Act 250 five
Case closed
New state board to review major changes to land use law
Woman gets 18 years for role in her husband’s shooting death
Page 2
Page 4
January 10, 2025
Weekly news coverage for Charlotte and Hinesburg
POSTAL CUSTOMER
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #217 CONCORD, NH ECRWSSEDDM
thecitizenvt.com
CVU students get say in what flags fly at schools
Flying ‘Hawk
BRIANA BRADY STAFF WRITER
The Champlain Valley School District board has amended its flag display policy in an effort to give students more say. Previously, hopeful flag fliers would petition the school board, which maintained control over which flags could be raised at the schools. Now, students will be able to apply for approval directly with the superintendent or other designated building administrators. According to Superintendent Adam Bunting, this change was prompted by the
students themselves. “There’s a regular cycle that the board does to review policies to make sure that everything remains up to date,” he said. “The flag policy update is a little bit outside of that process, in that we had a student group approach the board.” That student group was Shelburne Community School’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA). While the board voted in favor of raising pride flags in the district in April of 2022, Shelburne Community School See FLAG on page 13
Residents petition town for inclusion after board balks LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY AL FREY
CVU’s Luke Allen drives to the hoop during the Redhawks’ 44-27 win over the Colchester Lakers on Friday in Hinesburg.
Charlotters have been known to exercise their civic engagement muscles frequently, but this time, with a new resident-led petition launched last month, it’s over diversity and inclusion in town. A group of five community members are asking residents to sign onto the petition which asks the town to put the adoption of a declaration of inclusion statement out to voters on Town Meeting Day. The initiative follows a statewide campaign in which 159 Vermont cities and towns, home to about 80 percent of the state’s population, have adopted the Vermont Declaration of Inclusion, which was conceived by a group of grassroots
organizers in the Rutland area four years ago. The initiative’s intent is to promote and reinforce a message to all visitors that Vermont is a welcoming community made of people who will treat strangers fairly, provide encouragement and support their interests. When the group championing the statewide campaign came before the selectboard in August, it spurred a much larger and contentious conversation over inclusion in town. Some residents opposed to signing a declaration said that it might set a “terrible” precedent down the road. Other residents said the entire conversation highlighted See PETITION on page 13
NOW SERVING BREAKFAST
Shelburne Road, S. Burlington Maple Tree Place, Williston
Pancake Bites, Egg Sandwiches & More
GetBlissBee.com
AVAILABLE 8:00-11:00 A.M. DAILY
@getblissbee