Around Town
Compiled by Edd Merritt

Congratulations

to Melissa and Charles Adams whose son Charles Walden Adams was born December 7 at Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington.

to Jennifer and Derrick Companion whose son Keller Mason Companion was born December 10 at Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington.

to Christa Duthie-Fox of Essex who teaches science at Charlotte Central School and received one of 87 presidential awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. There she met President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Duthie-Fox is recognized by colleagues and students for her ability to bring study to life. She says this helps initiate the student’s desire to inquire, and the “whole inquiring process is what is most important.”

to Abraham Gerson who achieved placement on the Deans List at Nazareth College, Rochester, New York, for the fall semester 2009. Gerson is a senior studying French.

to Arlin Ladue who achieved placement on the Deans List at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, for the fall semester 2009. Ladue is a junior at Tufts.

to Andrea Blood, a freshman at Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, who achieved placement on the Deans List for the fall semester 2009. Laura is the daughter of Neal and Laura Blood and a graduate of CVU High School.

to Mason Koster, a seventh-grader at Mater Christi School in Burlington, who won the right to be the school’s representative in the GEO Bee competition. Mason will take a written examination to see whether he will be eligible to enter state competition in April. He defeated ten students from grades 4 through 8 to earn the honor.

to Ted Castle and his company Rhino Foods who were awarded more than $1.2 million in loan assistance. The funding is made available through the USDA Rural Development’s Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program. Castle said the funding will help Rhino expand its capacity for new production as well as increase workplace safety initiatives.

to Bob Costanza of the University of Vermont’s Gund Institute for Ecological Economics who is one of several scientists featured on Vermont Public Television’s “Emerging Science” to be aired February 2 at 9 p.m. He and his colleague Jon Erickson explain the concepts of their field. The Gund Institute hopes to shift the world’s economies away from the current emphasis on infinite growth toward a focus on sustainable human well-being.

to Distinctive Landscaping of Charlotte which was one of five winners of awards through the 2009 Industry Award Program. The program is sponsored by Green Works/Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association. Distinctive Landscaping was recognized with the “Exceeds Excellence Award for Residential Landscape/Garden Design-Build.” Projects were judged according to their difficulty, use of proper horticultural practices, craftsmanship and contribution to sustainability of the environment.

to Liam Murphy, an attorney with Murphy Sullivan Kronk whose firm was listed among the “Best Lawyers,” “Chambers USA” and “Super Lawyers” as top real estate attorneys for 2009.

to Neil Schell who was recently named Vice President for Membership of the Green Mountain Chorus’ Burlington Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

to Nicole Gorman, Heather Manning, NRG Systems Inc., and Caroline Marston who are recipients of the Connecting Youth in Chittenden South School District’s “CY Aw Shucks” Award, for 2009. “Aw Shucks” represents CY’s annual recognition of important volunteers.

to Rachel Leary, a senior at Champlain Valley Union High School, who was named a Connecting Youth All-Star for her leadership and involvement in CY programs.

to the following students whose names were omitted from the list of Charlotte students who earned places on CVU’s fall honor roll in the January 14 issue of The Charlotte News: Meike Behrens and John Schibli.

to architect David Pill whose net zero house in Charlotte is featured in the latest issue of Fine Homebuilding magazine in an article entitled “Zero-Energy Homes.” The house builder is another Charlotter, Jim Huntington. The power for the all-electric home comes from a wind turbine generator standing atop a 120-foot-tall tower next to the house.

to Charlotte songwriter and singer John Creech who recently released a jazz-fusion album called Remember. It features 12 of his original songs exploring the idea of memory and how it connects community across time. Creech and his wife, artist Emily Laird, live in what they describe as the “bluest house in Charlotte.”

to Meaghan Elisabeth Farrell and Nathaniel Joseph Wonderly on their engagement. Meaghan is the daughter of Mary Turnbaugh of Charlotte.

to Tim Volk, president of Kelliher Samets and Volk and an outgoing director of the Vermont Business Roundtable. Roundtable Chair Bill Stritzler recognized Volk for his long-standing and significant service.

Sympathy

is extended to family and friends of F. Winston Swain of New Haven, Vermont, who passed away January 15 at the age of 89. His surviving family includes his daughter Crystal Armell and her husband Clyde of Charlotte. The family asks, that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made in his name to Addison County Home Health and Hospice, P.O. Box 754, Middlebury, Vermont 05753 or to the New Haven Fire Department, New Haven, Vermont 05472.

is extended to family and friends of Solon Bailey, age 12, and Liam Bailey, age 10, who passed away in a house fire in Kentucky on Christmas morning. They were sons of Chris and Deanna (Emberly) Bailey who formerly lived in Charlotte. Those wishing to recognize their memories are encouraged to send donations to the Beauregard Foundation: Solon and Liam Bailey Memorial Fund, c/o Chrysalis Ventures, 101 South Fifth Street, Suite 1650, Louisville, Kentucky 40202. The money will be used to fund nonprofit children’s education programs in central Vermont.

is extended to family and friends of Nancy H. Swanson of Summerfield, Florida, who passed away January 17 at the age of 81. She was married to Paul Swanson in Charlotte in 1987. Her surviving family includes her sister Lois McClure of Shelburne and Cedar Beach. The family asks that gifts in her name be made to Habitat for Humanity.

is extended to family and friends of Sybil Watts Smith of Shelburne who passed away January 21 at the age of 87. Her surviving family includes her daughter Victoria Powers and Victoria’s husband Mark plus her grandchildren Spencer and Simeon Powers of Charlotte. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations in Sybil’s memory be sent to a charity of your choice.