Observer photo by Tim Simard
Aaron Dempsey, 8, rides a stationary mountain bike to learn how much energy it takes to light a compact fluorescent bulb, while his father Donald Dempsey (left) talks with Seth Wolcott of the Vermont Energy Education Program. The bike demonstration was a highlight of Saturday’s Williston Energy Fair, hosted by Williston Green Initiatives at Town Hall. See story below.
Energy awareness
October 29, 2009 By
Educators recognized as outstanding (10/29/09)
October 29, 2009 By
Oct. 29, 2009
Two teachers in Chittenden South Supervisory Union earned high honors at a recent event at the University of Vermont.
Williston Central School teacher Julie Longchamp received an outstanding teacher honor during UVM’s Outstanding Teacher Day. Longchamp was the honoree for CSSU’s elementary and middle schools.
Champlain Valley Union High School English teacher Jeffrey Evan earned the recognition for the high school.
UVM’s College of Education and Social Services, along with Vermont supervisory unions and school districts, have been honoring teachers with the awards for 29 years. Besides Longchamp and Evans, 70 other Vermont teachers were honored during an award ceremony on Oct. 21.
— Tim Simard, Observer staff
Home playoff game for CVU boys soccer team (10/29/09)
October 29, 2009 By
Oct. 29, 2009
By Mal Boright
Observer correspondent
Thanks to a stronger schedule, the Champlain Valley Union High boys soccer team earned the top seed in the Division 1 playoffs. The Redhawks will open pursuit of their sixth crown in the last seven years at home on Saturday.
The playoff game begins at 10:30 a.m., with the boys facing off against either eighth-seeded Harwood Union (8-6) or ninth-seeded Mount Mansfield Union (7-6-1).
The two teams met Wednesday at Harwood Union in Duxbury.
Neither potential foe would be a total stranger to the Redhawks. CVU trimmed Harwood 2-0 early in the season and captured two wins from the Cougars, the latest a 3-0 victory in Hinesburg a week ago Tuesday.
Burr and Burton of Manchester, boasting a 13-1 record along with CVU, drew the number two seed. The Redhawks were considered to have had the stronger fall schedule.
Coach T.J. Mead and his Hawks put the lid on the regular season Saturday with a 4-0 victory at North Country Union High’s pad in Newport.
Mike Clayton tallied his 17th goal while Kyle Logan logged his fourth and Nick Spencer his third. Nick Hart chipped in with two assists, giving him seven helpers for the campaign. Henry Sengle also passed off for an assist.
The Redhawks had help from the Falcons, who knocked the ball into their own net.
CVU net minder John Milbank made 10 stops while the Hawks unloaded 16 shots at NCU goalie Chad Letourneau.
Girls soccer team seeks Saturday quarterfinal (10/29/09)
October 29, 2009 By
Oct. 29, 2009
By Mal Boright
Observer correspondent
Its lone loss of the season, a 1-0 nipping Saturday at Burlington High, likely cost the Champlain Valley Union High girls soccer team a number one seeding in the Vermont Division 1 Tournament.
The position at the mountaintop and first round bye went to 12-2 Burr and Burton, even though CVU bumped off the Bulldogs 2-1 in overtime at Hinesburg early in the season. The second-seeded, 10-1-3 Redhawks drew a first-round home contest on Wednesday against 3-6-3 Essex High. The game was set to be played after press deadline.
A victory would vault CVU into a 3 p.m. quarterfinal at home on Saturday against 10th-seeded South Burlington (7-7) or seventh-seeded St. Johnsbury Academy (8-4-2).
The Essex pairing put the Redhawks against the Hornets for the second time in a week. Last Wednesday, Amanda Kinneston popped her second game winner in two outings for a 1-0 victory in which CVU outshot the visitors 15-8.
On Friday, the Redhawks came up short once again on the BHS turf, losing on a goal by the Seahorses’ Emma Feeney with 4:30 remaining in regulation.
Goalie Emily Sackett had eight saves for CVU while Stephanie Jaques rejected seven shots for BHS.
The last two tournament bids by the Redhawks have been ended by Burlington High at the Seahorses’ house. Last fall BHS moved on to take the championship.
Playoff position at stake Saturday for CVU football team (10/29/09)
October 29, 2009 By
Oct. 29, 2009
By Mal Boright
Observer correspondent
Currently second in the Division 2 football race, the 7-1 Champlain Valley Union High Redhawks will be in full playoff mode Saturday when they host 3-5 Fair Haven Union at 1 p.m. in the regular season finale.
“We have everything at stake,” CVU head coach Jim Provost said Sunday. “We will prepare as if this is a playoff.”
The Slaters are eliminated from any chance at one of the four playoff berths, and got nailed last Saturday, 41-20 by Otter Valley Union High, a team the Redhawks nipped 7-6 in Brandon a few weeks ago.
But Provost was not letting that apparent blowout color his thinking about Fair Haven.
“Otter Valley is a good team,” the coach said. “Fair Haven has nothing to lose and is going to throw everything it has at us.”
While the Redhawks trail only unbeaten Colchester High in the division, a loss would put them into a scramble of two-loss teams including U-32, Mount Mansfield Union, Middlebury Union and Milton High, with three of the five to enter the “new” season.
CVU holds a 7-0 victory over Middlebury, but lost 14-0 at home to Milton.
Last Saturday, the Redhawks took a trip back to Division 3 and regained the Route 116 title that they lost last year, with a 62-0 triumph over the winless (0-7) and banged up Mount Abraham Union High Eagles.
Provost unleashed a bevy of nine backs and was rewarded with 320 yards of ground pounding, led by freshman Tyler Barnes, who broke loose for 97 yards. Barnes’ total included 55- and 30-yard trips into the end zone.
Senior flashback J.P. Benoit also scored twice, once on a 4-yard run early in the first quarter and later with a 53-yard punt return down the left sideline.
Touchdowns also came from Collin Teator (7 carries, 88 yards), Eric Palmer on a 5-yard pass from quarterback Konnor Fleming, Fleming on a 27-yard keeper, quarterback Ian Solomon on a 31-yard scamper and Nick Meunier on a 1-yard plunge.
Reliable kicker Brian Cherhoniak was perfect on his first six extra point tries, had one blocked, then connected on the final two. The miss snapped a string of 17 straight successes.
Defensively, CVU held the Eagles to three first downs, all in the first half, and just 17 yards of offense.
Linebacker Palmer was a muscular presence defensively, as were linemen Mikey Bean, James Datillio and Dan Thabault, among others.
Defensive end Matt Long and three teammates did not arrive until the second quarter because of testing at CVU. After entering the game early in the second period, Long, on his very first play, threw MAU halfback Shawn Thurber for a 4-yard loss.
Long then continued to ravage the Eagles’ offense, racking up 15 yards in losses through the second and third quarters.
Redbird nest eggs
> Seniors Datillio and Long have been named to the North team for the annual north-south all-star game at the end of the season.
> Sophomore quarterback-linebacker Drew Nick missed the game due to a concussion. Provost said Nick will return to the lineup Saturday.
> Lineman Cameron Fitzgerald, who suffered a concussion in the North Country game a week and half ago, may not play Saturday.
> Chris Long of the Football Boosters performed a remarkable job, holding an umbrella so game statistics could be kept dry.
CVU-MAU, Stats
CVU 7 21 14 20 – 62
MAU 0 0 0 0 – 0
CVU MAU
First downs 7 3
Rushing yards 320 17
Passing yards 15 12
Return yards 79 148
Comp-Att-Int 2-4-0 3-10-1
Sacks-Yards Lost 0-0 1-12
Punts-Avg 1-49 4-13
Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-1
Penalties-yards 2-21 4-40
