The Charlotte News | Sept. 12, 2013

Brett SigurdsonThe CharloTTe News

On a recent tour ostensibly meant to highlight the Charlotte cemeteries under his purview, Stephen Brooks, the chair of the town’s Cemetery Commission, spent the first hour and a half driving slowly along Greenbush Road and Route 7 explaining how variances in the land-scape—a deep ditch here, a copse of trees there—subtly reveal a Charlotte of generations past, a time when Church Hill Road was the high-way and country roads interrupted the area’s original land grants.

As he drives, Brooks talks with a low voice in a deliber-ate, articulate manner. At times his voice lifts, especially when he aims to make a point or when he’s on a roll. And, man, can he roll. A list of things he’ll discuss with equal rel-ish and apparent mas-tery: French-Canadian architecture, locust trees, the Vermont Geological Over-thrust Belt, Monkton shale, the difference in geology between the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains and Vermont town gossip.

Brooks calls this “reading the land-scape,” and he consid-ers himself a forensic

landscape archeologist. He enjoys his-tory and especially the treasure hunt of uncovering it locally. And he clearly rel-ishes his role as a chair of the Cemetery Commission, a post he has been elected to the last three years. The evidence is not only in the passion he has for the town’s history but in the work he’s doing to preserve it: cleaning up cem-eteries and repairing their gravestones.

The Charlotte News Volume lVI Number 03 The VoICe of The TowN Thursday, sepTember 12, 2013

Cemeterycontinued on page 10

The staff at one of Charlotte’s most treasured landmarks has been recognized statewide. Last week, employees of Mt. Philo State Park were given a prestigious Park of the Year award for Vermont State Parks’ (VSP) Southwest region.

According to Park Ranger John Frigault, Mt. Philo had the highest attendance increase in the state at 61 percent as well as the fourth highest overall visitation out of all 52 state parks.

But more than for numbers, Mt. Philo’s staff received the recognition for their stewardship of the park. According to VSP, the criteria for the award include a staff that displays outstanding hospitality to all park visitors, concessioners and contractors, well-maintained build-ings, grounds and campsites, and an operation that goes “beyond the normal call of duty.”

In an email, Frigault expressed admiration for his “hardworking team” this season. “They are thrilled with the award,” he said.

Other state parks receiving Park of the Year awards for their respective regions are Little River State Park (Northeast), Niquette Bay State Park (Northwest) and Molly Stark State Park (Southeast).

The staff at Mt. Philo State Park—the Southwest region’s Park of the Year—are (front, from left) Sue Schermerhorn, John Frigault, Katelin Emerson, (back) Kim Frigault and Emily Thurber. Catherine Ross is not pictured.

Mt. Philo Named VSP ‘Park of the Year’

Sarah, SmilesThere have been many tears shed since Ted Montgomery lost his wife to cancer in 2010. Next week’s “Comedy on the Brain” benefit will capture a special part of their rela-tionship: laughter.

Brett SigurdsonThe CharloTTe News

Ted Montgomery posted a video to YouTube two years to the day of his wife Sarah’s death. It opens with Sarah smiling widely at the camera under a large decorated top hat. She spins around in the snow, hamming it up for the camera, dancing. It’s a whimsical performance, one made all the more magnetic by that smile.

It’s fitting that such an image opens the video, for her smile is the one con-

stant throughout the footage that shows her waving at the camera enthusiasti-cally on the beach, making funny faces, spending time with family, all of it played out to a resonant rendition of Hall & Oats’s “Sarah Smile,” performed by Vermonter John Gailmor.

For Ted, the video tribute to his beloved wife, who died in 2010 of glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM, the most aggressive kind of brain cancer, is the kind of emotional, idiosyncratic creation not unlike the playful style of architecture he has practiced as an archi-tect, a style that has infused his home at Ten Stones, the planned community in Charlotte he co-founded with Sarah and two others.

On Thursday, Sept. 19, Ted will hold a benefit that will meld his creative eye with laughter as he presents the third “Comedy on the Brain” fundraiser at

Fixing the Past for the FutureFor Cemetery Commissioner Stephen Brooks, tending the town’s

cemeteries is about preserving the town’s history. And he’s willing to get creative to do it.

Stephen Brooks, Charlotte’s Cemetery Commissioner, explains how the commission’s staff are fixing dam-aged tombstones at the Quinlan-Sherman Cemetery in East Charlotte.

At Monday evening’s Selectboard meeting, the board took a tour of Route 7 compliments of Winslow Ladue, who recorded video of the view corridor along the road.

The presentation coincided with the Selectboard’s discussion of a work plan for Charlotte Park & Wildlife Refuge, which is situated on land in a view corridor of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks, as well as for a copse of trees in the town’s right of way and on land near Horsford’s Garden and Nursery that also blocks a view of the lake.

The discussion largely centered around whether the view should take precedence over the animals that use the trees as habitat and around the best way

to take down the trees.Stephen Brooks, a proponent of

improving the view corridor, reiterated the message he has shared with the Selectboard for the last four years: that a central caveat of the land donated to Charlotte by Steven C. Rockefeller in the late 1990s was that it be maintained with the view of the landscape in mind. Despite this, trees have been planted and allowed to crown, obstructing the view corridor, said Brooks.

Jenny Cole, a member of the Charlotte Park and Wildlife Oversight Committee, said she wasn’t opposed to taking down

Selectboard Discusses View Corridor on Route 7

Selectboardcontinued on page 5

Sarahcontinued on page 18

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Commentary

A plain reading of the formative and governing bylaws respecting any town’s independent fire and res-cue organization will reveal its mission and purpose: to provide fire and rescue services. As it should, the town supports this mission. Trouble is, Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue Service (CVFRS) historically fails to demonstrate responsible financial judgment in handling and accounting for funds provided by Charlotte taxpay-ers.

Currently, the Town of Charlotte Selectboard mem-bers are struggling with the content and terms of a writ-ten contract with CVFRS for the provision of fire and rescue services to the town. They refer to it simply as a “Memorandum of Understanding.” No draft language has been agreed upon, though CVFRS stated a target date was August 30, 2013.

This “Memorandum of Understanding” concept was one of the recommendations from Batchelder & Associ-ates at the conclusion of its June 30, 2012, audit last year. In my almost 20 years of serving our town, I have never heard of a town anywhere in Vermont willing to embrace the type of nonsense this document contains.

The subject document was discussed at the August 12 Selectboard meeting and in an article in The Citizen, published August 15. In the back-and-forth draft agree-ment, a paragraph appeared recently, stating that CVFRS would keep any surplus that they might have in their budget at the end of any fiscal year. As town treasurer, I asked the Selectboard members at that meeting why they would ever think it appropriate for CVFRS to keep its budget surplus at the end of the year. Why wouldn’t any unexpended funds be returned to the taxpayers? What possible reason is there for a “cushion” for CVFRS? The Town of Charlotte supports CVFRS with what outside observers characterize as an extremely generous budget for yearly operations and capital expenses.

I am ready to disburse funds every year on July 1. I asked to hear from each Selectboard member as to their reasoning, but only silence was forthcoming, with the exception of Chair Charles Russell, who was clearly irri-tated by my question. He stated, as quoted in the August 15 Citizen, “[T]he 15 percent cushion was the high end of a recommendation by Vermont League of Cities and Towns. The statewide organization recommended giv-ing fire and rescue a cushion of between five and 15 percent for its operating reserve fund.”

This statement is false. VLCT’s recommendation was that when a municipality is setting a tax rate, a good policy is to reserve 5 to 15 percent of its operating budget before returning any surplus to the taxpayer. For example, if the town’s general fund balance is $250,000 and its budget is $3,000,000, it would retain $150,000

for the town and return $100,000 to the taxpayers, if the target was to retain five percent of the budget. This is a policy recommendation for a municipality; it has nothing to do with CVFRS. In fact, when I specifically asked VLCT the question, this was the reply: “If the expenditures of fire and rescue are less than anticipated, it is the town that would be retaining the surplus by not expending more than actual expenditures from the town appropriation. If it were an actual department in town, the surplus would still be retained by the town as a whole, not an individual department.”

Even though CVFRS now again has control of all of its accounting (the operating account and all of its “special” funds), there is no financial agreement in place between the town and CVFRS. That agreement should have been in place before any accounting was trans-ferred back to CVFRS, although neither the Selectboard nor CVFRS agreed with my opinion.

The town should be receiving monthly financial state-ments, bank statements and patient billing/paramedic intercept deposit statements for CVFRS’s operating account as well as financials for its special funds. This was also an auditor’s recommendation last year. To date, no such information has come across to the south side of Ferry Road.

Selectboard Chair Charles Russell decided that CVFRS should keep all of its patient billing/paramedic intercept revenue, estimated at $110,000 for this year. The town budget we voted last Meeting Day had the patient billing revenue coming to the town general fund, and a town appropriation of $618,650 was allotted for CVFRS. Charles Russell wants CVFRS to keep the $110,000 and the town’s appropriation to CVFRS to be decreased to $508,650. He assumed CVFRS would agree to that. Once again, no agreement is in place, and yet there has been no patient billing/intercept revenue paid over to the Town of Charlotte from CVFRS.

At this time a year ago, I had deposited about $19,000 of patient billing revenue into the town’s general fund. As your town treasurer, I remain legally obligated to provide CVFRS with the $618,650 appropriated by the voters.

We are likely to find ourselves watching the conse-quences as though a train wreck in slow motion. This “Memorandum of Understanding” is fiscally irrespon-sible and will create an even greater burden for the taxpayers of Charlotte. How great of a burden are you willing to bear?

Mary A. MeadClerk/Treasurer

Town of Charlotte

CVFRS’s Budget Surplus: Who Should Own It?

This letter is written in response to some of the issues raised in Mary Mead’s letter to the Charlotte News and the Citizen.

Since joining the Selectboard in March I have had the privilege and pleasure of representing the Selectboard as a voting member on the Charlotte Fire and Rescue Corporate Board (CVFRS). CVFRS is a separate nonprofit corporation, independent from the town. I have found the CVFRS board members to be extremely responsible, competent and intelligent. Each is highly dedi-cated to the Town of Charlotte and CVFRS.

Over the past year and a half CVFRS has been subject to ongo-ing accusations of mismanagement and suspicion of fraud by a small group of townspeople. An expensive and detailed audit revealed no fraud, yet an unfounded level of distrust remains.

I have been working closely with Dave McNally, CVFRS president; John Snow, CVFRS vice president;

Mark McDermott, CVFRS commu-nity representative on the CVFRS board; Charles Russell, chair of the Charlotte Selectboard; and Joe McLean, attorney for the Town of Charlotte, to put together a memoran-dum of agreement (MOA) between the Town of Charlotte and CVFRS. This has been a very cooperative and constructive process in which we have sought to formalize an agree-ment about the nature and extent of services that CVFRS will provide to the town and to develop methodolo-gies that will serve to provide trans-parency with regard to the financial operations of CVFRS. The goal of the Selectboard and CVFRS is to assure that the considerable amount of taxpayer money provided for CVFRS operating expenses is spent wisely and appropriately toward the provision of CVFRS services. A draft of the MOA is posted on the town website. Your response to its contents is welcomed.

The MOA is still a draft, but most of the document is solidly agreed

upon by both parties. CVFRS is fully supportive of openly sharing their essential financial information on a regular basis. There has been con-siderable discussion as to how to best manage the town’s annual appropria-tion, which supports operating costs of CVFRS.

The committee unanimously agreed the responsibility for manage-ment of this appropriation belongs to CVFRS. As an incentive we agreed that if CVFRS were to have a sur-plus at the end of the fiscal year they would keep that surplus up to a cap of five to 15 percent of its operating budget. The exact percent has not yet been agreed upon.

The MOA specifies that the sur-plus dollars be used for CVFRS operating expenses. CVFRS would also have to manage any deficit, with a cap of five to 15 percent, before the town would step in to discuss further financial support. This arrangement

CVFRS, Town Relationship Needs Trust, Not Suspicion

Russell

continued on next page


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Commentary

provides a disincentive for CVFRS to spend the entire appropriation and an incentive not to have a deficit.

On Aug. 12. the Selectboard approved the concept that CVFRS patient billing revenue would remain with CVFRS and that the town appropriation would be reduced by $110,000 for a total appropria-tion of $508,650 instead of the original $618,650, with a legal written agreement to follow.

It makes little sense for that revenue to go to the town and then come back to CVFRS as part of the town appropriation. It was a recommendation of the profes-sional auditors that this be changed, and it is good business practice to do so. If CVFRS keeps its own revenue they then have an incentive to increase that revenue and they run the risk if the revenue target is not met. The appropriation to CVFRS approved at future town meetings would be the CVFRS budgeted expenses less CVFRS budgeted revenue.

Both the town and CVFRS are seek-ing an open and trusting relationship that strengthens CVFRS and its ability to pro-vide fire and rescue services to the town. I have great respect for the CVFRS lead-ership and for all of the volunteers who spend hours of their own time, not only in the provision of services but also in count-less hours of training and in managing the business of their nonprofit corporation, whose sole purpose is providing public safety services to the town.

Mutual trust is called for, not ongoing mistrust and suspicion.

Ellie RussellMember

Charlotte Selectboard

The following is an attempt to untangle the web that was woven in a recent letter to the editor by Charlotte’s Town Clerk and Treasurer Mary Mead.

The Charlotte Selectboard is not strug-gling with drafting the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the town and Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services (CVFRS). It is Mary Mead along with a few other members of the public who are struggling with our decision to look out for the best interests of the tax-payers in drafting this legal document.

There are two key concepts that the Selectboard has agreed to implement that will put the incentives to save tax dollars in the hands of those making the early decision to spend money.

First is the decision made at our Aug. 12 meeting to have the town appropria-tion to CVFRS reduced by the budgeted amount of its patient billing revenue of $110,000. Until that decision was made, the town was at risk for any lower than expected revenue due to the unpredict-ability of billable calls in any fiscal year. The incentives are now in the right place. CVFRS has a direct interest in maximiz-ing the billing revenue. This decision has been discussed with CVFRS at several Selectboard meetings, and they have indi-cated support for the concept of retaining their income.

Second is in the draft MOA with CVFRS that would have CVFRS “own their deficit and their surplus” up to some level between 5 and 15 percent of their budget. I would note that Mary left out the CVFRS “owning their deficit” part of the equation in her letter. This incentive for CVFRS to spend wisely is the key part of potentially saving tax dollars.

There are two other clarifications relat-ed to Mary’s claims about the decision for CVFRS to retain some of the budgeted town appropriation. First, I didn’t go back to the tape of the meeting to see if I was accurately quoted by The Citizen, but my point about the statement of the

Vermont League of Cities and Town (VLCT) financial consultant, about the town’s need to have a dedicated contin-gency or buffer, was not that CVFRS should therefore have the same policy but was that it was good business practice for any organization.

Lastly, Mary left out both the ques-tion and part of the answer in her email exchange with the VLCT representa-tive. What she should have asked is if it was appropriate for the town to have an agreement with CVFRS where they would own their deficit and surplus up to some level. Here is the complete email exchange between Mary and William Hall of VLCT.

Mary’s question to William Hall at VLCT:

Good afternoon- I believe this ques-

tion was already asked of you by our

Selectboard Assistant, Dean Bloch, but I

need the answer as well. When the town is

setting the tax rate each year, we are look-

ing at our fund balance form (sic) the fis-

cal year that has just ended to see where

we’re at-surplus, deficit, whatever it is.

I thought that a good rule of thumb for

municipalities when you’re considering

how much if any, surplus you are going

to return to the taxpayers, is to reserve

between 5 & 15% of your operating bud-

get before giving back a surplus. In other

words, If your fund balance was 250,000

and your budget is $3,000,000-keeping

5% is on the low side which would be

$150,000 which would give you $100,000

to return to the taxpayers as a surplus.

Am I looking at this correctly? The Town

funds our Fire & Rescue department from

our municipal budget-just like all of the

other department in town-they get a small

revenue from patient billing but the town

gives them their funding. Anyways, the

Selectboard has said in a public meeting

that your recommendation meant that

Fire & Rescue should retain their surplus,

up to 15% instead of those unexpended

funds being returned to the town as part

of our surplus (like all other town funded

department), to return to the taxpayer.

It just does not make sense to me, and I

don’t think that’s what you said although

I don’t have the e-mail. Can you clarify

anything for me please? Thanks—Mary

Mead

William Hall’s response:

Hi Mary,

Yes, you have interpreted the recom-

mendations for retaining a portion of the

surplus – 5% to 15% is the general rule.

But I would not have made any remarks

at all about the fire and rescue. If I recall,

they are a separate organization? If so, I

would not have offered an opinion about

their operations. If the expenditures of

fire and rescue are less than anticipated,

it is the town that would be retaining the

surplus, by not expending more that (sic) actual expenditures from the town appro-

priation. If it were an actual department

of the town, the surplus would still be

retained by the town as a whole, not the

individual department.

Finally and most interestingly, Mary has shown by her own actions why a buf-fer is necessary. Many years ago when Ker Walker was the CVFRS president and the town was allocating its appropriation in equal quarterly payments, Ker identi-fied a surplus of $20,000 in CVFRS’s budget at the end of the year and asked Mary if he should write her a check for the amount.

Her response was, “No, you will need that money to pay your bills for the start of the new fiscal year.”

The fiscal year starts in July and taxes don’t start coming in until August after the tax rate has been set.

Enough said.

Charles RussellChair

Charlotte Selectboard

Selectboard Chair Responds to Mead’s Comments

Correction

In the last edition of the News, we mistakenly listed the cost of Wendy Bratt and Ginny Sassaman’s six-week happiness study seminar as $250. The cost is actually $150. We apologize for the error and any misunderstanding it may have caused.

Russellcontinued from previous page

The staff and board of directors of the Charlotte

News would like to extend their gratitude to Wendy Bratt and Tom Powell, who hosted a party on Saturday, Sept. 7, in honor of the paper and our Thrive@55 campaign. We had great fun meeting new people, enjoying food and drink, listening to live music and sharing the mis-sion of the newspaper. Thanks to everyone who attended.

Hosting a party is one

of several ways you can help the News reach its goal of raising $55,000 in honor of our 55th anniversary. You can also donate online at http://bit.ly/12QEnEv or by sending a donation to Box 251, Charlotte, VT 05445.

The money we raise will

be used to provide a founda-tion for sustainable growth at the News now and into the future. In an age where newspapers are shrinking from a decline in advertising revenue, your donations will help us keep independent, tied to the only thing that

matters: providing the news and views of Charlotte. It will give us the means to provide a big-ger paper and pro-vide more content through more con-tributors.

Your investment in the News is about an investment in the community. We appreciate your sup-port.

Brett Sigurdson (center) talks about the Charlotte News’s nonprofit mis-

sion at a party in honor of the paper’s Thrive @55 fundraising campaign.

Board members and staff such as (from left) John Hammer, Kathy Luce

and Linda Williamson were also on hand at the party.

News from The

News

��6HSWHPEHU��The Charlotte News

A Reptilian Rescue

It may not have been his most harrow-ing rescue call, but Al Lambert, an EMT-P with Charlotte Fire & Rescue Service, no doubt saved the shells of 14 or so young snapping turtles that emerged from the veg-etation near the Fire Hall along busy Ferry Road. Before Lambert released them into the safety of a nearby pond, he took a few pictures of this “rep-tilian rescue.” If they could talk instead of snap, the turtles would no doubt offer their thanks.

Record Ridership Raises $300K for Kelly Brush Foundation

A cyclist smiles after passing through the Holmes Creek Covered Bridge in Charlotte along the 100-mile Kelly Brush Century Ride route Sept. 7. A record number of riders participated in Vermont’s largest charity ride, the Kelly Brush Century Ride powered by VBT Bicycle and Walking Vacations, helping to set a fundraising record for the ride on Saturday. Over 750 cyclists, including 40 Charlotte residents and 25 handcyclists, started spinning from the Middlebury College campus in Middlebury on a cool day perfect for riding through the scenic and rolling hills of the Champlain Valley. Riding in teams or individu-ally, the cyclists raised more than $300,000 for adaptive athletes and ski rac-ing safety. Brush is a Charlotte resident who, with her family, started the Kelly Brush Foundation in 2006. Funds raised through the ride support the Kelly Brush Foundation’s mission to conquer the challenges of paralysis through love of sport by helping athletes with spinal cord injuries purchase specialized sports equipment. The foundation has awarded more than 60 grants for adap-tive equipment, including adaptive gear for skiing, cycling, bowling, rowing and even horse carriage racing. For information visit the foundation’s web site, kellybrushfoundation.org.

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Abby’s Agenda to Play THT Cabaret Sept. 12

Charlotte-based trio Abby’s Agenda will open a new cabaret season at Middle-bury’s Town Hall Theater on Thursday, Sept. 12. Abby Sheldon-Dean sings famil-iar and not-so-familiar jazz standards, Tom Waits covers, and more, backed by husband Jim Sheldon-Dean on Fender bass and Jeff Salisbury on drums.

The concert will feature the same smooth, impeccable jazz and sparkling vocals captured on the trio’s 2012 album That Was Then, which featured standards such as “Orange Colored Sky,” “Frankie & Johnny,” and “Mean to Me,” as well as the original tune, “Careful in the Kitchen.”

Tickets for all THT Cabaret perfor-mances are $10 and may be purchased at townhalltheater.org, by calling 382-9222 or at the box office Monday through Sat-urday from noon to 5 p.m.

For more on Abbey’s Agenda, visit the band’s website, abbeysagenda.com.

trees, but it has to be done in the right way. As some of the areas in question are on slopes, removing trees could poten-tially cause erosion. Sue Smith, another member of the committee, noted she had invited a Chittenden County forester to tour the land and offer advice about sus-tainably altering the landscape.

The Selectboard will revisit the issue at a later date, though it did move for-ward with pursuing the removal of the trees near Horsfords.

Fire & Rescue to keep patient billing with formal agreement

Ed Sulva, CVFRS corporate trea-surer, told the board that CVFRS had agreed to sign a legal document that states that it will keep patient billing instead of the town, which has acted as an intermediary between CVFRS and its billing agent.

The agreement will be a separate document from the Memorandum of Agreement that both parties are current-ly hashing out. Chair Charles Russell noted the patient-billing agreement will be signed at the next meeting.

CVFRS also reported it would be selling its heavy rescue truck to the Albany, Vt., fire department in the wake of an arson fire that cost it much of its equipment. CVFRS will sell the vehicle for $15,000, a price that was in the range of a recommendation given to the

department by a third party. But CVFRS Corporate President Dave McNally said it’s about more than the money.

“This would be a goodwill gesture on behalf of the Town of Charlotte to sup-port rebuilding of another town’s fire and rescue apparatus,” he said.

The money from the sale will be deposited in CVFRS’s capital reserve fund.

Finally, while it’s only two months into the 2013-2014 fiscal year, the Selectboard and CVFRS discussed pre-paring for the 2014-2015 fiscal year; the organization will be presenting its preliminary budget for discussion in December.

Other business

In other business, the Selectboard�� DFFHSWHG� D� ELG� IURP�0RUULVYLOOH¶V�

Blow & Cote, Inc. for repair of the pier supporting Bridge #31 on Dorset Street. The bid price is $92,025 plus $6,000 for six days of traffic control for the completion of the project, for a total of $98,025.�� DFFHSWHG� D� SURSRVDO� IURP� 6DP�

Zimmerman to build a walking bridge on the Cowboy Lewis trail along Ferry Road, a project that will stand as his Eagle Scout and CVU Grad Challenge projects. He hopes to begin construction immediately and finish before snow falls.��DSSURYHG�D�MRE�GHVFULSWLRQ�IRU�D�QHZ�

town planner/zoning administrator and discussed the position’s salary.

Selectboard continued from page 1

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SMArt Flicks: UP See the colorful and whimsical film “Up” followed by an art activity and snacks in the new Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education. 5-8 p.m., Friday, September 20 Free with Museum admission. Museum Members and children under age 5 are free.

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Merchants Bank Donates to New Fields

Jeanne Albertson, manager at Merchants Bank in Hinesburg,

presents a $5,000 check to Charlotters Cole Boffa (left) and

Maverick Lowery, who represented the CSSU Buccaneers youth

football team. The money will be used for athletic fields at the

proposed Bissonnette Family Recreation Area in Hinesburg.

Charlotte CROP Hunger Walk Sept. 29

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

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

Looking to make a difference in these try-ing times, the Charlotte CROP Hunger Walk has set a goal of 50 walkers and hopes to raise $2,500 to help stop hunger and poverty here in our community and around the world, through self-help initiatives. A portion of the funds raised here in Charlotte will go to the Charlotte Food Shelf.

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

This year’s walk will start at the Congre-gational Church at 11:30 a.m. and proceed to Charlotte Central School and return. There will be light refreshments, homemade soup and cookies, and a small celebration at the conclusion in the church vestry.

Many of the CROP walkers will be wear-ing T-shirts proclaiming their solidarity with the millions of neighbors around the world who have to walk to live—as well as with the millions served by local food pantries, food banks and meal sites here in the U.S. These local ministries share in the funds raised by CROP Hunger Walks.

The Charlotte CROP Hunger Walk offers a way for children to learn how malnutrition and hunger affect kids who aren’t as fortu-nate. An online interactive survival scenario has been created that asks the reader to make a series of tough choices. You can try it out at http://hunger.cwsglobal.org/decisions/index.htm.

The event presents a way for youth to begin taking action about hunger issues here in Charlotte and around the world. The walk is 1.5 miles long, easily manageable for young children.

The Charlotte event will include mem-bers of the Charlotte Congregational Church Sunday School, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Sunday School, CVU High School students, Waldorf and CCS grade school students and Charlotte Food Shelf volunteers.

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

From the Listers Office: Data Collection and Inspection 2013The town data collector is currently in the field, inspecting properties in quadrant one, which

onecomprises all roads north of Ferry Road and west of Ethan Allen Highway (Route 7). The areas currently being inspected include Greenbush Road, Route 7, Patton Woods, Ten Stones Circle and Eastry Court.

Postcards will be mailed out a week or two ahead of the property inspection; these inspec-tions will take place on Fridays. If no one is at home when the data collector arrives, a card will be left to let you know he was there. If the inspector needs to get into your house or has a question, a card will be left at your house asking you to call the listers office. If you have any questions about the process, please call the office at 425-3855.

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

Conservation Currents

In Defense of WeedsRoel Boumans

Contributor

We are now at the height of the grow-

ing season, and the garden seems to need

endless weeding. It dawned on me a

while ago that I had read an article writ-

ten in the early 1900s arguing the benefits

of weeds. Trying to find that article again

using Google, I came across many more

writers who were making that same point:

weeds are there for a reason.

Weeds are well adapted to the soil

conditions in which they grow and are

active in changing those soils. For exam-

ple, weeds break up hardpan. Their long

taproots are able to dig deep and pick up

nutrients otherwise unavailable to less

deep-rooted plants. They are refuges for

insect pest populations and their preda-

tors, which can prevent detrimental pest

outbreaks. But even more important is

their ability to reveal information about

the properties of our soils, particularly

their nutritional status, pH and presence

of hardpan.

Understanding your weeds will save

you from buying those soil-testing kits,

for weeds can tell you much more than

those kits ever will. Weeds will indicate

what your best crop could be next year.

They will indicate which garden varieties

to choose: varieties that adapt to the same

soil needs as the weed. And if you don’t

want those weeds there, they will also

give you a clue as to what you can do to

change the soil characteristics or, alterna-

tively, what species to plant for a chance

to outcompete them.

And then there are those weeds that

we try to manage as a town. The more

famous ones would be the European frog-

bit in Town Farm Bay, buckthorn and,

of course, wild parsnip. Although heroic

efforts are being organized to eradicate

these plants from our landscape, I don’t

know if we really understand what these

plants are trying to tell us or if the meth-

ods we are using are the right ones. So

again I used Google to find out.

European Frog-bitEuropean frog-bit is originally from

Switzerland, brought to Canada inten-

tionally for use at an arboretum in 1932.

From Canada it spread to the United

States in the 1980s. It is a free-floating

plant that thrives in open marsh habi-

tat and quiet backwaters, forming dense

floating colonies. Mats of frog- bit can

become so thick that boat traffic can be

affected, which is not an issue in Town

Farm Bay. Frog-bit interferes with the

growth of other aquatic plants and the

movement of big fish and diving ducks.

There are no control measures known

other than the temporary solution of

removing it by hand, like we do here in

town. Frog-bit will not tolerate waves,

which limits the risk of spreading. It is

high in nitrogen and with the appropri-

ate herbivores could be of value to wild

life. Because not much else is

known about European frog-bit,

it appears to me that we could

use some original research to

evaluate what it is actually telling

us and how much we are willing

to invest to try to eliminate this

plant

BuckthornBuckthorn is a shrub or small

tree growing to 20 feet and is

native to North Africa, Asia and

Europe. It was introduced to

North America as an ornamental

shrub for fencerows and wildlife

habitat. The problem with buck-

thorn is that it has a wide habitat

tolerance, a rapid growth rate and

an extensive root system. It pro-

duces abundant flowers and fruits

throughout the growing season.

Many bird species relish buck-

thorn berries. The berries contain

a chemical that acts as a laxa-

tive. The defecation by the birds

ensures the spread of the seeds.

Although seedlings of buck-

thorn invade apparently stable

habitats, they grow most suc-

cessfully where there is ample

light and exposed soil. Buck-

thorn invasions are indicators

of thinned or grazed woods, woodland

edges and other disturbances of mature

forest, like openings created by windfalls.

Good forestry practices should be able to

prevent these invasions.

Wild ParsnipWild parsnip is an herbaceous plant

requiring two or more years to flower.

It grows to about three feet or a bit more

and can form dense stands. It is

successful on a variety of soils,

but it mostly indicates low

fertility. It is most commonly

found along roadsides and in

abandoned fields and pastures.

Wild parsnip might have

negative environmental char-

acteristics, such as the abil-

ity to crowd out some native

wildflowers, but is more prob-

lematic to humans. This plant contains

a chemical that causes a severe rash

and blistering when skin exposed to the

chemical is then exposed to sunlight.

Control methods have not been clearly

described over a wide range of condi-

tions, but digging up plants in small pop-

ulations or repeated cutting below the soil

surface with a shovel in successive years

appears to be effective. The effects of fire

or mowing appear to be unpredictable

and may encourage wild parsnip.

Maybe what the parsnip is trying to tell

us is that mowing the road sites leads to

lower fertility of the grasslands and that

more sustainable solutions need to be

envisioned. Maybe maintaining the road-

side vegetation through managed grazing

would do the trick.

Roel Boumans is co-chair of the Char-lotte Conservation Commission.

Charlotte Conservation Currents

Wild parsnip is a weed that contains a chemi-cal that causes blistering when it comes in contact with skin that is then exposed to sun-light. It is commonly found along roadsides and in abandoned fields.

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The ‘Crack’ of the (Ash) Bat

Larry HamiltonContributor

The favorite sound of summer to base-ball aficionados is the crack of a bat hitting a ball. When all bats were made of white (American) ash, the wood’s flexibility gave a distinctive resonance to that impact sound that seemed to echo as the hitter sped toward first base. Some fans believe that the hitting of a home run gave a distinctive “crack” that foretold by sound this one was a winner. Famous names of big hitters such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Hank Aaron used and loved their ash bats.

Ash seems like the perfect wood for bats. It is light in weight, some-what flexible or resilient, and straight-g r a i n e d wood can be selected. Most people using firewood love ash because it splits so eas-ily along the grain, often into four pie-shaped blanks the length of your stove wood (12–18 inches).

Bat manufacturers took advantage of the straight “splitability” of ash to produce pie-shaped “blanks” for bats 36-42 inches in length. These were then whittled down to a “barrel” no more than 2.75 inches in diameter, thinned down at the handle but leaving a bigger grip at the end.

League regulations call for the finished bat to weigh no more than 38 ounces (most are 35–38 ounces). Machine-driv-en lathes replaced manual shaping. The Louisville Slugger became a famous bat favored by Babe Ruth—among others—though he also, at times, used heavier hickory and a shorter bat.

In 1997 the Major Leagues allowed the first sugar maple bats in response to play-ers’ desires for a “harder” bat that could hit the ball farther. In 2001, Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs with a maple bat—and use of the maple bats increased. Today, about 60 percent of the bats in use are

made of maple.But there is a new “crack of the bat.”

Too many bats are cracking or splinter-ing! When a ball hurled at 90 mph or more hits the bat with a force of about 8,000 pounds, any imperfections in the alignment of the grain may cause break-age. Ash generally holds up much better than maple. Between July and September last year, 1,697 bats splintered in the Major Leagues alone.

These flying chunks of wood are a major hazard. In 2010, Wellington Castil-lo of the Chicago Cubs smashed a double, and a long shard of wood impaled itself in the chest of teammate Tyler Colvin, who was sprinting to home plate from third base. It narrowly missed his heart. In 2008, 5,000 bats broke, mainly on inside

fastball pitch-es where the ball strikes the narrower portion of the bat. New regu la t i ons for bats have been insti-tuted, requir-ing the angle of the grain of the wood to deviate not more than three degrees. This should help prevent splintering.

Grain angle is more eas-ily seen in

ash because the wood is “ring-porous” with clearly defined annual rings, and ash is regaining some of its popularity. Unfortunately, the imported emerald ash borer, the nemesis of the ash, is decimat-ing ash in many areas to our south and west, casting some doubt on the future of this species. Quarantine areas have been established to slow the progress. Parasitic wasps and woodpeckers offer the best control methods to date.

Fortunately Vermont has not yet been invaded. Best actions for Vermonters are to refrain from importing ash wood, espe-cially firewood, and to encourage more woodpeckers by leaving dead or non-hazard dying trees as habitat elements for these birds. Researchers are hard at work developing biological controls, especially new types of wasps, but time is racing on for Charlotte, since the borer has been detected near Albany.

Larry Hamilton is Charlotte’s volunteer tree warden.

This picture shows the porous nature of ash by its annual rings. Ash is light and relatively flexible, making it an ideal wood for baseball bats.

Sacred Hunter, a Charlotte-based non-profit, is sponsoring a Hunting Film Fes-tival on Saturday, Sept. 28.

The event will benefit Sacred Hunter’s mentoring program, Traditions Outdoor Mentoring, which works with at-risk 13- to 16-year-old boys, teaching them the values of conservation and ethics while they learn to hunt, fish and forage.

The film festival will consist of eight professionally filmed hunts of 10-20 min-utes apiece. The films include hunts of elk, mountain goat, a 230-class whitetail, ducks and geese, grizzly bear, and exotic aoudad and javelina. These are all fair-chase hunts, and a few of them are with a bare bow (recurve bow with no sights). These films celebrate the beauty and wonder of our sport. To view the trailers for these films, go to huntingfilmtour.com.

The film festival will be held at the Film House at Main Street Landing on 60 Lake Street in Burlington. Doors open at 5 p.m. Films will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Food will be served from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Attendees can purchase McKenzie hot dogs and chips as well as sodas and

Fiddlehead beer.Raffle tickets will be sold beginning

at 5 p.m. There will be an intermission at approximately 7:30 p.m., where raffle prizes will be given away.

Raffle items include a $1,000 pair of Zeiss binoculars, a 4x32 Zeiss Conquest rifle scope, a Yeti cooler and many other wonderful prizes. There will also be raf-fles for grab bags filled with hats, gloves and hunting apparel.

The films will end at approximately 9 p.m.

Everyone who purchases a ticket will receive one free bagel with cream cheese from the Burlington Bagel Bakery on Shelburne Road in South Burlington.

Tickets are limited to 200 seats and cost $16 at the door or online. For online purchases go to huntingfilmtour.com and click on “Buy Tickets,” then locate Burl-ington, VT on the map.

Tickets are $15 if purchased through Sacred Hunter’s distributors, Dattilio’s Guns & Tackle in South Burlington, Powderhorn Sports in Williston and Big River Bait & Tackle in Hinesburg.

Sacred Hunter Presents Hunters Film Festival

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“In many Vermont Towns, neglect of cemeteries is not unusual,” Brooks has written in the last three yearly Cemetery Commission reports for Town Meeting. “Some towns take great pride in car-ing for these important repositories of their Town history. After all, isn’t there at least an implicit social contract to respect the final resting place of those who came before and shaped the charac-ter of the place?”

In East Charlotte, Brooks came to the Bradley Cemetery, or East Burying Ground, along Spear Street north of Hinesburg Road in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it grove of trees on the west side of the road. He stopped in the middle of the road to point out some steps placed into the hill and the perennials he planted on either side of them to spruce things up.

As Brooks pulled into the steep drive-way the grave stones reveal themselves among the mossy ground, many of them resembling the large natural stones upturned by the gravediggers who aban-doned the cemetery 31 years after it was built in 1805.

All of them are made of sedimentary stone like shale, so their inscriptions have weathered to flatness. Many have simply fallen over or sunk into the ground. Headstones and footstones lay in piles of rubble, puzzle pieces waiting for adjoining pieces that may never be found.

It’s a situation on a smaller scale com-pared to the West Burying Ground, or Barber Cemetery, the largest cemetery Brooks oversees. Currently 65 stones are broken there—some big, some small, all of them frustrating puzzles that may never be put together. Late in August,

Cemetery Commis-sion employee Isaac Flemming of Ver-gennes, with the help of Steven Mack, put the spire of the Bar-ber Monument back together in just a few hours.

While that monu-ment was in three pieces, other grave-stones are in worse disrepair. Some are in small piles of rub-ble where a whole gravestone once stood. Others are partly buried.

“Every broken tombstone presents a unique set of chal-lenges,” Brooks said.

Despite this, the Cemetery Commis-sion employees and volunteers have so far fixed 12 grave-stones at Barber Cemetery using largely the same method: exca-vate the stone, uncover the broken pieces, place them on level beams or a table, clean the joints, apply a special epoxy and clamp it all together.

Brooks is proud of how the Cemetery Com-mission has made such fixes, for a small por-tion of the cost a pro-fessional would charge, by harnessing volunteers and local donations and practicing a kind of fru-gal ingenuity that made Charlotte briefly famous

last year when NPR featured pictures of the sheep he secured to keep Barber Cemetery’s grass trimmed.

I n d e e d , these things—thrifty use of taxpayer money, local i n v o l v e -ment, creative solut ions—

encompass his philosophy of the Cemetery Commis-sioner as much as they do his philosophy of local gov-ernment. Brooks is aware he has cultivated a kind of in-your-face, outspo-ken persona that precedes him when he attends town meetings. But Brooks said the philosophy he practices

is the same town leaders should with tax-payers’ money.

If Brooks can raise the necessary funds, he’d like to install a fieldstone wall at Barber Cemetery to replace the “unsight-ly” chain link fence that surrounds it. He estimates finishing the rehabilitation of all 65 broken headstones at Barber Cemetery in the next few years will cost between $15-$20,000. For Brooks, it’s a project worth investing in because it rep-resents an investment in Charlotte’s past, present and future.

At Barber Cemetery, Brooks showed off one of Flemming’s most recent fixes, the gravestone of 12-year-old Sally Hough, who died in 1805. It looks like a mix of the old and the new, weathered to a dull grey on top, bright and vibrant at the base. He reads an epitath inscribed there that had, until recently, been buried, regarding each word as if reading direc-tions to a treasure. As Brooks finishes reading it, he pauses.

“It just doesn’t get any better than that,” he said.

Cemetery continued from page 1

(Above) Stephen Brooks at Barber Cemetery on Greenbush

Road near one of the gravestones his staff has fixed.

(Left) The grave of Sally Hough.

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Written in Stone, Hiding in Sight

A recently completed research project on Charlotte’s small cemeteries

has revealed fascinating stories of early Charlotte.

In 1812, the Reverend Dorian Bartlett Harding sat along the banks of a stream that ran through his family’s farm in East Charlotte. It was in that moment he decided to become a minister, and it was in this place that he was buried 23 years later.

A recently completed essay project initiated by Stephen Brooks and undertaken by local volunteers tells this story and others of Charlotters who are buried in small cemeteries that are scattered throughout town, most on private property.

Kristin Wright explores the family members—mostly infants and chil-dren—buried in the Marcotte Cemetery, or Leavenworth Cemetery, on a sandy knoll along Carpenter Road, a place that would have allowed the Leavenworth and Hickock families who originally lived in the nearby farmhouse to look out upon their departed family members.

According to research conducted by Victoria Zulkoski, the four occu-pants buried in the Thorp Cemetery along Lake Road were likely interred there because of a state-mandated quarantine due to a smallpox affliction that claimed their lives in 1895.

Susan Ohanian tells the story of the Reverend Harding, whose grave was marked by a headstone, though its boundaries weren’t noted upon the farm’s sale in 1837. Here the story takes an interesting twist. The site became a legal issue in 2000 when the new property owners discovered the grave and, worried it could hurt the property’s future resale value, took steps to have Harding’s remains removed for reburial. Nancy Sabin, Harding’s great-great-grandniece objected and filed suit after negotiations broke down. A probate court decision granted Sabin and her heirs the right to access and maintain the reverend’s gravesite.

According to state law, town cemetery commissioners have a similar right to access these small cemeteries to maintain them when they are in disrepair. The Charlotte Cemetery Commission has taken advantage of this by clearing the Leavenworth Cemetery and hope to raise the tomb-stones there and improve access to it. At the Sherman-Quinlan Cemetery, trees and shrubs were cut back, gravestones are being repaired and a rock wall has been installed by Chase Weaver for a CVU Grad Challenge.

Brooks hopes to reach an agreement with property owners of the land on which Thorp Cemetery sits soon in order to address any issues there. He hopes Zulkoski’s essay on it will help.

For her part, Wright, a former history and political science major, thinks the project gives Charlotters a connection to the past.

“I think that the town of Charlotte has changed so much in the last few decades,” she said in an email message, “transforming from an almost exclusively agricultural town to a largely bedroom community. Learning about our roots (large families working and living on farms) better allows us to appreciate the beautiful town we have inherited. Without these stewards of our rural landscape, Charlotte would not be the beautiful place we all choose to call home.”

Six copies of the essays will be stored at Town Hall, where they can be accessed by all.

Spears Corner Store to Host Get-to-Know-You Party

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

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

“It’s just an opportunity for folks to meet or meet all over again,” said Spear.The event will feature burgers compliments of Charlotte’s Fat Cow Farm and

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

Comedy on the

BRAIN!Sept. 296 p.m.

Old Lantern

Tickets: COTB.brownpapertickets.com


Navigating the

New Vermont

Health Insurance

Marketplace

With enrollment in Vermont Health Connect slated to begin Oct. 1, here’s a breakdown of how it works and who is eligible.

Vermont will embark on a new era in health care on Oct. 1, 2013, as the health insurance marketplace, called Vermont Health Connect, opens for enrollment. Vermont is one of several states that set up its own marketplace under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a.k.a. “Obamacare.”

Vermont Health Connect is designed to make it easier for eligible Vermonters to have access to and choose the level of coverage and cost for their health insur-ance as well as to provide Vermonters access to federal subsidies based on their income levels. Only insurance purchased through Vermont Health Connect is eli-gible for federal subsidies, which can lower premiums and, for many, out-of-pocket expenses. The Vermont Health Connect website (VermontHealthCon-nect.gov) already has detailed informa-tion available.

Vermonters purchasing individual or family plans and employers and employees of small businesses will use Vermont Health Connect. It is easiest to address these categories separately for clarity.

Coverage for individuals and families

So, who is eligible to participate? Simply put, any Vermonter who does not have insurance through an employ-er or through a government program,

like Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Administration, or Dr. Dynasaur for children, is eligible. Even if an employ-er offers health insurance, but the pre-miums cost more than 9.5 percent of the employee’s household income, the employee is eligible to purchase insur-ance through Vermont Health Connect and to receive federal subsidies.

The open enrollment period starts on Oct. 1, 2013, and ends on March 31, 2014. After the open enrollment period, only “life changes,” such as marriage, loss of job, change in family size, etc., will be acceptable reasons to initiate or change insurance options.

Vermont Health Connect offers a list of approved health insurance options that provide standardized health care coverage at various levels of cost. The standard plans have four benefit levels:��%URQ]H��SHUFHQW�SD\PHQW�RI� covered medical expenses��6LOYHU��SHUFHQW�SD\PHQW�RI� covered medical expenses��*ROG��SHUFHQW�SD\PHQW�RI� covered medical expenses��3ODWLQXP��SHUFHQW�SD\PHQW�RI covered medical expenses.Each level has different deductible

and maximum out-of-pocket amounts. Insurance premiums will vary by insur-ance provider, amount of deductibles and co-pays, benefit level, and amount of subsidy for which an individual or family is eligible.

There are two insurance providers IRU� 9HUPRQW²%OXH� &URVV� %OXH� 6KLHOG�RI�9HUPRQW� DQG�093²HDFK�RI�ZKLFK�offers the same coverage in the stan-dard plans. In addition to the four standard plans, there are non-standard SODQV� RIIHUHG� E\� %&%6� DQG� 093� DV�well. Catastrophic health plans are also available to individuals under 30 years old who meet certain income eligibility standards.

Federal subsidies for the premiums

are based on household income and are paid directly to the provider to off-set the premiums. While the estimated subsidy for 2014 is based on the house-hold income as shown in the 2012 tax return filed this year, the subsidy will be adjusted when the 2013 tax return is filed. So those who have had a major change in income can potentially see a change in the amount of the subsidy for which they are eligible. Adjustments for changes in a household’s financial cir-cumstances can be made on a monthly basis.%HVLGHV� WKH� KHDOWK� LQVXUDQFH� SODQV��

Vermont Health Connect also provides access through Delta Dental to dental plans for both adults, as a supplemental plan, and for children, as dental cover-age is embedded in all medical plans for those up to age 21. Catastrophic dental care is integrated with the health insur-DQFH�SODQV�WKURXJK�%&%6�DQG�093��

There is help every step of the way for individuals to learn more now and to enroll after Oct. 1st:�� 2QOLQH�� 9HUPRQW+HDOWK&RQQHFW�

gov��3KRQH��WROO�IUHH��,Q�SHUVRQ��8VH�WKH�9HUPRQW�+HDOWK�

Connect website or the call center to find a navigator near you. Naviga-tors are trained partner organizations or individuals who can guide you through the process. A list can be found under WKH� WDE� ³$VVLVWHUV� � 3DUWQHUV´� DW� WKH�website.

Starting in 2014, there is a federal penalty for not carrying health insur-ance. The penalty will be assessed on tax returns starting in 2014 and increas-LQJ� HDFK� \HDU� WKURXJK� �� )RU� ��the penalty is the larger of one percent of household income or $95 per indi-vidual household member without cov-HUDJH�XS�WR�D�PD[LPXP�RI��

Small business participation

Small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees will offer health insurance through Vermont Health Connect starting in 2014. There is no federal penalty for small businesses that do not offer health insurance to WKHLU�HPSOR\HHV��%XVLQHVVHV�ZLOO�VHOHFW�a contribution level and the plans avail-able to their employees (either all plans

under one carrier or the full range of options). Employee would then enroll in the plan of their choice through Ver-mont Health Connect. If the employer offers health insurance to its employ-ees, however, employees would not be eligible for a federal insurance sub-sidy unless the cost to the employee exceeded 9.5 percent of the employee’s household income.

Employers are eligible for federal tax credits if

1. they have fewer than 25 full-time-equivalent employees (FTEs),

2. the average annual wage per FTE is less than $50,000, and

3. they contribute at least 50 percent of the health insurance premium per FTE.

While there is no federal penalty for small employers that do not offer health insurance, the Vermont Employ-er Assessment remains. This Vermont penalty is $40 per month per employee for the fifth through the 49th employee. (The first four employees are exempt.) Therefore, each employer should ana-lyze the effect on both their business bottom line and their employees before making a decision on whether or not to offer health insurance.

The Small Employer Estimator, available now on VermontHealthCon-nect.gov, is designed to help employers with health-coverage decision-making for 2014.

Employers who choose to enroll must select their coverage options by Oct. 1. Employees should then enroll by Nov. 30.

Additional tools and resources are available specifically for small busi-nesses and can be accessed at Ver-montHealthConnect.gov or by calling ��WROO�IUHH��

As always, I welcome your feedback on any issue or topic of concern. My website is MikeYantachka.com. You FDQ� FRQWDFW� PH� E\� SKRQH� DW� ��RU�E\�HPDLO��DW�P\DQWDFKND�GID#gmail.com.

Mike Yantachka represents Charlotte

and parts of Hinesburg in the Vermont House of Representatives.

Legislative Report by Representative Mike Yantachka


Charlotte Senior Centerby Mary Recchia,

Activities Coordinator

The Café Menu

MONDAY, SEPT. 16: creamy tomato soup, lettuce & apple salad, chocolate cheesecake

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18: catch of the day, homemade dessert

MONDAY, SEPT. 23: vegetable seven bean soup, mixed greens salad, apple crisp with vanilla ice cream WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25: spinach and ricotta stuffed shells, homemade dessert

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

Get outdoors, meet some folks, and enjoy yourself. Let’s Ride! with Sojourn Bicycling and Active Vaca-tions on Tuesday morning, Sept. 17, leaving the center at 9 a.m. and heading to Kingsland Bay (short loop). Join Charlotte-based Sojourn for this fun, supported rec-reational ride along the best cycling roads in the region. This will be about a 15-20 mile ride, and you will enjoy the camaraderie of Sojourn tour leaders as well as a support van. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Let us know if you would like to come along but don’t have a bike. For $15, Sojourn will provide you with a properly sized bicycle. Registration required. No fee.

––––Victor Gardy’s Math Magic continues Tuesday after-

noon from 1:45-2:45 p.m. on Sept. 17 with unique tricks and techniques to perform mental math calculations. This half-hour lecture with a half hour of practice will have you amazing your family and friends. Learning secrets of mental math with only elementary school arithmetic is accessible and fun with just a little practice. Registration required. No Fee.

–––– Rich Evans and Erica Hoyt return this fall for another

Healthier Living Workshop with the focus on Chronic Pain Tuesday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Dates: Sept. 17 and 24 and Oct. 1, 8, 15 and 22.

Living with ongoing pain is not easy. Based on research conducted at Stanford University, this workshop will help you develop skills to understand your pain, manage its effects and improve your health so that you can get on with living a satisfying, fulfilling life.

Some of the topics covered in the free six-week, 2-½ hour sessions are guided imagery, using your mind to manage symptoms, fatigue/sleep management, dealing with the blues, making treatment decisions and commu-nicating with your family and health care professionals. Registration required. No fee.

–––– Join Jeanne Neu for Zumba Gold—the fun workout

for anyone, any age, any ability on Friday mornings from 9:15-10 beginning on Sept. 20.

Zumba Gold was designed for the older active adult and utilizes the same great Latin styles of music and dance used in the Zumba basic program. It’s just as much fun, just not as fast. This easy-to-follow program allows any-one any age to be able to perform the Zumba Gold dance moves. The routines are easy to learn and follow so that success can be achieved quickly. The Zumba Gold pro-gram strives to improve balance, strength, flexibility and, most important, the heart. Be sure to wear comfortable workout clothing, and bring water and a towel as well as

a “ready-to-party” attitude! Registration required. Fee: $42.

–––– The first of four Fall Hikes in the Champlain Valley

with Marty Morrissey will be on Tuesday, Sept. 24, to Mt. Independence in Orwell. A full description of this trip and the degree of difficulty is available at the host desk. Please bring water, food and good hiking or walking shoes for departure from the Senior Center at 8:30 a.m. Registration required. No fee.

––––Anyone Can Lean to Draw with Elizabeth Llewellyn

Thursday mornings from 10 to 11:30. Dates: Sept. 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31, and Nov. 7 and 14.

In this beginning drawing class you will learn to “see like an artist” through a series of fun, easy exercises that will unlock your artist’s brain. This class will include discussion and use of a variety of drawing materials: pencil, charcoal, ink, and the different supports available. Students will be amazed at their progress in this relaxed, supportive environment.

Suggested materials: drawing pad (9x12), graphite pen-cils (2B, 4B and 6B), charcoal (compressed or pencil) and a kneaded eraser. Registration necessary. Limit 10. Fee: $100.

––––All The World’s A Stage—and it’s here at the center!

Parts have been assigned for the reading on Sept. 26 at 1 p.m., when we will hear The Doctor by Neil Simon.

As a participant or a listener, no experience is necessary. Scripts are provided, and all are welcome to join as we continue to broaden our exposure to this rich and poignant form of literature. Please note that a play will be chosen and parts assigned for the Oct. 24 reading at the end of this session.

Events following the Wednesday luncheonFor those who do not share lunch with us, you are

welcome to drop in around 1 p.m. to enjoy the after lunch offerings:

Sept. 25: Reflections on a Lifetime of Dance, with Sharry Traver Underwood. Sharry ran away to dance just as the theatrical revolution was underway in the 1940s. Through courage, hard work and persistence she managed not only to become a dancer but to work with some of the greatest legends in the business. She has written a danc-ing memoir titled No Daughter of Mine is Going to Be a Dancer! and joins us to reveal both the rapture she felt in dancing and her refreshingly spunky approach to a career.

Summer CottagesTHOMPSON’S POINT

Camp & guest cottage on this property located on North Shore. Double lot on the lake overlooking beautiful Adirondack sunsets. 2 bedrms, stone ¿UHSODFH��ODUJH�GHFN��Furnished. $399,999

Lakefront summer house, 4-5 bdrms on the main point. Enjoy beautiful lake & Adirondack sunsets from your covered porch. Wood burning ¿UHSODFH��IXUQLVKHG��$439,000

Dottie Waller, Realtor, CBR

846-7849

1-800-864-6226 x7849

[email protected]

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL

Featuring Environmentally Friendly Flooring Solutions0IZL_WWL��*IUJWW��+WZS��5IZUWTM]U��:]JJMZ��?WWT

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Fall is in the air and in the Shop too!

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

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

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Upcoming at the Library

Wednesday Night Knitting, Wednes-

day, Sept. 18, 5:30 p.m. Join us to compare notes, knits and to share good company.

First Session: Wednesday Night

Writers Series

Sydney Lea, Vermont Poet Laure-

ate, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m. Lea is known as “a man in the woods with his head full of books, and a man in books with his head full of woods.” Drawing on his latest work, A North Country

Life: Tales of Woodsmen, Waters, and

Wildlife, he shares his love of the natu-ral world and the written word. Bristol Bakery desserts, coffee and tea will be served.

Lunch Box Story Time Kick-Off,

Monday, Sept. 23, 12:15-1:15 p.m.

Kindergarteners, hop on the bus to the

library! Bring your lunch and join us for a fun-filled hour of stories, songs and crafts.

Story-time sessions run from Sept. 23 through Nov. 18. Stu-dents may take the bus from CCS with a parent note. Please call 425-3864 or email [email protected] to sign up.

American Mah-

jong, Wednesday,

Sept. 25, at 7 p.m. Jane Krasnow brings her know-how to the library and teaches us how to play this vari-ant of the ancient Chi-nese game known as Mah-jongg, mahjong or maajh. Join us for an introductory session and then play every other week as we learn the game together.

Friday Free for All Kick-Off, Fri-

day, Sept. 27, 10:30-11:30 a.m. It’s explore time at the library. From rocks, blocks and socks to babies, bugs and hairy bread, we’ll investigate it all. Join us for discovery and diversion every Fri-day morning through Nov. 21. Suitable for ages three to five who are comfortable in a story time setting without parent or caregiver. Parent/caregiver must remain in library. Please call 425-3864 or email [email protected] to sign up.

Seed Savers Workshop, Saturday,

Sept. 28, 10 -–11 a.m. In anticipation of building our Seed Library and making more seeds available for planting next spring, join Joan Weed, veteran seed

saver and master gardener, for a hands-on how-to. She’ll provide the tips for easy and productive seed saving, assuring

another harvest next year.

Feel free to bring your own seeds, espe-cially those from plants grown with our Seed Library seeds this past spring. We will also have plenty of seeds to save and share. Please call the library to let us know you will be com-ing: 425-3864.

On Display at the

Library

Found in the

Ground. It’s Vermont Archaeology Month, and we’ve gathered a

selection of intriguing and interesting objects from backyards, barns and beach-es to put on display. We’d love to see yours as well. Please drop off any objects you’re willing to loan for the month and stay to share and compare what you see.

For more information on archaeol-ogy month: http://historicsites.vermont.gov/vt_history/archaeology/archaeol-ogy_month.

Sunlight and Shadow: Elizabeth

Llewellyn’s Equine Art. Elizabeth lives and creates her art in Vermont. Her equine art has sold in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the United States and Canada. Elizabeth has a B.F.A. from Ottawa University and teaches art free-lance at various locations around Chit-tenden County. More information about Elizabeth’s art and teaching can be found on her website: www.artforallages.net.

Fused Glass Art: Maxine Davis.

With whimsy and a sense of humor, Maxine (Mickey) Davis fashions colorful and striking glass creations. Everything from clocks to bowls to doorknobs, the items are beautiful and useful at the same time. More information about her art and designs is available at MaxineDavisGl-assArt.com.

Don’t forget! September is Library

Card Sign-Up Month. In addition to promoting new patron registration, we will also be renewing all current library cards. We will confirm your contact information and update your expiration date when you visit.

Library Board Meeting. Thursday, Sept. 12, at 5:30 p.m.

Board members: Bonnie Ayer, mem-ber-at-large; Bonnie Christie, chair; Vince Crockenberg, treasurer; Emily Ferris, vice-chair; Dorrice Hammer, secretary.

Library Book Series:

New England Uncovered

What lies hidden beneath the popu-lar images of New England with its white spires and Yankee frugality? More than meets the eye!

This is the focus of the library’s fall/winter book discussion series spon-sored by the Friends of the Charlotte Library and the Vermont Humanities Council. Books in the series will be discussed as follows:

Oct. 17: Peyton Place by Grace Metalious

Nov. 21: Affliction by Russell Banks, Jan. 16: A Brother’s Blood by

Michael White, Feb. 20: I’m a Stranger Here Myself:

Notes on Returning to America After

Twenty Years Away by Bill Bryson. Lesley Wright will again facilitate

discussions. All meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. at the library. Copies of the books can be borrowed from the library.

The program is free and open to the public, and the library is ADA acces-sible.

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SPORTS by Edd Merritt

JV B Falls to Mt. Abe in Season Football Opener

Carrie MacKillopContributor

JV B Coach Rahn Fleming is a philo-sophical man. In a Thursday morning email to his players and their parents after Wednes-day’s loss against Mt Abe the previous night, Coach Fleming stressed the importance of recognizing the value in the loss: “Our breakdowns, both physical and mental, pro-vide opportunities for growth. And that’s how we’ll embrace them.” Well put, Coach.

It was clear from the first drive of the game that the frosh Redhawks were no match for the burly Mt. Abe offense. The Eagles moved down the field quickly and formidably, blasting through CVU’s defen-sive line to score on their first possession. CVU had a tough time answering the points, but starting quarterback Hunter Anderson did a fine job with hand-offs and sweeps. When in trouble, Anderson reacted quickly, utilizing his running skills in attempts to out-maneuver the Eagles’ blistering defense. Anderson’s passing game was on point, and he proved his ability to work under pressure.

Braven Bose, Nick Kinneston, Nate Shanks and David Johnson had strong moments with their running games, but unfortunately the team was unable to keep the ball long enough to make it to the end zone. Spencer Bisson-ette provided offensive protection. Charlotters Brad Reynolds and Zach “Ghurka” Toensing were well placed as the team’s kickers, both sending the ball far downfield when their moments came.

Defensively, the team saw stand-out plays executed by Charlotters George Davis and Somer MacKillop, David Johnson and Brady Carlson. Long snapper Jonny Gay delivered perfect snaps, blocks and tackles for special teams—a seemingly impossible trio of activ-ity. Charlotters Jack Thibault, Alex D’Amico, Devan Lussier, John Delisle, Cole Rehkugler, Ethan Leonard, Max Atkins and Eli Sanchez showed their versatility on the field.

The Redhawks’ lone touchdown came in the third quarter, when Toensing grace-fully snagged an interception on the Eagles 12 yard line, trotting into the end zone with ease. CVU failed to earn the extra point, however, and the game ended with CVU fall-ing to Mt. Abe 36-6.

As Coach Fleming pointed out, the Red-hawks have both the luxury and the bane of being a large team. This fully freshman squad will face mixed teams of freshmen, sophomores and juniors. While the lessons may be hard learned, there will no doubt be many lessons, and we can expect great things from this team both in this season and seasons to come.

Essex Invitational cross-country races have a Redhawk flare

CVU’s Autumn Eastman led the pack of runners from the beginning and finished with the fastest time in 15 years at the Essex Invitational run September 7. Abby Keim’s sixth place and Sophia Gorman’s seventh assured the Redhawk team of first place in the top division, defeating two out-of-state schools and seven Vermont institutions. The CVU men placed fifth out of 12 with Zack Marshall running eighth among the first ten. Eastman and Marshall had run well in class races at Red Rocks in Burlington a week earlier. Autumn finished a minute ahead of her closest competitor, with Abby Keim coming in third among juniors and seniors. Zack Marshall was third among senior boys, while Taylor Marshall, Calvin McClellan and Harken Spillane came across 1,2 and 3 among freshman-sophomore runners.

Essex Tournament victories are first stops for men’s soccer A 9-0 shutout of Rutland was an opening season lift for CVU’s men’s soccer team. Zach Akey hit the net four times, with Charlotte’s Tucker Shelley and Elliot Mitchell adding scores. Brandon O’Connell split time in goal with Oscar Kelly. The Redhawks came back the following day to a tighter contest with Essex. Joe Castano’s and Richard Baccia’s goals, along with O’Connell’s six saves gave the Redhawks the championship, 2-0. Castano was named the tournament’s most-valuable player, and Zack Evans joined him on the all-tournament team.

Friday night lights beam brightly on Redhawks

According to Assistant Coach Tim Halvorson, it took CVU’s football team a full half to connect its gears in the opening season game at Colchester. Once the Hawks did, however, they moved quickly, scoring three touchdowns on their first three possessions of the second half. CVU went on to a 35-9 win. One downturn in the game was the loss to injury of starting quarterback Bennett Cazayoux, leaving Steele DuBrul to handle the signal calling for the rest

of the game. With touchdown runs of 15, 52 and 31 yards, he handled it very well.

Showing that depth is important the following week at Essex, the Redhawks turned to Alex Bulla on defense and third-string quarterback Andrew Pitcher on offense. Pitcher came in after an injury to DuBrul early in the second quarter. He threw for 52 yards, while Charlotte’s Jason Cora ran the ball 31 times for 122 yards and scored two touchdowns. In what coach Provost called a “dirty win,” CVU defeated Essex 27-19, moving to 2 and 0 on the season.

Women’s soccer has a distinct Charlotte flavor

Haliana Burhans, Catherine Cazayoux, Mackenzie Kingston, Maddie Turnau, Ellie Blake, Audrey Allegretta – no wonder the Redhawk soccer women are off to a strong start. In the team’s three wins, Turnau has yet to give up a goal, and the other Charlotters have done what CVU has historically done best, control the ball in the midfield until the time is ripe for a strike. In its most recent win at home against Rice, CVU’s Burhans scored in each half following Kingston’s opening goal 10 minutes into the game. The two Charlotte products have worked together well from the season’s opening minutes. They paired for goals in a 4-0 win over Mt. Abe and were on the net at Buck Hard field in Burlington to bring the team a 2-0 victory over the Seahorses. Cazayoux nearly joined them against BHS, banging the ball off the left pipe in the second half.

Field hockey starts the season with a win

Picked by the Burlington Free Press as the number two team in the state’s power rankings, the Redhawks showed some of that power in an opening season win at Colchester. Amanda Whitbeck and Molly Dunphy scored a goal apiece, one in each half, to give CVU a 2-0 shutout. Goal tender Evangeline Dunphy was called upon for only two saves, as the ball stayed in Colchester’s end much of the game.

Pugliese attends trial at U.S. Soccer Training Center

Antonio Pugliese of Charlotte has been a stand-out player for the Synergy Football Club of Burlington. As a result, he was invited by the U.S. Soccer Federation to attend the training center in Portland, Conn., in late August. This is not his introduction to high-level soccer in this country. He has played and trained at Synergy since he was 7 years old. Prior to going to the National Training Center, he played with the Vermont Olympic Development Program for two years as well as with the Red Bulls Academy program in New York and New Jersey. In 2011 he headed across the Atlantic to Milan, Italy, where AC Milan invited him to its residential academy. He chose not to attend because it meant a substantial commitment of time in that country.

Bradley accepts assistant coaching position at St. Michaels

Charlotte’s Eliza Bradley, a standout soccer goal keeper at CVU and UVM, has accepted a position as assistant to the new St. Michaels’ College women’s coach, Wendy Elles.

UVM freshman Haley named to all-tournament team

Shane Haley, a CVU graduate and freshman soccer standout at the University of Vermont, was named to the all-tournament team this past weekend following the Morgan Stanley/Smith Barney/Windjammer Classic at UVM. He was one of four Catamounts named to the team. UVM claimed the tournament victory

Sports Shorts by Edd Merritt

Join the Public Meetings E-mail ListIf you would like to receive agendas for Selectboard and

Planning Commission meetings, including any special meetings, please send an e-mail to

Dean Bloch at [email protected].


Business Directory

Proposed Calendar 2.0 Forum at CVU Oct. 10

Four dates in October have been established for commu-

nity forums across the Champlain Valley region regarding the

proposed School Calendar 2.0 for the 2014-2015 school year.

Based on the Vermont Superintendents Association (VSA)

Education Quality Framework and the VT World-Class Edu-

cation Agenda, the proposed calendar is a new way of look-

ing at what a school year could entail.

Calendar 2.0 preserves the current 175 student days while

building in blocks of times, or intersessions, that could be

used for a variety of purposes by students, families and teach-

ers. This calendar is still a proposal and is not yet finalized.

The forums are meant to engage educators, students and

families in the discussion of how to further the quality of

education in this region.

The dates of these regional forums are:��:HGQHVGD\��2FW��S�P�²(VVH[�+LJK�6FKRRO��7KXUVGD\��2FW��S�P�²%)$�6W��$OEDQV��:HGQHVGD\��2FW��S�P�²%XUOLQJWRQ�+LJK�6FKRRO��7KXUVGD\��2FW��S�P�²&98�

For more information on the proposed regional calendar,

visit schoolcalendar2.blogspot.com. Charlotters ‘Strut’ Their Stuff at Art Hop

CCS Eighth grader Megan Mahoney (left) didn’t have a sewing machine, but that didn’t stop

her from showing a dress collection fashioned out of the next best thing—Duct Tape—at “Strut,”

the South End Art Hop’s fashion show on Saturday, Sept. 7, in Burlington. Helping her display her

clothes were (from left) Addie Toensing, Cassie Franklin, Campbell Whalen and Sophie Reed. Jenna

Baginski, a 9th grader from Charlotte, also showed a collection at Strut.

Dennis Bates

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Custom Installation

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BRUSH HOG WORK

TILLING SMALL TRACTOR WORK

YORK RAKE -72” FINISH MOWER

SMALL CHIPPER

PAT LECLAIRE802.985.8225

Mason Associates Educational Consultants

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

Benjamin Mason, MEd, CEP

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

Rick GomezMaster Electrician

for over 25 years

[email protected] rvgelectric.com

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

[email protected] rvgelectric.com

Julie ElitzerRealtor

550 Hinesburg Road

So. Burlington, VT 05403

[email protected]

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LMSRE.COM

Lang McLaughry Real Estate

South Burlington23 San Remo Drivetel 865.0010

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Mike DeeOwner | PT

Linda H. SparksBroker, GRI, CRS

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LMSRE.COM

Lang McLaughry Spera


Montreal,

Out-Doors

and In-Doors

Elizabeth BassettContributor

Can a half million people be wrong? Perhaps, but in Montre-al, with a population of just 1.6 million, word gets around. Since June 22, more than 500,000 vis-itors have strolled among the Mosaicultures Internationales de Montreal at the Botanical Gar-den.

What, you ask, are mosaicul-tures? These are massive frame-works, as large as 60 feet in height, supporting hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of plants. The two and three-dimensional artwork takes the form of water buffaloes, trees, wolves and pandas. Also cranes, humans, owls, canoes and cathe-drals. Did I mention bees, butter-flies, raccoons, sheep and horses? Or a grand piano with the image of a volcano inside its lid and a waterfall spilling out of the case? More than three million living plants cover 48 mosaicultures along a two-kilometer circuit at the Botanical Garden.

It’s hard not to smile constant-ly as frogs spring from ponds, raccoons march in line, cranes preen in a mating dance and pandas loll on their backs while chomping bamboo. Plant color, size and texture conspire to cre-ate spots on butterflies, stripes on caterpillars and raccoons, manes on horses and bison, and expressive eyes and warm smiles on humans. A throng of garden-ers tidy the figures, giving “hair-cuts” with hand trimmers and buzzing shears.

This international competi-

tion is the brainchild of Lise Cormier who fell under the spell of mosaiculture while visiting Harbin, China. She brought the horticultural art form to Quebec, founding the Moasiculture Inter-nationales competition in 2000. The event has been held in cities around the world at three-year intervals ever since.

The theme for 2013 is Land of Hope, with competitors empha-sizing sustainability and the planet’s biodiversity. The 2013 mosaicultures hail from dozens of cities and countries, including Easter Island, Hiroshima, Ugan-da (featuring Gorillas at Risk), Malaysia, France and a handful from Montreal.

From Tokyo comes Hachiko,

the Loyal Dog. Every day Hachiko accompanied his mas-ter, a college professor, to the train station. Each day Hachiko waited patiently for his master’s return. One day the professor died of a heart attack. Hachiko spent the next ten years at the train station awaiting his master. In Montreal, the faithful dog sits on a wooden platform beside the tracks—dog, rails and ties all sculpted in plants.

In A True Story, a mosaicul-ture from China, a flock of leggy red- crowned cranes dances in a cloud of mist around an elegant woman nearly 25 feet tall. In the 1980s, Xu Xiu Juan waded into a swamp to rescue a wounded crane. She saved the crane but then slipped and disappeared into the swamp forever. She is memorialized amid a swirl of preening cranes.

The mosaiculture exhibit cul-minates with the Tree of Life, a giant masterpiece that depicts 60 bird species along with the world’s most endangered amphibians. The tree sits in a pond and visitors climb a tower-ing bridge to view it.

The Mosaicultures Interna-tionales runs through Sept. 29. For more information: mosai-culturesinternationales.ca. The Botanical Garden is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online to avoid waiting in line.

––––If you’ve never seen an exhi-

bition of Dale Chihuly’s glass, get thee to Montreal’s Musee des Beaux Arts before October 20.

Chihuly’s enormous sculptural works explode with color, energy and light. On the front steps of the museum, right there on Sher-brooke Street, tendrils of yellow, red and blue glass spring from a 13-foot tower called The Sun. Seven more Chihuly environ-ments await inside, four of them created especially for this show.

Distended orange and yel-low disks, each several feet in diameter, float above the marble staircase leading to the exhibit. At the top of the stairs, 199 tur-quoise, reed-shaped forms bris-tle from trunks of salvaged, old-growth western cedar. The reeds, each about six feet tall, are made in a hot shop in Finland, the only facility large enough to handle these forms.

The exhibit continues with one of Chihuly’s trademarks, the Persian

Ceiling, best viewed by lying on sand-filled mats on the floor. Hundreds of pieces of glass form a jum-ble of color, form and light in a kaleidoscope of sea shapes, baskets, Venetian figures, spheres and angel-like figures called putti.

A native of Tacoma, Wash., Dale Chihuly revo-lutionized the Studio Glass movement, propelling blown glass to a new level of public awareness and recognition

as both sculpture and fine art. Building on his experience in Italy while on a Fulbright Schol-arship, Chihuly works with col-laborative teams rather than as a solitary artist. Teamwork and Chihuly’s appetite for experi-mentation have moved blown glass from the realm of small, precious objects into the world of large-scale sculpture, includ-ing room-size indoor as well as outdoor installations.

In addition to working in glass, Chihuly has created in neon, argon and ice. One room of the Montreal exhibit, eeri-ly dark, is illuminated only by glowing neon- and argon-filled sculptures.

A playful spirit infuses each environment. Chihuly’s Mille

Fiori, a thousand flowers, is a far cry from his mother’s Taco-ma garden that inspired it. This garden of glass includes bursts of color in spheres, storks, reeds and flowers, all reflected from a black glass plinth on which

they sit. In another room two old wooden boats spill with glass forms, one packed with fiori, or flowers, the other overflowing with spheres– the most difficult glass form to make, inspired by floats on fishing nets in Japan.

In 1976 the Metropolitan Museum of Art purchased three of Chihuly’s Navajo blanket cyl-inders. The artist was 35 years old. Over the decades his work has been shown at most major art museums in the world and is represented in many permanent collections. In addition, Chi-huly’s glass graces the Mayo Clinic, the University of Wash-ington Law School Library, the Rainbow Room at Radio City in New York, and the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.

The Musee des Beaux Arts, entrance at 1380 Sherbrooke Street West, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Monday. The Chihuly exhibit stays open on Wednesdays until 9 p.m.

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Food Shelf News

by Kerrie Pughe

Thank YouThank you to Hazel Prindle and Diane

Prindle Lamore for the donations in mem-ory of Ronald and Beatrice Marble. In addition, thank you for the support from the Cedar Beach Association, Margaret Berlin, and James and Kathleen Manches-ter. We appreciate community members keeping the Food Shelf in your giving plans.

Children’s clothing driveWe are collecting children’s clothing

donations for the upcoming school year for our neighborhood friends in need. From now until Sept. 15 we will be collecting good, clean children’s clothing for sizes infant to teenager. We will accept adult clothing that is suitable for teens as well. Please—no stains or holes.

We are also accepting clean winter coats, winter boots, rubber boots, sneak-ers (must be in good condition) and other shoes. You may drop these items in the basket at the Food Shelf at the Charlotte Congregational Church or email Heather at [email protected] for information to schedule a drop-off of your donations. Thank you!

Wish listWe need tissues, Q-tips, kids healthy snacks.

The Food Shelf is run entirely by vol-unteers, so all donations go directly for food or emergency assistance. 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

Donated food drop-off locations: All nonperishable food donations may be dropped off at the Charlotte Library, the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (main entrance) or at the Food Shelf during the distribution mornings. We request that all fresh foods be dropped off at the Food Shelf by 7:30 a.m. on the distribution mornings. The Charlotte Food Shelf is located on the lower level of the Charlotte Congregational Church vestry. We are open from 7:30-–9:30 a.m. on the following Thursdays for food distribution: Sept 26. We are open as well as from 5-–7 p.m. the Wednesday before each Thursday distribution morn-ing. The new schedule will be posted after our annual meeting.

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

For emergency food call John at 425-3130. For emergency assistance (elec-tricity, fuel) or more information, call Karen at 425-3252 or visit our website at https://sites.google.com/site/charlottefood-shelfvt/.

the Old Lantern in honor of Sarah. Like the video, like so many other things Ted has done in Sarah’s honor since her death, it’s a cre-ative way to grieve.

As Ted has con-ceived “Comedy on the Brain,” it prom-ises to be an event Sarah herself would have enjoyed. Ted describes his wife as a “gorgeous and gracious” woman who was also pos-sessed of the kind of rowdiness born from growing up with three brothers. Sarah, a graphic designer, came to the United States from England. She met Ted, a native of Indiana, in Waits-field in 1979. They dated for three months and mar-ried within a year.

From the begin-ning it was a cre-ative marriage, said Ted, a true creative collaboration that lasted until she became too sick to work. Sarah worked on Ted’s business logo and added color to his architectural renderings. Ted helped her make physical objects.

“The skills we each had were very complementary,” said Ted.

“We really trusted to be able to give and take with one another in many ways. Because we had that trust and that friend-ship, as professionals we could discuss and take on all sorts of things.”

Their house at Ten Stones is a good example. Ted came up with five different designs for the house. As they together cut back trees and shrubs and tended the land,

Ted laid down plans as they went, Sara offering feedback, both of them play-ing off each other’s conception of what was possible. The house, its garden, its studio spaces are extensions of their creativity, he said.

It was creative in other ways. They enjoyed hosting fun-draisers and creative parties. One of the parties Ted put on was the first “Com-edy on the Brain” event in the living room of their home while Sarah was still in good stead. She sat in the front row, laughing.

As Sarah began to get sick, Ted took control of the situa-

tion, setting up medical meetings, chasing down clinical trials, trying to keep a smile on her face. Sometimes he would put his hands on her head and imagine he was pulling the cancer out of her head, some-how slowing down its growth.

As she declined in the 22 months between her diagnosis and the time she

died, Sarah never lost her grace, said Ted, even through moments when she was clearly suffering. Ted estimates hundreds of people came through the house to visit her or bring things over, a reflection of her effervescence.

“She was a good friend,” said Ted. “She could have taught friendship 101.”

The day she died, Ted brought her body home in an “ark” he built for her. He washed her body and dressed her and filled the ark with flowers and incense and herbs and cards from friends. He took her to be cremated the next day.

A month later, Ted held the second “Comedy on the Brain” fundraiser, in part to help the laughs come. He also threw a party in her honor filled with friends, music, readings and artwork he put around the house.

“It’s creation, it’s art in a way. How we celebrate, how we deal with death can be whatever our celebrations are.”

This year’s “Comedy on the Brain” event will likely be the last, said Ted. While the tears still come easily, he knows the acts of grieving may soon come to an end. He’ll travel to England soon to spread Sarah’s ashes in the last of the many places he has planned.

But Sarah will always be there with him. The family planted a swamp white oak in front of their studio at Ten Stones in Sarah’s memory. Her ashes were placed in the ground and will become a part of the tree as it grows, a permanent part of the landscape that was such a product of their collaboration

In a video Ted posted of the occasion, he expressed a kind of awe at this. In fact, in a picture commemorating the moment it’s Ted himself who is smiling wide.

Sarah continued from page 1

Comedy on the Brain to Raise Money for Cancer Research

The third annual “Comedy on the Brain” benefit in honor of Sarah Mont-gomery will take place Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Old Lantern beginning at 6 p.m. The night will feature comedy and illusions, as well as a live auction featuring close to 40 items, including a four-night stay at a Tuscan villa.

Beginning at 7 p.m., Neon Savage, (Ted Montgomery) will perform two stage illusions with the assistance of Lady Electra (Rita Murphy). The Ver-mont Comedy Divas, featuring Josie Leavitt, Sue Schmidt, Carmen Estrada and Autumn Engroff Spence, will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. The auction begins at 9 p.m.

Montgomery’s goal is to raise $25K to support the research team led by Dr. David Krag at the University of Ver-mont Cancer Center. Krag has been developing new methods for treating cancer for more than 20 years. He will be at the show to comment briefly about his current work.

Admission is $29 per person. Tick-ets are available online at COTB.brownpapertickets.com, the Flying Pig Bookstore, the Old Brick Store, Spear’s Corner Store and Uncommon Grounds in Burlington. Tickets will also be available at the door.

For more information about the event, contact Montgomery at 425-7717.

Sarah Montgomery

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FOR SALE: Firewood, Honda ATV, Polaris snowmo-bile and Chevy Tahoe. E-mail inquiry to [email protected].

GARAGE SALE: Sunday, September 15th, 107 Wings Point Road,Charlotte (straight on Ferry Rd onto Wings Point). Thule bike rack, downhill skis, skates, cross country skis, hockey sticks, air conditioners, antique chairs, tools, etc. (-03)

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

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

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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 e-mail your ad to [email protected].

Classifieds

SympathyCongratulations

Around Town

to David and Lisabeth Sewell McCann whose media company Sparkle Stories has made the number one slot in iTunes for the genre “Kids and Family.” The company, based in Charlotte, produces original audio stories for children all over the world. The McCanns say they saw a need for “age-appropriate stories that inspire children to play, to marvel, to laugh, to be kind” and decided to respond. David is a storyteller and teacher. Lisabeth is a playwright and producer. They produce fresh stories each week and currently have over 450 on offer. They can be found online at sparklestories.com or on iTunes under “Sparkle Stories.”

to Patrick Priest who earned a master’s degree in science administrative studies with honors from Boston University. Patrick graduated from CCS and CVU. He attended Paul Smith’s College and UVM. The son of Michael and Shirley Priest of Charlotte, he is employed at State Street Financial Inc., Boston, Mass.

to Liam Murphy of Murphy Sullivan Kronk, attorneys at law, who earned inclusion in the 2014 Best Lawyers in America edition. His partners Brian Sullivan, Catherine Cronk and Jeremy Farkas joined him.

to Shelburne resident Willett Foster III who was featured in a Sept. 7 Burlington Free Press article about flying his single-propeller Citabria airplane from the Fairholt Airport, now a part of the Burlington Country Club. Will’s father bought acreage that abutted the country club shortly after 150 acres of it were sold for the course. His son Jim of Charlotte, according to the article, initially shared Will III’s interest in the Citabria. Jim and his brother Will IV, also of Charlotte, however, abandoned the airport, as their workload did not allow frequent enough flying time.

is extended to family and friends of Janet McNulty of Shelburne who passed away Aug. 28 at the age of 82. Her surviving family includes her daughter Karen Speidel and Karen’s husband, David, along with their daughters Kate and Anna of Charlotte. The family asks that those wishing to make contributions in her memory consider doing so to the Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties.

is extended to family and friends of Joanna Lull Williams of Shelburne who passed away September 1 at the age of 73. Her surviving family includes her nephew Robert Danyow of Charlotte. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Robert and Catherine Lull Scholarship at South Burlington High School. Checks may be mailed to Stan Williams, 225 Fox Run Road, Shelburne, VT 05482.

is extended to family and friends of Dorothy McBride of South Hero, VT who passed away August 31 at the age of 91. She was married to Michael Mack who lived in Charlotte at the time of their wedding in 1944. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, gifts in her memory may be made to CIDER, 324 U.S. Rte. 2, South Hero, VT 05486 or to South Hero Rescue, P.O. Box 365, South Hero, VT 05486.

is extended to family and friends of Germaine LeClair of South Burlington who passed away Aug. 27 at the age of 91. Germaine and her husband, Rolland, raised six children on their Charlotte farm in the mid 1950s. After her own children were grown, she cared for more than 160 children, often having as many as 10 on the farm at one time. Germaine sold the farm after Rolland passed away, and she moved to Burlington in 1986.

Hausmann leaves the nest.The Aug. 28 Seven Days recounted how Adam

Hausmann discovered, after moving his berry farm from Lincoln to the Burlington Intervale 10 years ago, that it may not have been the idyllic spot due to its low-lying terrain that was periodically flooded. The weather left him unable to plan for disaster, and this year he moved to “higher ground” in East Charlotte. Thirty-five hundred mature blueberry bushes, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, currants, kiwis and a small stone-fruit orchard are now growing on his new land off Bingham Brook Road, where flooding doesn’t cost him five to eight years for many of his perennial bushes to mature.

Ben Blackmore scales the high peaks.Eleven-year-old Ben Blackmore of Charlotte is

a climber. Several summers ago, he and his friends set out to scale Camel’s Hump, despite his father Chaz’s low expectations. As parents quickly learn, their expectations often motivate their youngsters. It worked for Ben. He has a goal to climb the 100 highest peaks in New England. So far, he has managed to do nearly 50. Forty-one in New Hampshire have been 4,000 feet or higher, and he has created detailed drawings of many of them. Chaz says he often serves as Ben’s “Sherpa,” carrying bags. Zombies are a concern for Ben and his companions, however. They say that New Hampshire’s Galehead Hut is the safest place to be should zombies attack.

Bluemle’s book is out.

The Flying Pig Bookstore’s E l i z a b e t h B l u e m l e published the p a p e r b a c k version of her children’s book, Dogs on the Bed, which appeared in stores Sept. 10. It’s about what happens when all the family dogs want to sleep on the bed. School Library Journal praises the book, saying, “The exuberant, rhyming text delights the ear as the hilarious illustrations engage the eye in this kid- and dog-friendly tale.” Booklist says, “The rousing rhymes and frequent refrains provide continuous, peppy entertainment . . .”

TownBitesby Edd Merritt

Blue Ribbon Charlotters

Congrats to Aliza Flore, who won a blue ribbon for her red cherry tomatoes at the Champlain Valley Fair ear-lier this month. Kudos to the Charlotte Grange on its sec-ond-place ribbon for its dis-play about community, which included several pictures of the annual Tractor Parade.

Documents

The Charlotte News | Sept. 12, 2013