Around Town: Congratulations & Sympathy
Compiled by Edd Merritt,
September 22, 2011, page 23.....

CONGRATULATIONS

to Barbara and Fred Anderson on their 60th wedding anniversary celebrated September 15. They have been residents of Charlotte since the mid-1960s. During that time Fred served as moderator for Town Meetings for 10 years, and he and Barbara ran a Christmas Tree Farm. They had three children – Gail, Brent and Robbie – and are now grandparents of four. They note that living in Charlotte as active members of the community remains “one of the greatest joys of our lives.”

to Robert G. Pierce of Charlotte who earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in economics from Saint Michaels College in August. He is the son of Ms. Devon Carlin.

to Clark Hinsdale III, whose essay urging readers not to become wedded to a single-payer health system appeared in the September 15 Burlington Free Press. In it, he notes that in his family’s robotic barn, they have a health system for the cows but not for the workers. Times and farming methods have changed, he suggests, noting that the workers now require computer literacy and, therefore, receive higher than minimum wages. Clark says that while he doesn’t feel health care is a “right,” he does believe that providing people with reasonable access to it is the right thing to do and that “society has a responsibility to see that children and adults that cannot participate in the work force have basic health care as part of our safety net.” He feels Vermont has taken “noble steps in increasing access to health care. . .” but he can’t envision our small state adopting a single-payer system in a vacuum. He is concerned that it could produce a business exodus similar to the one inflicted on the Connecticut River Valley by the sales tax. He encourages Vermonters not to “try to get too far out in front on this one.”

to PC Construction (formerly Pizzagalli Construction Company) for their underwriting of the Phish benefit concert staged at the Essex Fair Grounds to raise money for flood recovery efforts in Vermont. PC President, Peter Bernhardt, said that when they heard about the benefit concert, they were inspired by what Phish was doing and wanted to help make it a success. The concert raised more than $1.2 million, $100,000 of which came through PC’s donation.

SYMPATHY

is extended to family and friends of John Hancock III of Shelburne who passed away September 5 at the age of 83. He was a charter member of the Shelburne/Charlotte Rotary Club and served actively in the Charlotte Congregational Church. He was a Deacon Emeritus. His surviving family includes his daughter Melissa and grandchildren Brookes Clemmons, Luke Clemmons and Olivia Clemmons. The family asks that those wishing to make donations in his memory do so to the Charlotte Congregational Church Steeple Fund.

is extended to family and friends of Richard R. Kelley of Burlington who passed away September 6 at the age of 85. His surviving family includes his daughter Colleen Brady and her husband Peter as well as their children Taylor and Rosie Brady all of Charlotte. The family asks that memorial donations in Dick’s name be made to the Shelburne Museum Guide Program, P.O. Box 10, Shelburne, Vermont 05482 or to the VNA Hospice Program, 110 Prim Road, Colchester, Vermont 05446.

is extended to family and friends of Joseph C. Cote of New Haven, Vermont, who passed away September 7 at the age of 70. He was born in Charlotte and raised by his mother Ida DuPont Cote and his grandmother Clara DuPont. He spent his life caring for children in Charlotte and in Winooski. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to Project Independence, P.O. Box 581, Middlebury, Vermont 05753-9908.

is extended to family and friends of John Armstrong Martenis of Ferrisburgh who passed away September 3 at the age of 45. His surviving family includes his wife Alicia Kroll from Charlotte and their children Stella and Zane. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Humane Society of Franklin County.

is extended to family and friends of Sharon N. Wright of South Burlington who passed away September 13 at the age of 66. Her surviving family includes her daughter Kristin Wright (husband Jeffery Berkowitz) and their children Emma, Jerry and William Berkowitz, all of Charlotte. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations in her memory be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA).

is extended to family and friends of Francis J. Thornton, Sr. of Charlotte who passed away September 14 at the age of 80. Over the last 40 years, Frank was extremely active in Charlotte town governance, serving on the Selectboard several times. A historical buff, he also served in various capacities for the Charlotte Historical Society. His surviving family includes his wife Mary of Charlotte, sons Frank, Jr., Kevin and Chris, and their families. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations in his memory be made to the Charlotte Fire and Rescue, 170 Ferry Road, Charlotte, Vermont 05445.