2 Classy Potty's - The Islander

To the Editor,It was withgreat sadnessand anger that Iread the “Islandsin the Sun SeniorBuilding” reportin the AlburghNews (page four)of the January29, 2013 issue ofThe Islander. Thecut-and-dry andmatter of facts ofthis report, as mentioned by many people I havespoken to in the past week, have prompted me towrite this letter. I know that I am not the only onequestioning the right of a Select board to decidethe fate of a historical building in this area to bedemolished. I realize they are elected officials,but can a building that belongs to the town bedestroyed without all the options explored with/and the townspeople’s approval? I firmly believethis needs to be questioned!As a 56 year old resident North Hero, havingproudly sat on the board of the Board of Directorsof the Islands in the Sun Seniors for three years, Ihave no say in this matter. The residents of Alburghdo! The Senior Center will continue “activities”regardless of location. I’m asking you to care abouta building that holds so many memories for somany members of the community. It was a belovedschoolhouse commonly referred to by locals as the“Village School”.The Alburgh Select board has asked for anadvisory report of the Senior’s belongings fortheir meeting at 7 pm on Thursday, February 14at the Municipal Building. I ask all persons withquestions and concerns regarding the historyand future of this building to attend this meeting.Please, Alburgh residents: you have a right to ask.Respectfully,Donna Holcomb LaroseNorth HeroTo the Editor:It is nice to have a volunteer Fire Departmentin a small town. That being said, the GIVFD hasstrapped the burden of almost $2 million on thetax-payers of Grand Isle for a new building. Inone town meeting, the GIVFD stated repeatedlythat they were uninterested in any option exceptwhat they wanted. So, a less expensive, morecost-effective choice was not an option to even beconsidered. So, now, we, the Grand Isle tax-payers,are stuck with the bill. Surely, a full-time workforce with new equipment is next. The GIVFD hasproven that they are willing to do continual votinguntil they get what they want. The GIVFD mustthink that Grand Isle tax-payers have money toburn. Wait, that doesn’t sound right. How aboutjust flushing money down the toilet. Oh, forgetthat, there will be no septic system. Oh well, justgrin and bear it and pay more unnecessary taxes.Richard RyderGrand IsleIsland Arts Continuesto Serve Grand IsleCountyIsland Arts thanks its many local supporters. In2012, Island Arts continued making a difference inNorth Hero as it does in all of the towns in the LakeChamplain Islands. Island Arts spent $15,383 tosupport our county youth services with scholarships,financial aid, ArtsBoost and free children’s eventsand performances. Monies for the youth programscome from all the people who attend concerts, manygenerous friends and grants.Island Arts is an enthusiastic and devoted all-volunteerorganization whose purpose is to celebrate, fosterand support creativity in Grand Isle County with allprofits going to support youth and adult scholarshipsin such areas as music, writing, theater, painting andother creative projects.In 2012, Robert Foley, a long-time summer residentof North Hero, created an endowed yearly $500scholarship to honor the memory of his late wife,Priscilla Rose. She was very active in the work of IslandArts and supportive of its mission. She was part of agroup of summer residents who work with the IslandArts Board to enhance fundraising and endowments.For many years she was a friend and supporter of thearts in the Lake ChamplainIslands. Island Arts isgrateful to Robert Foleyfor his generous memorialto Priscilla Rose which willhonor her and her passionfor years to come.In 2012, Island Artscelebrated twenty-nineyears of service to GrandIsle County. In additionto professional concertsand events, Island Artspresents workshops,programs for children,craft shows and galleryexhibits. Each summerthe curriculum of theAcademy is different andunique. Summer campsare offered to childrenand adults presented byprofessionals and expertsin a wide variety of fields.All profits directly benefitIsland Arts programs.Watch for announcementsof 2013 summer programsby visiting www.islandarts.orgArtsBoost is a grantprogram for all five Islandschools with a goal ofenriching and extendingthe school arts curriculumthrough its teachers and schools. We reach out toart, music, drama, and literature teachers as well asany other teacher who wishes to expand the artistichorizons of her/his students beyond the regularcurriculum. During the 2012 calendar year, all fiveschools shared a grant totaling $2500 for wide scaleprojects or concerts on a district wide or multi schoolbasis.Students in grades K to 4 from the North HeroElementary School were part of a district wideperformance of “No Strings Marionettes” on March22 at the Grand Isle School. On April 13, all studentsfrom Alburgh, Isle La Motte, North Hero, and GrandIsle schools attended a Big Band Concert in Alburgh.Also, a number of North Hero students were involvedin the Grand Isle County Music Fest on April 19. OnDecember 12, students from North Hero and Isle laMotte experienced a performance of Treasure Islandpartially funded by Island Arts.Thank you for joining us as a volunteer, friend ordonor. We meet every second Wednesday: February13 at 7 pm in our office in the North Hero CommunityHall. Come; you will be warmly welcomed.Martin Luther King, Jr.Honored by South HeroStudentsDuring an inspirational August 11,1957, sermon, theDr. Martin Luther King Jr. challenged his congregationto service: “An individual has not begun to live until hecan rise above the narrow horizons of his particularindividualistic concerns to the broader concerns ofall humanity. Every person must decide, at somepoint, whether they will walk in the light of creativealtruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.This is the judgment. Life’s most persistent andurgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”Children from kindergarten to 8th grade at FolsomSchool answered that call to service and honoredKing’s memory last week in myriad ways, includingsharing literature with seniors and preschoolers andbaking for the Food Shelf.Middle school students at Folsom have been readingliterature and discussing anti-bullying literature andother themes of peace after winning a Mercy Peacegrant from the Sisters of Mercy in Burlington, whichfunded multiple copies of books with the peacetheme. The grant also spurred ideas to promotepeace within our community of South Hero. Some ofthose ideas evolved into the King Day activities.Seventh- and eighth-graders put their usual morningclasses aside on January 21 and performed activitiesrelated to the civil rights movement and communityservice. Each student was given a significant event ofthe civil rights movement to research, and studentsput important information and a picture on a largeThe Islander, February 5, 2013 Page 13index card. Students then presented their findings tothe class in chronological order and the cards will beplaced on a large timeline and posted. The activitydeepened everyone’s understanding of the sacrificesand difficult circumstances associated with theprotracted effort for cultural and political change.Later in the day students were divided into threegroups. Teacher Julie Pidgeon went to CIDER witha group of students and met with senior citizens.There they read an excerpt of King’s Letter froma Birmingham Jail and discussed the Civil RightsMovement with those who had experienced it.Another group worked with art teacher Jenn Hartto design a logo for Granny’s Attic as a serviceproject. Each student submitted a drawing for theorganization to consider. A third group of studentsworked with teacher David McDermott to prepareinformative pieces related to the cupola of the OldWhite Meeting House.January 22, the 5/6 read picture books from thelibrary to children at the Parent-Child Center. AfterFolsom students spent some quality time reading insmall groups, Folsom student leaders brought thekids together to sing some songs as little and bigkids alike shook up some homemade butter. Thekids enjoyed the butter on some crackers and then adessert of chocolate dipping sauce.The 3-4 team January 21 read a narrative piece aboutcivil rights, watched the I Have A Dream speech, andperformed a read-aloud play in their classrooms.Third- and fourth-graders worked on a few projects,including designing logos for Granny’s Attic’s 60thanniversary. Students also have been collaboratingwith the Recreation Commission to design a signfor the new Recreation Nature and Fitness trail nextto the school. Two students are putting the finaltouches on their design, which was selected by thecommission. Some students worked on updating thescale model of the 8 ½-acre plot next to the schoolfor the Recreation Commission, and others made abook with the kindergarteners based on the story, IfYou Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff.In addition, first- and second-graders made snowballcookies, lemon and banana bread for the Grand Islecommunity food shelf. They also watched a video ofJames Taylor’s singing Shed A Little Light, which is atribute to King.Finally, even Folsom’s youngest students aretaking part. Kindergarten teacher Tara Coutureread Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport forher students to learn about King and what he didfor our country. Besides participating in the bookproject with the third- and fourth-graders, thekindergartners created a bulletin board January 23by making pictures of something special about eachone of them. The pictures will be used in a class quiltto show how diverse the class is. Soon, students willbake for the South Hero Volunteer Fire Departmentfor a community service project of their own.