Current News

A headline's meaning was never more apt and poignant. With the death of Zeke Kassel last week, a collective pall befell the town. The Champlain Valley Union High School student was killed in a car accident on his way to school Friday morning on the Shelburne Hinesburg Road, barely over the Hinesburg town line. Left behind, in tandem with life's unanswerable questions, is a community's shared sadness and the unfathomable grief of the young man's family and friends.

The loss of 16-year old Zeke Kassel is a terrible tragedy. I continue to be upset and disturbed even though I did not have the privilege of knowing this fine young man. Safe to say that a number of things conspired to create the events surrounding Zeke's loss.

The two most excruciating tasks facing the House this week are 1) defining legislative districts resulting from population changes between the 2000 and 2010 census and 2) restructuring mental health services following the closure of the state hospital in Waterbury. If you like everyone to be happy, these decisions are not for you. I anticipate lively and perhaps painful debates as we struggle to reconcile the best options for Vermont in ways that are fair, effective, and oriented toward the future.

On Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, at approximately 6:30 p.m., the Shelburne Police Department responded to a motor vehicle crash on Shelburne Road in the area of the Quality Inn. It was reported that a pedestrian was struck as he tried to cross Shelburne Road from the Quality Inn towards the Shelburne Steak House.

It's hard to believe, but the academic year is now half way through. It is time for area juniors to begin to considering "life after high school" with earnest. Area juniors will graduate from high school in June 2013 which may seem like a long ways off, but in reality is much closer than one might imagine.

Connecticut College - New London, Conn. Catherine Smith, a member of the class of 2013 at Connecticut College and a resident of Shelburne, has been named to the Dean's High Honors list for the 2011 fall semester.

Over 400 Shelburne Community School (SCS) students in grades 4-8 participated in this year's classroom rounds of the National Geography Bee competition. This year, the following five students scored a perfect seven out of seven points in the classroom round and earned a "bye" into the finals: Weller Henderson, Henry Mohn, Lila Ottinger, Andrew Pitcher, and Emily Ray.

More than 7,000 visitors to Shelburne Farms last year learned about the history, buildings, programs and mission while on a guided property tour, and they heard the whole engaging story from one of the Farms' volunteer tours guides.

Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin will discuss his role as the first person to open negotiations with Hamas, the militant extremist group in political control of the Gaza Strip, for the recent release of abducted soldier Gilead Schalit Sunday evening, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Sinai in South Burlington.

One winter morning last year my high school daughter was traveling to CVU from Shelburne in a snowstorm, and at less than 25 miles an hour, she did a 360 and went off the road at a difficult curve to navigate and hit a road sign.

At its meeting on Jan. 26, the Planning Commission continued its review of existing subdivision regulations and zoning bylaws that merit reconsideration for further clarification or amendment. Some of these anticipated changes were brought to the commission's attention by John Adams on behalf of the Development Review Board.

Members of Winton House team are jumping into Lake Champlain in the Penguin Plunge on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 11 a.m. in support of Vermont Special Olympics and their team member Jesse Campbell. Winton House teacher Mary Beth Harris and teaching assistant Max Ernst spoke in turn about their pride in the students' inclusive team spirit and caring.

From most points in town, we can see that the higher elevations of the Green Mountains have snow cover, but in our own backyards we have spent most of January looking at the cold, hard, brown yards that an almost snowless winter provides. While I'm sure many of our neighbors are pleased that they don't need to shovel, salt, or snowblow, those of us who look forward to a layer of snow for our winter activities have been frustrated.

On Thursday, Feb. 9, Sen. Randy Brock will speak at the invitation of the Shelburne Republican Committee. Sen. Brock, former State Auditor, is currently serving in the State Senate representing Franklin County and Alburgh.  He has announced that he will run for Governor in 2012.  The public is invited to attend the meeting which will be held at 7:30 a.m. at the Dutch Mill Restaurant on Route 7 in Shelburne.

The Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 24 followed the public hearings held for the Town and School Budgets on Jan. 23. Once again, it was the streetlights in Davis Park that garnered much of the space on the agenda.

Word spreadFriday afternoon that for the first time in its 27-year history WinterFest would have to be cancelled. It wasn't so much due to the lack of snow, because there was a plan in place (involving a Hawaiian theme, complete with leis and volleyball) to deal with snowless conditions at Shelburne Farms. The cancellation was more the result of icy conditions at the Farm Barn's courtyard, which would have been the site of many WinterFest activities.

Registration is now open for Shelburne Parks and Recreation Youth Lacrosse. This season Shelburne will be offering teams at the following levels: boys and girls in grades 3/4, 5/6, and 7/8, coed grades 1-2, and coed kindergarten.

Molly Burke has a positive attitude. Most student-athletes would find it difficult to stay optimistic while battling illness. Not to mention that the Nordic ski season has been compromised because of the lack of snow. But that doesn't bother Burke. She takes it all in stride.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the United States, other than skin cancer, with an estimated 240,890 new cases - affecting every one out of six men - this year. Though prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among men, only surpassed by lung cancer, there are more than two million men in the U.S. today who count themselves as prostate cancer survivors.

Me & My Guy Valentine Dance Buy your tickets now! Friday, February 10 from 6:30-8:30 pm. This popular event is for girls in K - 5th grades and their special adult guy (dad, uncle, grandfather, etc.). The event costs $20 per couple and $5 per additional person. It will be held in the Shelburne Town Gym and is limited to 200 people. Dance the night away with music provided by Top Hat Entertainment. Each girl will receive a craft frame and photo. Light snacks will be provided. Don't miss out on this memorable occasion!

Hannah Eva Rosenthal, 92, long-time cancer researcher, died peacefully at Wake Robin on Saturday, January 28, 2012. She is survived by her husband, Paul; her daughters Dorothy Bishop and husband Geoffrey, and Susan Yancy and husband Earl; her grandchildren, E Brad, Slade Brett, and Ashley Marie Yancy, and Orin Dana Bishop; and her great grandson Julien Joseph Tedesco. Arrangements are in the care of Steven C Gregory & Son. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Carolyn "Connie" Lemaire, 85, passed away in Wake Robin on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012. She was born in Elgin, Ill. on March 31, 1926, the daughter of Edward and Harriet (Rayner) Southard. Connie attended Elgin schools where her musical career was established as a classical bass player.

Wing Woon, loving husband, father and grandfather, was born on Dec. 15, 1926, in Oakland, Calif., and passed away peacefully on Jan. 24, 2012, in Burlington Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Walter passed away on Jan. 27, 2012, two days after a tragic accident. Son of Melvin Paul Knott and Lillian Abelson Knott, Walter was born in Tacoma, Wash., on June 7, 1949.

Ezekiel L. Kassel, 16, of Shelburne, died unexpectedly in a tragic accident on Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. Zeke was born on July 3, 1995, beloved son of Peter Kassel and Carol Irish, and brother of Sara, Sami and Eben. He was a junior at Champlain Valley Union High School, a high honors student who worked hard and enjoyed his classes and classmates.

Years ago, people young and old were more likely to die quickly of natural causes than they are today, when medical technology can extend the lives of seriously ill people for long periods of time.

• More women die of heart disease than all forms of cancer combined. • While one in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, one in three dies of cardiovascular disease.

The world will look a bit more rosy on Friday, Feb. 3. Actually, the shade will be red. Staff at more than 70 work sites in Vermont will be wearing red that day, National Wear Red Day, and donating $5 each to the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement. That money helps fund research to save lives, and raise awareness of the fact that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in America.

Research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of prostate cancer is under way in many medical centers throughout the world.

Being told you have prostate cancer can be scary and stressful. You probably have a lot of questions and concerns. Learning about the disease, how it is treated, and how this information may apply to you is a lot to do on your own. Your American Cancer Society can give you general information about this disease and its treatment, but your doctor is the best source of information about your situation.

Molly Howard has spent a ton of time on the ice at Cairns Arena as a youth and Champlain Valley Union High School hockey player. She's scored many goals at the South Burlington arena.

On Saturday, Jan. 28, the wrestling Redhawks traveled to Colchester for the Bob Benoure Invitational tournament. The team came home with a sixth place finish among 17 teams from four states.

Facing a 6-1 deficit at the start of the second period, the Redhawks were in trouble, but would not lie down. CVU would go on to score three more goals and shut out South Burlington for the remainder of the game. The Rebels took the CSB Cup, but not the Redhawks' pride.

The Champlain Valley Union High School girls basketball team looked to senior Lazrin Schenck, and her consecutive 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions, to pull away from Essex 46-34 in a metro division rivalry Tuesday night, Jan. 31, in Hinesburg. Schenck finished with 15 points, including two more 3-pointers, and CVU stayed undefeated. Emily Kinneston added 10 points, six rebounds, and three steals. Kaelyn Kohlash scored nine, Remi Donnelly scored eight, and Elana Bayer-Pacht had seven assists and seven rebounds for the 10-0 Redhawks. For more photos check us out on Facebook. Photos by vtsportsimages.com

Today the Shelburne baseball and softball fields don't look like much - patches of stale snow sit in the deserted outfield, base paths are bullet-proof frozen dirt, and a biting west wind is whistling through the batting cage frame.

The owners of Shelburne's O Bread Bakery, Chuck Conway and Carla Kevorkian, have been pioneers in Vermont's artisan bread revolution since the mid 1970s, although the couple's initial route north was circuitous.

Seventy-five students at Shelburne Community School give up part of their lunch and recess every Monday and Friday. Why? They are part of Mrs. Southworth's 4th and 5th grade chorus.

The Dessert and Dialogue night about Youth Risk Behaviors scheduled for Monday, Jan. 30 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. will be held at the Shelburne Community School (not CVU as published) and is specifically for SCS middle school students and parents. For more information about the event please contact Margo Austin at maustin@cssu.org or call 985-3331.

How many businesses do you think there are in Shelburne? Big businesses and small, one-person home offices and highly visible businesses that employ large numbers, businesses that manufacture a product and businesses that sell services and ideas. You might be surprised to know there are 300 businesses in town.