BUSINESS
DRM
BURLINGTON — Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC announced Attorney Alison Sherman has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel for the state of Vermont.
Sherman is a director with the firm, and has practiced in the area of trusts and estates law for 11 years, with a focus on estate planning, probate and trust administration.
Union Mutual
MONTPELIER — Since the formal announcement of affiliation between Norfolk & Dedham and Union Mutual, the companies began pooling underwriting results effective Jan. 1. The companies have also introduced a group name (N&D | Union Mutual Insurance Group) and logo for use when referring to the combined affiliated companies.
— Union Mutual Insurance Co. announced the promotion of Schuyler Ryan and Alexis Burrall to its executive leadership team.
Ryan has been appointed vice president of finance. She began her Union Mutual career in 2014 as a senior accountant and most recently served as assistant vice president of finance.
Burrall has been promoted to vice president of branding & communications. She joined Union Mutual in 2012 and has held numerous roles within the marketing department.
Vermont Evaporator
MONTPELIER — In honor of Native American Heritage month, Vermont Evaporator Co. set aside a portion of its November 2024 sales to support Indigenous peoples and causes. The company identified Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission as the seventh recipient of this annual giving tradition.
BIRTHS
CVMC
A son, Myles Fredrick Ladeau, was born March 19, 2025, to Lara Babcock and Calab Ladeau, of Northfield.
A son, Miles Nathaniel Martel, was born March 25, 2025, to Colby and Alayna (Campos) Martel, of Barre.
Copley Hospital
A son, Collins William Royer, was born March 20, 2025, to Devin Royer and Katelin Collins, of Irasburg.
A daughter, Avangeline Grace Sisko, was born March 23, 2025, to Lucas and Nicole (Friend) Sisko, of Johnson.
A son, Emmett Douglas Baker, was born March 26, 2025, to Hailee Ingalls and Jacob Baker, of Belvidere Center.
YOUTH NEWS
Vermont History Day
COLCHESTER — More than 300 students statewide will compete at this year’s Vermont History Day contest, to be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester.
This year’s theme is “Rights & Responsibilities in History.” Participating students in grades 5 through 12 and homeschool students ages 10 to 18 can enter a project in one of five categories: documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website.
Each year, Vermont Historical Society administers Vermont History Day, an educational competition to earn a chance to compete at the National History Day contest.
COLLEGE NEWS
Anthony Castellaneta, of Barre, was named to the fall 2024 dean’s list at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange, Florida.
AROUND TOWN
April library events
BARRE — Kellogg Hubbard Library
PoemCity 2025 features I Am Poetry 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 4; Giving Rights to the Voice of Nature 5 p.m. Monday, April 7; Mi’kmaq Creation Stories with Poetry & Song 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 9; Community Crostic Construction 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 12; Kids’ Open Mic Poetry Night 6 p.m. Monday, April 14.
Strategic Planning Survey comments accepted through April 30.
George’s Mystery Book Group, 6 p.m. Thursday, April 24, discusses “The Ghost and Conclave” by Robert Harris and “By a Spider’s Thread” by Laura Lippman.
Book donations from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 27, for the Library’s fundraising book sale
Board Game Night, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, BYOB.
Storytime and more, 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
MARSHFIELD — Jaquith Library
Play reading, Murder by the Book by Laura Teasdale, 2 p.m. Sunday, April 6, suggested donation $10.
Let’s Talk Race: Building Bridges through Conversation, 6:30 p.m. Fridays, April 4 and 11.
Water, Boulders, and Mud: The July 2024 Great Brook Flood in Plainfield, 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17.
Cooperative Egg Hunt, 11 a.m. Saturday, April 19.
Mending Knits: A Free Community Skill Share, 2 p.m. Saturday, April 19.
Monthly Book Group for Adults, 7 p.m. Monday, April 28, “Old Babes in the Woods” by Margaret Atwood.
Chapters in History Book Group, 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12 “Ruthless Tide: The Heroes and Villains of the Johnstown Flood, America’s Astonishing Gilded Age Disaster” by Al Roker.
All Hands Together Community Crafting Group, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. the fourth Saturday of every month.
Spring Story Time and Playgroup, from 10 to 11;30 a.m. Fridays.
Baby & Caregivers Meet-up with Good Beginnings, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays.
Recycling summit
RANDOLPH — The 19th annual Vermont Organics Recycling Summit will be held from 8:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, at Vermont State University Randolph.
With the theme “Sustainable Communities Begin with Compost!” this year’s Summit features how composting supports resilient communities, reduces waste, and nourishes soils from backyard bins to large-scale facilities.
Following the one-day event in Randolph, there will be free tours and workshops across the state Thursday, May 1.
For more information and to register, visit Composting Association of Vermont’s website.
AROUND VT
Forests and carbon storage
To monitor the carbon benefits of Vermont’s forest sector, Ali Kosiba, UVM Extension forester, prepared the recently released 2025 Vermont Forest Carbon Inventory. She compiled the report in conjunction with her carbon-related work with Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.
The inventory covers carbon stored in forests, as well as carbon gains and losses across the forest sector, including sequestration by existing forests, urban trees, newly established forestland and harvested wood products in use and in landfills. It also measures emissions from when a forest is converted to another type of land use, such as agriculture or development.
According to Kosiba, Vermont’s forest sequestration rate is gradually declining. Each year, forests are absorbing slightly less CO2 than the year before. This decline is due to net forestland loss from land-use conversion and natural forest aging, as older forests sequester at a slower rate.
The inventory will help landowners and forest managers better comprehend the role of forests in slowing down the rate of climate change through carbon storage and sequestration and ensure steps are taken now to keep forests healthy into the future.
Visit go.uvm.edu/vt-carbon to access the 2025 Vermont Forest Carbon Inventory.
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