Sun and snow
Mat class
Yes, growing your own oranges and lemons can be done in Vermont
South Burlington High wrestlers make the move from club to varsity
Page 4
Page 10
POSTAL CUSTOMER
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #217 CONCORD, NH ECRWSSEDDM
South Burlington’s Community Newspaper Since 1977
the JANUARY 30, 2025
otherpapersbvt.com
VOLUME 49, NO. 5
Superintendent gets her contract ratified by SB school board LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
COURTESY PHOTO
The production crew on set for “The Quietest Year,” a 2023 documentary about the impacts of noise pollution.
Documentarian’s film tackles noise pollution LIBERTY DARR STAFF WRITER
From noisy neighbors and construction to cars and airplanes, the world around us, at times, can seem incessantly loud. That sentiment is the basis for the 2023 documentary, “The Quietest Year,” which chronicles one woman’s personal quest to curb noise pollution in the village of Stowe that ultimately uncovers
the dire consequences of lax noise regulation which she calls, “an urgent yet overlooked crisis for both public health and civil society.” The documentary takes viewers on the personal journey of director Karen Akins, who shares her battle with noisy farm animals on the property that abutted her home and, as the film progresses, through a series of other noise-related issues experienced by Vermonters
across the entire state. The 74-minute film took roughly two years to make and is what Akins has dubbed her “pandemic project,” with most of it filmed, ironically, through what has been called one of the quietest periods of time the world has ever experienced. This is Akins’ second film See DOCUMENTARY on page 9
SPICE UP YOUR EVENT WITH EL CORTIJO’S CATERING MENU!
LEARN MORE: cortijovt.com/catering
The South Burlington school board ratified the renewal of Superintendent Violet Nichols’ three-year contract last week, but the decision had some residents questioning the integrity of the board amidst a challenging budget year. According to the contract, Nichols’ base pay starting July 30 will start at $216,693, but that number is subject to increase by 3.5 percent annually until 2027, plus an additional 2-4 percent, depending on positive annual performance evaluations. Nichols’ initial three-year contract, which she signed in 2022, had a base pay of $179,000 and included similar annual and performance evaluation pay increases. For the current school year, Nichols’ salary is $209,366. The new three-year contract, which ends June 30, 2028, was signed by board chair Chelsea Tillinghast on Nov. 20, although it’s still unclear when the board made the official action to approve the contract in the first place. While meeting minutes for the Nov. 6 board meeting indicate that the board discussed Nichols’
contract in executive session, the board took no official action in the session — or at least did not come out of the closed session to announce any decisions — prompting some accusations from the public who decried a lack of transparency and a violation of open meeting law. In an email, Tillinghast explained that the board meets in executive session to discuss strategy regarding contract negotiations. The board then authorizes the chair to negotiate with the superintendent on behalf of the board and once the chair and the superintendent have reached a tentative agreement, the chair meets with the board in executive session for a final time before executing the contract. It is then put on a warned agenda to take official board action, or ratification, in open session. The contract is not valid until it has been ratified by the full board in open session. “The contract terms were settled in November, and we are obligated by statute to publicly ratify that contract prior the contract taking effect,” Tillinghast See CONTRACT on page 11
BURRITO PARTY PACKS Your choice of TWO burrito fillings, chips & salsa and a house salad ALL INCLUDED.
Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner - Take Out
(802) 497-1668
cortijovt.com