Alliance Française’s French-language programs for children. Laurel Ann Maurer, flute. Claire Black, piano. Tickets: $15. Flynntix.org.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22

La Volta: A Turn at the Ball, 7 p.m., Town Hall Theater, Middlebury. An original libretto with popu-lar standards and show tunes. Songs have been arranged by a trio of local professionals: Clint Bierman, Kendra Gratton and Chuck Miller. La Volta is a tale of intrigue and mistaken identity set at a masked ball. The opening act is THT Kids (ages 6-8) led by Nikki Juvan, who will present a short musical play about disguise set around a farm at Thanksgiving. Tickets: $10/$5. More info: townhall-theater.org.

The Sound of Friendship: Wendy MacIsaac and Mary Jane Lamond, 7:30 p.m., UVM Recital Hall. The University of Vermont Lane Series is proud to present two beloved Cape Breton musicians who are touring together to promote their new CD, Seinn, a powerful collaboration born of a long-time friendship and a shared love of Celtic music. Tickets: $25/$15. More info: uvm.edu/laneseries.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24

Burlington Choral Society’s Benjamin Britten 100th Birthday Celebration, 3 p.m., St. Paul’s Cathedral, Burlington. The Burlington Choral Society, under the direction of Artistic Director Richard Riley, will perform three of the British composer’s best-loved pieces. First, excerpts from the “Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings,” featuring Burlington lyric tenor Adam Hall, French hornist Joy Worland, and strings from the Burlington Chamber Orchestra; the cantata “Rejoice in the Lamb,” showcasing the 95-voice BCS along with organist Mark Howe; and the dramatic “Saint Nicolas,” with these performers plus the St. Paul’s Cathedral Canterbury Ensemble and Treble Choir. Tickets: $22/18. More info: bcsver-mont.com, flynntix.org.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25

Holiday Break, CCS. Runs through Nov. 29Holiday Break, CVU. Runs through Nov. 29

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26

Movies at Main Street Landing: Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, 7 p.m., Burlington. See classic Steven Spielberg film on the big screen. Admission is free and donations to United Way are greatly appreciated.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30

Boldly Patterned and Subtly Imagined: 22nd Annual Winter Group Show, Furchgott Sourdiffe Gallery, Shelburne. The exhibit features the work of Boyan Moskov and Carolyn Shattuck. The show also includes the work of notable artists Bonnie Acker, Elizabeth Allen, Steven Goodman, Catherine Hall, Don Hanson, Kelly Holt, Kathleen Kolb, David Maille, Virginia McNeice, Gail Salzman, Cameron Schmitz, Dianne Shullenberger, David Smith, Barbara Wagner, Dick Weis, and Nancy Weis. Opening reception Dec. 6 from 5:30-7 :30 p.m. More info: fsgallery.com.

24th Annual Women’s Festival of Crafts, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Memorial Auditorium, Burlington. Browse through 80 craftswomen’s booths to find just the right handmade jewelry, artwork, pottery, food prod-ucts, greeting cards, clothing, recycled art, house-wares, aromatherapy, herbal products and more. Also, Dec. 1 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free and open to the public. More info: womensfestivalofcrafts.com.

Jamie Lee Thurston with special guest Jimmy T. & the Cobras, 7:30 p.m., Vergennes Opera House. Bands will bring their big country sound to the little city of Vergennes for a special evening concert to benefit the Vergennes Opera House. Sound reminis-cent of such groups as Lynrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, AC/DC, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, George Jones and Hank Jr. Doors and cash bar open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $25. More info: vergennesoperahouse.org.

Elephant’s Story story time & activities with Tracey Campbell Pearson, 11 a.m., Phoenix Books, Burlington. Calling all kids for enormously exciting elephant-themed activities! Jericho’s own Tracey Campbell Pearson will present her biggest storybook yet—Elephant’s Story begins with a lost book and ends in friendship. Pearson is the author and illustrator of many children’s books, includ-ing Bob, which Booklist called “a visual treat,” and a series of board books including Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, a Parenting Magazine Best Book of the Year. Free.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3

Charlotte School Board Budget Meeting, 6:30 p.m. CCS Library

Deck the Halls, 1-4 p.m., Shelburne Museum. Ring in the holidays with a week-long Deck the Halls extravaganza that celebrates the creative spirit of the season. The new Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education will be humming with holiday-themed art activities, games and live music. Other activities during the week include a special holiday “I Spy” game, a candy cane hunt, DIY holiday cards, snow globes and gift boxes. Runs through Dec. 8. Tickets: $10/$5/$3. More info: shelburnemuseum.org.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5

Warren Miller’s Ticket to Ride, 8 p.m., Town Hall Theater, Middlebury. Warren Miller’s highly antici-pated ski film takes an action-packed journey to some of the most stunning, sought-after destinations in the world including Kazakhstan, Greenland, the Alaskan Tordrillos and Montana’s Big Sky country with athletes Ted Ligety, Jess McMillan and Chris Davenport. Tickets: $18. More info: townhalltheater.org.

Essex Community Players presents “Christmas Decorations,” 7 p.m., Essex Center. Show is a musical review of traditional and not-so-traditional Christmas skits and performances. Features actors and crew members from several local towns, includ-ing Shelburne and Hinesburg, as well as Kim Davis of Charlotte. All proceeds from refreshment sales during intermission will be donated to “Make a Wish—Vermont.” Also Dec. 6–8. Tickets: $10/$5. More info: essexplayers.com.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6

Charlotte News Holiday Party, 5 p.m., Charlotte News office. You’re invited to our winter party and raffle for an antique quilt and new iPad. Free food and drink. Open to all. More info: [email protected].

Lake Champlain Waldorf School’s Evening Artisan Market and Creperie, 6:30-9 p.m., Shelburne. Artisan market for adults and older teens. Come for a shopping experience like no other! Browse for all your holiday gifts from over 60 artisans, and enjoy crepes, savory treats and live music. Free. More info: lakechamplainwaldorfschool.org.

Send your event information to

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in our next issue.


to Ian Meier of Charlotte, a student at Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colo., who earned a Freshman Tuition Merit Scholarship for the fall 2013 semester. Merit scholarships are renewable for up to 120 credits as long as the student continues to meet the academic criteria. Ian plans to major in political science.

to Jen Yantachka and Kelly Corman who were married October 14 on top of Mount Philo in Charlotte. Jen is the daughter of Janet and Michael Yantachka. After graduating from CVU, she earned a degree in biology from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., followed by a master of science in ecology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse.

She worked for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department. Her husband is from Edgar, Neb., and earned his baccalaureate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, followed by a master of science from Texas A&M University. He is employed by the Northern Prairies Land Trust and Nebraska Game and Wildlife Commission. The couple lives in Bassett, Neb.

to Charlotte News Board mem-ber Meg Smith, who has recently added to her ser-vice on nonprofit boards by accept-ing positions on the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund and as direc-tor of the Vermont Women’s Fund. She is also a cur-rent member of the board of the Intervale Center. Meg began her position with the Women’s Fund on October 7.

to Charlotte attorney Brady Toensing who was sup-ported by the outgoing chair of the state Republican Party, Jack Lindley, for the position of vice chair of the VTGOP. Toensing is a partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm of deGenova and Toensing, and he was recently involved in negotiations with Governor Shumlin over the sale of the governor’s property. Toensing also defended gubernatorial candidate Brian Dubie against charges of financial violations during his campaign.

is extended to family and friends of Robert S. Goodwin of Charlotte who passed away November 11 at the age of 85. Goodwin retired as soccer and track coach at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., in 1990 and moved to Charlotte. Here he became active in the Lake Champlain Yacht Club as a sailor. His surviving family includes his wife, Beverly, who remains in Charlotte.

is extended to family and friends of George “Spin” Richardson, D.D.M. of Charlotte who passed away November 15 at the age of 68. Spin was one of the founding partners of the Timberlane Dental Group, having come to Vermont from Boston Children’s Hospital where he completed a residency in pediat-ric dentistry. He was a strong advocate for access to improved oral health for all children, serving as chair of the Vermont State Dental Society’s Government Programs Committee, as a member of the Vermont Delta Dental Board, as founder and past president of the Vermont Society of Pediatric Dentists and as a trustee of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. He recently received the Peter Taylor Award for Exemplary Service to the Oral Health of Vermonters. Spin’s surviving family includes his wife, Marilyn, and his sons, Matthew and David. The fam-ily asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Spin Richardson Public Policy Advocate Support Fund, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry c/o Dr. Warren Brill, 1001 North Point Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21224; or at Spin’s request, “Take a friend out and raise a pint to him.”

is extended to family and friends of Janice Atkins Faucett of Shelburne who passed away Nov. 18 at the age of 71. Her surviving family includes her brother-in-law Rodney Parsons of Charlotte, whose wife Judith Remington Parsons, also of Charlotte, predeceased her sister. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the American Heart Association of Vermont, 434 Hurricane Lane, Williston, VT 05495 or to the Visiting Nurse Association of Vermont, 1110 Prim Road, Colchester, VT 05446 in the name of Janice Atkins Faucett.

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)

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)

WANTED: Loom warper for a legally blind, expert weaver. Burlington, two times per month, weekday from 2 p.m. on. Excellent pay. Call 425-2318. (-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].

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Congratulations

Around Town

Sympathy

Charlotters Help Methodist Church Give Back for ChristmasCharlotte residents Chick Wood (second row, far right) and Mary Lou Payne (not pictured) were among those who helped the North Ferrisburgh United Methodist Church Wildberries group prepare towel sets to donate to Middlebury’s Helping Others Overcome Poverty, or HOPE, for Christmas. The Wildberries, a women’s mission group at the church, has donated the towel sets on behalf of the church for many years, said Chris Steadman, the church’s administrative assistant. “Each year the shop organizers write them a thank you, saying that some patrons have tears in their eyes when they see the gifts they are allowed to choose from,” said Steadman.

Santa to Make Stop at

CVFRS Station Dec. 8

Santa Claus is coming to town, and he’s making a stop at the Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue station on Sunday, Dec. 8. Forgoing his usual means of conveyance, Santa will arrive via a fire truck at 1 p.m. and will stay until 3 p.m. Refresh-ments will be served. There is a rumor that he may have some of his friendly reindeer with him. Join the members of the fire department and the rescue squad for refreshments, tours and fun. For more info, visit Charlotte Fire & Rescue at facebook.com/CVFRS.

Documents

The Charlotte News | Nov. 21, 2013