Alburgh thins school budget by $10K, prepares May vote

By MICHAEL FRETT Islander Staff Writer ALBURGH – Nearly a month after voters narrowly defeated an Alburgh school budget already described by school officials as “thin,” Alburgh’s school board tentatively warned Monday a second budget election for May 2. The amended education budget Alburgh officials warned Monday changes very little from what the school board had initially forwarded to voters on Town Meeting Day, with only an additional $10,000 removed from a line item relating to business maintenance. The reduced $10,000 would, according to the Grand Isle Supervisory Union’s Megan DeVinny, still leave the Alburgh Town School District with “a healthy budget of $220,000 in there” for building operations and maintenance issues at the Alburgh Community Education Center. “When we had last got together, you asked us to potentially find specific lines that would hopefully impact kids the least,” DeVinny said during Monday’s meeting. “That was the one item that jumped out as impacting kids the least while still allowing other projects to go through.” Alburgh’s school board accepted the proposed budget adjustment with little discussion beyond noting the school budget they brought before voters earlier this year had already been comparatively thin in order to limit its potential tax impact to Alburgh residents struggling with the impacts of inflation. “It was a thin budget to begin with,” Michael Savage, the school board’s chair, said as the board agreed to the recommended $10,000 cut. For Town Meeting Day this year, Alburgh’s school board warned a vote for an annual education budget of more than $7.2 million to afford both the Alburgh Community Education Center and the tuition needed to send Alburgh children to schools outside of the town’s district for another year. While the proposed spending plan might have leveled tax rates in Alburgh from the year before despite challenges with budgeting for inflation, an electrified real estate market saw Alburgh’s common level of appraisal, a ratio used in Vermont to help determine education taxes comparing homes’ assessed values to their actual sales value, fall dramatically, surging the town’s education tax rate. See “ALBURGH SCHOOL BUDGET” Page 6

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North Hero tees up hearing for controversial zoning updates

North Hero, VT

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By MICHAEL FRETT Islander Staff Writer NORTH HERO – A comprehensive update to North Hero’s zoning bylaws will be the centerpiece of an upcoming hearing where, according to town officials, North Hero residents will have a chance to sound off on proposed updates to the town’s development rules. Late last month, North Hero’s selectboard scheduled a hearing on a long-discussed bylaws update for April 17 following the board’s regular meeting that evening. The hearing, required by law for a potential update to North Hero’s zoning regulations, could be the first of several, according to town officials. “The way I look at this first public hearing for us, it’s an opportunity for us to present these documents in their current state of revision… and really just invite feedback from the community,” Harry Parker, the chair of North Hero’s selectboard, said. “This is one of what could be many hearings.” An update to North Hero’s zoning regulations has been underway for well over a year now, having first been entertained by the town’s planning commission in early 2021. According to Andy Alling, the chair of North Hero’s planning commission, the commission had intended to sort out “a few specific issues” with North Hero’s existing regulations before gradually agreeing to a more comprehensive update to more closely align North Hero’s bylaws with often stricter state regulations and make the town’s bylaws easier for developers to navigate. “There’s a lot of examples where our current regulations didn’t match state regulations,” Alling told The Islander last week. “Beyond that, we wanted to make things easier to navigate.” The planning commission’s proposed updates have proven somewhat controversial in the small Champlain Islands community, particularly regarding amendments in the proposed update increasing housing density in some areas and other amendments relating specifically to North Hero’s shorelines and Vermont’s Shoreland Protection Act. According to Alling, the proposed bylaws updates more explicitly reference the requirements of the Shoreland Protection Act, replacing similar regulations currently found in North Hero’s laws. The act, which was controversial when passed in 2014, strictly regulates how landowners manage their shoreline properties to mitigate environmental impacts related to erosion, wildlife habitat and water quality. While often stricter than requirements outlined under North Hero’s current development regulations, some debate regarding North Hero’s proposed bylaws update seemed to argue references in the updates to the Shoreland Protection Act weakened environmental regulations in North Hero, an argument Alling emphatically disputed both publicly and in his interview with The Islander. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” Alling said. “I personally put a lot of effort into coordinating with the Shoreland Protection Act.” Despite references to the Shoreland Protection Act, the proposed updates to North Hero’s bylaws maintain a shoreland-specific zoning district where, under North Hero’s laws, only certain forms of development could take place and only if they meet certain building criteria. Maybe even more controversial, however, were regulations relating to housing density in the proposed updates to North Hero’s zoning bylaws. Under the revised regulations, North Hero would allow up to four housing units on a two-acre lot in each of its zoning districts in accordance with recommendations from the Northwest Regional Planning Commission to align the town’s zoning bylaws with state statutes forbidding zoning discrimination against dwellings with up to four housing units. The update regulations also shrink the minimum acreage for development in North Hero’s rural zoning district from three acres to two, aligning with the minimum acreage required for development along North Hero’s shorelines and its

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village district. While the latter update would still leave minimum acreage requirements in North Hero’s rural areas above those found in other Champlain Island towns, the update has featured prominently in debates around the proposed zoning updates brought by North Hero’s planning commission. According to Alling, it was also an area potentially warranting further debate. “The thought was to make things consistent throughout the town,” Alling told The Islander. “I do think that’s still worthy of further discussions.” Beyond those more controversial updates, most changes proposed for North Hero’s zoning bylaws were relatively minor, ranging from clarified language and references to state statutes, to easing restrictions on building handicap accessible ramps for North Hero homes and formalizing a mechanism for filing complaints with the town’s zoning administrator that currently does not exist. “I don’t think we’re proposing any major changes in North Hero,” Alling said. “We’re not proposing any kind of major overhauls to our regulations.” Under state law, North Hero’s selectboard would have the opportunity to potentially amend the proposed bylaws updates before eventually forwarding those updates to a town vote, a requirement for major updates to municipal zoning laws in North Hero. According to Parker, the selectboard’s chair, the upcoming hearing and tentative hearings after that would allow the selectboard to decide how to best go about preparing the bylaws updates for a vote. “Inviting initial comments on these drafts could really help focus us, as a group, on where we need to allocate the majority of our effort in terms of moving forward with our statutory obligations now that this is in our court,” Parker said during a selectboard meeting last month. Due to the amount of public interest in North Hero’s zoning regulations both over social media and during previous hearings relating to the town’s bylaws, planning commission officials have posted a suite of documents online outlining both the proposed changes and answers to a list of questions brought by David Ehrich, a development review board member who, as a private North Hero resident, had been critical of the proposed updates. Alling, when speaking with The Islander, referred to those documents more than once as resources North Hero voters should explore before the selectboard’s upcoming hearing. “I just want people to understand what we’re doing,” Alling said. According to Alling, should the bylaws updates eventually be defeated by voters in an eventual election, the planning commission would “go back to the drawing board.” Information about the proposed bylaws update, including the documents referenced by Alling, can be found online at https://www.northherovt.com/page/planning. According to meeting minutes, the selectboard’s hearing on North Hero’s zoning regulations has been formally warned for April 17 at 6:30 p.m., with attendance welcomed both in person at the town’s offices in the North Hero Elementary School and online via Zoom.

In Vermont, 1,168 motor vehicle crashes were caused by a distracted driver from 2017 to 2021, according to Bill Jenkins of the highway office. It is against the law to text, or to use a handheld electronic device while driving, including when stopped in traffic or at a red light or stop sign. Too many drivers still have not changed their driving behavior to fully refrain from using electronic devices while driving. The AAA Foundation reports that while 96% of drivers believe it is very or extremely dangerous to read a text or e-mail while driving, 4 out of 10 drivers admitted to doing so within the previous 30 days. When driving, the most important task is driving, Jenkins said. The SHSO’s Drive Well Vermont highway safety program focuses on Vermonters’ intentions to live well and treat others well, including when driving on Vermont roads. For more information about distracted driving and Drive Well Vermont, visit https://drivewell.vermont.gov/.

April is Distracted Driver Month; News conference today at MHS

MILTON -- April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and a special enforcement effort will run from April 6 to 10 in an effort to make Vermont’s roads safer by making the public more aware of the dangers of operating a motor vehicle while not focused. A press conference is planned for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday (today) at Milton High School, according to Lt. Allen Fortin of the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department. It is sponsored by the State Highway Safety Office, the sheriff’s department and Milton Police, Fortin said. It is designed to highlight the dangers of driving while distracted and students will be invited to operate pedal cars through a marked course while attempting to text a message, Fortin said. “The goal is to emphasize to students that when operating a vehicle, their focus should be on driving only,” Fortin said. The Vermont State Highway Safety Office (SHSO) in conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be supporting state, county, and local law enforcement agencies in an effort to focus education and enforcement on distracted driving laws. Nationwide 32,483 people died in motor vehicle crashes involving a distracted driver from 2011 to 2020, according to NHTSA.

The Islander

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South Hero looks toward May for hearing on ARPA funds

By MICHAEL FRETT Islander Staff Writer SOUTH HERO – Town officials in South Hero are looking toward May to begin parsing how to best use the bulk of the remaining federal funding allocated to South Hero under the American Rescue Plan Act. As of last week, South Hero officials were tentatively planning on meeting the first Monday in May to host a hearing on how to best use the town’s remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, an amount worth a little more than $442,000, according to testimony last week from the town’s treasurer. “I think that discussion at this public meeting will be important,” David Carter, the chair of South Hero’s selectboard, said during the board’s regular meeting last week. “We’ll have to make decisions and cut and decide which programs get fully funded, partially funded or cut.” The American Rescue Plan Act, often shorthanded as “ARPA,” was a sweeping federal spending plan passed in early 2021 to address the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and support communities’ recovery immediately following the pandemic’s height. Under ARPA, billions of federal dollars had been allocated directly toward local and county governments like South Hero’s. Through ARPA, South Hero’s government was awarded $493,000 for possible administrative and development projects. As of April, around $50,000 had already been allocated toward digitizing town records and purchasing equipment making it easier for people to attend municipal meetings virtually. South Hero officials have held off on allocating the remaining $442,000, however, deferring instead to South Hero’s planning commission to develop a potential spending plan informed by a town-wide survey ahead of a long-teased hearing the town’s selectboard finally scheduled last week. Late last year, a representative from the town’s planning commission and an ARPA-focused subcommittee, David Roy, presented that tentative spending plan, outlining roughly $495,000 in potential allocations ranging from improvements to White’s Beach and sidewalk development, to the construction of a new highway department salt shed for the town’s selectboard to weigh. According to town officials, South Hero’s upcoming ARPA meeting, tentatively scheduled for May 1, would allow local committees and organizations to make their case for available ARPA funding, while also potentially opening the door for members of the public to offer their own suggestions for using the town’s remaining ARPA funds. A final decision on how to use South Hero’s ARPA funding would fall to the town’s selectboard sometime

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Continued from Page 4 after the proposed May hearing. While the selectboard has yet to vote on any new uses of the town’s remaining ARPA funds, members of the board did hint toward potential priorities for the remaining funds, arguing generally that the board would likely prefer what the board’s vice chair, Ross Brown, called “brick and mortar” projects to any kind of programming the town would need to fund on its own in the future. “For me, ARPA says ‘brick and mortar,’” the selectboard’s vice chair said last week. “Not creating a program that we have to pay for later.” Board members also suggested their ultimate decision would depend on timing, as ARPA funding has built-in deadlines requiring funding be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026. Because of this, according to some officials, certain priorities previously suggested by South Hero’s planning commission, like using ARPA funding to support the restoration of South Hero’s “Old White Meeting House” or a possible park planned for the area behind the meeting house, might be more difficult to fund with ARPA dollars due to still uncertain timelines guiding those projects. At the same time, the proposed costs for some projects prioritized by South Hero’s planning commission might be offset in other ways, whether through the 1% local option tax on meals and alcohol town officials expected to begin collecting revenue from in 2023 or physical work the town’s highway department could manage in lieu of hiring private contractors. Already, as of last week’s selectboard meeting, the town’s highway department was tentatively tapped for work on White’s Beach, potentially dulling the nearly $20,000 in requests Dylan Degree, the vice chair of South Hero’s recreation committee, had pitched during last week’s meeting for improvements to the beach’s park facilities. Still, despite these complications, the selectboard seemed interested as of last week in allowing each potential request to be heard during their upcoming hearing, particularly given that many of the projects proposed by South Hero’s ARPA committed had come courtesy of the public itself through the town’s 2022 ARPA-focused planning surveys. “My view is that anything on the list – whether it’s feasible or not feasible, timely or not timely – stays on the list, so the public can come in and say, ‘We favor this,’” selectperson Chuck Hulse said. “I understand there are some things we can say just won’t work,” Hulse continued, “but if we take things off the list, people are going to come back and say, ‘I voted for this. What happened to this?’”

State decertifies Matott as police officer after domestic case

By MIKE DONOGHUE ISLANDER STAFF WRITER PITTSFORD -- The Vermont Criminal Justice Council has voted to decertify Christopher Matott as a law enforcement officer following his criminal convictions in Grand Isle County as part of a domestic abuse investigation. Matott, 34, most recently of Rouses Point, N.Y., had received last Fall a suspended prison sentence of 120 days to 2 years and was placed on probation for four years for domestic assault and criminal threatening convictions. Matott pleaded guilty to both charges in Vermont Superior Court in North Hero and was assessed $294 in court costs for the two convictions. In a separate investigation, Judge Samuel Hoar Jr. also imposed $400 in fines on Matott for two cases of violating pre-trial release conditions, but as part of the plea agreement the payment of the fines was suspended. The judge did assess Matott another $354 in court costs for those two convictions. Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Doug DiSabito had insisted as part of the plea bargain that Matott could never serve as a police officer ever again due to the domestic assault conviction. Matott also will be prohibited under federal law from carrying or using a firearm. The action by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council also is designed to ensure Matott does not become a police officer in another state. The council will share its ruling with other states, according to Chris Brickell, the deputy director of the police academy. Matott was working for Winooski Police and was assigned to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force when arrested on more than a half dozen charges by Vermont State Police in February 2020. Then-Winooski City Manager Jessie Baker subsequently fired Matott, who appealed. The two sides agreed to put the appeal on hold until his criminal cases were resolved. Now his appeal is closed. Matott, who previously worked for South Burlington Police, voluntarily agreed to sign an 11-page stipulation and consent order in the state decertification case, officials said. Matott has been working recently as a part-time building code and zoning officer for the town of Chazy, N.Y. and as a part-time code enforcement officer and safety officer in the town and village of Champlain, N.Y. “I’m just trying to put it behind me,” Matott said at his sentencing. The Islander

April 5 - April 11, 2023

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ALBURGH SCHOOL BUDGET

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Between 2022 and 2023, the proposed homestead education tax in Alburgh would have grown from more than $1.45 for every $100 in assessed property value to $1.64 had voters approved the budget Alburgh’s school board proposed in March, effectively resulting in a 12% tax increase for Alburgh households not benefitting from Vermont’s income sensitivity program. Alburgh voters on Town Meeting Day only narrowly defeated the proposed budget by ten votes, with 162 votes in favor of the proposed education budget and 172 votes opposed. With a budget vote planned for May 2, Alburgh’s school board agreed Monday evening to organize an informational meeting for the pending vote for May 1 at 6:30 p.m., scheduled to immediately follow the school board’s regular May meeting. Alburgh was one of only two communities to vote down a school budget on Town Meeting Day this year. The other defeated budget, funding a school district centered on Barre, had faced backlash in its community for spending too little on its students, according to The Barre – Montpelier Times Argus.

Slow down for frogs and salamanders

By Joshua Morse, VT Fish & Wildlife Dept. MONTPELIER, Vt. – Vermont Fish and Wildlife is asking drivers to slow down and be cautious when travelling at night in early spring or to take alternate routes to avoid driving roads near ponds and wetlands that salamanders and frogs cross during their breeding season. “One of the benefits of checking out amphibian road crossings,” says Fish and Wildlife herpetologist Luke Groff, “is that you can see many individuals and species in a short period and small area, and some species may not be seen the rest of the year.  The spotted and blue-spotted salamanders, for example, belong to a group called the “mole salamanders,” because after breeding, they retreat underground or under logs or stumps, and are rarely seen until the next spring.” Road crossings are also a great way to see rare or otherwise hard-to-find species, which biologists rely on for data collection.  For example, the four-toed salamander is rare in Vermont, and its distribution is not well understood.  This information is used by Fish and Wildlife, the Agency of Transportation and other conservation partners to assess the need for wildlife passages and barriers in road construction plans that allow all wildlife, not just frogs and salamanders, to more safely cross roadways.  Groff is encouraging Vermonters to explore their nearby roads and report amphibian road crossings to the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas (https://www.vtherpatlas.org/sighting-submission-form).  If you can safely take photos of the amphibian species crossing, please include them. Vermonters who wish to contribute to the Fish and Wildlife Department’s work to conserve frog and salamander populations can donate to the Nongame Wildlife Fund on their state income tax form or on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website.

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The Islander April 5 - April 11, 2023

Disabito reviews investigation, videos, into Alburgh school brawl, death

By MIKE DONOGHUE Islander Staff Writer ALBURGH – A decision could come by the end of this week from Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Doug Disabito on whether anybody will be charged in criminal court for a brawl among fans at a junior high school basketball game in Alburgh nine weeks ago. One Alburgh resident involved in the fight died about two hours later and the incident became a national news story. Investigators and DiSabito met on Friday to review the police investigation and the various videos captured on school and spectator cameras of the Jan. 31 incident, State Police Detective Capt. Jeremey Hill said. They also reviewed the final autopsy report that showed Russell Giroux, 60, of Poor Farm Road died from heart issues, state police said. The office of Vermont’s Chief Medical Examiner has now ruled Giroux’s cause of death as an “acute cardiac event following altercation in an individual with coronary artery atherosclerosis.” The manner of death is listed as “undetermined,” police said. DiSabito said Tuesday that he hopes to get some videos enhanced to get a clearer picture. He said he has been studying the case and will try to determine what, if any, charges are appropriate. “I am reviewing everything,” Disabito told The Islander on Tuesday. Disabito said some people were disorderly and some fought, but the issue is what he will be able to prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” -- the requirement in a criminal prosecution. Some suspects may try to claim self-defense, or they were defending others, he said. Giroux had left the Alburgh Community Education Center after the altercation between some fans and players for the St. Albans City Elementary team and Alburgh at 6:55 p.m. Jan. 31. About 45 minutes later Giroux had a medical event while driving his car on U.S. 2 in Alburgh and he activated OnStar, which summoned police and rescue. An ambulance from Rouses Point, N.Y. took him to Northwest Medical Center in St. Albans, where he was pronounced dead at 9:08 p.m., records show. Giroux, a grandfather, had been at the game to watch a family member play. The altercation and death has made it into newspapers and newscasts across the nation. There also were reports that at least two boys punched walls and needed medical treatment at the hospital. State police said the first trooper did not arrive in Alburgh until 7:45 p.m. -- 50 minutes after the initial 911-calls about the massive fight. The delayed response was due in part to a crash on Interstate 89 near St. Albans and only three troopers to cover Franklin and Grand Isle counties. Police were told the fight had ended and people were leaving the school when the shift supervisor called back one of the complaining witnesses. The Islander learned the U.S. Border Patrol, which often provides back-up from its duty stations in Alburgh and Swanton, were unaware of the school fight due to an unknown change by the state police radio shop to the communications system in the area. The recent deficiency in its radio system has since been corrected and border patrol agents are now able to monitor state police radio communications again and offer assistance as needed, a spokesman said. State police continue to investigate into what prompted the skirmish and the specific roles played by those involved, spokesman Adam Silverman said. DiSabito had asked state police to identify everybody in each of the videos that they have located. Hill has said investigators worked with school leaders to try to identify those on both sides of the battle. Police were provided names from team rosters and their parents. Hill has reported the basketball game was not close – something like Alburgh leading 24 to 6 – near the end of the third quarter when St. Albans City fans became upset about calls made or not made by the two referees. There were hostile remarks exchanged between fans from both schools and at one point an Alburgh mother had her glasses knocked off her head, Hill said. The dispute erupted and soon adults were on the court fighting, the captain said. Hill estimated the brawl lasted about a minute. It was mostly adults, but at least two junior high players in uniform appeared involved. One player was seen throwing multiple punches into a pile of people on the floor. State Police have said the investigation showed Giroux inserted himself into the dispute, but eventually things cooled off and the game was called off. Giroux, like all the fans, walked out of the gym under his own power, Hill said. It was a doubleheader for St. Albans City and Alburgh that day. The girls played in the first game, followed by the boys. DiSabito has said the case is disturbing that some adults displayed poor behavior, especially in front of children. He said it appears from watching some videos that several fans engaged in disorderly conduct. There were more than a dozen adults and at least two children involved in the clash. Police have attempted to interview those that have been identified as being part of the fight and others that were just spectators. “Supporting the players does not mean (i) screaming angrily or with profane-laden shouts; (ii) making gestures when a player makes a mistake or a ref-

eree makes a disagreeable close call; (iii), displaying horrible body language; or (iv) engaging in violent, threatening, or tumultuous behavior (i.e., Disorderly Conduct, which is a misdemeanor in the State of Vermont),” the veteran prosecutor had told The Islander immediately after the incident. Two days after the incident, school officials in Grand Isle County announced that it was implementing a “fan ban” at all schools for the remainder of the basketball season – about two weeks. Some parents and fans said it was an overreach and that innocent parties were being punished when they weren’t even involved. Others thought it was a reasonable response. It was unclear what alternatives were considered before a total ban. Some suggested having the fans for the opposing team sit at opposite ends of the gym, instead of being mingled together. Others suggested hiring a deputy sheriff or security guard to ensure order. The letter banning fans was signed by Superintendent Michael Clark, the 4 elementary school principals covering the buildings in Alburgh, Grand Isle, North Hero and South Hero, along with other district officials, including for business, facilities, human resources and technology. Clark said Tuesday that the ban on fans was for the basketball season only.

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‘They’re going to be better prepared to save lives’: Milton scouts model severe crash at Mountain Transit

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By MICHAEL FRETT Islander Staff Writer MILTON – As noises blared from the speakers of a Mountain Transit bus Wednesday evening, Milton Boy Scouts traced the bus’s length, fashioning crude splints and first aid for the survivors of the “bus accident” jamming the parking lot of Mountain Transit’s Milton garage. The entire exercise was obviously staged, from the convenient flood lights brightening the bus’s interior to the grins peppered between obligatory mentions of heart attacks and dislocated arms, but scouts still found themselves considering questions that, according to scout leaders, could save lives one day. “It’s deliberately designed to be chaotic,” Austin Barber, the leader of the Boy Scouts of America Green Mountain Council’s Milton-based Troop 631, told The Islander as the scouts wound down their exercise. “We train as close as possible to reality, so they’re better prepared to respond.” According to the scouts’ leaders, the faux accident, staged with Mountain Transit’s help, was intended as the climax of a month’s long education program focused on first aid, offering a chance for the Boy Scouts of Troop 631 to apply some of the lessons they learned during a series of March lessons. Tapping into previous lessons that Local Boy Scouts from the Boy Scouts of America’s Troop 631 included a visit to Milton Rescue, scouts pause for a salute outside at Mountain Transit’s Milton garage took turns practicing cardiopulmonary on Wednesday before simulating an emergency response to a resuscitation (CPR) on a “bus driver” and bus accident. Photo by Michael Frett. escorted “victims,” like the scout tapped to act out a feigned head wound, out of the bus’s back door. Scouts weighed questions about who they could best help and who they could only stabilize before a hypothetical ambulance finally arrived. Even the seemingly youngest of the scouts found themselves making calls about simulated injuries as severe as spinal damage. According to Barber, Troop 631’s leader, beyond testing the Milton Boy Scouts on the month’s first aid lessons, the simulated accident also allowed leaders like Barber to test scouts Boy Scouts from Milton scramble through the back of a Mountain Transit bus to on their ability to work treat the “victims” of a simulated bus accident during a as a team and scan the training event last week. Photo by Michael Frett. crowd of scouts who could become future leaders themselves. “Some of the scouts really surprised me,” Barber told The Islander. “It was good to see some leadership potential, especially when some of the younger kids dig-in and take charge.” While Wednesday’s exercise was the first bus accident Troop 631 was allowed to stage, larger exercises like these were not necessarily new for the scouts of Troop 631. According to Barber, staging larger casualty events like Wednesday’s bus accident or the logging incident the group modeled by the Milton Boy Scout troop during a previous year offered a new dynamic to the first aid lessons Barber remembered receiving when he was a Boy Scout years ago.

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Continued from Page 8

“We did a lot of first aid training, but it was about individual skills,” Barber recalled. “This adds an element I certainly didn’t have as a youth.” According to the Boy Scouts of America’s guide to teaching first aid, first aid is “an important skill for every scout,” allowing a scout to potentially “provide immediate care and assistance” while waiting for emergency responders and trained medical personnel. Barber, Troop 631’s leader, said the lessons practiced during the simulated bus accident could help some scouts possibly Members of the Boy Scouts of America’s Troop 631 collect outside of Mountain save lives should they find Transit’s garage to talk through their response to a simulated bus accident themselves in a similar sitduring a training event last week. Photo by Michael Frett. uation. “With a better understanding in a situation like this,” Barber told The Islander, “they’re going to be better prepared to save lives.”

George maintained while Martin was irresponsible and dangerous in his actions, she believed him and thought his conduct wasn’t criminal. Martin was initially ordered detained on the federal charges after his 2019 arrest as both a danger to the community and a risk to flee. He was later released and directed to live with his girlfriend and her four children in South Burlington.

Ex-Colchester man sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for drugs

By MIKE DONOGHUE Islander Staff Writer BURLINGTON -- A former Colchester man, who was involved in a controversial near-fatal shooting in Burlington, has been sentenced in U.S. District Court to 4 years in prison for drug conspiracy and trafficking. Carl “Dre” Martin, 37, also will be on three years of federal supervised release when finally released from prison, Senior Judge William K. Sessions III said. Sessions waived any fine, but imposed $500 in court costs. Martin was convicted for being part of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine from Fall 2018 to Oct. 23, 2019. He also was convicted for four charges of distribution of cocaine most of them in Colchester on Aug. 26, 2019, Sept. 5, 2019, Sept. 20, 2019 and Oct. 23, 2019. He was arrested during a “buy/bust” at the McDonald’s parking lot on Heineberg Drive in Malletts Bay -- just over a mile from his former home on Grey Birch Drive. A jury of 11 women and one man convicted him in June 2022 after deliberating almost 9 hours to end the 5-day trial. The jury found Martin not guilty on a charge of possessing a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol that he traded for cocaine in an effort to further help his drug trafficking on Oct. 23, 2019. Defense lawyer Chandler Matson focused heavily on that charge because it would have been an automatic 5-year prison term. Martin did not take the stand during the trial following the investigation headed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The head of the ATF in New England said it was important to take Martin off the streets. “Carl Martin has proven to be a violent individual, committing multiple crimes over a lengthy period of time, using his firearm to solve disputes,” ATF Special Agent in Charge James Ferguson said. “Mr. Martin will now answer for his actions.” Martin also was involved in a high-profile shooting in front of the Nectar’s Bar on Main Street in Burlington in February 2018. Just before the shooting, Carl Martin punched Rashad Nashid, then-37, in the face and pointed a firearm at him. In return, Nashid fired his own gun in the direction of Martin, but hit an innocent bystander in the chest. She was seriously wounded in the case, which was captured on security video. Nashid received a 12 ½ year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George refused to charge Carl Martin for his involvement in the shooting. Matson had listed George as a potential defense witness for Martin, but never called her to the stand. Burlington Police had ordered Martin into criminal court for the Nectar’s case on charges of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and aggravated disorderly conduct. When George refused to honor the police citation it brought wide sweeping public criticism for her inaction. The critics included Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger and then-Police Chief Brandon del Pozo. Del Pozo said he thought such a serious case should have been left up to a jury. The Islander

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Vermont senators push for additional Lake Champlain funds

By ISLANDER STAFF GRAND ISLE – Vermont’s congressional delegation is pushing for federal funds to support improving the environment and water quality in the Lake Champlain basin, having signed off on a request for more than $116 million to support federal agencies whose work extends to Lake Champlain. In a letter to several key committees in the U.S. Senate, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I – Vt.) and Peter Welch (D – Vt.), as well as New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand, lawmakers argue for additional funding to support water quality work in both Lake Champlain and other nearby waA biker gazes out over Lake Champlain from near White’s tersheds. “Lake Cham- Beach in South Hero during an annual “Bike for the Lake” plain provides sig- fundraiser organized by the Friends of Northern Lake Champlain. File photo by Michael Frett. nificant environmental, recreational, historic and educational value to our region,” the senators wrote in their letter. “We have a responsibility to expand federal support for the lake so our constituents can benefit for years and generations to come.” Included in the senators’ request were $35 million to support the Lake Champlain Basin Program, a federal program based in Grand Isle that supports work related to conservation, managing excessive cyanobacteria-spurring nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, and mitigating threats posed to the watershed by inva-

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The Islander April 5 - April 11, 2023

sive species. The senators also requested roughly $30 million for the National Park Service’s Heritage Partnership Program, which supports preservation and conservation work across the country, and another $50 million for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, an agency whose charges include managing fish populations and controlling invasive species in the U.S.’s largest lakes. While much of the requested funding for both agencies relates to programming outside of Vermont and New York, both the Heritage Partnership Program and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s work extends to public education, research and fisheries management in the Lake Champlain basin. Additional funding was, according to the senators, also requested for both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s program for managing sea lamprey, a parasitic fish whose voracious appetite has historically been linked to collapsing trout populations in both Lake Champlain and the wider Great Lakes, and for Meg Modley, the aquatic invasive species management the U.S. Army coordinator for the Lake Champlain Basin Program, hoists Corps of Engi- a collection of invasive water chestnuts harvested from the neers’ program Sandbar Wildlife Management Area in Milton. for controlling File photo by Michael Frett. invasive aquatic plants. In all, the requested funding is around $15.5 million more than what had been allocated to the five organizations a year before, according to the senators’ letter.

Continued on Page 11

Continued from Page 10

The states in the Lake Champlain basin remain under federal orders to dramatically reduce the amount of phosphorus running into the basin every year by the 2030s. While a vital nutrient for virtually all forms of life, phosphorus, when washed into waterways in excess, can nurture sometimes toxic blooms of cyanobacteria better known as “blue-green algae.” Excessive cyanobacteria blooms have been linked to public health issues, resulting in seasonal beach closures, and have also been known to harm wildlife. Lake Champlain has also been impacted by invasive species, nonnative plants and animals whose arrival in the Lake Champlain basin has harmed local ecosystems. According to the Lake Champlain Basin Program, 51 invasive species, like the Eurasian milfoil plants choking local waterways and the zebra mussels lining bay bottoms, are known to have moved into Lake Champlain. “We ask you to continue to provide robust federal funding for programs supporting the Lake Champlain basin,” the senators’ letter read.

Isle La Motte News ISLE LAMOTTE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION By Sylvia Jensen The Isle La Motte Community Organization is hosting their quarterly meeting on April 15 at the Isle La Motte School, 42 School St., beginning at 8:30 a.m. Please join us as we discuss and plan our spring, summer, and fall events enriching our community. If there is something you would like to bring to the group, call or text 802-309-5500. 

SATURDAY, APRIL 8 - Baby Animal Day at Dreamwalker Farm, 108 Allen Rd, Grand Isle; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free family fun for all ages! TUESDAY, APRIL 11 - Public Local-Led Conservation Meeting at North Hero Community Hall, 3483 Route 2, North Hero; 6:30 p.m. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12 - Handmade Fresh Pasta at the Worthen Library, 28 Community Ln, South Hero; 5 p.m. Free, but space is limited. Details & RSVP at  https://southherolibrary.org/2023/02/02/ winter-wednesdays/ THURSDAY, APRIL 13 - Community Poetry Reading at the Grand Isle Fire Station Community Space, 17 Hyde Rd, Grand Isle; 6 p.m. FRIDAY, APRIL 14 - Rummage Sale at Three Steeples United Methodist Church, 491 Rte. 11, Champlain, NY; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Information: Joanne Haring 518-297-6506. SATURDAY, APRIL 15 - Isle La Motte Community Organization quarterly meeting at the Isle La Motte School, 42 School St.; 8:30 a.m. - Rummage Sale at Three Steeples United Methodist Church , 491 Rte. 11, Champlain, NY; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Information: Joanne Haring 518-297-6506. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 - The Most Costly Journey at the Worthen Library, 28 Community Ln, South Hero; 6 p.m. Free and open to all. Details & RSVP at  https://southherolibrary.org/2023/02/02/ winter-wednesdays/ The Islander

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The Islander April 5 - April 11, 2023

Local chess hero takes to Sanders’s inaugural competition

By MICHAEL FRETT Islander Staff Writer SOUTH HERO/RANDOLPH – A Folsom Community Education Center student and local chess hero came close to the top of their bracket in an inaugural chess championship organized by Vermont’s senior senator this weekend in Randolph, Vt. Participating in Sen. Bernie Sanders’s first annual Youth Chess Day at the Vermont Technical College in Randolph, Sam Hayward, an eighth grader at the South Hero school, made it as far as the finals in the tournament’s eighth-to-twelfth grade bracket, finally losing a match after a five-game streak. “It was really exciting,” Hayward’s mother, Katherine Hayward, told The Islander on Monday. “It’s amazing how quickly his brain can process information and strategize while playing chess.” As an eighth grader, Hayward, who had only played his first tournament a little less than a year ago, was the youngest of the Youth Chess Day tournament’s six finalists, according to Katherine HaySamuel Hayward, a Folsom Community Education ward. Regulars at the Worthen Library might recognize Center student who organizes a local chess club, Hayward as the local teenager who, through the li- poses for a photo with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I – Vt., brary’s Passion Project Challenge program, sought to after reaching the finals in the senator’s inaugural Youth Chess Day tournament. Courtesy photo. build a local chess tournament. Hayward still plays every Monday at the library for a club he hopes to continue building, Katherine Hayward said. “He plays at the Worthen Library most Mondays and would love to see interest in that club increase,” Katherine Hayward told The Islander. In the meantime, the local chess player reportedly intends to continue his competitive streak at the upcoming Vermont Scholastic Tournament in Berlin, Vt. In a statement announcing the Randolph tournament, Sanders, the tournament’s sponsor, described the Youth Chess Day tournament as one of several “opportunities for civic engagement and community for Vermont youth” championed by the senator in 2023. “Chess is a game of dedication, strategy and quick thinking,” Sanders said in a stateSouth Hero teen Samuel Hayward, right, competes in Sen. ment. “In my view, all young people, from all Berne Sanders’s inaugural Youth Chess Day tournament in backgrounds and from every corner of our state, should have the opportunity to learn Randolph. Courtesy photo. games like this.”

UNION BIBLE CHURCH Main St., Route 2, Alburgh, VT Dr. John C. Kehoe, Pastor

796-3055

Independent—Bible Believing—Gospel Preaching SUNDAY School & Bible Study _______ 9:30AM SUNDAY Worship__________________ 10:30AM WEDNESDAY Prayer Mtg. & Bible Study 7:00PM WEDNESDAY Children's Bible Club____ 7:00PM

“A Friendly and Joyful Welcome Awaits You” Nursery Provided at all Services website: www.unionbiblechurch.org

GOD'S LITTLE BROWN CHURCH A non-denominational GCMF affiliated Church CORNER ROUTE 2 AND ROUTE 129 SOUTH ALBURGH, VERMONT 05440 REV. C. ANDREW CHRYSLER, PASTOR (802)782-9384 WWW.GLBCVT.ORG “God’s Word has the answer”

WORSHIP......SUNDAY 10:00 AM BIBLE STUDY/PRAYER-WEDNESDAY 6:30 PM

Congregational Church of South Hero, U.C.C. Sunday Worship at 9:30 a.m. Nursery for ages 5 & under Sunday School Pastor: Rev. Cordelia Burpee 24 South St. South Hero, VT   05486 Tel:  372-4962 • [email protected] Office hours M-F 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. www.facebook.com/CCSHVT

Our Lady of the Lake Parish Serving the churches of Alburgh, Grand Isle, Isle La Motte & South Hero

MASS SCHEDULE St. Rose of Lima, South HeroSaturday: 4:00 p.m. St. Joseph, Grand Isle- Sunday: 9:00 a.m. St. Amadeus Parish, AlburghSunday: 11:00 a.m. Fr. Joseph Sanderson Tel: St. Amadeus Office 802-796-3481 Tel: St. Rose of Lima Office 802-372-4092 Website: https://ourladyofthelake.vermontcatholic.org/ Email: [email protected]

United Methodist Church

Isle La Motte ~ North Hero ~ Grand Isle APRIL UMC PARISH SCHEDULE APRIL 9 10:30 EASTER Service Grand Isle APRIL 16 8:30 Isle La Motte 10:30 North Hero APRIL 23 10:30 Grand Isle APRIL 30 10:30 North Hero Reverend Chico Martin Parish Office 372-6638 The Islander

April 5 - April 11, 2023

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Community Poetry Reading

Request for Bids Food Service Program Grand Isle Supervisory Union The Grand Isle Supervisory Union on behalf of the Champlain Islands Unified Union School District (CIUUSD) requests proposals for the operation and management of the School Food Service program for the school district. Proposals are due at the GISU office by 5pm on April 14, 2023 at 224 U.S Route 2, Grand Isle, VT 05458. Proposals will be accepted from food service management companies “FSMC”. The proposal will be for a period of one year with the option for four additional one-year renewals. For bid specifications or more information please contact Robert Gess, Business Manager at 802-372-6921 X2003, email: [email protected]. or Cindy Edwards, Food Service Administrator at 802-372-6921, email: cedwards@ gisu.org. The CIUUSD board reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received. Request for Bids Roof Replacement Grand Isle Supervisory Union The Grand Isle Supervisory Union on behalf of the South Hero School District requests proposals for the replacement of the rubber roof on the Folsom Education & Community Center. A site visit is scheduled for April 28, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. Proposals are due at the GISU office by 3pm on May 12, 2023 at 224 U.S Route 2, Grand Isle, VT 05458. For bid specifications or more information please contact Matt Brouillette, Facilities Director at 802372-5170, email: [email protected]. The South Hero School Board reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received. TOWN OF ISLE LA MOTTE Invitation to Bid The Town of Isle La Motte will be accepting bids for a 3-year roadside mowing contract for 2023 - 2025 for all Class 2 and Class 3 roadsides. Two mowing’s per year the first mowing in 2023- 2025 to be completed by July 1st. All other roadside mowing completion dates will be specified by the Select board with the contractor being notified two weeks prior to the required completion date. Bids must be sealed and received at the Town Office located at School St. Ext. Isle La Motte, Vt. 05463 or mailed to P.O. Box 250 Isle La Motte, Vt. 05463 by 4:00 p.m. on April 19, 2023. Bids will be opened at the Select Board Meeting on April 19, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Proof of insurance must accompany the bid. Please write Attn: Roadside Mowing Bids on the front of the envelope. Any questions regarding this bid please contact the Town Office at 1-802928-3434. The Town of isle La Motte reserves the right to accept or reject all bids.

TOWN OF ISLE LA MOTTE Invitation to Bid The Town of Isle La Motte is currently accepting bids for a three (3) year contract 2023 – 2025 for mowing and trimming the following town properties. Trimming includes: trimming around all objects on all properties. Please provide bids for each property and one bid to include all 5. The Isle La Motte Elementary School/Town Office Rec. Park / Salt Shed Area Old Town office Monument area at the bridge. Monument on Shrine Rd. Bids must be sealed and received at the Town Office located at School St. Ext. Isle La Motte, Vt. 05463 or mailed to P.O. Box 250 Isle La Motte, Vt. 05463 by 4:00 p.m. on April 19, 2023. Bids will be opened at the Select Board Meeting on April 19, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Proof of insurance must accompany the bid. Please write Attn: Lawn Mowing Bids on the front of the envelope. Any questions regarding this bid please contact the Town Office at 1-802-928-3434. The Town of Isle La Motte reserves the right to accept or reject all bids.

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The Islander April 5 - April 11, 2023

PROPOSED STATE RULES By law, public notice of proposed rules must be given by publication in newspapers of record. The purpose of these notices is to give the public a chance to respond to the proposals. The public notices for administrative rules are now also available online at https://secure.vermont.gov/SOS/ rules/ . The law requires an agency to hold a public hearing on a proposed rule, if requested to do so in writing by 25 persons or an association having at least 25 members. To make special arrangements for individuals with disabilities or special needs please call or write the contact person listed below as soon as possible. To obtain further information concerning any scheduled hearing(s), obtain copies of proposed rule(s) or submit comments regarding proposed rule(s), please call or write the contact person listed below. You may also submit comments in writing to the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules, State House, Montpelier, Vermont 05602 (802-828-2231). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Reach Up Eligibility Rules. Vermont Proposed Rule: 23P006 AGENCY: Agency of Human Services CONCISE SUMMARY: The Reach Up program provides cash assistance and support services to low income families. The Reach Up Eligibility rules govern the eligibility criteria for the Reach Up program. The proposed rule reorganizes and renumbers the rules to conform to a standard outline format, updates terminology, updates statutory references, and replaces deficit-based language with strengths-based language (for example, using the term “engagement” instead of “compliance”). Substantive changes to the content of the rule include:(1) allowing temporary absences to be approved when a child is voluntarily placed outside of the home (rule 2228.2); (2)removing the requirement that participants with over 60 months of assistance must complete a two-week period of compliance before benefits are approved and eliminating the two-month break in benefits for such participants (rule 2234.2); and (3) allowing pregnant individuals with substance use disorders to qualify for benefits under the high-risk pregnancy criteria (rule 2235). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Heidi Moreau, Department for Children and Families, 280 State Drive, Waterbury, Vermont 05671-1201 Tel: 802-595-9639 Email: heidi.moreau@vermont. gov. URL: https://dcf.vermont.gov/esd/laws-rules/proposed. FOR COPIES: Erin Oalican, Department for Children and Families, Economic Services Division 280 State Drive, Waterbury, Vermont 056711201 Tel: 802-585-4621 Email: [email protected]. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Reach Up Services Rules. Vermont Proposed Rule: 23P007 AGENCY: Agency of Human Services CONCISE SUMMARY: The Reach Up program provides cash assistance and support services to low income families. The rule governs participation requirements for families receiving Reach Up assistance. The proposed rule reorganizes the rules to conform to a standard outline format, updates terminology, updates statutory references, and replaces deficit-based language with strengths-based language. The proposed rule eliminates the independent medical review process as required by Act 133 of 2022. Additional changes to the content of the rule include:(1) Adding language to the good cause rule giving the Department discretion to determine good cause for non-engagement (i.e. non-participation with program requirements) (rule 2331.2);(2) Allowing households that have received 60+ months of assistance to participate in conciliations (a process to re-engage participants)(rule 2332.1); and (3) Removing the one- timeper-year limit on conciliations and allowing participants to utilize the conciliation process for each instance of non-engagement(rule 2332.1). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Heidi Moreau, Department for Children and Families, 280 State Drive, Waterbury, Vermont 05671-1201 Tel: 802-595-9639 Email: heidi.moreau@vermont. gov. URL: https://dcf.vermont.gov/esd/laws-rules/proposed. FOR COPIES: Erin Oalican, Department for Children and Families, Economic Services Division 280 State Drive, Waterbury, Vermont 056711201 Tel: 802-585-4621 Email: [email protected]. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 V.S.A. Appendix § 141 Baitfish Regulation. Vermont Proposed Rule: 23P008 AGENCY: Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board CONCISE SUMMARY: The purpose of the baitfish rule is to protect Vermont waters from invasive species and diseases that would adversely impact fisheries and aquatic ecosystem. The proposed rule amendments revise the terminology describing the waters where baitfish is “restricted” and specifically cannot be used or transported. The rule also amends the list of bait restricted waters to protect the fisheries in the appropriate waterbodies. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Catherine Gjessing, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 1 National Life Drive, Davis 2, Montpelier, VT 05620-3208 Tel: 802-595-3331 Fax: 802-828-1250 Email: [email protected] URL: https://vtfishandwildlife. com/about-us/fish-and-wildlife-board/board-rules. FOR COPIES: Eric Palmer, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, 1 National Life Drive, Davis 2, Montpelier, VT 05620-3208 Tel: 802-5357635 Fax: 802-828-1250 Email: [email protected].

By Janet Bonneau, Librarian, Grand Isle Free Library GRAND ISLE - Join us for an evening of poetry. Share a poem or song with us, or just enjoy listening! The reading will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 13 at the Grand Isle Fire Station Community Space. To register to read, contact the Grand Isle library by April 8. Drop ins welcome! Tea and snacks. Location: 17 Hyde Rd

ALL YOU CAN EAT EASTER BREAKFAST

Sunday, April 9 • 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. MENU: Pancakes, eggs to order, bacon, ham, sausage, home fries, toast, milk, orange juice, coffee. COST: Adults $12, Children 6-12 $6, Children 5 and under free. LOCATION: 60 Firehouse Rd, Alburgh Sponsored by Alburgh Volunteer Fire Department.

ISLE LA MOTTE LISTERS To Begin Inspections As required by law, V.S.A Title 32 S 3431(a) Listers shall reassess all properties with new construction or updates. All outside work will be inspected, weather permitting, starting April 1, 2023. Resident may request an appointment, by calling the Town Office at 802-928-3434 or emailing the listers at [email protected]. If you have any questions please contact us by phone or email. Isle La Motte Listers: Mary LaBrecque Louise Koss Deborah Spaulding

STATE OF VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT - PROBATE DIVISION GRAND ISLE UNIT DOCKET NO. 23-PR-01400 IN RE: ESTATE OF HENRY A. WASILEWSKI NOTICE TO CREDITORS To the creditors of HENRY A. WASILEWSKI, late of Alburgh, Vermont: I have been appointed to administer this estate. All creditors having claims against the decedent or the estate must present their claims in writing within four (4) months of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy sent to the Court. The claim may be barred forever if it is not presented within the four (4) month period. Dated: April 3, 2023 /s/Alan Bjerke, Esq. PO Box 59 Burlington, VT 05402 802 373-4199 [email protected] Name of Publication: The Islander Publication Date: April 5, 2023 Name and Address of Court: Grand Isle Probate Court PO Box 7, North Hero, VT 05474

‘A vibrant part of the community’: New director settles in at Milton Artists’ Guild

By MICHAEL FRETT Islander Staff Writer MILTON – In January this year, the Milton Artists’ Guild welcomed its new public face. “Give a big welcome to the Milton Artists’ Guild’s new leader and executive director!” a social media post from the Milton-based arts organization exclaimed in early January. “What a way to start 2023!” In the months since, that new director, Corrina Corrina Thurston, a colored pencil artist from Craftsbury Thurston, has large- and the Milton Artists’ Guild’s new director, hopes to ly settled into her see the guild continue developing as a community space and “cultural center for the area.” new role as the Photo by Michael Frett. guild’s director, and has developed a vision for the guild that sees it as a sustainable member of the Milton community and incubator for the larger community’s budding arts scene. “I want it to be recognized as a cultural center and community hub,” Thurston, a Craftsbury artist and herself a guild member whose own work is showcased in the guild’s Milton gallery, summarized during a recent interview with The Islander, “with programming as eclectic as our gallery space.” An artist by chance In a lot of ways, Thurston’s relationship with art is unique, touching on both the personal and the professional in ways many other artists’ lives often do not. Thurston, a Central Vermont native, was never formally trained as an artist, nor had she really experimented with the arts before starting the first of what would become a career’s worth of sketches. It was only after an unrelenting migraine prompted by a mysterious illness forced Thurston to derail her college education that the future guild director would turn to the arts almost out of desperation. Bedridden for years with symptoms of what was later diagnosed as chronic Lyme disease, Thurston began sketching with pencils and eventually developed an almost photorealistic style of colored pencil arts the Craftsbury artist said had been “therapeutic” at a time when, due to her illness, Thurston had been forced to leave college and sideline most of what she used to enjoy. “I was in excruciating pain the whole time,” Thurston told The Islander. “I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t read and couldn’t watch TV, but when I started drawing, I realized I was kind of good at it.” Her sketches with colored pencils soon developed into realistic likenesses of animals big and small, adapting photos of tree frogs and hermit crabs into the vibrant sketches that would later feature in galleries across the Green Mountain State. Thurston gradually grew her work as an artist into a business and, tapping into a backstory that saw her grow an arts career out of adversity, Thurston also took on work as a consultant and became a published author, penning several books intended to guide aspiring artists through the business side of professionalizing their work. “I started to draw as a therapeutic outlet, and I was able to grow that into a creative business,” Thurston said. “I understand what it’s like to be an artist, but I also understand what it takes to run a business.” She eventually came to the Milton Artists’ Guild around five years ago, finding a community in the guild Thurston said she hoped to support and develop. More than a year ago, she joined the guild’s board of directors and, as of January, she took the helm as the guild’s first executive director in almost a year. “I’m thrilled to have her here with us,” Lisa Rees, the president of the Milton Artists’ Guild’s board of directors, told The Islander late last month. “Our guild is for everybody, and what Corrina adds is someone who shares that vision.” ‘High hopes’ As director, Thurston is navigating the Milton Artists’ Guild through both a challenging time and one that, at least according to the director, appears opti-

mistic. Like many of Vermont’s arts organizations, the Milton Artists’ Guild struggled through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While sales out of the guild’s Milton gallery grew as interest in local artists climbed with the pandemic, donations to the organization staggered between COVID-19 and subsequent challenges with inflation. At the same time, life at the guild seemed to slow due to complications from the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting public health concerns. The guild was forced to set aside some of its arts programming, much of which was only just now coming back as concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic faded from the forefront of public conversation. “Covid and the economy and everything else hit arts programs very hard,” Thurston told The Islander. “It’s been a very hard time.” According to the Vermont Arts Council, cultural organizations like galleries, museums and theaters had been “among the hardest hit” by the COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont, with arts organizations reporting a total of nearly $36 million in losses between 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the Milton Artists’ Guild, the financial challenges prompted by the pandemic had been severe enough to the point of being existential, with Thurston suggesting during her interview with The Islander that there had been questions about whether the guild would be able to maintain its eclectic gallery space in the Milton Square Shopping Center. In that time, the guild lost its former director, Caitlyn Kenney, who left to live closer to family in Massachusetts, and the guild’s leadership opted against hiring a replacement for most of 2022 in order to temporarily cut down on costs. Thurston was ultimately hired after the guild’s volunteer board members struggled with readily managing the work of a full-time director and a strong holiday season confirmed the Milton Artists’ Guild could afford to hire a replacement. “I realized there was no way I could continue to run this organization myself,” Rees, the guild’s president who had taken on much of the work typically managed by an executive director, said. As sales from the gallery continue to climb, however, and the guild’s fundraising resumes, Thurston and Rees, the guild’s president, both shared a sense of optimism with The Islander about the guild’s future. According to Thurston, the guild has largely resumed its public-oriented events. The gallery’s “Social Sundays” were in full swing again, the guild had a new annual event on its hands in the Art and Stroll market it hosts every summer, and public events like artist talks and a recent showing of Loving Vincent, an experimental and critically acclaimed biopic celebrating Vincent van Gogh, were becoming the norm. The guild was also, according to Thurston and Rees, developing a reputation as an inviting place for both artists and the public more generally, with supports championed by Thurston to professionally “envelope and develop” budding artists and plans to make the guild’s gallery a space inviting people of all different backgrounds and identities to gather simply for the sake of getting together. As recently as last week, the guild’s director was hosting public workshops for the guild’s artists to properly photograph and advertise their products online, and Thurston, during her interview with The Islander, celebrated the fact that many of the Milton Artists’ Guild’s more than 160 members were newcomers to the arts scene and, through the guild, were showing work for their very first time. “Things like that are how we lift up our creative community,” Thurston said. The guild’s leadership also looked toward the Milton Artists’ Guild’s increasingly visible role in the larger Milton community as a reason for optimism, something Thurston told The Islander she hoped to continue nurturing as the guild’s director. In recent years, the Milton Artists’ Guild had taken on more prominent roles in initiatives like Milton on the Move and the Inclusion Festival championed by Milton’s government as a new annual event. Guild members have also partnered with the Milton Town School District on the Milton Innovation Center project being developed at the town’s high 1-866-972-5266 school, and work from the guild’s artists now hangs for friends & families of alcoholics everywhere from Milton’s town offices to cafés as far www.vermontalanonalateen.org away as Essex Junction. “It’s become such a vibrant part of the community,” Thurston said of the guild. “I think Milton has really started to embrace us as a cultural center for the area.” “There’s a lot to be hopeful and excited about,” Rees agreed. “I have a lot of high hopes.”

Al-Anon

The Islander

April 5 - April 11, 2023

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-FOR SALE-

-EMPLOYMENT-

--------------------------------FINNISH TOUCH CARPENTRY - Remodeling, renovations and more. Fully insured. Over 40 ----------------------------------------------------------------years experience with knowledge. Call 802Mulch Hay For Sale- $3.50 per bale at the farm 233-2639 The Wright Cut and Clean is hiring for 2023 BTFN in ILM. Delivery available for a modest fee. season. Lawn care, mowing & landscaping. --------------------------------Text or call 802-309-5500. 4/26 Must have valid drivers license, be able to --------------------------------drive/back up truck and trailer. Pay- $16/hr. Reconditioned sewing machines. Many at $35. Contact Courtney (802)796-3021 4/26 Also sewing machine service. 802-372-4497  --------------------------------LARGE enough to BTFN HIRING PAINTER / PREP PERSON  - Painter Route 2, --------------------------------wanted for North Hero Area. Full time permastore your car or Alburgh VT nent position or temporary.  $20.00 to start. small boat! Please call 802-370-9046 4/5 Small enough to Call today for ---------------------------------

-SERVICES-

--------------------------------TURNBAUGH ROOFING- Slate, shingle, metal, rubber. Painting all flashings & metal roofs. Chimney repair. Free Estimates. Insured. 802238-2994 John BTFN --------------------------------LANDRY CARPENTRY - Islands local trusted contractor. Call 802-734-9612. BTFN --------------------------------Expert Tree Services: Tree removal, tree pruning, fruit tree and hedge pruning. Stump grinding. New trees and hedges planted. Heartwood Landscape and Tree Services LLC. 802-8937371 [email protected] 4/19 --------------------------------TURNBAUGH CONSTRUCTION LLC. - Roofing specialists, scheduling roofing. Project for Spring and Summer. Installing: standing seem metal roofs, ribbed metal roofs, shingle roofs, slates roofs, rubber roofs, commercial and residentials EPDM & TPO, restoring metal barn roofs, metal roofs coatings. Fully insured. 802233-7031, [email protected] 5/24 --------------------------------WELDING: Aluminum - Stainless & Steel. Custom railing, ramps, decks. Fuel tanks, holding tanks. One off hot rods & chassis. Boat propeller & skeg repair. Jesberger Welding & Fabrication. 802-324-6954  4/19 ---------------------------------

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The Islander April 5 - April 11, 2023

clear your clutter! s r

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sizes & info!

TM

--------------------------------E.C. ELECTRIC - 30 years experience. Licensed and insured. 802-796-4610  4/26 --------------------------------ISLAND SEWING: All aspects of sewing. Alterations, mending, formal wear. Specializing in bridal gowns. 30+ years experience. Call 802598-8513 BTFN ---------------------------------

-WANTED-

--------------------------------Alburgh: Share a modest home w/ lake views with senior woman who enjoys cribbage, crocheting, & humor. Seeking a kind female housemate to cook 2-3x/week, help w/ light cleaning & errands. No rent; minimal util. share. No pets. (802) 863-5625 HomeShareVermont. org for application. Interview, refs, bg check req. EHO ---------------------------------

--------------------------------The Town of North Hero is accepting applications for a full-time Public Works Assistant. The job duties include construction labor, truck driving, lawn mowing and ground maintenance, and facility cleaning. A high school diploma or equivalent, a valid driver’s license, and a reliable phone are required. The job consists of strenuous physical labor and is on call during the winter months with the potential for long hours while supporting snow plowing/removal. Pay Scale of $17.00 to $20.00 per hour with excellent benefits after a six month probation period. A complete job description and application are available at www.northherovt. com. Submit applications by April 14th to the North Hero Town Office at cjulow@northherovt. com or PO Box 38, North Hero, VT 05474. North Hero is an equal opportunity employer. ---------------------------------

Kindergarten Registration

By Sue McNayr, Folsom Education and Community Center SOUTH HERO - Do you live in South Hero and have a child who will be five years old on or before Sept. 1? Are you planning to enroll your child in Kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year? If you answered yes to both questions, please call Sue McNayr at Folsom School at 802-372-6600, extension 1, or send an email to [email protected]. The school is in the process of collecting names and information about potential kindergarten students for the next school year. No child shall be admitted unless he/she is five years of age on or before Sept. 1, 2023

-EMPLOYMENT---------------------------------

Rummage Sale

By Joanne Haring CHAMPLAIN, NY - Three Steeples United Methodist Church is holding a spring rummage sale. There will be clothing, household and new items, toys, books, plants and more. You are encouraged to bring your own shopping bags. No luncheon will be served. The sale will be held on Friday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, April 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Semi-annual rummage sales were a tradition at Three Steeples prior to the Covid pandemic, but this is only the second sale since 2019. Donations will be accepted during Easter week, April 10 to April 13 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. We can no longer accept electronics such as televisions, computers, etc. and furniture. For questions and additional information, contact Joanne Haring at 518-297-6506. Locations: 491 State Route 11, Champlain, NY

-AUCTION-

Grand Isle Sheriff’s Dept. log. March 24 - 31 Fri., March 24 ALBURGH Welfare Check GRAND ISLE Littering Service of APO ISLE LA MOTTE Citizen Assist SOUTH HERO Agency Assist Traffic Hazard Sat., March 25 ALBURGH Citizen Assist (2) Crash Trespassing

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ISLE LA MOTTE Citizen Assist Mon., March 27 ALBURGH Citizen Assist GRAND ISLE Citizen Assist (5) 911 Hang up Welfare Check SOUTH HERO Citizen Assist Tues., March 28 GRAND ISLE Agency Assist Citizen Assist (4) Wed., March 29 ALBURGH Agency Assist Family Fight GRAND ISLE Suspicious SOUTH HERO Theft Thurs., March 30 ALBURGH Burglary Citizen Assist (2) GRAND ISLE Fraud Suspicious Welfare Check ISLE LA MOTTE Citizen Assist NORTH HERO Alarm SOUTH HERO Crash Unsecure Premises

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Fri., March 31 ALBURGH Citizen Assist (2) ISLE LA MOTTE Citizen Assist

April 5 - April 11, 2023

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A daily look at life in the Champlain Islands featuring exclusive photos by Swanson and available on The Islander’s facebook page, www.facebook.com/lakechamplainislander, Instagram @theislandernewsvt and twitter @TheIslanderNews

ISLAND SKIES A sun pillar lit up the eastern sky before sunrise Monday morning. A great blue heron soared around in the islands Friday morning.

A male hooded merganser took off in North Hero Friday morning. A portion of the waxing gibbous moon was shining bright in the wee hours of the morning before overcast moved in.

BELLOWING BIRD A Canada goose gives a shoutout to another Canada in Grand Isle on the last day of March Friday.

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The Islander April 5 - April 11, 2023

SUNDAY SUNRISE The sun colors the eastern sky while rising on a crisp start to the day Sunday morning.

MILTON POLICE LOG

MARCH 24 - 30 Between Friday, March 24 and Thursday, March 30, the Milton Police Department arrested 5 people. Officers also issued 8 traffic tickets and 16 warnings.

Friday, March 24 5:25 p.m. US Route 7 S, DUI-Alcohol Cpl. Hendry and Ofc. Jones responded to the area of US Route 7 for the report of a vehicle operating erratically, nearly striking several other vehicles. Upon arrival to the area, Cpl. Hendry was able to locate the vehicle in question and made contact with the operator who displayed signs of impairment. The operator performed Standard Field Sobriety Tests and was taken into custody for Suspicion of Driving Under the Influence. The operator will appear in court. 6:41 p.m. Westford Rd, Alarm Sgt. LaFountain was dispatched to a residence on Westford Road for the report of an active alarm. The area was searched and the residence was found to be secure. Saturday, March 25 7:01 p.m. Rollin Irish Rd, Assist - Fire Department Sgt. LaFountain, Cpl. Coulombe, and Ofc. Flynn responded to a residence on Rollin Irish Road with the report of a fully engulfed barn fire. Upon arrival, the barn was nearly burned to the ground. Sgt. LaFountain and Ofc. Flynn remained on scene to assist Milton Fire by setting up traffic control on both sides of the fire to prevent unnecessary vehicular traffic.

10:56 p.m. Ethan Allen Hwy / Sunset Cir, Georgia, DUI-Alcohol While on patrol, Cpl. Coulombe initiated a traffic stop for several observed motor vehicle violations. When contact was made with the operator, signs of intoxication were detected. After performing Standard Field Sobriety Tests, the driver was taken into custody for suspicion of Driving Under the Influence and will appear in court.

road St, Medical Sgt. Philbrook was dispatched to a residence on Railroad Street to assist Milton Rescue with a resident having a medical incident. Sgt. Philbrook remained on scene with the patient until the arrival of Milton Rescue and assisted readying the patient for transport for further medical care.

lane of travel. Ofc. Jones was able to locate the vehicle and made contact with the driver. The driver did not exhibit signs of impairment and did advise they knew they had crossed the center line on the road. A warning was issued to the driver for their operation.

1:26 p.m. Woodcrest Cir, Animal Problem Ofc. McQueen responded to the area of Woodcrest Circle for the report of a lose dog in the roadway. Ofc. McQueen was able to locate the dog and when the owner was identified, returned the dog home.

9:10 p.m. Herrick Ave, DUI-Alcohol Ofc. Carlson was dispatched to the area of Herrick Avenue for a single car motor vehicle accident were the driver was potentially impaired. Upon arrival, the vehicle was located with the front wheel off of the vehicle having struck a large rock. Contact was made with the operator who displayed several indicators of impairment. The driver was taken into custody for Suspicion of Driving Under the Influence and will appear in court.

Tuesday, March 28 6:28 p.m. Beaver Brook Rd, Disturbance Ofc. McQueen, Ofc. Schiavo, and Cpl. Grenier responded to a residence on Beaver Brook Road for a domestic dispute. Officers spoke with both parties where it was agreed it was best they separate for the evening. Additional resources were provided to both parties, one of which left for the evening.

Sunday, March 26 8:46 p.m. US Route 7 / US Route 2, Colchester, DLS While on patrol, Cpl. Coulombe initiated a traffic stop for an observed motor vehicle violation. Upon identifying the driver it was learned their license was suspended. The op8:08 p.m. Centre Dr, erator was issued a citation and will Motor Vehicle Comappear in court at plaint Cpl. Grenier was disa later date. patched to a business 10:49 p.m. US on Centre Drive for the Route 7 / Centre report of a suspicious Dr, DUI-Alcohol While on patrol, vehicle, idling in the Ofc. Flynn initiat- parking lot for an exed a traffic stop tended period of time. for an observed Cpl. Grenier was able motor vehicle vio- to make contact with lation. Upon mak- the driver who advised ing contact with they were on a phone the driver, signs of call and had lost track impairment were of time. Nothing further noted. The driv- was required. Wednesday, er was ultimately March 29 taken into custo4:07 p.m. Middle Rd dy for suspicion of Driving Under the / Bombardier Rd, MoInfluence and will tor Vehicle Complaint Ofc. Jones and Cpl. appear in court at Hendry responded to a later date. the area of Middle Monday, Road for the report of March 27 6:20 a.m. Rail- an erratic operator, failing to maintain the

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Thursday, March 30 2:31 a.m. US Route 7 S, Suspicious Event On patrol, Cpl. Coulombe took note of a vehicle parked abnormally in the lot of a closed business on US Route 7. The vehicle was found displaying a note that it had broken down and a tow was scheduled for the morning. 3:33 a.m. Catamount Dr, Alarm Ofc. Carlson was dispatched to an active alarm at a business on Catamount Drive. The area and building were searched and found to be secure. The Islander

April 5 - April 11, 2023

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