Williston Observer 08/03/2023

Special treatment

Town, brewery reach agreement to lessen impact on wastewater system

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

The Essex Junction wastewater treatment facility was not built to handle what a growing craft brewery flushes into the system.

Last summer, with high-demand waste stretching the facility to its limit, Water Quality Superintendent Chelsea Mandigo organized a test. Each of the three municipalities the facility serves — Williston, Essex and Essex Junction — would simultaneously test the wastewater they were piping in to try and determine where the highest-strength waste was coming from.

Sampling quickly revealed that the most problematic waste was coming from Williston, Mandigo said.

“So we started working backwards,” she said, “and as we worked backwards toward Burlington Beer Company, it was

very obvious that was the source.”

Since its founding in 2014, Burlington Beer Company has grown steadily at its Omega Drive location behind the Get Air trampoline park. It took a big leap in 2018 when it increased brewing capacity by nearly 1,000 percent to 10,000 barrels a year. It’s second major leap came three years later, in 2021, when it moved its taproom and restaurant to a 14,000-squarefoot space on Flynn Avenue in Burlington, opening up enough space in Williston to double beer production.

The company installed several holding tanks in 2018 to “sidestream” wastewater and send byproduct to an anaerobic digester for conversion to energy. But, according to founder and CEO Joe Lemnah, that system is no longer adequate.

“We’ve grown a lot,” Lemnah said.

FPF defends itself against religious discrimination claim

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

A Williston-based religious group claims its paid ad inquiry to Front Porch Forum was rejected without sufficient explanation.

The Vermont Institute for Human Flourishing on Blair Park Road put out a news release last week explaining its intention to advertise a second-year event it is organizing in October in South Burlington: the Restoring Our Faith Summit.

Front Porch Forum co-founder Michael Wood-Lewis this week confirmed the group’s assertion that the request was denied based on non-compliance with the company’s terms of use.

“All attempts to elicit clarification were met with silence,” the group claimed in the news release.

In an interview with the Observer this week, Wood-Lewis said: “We don’t typically discuss specific moderation cases. We

apply our terms of use uniformly. It has nothing to do with religion, it has to do with abiding by our terms of use.”

The Vermont Institute for Human Flourishing consults with the Washington D.C.-based Sovereign Global Solutions.

“This Washington D.C. lobbying group, we looked at them the same way we look at everyone else, and it just didn’t pass our screening,” Wood-Lewis said.

The Vermont Institute for Human Flourishing seized on Front Porch Forum’s acceptance of public funding in its criticism.

The neighborhood-level newsletter service accepted a contract to work with the Vermont Council on Rural Development on a federal grant in the wake of 2011’s Tropical Storm Irene and currently accepts annual funding from some larger municipalities with multiple forums to allow public officials to post across all of their municipal forums.

“It’s appalling to suggest that

notice of a conference on faith is not welcome on a public platform in Vermont,” Vermont Institute for Human Flourishing president Deb Billado said in the news release. “Freedom of speech is a foundational principle of our

leaders” to “engage with Vermont communities to revitalize the role of religion in daily life,” the news release describes.

In announcing last year’s event, Billado said: “The summit is a first step in helping to strengthen our resolve as people of Judeo-Christian heritage. After identifying the ways our country has lost its moorings, especially in recent years, we will contrast these with those of Americans at the country’s founding, highlighting what monotheism and biblical teachings inspired at the time and are still capable of doing.”

Lewis explained in an email to the Observer. “We do not allow illegal activity, personal attacks on neighbors, or misinformation about important public issues. That said, only a tiny fraction of the postings submitted by FPF members require moderation. The vast majority are civil, useful and neighborly.

country and, without explanation, our group is shut down and shut out of reaching our fellow Vermonters with an important message.”

The first Restoring Our Faith Summit occurred last October in South Burlington. This year’s event will feature “speakers, authors, social scientists and faith

According to Laura Cirone, the D.C.-based spokeswoman for Sovereign Global Solutions who inquired about placing the Front Porch Forum ad, the denial was based on Front Porch Forum’s review of the event website at www.restoringourfaithvermont. com. No ad content was ever submitted.

“FPF takes its moderation responsibilities seriously,” Wood-

“In recent years, FPF’s moderation work has become more challenging,” he continued, “as a small minority of members bring the vitriol and divisiveness that has come to characterize national debates into their local Forums. FPF remains committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive online space for people to connect with each other as neighbors, regardless of their opinions on political or social issues. We will continue to engage in thoughtful moderation to support this goal, and will maintain our financial independence so we can continue to serve as a resource for Vermont communities.”

Joe Lemnah, founder and CEO of Burlington Beer Company, poses at the company’s Flynn Avenue restaurant in Burlington that opened in 2021.

“It has nothing to do with religion, it has to do with abiding by our terms of use.”

Michael Wood-Lewis Front Porch Forum co-founder

Around Town

Williston students attend Rotary Youth Leadership Academy

Rotary Club sponsored three area

students to participate in this year’s Rotary Youth Leadership Academy, which took place the last weekend in June. Eloise Durant, Thomas Mathon and Abigail Usher, all of Williston, were selected to join around 70 other students from Vermont, New Hampshire and Quebec at the Lyndon campus of Vermont State University for an intensive experience designed to develop leadership skills while having fun and making connections.

The students spoke at a re -

cent Rotary Club meeting and described their experiences at the academy, learning about their own leadership styles, being challenged by a ropes course and various trust and confidence building activities, and participating in a talent show. While there, they also completed a service project, making hundreds of meals for people in need.

Applications for next year’s awards will be open to sophomores early next year.

Free test kits available for well water affected by flood

If your drinking water comes from a private well or spring that was affected by recent flooding,

you can get a free test kit from the Vermont Department of Health to make sure your water is safe to drink.

TO GET YOUR FREE KIT:

• Call the Department of Health Lab at (802) 338-4724 and ask to have one mailed to you.

• Pick one up at your Local Health Office: https://www. HealthVermont.gov/Local. (In Chittenden County, you can pick up at the Department of Health Lab: https://www. healthvermont.gov/lab/contact-usdirections)

• Pick one up at a flood resource center: https://vem.vermont. gov/flood/marc

Visit https://www.HealthVer-

mont.gov/WaterTesting to watch a video on how to take your water samples and to find more information on where to get safe water, understanding your results and what steps to take next.

Blood drive set for Aug. 5 at Crosspoint Church

Crosspoint Church is hosting a Red Cross blood drive at 237 Commerce St. in Williston on Saturday Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Due to disruptions caused by recent flooding in the state, the need for blood donations is particularly high.

To schedule an appointment, visit http://RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800733-2767).

The Williston-Richmond

‘You can pickle almost anything’

A gardener’s guide to preserving the harvest

BY TAYLOR ANTONIOLI Special to the Observer

Vermont is a great place to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, carrots, beets and more. But what should gardeners do with everything their garden produces over the year. Let it grow? Remove it and compost it to use as fertilizer next year?

There are many ways to preserve food, including jamming, freezing and pickling. But which method should you use for which produce?

Lisa Boutin, whose family owns and runs a farm, has been pickling and jamming produce for years. She suggests taking a class or finding a good canning book with simple recipes to start out. While cucumbers might be the best place to start, she said, “you can pickle almost anything.” She suggests yellow squash, zucchini, brussels sprouts and carrots as a few vegetables to try out.

Also, try pickling fruits.

When pickling fruits, such as peaches or pears, people tend to use spices such as cinnamon or clove to balance the sweetness. But when pickling vegetables or more savory produce, “if you use herbs, use fresh when possible,” Boutin advises. “I love fresh dill.”

Other options she suggests include turmeric, garlic, thyme, mustard seeds, celery seeds, black peppercorns, oregano, crushed red pepper and jalapeños.

While experimenting with pickling can work well, Boutin warns against experimenting when making jams and jellies.

“You need to follow the recipe to the T,” she said. “Any variation and the jam will not set. Measure and measure again when measuring.”

Her favorite jam is a raspberry peach, and she loves pineapple orange marmalade. She suggests people try different recipes.

“There are so many combinations that you can do,” Boutin said. “It’s unlimited.”

Pickling, above, isn’t just for cucumbers. Squash, sprouts, carrots and fruits like peaches and pears can also be preserved by pickling.

Making jams and jellies, right, is a great way to preserve fruits from your garden.

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY KIM ANTONIOLI

Vermont Adaptive widens access to the outdoors

BY HANNAH CHO VTDigger

As the Wednesday morning sun reflected brightly against Silver Lake in Barnard, a small eagle circled above a pair of floating loons, dragonflies hopped along the water and an aqua damselfly zipped around a two-seater kayak.

“It’s a loon!” exclaimed Debbie Rhodes, a 62-year-old woman who has a cognitive disability.

The loon was having breakfast, explained her instructor, Liz Mead, who sat behind her, paddling to match Rhodes’ rhythm. The two followed the same path they’ve taken every summer for the past three years: straight on from the shoreline to a red box-like house, then right toward the bridge, before looping back. On occasion, Mead gently gave reminders: angle the paddle up against the water, keep it nice and straight.

In other words, it was a typical Vermont summer day. That is precisely the point for Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, an organization that, as its name suggests, adapts outdoor sports education for people with disabilities.

Since its founding in 1987, Vermont Adaptive has grown to provide year-round opportunities to learn skiing, snowboarding, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, tennis and more. In 2022, the group organized 4,651 outings across the state, with 930

participants instructed by 367 volunteers. This includes both group experiences, like the Silver Lake paddling excursion, as well as individual ski lessons.

The organization has its original home base on Pico Mountain, as well as recent additions at Sugarbush Resort and the Burlington waterfront. Clients include veterans, stroke survivors, and children and adults with cognitive, physical and behavioral disabilities.

In June, Mead, a longtime volunteer, was honored with a 2023 Myra Kraft Community MVP Award from the Kraft family and the New England Patriots Foundation, which brought in $275,000 to Vermont Adaptive. The award money, along with fundraising efforts and previous grants from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Red Sox Foundation and The Hartford, a Fortune 500 insurance company, allow the organization to be accessible to everyone.

“There are some clients that do pay, but there are also clients that never do,” Mead said. “It’s, ‘you do what you can.’”

All of Vermont Adaptive’s volunteer instructors have their own story of how they came to be involved in the organization.

Tommy Alcorn grew up alongside a stepbrother who was born with spina bifida and lived an active, independent life.

Emmett Norton remembered a

time when he and his wife would alternate taking their son out skiing and staying home with their daughter Erin, who is nonverbal and has a cognitive disability. The day of her first ski lesson at Sugarbush Resort when she was 10, it was “5 degrees, blowing like crazy,” he remembered. “Erin’s eyebrows were covered with ice and she was all pink,” but she didn’t want to go inside. She was “hooked,” he said.

For Liz Mead, a native of New Jersey, decorative artist and mother of two adult sons, her story began at a bar in Winooski in the 1980s, when she was a student at St. Michael’s College. She remembered her half-joking outrage at her friends for going skiing at Mad River Glen without her that day. As they were leaving, one friend promised to go with her the following weekend.

That week, the friend was in a construction accident and became paraplegic. “He had a terrible trauma and a long road back and, you know, little by little, he did find his way back,” she said.

Years later, after she had graduated, she recalled him saying to her, “Oh Liz, by the way, I’m making up that ski that I owe you. I’m going out to Winter Park (and) I want you to come.”

That trip to Colorado was the first time Mead saw firsthand a skiing lesson adapted for a person who uses a wheelchair. She felt “in-

Vermont Adaptive volunteer Liz Mead, left, paddles with Debbie Rhodes during a board and paddle clinic on Silver Lake in Barnard.

PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER

Adaptive

continued from page 4

trigued” and touched by the transformative power of it.

“Talk about the difference in someone’s face from the beginning of the day to the end of the day,” she said, remembering her friend’s post-ski glow.

As an instructor at Vermont Adaptive, Mead’s goal is to provide her clients with consistency, while being amenable to “meeting them where they are” on any given day.

“Even if it’s the same client, it’s almost always a completely different lesson,” she said. It could be an easy lesson on one day and the following week, “the client doesn’t even want to put their ski boots on,” she said. “I love the challenge and the variety of that. It’s like a puzzle that you have to figure out every time.”

Part of solving the adaptation puzzle lies in parsing out a person’s needs and figuring out what changes need to be made to the equipment, while ensuring safety.

Sometimes someone has already figured it out and it’s as easy as purchasing adaptive sports equipment from a company. That could include an adaptive mono-ski for someone who uses a wheelchair, or padded parts that clip onto the seat of a canoe to provide stability for a person who has restricted use of their core.

Other times, it might be a MacGyvered solution, like a kayak paddle with straps made out of duct tape, to provide more support and security for a person who has function in only one hand.

Carol Eastman, one of the primary caregivers of a young man nicknamed Eddie, who has epilepsy and partial mobility of one hand and uses a wheelchair, remembered her awe at the duct-taped paddle.

With Eddie, “you can’t restrain the hand, but you can try to get his weak hand on the paddle and then maneuver it. It gives me goosebumps thinking about it,” she said. “For (the instructors) to learn each year different

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people’s disabilities and how to adapt to that is just amazing.”

Last Wednesday’s participants, more than 20 people, were all from Zack’s Place, a learning center based in Woodstock that provides daily activities — from arts and crafts to theater and sports — for people who have disabilities, including cerebral palsy, autism and Down syndrome. The two organizations have a decades-long partnership and share the goal of providing enrichment and community to people with disabilities.

People with disabilities in Vermont live independently, in their family home or in an assisted-care facility, depending on their needs

and financial capacity. For those who aren’t able to drive or travel alone, having an aide or family member to assist opens up access to activities like those provided by Vermont Adaptive.

However, many family members have full-time jobs of their own and privately-hired aides come at an additional cost. But the alternative is staying at home all day, often isolated. The organization tries to help by providing programming free of charge to those who cannot afford it.

“There’s a better way to do this. There’s a better way to spend the day,” said Mead.

Back on the water, Mead reflected on the impact of these outings. “For some of these people, this is it,” she said. “This is their whole social scene.” She has seen clients grow in confidence and independence over the years, from fearing the water to paddling alone.

Some clients rely on her presence, asking for her if she isn’t there.

In the summer, Mead drives back and forth weekly between her home in Vermont and the New Jersey Shore, where her friends and extended family live. The day before, in New Jersey, her friends asked why she wouldn’t just stay. “I’ll get in trouble,” she told them. “You don’t understand; people are waiting for me.”

“I know in the grand scheme of things, it’s a drop in the bucket,” Mead said of her volunteering, as she rested the paddle across her lap. “Yeah, but it’s my drop in that bucket.”

Vermont Adaptive volunteers Phil Crowell, from right, Maddie Ragle and Kathy Hassey work with Josh Morse to steer a kayak during a board and paddle clinic on Silver Lake in Barnard.

PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER

BY KARINA DAILEY

If there is anything the extreme rains of July taught me, it’s that community resilience is critical.

I am proud of Vermont for staying strong during this relentless wet weather pattern and grateful for the outpouring of community support as we filter river sediment out of homes, yards and businesses. But as we think about where to go from here, it’s time we reckon with the river and give it the space and protection it deserves. Rivers need more room to move and improved protections to support their dynamic natural systems.

It’s time we recognize the stream in our backyard as part of a larger watershed system. The science of river process and function needs to form the foundation of our decision making

Reckoning with our rivers

and policies, especially as we build back better.

We should be guided by the knowledge of where the river begins and ends. How does it change through the seasons and with different weather patterns? How do the riparian plant species along the riverbanks provide habitat and shade? We should be able to identify and safeguard the spring seeps and contiguous wetlands that provide flood water storage and give the river the cold clean water that it needs to breathe.

Our recent history of human settlement hasn’t always protected rivers in ways that maintain the natural, wild ecosystems that they are. We’ve prioritized utilizing resources for immediate human benefits no matter how inequitable it is. Because now, when the rains fall and the waters rise, it’s apparent

that many of us live and work too close to the banks for comfort. The sleepless nights and risk to human health and safety are not worth it. What if, rather than trying to out-engineer the weather, or evacuate and return in an endless cycle, we changed our relationship to the river, giving it space to move and shade to renew, reframing our thinking about where and how we live alongside it?

Vermont needs to double down on state policy that regards the river as a nature-based solution to community resilience.

We need policies that support protection of freshwater systems, including safeguarding our river corridors from encroaching development.

We must protect the riparian buffers along all rivers (tributaries and mainstems). The vegetated banks feed the river, sup -

port wildlife, stabilize erosion, filter and attenuate stormwater and regulate temperature.

We need policies that improve protection for our wetlands to mitigate, restore and enhance these vital systems for the future.

Learning about and appreciating river systems has allowed me to understand that nature-based solutions to flooding are available to us at each river bend and every river bank. Supporting our ecosystem functions through policies that protect river corridors, riparian areas and wetlands will keep our communities safe from repeated disasters and will keep our rivers clean.

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Deadline is Monday noon for Thursday issue. News/ story tips are welcomed. Letters to the Editor must be 300 words or fewer and should include your name, address and a daytime phone number so that we can verify the letter’s author.

MEMBER:

Karina Dailey is a restoration ecologist for the Vermont Natural Resources Council.

What if, rather than trying to outengineer the weather, or evacuate and return in an endless cycle, we changed our relationship to the river, giving it space to move and shade to renew, reframing our thinking about where and how we live alongside it?

A bad fit for the Brick Church

The Williston Historical Society would like to voice its concern about the proposed placement of cell antennas in the steeple of the Old Brick Church, and the addition of an equipment storage shed off the back of the church (“Verizon seeks space in Old Brick Church” July 20).

For the library and other organizations, as well as the community at large, we understand the need for improvement to cell service in the village. We support seeking another location for this equipment. Overall, we find the current proposal to be ill-advised, when it could potentially be placed elsewhere, for example the Williston Town Hall tower, or other nearby locations.

The project appears to be moving along quickly without any official opportunity for input from the public. We were not aware of any informational meetings or notification regarding the project from the town to the community prior to the July 20 article in the Observer.

The article stated that the impact visually will be minimized for the shed, but that does not address the historic or visual concerns of the steeple. Also from the article, it appears the Verizon representative is not happy about utilizing this historic structure, so we wonder how the church became the only focus of this project.

The Old Brick Church is a recognizable landmark that has been in the community since 1832. It is listed on the National Historic Register.

Verizon is not the only carrier utilized by the community. Why is this offer being considered from a single cell phone company? Would other cell companies benefit from this project?

In the instance of the tower placed in the historic district in the town of Stowe, the cell company (AT&T) worked closely and collaboratively with the town and its historic preservation committee to find an alternative solution that worked. To our knowledge, this has not occurred here.

We urge the selectboard to review the historic guidelines for properties in the historic Vil -

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

lage of Williston. The concern is the use of materials that are prohibited or discouraged in the Village.

We have asked the selectboard to please consider our perspective as representatives seeking to preserve and maintain Williston history for future generations in a thoughtful and inclusive manner.

Williston Historical Society Board of Directors

Keep flying that flag

I support continuing to fly the black lives matter flag while the Racial Equity Partnership continues its work on values statements and other visible recognitions of the Abenaki presence and systemic racism in our culture (“BLM flag debate renewed” July 27).

I know with wordsmithing, it can take time to come to agreement. I applaud this work. Keep going and keep flying the flag.

Tricia Knoll Williston

Gratitude for community engagement

The Steering Committee for the Williston Community Spaces Project would like to express a big “thank you” to the over 750 people who completed the recent project survey.

In addition, over 250 people participated in interviews earlier this year to discuss future community spaces in town. Both methods of outreach have provided highly useful information to take into consideration as the town examines what types of spaces and space uses to explore further.

This project is centered on assessing the future space needs for the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library and determining the scope of a possible community center facility, and unpacking what uses it could encompass, including recreation. In getting started on this project, it was most important to hear from the community to gain your insight and ideas.

Working with architects from Black River Design, the steering committee was tasked with conducting community outreach and providing feedback on dif-

ferent space options and configurations that will culminate in a feasibility report to the selectboard and library board of trustees later this year.

The committee is exploring the feasibility of a combined library/community center facility as one option, a second option of an addition to the current library and a new community center facility, and finally a third option of two separate new facilities. It is envisioned that a community center space would include areas for recreation, gathering, learning and connecting in town.

This is an exciting project to understand what types of spaces Williston residents are interested in for future possible town facilities. This is the first step in a multi-step process. The work by the committee will include a financial analysis to understand both the capital (construction) costs and ongoing operational costs for different elements in one or more facilities.

The committee encourages the community to stay up to date on the project by visiting the project website: www.willistoncommunity.com.

Williston Community Spaces Project Steering Committee

Beautifying Barre after flood

Through the generous donations of local flower nurseries, the Burlington Garden Club potted over 30 beautiful flowering pots, and with multiple flower flats, transported and placed them outside the Barre’s Main Street businesses.

The Granite Center Garden Club in Barre had planted and placed the flower pots in the spring, and the flood washed them away. The overwhelming generous local nursery business support for the project came from Adams Farm, Claussen’s Greenhouse and Perennial Farm, Paquette Full of Posies and Red Wagon Plants.

The flats of flowers will be planted at the site of the granite statues entering Barre as well as in small flower gardens in the main section of the town. Despite this challenging time, we wanted Barre residents to know we went there to stand with them and help brighten their days. They have shown incredible strength in the face of this flood.

Doris Van Mullen Federated Garden Clubs of Vermont Williston

Armadillos up against the Rats

CLOCKWISE (l to r): Williston’s Jeremiah Brooks catches a pop up at the edge of the outfield grass during the Armadillos’ game vs. the Woodsville River Rats on Sunday at Williston Central School. At bat, Ken Freeman, Bryan McNamara, Todd Johnson and Andrew Roy all were able to get a piece of the ball.

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

Wolfpack attack

CLOCKWISE (l to r): Aiden Breen attempts to reach second for the Williston Wolfpack vs. the Burlington Brewers July 26 at Williston Central School. The Wolfpack is a member of the Green Mountain Baseball League which is an adult baseball league. Starting pitcher for the ‘Pack is Jarrett Muzzy. Aiden Breen makes the play from second base with a catch and underhand toss to first. Pete Mailloux lines up at home base waiting for ‘his’ pitch.

Vermont Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame’s

The Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum recently announced the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Class of 2023. An awards ceremony is planned for the evening of Oct. 14 in Killington. Tickets to the event are available at www.vtssm.org.

LEADER

2023 class announced

age.

Egan cut his teeth on the U.S. Pro Mogul Tour and, in the early 1980’s, emerged as a prominent extreme skier, playing a pivotal role in popularizing extreme skiing through his involvement in producing and starring in ski films. Egan appeared in 17 Warren Miller movies and worked as a stunt man in the general film and broadcast industries.

He was affiliated closely with Sugarbush Resort for 44 years and was chief recreation officer for 19 of those years.

Egan continues to ski, explore and share his passion for the mountains, serving as a mentor and guide for aspiring skiers.

Beyond their achievements at Okemo, Diane and Tim have been active members of the Vermont community. Diane was named Citizen of the Year in 2001 by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, she served on local Vermont school boards, and was chair of the Vermont State Board of Education. Tim served as president of the Vermont Ski Area Association and was president of the Vermont Business Roundtable and the National Ski Areas Association.

SUZANNE (SUZI) RUECK — SNOWBOARDER AND FOUNDER OF STRATTON’S GREEN MOUNTAIN SERIES

Vermont native Howard Buxton started his career with the Vermont Army National Guard in 1950, and in 1973 was tasked with moving the U.S. Army biathlon training facility from Alaska to Vermont. He led the evolution of a small U.S. Army sport to an independent organization with its own governing body, the U.S. Biathlon Association (USBA).

Buxton was also a distinguished member of the Vermont Army National Guard, where he retired as a brigadier general, and, until his death is 2016 at the age of 86, was a dedicated member of his Richmond community, where he was a fixture and served as Town Moderator for 40 years.

Diane and Tim Mueller purchased Okemo Mountain Resort in 1982. Under their leadership, the resort experienced tremendous growth and became known for its exceptional snowmaking, grooming, top-notch amenities, and warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Diane spearheaded initiatives to enhance guest experiences, including employee training, improving infrastructure, expanding lodging options, and developing an array of on-mountain amenities. Tim played a pivotal role in expanding the resort’s trail network and terrain parks, ensuring a diverse range of options for skiers and riders of all abilities.

Together they invested more than $100 million and added more than 70 new trails, one of the most extensive snowmaking systems in the East, three base villages and a championship 18-hole golf course.

Suzi Rueck developed a love for skiing at a very young age. She quickly honed her abilities and began competing in various ski disciplines, including slalom and giant slalom. In 1981, she was introduced to snowboarding.

In 1986, Rueck applied all her skills from ski racing and won her first U.S. Open Snowboarding title in slalom and second place in giant slalom. She immediately was signed as a Burton Snowboard team rider and, for many years, traveled the world competing in and promoting the sport as a sponsored rider.

Longtime Mad River Valley resident and renowned Sugarbush ambassador John Egan has a love for skiing that began at a young

In 2018, the Mueller’s sold Okemo Mountain Resort to Vail Resorts along with two other resorts that they owned, Sunapee Mountain Resort in New Hampshire, and Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado.

Rueck was selected as one of 15 people to help write the first educational manual on how to teach snowboarding for the Professional Ski Instructors of America to be used by every resort that was open to snowboarding. She created a snowboard school in 1989, where she developed a snowboard racing and freestyle program for Stratton. Through this program, Rueck coached a generation of professional snowboarders including Olympic gold medalist Ross Powers and Olympian Tricia Byrnes.

Later she founded and owned the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Association which owned and operated the Green Mountain Race see SKI page 11

HOWARD BUXTON — BIATHLON

JOHN EGAN — EXTREME SKIER AND MENTO R

DIANE AND TIM MUELLER — OWNERS OF OKEMO MOUNTAIN RESORT

Series, Tri State Series, Mid Atlantic Series and Colorado State Series. Many famous riders came out of the Green Mountain Series and are still very much involved in the sport — names such as Ross Powers, Tricia Byrnes, Jeremy Jones, Danny Kass, Kelly Clark, Russell Winfield, Jeff Greenwood, Seth Wescott, Lindsay Jacobellis, Seth Neary, and Tom Zikas to name a few.

David Goodman is an award-winning journalist and the author of what is widely known as “the bible of Northeastern backcountry skiing.” With his deep passion for skiing, love of history and his gift for storytelling, Goodman has inspired countless skiers to make their own tracks in the winter wilderness.

Goodman’s ski journalism career began in 1987 when he received an unexpected call from the Appalachian Mountain Club asking him to write the first guidebook about backcountry skiing in New England. A history major at Harvard, Goodman combined his interest in origin stories with his journalist’s instinct to interview the pioneers of skiing in New England. He unearthed maps of the East’s original ski trails cut in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, sought out the trailblazers, then embarked on a pilgrimage in search of these elusive trails.

He found that many of the trails were being discreetly maintained by local skiers and were beloved powder stashes. He shared his discoveries in his 1989 historical guidebook, “Classic Backcountry Skiing.” He updates the guide -

book, now titled “Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast,” every decade.

Goodman’s books helped ignite a revival of interest in backcountry skiing and inspired a community-based ski movement in the Northeast, with volunteers coming together to cut backcountry ski trails for the first time in a century.

Since 2013, he has hosted a weekly public affairs podcast and radio program, The Vermont Conversation.

TARA GERAGHTY-MOATS — FIRST TRACKS AWARD

Graddock. This award honors a Vermonter under the age of 35 who is contributing to and enriching skiing or snowboarding in Vermont and/or beyond.

After spending much of her life training and advocating for the inclusion of women in sport, in 2021, at age 28, Tara Geraghty-Moats of West Fairlee won the inaugural Women’s World Cup Nordic Combined competition. One of the original winter Olympic sports, Nordic Combined, which combines cross-country skiing and ski jumping, remained closed to women until the 2020/21 season.

Geraghty-Moats started competing at age 5 in freestyle events at Mad River Glen and through her youth raced cross-country and ski jumped. She recently joined the U.S. Biathlon Team and trains with the U.S. National Guard, where she completed basic training this year. She currently lives in an off-the-grid cabin in Albany, Vt., and trains in Craftsbury.

The First Tracks Award is being awarded to Tara Geraghty-Moats in memory of Ian

Geraghty-Moats was an athlete ambassador at the 2020 Olympic Junior Games and has been profiled by NBC Sports and other media for her advocacy work in pushing for gender parity in sports.

SHOP DINE SPEND ENJOY L O C A L

Williston

DAVID GOODMAN — PAUL ROBBINS AWARD, AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST

Seeing beyond the forest trees

BY ETHAN TAPPER Special to the Observer

When I walk in the woods with people, I often invite them to reimagine the forest. Whether you are a forester or a forest-lover, we all tend to focus on trees. While there is no question that trees are a vital component of forests, they aren’t everything. Reimagining forests means broadening our definition of “the forest” from

“a bunch of trees” to a dynamic and diverse community of trees, plants, animals, insects, fungi and more.

When we allow ourselves to

THANK YOU THANK YOU

Consider how you can support them with your skills, time or contribution.

reimagine the forest, we can see that the way that the trees in a forest are growing is as vital as the trees themselves. We can see the importance of the composition (different species) and structure (different sizes and ages) of the trees in the forest as well as the importance of having some big trees (including big trees that are declining, dying, hollow and full of cavities), dead-standing trees (“snags”), lots of dead wood on the forest floor and healthy soils.

Each of these conditions is vital to the function of the forest community, its resilience and adaptability, the natural processes that make it work, and the way that it changes over time. Each is a condition to which the tens of thousands of species that comprise the reimagined forest have adapted for millennia, and each is underrepresented in our modern forests.

As we reimagine what forests are, we also need to reimagine what it means to take care of them. Reimagining forest management means understanding that my job as a forester is to care for the reimagined forest in its entirety — not just its trees. My success should be measured not by my ability to keep every tree in the forest alive, but by my ability to support and enrich the forest community.

While forest management includes many different tools and techniques, one of the most powerful ways I can help the reimagined forest recover from the wounds of the past, endure the challenges of the present and move into an uncertain future is through the thoughtful and strategic cutting of trees.

If we think of forests as “a bunch of trees,” the cutting of a tree is a loss. If we reimagine forests, we can see that the cutting of a tree — as part of a holistic forest management approach — can be as profound a gift to the forest as its life. Following tree-cutting, gaps in the forest’s canopy will become foraging habitat for birds and bats; the understory will bloom with a diverse mix of

plants, shrubs and young trees; the trees and treetops on the forest floor will become rich communities of mosses, invertebrates and fungi, will benefit soil hydrology and help build richer soils.

In the reimagined forest, the death of trees can help young forests become more like old growth forests, help create habitat for spe -

can pay for itself and can even generate income that landowners can use to pay property taxes and other costs associated with keeping forests intact and healthy. As such, it can be applied on a much larger scale than any other form of restoration. In a world of non-local, non-renewable resources that cause harm to people and ecosystems across the globe, forest management is the only form of ecosystem restoration that generates local, renewable resources.

Reimagining forests and forest management means forming a more holistic and expansive vision of what forests are and what

Good forest management creates gaps in the canopy that will become foraging habitat for birds and bats and an understory that will bloom with a diverse mix of plants, shrubs and young trees. The forest floor will support communities of mosses, invertebrates and fungi, building richer soils.

cies that are declining and under threat, and help us actively respond to the many threats that our forests face.

The fact that forest management can be commercial is one of its greatest assets, and the mills, markets, foresters, loggers and truckers that make commercial forest management possible are vital to forests’ biodiversity, integrity and resilience.

Forest management is the only form of ecosystem restoration that

it means to truly care for them. Doing what is necessary to protect forests, and all their pieces and parts, will often require us to make compromises as bittersweet as cutting a tree to enrich a reimagined forest.

Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden County Forester for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Visit https://linktr. ee/ChittendenCountyForester for more information.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEXELS.COM

One of the most powerful ways I can help the reimagined forest recover from the wounds of the past, endure the challenges of the present and move into an uncertain future is through the thoughtful and strategic cutting of trees.

How to be a smarter gardener

BY DEBORAH J. BENOIT Special to the Observer

Some people are always looking for shortcuts or ways to avoid boring or backache-inducing chores in the garden. Does that make them lazy gardeners, or are they simply gardening smarter?

Perhaps the biggest and leastloved garden task is weeding. Don’t procrastinate! Get those weeds while they’re young. Mature weeds can crowd out other plants and take over a garden bed, making their removal more time consuming and labor intensive. A layer of mulch can help prevent weed seeds from germinating. Those that do will be easier to remove.

Choosing the right tool, such as a long-handled saddle hoe, to weed pathways and between plants is relatively easy when they first appear. Better yet, stop the next generation before it begins by removing weeds before they flower and set seed. A single weed, like garlic mustard, can produce hundreds of seeds.

When planning a garden, be

sure you have a water source close by to save time and footsteps. Installing soaker hoses will save time and conserve water. Mulching beds helps retain moisture, so there will be less need for watering.

Reducing the size of your lawn can eliminate time spent mowing, watering and fertilizing. Imagine what you could do with the time saved by replacing at least some of that grass with beds of perennial edibles such as rhubarb, asparagus and various herbs.

If your soil is rocky or poor (or even if it’s not), consider using raised or elevated beds. Raised beds let you begin a new garden bed without all the digging and tilling you might otherwise be inclined to do. If you construct them higher (2-3 feet high instead of 1 foot), “ground level” becomes much closer, so there’s far less bending.

Containers can be used in any location, even where there’s not enough room for a traditional garden bed, and can be moved as needed.

When choosing plants for the garden, think in terms of low maintenance. Choose perennial plants that will come back year after year rather than annuals that need to be purchased and replaced each growing season.

Flowers that don’t need to be deadheaded to continue blooming keep the garden looking good without a lot of effort. Shrubs and hedges that require little pruning will free up time for more pleasant endeavors.

While growing plants from seed in the spring is satisfying and less expensive, buying starter plants will save time and provide an excuse for a fun trip to the nursery at planting time.

In the fall, ignore the urge to clean up the garden by removing every trace of spent plants and fallen leaves. Let the seedheads from flowers remain. They’ll feed hungry birds in winter. Allow plants to die back and remain in place over winter. In the spring, tidy the yard

and build a compost pile.

Having your own compost pile is an easy way to dispose of garden waste and avoid the trouble of bagging it for someone else to take away for composting. Toss kitchen scraps in there, too, but not dairy, fat or meat. When it’s done, there will be no more lugging bags of compost from the garden center to the car and from the car to the garden.

Even easier, try composting in place. Dig a trench in the garden, add kitchen waste, cover with soil and let nature take its course. For more information on composting, see https://go.uvm.edu/composting-basics.

In the end, as the so-called lazy gardener sits back in the shade with a cool glass of iced tea, enjoying the view, perhaps lazy really isn’t the word for this gardener at all.

Deborah J. Benoit is a UVM Extension Master Gardener from North Adams, Mass., who is part of the Bennington County Chapter.

Pulling weeds when they are young makes the task less time consuming and labor intensive and will prevent them from overtaking a garden and crowding out other plants.

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

Williston Community Blood Drive

Crosspoint Church 237 Commerce St., Williston

Saturday, Aug. 5 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

To schedule an appointment, visit http://RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Due to flooding disruptions in Vermont, there is a deficit in blood donations that needs to be filled.

Your donation will make a difference!

…and the band played on

weather was nice and the lawn chairs came out as people gathered on the Village Green to enjoy an evening of music provided by the Williston Town Band on July 26.

Williston Observer rack distribution at these locations in Williston, Richmond and Essex

Williston

Adams Farm Market

Belle’s Café

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library

Fairfield Inn

Gardener’s Supply

Green Mountain Bagel

Hannaford

Healthy Living Williston

Home2Suites

Korner Kwik Stop

Marriott Courtyard

Men At Wok

People’s United Bank

Ramunto’s

Rehab Gym

Shell Gas Station (Essex Rd)

Simon’s Mobil Williston

Simply Divine Café

Sonesta

Sunoco Station

Town of Williston Offices

UPS Store

Williston Coffee Shop

Essex Junction

Essex Automotive

Five Corner Variety

Hannaford Inn at Essex

Mac’s Market

Martone’s Deli

Price Chopper

Quality Bake Shop

River Road Beverage

Richmond

Cumberland Farms

Richmond Free Library

Richmond Market

Richmond Mobil Mart

The

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

Williston

Music, meals and mini-golf

CLOCKWISE (l to r): Rhys Maynard (4) gets his cotton candy from the Crazy Cotton Candy Lady stand at Adams Farm Market’s Truckin’ Tuesday on July 25. Adam’s own ice cream stand is a fan favorite. The Portable Mini Golf Company’s popup course was popular. Two of the food trucks cooking on Tuesday are the Melted Cheeserie and Frank’s Dogs. The porch is re-imagined as a stage where the Rustics provide the soundtrack for the evening.

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

Next Week: Backpack safety

Stealthy Predators

Do you ever hear an owl hooting at night?

These majestic birds help people. They have been called the farmer’s friend because they eat so many pests. There are more than 100 types of owls worldwide.

Owls are stealthy predators, and some recent engineering based on these birds is making the news. The Mini Page takes a closer looks at owls this week.

Silent drones

College students from Wichita State University in Kansas are attempting to recreate how quietly owls fly. This team of students is called AeroFeathers. They are trying to create a silent drone for NASA’s University Student Research Challenge (USRC).

The AeroFeathers team selected the USRC’s request for research on “safe, quiet and affordable vertical lift air vehicles.” The team is focusing on the feathers of owls for their project.

What is it about an owl’s feathers that makes it fly silently? First, the feathers have soft, velvety coatings. Second, the front edge of the feathers has thick serrations, or jagged points. Third, thin fringes are on the trailing edge of the feathers.

Mini Fact: Owls sleep 10 to 12 hours during the day. They hunt at night.

Will Johnston, AeroFeathers’ primary investigator, said the goal is to print 3D feathers to make propellor blades for drones. This will allow students “to see if we’re actually able to make the drone quieter, similar to how an owl feather makes its flight quieter,” Johnston said.

Once AeroFeathers has built the drone, they will study it in a special type of chamber that blocks noises so the team can focus on any potential sound the drone makes.

Dr. Bhisham Sharma said that if the team is successful in creating a quiet drone, it could possibly be used in computer servers, ceiling fans, vacuum cleaners and helicopters. More about owls

Owls come in many sizes. The pygmy owl weighs about 3 ounces. The great horned owl can weigh about 3 pounds. Male owls are usually smaller than females.

Owls can turn their necks 270 degrees!

Owls have feet with two forward-facing toes and two backward-facing toes, which is called being zygodactyl (ZY-guh-DAK-til).

Owls can move one of their back toes forward to help them grip things.

On the hunt

Owls eat mostly meat. Larger owls eat animals such as rabbits and squirrels. Smaller birds prey on rats and mice. Some eat other birds and insects.

Owls swallow small animals whole. They spit up pellets, or small balls, made of what they can’t digest, such as feathers and bones.

When most birds fly, their stiff wing feathers make a whirring sound. Owls can swoop silently down and surprise their prey. Their silent flight also enables them to hear well when searching for food.

Owls have sharp talons, or claws, that help them grab their prey. They also have hooked beaks that enable them to tear their food apart

Owl calls

Because most owls hunt at night, they use their voices to protect their territory and find mates in the dark. Since many other birds are quiet at night, it’s easy to hear the distinctive calls of different owls.

Resources

On the Web:

•bit.ly/MPowls23

At the library:

•“All Things Owls For Kids” by Animal Reads

•“National Geographic Readers: Owls” by Laura Marsh

Scientists are concerned about the growing threat fungal attacks pose to some of the world’s key crops and the possibility they could lead

Founded by Betty Debnam

photo by Airwolfhound

photo by sandywhit

photo by Christopher Combe Photography

photo by Hari K Patibanda

of the feathers has thick serrations, or jagged points. Third, thin fringes are on the trailing edge of the feathers.

called being zygodactyl (ZY-guh-DAK-til). Owls can move one of their back toes forward to help them grip things.

Try ’n’ Find

Words that remind us of owls are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:

BEAK, DRONES, FAN, FARM, FEATHERS, FLY, FOOD, HUNT, OWLS, PELLET, PREDATORS, RESEARCH, SERRATION, SERVERS, SILENT, SIZES, SOUND, SWOOP, TALONS, ZYGODACTYL.

Mini S py Classic s

Mini Spy and Basset Brown are making plans on their cellphones. See if you can find the hidden pictures. Then color the picture.

Mini Jokes

Ollina: What type of books do owls like most?

Ollie: Hoo-dunit books!

Eco Note

Scientists are concerned about the growing threat fungal attacks pose to some of the world’s key crops and the possibility they could lead to a “global health catastrophe.” A team from Britain’s University of Exeter warns that disease-causing strains of fungus appear to have acquired resistance to antifungals. This means it could become increasingly difficult to combat such diseases as rice blast fungus, wheat stem rust and corn smut. They add that global heating could increase the heat tolerance of the fungi, possibly leading to human and animal infections.

For later:

Look in the newspaper for items about owls and other birds of prey in your area.

Teachers: Follow and interact with The Mini Page on Facebook!

The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication

Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about green funeral options? At age 80, I would like to preplan my funeral and make it as natural as possible.

Old Environmentalist

Dear Environmentalist, Great question! Green funeral options are becoming increasingly popular in the United States as more and more Americans are looking for environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional funerals. Here’s what you should know about “green burial” and “green cremation” options, along with some tips to help you locate services in your area.

GREEN BURIAL

If you wish to be buried, a green/natural burial will minimize the environmental impact by forgoing the embalming chemicals (which is not required by law), traditional casket and concrete vault. Instead, you’ll be buried in either a biodegradable container or shroud with

SAVVY SENIOR

How to plan a green funeral

no vault, and you won’t be embalmed. This allows the body to decompose naturally and become part of the earth.

If you want to temporarily preserve the body for viewing or a memorial service, instead of embalming, you can request dry ice or Techni ice, a refrigeration unit, or a nontoxic embalming agent.

You’ll also be happy to know that green burials are much cheaper than traditional funerals, which average around $8,000 in 2023. By scrapping the coffin, vault and embalming, which are expensive, you’ll save several thousand dollars on your funeral costs.

To find green burial services in your area, a good first step is to see if there’s a certified green funeral home in your area and contact them. The Green Burial Council offers an online directory of providers and other resources at www.GreenBurialCouncil.org.

If there isn’t one nearby, your next step is to contact several

Green Burials

cacy website has a list at www. NHfuneral.org. Or, if you own rural property you may be able to have a home burial there, if your state and county allow it.

By Jim Miller

traditional funeral homes to see if they offer green funeral service options. Many do.

You’ll also need to find a green cemetery. There are nearly 100 green cemeteries throughout the U.S., along with more than 300 traditional (hybrid) cemeteries that offer green burials too. To find them, the New Hampshire Funeral Resources, Education and Advo -

If, however, there are no green cemeteries nearby, you can still make your burial more environmentally friendly by not being embalmed, and, if the cemetery allows, using a biodegradable casket or shroud, and skipping the vault. If a vault is required, ask to have holes drilled in the bottom, or use a concrete grave box with an open bottom so the body can return to the earth.

GREEN CREMATION

If you would rather be cremated, you have some green choices here too. While cremation has always been touted as being more eco-friendly than a typical burial, a traditional cremation, which uses high heat to incinerate the body, does emit greenhouse gases into the air.

A green cremation, however, uses water and potassium hydroxide to reduce a deceased

body to its basic element of bone ash within a few hours. This green technique, which is known as alkaline hydrolysis, is a little more expensive than traditional cremation but, unfortunately, it’s not legal in every state. Contact some local funeral providers to find out if this is available in your area, or Google “alkaline hydrolysis cremation” followed by your city and state.

Another green consideration is deciding what to do with the remains. Instead of scattering, which can be harmful to the environment, there are a wide variety of biodegradable urns that dissolve into the earth or water over time, and memorial urns that will grow a plant or tree in combination with your ashes.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

still under investigation.

July 26 at 12:27 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Marshalls. A female, age 36, was issued a citation to appear in court.

The practice of natural or “green” burials dates back thousands of years. The principle behind this practice is to follow the natural cycle of life. Green burials provide a reduced environmental impact, as well as the benefits of land preservation and affordability.

To learn more, contact us today.

E LMWOOD -M EUNIER

FUNERAL & CREMATION CENTER

Burlington - (802) 864-5682 | Elmwoodmeunier.net

Se r ving all faiths & cult ures since 1927

July 21 at 9:39 a.m. — Storage unit broken into on Essex Road. Unknown if anything was taken.

July 21 at 9:53 a.m. — Retail theft reported at Walmart. Female was referred to the community justice center.

July 21 at 11:15 a.m. — Retail theft reported at Walmart. A female, age 43, was issued a citation to appear in court.

July 21 at 8:47 p.m. — Male and female in Christmas Tree Shop acting suspicious. Individuals were moved along.

July 22 at 7:34 a.m. — Car broken into on Zephyr Road. Suspects have not been charged at this time.

ken into on Lamplite Lane. Report of purse stolen.

July 23 at 1:44 p.m. — Report of male walking around Walmart acting suspicious. Male was located and trespassed from the property.

July 24 at 7:26 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Walmart. Case is still under investigation.

July 25 at 12:09 a.m. — Report of juveniles using the pool on Sadler Lane. They were moved along.

July 25 at 1:59 p.m. — Report of a male passed out on the bench at Sandri. He was moved along.

July 26 at 2:25 p.m. — Report of a retail theft at Vermont Discount Store. Male and female were trespassed and moved along.

July 27 at 10:05 a.m. — Retail theft reported at Gardner’s Supply. Items were recovered on Zephyr Road.

July 27 at 12:53 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Walmart. Case is still under investigation.

July 27 at 3:35 p.m. — Female refusing to pay and refusing to leave the property at Jolly. Female was moved along.

July 27 at 5:26 p.m. — Report of a male and female in Walmart concealing property. Individuals were moved along.

July 25 at 3:46 p.m. — Assisted Williston Rescue with overdose at Walmart. Female refused services and was moved along.

July 22 at 5:52 p.m. — Stolen carts recovered and returned to Folino’s and 99 Resturant.

July 23 at 12:46 p.m. — Car bro -

July 25 at 6:49 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Plato’s Closet. Case is

Williston Police Officers also responded to eight alarm activations, 15 motor vehicle crashes and conducted 16 traffic stops during this time frame. www.WillistonObserver.com

SOLUTION ON PAGE 21

ANDREWS MCMEEL Almanac

TODAY’S HISTORY:

• In 1492, Christopher Columbus, seeking a sea route to the Far East, departed Palos de la Frontera, Spain.

• In 1914, Germany declared war on France.

• In 1958, the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine Nautilus became the first vessel to cross the North Pole underwater.

• In 1972, the U.S. Senate ratified the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

• In 2019, a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, left 23 dead and 22 injured.

TODAY’S FACT:

• Santa Claus Land, America’s first theme park, opened on this day in 1946 in Santa Claus, Indiana.

SOLUTION FOUND ON PAGE 21

We’re proud of our smiles! We believe that our state-of-the-art, impeccable skills; cheerful, approachable attitudes and ability to handle all your dental needs under one roof means a visit with us will always leave you with a beautiful smile.

Margaret B. (Pat) Tomlinson

OBITUARIES

borough, Mass. growing up at the family’s home at the tree nursery founded by her father. She was the youngest of four children and described herself as the “kid on a bicycle with a camera,” preferring to be out on adventures over studying for school.

Margaret B. (Pat) Tomlinson, a longtime resident of Ballston Lake, N.Y. and recently of Shelburne, Vt., passed away on July 19, 2023, with her family by her side, a month after her 98th birthday.

Pat was born on June 16, 1925 in Worcester, Mass. to Palmer W. Bigelow and Margaret (Eichelberger) Bigelow. She spent her childhood in North -

Ann H. McCullough Leary

Ann H. McCullough Leary of Aspen Lane, Williston, VT passed away July 27, 2023 following a long illness.

She was born on January 3, 1937 in Baltimore, MD, the daughter of Harold & Eunice Hill McCullough. She was a graduate of Catonsville Senior High School class of 1955. On June 22, 1957 she was married in St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Catonsville, MD to James Leary.

After her marriage she moved to Colchester where Jim was a student at St. Michael’s College. After his graduation they moved to New York City and then to Deerfield, NH where she was active in the community and had many friends. They returned to

After graduation from Northborough High School, Pat attended Bridgewater State Teachers College earning a degree in physical education in 1947. Her early career included teaching children at the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston. She later answered a newspaper ad for a position in Hanna, Wy. and drove across country to teach Phys Ed, English and Biology in that small coal mining town. After returning east, she taught for several years in the Amsterdam, N.Y. school system.

In 1960 she married Robert Tomlinson and gained three stepsons: Robert, Peter and Arthur. She and Bob also had two children, Susan and Daniel. She was a prodigious cook, dessert maker, seamstress, craft person, pet lover, berry forager and gar-

dener. For several years she had a home business creating lovely glass windchimes and wall plaques sold at craft fairs and local gift shops. After divorcing she went back to school to earn a master’s degree in special education at the College of Saint Rose in 1980 and subsequently taught in the Waterford-Halfmoon N.Y. School District, retiring in 1989.

Pat remained fun-loving, curious, and independent throughout her life. She drove until age 95 and lived in her own home on Dino Drive until she was 96. As a young woman she enjoyed skiing, swimming, sailing, camping, canoeing, and fishing. After retirement she travelled with friends and family, enjoying Elderhostels in the U.S. and Canada, embarking on kayaking adventures in Florida and elsewhere, and taking an Alaskan cruise and a trip on the Trans Canada railway. At her local senior center she led osteoporosis prevention exercise classes and got involved in watercolor, oil painting and pastels, producing many lovely pieces of artwork. She self-published a rhyming

Industries in Colchester.

She is survived by six of her eight children: Brian (Barb), Steven, John (Colleen), Kevin, Sarah, Peter (Tammy); 21 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 2 greatgreat grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents Harold & Eunice McCullough; her brothers, Scott & Lanny; her sons, Tim and David; her husband of 66 years, James; her daughter-in-law, Carrie; and her cousin Chip Day.

children’s book called ‘Calvin the Crow,’ illustrated by a talented friend. She was a voracious reader, Jeopardy watcher, and competitive lover of games, especially word games. Over the past year, she never missed doing the daily Wordle on her computer and comparing results with friends.

Pat was a member of Christ Community Reformed Church (CCRC) in Clifton Park, N.Y. for 53 years. There she formed wonderful loving friendships, receiving and giving joy and support through her final days.

Pat was predeceased by her parents and her siblings Palmer (Bill) Bigelow, John (Ned) Bigelow and Barbara (Bobbie) Lipscomb and their spouses, and her stepson Peter Tomlinson. Survivors include her daughter Susan Cote and son-in-law Rick Cote, son Daniel Tomlinson and daughter-in-law Cindy Tomlinson, stepsons Robert Tomlinson and Arthur Tomlinson, daughters-in-law Barbara Tomlinson and Deborah Tomlinson, grandchildren Alexander, Matthew, Jared, Andrew, John, Daniel,

Lucille Germaine

Lucille Germaine, 88, of Milton passed away June 8, 2023 at her home with her loving family by her side.

Lucille was born on November 11, 1934 in Williston, a daughter Winifred (Terrier) and Leo Boutin, Sr.

Lauren, Carolynn, Elizabeth, Katherine, Nathan, Abigail, Peter and Joseph, and many great-grandchildren, as well as dear nieces and nephews, friends old and new, and her beloved cat Sammie.

The family wishes to express gratitude to the caregivers of Bayada Home Health Care and the Residence at Shelburne Bay, as well as for the ever-present support of her church family at CCRC.

As her final gift, Pat, a threetime breast cancer survivor, donated her body to the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine to help train the next generation of medical professionals.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 23 at 11 a.m. at Christ Community Reformed Church in Clifton Park with a reception following. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be mailed in her memory to Christ Community Reformed Church, 1010 Rte. 146, Clifton Park, NY 12065; or made to Heifer International or the Seva Foundation.

VT in 1967 with 6 boys and had two more children. They lived in Underhill for 19 years and then moved to Williston.

She spent many hours raising children, knitting, crocheting afghans and cross stitch marriage samplers for her children and to donate. She also attended Trinity College and worked at Champlain

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, August 3, at 1 pm at the Ready Funeral & Cremation Service South Chapel, 261 Shelburne Rd., Burlington. Burial will be held privately at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Dorothy Alling Library in Williston, VT. To send online condolences to her family please visit www. readyfuneral.com.

She married Robert Germaine, Sr. on May 15, 1954 in Williston.

Lucille was a jack of all trades. She had been employed in a few different locations including Birchwood Nursing Home, IBM and bartending for over 20 years.

She is survived by: her children, Karen Amos and her husband Tom of North Carolina, Cheryl Grodan and her partner

Greg Ryan of Milton, Shirley Germaine of Georgia, Winnie Barnes of North Carolina and Robert Germaine, Jr. of Morrisville; 14 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren, her siblings Roderick Boutin of Burlington, Carla Pembroke of Montpelier, Elaine Hart of Hinesburg, Laurel Palmer of Richmond, Darwin Boutin of South Carolina, Donna Destito of New York, and Reneé MaComber of Maryland.

She is predeceased by her husband Robert Germaine, Sr., parents Winifred and Leo Boutin; sibling Leo Boutin, Jr.

A committal service will be held on Saturday, August 5 at 11:00 am in Deer View Cemetery, Williston. Arrangements are under the direction of the Minor Funeral Home and Cremation Center, Milton.

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library hours:

• Monday and Wednesday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

• Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Saturday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit www.damlvt.org to apply for a library card, renew materials, access digital offerings and register for programs. Need help? Call 878-4918 or email daml@damlvt.org.

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Children in fourth grade and younger must be supervised by someone over 16 years of age.

SATURDAY STORYTIME

Saturday, Aug. 5, 10-10:30 a.m. Start your weekend with Cindy’s storytime.

STORYTIME

Tuesdays, Aug. 8 and 15, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Have fun with stories and nature-based play led by Four Winds.

TEEN NIGHT: FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Tuesday, Aug. 8, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12-plus. We are searching for more teens to join our teen advisory group. You bring the thoughts, we bring the food.

CHARACTER PARTY

Wednesday, Aug. 9, 5-6 p.m. Dress up as your favorite character and party on the Town Green. Enter the final summer drawing for the LEGO Friends kit.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC AND PLAYTIME

Thursdays, Aug. 10 and 17, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Enjoy music, then stay to play.

LEGO TIME

Thursday, Aug. 10, 3-4 p.m. Create with the Library’s LEGO collection.

DIY MUSIC MAKERS

Friday, Aug. 11, 11-12 a.m. Make some fun instruments and music together.

FRENCH STORYTIME

Saturday, Aug. 12, 10:15-10:30 a.m. Drop by for French story time.

POKÉMON CLUB

Monday, Aug. 14, 4-5 p.m. Stop by for themed games and activities.

TEENS D&D

Monday, Aug. 14, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12-plus. Join our Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

BABY TIME

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 10:30-11

a.m. Bond and socialize with gentle baby activities.

FAIRY & GNOME JARS

Thursday, Aug. 17, 5-5:45 p.m. Register to make a cozy little jar for your fantastical friend.

MULTI-AGE PROGRAMS

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

This youth challenge ends Aug. 4; ages up to 15 should check in with a youth librarian to claim prizes for every five hours of reading tracked.

THINK GLOBALLY POSTERS (GOOD CITIZEN CHALLENGE)

Friday, Aug. 4, 5-5:45 p.m. Inspire others with a globally themed poster.

OUTDOOR MUSIC CELEBRATION

Friday, Aug. 11, 5-6 p.m. Celebrate summer with Marc Shapiro & Billy Corbett on the Town Green.

“SOCIAL DILEMMA” SCREENING (GOOD CITIZEN CHALLENGE)

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 5:30-7 p.m. PG13. Watch this docudrama and consider the impact of social media in your life.

ADULT PROGRAMS

To join a book club or for Zoom link, email programs@ damlvt.org.

ADULT MEDITATION (ONLINE)

Fridays in August 12-12:30 p.m. Online guided meditation.

MAH JONGG

Friday, Aug. 4, 11, and 18, 1-3

p.m. Drop by to enjoy this fun game.

DOCUMENTARY VIEWING AND DISCUSSION

Monday, Aug. 7, 6-7:30 p.m. Join community member Samantha Aikmen to watch and discuss a Frontline documentary about plastic.

CURRENT EVENTS

Wednesday, Aug. 9, 10:30 a.m.- 12 p.m. Drop in to chat with neighbors about current news.

LIFE STORIES WE LOVE TO TELL (ONLINE)

Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2-3:30 p.m. Jane Wilson will present a slide show about her travels in Turkey.

AFTER HOURS BOOK CLUB

Wednesday, Aug. 9, 6:30-7:30 p.m. “More Than You’ll Ever Know” by Katie Gutierrez.

FRENCH CONVERSATION

Saturday, Aug. 12, 10:45-11:45 a.m. All levels welcome.

BOOK CLUB BUFFET (ONLINE)

Tuesday, Aug. 15, 12:30-1:30 p.m. “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

COOK THE BOOK

Wednesday, Aug. 16. Special time: 2-3 p.m. “The Art of Tea: Recipes and Rituals” is our highlighted book as we prepare finger foods for Aunt Bella’s Hats tea party.

AUNT BELLA’S HATS TEA PARTY

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2-3 p.m. Join us for tea and games on the Green. Enjoy a display of Mary Irene Thornton’s hat collection from her Aunt Bella, a milliner. Party dress and hats encouraged! Treats will be supplied by our “Cook the Book” group.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

SALES EXECUTIVE

Award-winning group of community weeklies with offices in Stowe, Morrisville and South Burlington seeks a sales person. Ideal candidate should have a basic knowledge of the local towns, business and communities we serve. A proven track record in sales and an ability to offer topnotch customer service is a required. In addition to servicing established accounts, candidate must be able to generate sales from qualified leads as well as establish new ones. Our company offers health benefits, vacation time, and provides on the job training in newspapers sales. Generous base salary during training and ideal hours (few nights or weekends). If you possess these qualifications and would like to be considered, please send your resume and cover letter to: Bryan Meszkat at bryan@newsandcitizen.com.

CLASSIFIEDS

STAFF WRITER

Come work where you play! The Valley Reporter, a local, weekly newspaper serving the Mad River Valley as well as Sugarbush and Mad River Glen, is looking for a staff writer.

The ideal candidate will possess a curious mind, exceptional writing skills and an appreciation for small-town life. While a background in journalism is not required, the ability to write concisely and accurately is. This person will report on the people, places and events of the Mad River Valley, including local politics, education, sports, recreation, agriculture, business, craft beer, the environment and more. Must be detail and deadline oriented. A flexible schedule is required; the individual will attend public meetings on some nights and weekends. Photography and social media skills required.

Send a cover letter, resume and two to three w ritin g samples to lisa@valleyreporter.com

GARAGE SALES

WILLISTON— Annual neighborhood sale at Bittersweet Village Condos off Route 2A, Saturday, Aug. 5, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

LEGAL

TOWN OF WILLISTON Notice of Adoption

Temporary Events Ordinance Amendments

On July 25, 2023, following a public hearing, the Williston Selectboard adopted amendments to the Town’s Temporary Events Ordinance.

The approved amendments to the Temporary Events Ordinance include: Exclusion of events associated with a home business from the Ordinance, instead referring to the Town’s Zoning Bylaw.

Adding celebration to event types.

Increasing quantity of attendees on private property requiring a permit to 40.

Addition that any lease or license agreement on Town-owned property with organizations or individuals that makes specific provisions regarding when a permit is required will apply when administering the Ordinance. Changes to the application requirements.

Increasing attendance threshold of events to 200 people for Selectboard review.

Addition of Town public safety officials as parties that can revoke a permit.

The amendments to this ordinance will take effect on September 24, 2023, unless a petition signed by at least five percent of the voters of Williston is filed with the Town Clerk by September 8, 2023, asking for a vote to disapprove the adoption. If a petition is received, the Selectboard will warn a special meeting and the voters may vote on that question pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 1973.

Copies of the text of the complete ordinance are available at the Town Managers Office in the Williston Town Hall, 7900 Williston Road, Williston, VT. Copies are also available on the Town’s website at http://town.williston.vt.us

(Opportunities - Legal Notices)

Any questions about the amendments should be directed to the Manager’s office (802-876-1176).

LEGAL

TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA

Tuesday, August 22, 2023 – 7:00 PM

Town Hall Meeting Room (Town Hall, 7900 Williston Road, use rear entrance) or Zoom Meeting ID 846 5863 3532 on zoom. us/join or call 1-646-558-8656

To place a classified ad, email rick@willistonobserver.com or call (802) 373-2136

Deadline for classifieds is Monday.

SHELBURNE

Assistant to the Town Manager

Join a dedicated team and contribute to the great quality of life in Shelburne!

Shelburne has an outstanding culture of volunteerism and a full suite of public services, from parks and police to sewage and streets. The Town Manager’s team implements the vision of the Selectboard and leads the Town government. This position requires interpersonal, administrative, and project management skills. They support everything from the Town’s Annual Report to committee meetings, grant reports, procurement, and community events. This is local government at its best!

The Assistant to the Town Manager must be a versatile administrator with both technical and people skills. We are looking for a mix of education and experience showing strong communication and organizing skills, multitasking, and understanding of local government context and ethics. Government experience is a plus, but skills from the business, nonprofit, and education sectors transfer well.

Our pay range for this position is $22 to $27 hourly, depending on qualifications. The Town’s strong benefits include excellent healthcare and pension, leave and holidays, and more.

A complete job description is available at www.ShelburneVT. org/Jobs To apply, send a Town application and/or resume to SCannizzaro@shelburnevt.org. Our review begins immediately. Equal Opportunity Employer.

DP 24-01 Pre-App P&P Septic requests pre-app review of a proposed 14,000 SF commercial building on a ±0.97 ac lot located at 543 Shunpike Rd in the IZDW.

DP 20-18 Pre-App Ethan Allen Homes LLC c/o Chris Senesac requests preapp review to participate in Growth Management in March 2024 for their proposed residential subdivision “Summer Field” located on a 30± ac parcel located at 1400 Mountain View Rd in the RZD.

DP 20-18.2 Ethan Allen Homes c/o Chris Senesac requests a discretionary permit to designate 2023 Growth Management allocation (15 DUe) on the Summer Field subdivision phasing plan on a 30± ac parcel located at 1400 Mountain View Rd in the RZD.

Project details and site plans are available on the website, town.williston.vt.us, under “Public Records and Documents”, then “Agendas & Minutes”, and “Development Review Board”. Contact Planning & Zoning Office for more information: 802878-6704 or email planning@willistonvt. org

LEGAL NOTICE

Public Auction

Under Self-Storage And Operators Lien U-Haul of Williston 5010 Williston Rd Williston, Vt . 05495

On August 8, 2023 at 9:00 am on www.storageauctions.com

The contents of the following units consisting of furniture, household goods and miscellaneous personal property will be SOLD to satisfy the lien of U-HAUL as selfstorage operators.

This sale is held under The Uniform Commercial Code Section 16a, Paragraph 7-210 Enforcement of Vermont SelfStorage Lien.

NAME UNIT#

Jamal Walker 1125

Mark Crowley 1130

Keith Merchant 1168

Tasha Cordner 1196

Sarai Neabar 1209

Jacob Burtis 1251

Carlos Simon 1277

Annise Wohland 1422

David Curtis 2015

Jason Cousino 2066

Chrystal Rossi 2091

Angela Campbell 2196

Aaliyah Johnson 2364

Michael Mullen 2446

Jennifer Martin 2573

Anthony LaBounty 2703

Jennifer Geudeman 2707

Johnathan Whalley AA2794F

Tiffany Thomas AA4087E

James Raab AA4709E

Vermont National Guard announces first female Brigadier General

Col. Tracey Poirier of Barre became the first female promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in the history of the Vermont Army National Guard during a ceremony at Camp Johnson in Colchester on July 26.

“This is a historic moment for our Guard,

Wastewater

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motion.”

Poirier graduated from Norwich University in 1996 and went on to complete her graduate education at Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar earning two master’s degrees.

She spent eight years of active duty with the United States Marine Corps then joined the Vermont Army National Guard in 2006.

In April of 2021, Vermont became the first state to meet the requirement to allow women to serve in every job in the military, including combat arms positions. Occupational specialties like infantry and cavalry scout had previously been barred to women.

“In the midst of all the efforts the Vermont National Guard is putting into the recovery from the recent flooding, it is nice to remember how far we’ve come as an organization,” said Poirier during the ceremony.

“We’re making significantly more beer.”

The Town of Williston, meanwhile, is also on a growth spurt with new commercial and residential neighborhoods recently constructed and more on the horizon. It needs a wastewater treatment facility with capacity to handle the anticipated growth.

“Williston wants to keep buying more and more capacity and we don’t have any more to give at this point until we get a handle on (the brewery’s waste stream),” Mandigo said.

With that in mind, the selectboard last month reached an agreement with Lemnah described as “an effort to govern BBCO’s wastewater discharge and ensure compliance with the (town’s) Sewer Use Ordinance.” In it, the town agrees not to enforce any violations of the sewer ordinance against the company and the company agrees to install a state-ofthe-art on-site wastewater pretreatment system by next July.

said.

“They are the ones that have to prove that it’s going to work,” Williston Public Works Director Bruce Hoar told the selectboard. “We have no reason to think that it won’t.”

In a prepared statement at the selectboard’s July 11 meeting, Lemnah said: “I want to reaffirm Burlington Beer Company’s unwavering commitment to minimizing our impact on the … town’s wastewater treatment plant. We are cognizant of our responsibility as local community members and strive to exceed the standards that uphold the health of our city and its environment.

“We fully understand and embrace the fact that (our) success is intertwined with our ability to be good neighbors and responsible partners with the Town of Williston.”

and I couldn’t be more proud to have the honor of promoting Col. Poirier,” said Vermont Adjutant General Greg Knight. “She is truly a tremendous person and remarkably talented officer. Tracey has certainly earned this pro-

“I would never have dreamed of advancing to the General Officer ranks when I first joined the military more than 30 years ago. I’m not sure how many 17-year-old privates could, but I hope that young people today regardless of gender, background or lifestyle can see themselves in my shoes 30 years in the future.”

Poirier lives in Barre Town with husband Col. Len Poirier and their four children.

The town also agreed to apply for a state grant on behalf of the company to fund the system. Chip Crawford of Champlin Associates, who is working with the company to install the system, described it as a microbiological reactor (MBR) system that will reduce the strength of the effluent so that it is similar to typical residential wastewater. The material that is separated out will be shipped to a digester for conversion into power, Lemnah

Until the system is up and running, the agreement lays out a sampling plan to ensure what’s being sent to the wastewater treatment facility does not exceed a certain threshold, measured in “biochemical oxygen demand” (BOD) — a unit of measure used to determine the strength of wastewater. According to Mandigo, the BOD coming from the Burlington Beer Company has been roughly double what the facility receives from residential and commercial buildings.

The sampling is set to begin this month and will be conducted biweekly “by an independent third party consultant paid for by BBCO,” the agreement states. If the samples exceed the threshold, the company will be fined, according to the agreement.

Tracey Poirier was named the first woman Brigadier General in the history of the Vermont National Guard during a July ceremony at Camp Johnson in Colchester.