Around Town
compiled by Edd Merritt

to Margaret Woodruff of the Charlotte Library whose grant proposal to the Vermont Public Library Foundation was awarded $2,500 through the Winnie Bell Learned Fund. Margaret’s proposal will be used to promote reading among young adults. Dr. Burnett Rawson established the Winnie Bell Learned Fund in 2006 in cooperation with the Vermont Community Foundation to honor Ms. Learned, a Vermont educator. Its goal is to help Vermont libraries “foster literacy, love of learning, critical analysis and intellectual exploration in their communities, among children of all ages and their families.”

to Chad Armell of Charlotte and Kim Michaud of Millinocket, Maine, who were married September 27, 2008 in the Littlefield Ornamental Gardens at the University of Maine, Orono. Chad is the son of Cynthia and Kevin Armell and the grandson of Virginia Armell of Charlotte. They held their reception at the Seadog Brewery in Bangor, Maine, and will honeymoon in Jamaica. Kim and Chad live in Brewer, Maine, where he works for UPS and is superintendent at Hidden Meadows Golf Course in Old Town. She works at the Eastern Maine Medical Center.

to Thomas Naylor whose Second Vermont Republic (SVR) meeting in Montpelier in early November was featured in a January 26 New Yorker Magazine commentary by Ben McGrath entitled, “The Dystopians.” In it, McGrath follows author James Howard Kunstler (World Made by Hand and The Geography of Nowhere) around his home town of Saratoga Springs, New York as Kunstler rails against the American economy since WWII which “has essentially been one of continuous sprawl-building, made possible by cheap (but diminishing) energy sources, and, given what we’ve built, it amounts to the ‘greatest misallocation of resources in the history of the world.’” Kunstler was a featured speaker at Naylor’s SVR meeting in the state capital. McGrath describes Naylor, founder of SVR, looking like a winner at Augusta National in his green jacket, as promoter of a “pragmatic rationale for a successfully ‘genteel’ coup that would lift Vermont out of the empire that America has become.” Stage one should be easy. Thomas is quoted as saying that Vermont has nothing – no big cities or buildings. “Suppose the red-state, nuclear-armed army were to attack us. What would they do? Burn the sugar maples?” Stage two is a bit more difficult. That requires teaming with surrounding New Hampshire, Maine and the Canadian Maritimes to form “New Acadia,” something about the size of Denmark. Kirby, Vermont’s Dennis Steele, a fifth-generation Vermonter, called for formation of a new Green Mountain Brigade. He said that was the first step toward revolution – that and “drinking raw milk.”

to Kristine Elizabeth Lavigne and Nicholas Reynolds of Jay, Vermont, who were engaged to be married. Kristine is the daughter of Susan and John Lavigne of Charlotte. The couple plans a September wedding.

to brothers Bradley Curler, a first-year student in the diesel mechanics program at Vermont Technical College, and Robert Curler, a senior at Unity College, Unity, Maine, who is studying forestry. Both earned placement on their school’s Dean’s List for the fall semester, 2008. The brothers are the sons of Laurie and Peter Curler of Charlotte.

to the following Charlotters who achieved placement on the Dean’s List at Champlain College for the fall semester 2008:
Elizabeth Aube, applied psychology
Patrick Keenan, criminal justice
Bradley Patenaude, criminal justice
Jasmine Silver, accounting

to Elizabeth Joslin and Edward Fisher, students at Connecticut College, New London, Connecticut, who achieved placement on the Dean’s List for the fall semester 2008. Liz is a sophomore, and Ed is a freshman. He received dean’s high honors recognizing his grade achievement of greater than 3.7.

to Sheena Pope, a senior at the University of New England, Biddeford, Maine, who is majoring in sports management. By achieving better than a 3.30 grade point average, Sheena earned placement on the Dean’s List for the 2008 fall semester. She is the granddaughter of Clyde and Chrystal Armell.

to Dr. Richard “Bunky” Bernstein who was featured in an article in the February 1 Burlington Free Press on his work as physician for Vermont’s Golden Gloves boxing tournament. The article says that Bunky is the man the fighters all call “Doc.” He has enjoyed the role for over 30 years, although admits that he has not been enticed to step into the ring himself. “I’m not athletic in that way. I’m a cyclist,” he is quoted as saying. Those of us who travel the roads of Charlotte can vouch for it. He does, however, respect those who do fight. “It’s an honest sport,” he says, “just you and the other guy.”

to David Blittersdorf, whose company Earth Turbines was featured in the Burlington Free Press Business Monday section on January 26. Incorporated in 2005, Earth Turbines produces grid-friendly wind power equipment for homes and small communities. It is a sister company of the Blittersdorfs’ NRG Systems that he and his wife, Jan, started 28 years ago. The turbines are not designed for living off the grid. Rather they sell surplus electricity back to the regional utility through net-metering.

to Charlotte Central School sixth grade students Connor Gorman, Nathan Comai and John Reynolds whose poems were featured in the Free Press’ “Young Writers Workshop” on January 20. Connor responded to the writing prompt, “Procrastination” with his poem entitled “Putting it off.” In the poem he changes his mind about procrastinating, thinking at first that it’s fun but later produces a sore brain. Nathan and John responded to the prompt, “Splat.” John chose as his splatterer of choice, a paintball, hiding from the others until “SPLAT! The game is done . . .” Nathan’s splatterers are pies, you know, the kinds that start in boys’ faces and end with the teacher discovering them all over the floor . . . oops.

to David Pill and Hillary Maharam’s Charlotte house that was featured in the “Living Home” section of the Burlington Free Press on January 24. We mentioned the awards the house received in our last issue of the Charlotte News. It is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Certified home that the family designed and built when they moved to Charlotte from Massachusetts four years ago.

to CCS program coordinator Carol Conard and mentor Deb Olsen who were featured in the Burlington Free Press January 21 under the heading, “We Serve.” They are part of the CCS Youth Mentoring Program run through the Chittenden South Supervisory Union’s Connecting Youth Program. The article points out that Olsen and 11-year-old student Dustin St. George have been meeting weekly for almost two years. Conard says the program brings out abilities that students may not have yet discovered. It enriches them.

to our office neighbors EatingWell Media Group whose book, The EatingWell Diet, first published in 2007, was selected to describe one of “America’s Top-Ten Healthiest Diets” by Health magazine. The book was featured in the January 21-28 issue of Seven Days with a description of its principles based upon UVM’s Vtrim Weight Management program and containing several healthy recipes from it. How about Texas toast with filet mignon, watercress and herb butter – yahoo!

is extended to family and friends of Hugh “Cowboy” Lewis of Charlotte who died January 27 at the age of 80. Cowboy lived his entire life in Charlotte, where he was well known for his strength, his skill with horses, his daredevil stunts, charitable acts and boxing ability. He attended Charlotte schools and later served as the town’s police officer, constable and dogcatcher for 35 years. He was a longtime member of the Friendship Lodge #24 F&AM, Charlotte Grange #398, and the LaPlotte Chapter 64 of the Order of Eastern Star. His surviving family includes his wife, Arline, and children Ila Lewis, Betty Lewis, Hugh Lewis, Jr., Mary Boyd and Cy Lewis; his sisters Ruth DiBenedetto and Alice Gigliotti, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, those wishing to make donations in his memory do so to the Cowboy Lewis Memorial Fund, c/o Mary Boyd, P.O. Box 207, Shelburne, Vermont 05482.

is extended to family and friends of Leonard “Sonny” Stearns of Ferrisburg, who passed away January 21 at the age of 67. He was born in Charlotte, the son of Elwin and Lucy Ryder Stearns. He grew up on a dairy farm on the south side of Mt. Philo and graduated from Vergennes Union High School in 1959. His surviving family includes his wife, Kathleen, daughter, Deborah, sons Rick and Robert, and brothers Charles and Rodney. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, those wishing to make donations in his memory do so to Addison County Home Health and Hospice, P.O. Box 754, Middlebury, Vermont 05753 or to Bixby Memorial Library, Attn: Rachael Plant, 258 Main Street, Vergennes, Vermont 05491.