Early September dawn pinkens the sky at a respectable 6 a.m. I hope to be awake at dawn. I want to watch the day brighten and hear the crows call. I want to be present for every second of the late summer day because I know that too soon the windows will close. Sounds will be dulled and the dawn will emerge in tones of gray.
On Saturday, Sept. 8, the annual Pride Vermont Parade and Festival was held in downtown Burlington. The skies were clear, the air was crisp, and the sun was lush.
About 70 people turned out to enjoy live music, great food, neighborhood camaraderie and the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new underpass under Route 7 on the Charlotte Town Link Trail. Charlotters of all ages arrived by foot and by bike to participate in the grand opening. Laurie Thompson, co-chair of the Trails Committee, Lane Morrison, chair of the Selectboard, and Clark Hinsdale, who initiated the idea of the underpass with the State of Vermont many years ago, all spoke at the ceremony before the ribbon cutting. Several local farms and businesses donated food for the event.
There are times in life when it’s not until someone dies that we come to understand how their life impacted ours, even when we didn’t know them while they were here, even if it was and is peripherally. Such is the story of Mark Bolles, the former pastor of the Charlotte Congregational Church, who was born on August 21, 1951, and died on August 12, 2018.
Barrie Dunsmore died on Sunday, Aug. 26, in Washington D.C. of congestive heart failure. He was 79 years old.
Barrie Dunsmore died last Sunday—and he’s been my constant companion—rowing with me on the lake as the sun rises, walking around meadows and offering amusing peanut gallery perspectives on the news. It’s odd that when people die, they seem not gone but ever closer.
For many Charlotters, yoga is an important component to everyday life here. From meditation at the beach, to classes at the Berry Farm and with studios just over town lines, yoga has touched all corners of Charlotte. Spending my first summer here in three years, I felt drawn to learn more about the yoga community while also exploring my own practice.
These were the words told to 19-year-old Charlotter Kyle Jaunich by his doctors a few weeks after what was supposed to be a simple foot surgery in January 2017. A few days later, Jaunich walked out of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with a cane and several teary-eyed doctors.
The Rotary Club of Charlotte-Shelburne-Hinesburg was recently entertained and informed by its own small version of a TED Talk. The talk was given by Dr. John MacKay, a consulting chemist, who helps cannabis extraction companies test and optimize their product. This report is based on his 30-minute presentation and subsequent correspondence.
Full Belly Farm is a very important place to Becca Von Trapp. She has been farming there for the past seven years. Full Belly is a 400-acre, certified organic farm in the Capay Valley in Northern California (not to be confused with a farm with the same name in Hinesburg) that has produced organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and a variety of meats for over 30 years.
The Philo Ridge Farm Market, located on the corner of Hinesburg and Mt. Philo roads, opened on July 6 and has been steadily and happily welcoming members of Charlotte and its surrounding communities since.
As I finish my two-year term on the Charlotte Energy Committee (CEC) as the student representative, I reflect on the evenings I spent with the group. My time on the CEC served as an amazing learning opportunity.
Sabrina Davis is passionate about her college experience. She is a rising junior at Adelphi University in Nassau County, New York, where she is a history major with a concentration in American history.
The Festival of Fools is a celebration of street theater, music and circus arts all rolled into one magical weekend, August 3, 4 and 5, in downtown Burlington. Now in its 11th year, the Festival has showcased some of the most eye-catching circus and variety artists from around the world
Johnny Helzer took the circuitous route to Peg and Ter’s, the restaurant he and his wife, Tina, recently opened in Shelburne. “I grew up in Charlotte, went to CVU and UVM, spent some time working in the medical field in California, then lived in
Adelaide Toensing is one talented equestrian. From growing up in Charlotte riding ponies at the barn, she now finds herself competing at the highest level of show jumping at just 18 years old.
Young Charlotters is a column in which we will profile the lives of young men and women who spent some of their growing-up years in Charlotte.
Charlotte Girl Scout Troop #30066 attended Scout Day at the Great Escape in New York on June 9. While there they participated in various activities such as scavenger hunts, tie-dyeing, making SWAPS and enjoying the rides.
Michaela Flore has been a member of the Charlotte community all her life and thoroughly enjoyed growing up here as the oldest of three sisters. Her father, Josh Flore, is a Shelburne police officer. Michaela feels proud of her parents because they worked hard to give her and her sisters a good life. “Growing up in Charlotte made me proud of how hard my parents worked. I have respect for the farmers, too, growing up so close to them,” she says. Some of her favorite places in Charlotte are the library, the beach and the Charlotte Central School soccer fields.
Perhaps it was South Africa’s recent political history, or maybe it was the excitement of going to a place that I believed was the polar opposite of the small Vermont town I grew up in, but around Christmas of 2017, I found myself packing my bags to embark on a five-month study abroad program in Durban, South Africa.