Around Town

Around Town

to Kristopher and Sarah Larson of Charlotte who recently purchased Otter Creek Awnings of Williston, a locally based company that provides customized solutions to outdoor and shading needs. They make deck canopies and retractable awnings, window and commercial awnings as well as solar shades.

Selectboard updates

Selectboard updates

The May 29 Selectboard meeting began with further discussion of the Thompson’s Point wastewater ordinance. Language in the document was refined for clarity, but no major changes were made. A full walk-through of the ordinance was scheduled to take place at the June 11 meeting. 

What is the Charlotte Grange and what do they do?

What is the Charlotte Grange and what do they do?

The Grange was slow in coming to New England, and Vermont’s first grange was the Green Mountain Grange #1 in St. Johnsbury, formed in 1871.  Vermont, however, became the first state in New England and only the seventh state in the U.S. to form a State Grange, which happened in July of 1872.  Several granges were formed during that time throughout Vermont although not in Chittenden County.  

Calendar of Events

Calendar of Events

pril 6
Stellaria Trio presents: Dark horses. Violinist Letitia Quante, cellist John Dunlop and pianist Claire Black of Charlotte perform Beethoven’s Piano Trio No. 6 in E-flat Major and Dvoák’s Piano Trio No. 3 in F Minor, two robust, delightful and yet lesser-known works by these celebrated composers. 7:30 p.m. at the Richmond Free Library in Richmond. Free admission. Donations welcome.

Around Town

Around Town

to Courtney McDermott of Charlotte whose poem, “Girls who walk alone at night,” was selected for the Young Writer’s Project in the March 23 Burlington Free Press. Responding to the theme, “How you stand out from the crowd,” Courtney, in fact, hopes she can stand apart as she walks down Burlington’s Church Street at night.

Calendar of Events

Calendar of Events

March 21-Relationships Across Difference: A Conversation series with Fran Stoddard at Join moderator Fran Stoddard, Vermont PBS producer/host, for a provocative three-part series exploring relationships across differences. Distinguished guests will engage in conversation from their unique perspectives; from engagement with the natural world, each other, and diverse spiritual traditions, and how that may help to bridge the divide. Free & open to the public: donations gratefully accepted at the door. Registration is not required but recommended

Sports Report

Sports Report

So, you can end the season coming in at second place for men and second place for women and still win the overall state championship. This happened to CVU’s Alpine ski teams. The women finished second in their two-day event in early March, behind Mount Mansfield Union. Redhawk Becca Provost was the top individual finisher in the slalom race at Burke Mountain. 

R. L. Vallee withdraws application for Maplefields Store 

R. L. Vallee withdraws application for Maplefields Store 

Engineers for the proposed Maplefields off Route 7 and Ferry and Church Hill roads wrote to Zoning Board Chair Frank Tenney saying that, due to comments by the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) concerning cross-traffic turns into and out of the proposed location, they and R. L. Vallee, Inc. are withdrawing their proposal for a Maplefields Store on the site. The proposal called for lanes to allow southbound drivers, once they had passed through the traffic signal at the intersection, to turn left into the store’s lot and again to turn left as they leave. VTrans instead said only right turns from Route 7 into and out of the location would be allowed. Vallee and its engineers found this unacceptable and feared people would try to turn south coming out despite signs to the contrary. 

Hinesburg Garage stormwater treatment is a great example of what towns can do

Hinesburg Garage stormwater treatment is a great example of what towns can do

Upon discovering the Hinesburg Garage was planning on completing a site redevelopment to upgrade facilities for both the town garage and Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) Drop-Off Center, Lewis Creek Association (LCA) jumped on the opportunity to improve water quality. The property is adjacent to Beecher Hill Brook, which is a tributary to the LaPlatte River that flows through Hinesburg and Charlotte, then eventually drains into Shelburne Bay. Beecher Hill Brook has incised and is disconnected from its historic floodplain, meaning it will likely be unstable during floods. Runoff from the existing buildings, parking lot, driveway and some portions of the gravel pit flows untreated directly into Beecher Hill Brook. The redevelopment of the property presents a unique opportunity to reduce storm-water runoff, improve water quality and increase flood resiliency.  

CVU students offer thoughtful,  passionate response to Parkland shooting

CVU students offer thoughtful, passionate response to Parkland shooting

Six students at Champlain Valley Union District High School (and one who weighed-in via email) gathered recently to discuss their responses to the mass shooting at Stoneham Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on February 14.  All of the students agreed that their initial reaction to the news of the shooting was that it was “just another in a long line of school shootings,” but that this one, this time, has become a game-changer, with the voices of so many students being heard now.