Stanley “Red” Brinkman, 84, passed away peacefully at his home in Hinesburg Saturday, March 28, following a struggle with pneumonia.

He was born June 28, 1942, the son of Henry “Jake” Minor Brinkman and Gladys McCabe Brinkman in Springfield, Mass. Stanley was the third son of seven boys, all growing up in Vergennes, Vt. Being part of a close-knit family, he spent many weekends hunting, fishing and swapping tall tales with his six brothers. Good food and family gatherings were traditional.

In 1961, Stanley married Saundria “Sonnie” Hawkins in Ferrisburgh and had two children, a daughter and a son. In keeping with his free spirit, Stanley forged his own path and led a very independent life, challenging and questioning the status quo. He lived life decidedly on his own terms.

He is survived by his daughter, Cheryl (Peter Garon) Brinkman; son, Stanley Brinkman Jr; three brothers, Michael Brinkman, Henry “Bobby” (Judy) Brinkman and Richard Brinkman; two granddaughters, Casey Brinkman and Alexandra Brinkman; and his lifelong companion, Beth Benoit. He was predeceased by his parents and three brothers, James Brinkman, Thomas Brinkman and Rodney “Buck” Brinkman.

A graveside service or memorial has not been scheduled at this time.

The Record Staff

Maryam and Travis Counter, the owners of the Good Times Café, have announced on their Instagram page that they will be closing their Hinesburg location and focusing on their South Burlington location.

The Counters bought the business (but not the building) from Chris and Tracy Applin in 2019. The Applins ran Good Times Café from the time that it opened, in 1995, until they sold the business to the Counters. The Applins still own the building, so there is the possibility that a new restaurant will move into the space.

Their full announcement on Instagram:

“Dear Hinesburg Community,

“We’ve made the difficult decision to close our Hinesburg location. It was a family decision, made for the betterment of both Good Times Café and Matryoshka’s Bakery. It will allow us to spend more time with our children, while also expanding our business offerings in South Burlington. There have been several factors that led us to this decision, including the difficulty in finding employees, which has had us both working 14 hour+ days 6 days a week.

“When we took over Good Times in 2019 you warmly welcomed us; carried us through the pandemic, helped us get on our feet, and built amazing connections within the community. We would like to keep showing up for you all, and being able to do that, we need to take care of our well-being too.

“We knew that it there would be difficulties in opening a second location, but felt it important to house both businesses under one roof. In the end it just wasn’t sustainable for our family. We appreciate all the support you have given us in the past 7 years, and we hope you come and visit us on Shelburne Road.

“Our last day in Hinesburg is May 2.”

For 30 years, Good Times Café has graced the corner near Silver Street and the Hinesburg Community School. For 30 years, the restaurant has served countless meals to countless residents.

How do you feel about the closing? Comment below.

By Jennifer Morton

Join us for the 3rd CVU Empty Bowls Dinner Fundraiser!

Date: Thursday, April 9
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Where: CVU High School, 369 CVU Road, Hinesburg, VT 05461

This popular event sells out every year so purchase your tickets early to save your spot! Enjoy an evening of community, connection, and support as we come together to help fight hunger in Vermont.

What is Empty Bowls?
Empty Bowls is a global, grassroots movement that brings communities together to combat food insecurity. Guests share a simple meal of soup and bread while raising funds for a local food shelf.

This Year’s Beneficiary
All proceeds will support the Williston Community Food Shelf, which relies entirely on donations from our generous community to help feed neighbors in need within our district.

Dinner Tickets

• $25 donation (adult)

• $15 donation (child under 12)

Each ticket includes:

• A handmade, food-safe ceramic bowl to take home

• A dinner of homemade soups (vegan and vegetarian options available)

• Artisan bread

• Ice cream from Sisters of Anarchy

Your bowl serves as a lasting reminder of the empty bowls we’re helping to fill every day.

Note: Tickets will NOT be sold at the door. Purchase them here.

Silent Auction

Don’t miss our exciting silent auction featuring incredible items from local businesses and community members, including:

• Handmade pottery

• Wooden cutting boards crafted by CVU students

• Donations from vendors at the Shelburne Farmers Market

• Gift certificates to local favorites

• Specialty food items and beauty products

• …and much more!

Bidding is open until 8 p.m. You do not need to be present to win – winners will be notified within 24 hours. Payment accepted: cash, check, or credit card.

We are so grateful for the generous support of our sponsors and community partners.

Can’t Attend? Make a Donation

If you’re unable to join us, please consider making a tax-deductible donation.

• Donate online using the green Donations tab

• Or mail a check directly to:
  Williston Community Food Shelf
  PO Box 1605
  Williston, VT 05495
  (Please note: CVU Empty Bowls)

Need help with tickets or donations? Call 802-482-7194.

Hinesburg Community School students are taking to the stage with brand-new lighting and curtains purchased with help from an enduring local philanthropic fund that began back in 1934.

Known as the Peck Estate fund, the bequest has supported not only the school theater program, but also field trips, early literacy and many other educational needs for more than 90 years.

The fund is evidence that caring about local students is a long tradition, suggested Hinesburg Community School Principal Tim Trevithick.

“I think it says that the community values education. And it shows up in this way, in a really powerful way.”

Today, Hinesburg residents who see the Peck Estate mentioned in town documents might not know the origin of the fund or the prominent local history of the family that created it. Lucy P. Coleman France, who died in 1934, was the niece and adopted daughter of Cicero Peck.

She left a provision in her will that bequeathed four-fifths of her father’s estate to the town of Hinesburg. She designated that the trust and its income could only be used to support education in the town.

Municipal donations are not uncommon in small-town Vermont, but the Peck Estate stands out for its unique commitment to education.

The Peck family name is known for its longstanding commitment to Hinesburg. Beyond dairy farming, Cicero Peck served in numerous town roles, including selectman, moderator, town agent and grand juror. His uncle, Asahel Peck, served as governor of Vermont, and his father, Nahum, was a lawyer and state legislator.

Cicero Peck attended Hinesburg’s common school and Hinesburg Academy but due to health issues couldn’t attend a collegiate university. Despite this, he remained involved in education and spent 15 years on the school board, some of those as chairman, and served as superintendent of schools from 1877-1884 and 1891-1894.

Cicero Peck’s estate and farm were located off Mechanicsville Road and included the historic Queen Anne-style house built in 1896.

As of 1938, the fund was valued at $13,673 with an additional 29 shares of Howard Bank stock and 12 shares in Merchants Bank stock. By October 31, 2025, the value had reached $1,150,592, thanks to an investment strategy and partnership with Hanson & Doremus Investment Management that allowed the original donation to grow and gather compound interest even while annual allocations were made.

Trustees elected by the town are responsible for the investment, allocation and overall management of the fund. Currently, Frank Twarog serves as a trustee alongside Jennifer Wilkinson and Heather Roberts, Hinesburg town clerk and treasurer.

In 1944, the trustees purchased a boarding house for teachers, located off Vermont 116 in Hinesburg village. The house was rented to teachers until its sale in 1979. The trustees held the mortgage of the property and acted as a bank to help grow the fund.

Twarog describes the fund as a unique asset for the Community School to provide supplemental opportunities for students and teachers.

“Projects like climbing walls, adaptive structures on the playground, new creative chairs, bouncy chairs, the district’s not going to pay for that stuff,” Twarog said. “The district’s only going to pay for the needs. And so that’s what’s really satisfying about the Peck Estate, and as a trustee, is being able to offer that money.”

Each year, the trustees distribute a percentage of the fund to the school, typically between 2.5 and 5 percent of the total fund. In 2025, this amounted to $50,750. The investment performance of the fund helps determine allocations, with the goal being to keep the principal invested and allow the fund to last into the future.

“Most years there’s been a net increase,” Twarog said. “So we’ve been able to give somewhere in the $30,000 to $50,000 range every year.”

Even though the fund has been in place for many years, Trevithick stressed the importance of distinguishing the purpose of the gifted money from the yearly school budget.

“We take the Peck Estate as this piece of money that we don’t always know we’re going to get and use it for one thing at a time, spending to supplement or create additional things for our kids and our faculty.”

In deciding how and where to use the money, the school prioritizes projects that benefit all students. In a challenging budget climate, the fund is especially helpful. It has allowed the school library to renovate seating even when the furniture budget was frozen, for example.

The fund reflects a small town testament to community and value for education, some observers say.

“I’m new this year to the school, but I’ve picked up on the close-knit nature of the Hinesburg community, and the amount of people who have students here, or who work here, who came through the school system themselves, and the way they’re connected to each other,” said Alexis Kelly, Hinesburg Community School vice principal. “So I think it’s an interesting example of that going a little bit further than just our school building.”

The passion for education in Hinesburg is a story that continues beyond the Peck family’s civic dedication and bequest.

“Hinesburg is truly a community school, and it feels like that,” Trevithick said. “I think that the Peck Estate is really symbolic of that.”

The first annual Carpenter-Carse Library Art Night Benefit on March 14 raised Nearly $10,000 for the Community Room Expansion. Read the full article here.

Speaking of the Library,

April Events at Carpenter Carse Library

Check out the full calendar of events at the Library, including a Community Art Project called Who We Are, where the public is invited to come together to create a lasting and meaningful piece of public art. Read more here.

Free Spring Kids and Maternity Clothing Swap

This free event is for anyone seeking children’s or maternity clothing. The swap will be held at the United Church of Hinesburg’s Osborne Parish Hall on Saturday, April 4, from 9-11 a.m. For more info, including when and where you can drop off clothing, click here.

Hinesburg Community School Students Take the Plunge for Special Olympics Vermont

Students and staff from HCS’s fifth through eighth grades took a chilly leap into Lake Champlain on Saturday, March 14, raising thousands of dollars in support of Special Olympics Vermont. Full article and more photos here.

Obituary: Matthew A. Spiro

Matthew A. Spiro, a longtime resident of Hinesburg, died on Feb. 15. Read the full obituary here.

Hinesburg Nursery School Awarded Stewart’s Holiday Match Grant

HNS has been awarded a portion of the Stewart’s Holiday Match Grant, a program that supports children under 18 years of age in Stewart’s Shops markets. It will go toward rebuilding the fire escape so that they can better utilize the newly acquired upstairs space. Read the full story here.

Word of the Week

By Cathy Ryan

The word that I chose for this week’s Word of the Week truly lead me down the rabbit hole of research. This week’s word is “tantalus”. It sounds like a creature might be encountered on Star Trek.

I came across this word while reading The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett on my kindle. The sentence was, “His hand hovered over the Guild’s ancient and valuable tantalus, with its labeled decanters of Mur, Nig, Trop, and Yeksihw.” The kindle’s definition was “a stand in which decanters of liquor can be locked up though still visible.”

But when I looked it up online, I also found “Tantalus, son of Zeus, was condemned to eternal hunger and thirst in Tartarus for serving his son to the gods at a banquet.” Well, that’s… disturbing.

Apparently this is the source of the word “tantalize”!

Terry Pratchett, the author of The Hogfather, where I first read this word, was a very prolific writer of fantasy novels, most of which take place in “Discworld”. If you see a book available at Carpenter Carse or Vermont’s ebook library, you might wonder whether it matters in what order you read the books. I suggest reading up on Pratchett’s Subseries on Wikipedia. Although that may lead you down a whole other rabbit hole…

Please check out our new Promoted Content section featuring upcoming events at

Click the banner to check out Papa Nick’s website and menu . . . Support our advertisers! Thanks.

In case you missed it …

My Story: How I Got Hooked on the Pipes

Hinesburg musician Rik Palieri tells the story of how he became entranced with Polish bagpipes. Listen to the audio story here.

CVU Students Present Spring One Acts

Get ready to laugh and cry as CVU High School Theater presents its Student-Directed One Act Plays! Tickets went on sale March 28, with performances April 10 and 11 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 12, at 1 p.m. More info here.

Upcoming

Wednesday, April 1

• Selectboard Meeting - 6 p.m. Agenda and Zoom information available here.

• Opening Day at Trillium Hill Farmstand

• Dog Licenses Due. More info here.

Thursday, April 2

• Folk Jam - Live Music with SongFarmers of Hinesburg: 6 - 8 p.m. at Carpenter Carse Library. More info here.

• Gone Guys Screening at CVU - 7-8:30 p.m. This is a Vermont-produced documentary exploring the growing disengagement of boys and young men from school, work, and our community. CVU Auditorium. Free & Open to the Public. More info here.

Saturday, April 4

• Free Spring Kids and Maternity Clothing Swap - 9-11 a.m. More info here.

• Hinesburg Easter Egg Hunt - 4 p.m. at Hinesburg United Church. More info here.

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Monday and Saturday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Tuesday through Friday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Location:

69 Ballard’s Corner Road, Hinesburg, Vermont

Contact Info:

www.carpentercarse.org
library@carpentercarse.org
802-482-2878

All Ages: Community Art Project – Who We Are

Here at the library, we are excited to have a wonderful opportunity to bring our community together to create a lasting and meaningful piece of public art, led by artist Terry Zigmund of Burlington Community Glass Studio. Terry’s vision for this project includes 112 individual glass tiles, each one made by a member of the community. We hope you will attend one of the workshops and be a part of this collaborative art. Together, we will create a glass and ceramic mosaic mural reflective of our values. This collaborative piece will become public art on display at the library. The colors we choose for our tiles will tell a story about citizenship, belonging, history, culture, and society.

Please join us for one of the tile-making workshops. These are drop-in unless otherwise noted.

• Tuesday, April 14, 9:30 a.m.*

• Saturday, April 18, 10:30 a.m.

• Wednesday, April 29, 2:15 p.m.**

• Saturday, May 2, 1 p.m.

• Tuesday, June 2, 6 p.m.

• Thursday, June 11, 6 p.m.

*This session is reserved for Storytime families.

**Reserved for after school youth participants (contact jen@carpentercarse.org to register)

Youth Happenings at Carpenter-Carse Library

For more information about any of these programs contact jen@carpentercarse.org.

Weekly Storytime: Tuesdays, April 7, 14, 21, and 28, at 9:30 a.m.

Join the fun with picture books, songs, and rhymes that are designed to promote early language, fine motor, and pre-literacy skills in a friendly environment! Each week we will finish up Storytime with snacks, coffee for the adults, simple crafts or sensory play, and book browsing. Storytime is designed for babies, toddlers, and preschool aged children and their caregivers. No registration is required.

Music and Movement Storytime: Fridays, April 10, 17, and 24, 9:30 a.m.

Carpenter-Carse is offering an interactive early childhood program featuring instrument exploration, songs, fingerplays, dance and movement, and singable stories. Babies, toddlers, preschoolers and their caregivers can join us every Friday morning for moving, grooving, and fun. Like all library programs, this program is free and open to everyone. No registration required.

Saturday Family Playtime: Saturdays in April at 10 a.m.

Young children and their caregivers are invited to join us in the library community room every Saturday morning for play time, pop-up storytimes, and socializing. Coffee and tea will be provided for adults, and families can browse for books afterwards. Library staff will provide a rotating selection of activities and play themes. No registration required.

Read To A Dog: Tuesdays, April 7 and 24, at 3-4 p.m.

If you’d like to practice your reading skills, drop in at the library every other Tuesday after school to read to Ivy the Bassett Hound, a certified therapy dog. There’s no need to sign up, just head to the children’s library and pick out a favorite book to share with Ivy.

Dungeons and Dragons Club: Thursdays, April 2, 9, 16, and 30, from 3-4:30 p.m.

Each week library volunteers work with students in grades 4-8 in learning the basics of Dungeons and Dragons, including character creation, understanding game mechanics, and how to work together to create and play in their own campaigns. D&D CLub follows the school calendar. If your child is interested in participating in this semester’s session of D&D, parents can email jen@carpentercarse.org.

Middle School Book Club: Thursday, April 16, from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

We invite middle school students who are interested in reading and discussing all kinds of books (chapter books, memoirs, graphic novels) that are generally geared toward students in grades 6-8. Students will receive each month’s book from the library then meet on the third Thursday of the month to engage in a fun discussion, eat snacks, hang out with friends, and decide what to read next. Email jen@carpentercarse.org to reserve your spot and receive all the necessary info to get started in this monthly club!

Adult Programs

For more information about any of these programs contact alex@carpentercarse.org.

Hands and Needles: Mondays, 10 a.m.-noon.

Bring whatever project you’re working on (quilting, knitting, embroidery, etc.) to this weekly program for a morning of creativity and conversation. No registration required.

Senior Meet-Up: Mondays, 1-2:30 p.m.

Do you remember rotary phones? Bike riding without helmets? The Ed Sullivan Show? 8-track tapes? Then this meetup is for you. Come gather and talk, schmooze and kvetch, share and laugh with other seniors. Coffee and tea will be provided. No registration required.

Folk Jam – Live Music with SongFarmers of Hinesburg: Thursday, April 2, 6-8 p.m.

Do you play an acoustic instrument or just love to sing along to old time, blues, country, and folk music? Come join the SongFarmers during their monthly gathering and participate in this wonderful live music offering. Listeners are also welcome. Free and open to the public in the library’s community room, or outdoors as weather allows. No registration required. Contact alex@carpentercarse.org with any questions.

LGBTQ+ Mental Health Community Conversation: Friday, April 3, 6-8 p.m.

This Community Conversation, presented by NAMI Vermont, will feature three to four panelists from the LGBTQIA community who will share their expertise on the intersection of gender identity, sexual orientation, and mental health identity. No matter your background or connection to the subject area, these sessions offer valuable insights and actionable information in an open, honest, and welcoming environment. Light refreshments will be provided. More info and to register here.

Mystery Book Group: Wednesday, April 8, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

This informal group will meet the second Wednesday of each month to chat about a mystery novel – ranging from cozy to gritty. Contact alex@carpentercarse.org with any questions or to reserve a copy of the book (as available).

Fighting Food Waste: Tuesday, April 28, 7-8 p.m.

Join Kat Moody from CSWD for an eye-opening look into reducing food waste. We’ll begin with a screening of Eating Trash, a documentary that explores the global issue of food waste and the surprising solutions already underway.

After the film, stick around for a short, practical presentation on how you can take action locally. Learn the ways to cut food waste at home, discover how local Vermont businesses and restaurants are creatively repurposing food scraps, and explore community-driven food recovery efforts like gleaning, food shelves, and food pantries. No registration required. Contact alex@carpentercarse.org with any questions.

Decision-Making in the Age of Plastics: Wednesday, April 29, 7-8 p.m.

Come join a conversation with National Geographic Explorer and author Rachael Zoe Miller about her book, Decision-Making in the Age of Plastics. Rachael will walk you through a chapter of her choose-your-own-adventure-style guide to making informed decisions that are best for you and your family’s health, the environment and your budget. Be ready to share your own purchasing priorities, concerns and successes in an open, constructive dialogue. No registration required. Contact alex@carpentercarse.org with any questions.

Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity Info Session: Thursday, April 30, 6-7 p.m.

Join us to learn more about Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity’s upcoming homes in Hinesburg. Construction begins on this project this spring. Learn more about the program and details of the application process. Volunteers are also needed for this project so we’ll share volunteer opportunities as well. No registration required. Contact alex@carpentercarse.org with any questions.

By Paul Lasher
Hinesburg Community School Fifth Grade Teacher

Students and staff from Hinesburg Community School’s fifth through eighth grades took a chilly leap into Lake Champlain on Saturday, March 14, raising thousands of dollars in support of Special Olympics Vermont.

The Hinesburg group brought in an impressive $9,296, the highest fundraising total among Champlain Valley School District schools this year. Despite a minimum fundraising requirement of $150 per participant, every student who wanted to take part was able to join the event.

The annual plunge challenged participants to brave the icy lake waters, all in the name of a good cause. Support from local community members played a major role in the group’s success, helping students surpass expectations and make a meaningful contribution to Special Olympics Vermont.

Representing Hinesburg Community School in the plunge were fifth-grade teachers Paul Lasher and Alyssa Wieland, along with students Hamish Campbell, Madison Bushey, Lydia Tappan, Coen LaCompte, Colin Natkin, Aiden Webb, Ruby Chojnowski, Maddie Saviloi, Addie Powden, Yvette Chalifoux, Maya Manikian, Iris Tallman, Langley Parent, Piper Bissonette, Hannah Powers, Evelyn Miller, Sully Wellman, Wyatt Kuykendall, Gilly Wellman, and Theron Trefethen.

Several parents and grandparents also joined the effort, including John Powers, Sawyer LaCompte, Jon Natkin, Emily Parent, Rob Wellman, Rachel Squires, and Miles Manakian.

With strong community backing and plenty of courage, Hinesburg Community School’s plungers turned a freezing day at the lake into a warm show of support for Vermont athletes.

This popular free event is for anyone seeking children’s or maternity clothing. The swap will be held at the United Church of Hinesburg’s Osborne Parish Hall (10570 Route 116) on Saturday, April 4, from 9-11 a.m.

As a reminder, we no longer accept books at the clothing swap. We will host a separate toy and book swap in May, so please stay tuned for more details about that.

• To ensure another successful swap, please note that we accept all gently-used children’s clothing, sized infant to 14.

• We also accept maternity clothing.

• Drop off clothing donations at the Parish Hall on Friday, April 3, from noon-8 p.m.

• Items can also be dropped off at Carpenter-Carse Library from March 30-April 2.

• No toys, no books, and no drop-offs on the day of the swap, please.

This is a great way to do your spring wardrobe switch, get new sizes for your own kids and pass on some clothing to friends and neighbors. If you just need clothing for your family and do not have anything to donate, you are welcome to just “shop.”

Sponsored by Hinesburg Community Resource Center’s Friends of Families Program.

For more information, please call or email Alexandra Koncewicz at 802-482-4946 koncewicz@hinesburgresource.org.

Hinesburg Nursery School is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a portion of the Stewart’s Holiday Match Grant, a program that supports children under 18 years of age in Stewart’s Shops markets.

The grant will be used to improve building conditions at the school. Specifically, it will go toward rebuilding the fire escape so that we can better utilize the newly acquired upstairs space.

The Stewart’s Holiday Match program is made possible through the generosity of customers who donate during the holiday season, with Stewart’s Shops matching those contributions. More information about the program can be found at www.stewartsshops.com/communitygiving.

Hinesburg Nursery School extends its sincere gratitude to Stewart’s Shops and its customers for their continued commitment to strengthening local communities.

For more information about Hinesburg Nursery School, please contact Rebecca Cook, Program Director, teacher@hinesburgnurseryschool.org.

Matthew A. Spiro, a longtime resident of Hinesburg, died on Feb. 15, 2026, at The Arbors in Shelburne.

He was born in 1931 in New York City, where he grew up. He was the son of Henry and Gertrude Spiro.

He received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and a masters in education from New York University. He spent his career in New York City schools as an elementary teacher, French teacher and ultimately retired as a guidance counselor.

When Mat (yes, he preferred his nickname with one “t”) was 24, he met the love of his life, Robert Petrusa, while working together at the French Line shipping company in Rockefeller Center.

After retirement, Mat and Bob moved to Hinesburg in the early 1990s and were among the early same-sex couples having a civil union ceremony in Vermont. They later married in July 2013.

Mat loved to travel, read books, watch old movies, discuss current events and speak French. He was very social and had a large network of friends who continued to visit him after his recent move to the Residence at Quarry Hill and then The Arbors. And he had an active phone life with those friends who lived too far away to visit – Australia, New York City, Florida, Kansas.

Mat remained mentally vibrant to the end despite his physical frailties.

He shared stories of his travels and always wanted to hear other peoples’ stories. He tried hard to know the names of all of his caregivers and helpers. He gained friends from every area of his life.

Mat leaves his large network of friends and Bob’s niece and nephew. Thanks to the many caregivers and friends who shared their love and attention to Mat. He was very grateful.

Mat was unsure about having a cemetery plot, but he shared that if he had one, he’d like to have both his and Bob’s names on one stone with an inscription, “They loved each other” or “They were happy together.”

By Amanda Segovia Bradley
Friends of the Carpenter-Carse Library, Secretary

On a March evening in Hinesburg, something special happened. The Town Hall filled with neighbors, conversation, laughter, and more than 90 pieces of original local artwork – all in support of a shared goal: strengthening one of the community’s most important gathering spaces.

The first annual Carpenter-Carse Library Art Night Benefit, hosted by the Friends of the Carpenter-Carse Library on March 14, brought people together in a way that felt both celebratory and deeply meaningful. By the end of the night, the event had raised nearly $10,000 to support the expansion of the library’s community room.

More than 60 local artists generously donated original artwork for the event, creating a vibrant and inspiring atmosphere. Each ticket holder left with a piece of art, making the evening not only a fundraiser, but a true celebration of local creativity.

The success of the event was made possible by the collective effort of many – the artists who donated their work, local sponsors and businesses who contributed financially and in-kind, and the many community members who attended and helped spread the word.

The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. Attendees have shared how meaningful it was to gather, reconnect, and experience an evening centered around creativity and community. Many described the event as a joyful and memorable night that brought people together in a special way.

“We hoped to create something that felt like a true community gathering,” said a member of the Friends group. “The response has been incredibly heartwarming and a reminder of how much people value opportunities to come together.”

Building on this momentum, the Friends of the Carpenter-Carse Library are already planning another community event for this fall.

Those interested in getting involved are warmly invited to attend an open meeting of the Friends group on Saturday, March 28, at 4 p.m. at the Carpenter-Carse Library. It’s a great opportunity to learn more, share ideas, and be part of future efforts to support the library.

The Carpenter-Carse Library continues to be a vital space in Hinesburg – a place where people gather to learn, connect, and grow. Events like the Art Night Benefit highlight not only the importance of that space, but the strength and generosity of the community that supports it.

For more information or to get involved, please join the upcoming meeting or reach out to the Friends of the Carpenter-Carse Library at Friends@carpentercarse.org.

At the March 18 meeting, the selectboard voted to move forward with rebuilding the two Beecher Hill Road bridges damaged by floods in 2024, despite FEMA funding being uncertain. Full story and other happenings from the meeting here.

My Story: How I Got Hooked on the Pipes

Hinesburg musician Rik Palieri tells the story of how he became entranced with Polish bagpipes. Listen to the audio story here.

We are so appreciative of the major advertising support of Lantman’s Market. Please support them.

CVU Students Present Spring One Acts

Get ready to laugh and cry as CVU High School Theater presents its Student-Directed One Act Plays! Tickets go on sale March 28, with performances April 10 and 11 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 12, at 1 p.m. More info here.

Obituary: Pam (Palmer) Parent

Pam (Palmer) Parent, 66, of Williston, Vermont, died unexpectedly on March 12. Funeral services will be held on March 30 at 11 a.m. at St. Jude’s in Hinesburg. Read the full obituary here.

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Word of the Week

By Cathy Ryan

We’re trying something new – sharing a “word of the week” that we’ve found interesting. Let us know what you think (or if you have a word to suggest). This week’s word is “wroth.” I’d never heard of it, before reading it recently in The Royal Book of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson. In the story, a knight named Sir Hokus says, “My singing makes them very wroth.” Unfortunately for Sir Hokus, wroth means angry. So, the next time someone or something makes you angry, say so with this unique word.

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wrāth; akin to Old High German reid twisted, Old English wrīthan to writhe. More info here.

The Royal Book of Oz was the first Oz book published after L. Frank Baum’s death. Baum was listed as the author and the introduction claimed that the book was based on notes by Baum. But it was actually written entirely by Ruth Plumly Thompson. This book is in the public domain. You can read it online or download it for reading on your phone, kindle, or iPad here at Project Gutenberg. Perhaps a relaxing activity for the next time you’re feeling wroth?

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In case you missed it …

Applications Due by March 31 for Governor’s Institutes of Vermont Summer Programs

These experiential learning, residential experiences, held on Vermont college campuses, are open to ninth-, tenth-, and eleventh-grade students. Applications are due March 31! Read the full article here.

Kelsey Pasteris announces bid for State House

Kelsey Pasteris, a nurse who moved to Hinesburg in 2018, announced last week that she is a Democratic candidate for the Hinesburg seat in the Vermont House of Representatives. The seat is currently held by incumbent Rep. Phil Pouech, who has decided to step down. Full story, with audio, click here.

Upcoming

Tuesday, March 24

• Energy and Climate Action Committee Meeting, 7-9 p.m. Town Hall, third floor conference room and via Zoom.

Wednesday, March 25

• Hinesburg Planning Commission Meeting, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Town Hall, lower-level conference room or join with Zoom (Meeting ID: 876 1731 2869, Password: 123456). Agenda available here.

Thursday, March 26

• Free Webinar from Shelburne Museum, “Varied & Alive: New and Rarely Seen Treasures from the Collection,” an expansive look at collection treasures rarely seen or exhibited. 6-7 p.m. Register, and more info here.

Saturday, March 28

• Springtime Craft: Painting Pots and Planting Seeds at Carpenter Carse Library, noon-1 p.m. Kids of all ages are welcome to this program, however we ask that anyone younger than second grade be accompanied by an adult. Please email jen@carpentercarse.org or see the circulation desk to sign up. More info here.

Sunday, March 29

• Equinox Wind Quintet Concert at UVM, 3 p.m. Free. Recital Hall, 384 South Prospect St., Burlington. More info here. More events here.

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Get ready to laugh and cry as CVU High School Theater presents its Student-Directed One Act Plays! Tickets go on sale March 28, with performances April 10 and 11 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 12, at 1 p.m.

Catch The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), directed by Molly Silvia and Eva Fewell, a lightning-fast, hilarious tour through all 37 Shakespeare plays. Or experience a fresh take on the classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet, directed by Stephanie Miskavage and Izzy Schwendler, featuring Kieran Coolidge and Nicki Cogan as the iconic young lovers.

Tickets: $10 general admission, $7 for students, children, and faculty/staff. Grab yours early at www.ticketsource.com/cvutheater. Support local teens and enjoy a weekend of comedy, drama, and unforgettable performances!

Pam (Palmer) Parent, 66, of Williston, Vermont, died unexpectedly on March 12.

Pam was born in Burlington, on July 8, 1959, to Theodore and Patricia Palmer and was the oldest of the three Ps and the three Ts. As the firstborn of a young family embarking on military life, she spent her first couple years being loved and adored by her mom Pat, grandparents Hilda, Beatrice and James, and her young aunts Mary and Peg, while Ted began his service in the U.S. Army. Her schooling began in Kinderhaus in Stuttgart, Germany. She was a proud young student. The family returned to Hinesburg while she was in elementary school, and she graduated from CVU in 1977 where she was a member of the National Honor Society. She was known for her kindness and thoughtfulness among her friends and teachers. She was a kind and thoughtful big sister.

Pam loved being a mother and took enormous pride in her children. Pam was also a creative. She found great joy in baking and cooking for her family and had a talent for decorating elaborate birthday cakes for her children’s birthdays. She often sewed Halloween and school play costumes from scratch, rivaling any store-bought costume. In quieter moments, she enjoyed tending to her flower gardens, spending time with a good book or using her keen eye searching for antiques. Pam also loved music. She built up an impressive record collection and cherished her trip to visit her brother Todd and the Grand Ole Opry.

Pam is predeceased by her parents, Ted and Pat Palmer, and her aunt Mary Nertney. She is survived by her children Charlotte, Sam and Will Parent and their father Jeff Parent; her siblings Tim Palmer, Penny Restuccia and her husband Michael, Todd Palmer and his wife Darlene, Ted Palmer and his wife Danielle, her sister Paula Palmer; and many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her aunt and uncle, Peg and Wayne Lacaillade; and her close friends Sandra Bremner and the St. Hilaire family.

Funeral services will be held on March 30 at 11 a.m. at St. Jude’s in Hinesburg. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Carpenter Carse Library.

By Rik Palieri
The Hinesburg Record

It happened back in the mid-1970s that I was at a friend’s house looking through a National Geographic, and I saw this photo of a Polish bagpiper. Being of Polish background: my mom was born in Poland, my father’s part Polish: I had never heard of anything like a Polish bagpipe.

That photo really got me intrigued to find out more information about this unusual instrument. I didn’t realize how unusual it was until I started trying to do research, and I found out very little information. And back then – this was way before we had a Wikipedia or Google or anything like that – you had to do research, real research. And that’s what I started doing. I started putting together information about this instrument.

In 1980, I wrote a letter to the Polish government. They had sponsored a festival, a world festival, and they invited me to come to Poland. And there I got a chance to see some Polish bagpipers and actually learn about the whole idea of what is a Polish bagpiper and how is it important in the culture.

And so I had met this man called Yusuf Broda and he was one of the best bagpipers in Poland; and he’s still living and he still is a great bagpiper. He gave me some instruction on the bagpipe and then I started trying to learn how to play it and realized that the only way to really learn how to play it was to go there and live there. I was hunting around and writing for a grant for Polish bagpipes.

And after a few rejections, I did receive a fellowship from the Kushushko Foundation in Poland, and I lived with Yusuf Perda in the mountains of Eastern Poland. And that’s how I learned how to play the pipes. There’s about five different styles of Polish bagpipes, each of them having a different sound and a different appearance.

One of the things you notice is they have this wooden carving on the top of the bagpipe that looks like a goat, and that’s because these were an early form of recycling, where they learn how to not discard any part of an animal. So when a goat died, instead of just, you know, getting rid of it, they turned it into a bagpipe in certain regions. And that’s why they have the symbol of the goat to remind you of where it came from.

And so I’ve been playing these Polish bagpipes, and I’ve played a lot here in Hinesburg. It’s a fascinating kind of thing to carry on an old tradition. Very different than just playing the American folk music that I usually play.

You’re representing something much bigger than you are. You’re representing a culture. You’re representing a region.

So I went out and I did over a thousand schools across the United States, me and my dog, Koza, which means goat in Polish. So Koza and I traveled all over in my VW microbus and played to thousands and thousands of school kids, teaching them a little about the old traditions of Poland.

The Record Staff Report

So if you were Town Manager Todd Odit or a member of the Hinesburg selectboard, what would you do in this situation?

• FEMA, the federal disaster relief agency, has, at each step in the process, given the necessary approvals for 75 percent federal reimbursement to rebuild the two Beecher Hill Road bridges damaged by floods in 2024.

• For the last year, FEMA has been erratic about reimbursement, particularly after former Department of Homeland Security (FEMA’s parent agency) Secretary Kristi Noem required her sign-off on all projects over $100,000. (Her replacement pledged to Congress that he would eliminate that requirement and speed up the process.)

• Since Feb. 14, DHS (and FEMA) have been closed because of a Congressional dispute over funding the agency, and there is no end in sight for the dispute.

• For the town to get into this year’s construction cycle, it must move forward: that is, accept the best bid and get going.

On Wednesday night, the selectboard listened to Odit’s recommendation and voted to accept the second-lowest bid and begin work.

Odit admitted there was a little risk, but “I’m not worried that (FEMA) won’t come through. It’s more a question of timing and having some assurance. … The disaster was declared, funding was approved.” But it would be nice to know, he added, how much money FEMA will actually send to the town – and when.

But he explained that the need to move now was because the winning construction company needs to get orders in for cement culverts in time and otherwise the project could face major delays.

The board approved the bid of Poulin Companies for $1.22 million, which Odit said was well within the budgeted amount. As some of this project was part of a bond issue (approved by voters last fall), Odit is working with the Vermont Bond Bank to free up cash as needed for the early part of the project.

• As a side note: the lowest bid of $1.12 million was not accepted because the bidder failed to finish the bid application, Odit said. The company didn’t sign it nor was there any of the required information about a construction bond.

The bridge closest to North Road was given a temporary repair after the summer 2024 flood, but the lower bridge is completely washed out.

The rest of Wednesday’s meeting was fairly routine. Here’s what happened:

• Fire Chief Prescott Nadeau gave a 12-minute presentation on the latest with the fire department; including that several “volunteer” firefighters gained emergency medical certifications and recruiting has started for the new firefighter approved by voters several weeks ago. The full-time firefighter/EMT position doesn’t start until July 1.

• An engineering firm presented drawings on the planned reconstruction of the sidewalk on the east side of Route 116 from the Waitsfield Telecom building to Mechanicsville Road. Odit said the town has received a grant for the project. Work is not expected to begin until 2027, with completion sometime that fall.

• The selectboard approved reappointments of the following volunteer members of various town boards: Caroline Carpenter (Affordable Housing Committee); William Scott (Conservation Commission); Ted Bloomhardt, Richard Jordan and Branden Martin (Development Review Board); Karen Tronsgard-Scott and Rachel Seller (DIEB Committee); Becky Alfred (Planning Commission); and Maggie Gordon and Rachel Kring (Town Common Committee).

• Police Chief Chris Romance has lined up the necessary courses he must take in order to be certified as a law enforcement officer in the state of Vermont. This is required even though he had 29 years experience in New York State and was the top uniformed officer of a 56-officer department. Vermont laws, policies and procedures are different, so any policeman must receive training for certification. Odit said that Romance should be certified by early April – much sooner than anticipated.

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Obituary: Gary Mashia, a 45-year-employee of Lantman’s

A celebration of life for Gary Glenn Mashia will be held at the Buck Ridge Barn from noon to 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 – Gary’s birthday. He would have been 62. Full obituary, click here.

A hold-up in FEMA final approvals

The selectboard learns that the Washington, D.C., fight over the Department of Homeland Security budget has delayed final approval of funding for bridge projects on Beecher Hill Road. Full story, click here.

Firefighter hit by car – not seriously injured

While responding to a report of a vehicle hitting a guardrail and sitting the roadway, a firefighter was “lightly struck” when the driver decided to continue driving. Read fire department Chief Nadeau’s full press release here.

We are so appreciative of the major advertising support of Lantman’s Market. Please support them.

Kelsey Pasteris announces bid for State House

Kelsey Pasteris, a nurse who moved to Hinesburg in 2018, announced last week that she is a Democratic candidate for the Hinesburg seat in the Vermont House of Representatives. The seat is currently held by incumbent Rep. Phil Pouech, who has decided to step down. Full story, with audio, click here.

Applications Due by March 31 for Governor’s Institutes of Vermont Summer Programs

GIV’s summer learning experiences run for one to two weeks, and are open to any and every Vermont ninth-, tenth-, and eleventh-grade student. They offer experiential learning, interacting, and discovery using advanced resources and professional guidance. The residential experiences, held on Vermont college campuses, have a sliding scale for tuition, putting it in reach for all families. But applications are due March 31! Read the full article here.

Support our advertisers, you support The Record. Click image for link to Waitsfield Telecom.

Williston Area Lions Offer Two $1,000 Scholarships

The Williston Area Lions Club is offering two $1,000 scholarships to graduating CVU students. More info here.

CVSD electric buses burn

Four electric school buses parked at Allen Brook School in Williston caught fire Wednesday night causing Allen Brook to close for two days and Williston Central for one. District, state and the manufacturer are looking into what caused the fire. Full story, click here.

Please check out our new Promoted Content section featuring upcoming events at

and Papa Nick’s menu addition of corned beef and cabbage to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on a rare Tuesday opening, March 17 …

In case you missed it …

A conversation with Hinesburg’s new police chief

Chris Romance has begun his new job as police chief, and he brings to Hinesburg a penchant for community policing and engagement and a wealth of experience. Full story, click here.

My Story: Finding an old story in an old picture

How finding a photograph from 1900, and getting the people in it identified in the nick of time, led to a story about ancestors. To hear the audio story, click here.

An analysis of the Town Meeting Day vote

The budgets passed easily – surprisingly easily to some. Read our news analysis here.

Upcoming

Tuesday, March 17

• CVSD School Board Meeting, 6-9 p.m. at the CVU high school library or by Zoom (Meeting ID: 891 6859 0464, Passcode: cvsd11)

• Development Review Board Meeting, 6:30-8:30 p.m. In person at Town Hall, by Zoom (Meeting ID: 844 8156 5757, Password: 123456), or watch live on Media Factory website or on Comcast Channel 17 or 1084. The topic is the cheese plant, more info here.

Wednesday, March 18

• Selectboard Meeting, 6 p.m. In person and via Zoom (Meeting ID: 847 7025 5215, Passcode:185282) or watch live on Media Factory website or on Comcast Channel 1084. Agenda available here.

Thursday, March 19

• Beginner Tai Chi class for those ages 60-plus at 9 a.m. at St. Jude's Church. More info here.

• Town Common Committee Meeting, 6:30 p.m. Town Hall, lower-level conference room or via Zoom (Meeting ID: 816 3272 1046, Password: 206212). Agenda available here.

Saturday, March 21

• Hinesburg Firefighter’s Association Food Drive, 9 a.m. to noon at the fire station and at the firetruck outside Lantman’s. More info here.

• Free Pancake Breakfast, 8-10 a.m. at Community Church of Huntington. More info here.

• Champlain Valley Community Students Demand Action (CVCSDA) – meeting at the United Church of Hinesburg Parish Hall from 3-4 p.m. More info here.

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Record Staff Report

Town Manager Todd Odit told the selectboard March 4 that the town had put out for bid the reconstruction of the two bridges on Beecher Hill Road that were damaged by the flooding in the summer of 2024. However, there’s a curve.

Odit explained that with the Department of Homeland Security shut down the town doesn’t know how much money FEMA will actually give the town, nor when. (DHS is shut down because Congress has yet to approve a continuing budget for the agency. It oversees FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Administration.)

Odit explained that FEMA had approved the project and awarded the grant for engineering; the town had then obtained the necessary permits from the State of Vermont and had submitted the required “scope of work” to FEMA. But then FEMA was closed pending the budget resolution.

“We submitted it in what seemed like was going to be a reasonable” amount of time in advance, Odit said, and “that we would not necessarily have the money, but at least we’d know the amount of funding were going to get. But now that’s probably not going to happen.

“I’m hoping there’s still time for it to work out because [the winning contractor] can’t work [on the bridges] before June or July. But it’s just one of those things that is just bad timing. You do everything you’re supposed to do, but it’s something that’s totally out of our control.”

In further discussion with the board, Odit explained that while it’s “nerve-wracking,” he will be talking with the Vermont Bond Bank that oversees the town’s several approved bond issues to determine whether some of that money can be redirected temporarily to ensure the cash flow needed to pay for the bridge work as it gets underway, at least until the FEMA money arrives. Odit said he is not worried that the money wouldn’t arrive, it is just a question of when.

Board member Mike Loner wondered whether the project should be delayed, but Odit explained that “FEMA expects the town to move forward regardless of what FEMA does because their view is, ‘if you don’t [move forward], well then it must not be that important.’ So I’m just going to continue crossing my fingers and hoping that we’ll still have the money before we start construction.”

Further, he said, there is a risk “with not proceeding” because the Beecher Hill Road bridge near the North Road “is being held together with bubblegum right now.”

In other action, the selectboard:

• Approved a letter of support for the Carpenter-Carse Library’s application for a grant to repair their roof and their HVAC system.

• Talked about about the Feb. 9 informational meeting and how it might be improved next year. Town Manager Todd Odit explained why some of the audio-visual problems occurred and others noted that the CVU library needed to be opened earlier, noted that the tech person had to leave before the meeting started and perhaps the vantage point of the public speaker should be changed so people in-person and on Zoom could see their faces. They also discussed the possibility of making the meeting a little later. The board also talked about moving it next year to Town Hall. Approximately 40 people attended in person and about 50 checked in via Zoom.

• The board also clarified the procedure for town residents to reserve Town Hall, noting that it will be up to the Town Manager’s discretion as to whether to require insurance coverage and will depend on how many people are expected to the event and what type of event it is. Odit said small groups are free to use Town Common but, in the future, if they wish to reserve the pavilion (to be built this year) they should notify the town manager’s office.

• And the town’s website has undergone an overhaul with a new platform and slightly new look:

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UPDATE: At the regular meeting of the CVSD board, the district’s chief operating officer Gary Marckres reported the basic facts of the story and said that there were numerous entities investigating the cause of the fire: the Vermont State Police, the Vermont State Fire Marshall and investigators for the insurance companies of those involved – the company from which the district leased the buses, the company that made the buses, the manufacturers of the charging systems, etc. In general, he said, the fire was not suspicious, it appeared to be electrical. The logical assumption in these types of fires, he said, was that it was the charging system. He added that since the buses were parked and at their charging stations, the company leasing the buses, Highland Electric, is responsible and has paid for the leasing of six diesel-powered buses from Lamoille Transportation to replace the electric buses in the contract (the two undamaged are not being used in case the buses themselves present danger). Marckres said he hoped the investigations would be completed so the destroyed buses could be removed and the parking lot repaired.

Record Staff Report

Back in January, CVSD chief operating officer Gary Marckres admitted to the school board that the district’s experiment with leasing six electric buses, while environmentally friendly, “hasn’t gone that terrific. The buses haven’t been reliable” explaining that cold weather was preventing charging. “The bottom line is that they haven’t been available every day.”

Update: now four of them will never be available.

Late Wednesday night four of the six electric buses leased from Highland Electric Company and parked at Allen Brook School in Williston caught fire and were destroyed. The district closed Allen Brook for two days for clean-up and Williston Central for one day because of disruption of the bus routes. Both will be open Monday.

The district said it will not use the two undamaged electric buses until it knows what caused the others to catch fire. “We need some answers, and our most important job is to make sure our students are safe,” Bunting said.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated by a variety of agencies including Vermont State Police, Highland Electric and the bus manufacturer, Thomas Built Buses. The Williston Fire Department and CVSD said the fire did not seem of suspicious origin; the buses were docked at their charging stations at the time of the fire and investigators are looking at the elements of the school bus systems, including the chargers, batteries and electrical ports.

The district estimated the loss at $2 million and was trying to determine how much of that expense will fall to CVSD.

“Our hope is that we’re going to be able to recoup these expenses, of course, through insurance and other means,” CVSD Superintendent Adam Bunting told vtdigger.org. “But it’s probably going to take some time to figure that out.”

The buses have had their problems.

At the January board meeting Marckres said that “while not disparaging Highland Electric or the manufacturer,” the extreme cold was causing problems with the buses’ batteries and recharging system. He said Highland Electric and the district had been trying to resolve the problems. (UPDATE: Marckres said Tuesday that the problem with the charging system was in the “trickle charge” that is the system that charges the smaller, 12-volt battery that keeps the larger battery warm. He said it had been a software problem.)

The fire in the Allen Brook School parking lot was discovered by a custodian at about 10 p.m. Wednesday, and she immediately called 911. Upon arrival, fire crews found the four buses engulfed in flames and used a deck gun and two hand lines to extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported.

The four destroyed buses were among 60 school buses in the district’s fleet. On March 3, voters approved a $250,000 bond to purchase two new buses and two new vans.

(Note: Click the “article voiceover” above to hear Pasteris’ brief remarks in announcing her candidacy.)

By Geoffrey Gevalt
Record Staff

Kelsey Pasteris, a nurse who moved to Vermont in 2018 and Hinesburg in 2021, announced last week that she is a Democratic candidate for the Hinesburg seat in the Vermont House of Representatives: the seat now held by incumbent Rep. Phil Pouech, who has decided to step down.

Introduced by Pouech, Pasteris gave brief remarks to a packed audience at the United Church Community Room on Monday evening. After thanking Pouech for his guidance and support she told the group “a little bit about me.”

“My husband and my one-year-old son at the time, we just drove across the country from Washington state to make Vermont our new home.

“We [were] drawn to Vermont for the sense of community and the access to the outdoors and real landscapes while allowing me to continue my career as a nurse. We struggled to find daycare and housing, but got creative, which we learned is how most people survive in Vermont.

“For the past seven years, I’ve observed and experienced the uniqueness that comes with living in Vermont. And my biggest takeaway is that it doesn’t have to be this hard.

“So I’m running for Vermont state representative because when I see people working so hard to live in Vermont, I’m called to make it easier, to help us not just survive but thrive in Vermont. I want to hear the voices of Vermonters and make sure I address these concerns in the community and the state house.

“As a registered nurse for the past 13 years, I instinctively put my patients first. I see the state representative role very similarly. What is best for the people of Vermont, and how can I advocate for them?”

Candidate’s priorities

Pasteris said she has three priorities:

Healthcare: “As a nurse, I have seen what happens when people can’t get care early enough. We must invest in Vermonters getting care when they need it and where they need it:”

• Continue investment in mental health;

• Strengthen access to primary care; and

• Improve health literacy so people can navigate care confidently.

Housing: “We must remove barriers, create incentives, and build housing where jobs, schools, and services already exist:”

• Make it easier to build new houses and renovate existing buildings for housing;

• Create incentives for renting to low- and middle-income Vermonters; and

• Consider innovative housing models for senior living and workforce housing.

Keep communities whole: “Vermont works best when no generation is missing. We must incentivize young people to stay, encourage families to put down roots, and enable longtime Vermonters to age with dignity right in their community:”

• Close the gaps that push young adults out – expand apprenticeships and trades programs;

• Strengthen public schools and early childhood programs so families stay;

• Support aging in place with the workforce, services, and infrastructure our communities need; and

• Invest in local economic development that creates opportunity for every stage of life.

Pasteris said she undertook a visit to Washington, D.C., to meet with Vermont’s delegation and had a long “heart to heart” conversation with Vermont U.S. Rep. Becca Balint. She then helped with door-to-door canvassing in Scranton, Pennsylvania, during the 2024 election. She became convinced she needed to do something.

“Through conversations with dozens of people on their doorsteps, I realized that many eligible voters did not feel that their single vote mattered, despite their profound and impactful perspectives on issues. I … encouraged them to use their vote as their voice. I truly believe that each voice matters.”

The experiences “inspired me to get more involved politically, to strengthen a democracy that encourages people to share their stories. I want to represent my neighbors where policies are being made.”

Pasteris is a graduate of the 2025 Vermont Emerge program, a national initiative to train Democratic women candidates.

Phil Pouech speaks

At her launch, Pasteris thanked Pouech for his encouragement and support and said that recently they had a two-hour hike on the Russell Family Trails to discuss the legislature and her campaign.

In an interview, Pouech said his main concern was whether Pasteris, a nurse, could devote time away from work to tend to legislative duties. He came away from his discussions convinced that she would do fine.

He also explained that after 18 years of service as an elected official – four years as a legislator and 14 as a member of the selectboard – it was time to pass on leadership to the “next generation.” His main reason, though, was to spend more time with family, noting that one of his sons, Ezra, died several years ago and his two other children have health issues.

Speaking to the group gathered at Pasteris’s launch, Pouech thanked the crowd for their longtime support. (Below is audio of his remarks.)