4th of July
Top honors
County celebrates Independence Day
Gatorade names Pecor top soccer player
Page 4
Page 10
Volume 52 Number 26
In Shelburne
Death cafes help unravel fear, spark curiosity
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shelburnenews.com
June 29, 2023
Family affair
LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
There is really only one certainty in this life: death. For most people, that word conjures a slew of unsettling emotions, mostly associated with grief and fear, but Shelburne resident Nick Marconi is encouraging people to instead approach their inevitable fate with positive curiosity. Since 2014, he has helped facilitate and host a series of death cafes in Burlington — and now, in Shelburne — as a way for people to openly discuss their experiences and examine some of the root causes of why many people fear the topic of death and, more important, why it has become such a taboo discussion point in society. Surprisingly, he has found that the conversation has a way of forging the unlikiest of friendships. “To me, talking about death and dying is a very significant subject and experience in our lives,” he said. “I can’t think of anything more significant. If you can really be comfortable, I mean really comfortable, talking about that and going deep with that, it’s going to make the rest of the show more interesting and a little bit easier. Not dealing with it is not helpful.” The death cafe movement See DEATH CAFE on page 11
LEE KROHN PHOTO
Shelburne’s resident osprey tends to its chick.
Backlash arises over Shelburne Parade Ground plan LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
Since Shelburne’s selectboard raised the possibility of revamping the town’s Parade Ground earlier this month, the conversation has reached a boiling point as dozens of residents have taken to social media to express their vehement opposition to the proposed plan. The unofficial plan would erect a new 28-foot by 14-foot pavilion that would face Falls Road. Other minor changes include the addition of benches, Adirondack chairs, and a 3-foot-high fence consisting of granite posts and a black metal chain. Together, these upgrades could cost about $80,000 with the hope of creating a more designated “village green” area in
town, explained planning coordinator Aaron DeNamur “We don’t really have a village green that you see in other towns around the state that I really envy as a town planner,” DeNamur said. “We could have official town events there and have a more formal area to do speeches and events and things like that while also just letting the community utilize it as well.” Funding for the project has already received preliminary approval with the state’s Agency of Commerce and Community Development through an initiative called Better Places — a non-competitive, community-matching grant program to create inclusive and vibrant public places serving designated downtowns and
village centers. “We would get $40,000 from the state’s program,” DeNamur said. “We would have to raise a match of $20,000 through crowdfunding. So, we get a total of $60,000. The state assists us with all that, they help us set it up and send out press releases on our behalf. They really want to see the program succeed.” DeNamur is also requesting that $20,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds be allocated for the project along with money in the planning budget that is allocated for grant-funded projects. But a slew of residents has cited problems the structure would pose to the open space concept that has been upheld for centuries. Others wonder whether the money
allocated for the project could be better used elsewhere. “The Parade Ground must remain open,” said Kevin Clayton, owner and operator of Village Wine and Coffee. “It is a beautiful and safe place bordered by so many beautiful trees. There is no need for any structure for any reason. It is a cathedral within itself, complete on its own.” “Is nothing sacred anymore from the sprawl and the desire by individuals new to the town to use what little open space that remains in Shelburne as originally envisioned?” questioned resident Bud Ockert. “Frequently there is a homeless person who sleeps on the See PARADE GROUND on page 6