Otter boys to face Woodstock in semis

The Otter Valley boys varsity basketball team advanced to the Vermont Division II playoffs semifinal round with Saturday's quarterfinal win over visiting Vergennes. 

The Otters play next on the big stage of Barre Auditorium, Monday, March 2, at 8:15 p.m. Their opponent will be the undefeated Wasps of Woodstock.

Otters fans can purchase a limited number of tickets for the event. Fourteen balcony seats ($8 each) and 350 general admission seats ($7 adult, $4 students and seniors) are available. Tickets will be on sale at the activity director's office in Otter Valley Union High School in Brandon from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday (just before the final performances of Walking Stick Theatre One-Act Plays) and from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tickets also will be available during the school day on Monday. Purchasers are asked to bring cash for their tickets.

The battle between Otter Valley and Vergennes began at 2 p.m. on Saturday in Brandon. OV Principal Jim Avery tweeted updates from the game. He noted that the Commodores were up by 19-14 at the half and by 29-28 with just six minutes left in the game. At 3:30 p.m., Principal Avery tweeted the come-from-behind Otter victory: "48-39 We are going to the Aud!!!! Great effort by both teams. So much to be proud of. #OVpride #classygamefrombothteams"

Otter Valley (16-6) last faced Woodstock (21-0) on Feb. 11. That game did not go well for the visiting Otters, who lost by a score 64-36, though it featured senior forward John Winslow's 1,000th career point. 

Otters basketball enters postseason

The fourth-ranked Otter Valley High School boys basketball team (14-6) hosts the No. 13 Harwood Union High School Highlanders (4-16) in a Division II postseason "playdown" tonight. Doors open for the event at 6:20 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for students and senior citizens. 

John Winslow
(Addison Independent 2014)

The Otters are led by senior forward John Winslow (2014 Addison Independent Player of the Year), who has surpassed the 1,000-point mark in his high school hoops career.

The Otters-Highlanders winner will likely move on to face No. 5 Vergennes (13-7), expected victor of a playdown against 6-14 Hartford.

The division's top regular season team, 20-0 Woodstock, seems likely to advance at least to the semifinals at Barre Auditorium on March 2. The Otters may meet the Woodstock Wasps there, if they can manage two postseason wins.

UPDATE (Feb. 26, 2015): MOVING ON - The Otters defeated Harwood in the play-down game by a score of 45-27 and advance to face Vergennes in a quarterfinal game at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28. Vergennes came out on top, 68-53, in its play-down against Hartford.

The winner of the Otter Valley-Vergennes matchup will move on to a March 2 semifinal game at Barre Auditorium. The opponent will be the winner of Friday's quarterfinal game between top-ranked Woodstock (20-0) and eighth-ranked Mill River (10-11). Mill River advanced to the quarterfinal round after a 62-55 play-down win against Milton.

Otter Valley and Vergennes did not play each other this season. Otter Valley faced Woodstock on Feb. 11. The game did not go well for the visiting Otters, who lost by a score 64-36, though it featured John Winslow's 1,000th career point.

OVUHS presents one-act plays

Otter Valley Union High School's Walking Stick Theatre, 2997 Franklin Street, Brandon, VT, will present a collection of five one-act plays on Feb. 27 and 28 (7 p.m.) and March 1 (2 p.m.), 2015. Admission at the door is $7 for adults and $6 for students and seniors.

Football Otters advance to championship game

The football Otters will face Bellows Free Academy in the Division III championship game at Rutland this Saturday, Nov. 8. The game will be played at 2 p.m. at Rutland High School.

QB John Winslow
(Burlington Free Press)

The Division III championship will be sandwiched between two other football championship games. The Division II title will be decided in an 11 a.m. matchup between Rice and Fair Haven. Middlebury and St. Johnsbury will compete for the Division I championship at 5 p.m. Separate admission - $7 for adults, $4 for students and seniors - will be charged for each game. Parking is limited. A shuttlebus will transport attendees from the Home Depot parking lot to the high school.

The top-ranked Otter Valley Union High School Otters defeated the visiting Windsor Yellowjackets, 43-14, in the semifinal playoff round last weekend. The Otters only loss of the 2014 season was a one-point heart-breaker in a non-division matchup against Fair Haven in Week 1. The Bullets of Bellows Free Academy, seeded second in the playoffs, blanked the visiting Mount Abraham Eagles, 14-0, last weekend.

The Otters team bus is scheduled to depart from Otter Valley Union High School at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday. Before heading south to the game site, the bus will travel north on Route 7 and loop around downtown Brandon. Fans in Brandon are encouraged to greet the team as it passes. [Update: This circle around Brandon has been removed from the team bus schedule. The bus will proceed directly to Rutland after leaving the school.]

The game will be available for online viewing through the NFHS Network (www.nfhsnetwork.com). This is a subscription service. A 24-hour pass can be purchased for $9.99.

OVUHS presents Chicago, the Musical

Otter Valley Union High School presents a Walking Stick Theatre Production of Chicago, the Musical, on four dates in November. Shows are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Nov. 20, 21 and 22 and 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 23. Tickets will be $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors at the door. Advance tickets ($8 for adults) will be available through Carr's Florist in Brandon and the Otter Valley library beginning Monday, Nov. 3.

Congratulations to Otter athletes

The football and field hockey squads of Otter Valley Union High School in Brandon, VT, finished at the top of the regular season standings this fall and moved on into the playoffs.

The football Otters posted an unblemished 5-0 Division III record in the 2014 regular season and suffered just one narrow loss through eight games overall. That lone loss was a season-opening one-point defeat at Division II Fair Haven. The Otters led their division in regular season scoring, despite playing in one less game overall than other top division teams. The last time the football Otters finished at the top of the standings was in 2005.

Entering the postseason with the Division III top seed, the Otters defeated visiting Poultney on Saturday by a score of 41-21. At 1 p.m., Nov. 1, the Otters will host fourth-seed Windsor in the  playoffs' semifinal matchup. Windsor advanced with a 47-20 quarterfinal win over U-32.

(In the other Division III football quarterfinal games, second-ranked Fairfax defeated Woodstock, 34-22, and third-ranked Mill River fell to visiting Mount Abraham, 20-15. Mt. Abraham was seeded sixth in the playoffs.)

The Otters field hockey team finished the regular season with a perfect 7-0 Division II record and an overall record of 11-2. This is the second consecutive year the Otters have finished atop the regular season standings.

The team entered the postseason as Division II's second-seed, behind 13-1 Rice. On Friday the team shut out the seventh-seeded Mount Abraham Eagles, 1-0, to advance to the Division II semifinal game to be held in Castleton State College's Spartan Stadium this afternoon (Oct. 27).

The Otters have won five field hockey championships in their history. The team's last state championship was in 1999.

Report: Collins poised to take reins of RNESU

Jeanne Collins (WCAX photo)

Jeanne Collins is a finalist for the position of superintendent of the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union (RNESU), responsible for overseeing the schools in the Otter Valley region, according to a report by WCAX-TV and other sources

Collins became the superintendent of schools for the City of Burlington in 2006. During her tenure, reports say she was repeatedly pressured to resign. In recent years, Burlington schools have faced mounting financial problems, most reportedly related to overspending. The school system accumulated an anticipated budget deficit of $2.6 million for the current year. That is the third consecutive annual deficit of more than a million dollars. A recent audit found that the school system may also owe as much as $500,000 to the Internal Revenue Service for unpaid payroll taxes and fines.

David Larcombe, the Burlington Schools director of finance, recently submitted his resignation, which will be effective June 30.

Collins and the Burlington School Board recently reached a separation agreement that resulted in her stepping down as superintendent two years before the end of her contract. Her resignation was accepted by a unanimous vote of the school board. Under the agreement she receives a $225,000 severance in two installments and a letter of recommendation.

("No easy fix for Burlington schools," Burlington Free Press, May 14, 2014; "Burlington school superintendent to step down June 30," Burlington Free Press, May 14, 2014; "Superintendent Jeanne Collins to resign in June," WPTZ-TV, May 13, 2014.)

VT Gas discusses pipeline benefits

Vermont Gas has scheduled an "open house" meeting tomorrow night (May 8), 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Otter Valley Union High School in Brandon. (Link) Company employees will be available to meet one-on-one with local residents at "topic tables" to discuss various aspects of natural gas efficiency and the plan to bring natural gas service to Rutland County.

Vermont Gas says the pipeline project will reduce reliance on oil and propane and could result in an energy cost savings of up to 50 percent for Rutland County homes and businesses. Phase I of the project, approved in December, is designed to transport natural gas from Colchester to Middlebury. Phase II is planned to extend the pipeline from Middlebury to the west, through the towns of Cornwall and Shoreham and under Lake Champlain, to provide service to the International Paper mill in Ticonderoga, New York. That phase is strongly opposed by residents of the affected towns.

According to the gas company, an agreement with International Paper will provide $45 million toward the construction of an additional length of pipeline in Phase III, allowing Rutland County to be served by natural gas by the year 2020. Without the extension to Ticonderoga, the company says it will take about 15 more years to connect to Rutland.

Significant snowstorm hits region

Strong winds packed snow
against just one side of the house.

Those who calculate snowfall totals following windy storms, like the one the region experienced on Wednesday and Thursday, either have a great deal more patience or a better system than I do.

I can say with a certainty that after the storm was done there was about 30 inches of snow pressed up against the south side of our house and right about 0 inches of snow near the north side of the house (clean grass). There was about half a foot of the white stuff accumulated inside the far reaches of our barn (the winds apparently having no trouble moving flakes horizontally over great distances and forcing them through the horse's open doorway into every corner of the structure). I'm merely going to average the extremes and state that we had a 15-inch snowfall. I realize that's a bit lower than other reported totals from the area, but until I can figure out a better method, I'm going with 15.

Though the snow in this area stopped falling Thursday morning, roads remained treacherous through the afternoon. During a drive through Middlebury in mid-afternoon, it appeared that there remained at least an inch of packed snow on stretches of Route 30 and Route 7.

Schoolkids in the area got two "snow days" off. With an Otter Valley teacher in-service day scheduled for today, that gives our high-schoolers a five-day weekend.

One-act plays begin tonight

Otter Valley Union High School's annual evening of one-act plays begins tonight (Feb. 28) at 7 p.m. and includes performances tomorrow at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission is $5. This year's one-act plays are:

• Tracks
• Any Body for Tea?
• Silent Snow, Secret Snow
• Harry's Hotter at Twilight
• Aristophanes' 'The Birds'

The plays are presented by Otter Valley's Walking Stick Theatre in the high school auditorium, 2997 Franklin Street, Brandon, VT.

OVUHS district meeting Feb. 26, 2014

A meeting of the Otter Valley Union High School District No. 8 will be held 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, at the OVUHS auditorium. At the meeting, the Board of School Directors will present an estimate of district expenses for the year beginning July 1, 2014. A budget of $10.52 million has been proposed. That amount is $16,351 less than the current year's budget, but still requires a tax increase over the current year.

In the district's annual report (click here to access the full report), OVUHS Board Chair James Rademacher explained the belt-tightening process, "We felt that a budget that would maintain the status quo would be too much for the voters to accept. Three retiring senior teachers being replaced with new hired much lower on the pay scale was a significant help but not enough. All areas of staffing were carefully reviewed. After consultation with administration, faculty, and students the Board has decided to discontinue the Dean of Students position."

Aside from the staffing adjustments, Mr. Rademacher said, "We are proposing to basically level fund our budget while dealing with the same inflationary pressures you are all facing."

Voting on the budget will be conducted in the usual polling places on Tuesday, March 4.

The agenda for the Feb. 26 meeting includes the following articles:

1. To elect the following officers: a. A Moderator for one year; b. A Clerk for one year; c. A Treasurer for one year; d. An Auditor for three years.
2. To act upon the reports of the Union High School District Officers.
3. To fix the compensation of the District Officers.
4. To have presented by the Board of School Directors of the Union High School District its estimate of expenses for the ensuing year.
5. To authorize the Board of School Directors of the Union High School District to borrow money pending the receipt of payments from the member districts by the issuance of its notes or orders payable not later than one year from date of issue for the purpose of paying sums appropriated by the Union High School District.
6. To transact any other business proper to be done when met.

The meeting will be recessed to March 4 for balloting on the final agenda item:
"Shall the voters of the Otter Valley Union High School District No. 8 adopt a budget of Ten Million Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Seven Hundred Seventeen Dollars ($10,525,717) necessary for the support of its schools for the year beginning July 1, 2014. The amount of such sum to be raised by taxes to be offset by special education revenues, state aid and other incomes."

Under the proposed spending plan, the estimated homestead base tax rate districtwide would increase by almost 7.6% from $1.45 to $1.56. Member towns would experience different tax impacts. All member towns except Leicester would experience tax increases for the year. The towns of Whiting, Goshen and Pittsford would experience increases of 10% or more. The estimated increases for member towns are shown below:

Brandon +04.6% to $0.68
Goshen +10.2% to $0.97
Leicester -02.5% to $0.78
Pittsford +10.0% to $0.77
Sudbury +03.9% to $0.76
Whiting +10.0% to $0.66

Otters notch fourth blowout win

BRANDON, VT, Oct. 19, 2013 - The Otter Valley High School varsity football team completed a 5-2 regular season (5-1 division record) with a 48-7 victory over the visiting Oxbow Olympians on Saturday afternoon at Markowski Field in Brandon. It was the fourth consecutive blowout win for the Otters, who outscored opponents 237-63 during that stretch.

Otter Valley led Oxbow 14-0 after the first quarter and added 21 more points before halftime. The score was 48-0 in the final quarter, when the Otters JV went in to finish up, allowing an Oxbow touchdown and PAT.

The Otters concluded their regular season with a 3-1 record at home. (Their only home loss was a 36-20 season-opening defeat against Division II opponent Fair Haven.) Oxbow, 3-5 overall, did not have a win on the road in four tries this season.

Otters varsity football regular season 2013:
1. Loss 36-20 vs Fair Haven-Div II (0-1)
2. Win 42-14 vs Bellows Free (1-1)
3. Loss 33-12 at Mill River (1-2)
4. Win 77-24 vs Mt. St. Joseph (2-2)
5. Win 65-13 at Poultney (3-2)
6. Win 47-19 at Winooski (4-2)
7. Win 48-7 vs Oxbow (5-2).

Otter Valley Boys Soccer Schedule 2013

Otter Valley Football Schedule 2013

OTTERS WIN!

Otter Valley secures its first 
state baseball title since '76

Otter pitcher Patterson retires 17 in a row

The Otter Valley Union High School baseball team has defeated top-ranked Burr & Burton Academy to take the 2013 Division 2 state title. It is Otter Valley's first baseball championship since 1976.

The Otters celebrate with the state championship plaque.

Otter starting pitcher Brett Patterson was dominant, tossing a one-hit complete game shutout. The Burr & Burton Bulldogs, who have appeared in three of the last four state championship games without winning a title, managed just two baserunners against Otter Valley.

The Otters erupted for six runs in the third inning, which proved to be more than sufficient. They added a single run in the fifth inning, as Jim Winslow, who doubled to lead off and was sacrificed to third, scored on a Bulldog wild pitch. Two more runs were added in the sixth. John Winslow led off with a walk, stole second and scored on a Lonergan triple. Lonergan then scored on another Bulldog wild pitch.

Patterson shut the door on the Bulldogs early and retired the last 17 Burr & Burton batters he faced. The game's last batter went to a full count and then took a called strike on the outside corner.

After the game, the Otters receive individual medals.

Burr & Burton was top seeded in the Division 2 postseason. However, Otter Valley, which was ranked second, had a better overall record and had beaten Burr & Burton, 8-1, during the regular season. Heading into the championship game, no Burr & Burton postseason opponent had scored a run.

A large crowd of Otter supporters attended the championship game, played at Burlington's Centennial Field.


In  1  2  3  4  5  6  7 

OV  0  0  6  0  1  2  0
BB  0  0  0  0  0  0  0

    R   H   E

OV  9   9   0
BB  0   1   1

Photos are screen captures from live game coverage provided by NSNsports.net

Otters are one win from baseball title

The Otter Valley Union High School baseball team will face top-ranked Burr & Burton Academy tomorrow night in the Division 2 state championship game. The game begins at 7 p.m. at Burlington's Centennial Field.

The Otters, seeded second in the Division 2 postseason, defeated the Lamoille Lancers, 8-1, in Wednesday's semi-final game. Starting pitcher Justin Owen fanned ten lancers in the victory. At 18-1 for the year, OVUHS is poised to take the division title. The Otters were victorious against the Burr & Burton Bulldogs when the teams squared off in the regular season.

GO OTTERS!

OVUHS honors 'excellence'

Otter Valley Union High School paid homage to student "excellence" on the evening of May 22. Awards were presented to OVUHS students for academic achievement and community service. A number of students were recognized for scholarships won from regional colleges and universities.

Personal note #1: We note proudly that our three children were among the honorees: daughter Victoria for her volunteer efforts on behalf of the Brandon Free Public Library, son Alex for his work in English and Spanish classes, and son Francis for his work in a food/nutrition class.

Personal note #2: I fully understand that "this is Vermont" and little allowance is made for occasional uncomfortably warm conditions, and I don't suggest that OVUHS spend a fortune installing central air conditioning for late spring events in its auditorium. But, how about a fan or two? Couldn't it still be "Vermont" even with a couple of fans on the premises? This event was conducted in a jam-packed, sweltering auditorium with no windows and no noticeable ventilation. Due to the structure of the event, in which no one knew ahead of time when their children would be called up for an award and all were instructed to remain respectfully seated for the duration, stepping outside for a breath was a practical impossibility. I note that "hot box" treatment is illegal in U.S. prisons and should also be illegal in high school auditoriums.

Otters LAX defeats Randolph

The Otter Valley Union High School varsity boys lacrosse team defeated visiting Randolph Union by a score of 15-2 yesterday afternoon. The victory was the first of the season for the varsity Otters.

Spring productions at OVUHS

Otter Valley Union High School in Brandon, VT, presents Thank You For Flushing My Head In The Toilet and other rarely used expressions & Snapshot, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 2, and Friday, May 3. Admission is $5.

Otter Valley Boys Lacrosse

Our two sons are now involved in the lacrosse program at Otter Valley Union High School, so don't be too surprised to see some lacrosse coverage here from time to time. The first scheduled game of the varsity season was postponed from this morning (April 13) to the afternoon of May 2. Here's what the season schedule looks like:

Sat	04/13/2013	Randolph	H	11:00 *
Mon	04/15/2013	Vergennes	H	4:00
Mon	04/15/2013	JV hosts Vergennes	H	5:30
Fri	04/19/2013	@ Brattleboro	A	7:00
Thur	04/25/2013	Woodstock	H	4:30
Sat	04/27/2013	MAU	H	11:00
Mon	04/29/2013	@ Vergennes	A	4:00
Mon	04/29/2013	JV @ Vergennes	A	5:30
Thur	05/02/2013	Randolph	H	4:30
Wed	05/08/2013	Hartford	H	4:30
Sat	05/11/2013	@ Burr & Burton	A	11:00
Mon	05/13/2013	@ Mt Abraham	A	4:00
Thur	05/16/2013	Burr & Burton	H	4:30
Fri	05/24/2013	Rutland	H	4:30
Fri	05/24/2013	JV hosts Rutland	H	6:00
Sat	05/25/2013	@ St. Johnsbury (Oxbow)	A	1:00
Sat	05/25/2013	JV @ St. Johnsbury	A	2:30
Wed	05/29/2013	Green Mtn Valley School	H	4:30
Fri	05/31/2013	@ Hartford	A	4:30

Home games are shown in Bold, JV games are shown in Italics.

* 4/13 game postponed to 5/2