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Charlotte News Volume lVII Number 02 The VoIce of The TowN Thursday, augusT 28, 2014 The Hometown Paper Since 1958 Charlotte Looks at Transportation 1 Charlotte and the War of 1812 7 A Tale of Two Charlottes 10-11 Life on Donegan Farm 14 The Hills are Alive !

The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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Page 1: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

Charlotte News Volume lVII Number 02 The VoIce of The TowN Thursday, augusT 28, 2014

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Charlotte Looks at Transportation 1

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Page 2: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014
Page 3: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

The Charlotte News Volume lVII Number 02 The VoIce of The TowN Thursday, augusT 28, 2014

Town Plan continued on page 16

Kim CribariThe charloTTe News

CVU has been known to excel in sports. It has 32 sports teams. In the CVU gym one can see banners from the many state championships the school’s sports teams have won. And when people walk through the front entrance of the school, they see a trophy case filled with awards from other sports events.

It is not uncommon to hear about CVU sports like soccer, lacrosse and football, but what some people may not realize is that there are other sports not rec-ognized by the school that its students participate in. One of these is dance.

There are more students than some may think both male and female, who take dance classes constantly after school, and they have been doing it for years.

These classes range from ballet—a dance that is very technical, requiring disciplined, graceful move-ment—to hip hop, which is mostly sharp movement and fast paced.

But while dance is a very physically demanding, unique sport, many may not even think to consider it a sport. Kaity McSalis, a junior at CVU, explained, “Some athletes may be able to run long distances or throw a football, but they can’t balance on their toes on a block of wood inside of their shoe. Dance is a lot harder than it looks. We make it look easy. Dance is a sport.”

Nicola Boutin, owner and teacher at Fusion 802, spoke about many of the benefits of dancing. “Dance increases confidence, coordination, improves health,

Edd MerrittThe charloTTe News

Thirty community members met with planners to review and provide feed-back on the draft of the new Town Plan dealing with “Transportation” (chapter 9) and “Energy” (chapter 10). Both top-ics drew questions from the audience.

TransporTaTionHow to control traffic that goes

through Charlotte on Route 7 was a big issue. Talk of improving this major north-south highway, particularly south of its intersection with Church Hill and Ferry roads, generated discussion about ways to accommodate users that would not dramatically increase the number of vehicles in town or up their speeds.

A key planning consideration that did not focus directly on Charlotte—but one that would impact traffic in town was development in downtown Hines-burg, both residential and commercial. Plans for building are in order. When

those plans are implemented, traffic to Burlington passing through Charlotte may increase.

Planners noted that the cost of repair and maintenance of town roads is the “largest non-school budget item incurred by property owners in Charlotte.” The presenters said they hoped Charlotte would develop a capi-tal budget and plan a program that would help road construc-tion and maintenance over time.

A good deal of dis-cussion centered on ways to reduce the number of cars travel-ing with only one or a few passengers and where to situate a “park-and-ride” that would accom-modate VTrans buses to and from met-ropolitan areas north of town. Most speakers urged the town to encourage

carpooling and other means of traffic efficiency that would support, not hin-der, Charlotte’s growth.

Seven sites for park-and-ride spaces were shown on a West Village map cre-

ated as part of a “Tran-sit Stop Study.” These included the town-owned flea market consisting of 1.8 acres south of Ferry Road on Route 7 and two plots totaling nearly two acres at the southeast cor-ner of Church Hill Road and Route 7.

Other possible sites would move the park-ing area off the major thoroughfare and place it within the West Village. One is just east of wet-lands between the library

and Route 7. Another is open land behind Town Hall; a third on 0.6 acres west of the post office; and another between the Fire and Rescue station and the Little Garden Market.

Unfortunately, the Route. 7 / Ferry Road corner has been deemed “crashy” by the state. Megan Price asked the wisdom of using an already “crashy corner” to create more “people conges-tion.”

Selectboard Chair Lane Morrison put in a plug for renewing review of the railroad option with a stop in Charlotte. A number of people felt it had been tried and that the difficulty of matching service to individuals’ schedules caused limited usage.

Speeding through town was raised as another negative factor on Charlotte roads. Again, the ability to have active traffic management and the training and scheduling of needed personnel raised the question by Selectboard member Fritz Tegatz of the town’s willingness to pay for it. Morrison said the current portion of the town budget devoted to traffic control is $25,000.

Town Plan Addresses Growth

and Usage In Transportation

ChapterBrett Sigurdson

The charloTTe News

The Charlotte Planning Commission recently released a draft chapter of the 2015 Town Plan centering on transpor-tation, which coincided with a recent public workshop on the matter.

According to the draft language of the chapter, Charlotte’s roadways and transportation policies are some of the most important issues going forward. After all, according to the document, “the repair and maintenance of town roads is the largest non-school budget item incurred by property owners in Charlotte.” As such, the commission has aimed to address maintenance, new growth and construction and pedestrian-friendly forms of travel.

A key consideration in the draft is poor planning, devel-opment and maintenance of roads, which can lead to more costs over time—not just in increased monetary costs but also environmental costs, such as erosion, decreased water quality and fragmentation of wildlife-habitat and working lands. Currently, the town has not adopted a capital budget program to plan for the capital expenditures for road con-struction and maintenance over time.

In the new draft, the commission calls for the Selectboard to work with the road commissioner to develop a five-year plan for road reconstruction, rehabilitation and routine maintenance under a capital budget program. Moreover, it calls for new private developments to be prepared for any of its future road maintenance costs by establishing a main-tenance fund to ensure its roads comply with town road and driveway standards.

The chapter also calls for not paving gravel roads unless there is a need and for maintaining the town’s covered bridges.

Another major consideration in the transportation chapter is how to manage growth and increased use on Charlotte’s roadways. One tangible concern on the horizon is the sched-uled construction on Route 7 beginning in 2016, which will

Planners Look for Feedback on Transportation and Energy Usage

Dance, But Nobody’s WatchingCVU has been called “Sports Central,” but several CVU students

participate in a sport independent of the school

nexT Town plan workshop

whaT: Land Usewhen: Friday, Sept. 5where: Town HallTime: 7 p.m.

The Planning Commission has also scheduled a workshop on Economic Development on Thursday, Sept. 25.

Alanna Pinnard-Brace and Jackson Bisaccia are two of many CVU students who participate in dance programs outside of CVU.

Transportation continued on page 5

Dance continued on page 4

Page 4: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

The Charlotte News ��$XJXVW�����������������$XJXVW������������The Charlotte News

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

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Commentary

Barrie DunsmoreCoNTriBuTor

The 27th Congress of the Soviet Communist Party took place in Moscow in February of 1986. As it was the first such major party meeting since Mikhail Gor-bachev had become its gen-eral secretary, there was intense international interest in the event, due to expecta-

tions it would provide major clues to the Soviet Union’s future direction.

It may be hard to imagine given the soft news nature of today’s network newscasts, but ABC News decided to originate its signature “World News Tonight” broad-cast from Moscow that week. Peter Jennings arrived with a team from New York, and as senior foreign correspondent I was there with a group from London to beef up the Moscow Bureau. Wall-to-wall coverage was planned.

One night prior to the Congress, a small group of us got together for dinner. It included Jennings, George Will (who, much to Peter’s discomfiture, was now doing commentaries on the evening news), a senior official from the U.S. embassy in Moscow and his guest Vladimir Feltsman.

Feltsman was the son of a ranking communist official and the young concert pianist who had announced he wanted to emigrate from the Soviet Union. His request had been denied, and he had become persona non grata to Soviet authorities.

Not long before our dinner, Feltsman had been invited to play at Spaso House, the official Moscow residence of the American ambassador (at the time, Arthur Hartman). Presumably some KGB plant had cut some of the strings of the embassy piano. But it had been quickly repaired, and the concert went on. So at that moment Feltsman was a pretty big deal in U.S. Soviet relations.

I can’t recall the name of the restaurant, but it was not bad and was popular with journalists and artists, so of course it would have the attention of the KGB. But that did not stop the “intrepid” Mr. Will. During dinner, he announced he had been speaking to First Lady Nancy Reagan, and she had asked him to invite Feltsman to come to play at the White House. As he recounted this story he gleefully added, “So you could go to Washing-ton—and defect.”

Feltsman looked thunderstruck. At that point, Peter and I and the embassy official all jumped in to loudly suggest to Feltsman that this would not be a good idea. Left unspoken was the reality that even the most naïve journalist would know that the KGB was undoubtedly listening to this conversation, and for a prominent Rus-sian to be heard publicly talking about his defection was a pretty sure way to get himself sent to Siberia for a long stay. Mr. Will was either clueless or didn’t care.

As it happens, Feltsman did not try to defect. And Gorbachev emerged as a historic Soviet reformer. A little more than two years later, after an intervention by Secretary of State George Shultz, Feltsman and his wife and son were given exit visas. When they arrived in Vienna in August of 1988, American officials met them

at the airport with an invitation for Feltsman to play at the White House the next month. That was followed by an “electric” American debut concert at Carnegie Hall. He has since had a successful career as a noted interna-tional concert pianist.

As for George Will, he did not last very long as a “World News Tonight” commentator. But for some 25 years he was featured on ABC News’ “This Week,” only recently going over to FOX News. Will has, of course, been highly successful in his self-appointed role as the leading conservative intellectual.

I confess there are very few things upon which I agree with George Will. But quite recently, Will said something with which I entirely concurred. Speaking of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he called it, “The worst foreign policy blunder in U.S. history.” It was that line that set me musing about him and inspired this histori-cal reverie. But beyond that, I consider it significant that the darling-of-the-right should be so unequivocal on such an important subject—especially as Iraq has come crashing back into the headlines.

Much of the latest reporting and commentary dealing with this very serious turn of events in Iraq has been cast in terms of President Barack Obama’s mistakes and miscalculations. Among those: ��2EDPD�GLG�QRW�WU\�KDUG�HQRXJK�WR�JHW�,UDT�WR�DFFHSW�

a properly robust American military force to be left behind after the U.S. withdrawal.��+H�GLG�QRW�DUP�WKH�³JRRG�JX\V´�DPRQJ�WKH�6\ULDQ�

rebels, which empowered the truly “bad guys”—the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)—to take over parts of Syria and Iraq. ��$PHULFDQ�DLU�VWULNHV�DJDLQVW�,6,6�WKUHDWV�WR�WDNH�WKH�

Kurdish capital of Irbil in Northern Iraq are too little, too late.

Obama’s former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in an interview with The Atlantic this past week, said a number of things that suggest she shares some of those critiques of Obama’s foreign policy. We knew the two had differences, but the fact that she went public with them now seems to erase any doubt that she will seek the presidency in 2016.

Yet if, as now widely accepted, invading Iraq was the greatest foreign policy blunder in American history, then blaming Obama for the disasters that continue to reverberate from that invasion and the eight-year war that followed is like blaming the life boat crews for the Titanic’s death toll.

Noted career diplomat Aaron David Miller wrote in a thoughtful op-ed recently that “Obama isn’t going to reverse his fundamentally risk-averse nature in this dys-functional region. Obama has no interest in resuming his predecessor’s trillion dollar social science project in Iraq. As extricator-in-chief, he’s determined to get America out of profitless wars, not into new ones.”

Perhaps. But given the increasingly bad news from Iraq and the broad and realistic threat posed by ISIS, greater U.S. involvement in further conflict there seems inevitable.

This commentary originally appeared in the Rutland Herald/Montpelier Times Argus on Aug. 17, 2014.

Barrie Dunsmore is a journalist who covered foreign

affairs for ABC News for 30 years. His columns and

commentaries are also featured on VPR. He lives in

Charlotte.

Miscues in Iraq Continue to Reverberate

CorrECtions

In a story regarding the number of calls Charlotte Fire has responded to this year, we noted Fire has responded to 90 calls since July 1, the start of the fiscal year. Charlotte Fire has actually participated in this number of calls since January 1. This trend still leaves Fire on track to surpass its calls over the last two years.

Also, in a story on the July 21 Selectboard meeting, we mistakenly noted that a discussion of Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue’s financials for FY2014–15 included figures for the organization’s patient billing. However, patient billing was not actually included in the figures discussed that night.

We apologize for these errors.

Page 5: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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Please be sure to include a resume and/or employment history.

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(ULFN� &URFNHQEHUJ� PHW� ZLWK� WKH�%XUOLQJWRQ� &LW\� &RXQFLO� UHFHQWO\� WR�DQVZHU� TXHVWLRQV� DERXW� SURJUHVV� RQ�WKHLU�SODQV�IRU�GHYHORSLQJ�WKH�0RUDQ�SRZHU�SODQW� LQWR� D�PL[HG�XVH� VSDFH��$FFRUGLQJ� WR� $SULO� %XUEDQN� LQ� WKH�$XJ�� ��� Free Press�� WKH� SURMHFW� LV�KHDGHG�WRZDUG�VXFFHVV�DQG�ZHOO�SRVL�WLRQHG� IRU� WKH� 1RYHPEHU� GHDGOLQH��ZKLFK�LV�WKH�QH[W�FKHFN�SRLQW�IRU�WKH�SURMHFW��7KHLU�ZRUN�ZDV�DOVR�IHDWXUHG�LQ�WKH�

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TownBitesby Edd Merritt

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Want morePhotos?News?

Features?

Charlotter Kelly Brush Davisson leads the start of the 2013 Kelly Brush Century Ride powered by VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations in Middlebury.

Page 6: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

Join us for a cup of coffee...and a second opinion

Ron Boucher, AAMS®

)LUVW�9LFH�3UHVLGHQW���,QYHVWPHQW�2I¿FHU180 Battery Street, Suite 300Burlington, VT [email protected]

Reg Boucher, CRPS®

9LFH�3UHVLGHQW���,QYHVWPHQW�2I¿FHU180 Battery Street, Suite 300Burlington, VT [email protected]

Boucher Investment Group of Wells Fargo Advisors

During volatile and confusing markets, we understand that even the most patient investors may come to question the wisdom of the investment plan they’ve been following. We’d like to help – and we can start by offering a cup of coffee and a second opinion.

By appointment, you’re welcome to come in and talk with us about your investment portfolio. If we think your investments continue to be well-suited to your long-term goals — in spite of the current market conditions — we’ll gladly tell you so, and send you on your way.

If, on the other hand, we think some of your investments no longer fit with your goals, we’ll explain why, in plain English. And, if you like, we’ll recommend some alternatives.

Either way, the coffee is on us. For a free consultation, please contact us and let us know if you prefer milk or cream.

��,QYHVWPHQW�DQG�,QVXUDQFH�3URGXFWV����127�)',&�,QVXUHG�����12�%DQN�*XDUDQWHH�����0$<�/RVH�9DOXH

:HOOV�)DUJR�$GYLVRUV��//&��0HPEHU�6,3&��LV�D�UHJLVWHUHG�EURNHU�GHDOHU�DQG�D�VHSDUDWH�QRQ�EDQN�DI¿OLDWH�RI�:HOOV�)DUJR��&RPSDQ\��������:HOOV�)DUJR�$GYLVRUV��//&��$OO�ULJKWV�UHVHUYHG������������[79507-v3] A1434

����$XJXVW������������The Charlotte News

posture, flexibility and stamina, not to men-

tion that it is a fun way to be social and

exercise.” She also made mentioned that

dancers feel many of the same aches and

pains any other sports athlete would feel.

Like most sports, dance requires athletes

to have serious dedication to what they do.

Jackson Bisaccia attends CVU and several

dance studios after school. He said, “You

don’t have to start at age three in order

to be good.” Talking about ballet specifi-

cally, Bisaccia explained, “Ballet has very

specific placement for every different step.

Mastering that placement can take years.

But if you have the dedication, technique

will come with practice and persistence.”

Although dance is a physical activ-

ity, artistic factors shouldn’t be ignored.

“At the end of the day it’s an expression of

life.” Bisaccia said about the creative part

of dance. “Dance is an expression of emo-

tions, connections and situations we feel,

make and see in human beings.”

The question of why CVU doesn’t

recognize this sport is still raised. “Dancing

gives you all the benefits of being athletic

such as strength, endurance, and flexibil-

ity,” said Alanna Pinard-Brace, a senior,

who takes classes at Fusion 802 dance

studio in South Burlington. “Dance

teaches me how to be confident in what

I do and encourages me to take risks.”

“I’ve wanted to dance since before

I can remember,” she added. “It’s some-

thing I’ve always wanted. I just remem-

ber watching all the beautiful dancers

and wanting to be just like them.”

Pinard-Brace, McSalis and

Bicassia all agreed that they would like

it if CVU had a dance team. “It would

be nice to get the dancers of our com-

munity together.” McSalis said.

Boutin made one last comment

about what she thinks people who don’t

dance should know: “I think that dance

is a sport as it is an activity involving

physical exertion and skill in which an

individual or team may compete against

another or others for entertainment.”

She added, “I would tell anyone who

disagrees to come and take a ballet class

and then tell me otherwise.”

Kim Cribari, a junior at CVU, is an intern with the News.

Dance continued from page 1

Regatta Raises Over $1,000

for Maritime Museum

Twenty-four boats from up and down

Lake Champlain took part in the sec-

ond annual Diamond Island Regatta on

Saturday, Aug. 23. The benefit race,

sponsored by the Royal Savage Yacht

Club (RSYC) and Charlotte’s Point Bay

Marina, raised more than $1,000 for

the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

(LCMM) in Ferrisburgh.

The money for LCMM was raised

through sale of “swag bags” containing

items donated from sponsors, via a raffle

of various boating-related items and

through sales to competitors of photos

of their boats taken by race photographer

Brandon Johnson.

In the race itself, on a bright sunny

day with a light north breeze, com-

petitors were divided into two general

categories, those who sailed with spin-

nakers and those who sailed with jib and

mainsail (JaM). Boats came from the

local Royal Savage Yacht Club, based

at Point Bay in Charlotte, and from Lake

Champlain Yacht Club in Shelburne,

Malletts Bay Boat Club in Colchester

and elsewhere on the lake.

Twelve boats sailed in each category,

with the spinnaker fleet divided into

four classes and the JaM fleet into two,

according to ratings under the Perfor-

mance Handicap Racing Fleet system,

used for most sailing competitions on

Lake Champlain.

Among the winners was Charlotte’s

Bob Turnau, whose Buffalo Theory, a

Henderson 30 sailed with co-owner Bill

Fastiggi, was the first boat to finish in

the spinnaker fleet. Another Charlotte

winner was John Beal and his Dragon-fly, a J-24 sailed by John Beal from the

host club. Complete results can be found

here: http://rsyc.org/fast-sail/diamond-

island-regatta.

“Thank you to everyone who made

this day such a huge success,” said

Wendy Friant, vice commodore and

race director. “Raising $1,000 for the

Maritime Museum is awesome.” She

also thanked RSYC members and Point

Bay Marina for the hospitality they

had shown to visiting racers. “They are

spreading the word for next year,” she

said, “so we just expect this race to get

bigger and bigger.”

Two dozen boats take part in second annual race sponsored by Royal Savage Yacht Club and Point Bay Marina

RSYC race director Wendy Friant presents the first-place trophy for Spinnaker A class to Bob Turnau, co-owner with Bill Fastiggi of Buffalo Theory, the first boat to finish overall in the Diamond Island Regatta on Aug. 23.

The ‘jib and main’ fleet starts during the Diamond Island Regatta on Aug. 23.

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Page 7: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL

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Carrie Spear noted that whatever is done is like-ly to change the chractoer of Charlotte, and that issue ought to be carefully considered. It may, she said, take more than six months as the proposed changes and concerns need to be seen within the bigger picture of a future Charlotte. Burlington and its suburbs are moving in Charlotte’s direc-tion.

EnErgyGenerating energy, supplying it to those in

need and using it efficiently was a second set of topics that was discussed. Vermont legislators have set a statewide goal of creating an energy supply that would satisfy 90 percent of state needs through renewable sources by 2050. The Public Service Board must give “due consider-ation” to all town and regional plans for energy projects—hence its involvement in the solar array off Hinesburg Road in East Charlotte.

Tegatz argued for more alternate power to be generated from individual structures rather than large arrays (smiling as he offered his barn roof for panels). He said he wished to explore the inclusion of town energy policies that encour-aged (perhaps required) new buildings and major renovations to have on-site or regionally pro-duced power by 2030.

Other recommendations were that town build-ings have zero net energy by the year 2050; that the town revise its land-use regulations to incor-porate energy efficiencies; that the community determine ways to reduce single occupancy in motor vehicles; and that Charlotte seek ways of involving more townspeople in planning, devel-oping and permitting energy projects in town.

The draft plan says now that a “lack of out-reach in the siting of new installations and the process for public notice and involvement asso-ciated with these facilities often leads to drawn-out permitting processes and local land use dis-putes.” Articles about energy policies in several other towns in Vermont were made available to the audience, as well as maps of solar and wind energy sites in Charlotte.

Town planners will hold two more work-shops: on Sept. 5 on land use, and on Sept. 25 on economic development. Drafts of the plan are available on the town’s website. For those who cannot attend meetings, comments can be submitted any time by email to [email protected], by mail to Charlotte Plan-ning & Zoning, Attn: Town Plan Comments, P.O. Box 119, Charlotte, VT 05445, or hand delivered to Town Hall.

Clare Innes

ContrIbutor

The Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) is mull-ing changes to the way residential trash is collected in Chittenden County. With 63,000 households in the coun-ty, this is no small undertaking. The questions people are asking about changing the system run the gamut, but most can be boiled down to “What is consolidated collec-tion?” and “Why?”

Two main issues are driving CSWD to gather ideas and information and hold a public forum this fall to con-sider whether and how a change should be made to the way trash is collected in the county:��&RQFHUQV�KDYH�EHHQ�UDLVHG�WKDW�QHLJKERUKRRGV�KDYH�

been negatively impacted by multiple trash trucks run-ning through them, serving a scattering of customers on any given day. This type of collection system increases road wear, costs, fuel use, noise and pollution.��8QGHU�$FW� �����9HUPRQW¶V� XQLYHUVDO� UHF\FOLQJ� DQG�

composting law, haulers will be required to provide curbside collection of yard trimmings (in 2016) and food scraps (in 2017). Food scraps will be banned from the ODQGILOO�LQ�������8QGHU�WKH�FXUUHQW�V\VWHP��DGGLQJ�FXUE-side collection of food scraps and yard debris could be very expensive for most customers.

After years of research into what has worked for other towns and cities in Vermont and across the country, CSWD has come up with a set of suggestions for a new system called “consolidated collection.” 0RVW�KRXVHKROGV�LQ�WKH�8�6��ZLWK�FXUEVLGH�WUDVK�DQG�RU�

recycling pickup service operate under some type of con-solidated collection system, enjoying pricing efficiencies and less damage to public infrastructure from multiple trucks running through neighborhoods. In Vermont, this type of system is already in use in 19 rural and urban towns and cities.

Here is a summary of what consolidated collection could look like:��8QGHU�WKH�QHZ�V\VWHP��SDUWLFLSDWLQJ�WRZQV�ZRXOG�EH�

partitioned into collection districts. Haulers submit pro-posals for being the sole hauler providing service in one or more districts for a seven-year term (this timeframe allows haulers to pay for additional equipment, if needed, to service their districts). Haulers compete for districts, which helps keep prices reasonable.��6RPH�GLVWULFWV�ZRXOG�EH�DYDLODEOH�RQO\�WR�VPDOO�KDXO-

ers. Small haulers would also have the option of submit-ting proposals cooperatively to service larger districts. Again, the details for how this would be executed are still

being formulated. We have identified selection criteria that could be used to help preserve a diversity of haulers. Still, we cannot guarantee that all current haulers would participate in a new system. �� &6:'¶V� 'URS�2II� &HQWHUV� DQG� RWKHU� RSWLRQV� IRU�

those who choose to haul their own trash, recycling and compostables would still be available.��7KH�V\VWHP�FRYHUV�UHVLGHQWLDO�FXUEVLGH�SLFNXS��%XVL-

nesses would not be included.�� ,QGLYLGXDO� WRZQV� DQG� FLWLHV� ZLOO� GHFLGH� ZKHWKHU� RU�

not to join the system. It is up to each municipality to determine how that decision is made.��)RU�VRPH�SHRSOH��LW�LV�YLWDO�WR�KDYH�WKH�RSWLRQ�RI�KDY-

ing a hauler pick up their trash at their house rather than at the end of the driveway. Included in customer service and performance standards would be a requirement for haulers to offer pickup at customers’ homes. As they do now, haulers would choose whether or not to charge for this service. If a hauler does not uphold these standards, it would face enforcement consequences, including the potential of losing its contract. �� 6HYHUDO� SHRSOH� KDYH� YRLFHG� WKHLU� GLVSOHDVXUH� DW� WKH�

prospect of being serviced by a hauler not of their choos-ing. There are 11 residential haulers in Chittenden Coun-ty. Each would have the option of bidding on districts, some of which would likely be in areas where they have existing routes. Some residents would end up with the same hauler, others would not. Exact collection districts have not yet been proposed.

CSWD is legally responsible for ensuring that there is an effective, efficient system for the disposal needs of businesses and residents. It would be irresponsible for the district not to examine more efficient and environmen-tally sound collection systems employed elsewhere to see if they might be suitable and worthwhile for Chittenden County.

Tom Moreau, CSWD General Manager, will be attend-ing the September 22 Charlotte Selectboard meeting to provide information and answer questions on consoli-dated collection. We are also finalizing the date and time for a public meeting on consolidated collection, which will be widely publicized.

For more information or to submit a comment for con-sideration by CSWD’s Board of Commissioners, please visit http://cswd.net/consolidated-collection�DQG�RU�HPDLO�[email protected].

Charlotter Clare Innes is marketing and communications coordinator for CSWD.

Consolidated Trash Pickup in Charlotte—A Look at the Issue Transportation

continued from page 1

Page 8: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

����$XJXVW������������The Charlotte News

Fall Fire Safety Tips

Chris Davis

Contributor

Burn permitsPlease remember to call Shelburne

Dispatch at 985-8051 (7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.)

for a burn permit before burning any

brush, yard waste, unpainted wood or an

open campfire. Burning trash or house-

hold garbage is not permitted in Vermont

at any time. The state authorities will

issue fines for burning trash or garbage,

so please do not do it.

In addition, the items in household

trash are toxic to people and animals,

and it just plain smells bad. We urge you

to call Shelburne Dispatch if you spot

someone burning garbage so the proper

authorities can deal with it.

For permitted materials, the dispatcher

on duty will take down some necessary

information and remind you that all burn

piles must be extinguished before dark.

Campfires may continue after dark as

long as you stay with them and be sure

to put them out with water when you

are done. If the weather conditions are

favorable, the dispatcher will issue the

permit and log the location. This way if a

neighbor or passing motorist spots smoke

or flames and calls 911 to report a fire, the

dispatcher will see that a burn permit has

been issued for the area in question and

will not dispatch the fire department.

A reminder about state rules regarding

burn permits:

��� %XUQ� RQO\� XQWUHDWHG� DQG� XQSDLQWHG�wood, brush, leaves, yard debris.

���&DOO�IRU�D�SHUPLW�ZKHQHYHU�\RX�ZLVK�to burn these materials in Charlotte.

���Attend the burn pile at all times.

���Have plenty of water at the fire site

before igniting the fire and do not leave

the fire unattended for even a short time.

Always extinguish the fire with water and

stir the ashes to be sure it is completely

out before leaving the fire site.

���Permits are not issued during periods

of rain, low clouds or high winds.

��� )LQHV� IRU� EXUQLQJ� ZLWKRXW� D� SHUPLW�and reimbursement of fire department

costs to extinguish a burn pile that gets

out of control can be assessed.

Campfires or other open firesPlease call for a burn permit prior to

having any sort of recreational or open

cooking fire. Have plenty of water at the

fire site before igniting the fire and do

not leave the fire unattended for even a

short time. Always extinguish the fire

with water and stir the ashes to be sure

it is completely out before leaving the

fire site.

outdoor grilling safety tipsGas grills: Please follow a few simple

procedures before lighting your grill each

season.

��� &KHFN� LQVLGH� WKH� JULOO� DQG� XQGHU� LW�to make sure there are no mouse or bee

nests.

���,QVSHFW�WKH�FRQGLWLRQ�RI�WKH�KRVH�IURP�the tank to the grill for cracks, wear or

other signs of aging. If necessary, replace

the hose. Also check to make sure that

there are no grease spots on the hose.

��� :LWK� WKH� JULOO� RII�� FKHFN� WKH� WDQN�fittings by tightening the connection at

the tank and then using a soapy sponge

to check all visible connections between

the tank and grill. If soap bubbles appear,

then there is a leak at the connection—the

grill should not be operated until the con-

nection is fixed.

Many of our local gas companies will

come out on a service call to inspect your

gas grill and make sure it is ready to oper-

ate. If you need to replace any parts, these

are readily available at local hardware

stores, retail stores where grills are sold

and on the Internet.

���0RYH� WKH�JULOO� DW� OHDVW���� IHHW� DZD\�from a building or deck railing. Never

operate a gas grill indoors.

���:KHQ�UHDG\�WR�OLJKW�WKH�JULOO��DOZD\V�open the grill top and stand well back

before igniting, keeping your body to the

side as much as possible. If the unit fails

to light on the first try, allow ample time

for the gas to vent before attempting to

light the grill again.

��� $OZD\V� IROORZ� WKH� LQVWUXFWLRQV� SUR-

vided by the manufacturer of the gas

cooking appliance you are using. These

are available from either the retailer who

sold it or on the Internet.

Charcoal grills: Before using your

charcoal grill each season:

�� 0DNH� VXUH� WKH� LQVLGH� LV� FOHDQ�� � WKH�rack is clean, and the vents are operating

properly.

��0RYH� WKH�JULOO� DW� OHDVW���� IHHW�DZD\�from a building or deck. Never use a

charcoal grill indoors.

��$OZD\V�NHHS�WKH�WRS�RSHQ�ZKHQ�XVLQJ�charcoal- starting products and make sure

to stand back when lighting the coals.

Never pour accelerant onto lit coals.

��:KHQ� ILQLVKHG� FRRNLQJ�� SRXU� ZDWHU�into the ash bed and stir it around to be

sure that the coals are thoroughly soaked,

then close the vents and replace the lid.

all grillsEnsure that the grill is completely cool

to the touch before covering or storing it.

Do not store it against building walls or

wooden railings.

Charlotte Volunteer Fire and Rescue

highly recommends using the preceding

tips in order to keep yourself, your family

and your home safe during this season.

There have been quite a few preventable

fires in Charlotte resulting from improper

grill use and unattended burn piles, some

of which have resulted in severe damage

to property.

Come by the station for a tour any

time the doors are open, or stop by on a

Wednesday evening after 7 p.m. to check

out a Fire Department training session or

to learn more about becoming a volun-

teer with the Rescue Squad or the Fire

Department!

Chris Davis is fire chief with Charlotte Volunteer Fire & Rescue.

Mellow Yellow at Spruce

Peak Aug. 30

Get groovy at a multimedia tribute to peace and love at the Mellow Yellow Experience, Saturday, Aug. 30, at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center in Stowe beginning at 8 p.m. Mellow Yellow, which features Charlotter Ken French on vocals, lead guitar and keyboard, has gained a national reputa-tion for impeccable renditions of songs by the Beatles, the Monkees, the Turtles, the Supremes, the Moody Blues and more. The band has been fea-tured two years in a row on the Moody Blues Cruise, sharing the stage with the likes of Roger Daltry, the Zombies, Carl Palmer and Starship. Vermont

Maturity magazine called the band “the most authentic sounding sixties band imaginable.” The band’s immersive musical theater show features classic music accompanied by video clips that capture the social and politi-cal upheaval of the late 60s. Tickets are $20-38 (SPPAC members save up to 20 percent). To purchase tickets please visit sprucepeakarts.org, or call the box office at 760-4634.

SEND US YOUR NEWS, PHOTOS,

EVENTS [email protected]

Page 9: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

SEPTEMBER AT THELEARNING CENTER

!!! DORSET STREET, SOUTH BURLINGTON × #$% .&'( .!)'* HEALTHYLIVINGMARKET.COM × &AM-*PM SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

KIDS IN THE KITCHENGet your kid cooking! A bunch of kids cooking, learning and eating together… what could be better!?!

EGG DROP SOUP September 10th · 4:00-5:00pmAromatic chicken broth, scallions and ginger... yummy fun!

BACON, EGG, AND CHEESE SANDWICHESSeptember 17th · 4:00-5:00pmLearning basic cooking skills to make the most perfect breakfast EVER!!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MAC AND CHEESESeptember 25th · 4:00-5:00pmThis next-level mac and cheese includes the goodness of butternut squash.

All classes require pre-registration. For a full schedule, or to register, go tohealthylivingmarket.com; or call Customer Service at 802.863.2569.

The Charlotte News ��$XJXVW�����������������$XJXVW������������The Charlotte News

Dave PerrinContributor

This year is the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Plattsburg during the War of 1812. This war, a result of a war in Europe between France and Great Britain, led to severe restrictions on U.S. trade with these countries. It was not supported in Vermont due to restrictions on trade with Canada. During the war, the U.S. Capitol in Washington was burned, and closer to Vermont there were multiple battles along the Canadian border.

Prior to the Battle of Plattsburg in September 1814, Charlotte was given a preview of hostilities in May 1814 when the British fleet traveled up Lake Champlain intending to destroy the American fleet being built in Vergennes. The best documentation of this early Charlotte history is William Wallace Higbee’s Around the Mountains.

According to Higbee, “The British Fleet in passing at this point fired on a lot of men, women, and children assembled in the way of curiosity on the bank of the lake, fortunately with no fatal results. The company threw themselves flat upon the ground at the command of Captain Charles McNeil, the grape shot hurtling over their heads instead of through them. It turned out that the British commander was more filled with rum than with patriotism for

King George in this effort to massacre women and children. Captain McNeil afterwards found a round shot in his meadows that served for years as a weight to close a garden gate.” (Wars at that time were usually much more considerate of civilians than wars today.)

After passing Charlotte, the British proceeded up the lake to Fort Cassin at the mouth of the Otter Creek. Their attack was unsuccessful, and they decided not to send troops up the creek to Vergennes. The building of the fleet, which later defeated the British at Plattsburg, continued.

The large group of people who witnessed the British ships sailing up the lake in 1814 was presumably on the bank in front of the McNeil Mansion and close to the original ferry landing, which was farther out on the northern shore of McNeil Cove than the present landing. The mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places but has been significantly modified. Modern accounts vary, but it was probably built between about 1800 and 1810 by either Charles McNeil II or by his father, John McNeil.

Nancy Sabin, who is a great-great-granddaughter of Charles McNeil, owns a cannon ball that family tradition says was embedded in the barn beside the McNeil Mansion. This is probably the same ball used as a weight for the garden gate.

By the time the British fired at the civilians watching the fleet, both John McNeil and his brother, Charles, had died. John’s son, Charles II, left an important legacy. He ran a very important ferry business that eventually became our Charlotte to Port Kent Ferry. This service included the reliable and profitable horse-powered ferry he owned with a

partner, Henry Ross. For those who don’t understand how the ferry was powered, see Charlie Lotz’s drawing in the October 12, 1988 issue of the Charlotte News.

McNeil’s legacy has been carried on by a ferry, by descendants of 15 children, 11 of whom lived to over 70 years of age, and by a beautiful stained glass window in the Charlotte Congregational Church.

Charlotte and the War of 1812August marks the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 and one of the more interesting events in the town’s history.

‘Hokum’ at the Senior CenterOver 100 people attended the Senior Center’s annual summer barbecue for good food and fun, as well as listen to the always popular Hokum Bros: (from left) Woody (aka “Stick Hokum”), Uncle Al Hokum on percussion and vocals, and Gus Hokum on clarinet, tenor sax and accordion.

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Page 10: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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The Humbled ParentThe Jar of Life

Sera AndersonContributor

As new parents, we often struggle with balancing life more than at any other time in our lives. We have so many extra responsibilities with a newborn, as well as the other countless duties we had to undertake prior to even having a child. We still have oil changes, flipping the mattress, bringing the dog to the vet and paying our car registration. And the list goes on and on and on.

I often ask myself what I thought about before I was a mother. What did I do with my time when I wasn’t constantly think-ing about someone else or outlining my life around him? I forget what life was like. I think to myself, Wow, I must have had all this extra reserve of free time to do what I wanted, eat when I wanted and go to the bathroom when I wanted. So, my life now must be so productive because I get all that done as well as raise a child or four? Nope. Not always the case.

Whether we work full time or part-time, stay at home or work from home, we feel at times 24 hours in a day is just not enough time to get these things checked off our lists, let alone spend time taking care of our families and ourselves.

I came across a story years ago that I often think of when life gets a little tur-bulent. I don’t think the author’s name is

really known, or I don’t know it. There are a few variations of the story out there, all very similar, but here is one version. I know many of you have probably heard it before, but for those who haven’t, here it is—the story of the mayonnaise jar and the two beers:

A professor stood before his philoso-phy class with some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayon-naise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of

pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes.” The professor then produced two beers from under the table and poured the contents of each into the jar, effectively filling the empty space around the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor as the laugh-ter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else was lost and only they

remained, your life would still be full.”He continued, “The pebbles are the

other things that matter, like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your hap-piness.”

“Spend time with your children,” he told the class. “Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is

just sand.”One of the students raised her hand and

inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, “I’m

glad you asked. The beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend.”

And by all means, I am certainly not perfect with any of this and certainly don’t believe that I have it all figured out. Sometimes you really do need to get things done, but this is just another perspective that can help aid you when you are feeling overpowered with life’s demands. Because most of the time, it really and truly is all about perspective.

Sera Anderson is the current Mrs. Vermont America. A former business owner, she is currently a stay-at-home mom.

The author’s husband, Seth, and son, Caden, shortly after his birth.

Page 11: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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A Look at the Friends of CVU

Alice Brown

Contributor

After a two-month hiatus, the CVU

Communications Sub-Committee, with

much help from members of the CVU

community, is pleased to offer its first

article of the 2014–2015 school year. We

welcome suggestions for future topics

from the community.

The Friends of CVU is a group of

parents from Charlotte, Hinesburg, St.

George, Shelburne and Williston, who

volunteer together to strengthen the links

between community, teachers and CVU

high school students. We work with

Connecting Youth to sponsor educational

speakers and appropriate programs, and

we support student clubs and activities

with grants made possible by CVU com-

munity donations.

What does the current Friends of CVU

group do? This past year, we hosted a

November “Dessert with the Principal,”

during which Principal Jeff Evans talked

with parents about how CVU continues to

move forward. We ran a teacher and staff

appreciation luncheon for the approxi-

mately 300 CVU employees, who very

much appreciated the delicious special

lunch. And we organized a breakfast for

Grad Challenge presentation day in May,

feeding close to 1,000 CVU seniors and

juniors, parents and guests, teachers and

staff and community panelists. It was a

wonderful community celebration of our

graduating students!

Where would Friends of CVU like

to go in the future? In keeping with our

mission of developing community, we

hope to distribute an electronic directory

of students’ home contact information this

fall. We’d like to expand opportunities for

the community to meet with our principal

by adding a new event, Breakfast with the

Principal, in the early spring, since many

parents truly enjoy learning from CVU’s

principal about the school’s direction.

And we’d like to raise enough funds to

support CVU’s students, particularly for

class “extras” and special trips that might

otherwise be beyond the reach of some of

our families.

The Friends of CVU would very much

like to hear from you, our parents and

community members. What would you

like to see our high school’s parent support

group achieve? Would you be interested

in more parent outreach and education

workshops and programs? Would you

like to see community dinners at CVU?

How about more scholarship support for

students, perhaps for international trips?

Please let us know your thoughts. We can

be reached at [email protected].

The CVU Board would like the com-

munity to know of another great oppor-

tunity to become involved in the high

school. Community input is greatly appre-

ciated when the board is preparing the

budget each winter. The “Budget Buddy”

program—an opportunity for up to 11

community volunteers to participate in

all budget meetings, December through

January—is one way in which residents

can learn more about how the CVU bud-

get is developed and share suggestions,

concerns and other valuable “outside”

viewpoints. Please contact a school board

representative to learn more.

Alice Brown is co-chair of the Friends of CVU.

News from CVU

About Young Writers Project Young Writers Project is an

independent nonprofit that engages

students to write, helps them improve and

connects them with authentic audiences

through this newspaper; YWP’s web site,

youngwritersproject.org, and new digital

magazine, The Voice; and partner web

sites, vpr.net, vtdigger.org and cowbird.

com.

Teachers and students, grades 3-12,

are encouraged to participate in Young

Writers Project by submitting best work

done in class or outside of school and by

responding to weekly prompts. A team

of YWP staff and mentors helps writers

revise their work for publication.

To post work on youngwritersproject.

org, start an account, log in, click “Write”

to create a blog, fill in the title and

body of the work and give it a genre

tag. For publication, click “Submitting

for Publication?” and complete the

information boxes. Finally, click “Save.”

YWP is supported by this newspaper and

foundations, businesses and individuals

who recognize the power and value of

writing. If you would like to contribute,

please go to youngwritersproject.org/

support or mail your donation to YWP, 12

North St., Suite 8, Burlington, VT 05401.

PromPtsWeek 1: General writing. Your best

writing from the summer in any genre. Due Sept. 5

Week 2: Treasure. What is something

you should throw away but can’t? Why

can’t you? How did you get the object?

Alternates: Sports. Describe a moment

in your favorite sport that you’ll always

remember, either as a player or spectator;

or Ode. Write an ode to the Segway and/

or its rider. Due Sept. 12Week 3: Objects. Write about a

relationship that develops between two

inanimate objects (e.g., books on a shelf,

apps on a phone, park bench and trash

bin). Alternates: Aliens. Curious aliens

visit Vermont. What is the first thing they

do? What do they demand? Or write a story about Photo 1 (above). Due Sept. 19

Week 4: Haunted. Your dog takes

off down the street and bolts through the

open door of a creepy, abandoned house.

What happens? Alternate: Image. Shoot

a photo and write about it. Make sure to

attach the photo to your blog. Due Sept. 26

Week 5: Complicated. Your life is

complicated, and some days there’s just

one mess after another. Describe one

of those days in detail—it can be funny

or tragic. Alternates: Leaf. Write from

the point of view of one leaf on a large,

colorful maple tree; or General writing. Your best piece in any genre. Due Oct. 3

Week 6: Room. You have a chance to

redesign your room from scratch with no

limits. What do you do? Alternates: Lie. Use the sentence, “You don’t have to lie;

I know it was you,” in a poem or story.

Due Oct. 10Week 7: Angel. For the first time

you meet your guardian angel. Write a

short story developing your guardian’s

character and his or her relationship with

you. Alternates: Snapchat. “This is no

time to Snapchat!” Use this sentence

in your story, poem or play. What has

just happened or is about to happen? or

General writing. Your best piece in any

genre. Due Oct. 17Week 8: Letter. Write a letter to your

mother, father, a grandparent or favorite

teacher to say thanks—for something

special they do, or for everything. Provide

a specific story to show why the person is

so great. Alternates: Habit. Think about

a bad habit you might have and create a

character with a similar bad habit. Write

about why the character won’t easily give

up the habit. Due Oct. 24Week 9: Winter Tales. Tell a story

about your experience of winter in short

descriptive poetry or prose. No clichés,

please. The best will be selected for

presentation by the Vermont Stage

Company at its annual Winter Tales

production at FlynnSpace in Burlington

in December. Alternate: Lyrics. Find a

line from a favorite song that inspires

you/ excites you/ makes you feel good,

and use it to sprout a poem, song or story.

Due Oct. 31

Young Writers Project Writing PromptsSeptember–October

Photo 1, by Erin Bundock, Champlain Valley Union High School

cVu school boArd rePresentAtiVes

Lorna Jimerson: [email protected]

Marilyn Richardson: mkrichard-

[email protected]

Page 12: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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Emma SlaterThe CharloTTe News

Speed walking through East Charlotte at a gait that would make a Kenyan sprinter short of breath, Dave Cable can be seen with his signature pair of orange six pound weights in hand and sometimes a family member in tow.

Whenever family, exercise and the outdoors con-verge, my uncle is in his element. Each morning at 6:30, Dave will meet up at the intersection of our driveways with anyone who wants to meet him for a rigorous five-mile walk. Whether I choose to join him or not, he’s there each morning during the summer months, stretching his legs against the stone wall that separates our yards. Each time I do decide to come, it’s guaranteed to be a great conversation (albeit at break-neck speed) about his favorite Charlotte characters, current events, ethics and, of course, the environment.

The intense focus and devotion he exhibits on our morning walks is characteristic of the passion he has for making the world a better place. And for Dave, that starts with planting a tree.

Fittingly, his standard speed walking uniform is a t-shirt printed with a diagram of proper tree planting practice, and the logo for Tree Charlotte, a non-profit organization he directs. But make no mistake: when I say Charlotte, it’s with a short “o,” as in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dave’s story is a tale of two Char-lottes: his desire to promote conservation in the two very different ecological and cultural climates he calls home.

Vermont, and the larger region of New England, is where Dave had his first exposure to and training in natural resource conservation. While working toward his bachelor’s degree in environmental study and geol-ogy at Bowdoin College, he spent a summer working on a natural heritage project in Augusta, Maine. The goal of this project was to recognize sites in the state that held special ecological value, but it relied on the

compliance and support of many private landowners. Dave developed the philosophy, “If you make people more aware of these features, they will respond and be good stewards of the lands.”

Later, getting his masters degree in natural resources at the University of Vermont, Dave’s personal and spiritual connection to the land solidified. He believes that his spirituality and religion are intimately tied to the outdoors, as their influence is both calming and inspiring.

However, in 1998 the Cable family made the move from Charlotte, Vermont, to Charlotte, North Caro-lina, with a desire to explore a new direction in his career. At the same time Dave moved into real estate appraisal, completely leaving the realm of conserva-tion. Although he said that working at a bank was interesting and challenging, he couldn’t glean from his experiences the same sense of personal fulfillment. “I didn’t have a personal alignment with what my love was and how I could make a difference in the world,” he said.

Dave’s drastic shift in career direction, from work-ing in the outdoors, to working a desk job, runs strik-ingly parallel to the differences in conservation efforts between the two Charlottes. The two locations are essentially polar opposites in terms of their popula-tions, land demands, environmental ethics and socio-economic makeup.

Charlotte, North Carolina, is a rapidly urbanizing area with about one million residents. There is a result-ing pressure for more building permits, tax revenue and residential expansion. This corresponds with a socioeconomic disparity and an urban culture that limits the community’s connection to the environment.

Dave describes the areas he works in as “typically lower income, focused on just getting food on the table, the real basics of life, and you’re asking them to think longer term about what’s important in their community.”

On the other hand he sees a certain advantage for the conservation efforts in towns like Charlotte, Vermont, that are predominantly rural. Rural communi-ties can more readily draw a connection between their livelihoods and their land, which fosters an instinctual desire to pre-serve it.

The conservation principles, the phi-losophy that Dave already firmly believes in, apply in both settings though. A healthy forest is almost more important in a city, which has so many more people within its sphere of influence. The ques-tion is: how can we make environmental conservation a relevant topic in the urban setting? How could Dave bridge the gap between Charlotte, Vermont, and Char-lotte, North Carolina?

With an abundance of tree puns, Dave jokingly explained that he decided to “go back to his roots,” “no longer a branch manager” at First Union Bank. (Pun count: 2) He worked in Charlotte, N.C., as the executive director of the Catawba Land Trust from 2007 until 2011 and has been the head of the board of Tree Char-lotte since 2012.

Both of these organizations try to answer the above question by making conservation relevant through kinetic and

Putting Down Roots in Two CharlottesA personal profile of Dave Cable, a former Charlotter making a difference in the other Charlotte

The author and her uncle, Dave Cable.

Page 13: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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tangible projects, such as trail systems and tree plant-

ing events.

The trail system initiative designed by Catawba is

the Carolina Thread Trail, which seeks to conserve

wildlife and stream corridors while creating an inter-

connected system of greenways and pathways. The

Catawba team helped to conserve about 5,500 acres

with strong commercial and individual support. The

beauty of this project is that it binds together land pro-

tection with recreational value that is easy to appreci-

ate.

Tree Charlotte was born as a committee with a

desire to “highlight the benefits of the urban forest,”

according to Dave. Tree Charlotte has planted 11,500

trees in just two years. This was accomplished through

a series of tree planting events designed to engage vol-

unteers and bring entire neighborhoods together.

Dave said that tree planting is a simple process, but

“people just really dig it.” (Pun count: 3) “It’s some-

thing that you can engage in at all levels. Whether you

are two years old or eighty years old you can play a

role in planting a tree.” Planting trees provides a ral-

lying point for neighborhoods, empowering them with

a sense of ownership over the areas they improve. In

fact, the success of these events is measured in both the

number of trees planted as well as the number of repeat

volunteers. The large number of returning volunteers

indicates that people feel they truly benefit from the

process.

Dave believes that the tangibility of these projects

is key in successfully promoting environmental con-

nection in the inner city. He thinks conservation is

a cerebral concept and often wonders, “What does

it really mean to me? Being in a community garden,

walking on a trail, planting a tree, those are much more

relatable.” In fact, “they’re more understandable, and

they’re more participatory as opposed to just conserva-

tion for conservation’s sake.”

As for his future involvement in Tree Charlotte,

Dave’s mission is to teach more widely the skills

and importance of caring for preexisting trees, while

expand the model of community engagement. Both the

name and logo of Tree Charlotte have been designed

so the name of any region can be replaced, to accom-

modate plantings in new locations. (Pun count: 4)

Looking forward, Dave sees the battle for environ-

mental health as an issue of perspective. People seem

to have a shorter and shorter view of the future, with a

tendency to plan in terms of short-term benefits. This

mindset is often incompatible with the timeline of a

landscape or a tree canopy, let alone with the geologi-

cal makeup of an area. He believes that this deteriora-

tion of human perspective is an issue that pertains to

most of the world, beyond the Charlottes, beyond the

United States. As a conservationist, he sees his goal

as an effort to help others put on “different lenses.”

He said that it’s easy for leaders to focus on giv-

ing out building permits, building out the community,

raising tax revenue, and creating jobs. “It drives peo-

ple to think that whatever they have it’s not enough,

and that focus on consumerism definitely weighs

heavy on land- use decisions and financial resources.”

However, as both an environmentalist and a capital-

ist he advocates balance in all things. When asked

if these two priorities could coexist successfully, he

replied, “Absolutely, you just have to be thoughtful

about it.”

As my uncle leaves again for Charlotte, North

Carolina, I treasure memories of all the special out-

door adventures we’ve made together. (Pun count:

5). With Dave I hiked my first mountain, canoed the

LaPlatte River and walked to the covered bridge time

and again. Whether he is spending time with his fam-

ily or serving as the director of a nonprofit, Dave has a

profound impact on the communities around him. His

gift for empowering people to care about the environ-

ment transcends geographic, cultural and financial

boundaries.

I agreed to share him with the “other Charlotte,”

this winter only because I know that there are thou-

sands more trees to be planted and many more walks

in store for next summer.

Cable at a Tree Charlotte event in Charlotte, N.C.

Page 14: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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What to Expect When You're

Expecting Surgery

Kevin M. McGarghan, R.N.Contributor

If you’re going to have surgery, you’re going to have questions. And your doctor and the health care team caring for you during your procedure are going to have questions for you. These questions will be many and redundant, and they are meant to keep you safe. Practically everyone you meet before your surgery will ask at least your name and date of birth and the type of procedure you are going to have. When you get to the operating room, there will be a checklist where we will go over those questions and more a total of three more times. These redundancies help us avoid mistakes in your care.

Getting answers to your health care questions is key to your being comfortable with the quality of care you expect. First and foremost, be your own advocate for your health. Make sure you understand why surgery is the best choice for you. Weigh your options and make sure you are comfortable with this decision. You can visit endless web sites that will give you information about the procedure you will undergo. You can even go to YouTube and see a video of the procedure. This kind of information is invaluable in educating yourself and may lead to further discussions with your doctor.

The person you bring with you on the day of your surgery to get you home safely should also be someone you trust enough to help you make medical decisions. Your spouse or partner can play an important role in helping you obtain, and understand, your health care options.

In the days and hours leading up to your procedure, you may be asked to stop taking regular medications, especially aspirin or medicine with blood-thinning properties. No food the night before your surgery. Clear liquid the morning of your procedure should be kept to essentials—

just enough for brushing your teeth or taking needed medicine. Because some of the medicine used during the procedure can cause nausea and vomiting, we ask you to limit food and liquid intake to lessen the risk of inhaling particles or liquid into the airway and lungs, which can lead to aspiration pneumonia.

Leave your jewelry at home or with the person who comes with you to the hospital. That’s all jewelry. It no longer surprises me where people like to put jewelry. No hair pins, barrettes, ribbons or hair ties. We don’t want you laying on a pressure point during surgery.

When you arrive in the pre-op area, you will be in a curtained room while a nurse begins the procedure of getting you ready for surgery. Here you will see your doctor as well as meet the anesthesiologist who will be responsible for your level of sedation during the procedure. If you are nervous or fearful about the procedure, tell your doctor or the nurse. Be honest about your level of pain and anxiety, as this is the time to address any discomfort you may be having. Being nervous and apprehensive about your procedure is normal. You may be hooked up to monitors, and you, your doctor or both may initial the part of your body where the procedure will be performed. Fletcher Allen is a teaching hospital so you will likely meet residents, medical students, nursing students and other health care professionals.

By the time I come to get you for the trip to the operating room, you will have been well quizzed on your name, date of birth and what procedure you are having. And then I’m going to ask those questions yet again. We’ll place a bonnet on your head, which is usually when the phones come out for pictures of what I like to call “this year’s Christmas card.”

Once you are in the operating room, you’ll be surrounded by a team (the Nascar aspect of the procedure) which will get you positioned, warmed and ready to go to your happy place—pick a good one! One final time, you will confirm your name, date of birth and procedure, and then it’s off to dreamland.

It can all be a bit disconcerting. You can make it a positive experience by preparing yourself for your procedure. Educate yourself and be an advocate for yourself. Be honest with your doctors and nurses about how you’re feeling, your anxiety and most especially any pain you are feeling. We are all happy to be a part of your health care team. After all, you’re the reason we’re all there.

Kevin M. McGarghan is an operating

room nurse at Fletcher Allen Hospital.

He lives in Charlotte.

Larry HamiltonContributor

I was clearing out some old professional files and came across a publication I co-edited back in 1990 while at the East West Center on the topic of sandalwood. It was notable because it was the first compilation of information on an international scale on this fascinating and valuable genus.

This tree, “which imparts fragrance even to the axe that fells it,” has long been venerated and exploited as the wood with the second highest value in the world (first is agarwood). It is mentioned as early as 2000 BC in the Ramayan of India. We read of its value in the Bible, when Hiram, King of Tyre presents King Solomon with gold, almug (sandalwood) and precious stones. Its greatest use is in the Orient for making incense, such as joss sticks, carving sacred objects and distilling essential oils. Wooden objects such as statues, fans, small chests and chess pieces retain their lovely aroma for decades. It is much used in the perfume and cosmetic industries.

My interest in sandalwood which led me to convene the international symposium that produced the book Sandalwood in the

Pacific was due to the importance it played in the early history of Hawai’i after first European contact. I was intrigued by the pit depressions in the exact shape and size of sailing vessel. These were pits to which sandalwood logged from mountain forests was dragged or carried at the order of the Kings of Hawai’i for sale to the traders transporting them to China. The sandalwood trade continued hot and heavy until 1840, when due to scarcity King Kamehameha III placed a kapu (tabu) on remaining trees of the species.

In 1988, a sandalwood logging venture took place on the slopes of Mauna Loa at a reported price of $2 per pound. This triggered a controversy about this “endangered” species and precipitated my organizing the aforementioned state-of-knowledge symposium.

Enough of Hawai’i—back to Charlotte, which has some well-known fragrant tree species. Perhaps most similar in its lovely aroma is our red cedar or juniper. It is used in cedar chests or other storage boxes, and I have even seen a clothes closet paneled with this insect-repelling and beautiful wood. The heartwood is very resistant to decay, which makes it good for fence posts. Red cedar oil is used in many fragrance compounds. And do not forget to smell the berry-like cones that are used to flavor gin—and smell like it.

Our other cedar, northern white cedar or arborvitae, also has fragrant, long-lasting wood, often used in boat building, especially in canoes. It is a favorite fence, pole and rail wood, but, remember, it is only heartwood that is fully impregnated with oils and turpenes to provide long service. Many fences built before the invention of barbed wire

were long-lasting white cedar snake rail constructions, emulated by many landowners in landscaping. The aroma is different from red cedar, but has its own “cedar-y” smell, well-known to cedar sniffers.

The resin and turpene compounds in white pine elicit an awareness when you enter a pine grove. While the lumber has no strong scent after it is dried for use, the resinous white sap on cones, on stumps and in the crushed needles are quite fragrant as “pine.” The resinous stumps/roots were pulled in early land clearing and piled in a row as fencing, which has lasted until today in some areas. Red pine is somewhat similar in aroma. For a distinctive, strong, pleasant odor, crush some balsam fir needles or puncture a resin blister in the bark. Balsam fir pillows, with their fragrance,

are supposed to give one sweet dreams. This is the traditional Tannenbaum Christmas-tree fragrance that in fresh cut trees can permeate the home. The resin is used in throat medicines and in optical instrument cement.

Among our deciduous trees, two birches take the prize, the yellow birch and the black or sweet birch. A freshly broken twig or the inner bark yields the odor of wintergreen, and indeed oil of wintergreen is distilled from the twigs or young bark, particularly from black birch, the more intense. Birch beer is also made from the sap of black birch. Tap it, put a handful of corn

in a jug, and let fermentation do the rest. The bitter, acrid, almond smell and

taste of prussic acid in black cherry, pin cherry or the shrub choke cherry are dead giveaways. Domestic livestock can become sick or even die from browsing on too much of these. However, the fruits of black cherry were used by pioneers in making tart apple jam and jelly and for flavoring rum and brandy to make “cherry bounce.” The tree warden does not recommend this to any but the truly adventuresome.

My three other favorite aromatics are not native to Vermont but do grow here and have been planted successfully. They are tuliptree, or yellow poplar, and cucumber magnolia, both of whose buds and twigs when crushed have a citrusy or lemon odor, and the sassafras. Sassafras greenish twigs smell like oil of sassafras and have myriad uses from sassafras tea to root beer flavoring to fermented beer. These latter three species may become more common in Vermont as the climate warms, and indeed we have planted tuliptrees in our roadside planting program.

A few other tree species in Charlotte have distinctive odors that I can recognize—for instance black walnut and butternut—but the odors are difficult to describe. Free advice from your tree warden: using your nose can aid in tree identification in the woods and often gives clues as to its uses. By the way, if anyone really wants to investigate sandalwood, other than by Googling, I do have two extra copies of the aforementioned book.

Larry Hamilton is Charlotte's tree

warden.

Sandalwood and Charlotte’s Fragrant Trees

This photo is of a sandalwood

Happy Buddha bought in a

Chinese market in Singapore 24

years ago, and it is still fragrant

when rubbed.

Page 15: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

The Charlotte News ��$XJXVW��������������

The Café Menu

MONDAY, SEPT 1: Center is closed for Labor Day holiday.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT 3: Southwest BLT taco salad, birthday cake and ice cream

MONDAY, SEPT 8: Hearty local vegetable soup, tossed salad, coconut pecan cake

WEDNESDAY, Sept 10: Grandma’s chop suey, home-made dessert Senior LunCheonS are held every Wednesday at noon. Reservations are necessary in advance and can be made by calling the Senior Center at 425-6345. A $4 dona-tion is requested. Reservations are not required for the Monday Munch.

Charlotte Senior Centerby Mary Recchia,

Activities Coordinator

Just a reminder that the Center will be closed on Monday, Sept. 1, for Labor Day.

–––– Please look for the new fall program

of activities as an insert in this issue of the Charlotte News. Here are a few highlights for the first weeks of September to get you going.

Do you want to research your ances-tors but are not sure how to get started? Have you started your search and need some ideas on what to try next? Join Carl Tatlock and the genealogy group on Thursday, Sept. 4, at 1 p.m. to share ideas, trade information and tell stories of your journey through history. Family Tree Maker and Ancestory.com are avail-able at the Center to assist you in your search. No Fee.

–––– A new session of Yang tai chi chuan

for beginners with John Creech starts on Thursday mornings from 10–11. Session I dates: Sept. 4, 11, 18 and 25 and October 2 and 9.

Yes, you can learn the true Yang family style of tai chi, famous for its myriad benefits to health and wellbeing. The flowing movements and postures will increase flexibility, improve balance and strengthen core muscles. Practitioners cultivate a deeper sense of relaxation, increased energy level and a real sense of confidence and presence. John Creech has been studying and practicing tai chi for 10 years and invites you to come learn and practice together. Registration necessary. Fee: $42 for 6 classes.

–––– Join Phyllis Bartling for a new session

of Pilates on Thursday mornings from 8:30 – 9:30. Session I dates: Sept. 4, 11, 18, 25 and Oct 2 and 9.

This is not your granddaughter’s Pilates class! This mat Pilates class is designed to be challenging and safe for folks 55 years and older. Pilates specifically tar-gets the core muscle groups, including the lower abdominals, lower back and gluteals, to improve balance, strength and

posture. Exercises are done on the floor on mats; bringing a small rolled up towel to put under your head is a good idea. Registration required. Fee: $42.

–––– Please join Jim Lovejoy for the first

poetry reading of the season on Monday, Sept. 8, from 1–3 p.m. Building on the fun and excitement that has developed with our Poem in Your Pocket readings over the years, this after-lunch poetry bonanza provides a regular time for lis-tening, reading, writing and sharing a love of language. Whether it’s a poem you’ve written or one you’ve found in a book or on Poets.org, pack a poem in your pocket and join Jim as he guides a won-derful afternoon of word wonder. No fee.

Please join us Wednesday afternoons beginning at 1 p.m. for a collection of lec-tures, performances and special events that showcase the diverse interests of our community. No registration or fee.

Sept. 3: A Celebration of Art. Please join the participating artists of the 9th Annual Senior Center Art Show, “My Vermont,” for a gala reception to view and discuss their work that will hang in the Great Room for the month of September.

Sept. 10: Shelburne Vineyard: Taste, Tour, Enjoy! Ken and Gail Albert established Shelburne Vineyard in 1998 and were joined shortly thereafter by fellow winemaker Scott Prom. Together they embarked on fulfillment of their lifelong dream: to make sustainably pro-duced fine wines in Vermont. Tour their state-of-the-art, eco-friendly winery, built to meet the strictest environmental stan-dards, and share their adventure making fine wine in Vermont’s northern climate. Registration required.

Angela Manno’s Color and Light in Pastel class, painting on a site at Ferry and Lake roads.

Page 16: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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Donegan Family Farm Products:

Organic Milk & Healthy Children

Emily Donegan

Contributor

Over in a quiet corner of East Char-

lotte, my husband and I and our two

young children are renting a farm and

making our living as organic

dairy farmers. I like to think

that healthy children—as well as

wholesome milk—are the most

important things we produce on

the farm.

We work the long hours

required to milk our 30 or so

cows twice a day, move the ani-

mals several times a day to fresh

pasture, and make all the hay to

feed them through the winter.

Like many of the dairy farms

of yesteryear, we also grow most

of our own vegetables, process

our milk into butter, cheese and

yogurt for our table, and raise

most of the meat we consume. As

we go about these tasks, our chil-

dren, ages three and four, work

and play alongside us. They don’t

attend daycare or have a nanny.

They watch, they help, they play

in the pastures (or the sawdust,

or the manure!). Though they

haven’t reached school age yet,

we intend to continue their edu-

cation at home this way, rather

than send them to school.

Our lifestyle did not occur by

accident, and though neither my husband

nor I was raised on a farm, we pursued this

way of life with a family in mind. Most of

the crucial elements lacking in the typical

child’s routine are provided by life on a

farm: healthy food, fresh air, exercise and

the opportunity for unstructured, creative

play. Whether or not this will lead to a

healthier, more well-adjusted adulthood

for them remains to be seen.

I do notice how different their child-

hood experience is from that of their

peers, however—even at such a young

age. My boys have witnessed countless

births, and they know how to tell if a cow

is dry or milking, or if you can expect a

calf in the next day or so. They know you

need to mow hay before you rake it and

rake it before you bale it. They know the

difference between hay you should feed

to heifers and hay that is good enough for

the milkers. They’ve watched bloody vet-

erinary procedures and witnessed animals

being harvested for meat. They experi-

ence fullness of joy at the birth of a litter

of kittens and sadness and denial when a

calf arrives still born. They’ve never seen

the movie Frozen, and they don’t know

what a video game or a text message is.

When, at a barbecue recently, I told my

son that a hot dog was made of cow meat,

he didn’t believe me. Smart kid.

One of the joys I experience as part

of my lifestyle is the connection I feel

to the past. Three years ago, I gave birth

to my son in the old farmhouse where

we live and wondered how many farm

women had given birth inside these same

walls. Though our lifestyle is a modern

anomaly, it isn’t much different from the

way it was for hundreds of years before.

Our need to feed ourselves and care for

our animals and the land transcends the

muddled priorities of modernized culture.

I wonder how many folks reading this

article were raised on a farm in Char-

lotte. Probably a good handful over the

age of 50, and very few who are in their

30s or younger. I wonder if

those people would make up

even ten percent of the town’s

population—I doubt it. Yet, the

history of agriculture in this

town still sounds loudly in its

sense of identity and values. I

wonder how this will change

in the next 50 years or so, when

practically no inhabitants of

the town have been raised on

a farm.

Though my family may have

an extreme experience in this

regard, I find it encouraging to

see such a desire for integra-

tion between farms and edu-

cation in our community and

beyond. Relationships between

the farm and cafeteria, school

gardens, and the opportunity

to work with and experience

farms are now becoming more

commonplace in schools. The

connection between people and

food isn’t something that we

create; it is something that we

are born with as human beings.

When we allow our children to

understand and experience this

connection in a meaningful way, we are

allowing them to more fully understand

themselves.

The more we engage with the animals

and plants that sustain us, the more likely

I believe we are to create a generation that

values healthy food and an open, work-

ing landscape, just like the Charlotters of

yesteryear.

Emily and Joe Donegan, along with their sons Patrick and Frankie.

Food &Field

Page 17: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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SPORTS by Edd Merritt

CVU girls’ basketball camp was a success

Eighty-five girls between the ages of four and nine participated in a summer basketball camp run by CVU head coach Ute Otley with the help of her players Cathy Kolasch and Sadie Otley. The campers voted Sadie the “Ultimate Counselor.” Players practiced fundamental drills, making sure they had fun in the process. The groups were separated by age with the 4 to 6-year-olds in a morning session and the 7 to 9-year-olds in the afternoon. Many from both groups carried away awards on “Championship Friday.” Charlotte’s Carolina Sicotte was one of five “All-Stars” on the younger team.

Richie Lowrey dusts off his opponents at the

Devil’s Bowl race track

Charlotte’s 15-year-old Richard Lowrey III is getting an early start toward following in his father’s footsteps as a racecar driver. He won the opening “Renegade” feature at the Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven last Sunday.

Katie Mack takes over reins of CVU men’s soc-

cer

Redhawk head coach Katie Mack has come to CVU from successful seasons at the helm of Bellows Free Academy, Fairfax. She replaces T.J. Mead, a CVU grad who stepped down after five seasons to devote more time to family. Mack taught social studies at CVU last year and will continue doing so while she picks up coaching responsibilities. A native of Baltimore, Mack attended Drew University where she played soccer. After moving to Vermont she coached club soccer and junior varsity at South Burlington before heading to BFA. CVU starts its season at home against Rye, N.Y., on Saturday, Aug. 30, with the game beginning at 10 a.m.

Campers and councelors who particpated in the afternoon session of the recent girls basketball camp hosted by CVU coach Ute Otley pose for a picture. A total of 85 girls grades 4–9 partici-pated in the camp this summer. Coach Otley demonstrates the proper form for free throws.

CVU's boys soccer team took to the practice field for drills recently.

Coach Rahn Flemming leads his CVU football team through what he calls the "Karaoke" or "Hula" drill.

email: [email protected]

Page 18: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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Benjamin Mason, MEd, CEP

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create temporary traffic delays that could send traffic to Charlotte’s secondary roadways. Another is the expansion of Hinesburg’s village and planned con-struction on Route 116, which could also send more commuters to and from Burlington to Charlotte’s secondary roads.

While there are no policies or strate-gies in the chapter that speak specifically to addressing these concerns, the issue of increased use of Charlotte’s roadways is addressed in other ways.

For instance, to help take some cars off the road, the Vermont Agency of Transportation has asked the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization (CCMPO) to undertake a scoping study for potential park-and-ride and transit stop locations in Charlotte. The plan calls for exploring such areas in the east and west villages.

This initiative also coincides with the town’s support for reducing green-house gas emissions from transporta-tion. Another way the chapter aims to curb traffic and pollution is through more pedestrian-friendly measures. The chapter calls for the addition of wider shoulders for pedestrian and bicycle use in any major improvement to class two or three highways in Charlotte. It also calls for assessing the feasibility of bike and pedestrian lanes during construction and resurfacing projects.

Finally, with growth comes more traf-fic, and another key issue the commis-sion hopes to address through the Town Plan is speeding in Charlotte. According to the chapter, a lack of official speed data and daily traffic figures have made tracking such trends difficult. The plan calls for the town to work with the state and CCMPO to collect this data, as well as figures on traffic accidents and safety concerns at dangerous intersec-tions going forward. The chapter, how-ever, does not contain specific policies or recommendations for traffic-calming measures on roads identified by the Charlotte Safety Committee. It calls for the Selectboard to review data on posted

speed limits and consider adjusting them. But the chapter also deals with non-

motorized transportation. Currently Charlotters have limited options to safe-ly walk, bike or ride horses. However, the transportation chapter states support for such non-motorized travel options as a policy, especially in the village areas.

The Planning Commission will, where appropriate, require provisions for side-walks or trails and user amenities for new development in village districts,” the chapter states. “This will encourage pedestrian links between and among Charlotte’s neighborhoods, public spac-es and commercial areas.”

Further, in areas of reconstruction in the West Village, the town will explore the improvement of pedestrian, bicycle and auto safety measures.

The transportation chapter is one of two Town Plan chapters that were not released with the first draft of the 2015 town plan at the end of June. The last chapter, which centers on economic development, has yet to be released, though the Planning Commission will hold a workshop on the topic Sept. 25.

The 2015 Town Plan draft is available to read and for comment at charlottevt.org.

Town Plan continued from page 1

Some people are not dead enough to be praised.

Jim Morse is a former Vermont Supreme

Court Justice living in Charlotte. Find

more of his Doodles & Jots in his book,

available at the Flying Pig Bookstore or

online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Red

Barn Books.

Morse's Doodles &

Jots

Page 19: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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Real Estate

Listings

Catching Canada GeeseBradley CarletonContributor

For many waterfowlers the first brisk northern breeze that sweeps the pungent fragrance of the lake depths through the valley means it’s time to prepare for res-ident Canada goose season. While the public basks in the last few days of sum-mer and revels in the glory of Labor Day weekend, goose hunters are preparing for Opening Day, the day after Labor Day.

Field bags are packed, and decoys are set out in fields, their deceptive motion swaying with the slightest wisp of air. Sweat pours off our faces as we set the spread. Layout blinds are prepared by picking wheat and clover off the ground and stuffing them into the stubble straps of the nylon blinds, which sit only 14 inches off the dewy ground. It takes more than an hour and a half to properly grass the blinds and crawl into the coffin-shaped boxes.

As the first rays of sunlight melt over the mountains, the sky lights up in salmon and helio, outlined by soothing sage. There’s

not a cloud in the sky, and the sweet-smell-ing northwest wind bodes well for our crew of four anxious fowlers. We are sharing our traditional cup of coffee and donuts when it happens. Far out on the bay, the echo careens off of the rocky beach. Her-onk! The breakfast flock is awakening.

We return the call with a simple cluck and leave the rest to the imagination. Sometimes the best call is the one that leaves curiosity in the mind of the conver-sationalist. We wait.

Soon another muffled yet intriguing honk comes from the bay. We answer back with a curt hail call. That gets the ball roll-ing! Now we are in an aggressive dialogue about how wonderfully tasty the wheat is this morning. Within minutes we can hear the entire flock begin to debate about when to leave the roost. Juvenile voices say “now!” while the more guttural adult tones profess “patience.” It’s like listening to a family on Christmas morning.

Twenty minutes pass. We are all silent in the field, when one of our band of broth-ers calls out, “Two from behind! Right over the trees!" And “Silent! Get down!” I counter. Blind doors snap shut, and we all disappear in stalks of wheat and sheaths of clover.

These are the scouts.We let them circle the spread and do not

call or move. They examine us closely then slide gently back out over the water and land in the center of the bay, clucking to the flock of 100 birds.

The question comes up every year.

Should we have shot when they were hanging over the decoys? My answer has always been “No.” Let them take the news to the flock that the field is full of geese and there do not appear to be any predators.

Ten more minutes pass. Our hearts are beating wildly, hoping that we made the right choice. And then it begins.

We hear the wing beats flap-ping against the water as the fam-ily pods begin to peel off of the flock. Within moments the sky is alive with honking as powerful wing pinions flail at the air. They are arriving in flocks of ten to 20 birds at a time. The first flock to lower altitude swings from right to left across the spread then turns away to the south. A single bird backpedals and drops his dark black boots to land in the decoys. “Let ‘em land!” I whisper. When the second flock sees the single bird on the ground, he calls to them.

They cup their mighty wings in an arc, the shape of which has been emblazoned in waterfowlers’ memories for generations. As they glide in to finish their landing, feet outstretched, necks craning, I wish that I could freeze this moment in time and somehow convey to all those who do not hunt what a magnificent spectacle we get to witness.

Some call the Canada goose a nuisance because it fouls their lawns and golf cours-es. I prefer to think of them as majestic brethren seeking a connection to us.

Resident Canada goose season begins the day after Labor Day, Sept. 2, and runs through Thursday, Sept. 25. The bag limit

is five per day with a possession limit of 15 birds. To hunt them hunters must possess a valid 2014 hunting license, a Vermont state waterfowl “stamp” and a federal waterfowl stamp which must be signed across the face. All hunters must also fill out a survey to acquire a Harvest Information Permit (HIP) number.

Good luck to all, and if you are curious about how good smoked goose can be, we will be sharing our harvest at Spear’s Store in East Charlotte from time to time throughout the season.

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

Local waterfowlers and their harvest. Resident Canada goose season in Vermont begins the day after Labor Day.

Page 20: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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by Margaret Woodruff

How to Create tHe PerfeCt Library

How to create the perfect library—such a project recalls the story of Stone Soup, in which three wandering soldiers create a delicious meal using stones and only a little help from the town they visit. The perfect-library subject tops the list of features in blogs, journals and web-sites that cross our computer screens and our desks here at the Charlotte Library. While there are some common features to all, such as friendly faces and reliable resources, the biggest takeaway from these articles is that the best library is the one that best fits and serves its own com-munity, much like the meal created in the Stone Soup fable.

As we strive to fulfill that (ever-changing) goal here in Charlotte, we need information from our community to inform our programming, purchasing and planning decisions. In the next few months, the library will participate in the Edge Initiative to help “libraries create a path for the continuous growth and development of their public technology services.”

To make the project successful, we need your help with the first step in the program, a survey of the current use of the library’s technology services. This online survey is designed to find out how our patrons use the library’s computers and Internet connection and how this service has made a positive impact on their lives. This information will help the library improve its technology services and communicate the value of providing free access to computers and the Internet within the community. The survey is anonymous and takes ten to 15 minutes to complete. Paper copies of the survey are available for patrons who prefer not to participate online. We hope that you will consider taking part and creating our own perfect Stone Soup here at the library.

UPComing at tHe Library

Wednesday Night Knitters, Sept. 3

and 17, 5:30 p.m. Join us to knit, chat and create. We’ll talk about our latest project idea, the “temperature scarf.”

Maker Monday: The Great Pumpkin Challenge, Monday, Sept. 8, 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. Help us bring jack-o’- lanterns to life for Halloween. Charlie Woodruff will provide the programming expertise, you provide the creativity for our jumble of jack-o’-lanterns to decorate the library. Suitable for ages 10 and up. Registration required; please call or email the library to sign up: 425-3864 or youth@[email protected].

Getting Around By Bike,

Wednesday, Sept. 17, 7 p.m. Have you been wanting to bike more? Ready to take the next step, but not quite sure where to start? Local Motion can help. In just one short hour, participants in this bike-commuting workshop learn all this and more:

What gear you need (and don’t need) to stay safe and comfortable

How to make sure your bike is in good shape for commuting

How to map out a route that fits with your available time and comfort level

How to “read” the street and ride safe under a range of conditions

Best of all, not only will you come away with free leg bands, bike seat cov-ers and other resources to help you stay safe, but workshops with ten or more attendees will be eligible for an on-site raffle of a waterproof bicycle rack bag, so bring your friends! Let Local Motion help you get back into bicycling today! Need gear? Low-cost bike lights and other items will be available for purchase at the workshop.

on disPLay at tHe Library

Intimate Flower Portraits:

Photography Exhibit by Anne Prescott,

Sept. 2-Nov. 2, 2014. For as long as she can remember, Anne has been inspired by the special beauty of flowers and had a desire to capture them on film—to give them a permanence. After living many places across the country, Anne recently settled in Vermont to be near her fam-ily and has had a chance to pursue this project. These “flower portraits,” taken using a macro lens, show the extraordi-nary design in these “miracles of nature,” as she calls them. This is Anne’s first exhibit at the Charlotte Library although she has had informal shows (or showings ) in various locations where she has lived over the years.

Library hours

Monday & Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

OutDoors in Late Summer

Some of the nicest weather of the year generally unfolds in early September. If you have not ticked some favorite outings off your summer list there’s still time to create warm memories to get you through the long winter months.

Have you visited Vermont State

Parks (vtstateparks.com), with extensive public access to Lake Champlain? Bur-ton Island, North Hero, Knight Point, Grand Isle, Alburg Dunes, Niquette Bay, Kingsland Bay and Button Bay all offer lakeshore, some swimming, others boat-ing, and all walking.

Glacial ice and the Ausable River carved the rosy Ausable Chasm (ausable-chasm.com, 800-537-1211) in Ausable, N.Y., through towering cliffs. It is a mar-vel! As deep as 175 feet from rim to river, the narrow passage through multi-colored sandstone and quartzite is about 14,000 years old. The chasm has been open to tourists since 1870 and attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. A walk of less than a mile leads to an optional, and really fun, raft ride through the lower reaches of the canyon. Open until early October.

One of Vermont’s great water venues is Green River Reservoir in the towns of Hyde Park and Eden. Boasting more than 19 miles of undeveloped shoreline, the reservoir is pristine, quiet and a haven for wildlife. Green River Reservoir is the perfect adventure for a September day. As the northern forest turns toward fall, the butterscotch of tamaracks, yellow birches and early color of red maples mingle with the deep greens of fir, balsam and pine.

Now a state park, the reservoir and 5,110 acres surrounding it are conserved. The shoreline and 14 islands collectively host 28 primitive campsites in an oth-erwise unending panorama of bog and woodland. Many fingers reach out from the main body of the reservoir accounting for its extensive shoreline. Otters, beaver and waterfowl are denizens of these wilds, and the state manages the property as habitat for bear and moose.

Plan to spend a full day visiting Green River Reservoir. A maple creemee in Stowe helps break up the one-and-a-half hour drive.

It’s a scenic, rolling 22-mile round-trip between the ferry in Essex and Dogwood

Bread Company (dogwoodbreadcom-

pany.com, 518-962-2280) in Wadhams, N.Y. The eatery is open Tuesday through Saturday until Labor Day weekend, then closed until Columbus Day weekend. Dogwood roasts its own organic coffee; bakes bread, pizza, cookies and scones in a wood-fired brick oven; creates deli-cious sandwiches, soups and salads; and has indoor and outdoor tables at a quiet crossroads.

Bike south along the water on Lake Shore Road to Whallons Bay Road. Turn right and pedal up the rise until you come to the splendid views from the plateau, east toward the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain and west to the Adiron-dack High Peaks. Cross Route 22 and continue on Walker Road, which becomes Sayre Road. You will join Route 10 for the last mile or so. Dogwood Bakery will be on the right at the junction with Route 22.

The return trip is mostly downhill. As you coast down Whallons Bay Road note that Camel’s Hump is directly in front of you. The road was designed with this view in mind.

Local food and spectacular scenery are the draw at Vermont Bicycle and Pedes-trian Coalition’s Tour de Farms on Sept. 21 in Shoreham. Bikers of all abilities ride and savor the farm bounties that make Vermont so special. For registration and information: vtbikeped.org.

The bike ferry (localmotion.org) con-nects South Hero and the Islands to the Island Line Trail, 14 miles of riding from Burlington’s Oakledge Park to the end of the Causeway in Colchester. Through September 1 the ferry runs daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The fall schedule is weekends and holidays only from Sept. 6 through Oct. 13.

A new 20-passenger craft, Vermont’s only bike ferry, carries cyclists and pedes-trians across “the Cut,” a 200-foot gap in Colchester Causeway. The Causeway runs over marble chunks of the former bed of the Rutland Railroad and features spectacular lake and mountain views.

Only one more chance to bike to a Sunday matinee at the Depot Theatre (Depottheatre.org.) in Westport, N.Y. The final Sunday performance of Pete ‘N’ Keely is at 5 p.m. on Sept. 1. The Depot, a historic and functioning 1876 train sta-tion, hosts nonprofit professional theater featuring Equity actors. Take the ferry to Essex, pedal the hilly dozen or so miles to Westport, catch the performance and cycle back to the ferry.

‘Tis the season to be alert to fall rap-

tor migrations visible from Mt. Philo and Snake Mountain. In just one day, Sept. 10, 2007, spotters on Mt. Philo counted 3,500 migrating hawks! Not every year produces such a concentration, but it’s worth putting on the calendar. The Hawk Migration Association of North America, at hmana.org, publishes a free hawk sil-houette ID chart that you can download for personal use.

The Kelly Brush Century Ride, Ver-mont’s biggest charity ride, will be held in Middlebury on Saturday, Sept. 6. Kelly is a Charlotte native who suffered a spinal cord injury while ski racing for Mid-dlebury College. After her accident she established the Kelly Brush Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life of individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) by purchas-ing adaptive athletic equipment for those with financial limitations,, advocating for improved ski racing safety, and support-ing research to treat and cure paralysis due to traumatic SCI.

The ride is the Northeast’s largest hand-cycling event with 24 handcyclists joining 750 bikers to cover 25, 50 or 100 miles. KellyBrushFoundation.org.

Enjoy the final weeks of summer in the Out-Doors!

Out-Doors

by Elizabeth Bassett

Feline Veterinary Hospital and Boarding Suites

Affectionately Cats

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It could be a medical issue, but we do have a few tips that may help. Give us a call to learn more.

DOES YOUR CATURINATE OUT OFIT’S LITTER BOX?

Page 21: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

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Around Town

You can expect on-time service, courteous crews and professional craftsmanship when you hire Lafayette Painting. We have been beautifying the homes and businesses of Chittenden County since 1977. Call us at 863-5397 or visit LafayettePaintingInc.com. (-02)

AFFORDABLE HEAT with a MAXIM OUTDOOR WOOD PELLET FURNACE by Central Boiler. Burns wood pellets. Boivin Farm Supply 802-475-4007. (-03)

MOWING: Call Portfolio Cuts to handle all your mowing needs. Professional lawn stripping with bag-ging capabilities. Consistent, Quality work everyday. Call Nathan now for free estimate. Fully insured 734-7135, Portfoliocuts.com. (57-02)

NEW AT THE MT. PHILO INN: Overnight accom-modations, spacious 2-3 bedroom suites available by the day, week or month. Adjacent to Mt. Philo State Park, with panoramic views of Lake Champlain. Each "wing" in the historic inn has a private entrance, full kitchen, laundry and porch. MtPhiloInn.com 425-3335.

ARE YOU TIRED? Of overpaying for a mow-ing service and getting sub-par work? Then call PORTFOLIO CUTS today for a free estimate. Local references, fully insured. Consistent, quality work. Call Nathan 734-7135. Portfoliocuts.com. (57-02)

DRIVERS: Money & Miles… New Excellent Pay Package. 100% Hands OFF Freight + E-Logs. Great Home time/Monthly Bonus. 1 yr. OTR exp./No Hazmat 877-704-3773 (-02)

AFTER SCHOOL GUITAR AND MUSIC LES-SONS. Give your child or yourself the gift of music! Professional guitarist/singer/songwriter, Sallie Mack, teaches a unique style of learning. Bass, Ukelele and songwriting also offered. Limited space. Call 425-6212 or 377-9506 or [email protected] (57-06)

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

Classifieds

DREADED CHARLOTTE DELINQUENT DOG LIST FOR PUBLIC DISPLAY

Everyone seems to talk in abbreviations these days, so here is the DCDLFPD. If you find your name on this list, it’s time to fess up and register: $10.00 for neutered/spayed animals, $16 for intact males and females. If you’re on the list in error, please let us know and we apologize in advance.

to Amanda Comai, an upcoming senior at Colgate University, Hamilton, New York who participated in a summer internship with the National Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), Fletcher Allen Health Care and the Lund Family Center. In order to be accepted, Amanda had to submit a detailed proposal that was reviewed by a committee of Colgate faculty and staff.

to Kelly Bouteller, a teacher at Charlotte Central School who was named as a facilitator for the National Education Association’s (NEA) Great Public Schools (GPS) Network. This is an online network where parents, teachers, education support professionals and other stakeholders in the community can share ideas aimed at improving students’ success in learning. Kelly is a facilitator for one of 120 groups. While over 1,000 educators applied to be the inaugural leaders, only Kelly and 60 others were chosen. Bouteller says she’s grateful for the opportunities she’s had to share and learn from Vermonters and she looks forward to the opportunity to extend the collaboration nationwide.

to David Blittersdorf, CEO of All Earth Renewables, who received an honorary degree (doctor of engineering technology) from Boston’s Wentworth Institute of Technology and delivered the keynote address at the school’s summer commencement exercises. Blittersdorf is a 1977 graduate of Wentworth who later earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UVM before founding NRG Systems (producing power through wind

sources) in Hinesburg and later All Earth Renewables (the nation’s leading dual-axis solar tracker system) in Williston.

to John Quinney, general manager of Energy Co-op of Vermont, which received an Efficiency Vermont grant this year. Efficiency Vermont looks for ways to provide technical assistance that increases the energy efficiency of new building design, construction, renovation, equipment and appliances. Quinney’s co-op received $20,000 to educate over 100 homeowners and contractors in nine mobile-home parks. His was the largest grant given by Efficiency Vermont.

is extended to family and friends of Pauline Trudell of Essex Junction who passed away August 18 at the age of 94. She was the priest’s housekeeper for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Charlotte for a number of years, during which time she planted and maintained the vegetable garden near the church. The family asks that those wishing to make contributions in her memory consider doing so to the Pastor of St. Lawrence Church in Essex Junction for charity work.

Congratulations

Sympathy

Seth Anderson GiavannaJoe & Sarah Andriano SadieBrett Applegate YeagerRowan Beck TillyChris Berg FreyaEllen Bosworth RubyCaitlin Bourassa KageMarion Bourgault Dexter & MaggieKelly Dousevicz EliMary Fisher Arthur & NiaNancy Forrest IndieKim Frigault Quincy & PhiloDavid Garrett LexieKristin Halvorson BailyMoria Helms MishkaKim Kanios KendallJane Kantor WallyWoody Keppel Junior & BellaJane Kirby MaggieChristine Koster Chomper &

SatchelRosine & Joel Kushnick LunaRachel McEntee Jed & Kevin

Barry Mount Jake & ArchieRichard Nurczynski GusMelissa O’Brien DaisyKatie Palmer RoxyAnn Marie Plant ChelseaKacy Preston CarterMorgan Preston KieraSherry Preston AlexStephen Rose BooLeanne Sack OllieSharon Shapiro PennyRichard St. George Gracie & JethroDevin St. George IsabelTim Trachimowicz OliverDanielle Vincent BurkeDeana Walker VaderLoretta Waters Sadie -Mary Mead, Town Clerk/Treasurer

TOWN OF CHARLOTTEASSISTANT CLERK/TREASURER -- IMMEDIATE OPENING

This is a full-time position Monday through Friday,,40 hours per week, paid hourly with benefits including retirement, health insurance, dental and vision plans. Candidate must be able to multitask, be attentive to detail, take initiative, work independently and have great customer service skills. Responsibilities include recording land and vital records, issuing licenses and registrations, answering phone, front desk reception, assisting with elections, maintaining the voter check-list, preparation and receipt of property taxes, preparing deposits and issuing weekly payroll.

Familiarity with Microsoft Word/Excel necessary; training will be provided for all municipal software programs. Pay rate is $14-$17 per hour, depending on expe-rience.

Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest and resume to Mary A. Mead, Clerk/Treasurer at P.O. Box 119, Charlotte VT 05445 or email [email protected] by September 5, 2014.

So Long, KimWe’d like thank Charlotte

News intern Kim Cribari for her time working with us the past six months. A junior at CVU from Hinesburg, Kim worked hard learning the ins and outs of working for a small nonprofit newspaper. Along the way, she learned how to write in AP style, write stories from press

releases and do a bit of layout and design, among many other things. She also wrote enter-prising stories on CVU’s Grad Challenge and CVU students involved in dance programs, which you can read on the front page of this issue. We’ve appre-ciated having her drive and energy in the office, and we wish her the best of luck with her writing in the future.

News from The News

Page 22: The Charlotte News | August 28, 2014

Charlotte News Volume lVII Number 02 The VoIce of The TowN Thursday, augusT 28, 2014

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presorted standard The Hometown Paper Since 1958

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Charlotte Looks at Transportation 1

Charlotte and the War of 1812 7

A Tale of Two Charlottes 10-11

Life on Donegan Farm 14

SHELBURNE

SUPERMARKETLOCAL OWNERS. LOCAL STUFF.

Mon-Sat 8-8 / Sun 8-7 / Shelburne Village / 985-8520 / shelburnesupermarket.com

Sweet from the farm.This corn is picked daily at the peak of flavor and brought to us while the kernels are still sweet. Grilled or steamed, on the cob

or in salads, it’s farmstand corn at its best. Hint: for a taste of summer in December, take leftover corn off the cob, pop it in a Ziploc® bag, and freeze.

The Hills are Alive !