Around Town: Congratulations & Sympathy
Compiled by Edd Merritt,
January 13, 2011, page 19.....

CONGRATULATIONS

to Mike Yantachka, newly elected state representative for Charlotte, who was appointed to the Natural Resources and Energy Committee in the Vermont House of Representatives for 2011-2012.

to the following students at Rice Memorial High School who earned placement on the first quarter Honor Roll:
Elizabeth Richards, 10th grade, First Honors
Maddie Hudziak, 9th grade, Second Honors
Chennah Sharpe, 10th grade, Second Honors
Kaylah Sharpe, 12th grade, Second Honors
Cole Zweber, 11th grade, Second Honors
Henry Brown, 11th grade, Honorable Mention

to Amory Beldock, a junior at the Westminster School in Simsbury, Connecticut, who earned Honors for the fall 2010 academic term. Amory is the son of Gregg and Beth Beldock of Charlotte.

to the following students at Vermont Technical College who earned placement on the school’s honor rolls for the fall semester 2010:
Grace Smith, President’s List
Jessica Spadaccini, Dean’s List

to Rachel Baginski, Seamus Buxton, Emily Luce and Willie Strausser, members of the Vermont Youth Orchestra Chorus (VYOC) who performed at the inauguration of Governor Peter Shumlin on January 6 in Montpelier. Conductor Jeffrey Beuttner directed them in the singing of These Green Mountains (the Vermont State Song) and America the Beautiful. The program was broadcast statewide on Vermont Public Radio.

to Martha Ming Whitfield who was appointed Executive Director of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival (LCCMF). Martha has been Festival Manager since 2009, and her new position was effective January 1, 2011. Prior to joining LCCMF, she was Ballet Education Manager for the Royal Opera House of London, United Kingdom. She has held positions in Burlington’s Flynn Center for the Performing Arts and the American Repertory Ballet of New Brunswick, New Jersey. She remains on the Board of Directors of the Vermont Stage Company.

to the following donors who recently received gallon pins from the American Red Cross Blood Services, New England Region:
David Cray, 20 gallons
Bruce Hasse, 72 gallons

to Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity and its construction of efficient and affordable houses off Greenbush Road in Charlotte. The local Habitat affiliate was awarded the Clarence Jordan Award, one of two given nationally, for the modular, highly efficient and affordable home design that is being used on one of the three houses being built on the Habitat site. All three meet standards for high-energy efficiency. However, the other two are stick-builds rather than modular. Boston architect J.B. Clancy worked in partnership with Peter Schneider of the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation to create and donate the modular home’s design.

to Bill Michaud, whose satirical history of the baby boomers appeared as a commentary in the January 7 Burlington Free Press Opinion Section. Entitled, “Please accept my apology,” he says the boomers have lost sight of the bigger picture. Instead of reasonable benefits for everyone, we sought big returns for ourselves. He ends his mea culpa, saying, “Remember in college, the '60s and '70s, I was going to change the world? Well, I certainly did. Not with peace and love, but with selfishness and burdens.”

to CVU student Laura Hinsdale who earned AB honors for her first quarter grades.

to Elaine Ittleman who was named Secretary on the Board of the Stern Center for Language and Learning at its 27th annual meeting recently.

SYMPATHY

is extended to family and friends of Reina Corrine (Aube) Laberge of South Burlington who passed away December 23 at the age of 84. Reina was one of 14 children of Damien and Corrine Aube. She grew up in Charlotte, graduating from Shelburne High School and marrying Leo Laberge. Her surviving family includes their son Leo of Charlotte. The family asks that those wishing to recognize her memory do so through donations to the Palliative Care Program at the Visiting Nurse Association, 1110 Prim Road, Colchester, Vermont 05446 or to the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging, 76 Pearl Street, Suite 201, Essex Junction, Vermont 05452.

is extended to family and friends of Evelyn Cushman of Vergennes who passed away December 15 at the age of 91. Her surviving family includes her daughter Carolyn Allen and Carolyn’s husband, John, of Charlotte. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Vergennes Area Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 11, Vergennes, Vermont 05491.

is extended to family and friends of Clara Briggs of Addison who passed away December 12 at the age of 87. She was born in Charlotte, the daughter of Charles and Jenny Perkins, and worked at the Mt. Philo Inn before marrying Henry Briggs in 1943. Following Henry’s WWII service they moved to Addison. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to one of the following organizations: Addison County Home Health and Hospice, P.O. Box 754, Middlebury, Vermont 05753; to Addison Volunteer Fire Department, c/o Chris Mullis, 1900 Jersey Street South, Addison, Vermont 05491; or to Townline First Response, P.O. Box 82, Bridport, Vermont 05734.

is extended to family and friends of Edward James Brady of West Ferrisburg who passed away January 6 at the age of 89. His surviving family includes his daughter Gayle and her husband Jeff Finkelstein of Charlotte and his grandsons Philip and Joshua Finkelstein. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Ed’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, 300 Cornerstone Drive, Suite 128, Williston, Vermont 05495.