Title tilt
Three-peat
CVU football beats Essex, heads to championship
Field hockey team wins its third state title
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November 10, 2022
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Weekly news coverage for Charlotte and Hinesburg
thecitizenvt.com
Pouech wins Hinesburg’s House seat Evans wins unopposed in Charlotte COREY MCDONALD AND LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITERS
In Hinesburg, Phil Pouech bested Sarah Toscano for a chance to serve in the Vermont Legislature’s Chittenden-4 House district, while Chea Waters Evans, who ran unopposed, won election to the Chittenden-5 district representing Charlotte and a small slice of neighboring Hinesburg. Democrat Pouech won with 1,683 votes over his Republican challenger, who had 643 votes. “First, I want to thank my opponent for running a respectful campaign. There are a number of issues in the Legislature, but I plan to work hard and expect to put in a good amount of time — whatever it takes to learn how to be the best representative. A big problem is affordable housing and a way to have an affordable transition to renewable energy and another big piece is affordable child care. Three things off the top of my head we need to take care of,” said Pouech, a member of the Hinesburg Selectboard and Hinesburg resident of 36 years. Evans, meanwhile, earned 1787 votes — cruising to an easy victory. Evans, the longtime journalist and resident of Charlotte, upset 12-year-incumbent Rep. Michael Yantachka for the town’s seat in the Vermont House of Representatives in the August primary election after campaigning on Prop 5 and abortion. She used Yantachka’s yes, no, and then yes vote on Proposal 5,
PHOTO BY IVY KIRBY
Hinesburg Town Clerk Missy Ross talks to a voter at a polling place on Election Day.
which would enshrine the right to abortion in the state Constitution, as evidence for the need for new blood in the House district. “I’m so grateful that the people of Charlotte and Hinesburg trusted me to represent them in Montpelier. One of my new colleagues told me this is the largest group of new representatives they’ve had. I think it’s going to be really exciting to add new energy and new ideas, and I’m just ready to get to work. My door is always open if anyone wants to talk,” said Evans. Chittenden County’s Democratic Southeast Senate trio, mean-
while, cruised to an easy victory. Incumbents Thomas Chittenden, Virginia Lyons and Kesha Ram Hinsdale easily bested two Republican challengers — Rohan St. Marthe and Dean Rolland. Hinsdale took the lead with 30,923 votes, followed by Chittenden with 25,689 and Lyons with 24,202. Republican challenger Rolland garnered only 8,537 votes, followed by St. Marthe with 6,853. Charlotte residents also voted on another ballot item regarding proposed amendments to the town’s land use regulations. The proposed amendments address
legislatively mandated changes, clarification to existing rules (no policy change), proposed new or changed policies and standards (phase one), and miscellaneous minor technical updates and revised definitions. The six articles on the ballot passed and will move on to the second phase of updates that could be voted on as early as Town Meeting Day. Meanwhile, voters also approved $22 million for the Chittenden Solid Waste District to build a new state-of-the-art recycling facility.
The current facility in Williston serves every town in Chittenden County and is wildly over capacity, processing 48,000 tons of materials in a facility equipped to handle only 25,000 tons a year.
Making history Vermont voters made a historic first this election cycle, sending a woman to Congress for the first time in state history. Becca Balint, the president pro tempore of the Vermont Senate, beat out five challengers for elecSee ELECTION on page 8