Williston Observer 11/23/2022

Pageant premier will celebrate the season

BY SUSAN COTE Observer staff

Enjoying a live holiday vari ety show won’t require a trip to Radio City Music Hall in New York this year. On Friday, Dec. 2, the Williston Central School auditorium will provide the stage for the Williston Community Theatre’s first annual Winter Pageant.

It’s not just the venue that’s local: the all-volunteer cast and crew are comprised of over 50 area residents who will present ten different acts offering a cor nucopia of entertainment, includ ing dancing, seasonal instrumen tal and vocal music, a magic act and more.

Pageant creative director Sean Reeks said he always dreamed of putting on a winter variety show. When he proposed the idea to his Williston Community Theatre co-executive director and nextdoor neighbor Helen Weston, she immediately replied, “Let’s do it!”

Reeks will also serve as the pageant’s host and emcee. Weston is acting as assistant director and will perform at the piano for sev eral songs.

Performers include the Cham plain Consort, a group of early music musicians led by former Vermont Symphony Orchestra member and Williston resident Chapin Kaynor; The Fidler’s Mystic Mangle Box of Doom, a magic act performed by Chloe,

Frankie, and Bill Fidler; and Bal let Vermont. Williston couple Rob and Meredith Stetson will sing two duets.

Retired WCS teacher Gary Howard will read the evocative poem, “The Wind of Winter” by Madison Julius Cawein.

Howard, a veteran of dramat ic performances including many years playing Santa Claus for

the Polar Express in downtown Burlington and doing skits in the woods during fall and spring pageants at the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington, said he was recruited by Weston.

“They were looking for a character who could recite a poem resonantly. She asked me if I’d do it and I said I’d love to. I’ll take any chance I can get to

perform. It’s a wonderful feeling and wonderful thing to do,” said Howard.

Attendees will also enjoy a vocal performance by Harley Everitt, a sixth grader at Willis ton Central School.

Weston noted, “We did a lot of outreach to try to bring in youth to perform ... and I have no doubt we’ll get more as we go into the

second annual.”

“We’ve heard from parents that they’re thrilled that there is something close for their kids to be involved in,” said Reeks.

Referring to the pageant as the “first annual” clearly broadcasts the intention to make the Winter Pageant a community tradition.

Williston’s very own ‘Rockettes,’ above, (from left to right) Vie Mazur, Hālee Bernier, Carah Pioli-Hunt, Ellie Wallace, Kyla Paul, Merrill Cameron, Keely Agan, and Kaitie Bessette have perfected their kick-line as part of Williston Community Theatre’s first annual Winter Pageant to hit the stage Dec. 2 at Williston Central School. Left, Sean Reeks (l) and Harley Everitt (r) prep their part of the Pageant during rehearsals.

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTOS

Williston Digital Learning Leader wins award

Williston’s Digital Learn ing Leader, Jessica Wilson, was presented with Vita-Learn’s Frank Watson Award on Friday at their annual Vermont Fest conference in Killington.

The award is presented to a person whose many years of de

voted service, vision, and lead ership have significantly ad vanced educational technology at the local, regional and state level.

According to a release put out by the Champlain Valley School District, Wilson has

educated elementary and mid dle school students at both the Hinesburg Community School and the Williston schools with state-of-the-art technology through the rapidly changing eras of iPads and Chromebooks. She inspires students and adults to explore new ideas, including video production, live-stream ing school events, computer an imation, coding and much more.

One of her efforts each year is to get teachers and students to participate in the national Doodle for Google contest. This May, Kyle Adams, a first grad er at Allen Brook School was named the winner for the state of Vermont.

“The Williston Schools are so grateful for the years of ded icated and expert support of our Digital Learning Leader, Jes sica Wilson. Jess is constantly stepping up and stepping into whatever it takes to advance student learning, especially in areas of transformative and responsible use of digital-age tools in teaching and learning. She serves as a role model to students and adults—not just for what it means to be a good digital citizen, but also a good human being,” said Greg Mari no, lead principal for the Willis ton schools.

Wilson also serves on Willis ton schools’ wellness and safety committees and on the board of the Vermont NEA.

In 2021, the Frank Watson Award was given by Vita-Learn to Bonnie Birdsall, the Director of Digital Learning & Commu nication for the Champlain Val ley School District.

Vita-Learn is a nonprofit organization that provides pro fessional development, training and networking opportunities with the mission to prepare to day’s learners for the demands of tomorrow by promoting and supporting the use of informa tion technology to transform Vermont education.

ADDITIONAL CVSD STAFF MEMBERS RECOGNIZED

Seven CVSD educators com pleted the Snelling Center for Gov ernment’s Vermont School Lead ership Project (VSLP), a 17-month professional development experi ence.

• Courtney Krahn, assistant prin cipal, Charlotte Central School

• Jensa Bushey, CVSD district literacy leader

• Angela Filion, principal, Allen Brook School

• Sarah Crum, CVSD director of learning and innovation

• Caitlin Bianchi, math coordi nator, Williston Schools

• Arthur Chiaravalli, Fairbanks house director, Champlain Valley Union High School

• Jennifer Roth, principal, Char lotte Central School

CVSD OUTSTANDING EDUCATORS 2022

Hannah Carey and Heidi Huestis were recognized earlier this month at UVM’s 42nd Out standing Educator event. Hannah is a math teacher at CVU and Heidi is the librarian at Charlotte Central School. They were nomi nated by their peers and building administrators.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jessica Wilson

Winter Pageant

continued from page 1

Reeks said, “When the leaves fall and the first snow comes, I want folks to be saying ‘It’s that time of year! The annual winter pageant is just around the cor ner. Let’s audition! Let’s bring a group of friends togeth er! Let’s get in the spirit!’”

While the aim is to grow the pag eant over time, “The show we are go ing to be putting on Dec. 2 is where I thought we would be five years from now. Because of the support from our com munity, via sponsorships and incredible participation, we’re going to have that show this first

year,” said Reeks.

“I can’t thank our cast and crew enough, not for their tal ents, though that’s certainly key. But I am thankful for the time everyone is willing to commit.”

Tickets for the First Annual Winter Pageant can be purchased online at www.WillistonCommu nityTheatre.com.

Led by co-execu tive direc tors Sean Reeks and Helen Weston, the Willis ton Com munity Theatre debuted this year with their first pro duction in June, the musical “Tales and Things,” which they staged in the event barn at Isham Family Farm. Next sum mer’s plans include a production of “Little Shop of Horrors” and a weeklong youth camp.

Señor snowman

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OBSERVER PHOTO BY RICK COTE

Helen Weston watches over the rehearsals in preparation for the Winter Pageant.

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

December is the start of bird feeding season

“Winter bird feeding is a good way to attract birds ar riving from Canada, including evening grosbeaks and purple finches, as well as resident birds including northern cardinals and black-capped chickadees,” said Doug Morin, Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s bird project leader. “Black oil sunflower is a good seed choice that will attract a variety of birds. Adding oth er seeds or suet can help to at tract certain species. Thistle, for example, attracts many of the finches. Gardeners will find leaving late-blooming flowers uncut provides seeds which can also attract birds.”

While watching your bird feeders, you can participate in one or more bird monitor ing projects by looking up the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, the Great Backyard Bird Count and Project Feeder Watch — all three collect important informa tion for understanding bird pop ulations.

The Fish and Wildlife De partment offers these tips for bird-friendly bird feeding:

• Keep cats inside. Domestic cats are the leading cause of bird death in North America, and feeders can make birds particularly easy prey.

• Place feeders closer than 4 feet

or farther than 10 feet from a window. Being close to, or far from, a window may reduce bird collisions.

• Clean feeders regularly. To eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses, feeders should be washed every few weeks with a 10 percent bleach solution, then rinsed and allowed to dry before refilling.

• Feed birds only between De cember 1 and April 1 but re move feeders if you see signs of bears. Most bears should be in dens during this time, but some delay entering their dens while even those that have denned may re-emerge to feed if there is a period of warm weather. Bears that learn to get food from people will continue to do so, potentially leading to property damage and dangerous encounters with people which can result in the bear’s demise.

Feeding birds, even in the

winter, runs the risk of attracting bears. During winter thaws some bears will occasionally take ad vantage of the mild weather and leave their den in search of food. If a bear visits your bird feed er or the feeder of someone in your community, it is important to take down your feeder for a

week. If the bear can’t find easy food it will quickly return to its winter den.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department recom mends Vermonters wait to put up bird feeders until Dec.1 to avoid attracting bears.

Bird feeders offer an easy and safe way to interact with wildlife but installing them after December 1 limits the potential to attract bears.

COURTESY PHOTO BY JOHN HALL

ShopSmall !

We can be thankful for Vermont’s wild turkeys

One of our native wildlife species histor ically played an important role on Thanks giving Day. North America’s native wild turkeys were the ancestors of the Thanks giving turkey on our dinner table.

Originally found only in the wild, tur keys now exist as meat-producing domes ticated derivatives — the broad breast ed white, broad breasted bronze, white Holland, bourbon red, and a host of other breeds – all of them descended from our native wild turkey.

More than 140,000 servings of Vermont wild turkeys are harvested each year – that’s 140,000 servings of free-ranging, wild and sustainably harvested protein.

Wild turkeys exist throughout Vermont today, but that was not always the case. Wild turkeys disappeared from Vermont in the mid-to-late 1800s due to habitat de

struction when land was cleared for farm ing, and only 25 percent of the state was covered by forest.

The wild turkeys we see in Vermont today originated from just 31 wild turkeys stocked in Southwestern Vermont by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department in 1969 and 1970. Vermont’s forest hab itat was once again capable of supporting turkeys. State wildlife biologists moved groups of these birds northward, and today Vermont’s population of turkeys is estimat ed at close to 50,000.

This is just one of many wildlife resto ration success stories we can be thankful for in 2022. Funding for Vermont’s wild turkey restoration was derived from the sale of hunting licenses and a federal tax on hunting equipment.

Source: Vermont Fish & Wildlife

Small Business Saturday Nov. 26, 2022

A Winter Artisan Festival

On a dark, December night, Illuminate Vermont shines bright with the power of artistic expression and celebration.

Grab a cocktail or some culinary treats. Enjoy the live music from the main stage. Stroll the artists’ market, featuring great holiday gifts from Vermont artisans. Best of all, admission is free.

EXPERIENCE VERMONT’S NEWEST ARTISTIC FESTIVAL. 180 Market Street, South Burlington, Vermont www.illuminatevermont.com

The Thanksgiving turkeys on our tables this holiday originated from native wild turkeys whose populations have been restored across much of North America thanks to scientific wildlife management by state fish and wildlife agencies.

COURTESY PHOTO BY JOSHUA MORSE

Vermonters called for balance and we

need to listen

BY GOVERNOR PHIL SCOTT

At 4:00 a.m. the day before ev ery election, my team and I set out on a 14 County Tour, visiting all of Vermont’s 14 counties in one day. This 500+ mile tour has a way to put things into perspective. It re inforces how beautiful our state is and how much it has to offer. And it reminds us that the differences between counties and communi ties can be stark.

We’ve been making progress to close this gap, but we must do more to make sure every family, in every part of our state, has the tools needed to be healthy, safe, and successful.

So, with the election behind us, I hope everyone elected to serve in Montpelier will work with me to level the playing field from region to region, restoring economic se curity and prosperity statewide.

And Vermonters want us to

work together. They want balance and moderation. They made that clear when electing me with about 70% of the vote and Democratic ‘super-majorities’ in the Legisla ture.

Of course, they don’t want me to be a rubber stamp for the Leg islature, nor do they want the Leg islature to blindly go along with whatever I put forward. So that means we’ll be debating the issues, which I will continue to do with civility, seeking consensus where possible, compromising when nec essary, and agreeing to disagree or let the process run its course when we cannot resolve our differences. Vermonters want us to put their needs ahead of politics.

This type of thoughtful, bal anced government – with less par tisanship and political positioning – is what gets the best results.

Unfortunately, hyper-partisan political parties are driving Amer

icans further and further apart –and seem to get the most attention from the media.

They feel the strategy focusing on issues that divide us is easier to motivate more people to go to the polls, donate to campaigns, and click on headlines.

But I don’t believe that’s where

most Vermonters and Americans are. A large majority of us are somewhere in the center.

And most of us could live with out all the labels and name calling.

Think about it. Would you ask your neighbor who they voted for before lending a helping hand in their time need? Of course not.

We need to remember to view each other as people first – fellow Americans – and judge each other by our basic decency, kindness, and generosity toward each other – not political labels.

Just because we don’t agree on every issue doesn’t mean we’re enemies.

The vast majority of people with whom we disagree are, in fact, good people. They want to make a difference in their com

munities and things better for their kids, family, and friends.

Whether we’re seasoned poli ticians or newly elected officials, each of us has the power to stop the cycle of partisan politics that is poisoning our nation.

We can lead by example by treating each other with dignity and respect, living up to the re sponsibility we’ve been given, and remembering that our children are watching. We need to put aside gamesmanship and divisive na tional agendas to make the people we serve our priority.

I’ll do my part by continuing to work every single day to get the results Vermonters deserve, by listening, learning, and leading. And always putting people before politics.

so that we can verify the letter’s author.

That's the #1 concern we hear from homeowners, but it's our job! I promise aren't wasting our time!

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We need to put aside gamesmanship and divisive national agendas to make the people we serve our priority.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A thank you to community members

Thank you, thank you, once again for your generous response to our annual Turkey Drive last Saturday.

We reached our goal of 150 turkeys and have given 81 out as of the end of the day on Saturday. I expect that we will give out at least 25 more at our upcoming shift on Tuesday evening. I believe that we will have enough turkeys to give our clients one for Christmas as well.

In addition, we collected many, many gift cards which we will use for our clients in the future.

I feel blessed to live in such a generous community.

Together we are fulfilling our mission of Feeding our Hungry Neighbors.

Best wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Ginger Morton,

A year of crisis, seen and unseen

I write to you, not only as the Executive Director of the Red Cross in Vermont, but as a res ident of Williston.

2022 has been a year of crisis — both seen and unseen — for families and communities.

Crises we’ve seen have in cluded extreme climate disasters such as Hurricane Ian, severe floods in Kentucky and wildfires out West; the ongoing conflict in Ukraine; and the first-ever national American Red Cross blood crisis in January 2022.

people in Williston stepped up to help families and commu nities throughout Vermont and beyond. Our volunteers — who comprise more than 90% of the national Red Cross workforce — along with our blood, platelet and financial donors are simply amazing. Although they’re or dinary individuals like you and me, their compassionate gifts make an extraordinary differ ence in people’s most dire mo ments.

Jolly Happenings Ahead!

Dec. 2

First Annual Winter Pageant

Williston Community Theatre presents a showcase of local performing talent – music, dance, magic and more.

Friday, December 2, 6:30 p.m.

Williston Central School Auditorium Tickets available for purchase at www. WillistonCommunityTheatre.com

Dec. 4

President

Williston Community Food Shelf

But there were personal cri ses too — unseen to many be yond those experiencing them: the person who needed CPR during a cardiac arrest, the fam ily who needed to contact a de ployed service member during an emergency, and the hospital patient who needed a lifesaving blood transfusion.

For all these crises and more,

As crises continue to upend lives every day, join us to give help and hope for people in need by visiting redcross.org to be come a Red Cross volunteer, schedule an appointment to give blood or platelets, or make a fi nancial donation.

On behalf of those we serve, we thank you for your support in 2022.

Kevin Mazuzan Executive Director

Vermont Chapter of the American Red Cross

Williston Community Tree Lighting

Enjoy carol singing, cookies, hot cocoa and coffee and a visit from the SD Ireland holiday truck. Donations of new hats, mittens, gloves and socks will be collected for the Williston Community Food Shelf. Hosted by Williston Federated Church and Williston-Richmond Rotary.

Sunday, December 4, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Town Gazebo on the Village Green

Dec. 14

Jonathan Milne Holiday Luncheon for Williston and Richmond Seniors

This annual gathering hosted by the Williston-Richmond Rotary returns, including music from Williston Central School students. Wednesday, December 14, Noon

Fellowship Hall at Williston Federated Church RSVP requested to 802-557-4875

The Electric Grid - What is it and how do we benefit from it?

BY KEVIN THORLEY Williston Energy Committee

These questions come up fre quently, and in this article, we’ll try to answer them!

Think of the electric grid as

a puzzle with many interlocking pieces:

• Sources of electricity (genera tion)

• Systems that deliver that elec tricity to our homes and busi nesses (transmission and dis tribution)

• New technologies that allow our devices, appliances, en

ergy storage, and vehicles to adapt their usage and share energy in response to current conditions on the grid (demand response).

• People! Power companies, state regulators, and regional grid operators

All these things need to work seamlessly together for an effi

cient, reliable grid.

GENERATION - THE SOURCE OF OUR ELECTRICITY

Vermont leads the nation with its generation of electricity using carbon-free, renewable sources. In fact, almost 100% of the power produced in our state was from renewable sources in 2021. This doesn’t cover all of Vermont’s

electric consumption needs as a large amount of electricity is im ported from other New England states and Quebec. Even with this out-of-state generation, less than 10% of the electricity we consume comes from fossil-fu el sources. For comparison, the overall mix in the United States is about 20% coal, 40% natural gas, 20% nuclear, and 20% renewable.

-

THE POWER

In Vermont, responsibility for maintaining the electricity trans mission infrastructure belongs to the Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO). VELCO is responsible for over 700 miles of transmission lines, including those that are visible in sever al parts of Williston. VELCO’s most recent long-range (20-year) plan calls out the need for invest ment to handle increasing de mand from home electrification and electric vehicles, among oth er things. Even with this expected demand growth, VELCO’s plan says the Vermont transmission system has sufficient capacity for the next 10 years. The in vestments we make now will be to support the needs of 2030 and

beyond.

VELCO’s most recent long-range plan is available here:

https://www.velco.com/assets/docu ments/2021%20VLRTP%20to%20PUC_ FINAL.pdf

HOW WE PAY FOR THE GRID

The rates we all pay on our electric bill are approved each year by the Vermont Pub lic Utility Commission (PUC). Power com panies propose these rates based on a number of factors, including the cost of generating electricity and expected peak demands. Ver mont is fortunate to rely primarily on renew able and carbon-free sources of electricity, as most of New England is currently experienc ing large rate increases (many over 60%) due to the costs of Natural Gas. Meanwhile, cus tomers of Green Mountain Power will only see a 2% increase.

The cost of electricity is not constant. Like many other goods and services we buy, electricity is sold on a market that responds to supplies and demands. It may appear as a fixed rate on our bills, but the cost of our electricity can vary significantly be tween a sunny day in the spring and a cold winter evening or a hot, muggy, summer afternoon. These high demand (and high cost!) times are called “peak events.” Power companies plan for these events when they submit their rates to the PUC. As a result, reducing these energy peaks can have an important impact on future rates. You can learn more about what the Ver mont PUC does and how you can partici pate on their website: https://puc.vermont. gov/electric.

A SMARTER GRID

the grid we’re not doing so unnecessari ly. Efficiency can take many forms, from replacing incandescent light bulbs with LEDs, turning lights and devices off when not in use, and weatherizing our homes.

Demand Response may not be familiar to most people, but it’s an important tool we can use to manage our grid. Demand Response programs make use of “smart” devices, including EV chargers, thermo stats, home battery storage, etc., to auto matically make these changes a few times a month during peak events, decreasing overall grid costs, delivering financial in centives to electric customers, and having little to no impact on our daily lives.

static-assets/documents/2022/06/2022_ reo.pdf.

THE FUTURE

As you can see, there are a lot of things to discuss when it comes to “the grid,” and there are also a lot of changes to be made. This grid transformation work is happen ing in Vermont now, and it is making a difference. More is needed however to provide the flexible and fully resilient grid Vermont needs.

If you’d like to learn more, this is a great article that goes more in-depth on all aspects of the national grid: https://justen ergy.com/blog/power-grid-what-is-it-and-

how-does-it-work/.

The Williston Energy Committee would like to thank Green Mountain Power for their contribution to this article.

To participate in Williston’s energy future, reach out to your Williston Energy Committee at Energy@ WillistonVT.org or attend one of our public meetings, held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. The agenda for upcoming meetings is posted on the Town of Williston website and on Front Porch Forum.

Vermont is fortunate to rely primarily on renewable and carbon-free sources of electricity, as most of New England is currently experiencing large rate increases (many over 60%)

One example of Demand Response is in adjusting thermostats up or down a few degrees at peak times, or, better yet, pre-heating and pre-cooling our living and working spaces to take advantage of plen tiful energy during offpeak hours of the day. This work is happening in Vermont now. The Flexible Load Manage ment program launched by GMP and Efficiency Vermont does this by helping large business es shift their facilities’ heating, cooling, and operations in ways to benefit the grid, and to save them money, max imize efficiency, and cut carbon emissions. Simi larly, some local utilities offer special discount rates for EV drivers to encourage off-peak charging.

BEYOND VERMONT

Beyond generating more electricity, how else can we handle our growing elec tric demand? Some big things to focus on are energy storage, energy efficiency, and demand response programs.

Energy storage (batteries) makes the grid more flexible, keeping the lights on during severe weather while reducing costs (and carbon emissions) for all cus tomers during energy peaks. Last year alone, Green Mountain Power customers saved $3 million through GMPs network of stored energy.

Energy efficiency is key to making sure that even as we’re putting more loads on

Vermont is not an island when it comes to its electric systems. It is part of a larg er, regional grid managed by Independent System Operator - New England (ISONE). ISO-NE is one of many Indepen dent System Operators (ISOs) or Region al Transmission Operators (RTOs) in the United States. These groups are responsi ble for ensuring that the electric demand in their respective regions is matched by an appropriate level of electric supply.

You can view real-time conditions on the New England grid on ISO-NE’s web site: https://www.iso-ne.com/isoexpress/ web/charts.

You can also learn more about ISONE’s long range plans to support the New England grid in their 2022 Regional Elec tricity Outlook: https://www.iso-ne.com/

&Kyo

MaxMara Halston Shoshanna Hutch Soia

Alice & Olivia Brochu Walker Joseph Ribkoff Monique L'hullier Mac Duggal

Switch to LED Holiday Lights

LEDs consume far less electricity than incandescent bulbs, and decorative LED light strings such as Christmas tree lights are no different. Not only do LED holiday lights consume

less electricity, they also have the following advantages:

Safer: LEDs are much cool er than incandescent lights, re ducing the risk of combustion or burnt fingers.

Sturdier: LEDs are made with epoxy lenses, not glass, and are much more resistant to breakage.

Longer lasting: The same LED string could still be in use 40 holiday seasons from now.

Easier to install: Up to 25 strings of LEDs can be connect ed end-to-end without over loading a wall socket.

Source: www.energy.gov

GMP rewards electric cooking

Green Mountain Power (GMP) customers can now save $200 when they switch from fossil fuel for cooking and in stall a new electric induction cooktop or range. Induction technology heats up and cools down faster than fossil fuel and provides great tempera ture control, all without carbon emissions and indoor air pollu tion.

“GMP’s energy supply is 100% carbon free, so cook ing with induction technology helps fight climate change ef ficiently at home while helping to lower per unit power costs for all customers,” said Tiana Smith, GMP’s head of electri fication.

The new rebate is available for installed induction cooktops or ranges (not portable) and is valid on purchases made Octo ber 1, 2022 through December 31, 2023. Customers can apply for the induction rebate and see all the details on GMP’s web site: www.greenmountainpow er.com.

Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti care

BY ANDREA KNEPPER Special to the Observer

We had just arrived for a visit when she found this small leaf. Her excitement seemed excessive as she described how she had found a piece of a Christmas cactus. I watched as she carefully put the leaf in some moist potting soil. I forgot about this incident until some time later when Grandma showed me a lush green plant, which she proudly reported had grown from that small leaf she picked up from the sidewalk.

Christmas cactus (Schlumgera bridgesii), and its close relative, the

Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumgera truncata), appear for sale in garden centers at this time of year. They make wonderful gifts as they are easy to care for and, with a bit of knowledge, can be coaxed to re bloom with modest effort.

Identification of these cacti can be made by examining their leaf segments. Both types have projec tions along the edge. The Thanks giving cactus leaf projections are pointed while those of the Christ mas cactus are more rounded. Both types bloom in a variety of colors, mostly red, pink, purple and white.

They are native to the rainforests of Brazil where their roots anchor them to tree branches or rocky out crops. Because of this heritage, their needs are different than other popu lar succulents.

A succulent potting mix is the best choice for these cacti. Water when the surface of the soil is dry. Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti also prefer a humid environment.

This can be simulated by placing a drip tray of stones under the pot. Keep a small amount of water in the tray to evaporate. The pot should not be submerged in the water but sitting atop the stones. These plants prefer bright light, but not direct sunlight.

To encourage them to bloom, they must have a minimum of 12 hours of darkness and cooler tem peratures, ideally in the 50-60 de gree Fahrenheit range, for about six weeks. Once buds begin to appear, you can return the cactus to its usual location. Do not fertilize your cactus while it is in bloom.

These cacti are relatively dis ease-free. The most common prob lem is stem or root rot, caused by excessive moisture. This easily can be avoided by using well-draining soil, such as a succulent potting mix, and allowing the soil to dry between waterings. They prefer to have their roots fit snugly in their pot, so re planting is only necessary every three to five years.

To propagate, take a cutting of one or more leaf segments and simply allow to dry out for a cou ple of days. Once dry, place the cutting in moist soil. After roots have developed, which takes a few weeks, transplant into succu lent potting mix and water as you would for an established plant.

Andrea Knepper is a UVM Extension Master Gardener from Bolton.

The Christmas cactus with its showy flowers that bloom in winter is a popular, easy-to-grow holiday plant.

COURTESY PHOTO BY SABINE SCHWOAZE/PIXABAY

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 online for programs. Need help? Call 8784918 or email daml@damlvt. org.

We will be closed on Nov. 24 and 25 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Children 4th grade and young er must be supervised by someone over 16 years of age.

TWEEN BOOK CLUB

Monday, Nov. 28, 3-4 p.m. Discuss the Golden Dome books

with others at the library.

TEENS DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

Monday, Nov. 28, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12+. Join a one-shot D&D campaign.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME

Tuesdays, Nov. 29 and Dec. 6, 10:30-11 a.m. Join Danielle for stories and fun.

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS FOR KIDS

Tuesday, Nov. 29, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Ages 8-12. Finish our Nov. campaign.

AFTER SCHOOL CRAFT

Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2-3 p.m. Make a yarn feather ornament or keychain.

TEEN GENRE BOOK CLUB

Wednesday, Nov. 30, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12+. Discuss any book, graphic novel, web comic, or other story for mat involving a theme of food. Vote on January’s genre or theme.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC AND PLAYTIME

Thursday, Dec. 1 and 8, 10:3011:30 a.m. Enjoy music with Linda Bassick, then stay to play.

LITTLE DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS

Friday, Dec. 2 and 9, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Ages 6-8. Register interested kids to try out a 2-session D&D campaign. Caretakers should stay to help their campaigner. Regis tration required.

TEEN NIGHT: “MURDER AT THE PIZZERIA”

Monday, Dec. 5, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12+. Act out a murder mystery to find out whodunnit (and enjoy piz za while you’re at it).

BABY TIME

Wednesday, Dec. 7, 10:30-11 a.m. Enjoy gentle activities and socialization with your baby.

AFTER SCHOOL LEGO AND BOARD GAME TIME

Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2-3 p.m. Find a new favorite game or chal lenge yourself with new LEGO creations.

LEGO TIME

Thursday, Dec. 8, 3-4 p.m. Create something new with the

Library’s LEGO collection.

SECRET SPY CHEMISTRY

Thursday, Dec. 8, 5-5:45 p.m. Make your own invisible ink, write a secret message, and learn how to read it.

MULTI-AGE PROGRAMS

READ TO A CAT

Thursday, Dec. 1, 3:304:30 p.m. Call to schedule an eight-minute time-slot to read to therapy cat, Oscar.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING

Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Register for your preferred morning hour to stop by to deco rate a gingerbread house with your family. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Reg istration required.

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS

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

DEC. BOOK CLUBS

Consider joining one of our Dec. books groups. Stop by the Li brary to pick up a copy or access

eBook in Libby(Overdrive).

• After Hours Book Club, Wednes day, Dec. 14, 7 p.m. “Chances Are” by Richard Russo.

• Book Club Buffet (Online), Tuesday, Dec. 20, 12:30 p.m. “The Tao of Pooh” by Benjamin Hoff.

• Brown Bag Book Club, Tues day, Dec. 27, 12:30 p.m. Read er’s Recommendation – share a favorite book with the group.

ADULT CRAFTERNOON: SNOWMAN

EARRINGS

Thursday, Dec. 1, 2-3 p.m. Welcome winter by making a pair of adorable snowman earrings.

GUIDED MEDITATION (ONLINE)

Fridays in Dec. 12:00-12:30 p.m. Join a short, guided medita tion session via Zoom.

MAH JONGG

Friday, Dec. 2, 1-3 p.m. Drop in to play this popular tile game. All abilities welcome.

SPANISH CONVERSATION (ONLINE)

Wednesday, Dec. 7, 5-6 p.m. Join teacher Elliot Lafferty in practicing conversation. All abil ities welcome.

• Eugene Jewell, 21, of Williston, was ar rested for driving while under the influ ence.

• Samuel Harlow, 31, of Burlington, was arrested for burglary.

• Michael Sweetser, 30, of Milton, was arrested for driving while under the in fluence.

Nov. 6 at 8:11 a.m. — Police responded to as sist Vermont State Police on Sherman Hol low Road.

Nov. 6 at 10:10 a.m. — Police provided a case number for property damage on Hawthorne Street.

Nov. 6 at 10:22 a.m. — Police responded to a motor vehicle accident on Essex Road.

Nov. 6 at 3:50 p.m. — Police responded to a report of disorderly conduct on Harvest Lane. Upon arrival, the officer issued a tres pass notice at the request of the business.

Nov. 7 at 1:44 a.m. — Police responded to an alarm activation on James Brown Drive. Upon arrival, the alarm was confirmed to be false.

Nov. 7 at 7:55 a.m. — Police responded to a report of suspicious activity on Saint George Road.

Nov. 7 at 8:13 a.m. — Police responded to a vehicle collision on Chad Lane. There were no injuries or hazards reported on the scene. Nov. 7 at 11:58 a.m. — Police responded to a report of suspicious behavior on Zephyr Road.

Nov. 7 at 12:01 p.m. — Police assisted citi zens on Market Street at their request. Nov. 7 at 1:41 p.m. — Police responded to a report of retail theft on Cypress Street. Nov. 7 at 3:57 p.m. — Police responded to a motor vehicle complaint at Taft Corners Shopping Center. Upon arrival, the owner of the vehicle could not be contacted.

Nov. 7 at 7:57 p.m. — Police completed a re quested welfare check on Twitchell Court. Nov. 7 at 10:53 p.m. — Police responded to an alarm activation in Maple Tree Place. Upon arrival, the alarm was confirmed to be false.

Nov. 8 at 2:00 a.m. — Police located an unse cured premise while on foot patrol on Wal nut Street.

Nov. 8 at 12:59 p.m. — Police responded to a report of retail theft on Harvest Lane.

Nov. 8 at 2:25 p.m. — Police responded to a request for assistance on Lamplite Lane. Upon arrival, the officers contacted Out reach at the citizen’s request.

Nov. 8 at 8:20 p.m. — Police responded to an alarm activation on Blair Park Road. Upon arrival, the alarm was confirmed to be false.

Nov. 8 at 9:07 p.m. — Police responded to a report of retail theft on Harvest Lane.

Nov. 8 at 9:40 p.m. — Police issued a citation for criminal trespassing on Harvest Lane.

Nov. 8 at 9:57 p.m. — Police responded to a report of a suspicious circumstance on Es sex Road.

Nov. 8 at 10:00 p.m. — Police responded to a request for assistance on Obrien Court.

Nov. 9 at 5:33 a.m. — Police responded to an alarm activation on Boxwood Street. Upon arrival, the alarm was confirmed to be false.

Nov. 9 at 8:57 a.m. — Police responded to a report of a disturbance on Harvest Lane. Upon arrival, the officer issued a notice of trespass at the request of the business.

Nov. 9 at 9:55 a.m. — Police responded to a vehicle collision on Boxwood Street.

Nov. 9 at 12:04 p.m. — Police responded to a lockout on Harvest Lane. Upon arrival, the officer was able to gain access to the vehicle for the operator.

Nov. 9 at 12:45 p.m. — Police responded to a report of suspicious behavior on Boxwood Street. Upon arrival, the individual had left the area.

Nov. 9 at 2:24 p.m. — Police responded to a report of retail theft on Harvest Lane. Upon arrival, the individual was cited accordingly. Nov. 9 at 2:58 p.m. — Police responded to assist Williston Fire Department on Retail Way.

Nov. 9 at 4:48 p.m. — Police responded to assist South Burlington Police Department on Harvest Lane.

Nov. 10 at 12:30 a.m. — Police took custody of found property that was turned into the department.

Nov. 10 at 7:11 a.m. — Police took custody

of found property that was turned into the department.

Nov. 10 at 9:39 a.m. — Police re sponded to a report of retail theft on Harvest Lane. Upon arrival, the officer issued a trespass notice and citation accordingly.

Nov. 10 at 6:18 p.m. — Police pro vided a case number for property damage on Connor Way.

Nov. 11 at 9:09 a.m. — Police re sponded to a report of suspicious behavior in Maple Tree Place. Upon arrival, the officer did not observe suspicious behavior.

Nov. 11 at 10:17 a.m. — Police as sisted an operator in gaining ac cess to their vehicle on Hawthorne Street.

Nov. 11 at 12:50 p.m. — Police re sponded to a report of suspicious behavior on Harvest Lane. Upon arrival, the officer provided a courtesy ride to the citizen.

Nov. 11 at 1:25 p.m. — Police re sponded to a report of harassment on Market Street. The officer is sued a trespass notice at the re quest of the business.

Nov. 11 at 2:11 p.m. — Police is sued a trespass notice on Harvest

Lane at the request of the business.

Nov. 11 at 4:45 p.m. — Police re sponded to a vehicle collision in Maple Tree Place. There were no injuries or hazards reported on the scene.

Nov. 11 at 5:08 p.m. — Police gained access to a vehicle for the operator on Harvest Lane.

Nov. 11 at 6:52 p.m. — Police re sponded to a vehicle collision on Harvest Lane. There were no in juries or hazards reported on the scene.

Nov. 11 at 7:51 p.m. — Police re sponded to a vehicle collision on Mountain View Road. There were no injuries or hazards reported on the scene.

Nov. 11 at 11:11 p.m. — Police gained access to a vehicle for an operator on Boxwood Street. Nov. 12 at 12:52 a.m. — Police re

sponded to an alarm activation on Lawrence Place. Upon arrival, the alarm was confirmed to be false.

Nov. 12 at 3:41 a.m. — Police re sponded to an alarm activation on Miller Lane. Upon arrival, the alarm was confirmed to be false.

Nov. 12 at 2:15 p.m. — Police as sisted Williston Fire Department on Boxwood Street.

Nov. 12 at 10:14 p.m. — Police re sponded to an alarm activation on Market Street. Upon arrival, the alarm was confirmed to be false.

The incidents above are not a full recount of police activity, rather a highlight of some of the events that occurred. Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorneys Office and can be amended or dropped.

Mini Fact:

Creating air

Next Week: Peppermint and hot chocolate

Awesome Algae

Have you ever eaten algae? You probably have, although you might not have known it. Just what are algae, anyway?

The Mini Page talked with a scientist from the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, to learn more about algae and their importance to Earth.

What are algae?

An alga (AL-guh) is a plantlike organism. Most live in groups, so we usually use the plural, algae (AL-jee). Algae are simple organisms.

Sometimes larger algae look like plants, but they don’t have specialized parts, like the kelp pictured below, which doesn’t have any actual leaves or roots.

There are thousands of different types. Algae can be single cells so small that hundreds could fit on the period at the end of this sentence. Or they can be large, many-celled organisms.

Phytoplankton (FIE-toePLANK-tun) are a type of algae that live in bodies of water. They are usually made of only one cell.

Habitat

Most algae live where it is very moist, in the sea or in bodies of fresh water. They also live in soil and snow. One type of algae lives by using the morning dew in the desert.

Feasting on sunlight

Like plants, most algae use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide gas and water into food. When organisms create their food out of light, it is called photosynthesis (foe-toe-SIN-theh-sis). Algae and plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen.

Luckily for people and animals, oxygen is the waste product of photosynthesis. We couldn’t live without the oxygen produced by algae.

Algae are often categorized by their colors, which are usually shades of green, red or brown. Different colors have different ways of using photosynthesis. Experts believe each color probably developed, or evolved, from a different organism.

Algae have been on Earth for more than 1.6 billion years. Early algae existed when there was hardly any oxygen in the air.

Over time, they produced so much oxygen waste that it changed the atmosphere. They put enough oxygen into the air that animals and people could breathe. Without algae, none of us would be here.

Plants also produce oxygen. But algae were producing oxygen more than a billion years before plants even existed.

The algae in the ocean are responsible for more than half of all the oxygen we breathe today. Some experts believe they may have produced as much as 85% of the oxygen in our atmosphere.

Resources

bit.ly/MPalgae At the library:

Nancythat remind us of algae are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice.

BY OLIVIA JAIMES

Antarctic researchers

Founded by Betty Debnam Issue 48, 2022

There are more than 400,000 known types of algae.

photo by Ed Bierman

photo by Prof. Gordon T. Taylor, Stony Brook University, courtesy NOAA

One beautiful type of algae is a diatom (DIE-uh-tahm). Diatom cell walls are made of glass. The tiny one-celled organisms come in many shapes. These live between crystals of sea ice in Antarctica.

photo by Dr. Robert Ricker, NOAA/NOS/ORR

photo courtesy of NURC/UNCW and NOAA/FGBNMS

This green leafy alga lives in the Gulf of Mexico.

of water. They are usually made of only one cell.

(DIE-uh-tahm). Diatom cell walls are made of glass. The tiny one-celled organisms come in many shapes. These live between crystals of sea ice in Antarctica.

Try ’n’ Find

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

ALGAE, CARBON, CELL, COLOR, DESERT, DIATOM, FOOD, GAS, HABITAT, KELP, ORGANISMS, OCEAN, OXYGEN, PHYTOPLANKTON, SEA, SIMPLE, SNOW, SOIL, WATER.

Cook’s

Corner

Green Beans With Tarragon

You’ll need:

• 2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 stalk celery, chopped

• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

What to do:

• 1/4 cup chopped onion

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon tarragon

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

Look in your newspaper for articles about bodies of water.

4.

5.

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

Meanwhile, combine remaining vegetables in separate pan with olive oil. Use the letters in the boxes to make a word with the same meaning as the clue. The numbers in parentheses represent the number of letters in the solution. Each letter combination can be used only once, but all letter combinations will be necessary to complete the puzzle. Answers: present, cooked, oink, Legos, nose, dime, principal. ©2017 Blue Ox Technologies Ltd Download the app on Apple and Amazon devices Brevity

3. ED DI PRIN NO CI COOK SE ME PRE NT PAL GOS LE OI SE NK

BY DAN THOMPSON

I R Y H O C E A N D B I A T C Y O R G A N I S M S I L Z Z Z Z V Z G S D H T Y H G A K N N M U O A A I O Y J A R E T A W

A O X Y G E N O E X L S R O G D E S E R T J R F P I O O V M H A B I T A T L J M L S O I L Q N O T K N A L P O T Y H P I R A D W O N S L C J S E A O E C E L L Y M E B O N O B R A C

By Jim Miller

How leg pains could be an early sign of heart attack or stroke

Dear Savvy Senior, I started a walking pro gram a few months ago to help me lose weight but I’ve been having problems with my legs and hips hurting during my

walk, although they feel better once I stop. I thought it was just because I’m getting old, but my neighbor was telling me about a leg vein disease she has called PAD and thinks I may have something similar. What can you tell me about this?

Dear Linda,

Limping Linda

The health condition your neighbor is telling you about is known as “peripheral arterial disease” (or PAD), which is an under the radar disease that af fects approximately 8 to 12 mil lion Americans.

It happens when the arter ies that carry blood to the legs and feet become narrowed or clogged over the years with fatty deposits or plaque, causing poor circulation.

But you also need to be aware that because PAD is a systemic disease, people that have it are also much more likely to have clogged arteries in other areas of the body like the heart, neck and brain, which greatly increase the

risks of heart attack or stroke.

FEW SYMPTOMS

Unfortunately, PAD goes un diagnosed and untreated way too often because most people that have it experience few, if any symptoms. The most common symptom, however, is similar to what you’re experiencing: pain and cramping in the hip, thigh or calf muscles, especially when walking or exercising but usual ly disappears after resting for a few minutes.

Another reason PAD is un der-diagnosed is because many people assume that aches and pains go along with aging and simply live with it instead of re porting it to their doctor.

Other possible symptoms to be aware of include leg numb ness or weakness, coldness or skin color changes in the lower legs and feet, or ulcers or sores on the legs or feet that don’t heal.

ARE YOU AT RISK?

Like most other health condi tions, the risk of developing PAD increases with age. Those most

vulnerable are people over the age of 50 who smoke or used to smoke, have elevated choles terol, high blood pressure, dia betes, are overweight, or have a family history of PAD, heart attack or stroke. African Amer icans are also twice as likely to have PAD as Caucasians.

If you’re experiencing any symptoms or if you’re at in creased risk of PAD, you need to be tested by your doctor or a vascular specialist. He or she will probably perform a quick and painless ankle-brachial in dex test, which is done by mea suring your blood pressure in your ankle as well as your arm and compare the two numbers. Your doctor may also do im aging tests such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance angiogra phy (MRA), and computed to mographic (CT) angiography.

With early detection, many cases of PAD can be treated with lifestyle modifications including an improved diet, in creased physical activity and smoking cessation.

If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, your doctor may also prescribe medicine to prevent blood clots, lower blood pres sure and cholesterol, and con trol pain and other symptoms. And for severe PAD, the treat ment options are angioplasty (inflating a tiny balloon in the artery to restore blood flow then removed), the insertion or a stent to reopen the artery, or a graft bypass to reroute blood around the blockage.

To learn more about PAD, visit the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at NHLBI. NIH.gov/health-topics/periph eral-artery-disease.

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.

TODAY’S HISTORY

• In 1954, more than 25 years after “Black Thursday,” the Dow Jones Industrial Average finally surpassed its pre-Depression high.

• In 1963, the first episode of the long-running science fiction drama “Doctor Who” aired on the BBC.

• In 2001, the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia charged former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic with genocide for his role in the 1992-1995 Bosnia and Herzegovina conflict.

• In 2005, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected president of Liberia, becoming the first female elected head of state in Africa.

TODAY’S FACT:

• New Shepard, developed by the privately funded aerospace company Blue Origin, became the first rocket to fly to space and return to Earth in a controlled, vertical landing on this day in 2015.

OBITUARIES

Janice Sundberg Parker

Janice Sundberg Parker passed away peacefully on Sun day, Nov. 6 after living with Alzheimer’s Disease and lung cancer for several years.

Janice was born on March 14, 1931 in Burlington, VT, daugh ter of Carl and Betty (Corey) Sundberg and twin to her be loved sister Joyce Sundberg Fel lows. She graduated from Burl ington High School in 1949 and attended the University of Ver mont as a Marketing major until she left school to marry Donald Jasper Parker, their wedding held in Ira Allen Chapel in Nov. 1951. Upon Donald’s graduation from UVM in May 1952, they lived in Pennsylvania while Don worked for US Steel, but decid ed to return to Vermont in early 1953 with Don’s new job at Ver mont Structural Steel on Flynn Avenue. They lived on Buell Street where their first son Stef fen was born before building their new home on Alder Lane where they welcomed two more boys, Michael and Peter.

Don’s job had him move to the Plattsburgh office in 1959 so they bought a very old farm house in Ingraham, NY and Jan ice made it a home for the boys as they grew up working on the local farms. She worked outside of the home for many years as a salesperson for Fairchild’s Gift Shop in Plattsburgh before be coming the elementary school librarian for Chazy Central Ru ral School. Active in the Chazy

Library and Chazy Presbyterian Church, Janice was a member of the Friendship Club and the church choir, and spent many hours with her dear friend Fran cie Fairchild.

With Don’s return to Burl ington in 1969 to attend UVM and then work for the Knight Consulting Firm, plans were de veloped to build a new home in Williston and with family help, the new place on Butternut Road was ready for mom to move in during the summer of 1977. During their 30 years there, the boys came and went as their lives changed and the property was expanded with a swimming pool, carport and workshop for Don. Janice worked for the Chit tenden Bank, first as a Custom er Service Associate and then in the Trust Department handling a variety of financial issues in cluding the first offering of Ben

& Jerry’s stock. She retired from there in 1994 to tend to her gar dens, jam-making, reading and maintaining the home for Don as he semi-retired from his civil engineering work to spend more time in the home workshop.

With her twin Joyce’s death in 1993, she extended her grand mother’s reach to her beloved nieces and nephews, Lynne, Craig, Jan and Andy Fellows, and their children and spouses, all while being the grandmother to her own growing gang of 13 grandchildren from her three sons and their wives. Don passed away in 2004 and Janice contin ued to live on Butternut until it became apparent that the place was too big for her to maintain. She sold the property to Steffen in Aug. 2007, moving into a du plex in Williston village. Janice continued to be an active reader, gardener and church member, now affiliated with the Willis ton Seventh Adventist Church.

With her Alzheimer’s diag nosis in Feb. 2017, life began to change as the family supported her staying at home as long as possible, providing 24/7 care givers for more than five years. And in July 2022, Janice moved to The Arbors in Shelburne to receive more direct care and provide for her safety. Family visited often over the last few years and she was always in their thoughts as well as in the pictures that filled her room.

Janice is predeceased by her

parents, Carl and Betty Sund berg, her twin sister Joyce Sund berg Fellows, and her husband Donald Jasper Parker. She is survived by her three sons and their families: Steffen and Kath ryn of Williston (Josiah, Molly, Jacob), Michael of West Chazy (Corrie, Sarah), and Peter and Christine of Starksboro (Eliza beth, Stephen, Hannah, Charity, Faith, MaryLynn, Lydia, Dan iel). She is also survived by her nieces and nephews and their families, Lynne and Wayne Sud daby (Steacy, Caleb, Zachary), Craig and Missy Fellows (Sam uel, Laura, Owen), Jan Fellows (Eliza, Emmons), and Andy Fel lows. Janice will be missed by her extended family including daughter-in-law Deb Wehrlin, Andy’s companion Tina, and the entire Fairchild family of West Chazy including Francie, John (Toby), Laura and Jessie. She will also be missed by her spe cial caregiver Linda, to whom the family owes so much for her years of tender care.

A celebration of Janice’s life was held, Nov. 13 at the Williston Seventh Day Adventist Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Green Mountain Audubon Nature Center (vt.audu bon.org), the Alzheimer’s Associ ation (act.alz.org) or the Williston Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Arrangements are in care of Corbin and Palmer Funeral Home, 9 Pleasant Street, Essex Jct., VT.

Marguerite McKenna

Marguerite McKenna, 89, passed away peacefully Nov. 6, 2022, at UVM Medical Center, with her loving family by her side.

Marguerite was born Aug. 7, 1933, in Brooklyn, NY, the daugh ter of the late Joseph Garthaffner and Margaret (Keating).

Marguerite was a telephone operator for most of her working life and was also very involved in volunteering for the Telephone Pio neers of America. In her early years Marguerite was a CCD teacher at St. Marks in Burlington and was a parishioner at St. Ann Church in Milton for over 30 years.

She enjoyed crocheting and knitting hats and blankets for the babies in the NICU and was a part of the Red Hat Ladies group. Mar guerite enjoyed traveling, especial ly to Eastern Europe exploring her German roots.

She is survived by her children, Matthew McKenna of Milton, Jen nifer Babcock (Byron Gabaree) of Williston, and Martha McKenna of Winooski; and her brother Francis Garthaffner (Judith) of Hunting ton NY. She is predeceased by her husband Thomas A. McKenna; her parents, Joseph Garthaffner and Margaret (Keating); her son Joseph McKenna; and her brothers, Joseph Garthaffner and John Garthaffner.

A memorial mass was held Nov. 14 at St. Ann Church. A burial immediately followed at St. Ann Cemetery. For those who wish, online condolences may be made to www.minorfh.com.

Happy

OBITUARIES Connie Ann Bushey

Connie Ann Bushey passed away in her home in Huntington on Oct. 26, 2022. She was surrounded by her loving family in the days preceding her passing. Her husband and oldest daughter were with her at the time of her passing.

Connie leaves behind her husband Brent, two daughters, Bambi of Fairfax, Vermont and her five children and four grandchildren and Mandi and husband Wil liam of Williston with their three children and five grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother and two sisters, John Truax, Anna Taft and Valerie Bent as well as many nieces and nephews. Connie was prede ceased by her father and mother Raymond and Charlene Truax of Huntington.

Connie’s passions were her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She also enjoyed spending time at Lake Willough

by and attending Bluegrass festivals. As a hob by she planted and maintained various plants and shrubs surrounding the home she shared with her husband Brent in Huntington.

Local people may remember Connie from her 28-year tenure at the Richmond Cumberland Farms where she took pleasure in seeing many of the local people on a dai ly basis. If you knew Connie you would be hard pressed to think of her and not smile.

Connie’s battle with COPD has ended. A stronger person there has never been. Her peace is much deserved but she will leave a very large void in our lives and a pain that will never be totally healed.

Per her wishes, there will be a cele bration of Connie’s life Sept. 25, 2023. Please revisit this website awrfh.com two weeks prior for time and place an nouncement.

Community Bankers Chittenden County

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS

There is no better time to join our Team!

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest banking institution headquartered in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all. Are you looking to start or continue a career in the finance industry? Consider joining our team as a Community Banker! To see all our available positions, please visit www.NSBVT.com/careers/open-positions.

Job Responsibilities & Requirements

This frontline position is crucial in creating a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience for NSB customers. The successful candidate will have exceptional customer service and communication skills. The Community Banker will be responsible for receiving and processing customers’ financial transactions as well as opening and maintaining customer accounts and services. We are looking for someone who can develop and maintain relationships with our valued customers, protect bank and customer information, and uphold customer confidentiality. A high school diploma, general education degree (GED), or equivalent is required.

If you have customer service, previous cash handling, or banking experience we encourage you to apply!

Opportunity for Growth

NSB has training opportunities to engage employees and assist with professional development within our company. The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in an environment that promotes growth, join our team!

What NSB Can Offer You

Competitive compensation based on experience. Well-rounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity. Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program. Commitment to professional development. Opportunities to volunteer and support our communities. Work-Life balance!

We understand the importance of having evenings and weekends with our friends, families, and the communities we serve!

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com or Northfield Savings Bank Human Resources | PO Box 7180, Barre, VT 05641

Positions include a sign on bonus, strong benefits package and the opportunity to work at one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont”.

Service Coordinator: Continue your career in human services in a supportive environment by providing case management for individuals either for our Adult Family Care program or our Developmental Services program. The ideal candidate will have strong clinical, organizational & leadership skills and enjoy working in a team-oriented position. $47,000 annual salary, $1,500 sign on bonus.

Residential Program Manager: Coordinate staffed residential and community supports for an individual in their home. The ideal candidate will enjoy working in a team-oriented position, have strong clinical skills, and demonstrated leadership. $45,900 annual salary, $1,500 sign on bonus.

Direct Support Professional: Provide 1:1 supports to help individuals reach their goals in a variety of settings. This is a great position to start or continue your career in human services. Full and part time positions available starting at $19/hr, $1,000 sign on bonus.

Residential Direct Support Professional: Provide supports to an individual in their home and in the community in 24h shifts including asleep overnights in a private, furnished bedroom. You can work two days, receive full benefits and have five days off each week! Other flexible schedules available, starting wage is $20/hr, $1,000 sign on bonus.

Shared Living Provider: Move into someone’s home or have someone live with you to provide residential supports. There are a variety of opportunities available that could be the perfect match for you and your household. Salary varies dependent on individual care requirements. $1,000 sign on bonus.

Join our dedicated team and together we’ll build a community where everyone participates and belongs https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/

https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/

Champlain Community Services, Inc.

Why not have a job you love?

Make a career making a difference and join our team today!

LEGAL

CLASSIFIEDS OBITUARIES Ann Doughty Bunting

TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA

Tuesday, December 13, 2022 – 7:00 PM

Police Station Meeting Room (7928 Williston Road) or Zoom Meeting ID 846 5863 3532 on zoom.us/join or call 1-646-558-8656

DP 20-03.2 U-Haul Moving & Storage c/o Jeffery Vaine requests a Master Sign Plan amendment for their store located at 4964 Williston Rd. in the IZDW.

DP 23-08 Summit Automotive Partners c/o Daniel Heil requests a discretionary permit for proposed renovation of Berlin City Kia including 2 additions totaling approx. 5,475 sf and the reconfiguration of parking at 586 Marshall Ave. in the IZDW.

DP 23-09 William & Joan Boardman c/o Bryan Currier requests pre-application review for their proposed 2-lot residential subdivision on a 29.2 acre lot to create a 1.84 acre single family building lot and a 5.55 acre lot with the existing residence at 10 Ricky Vista in the ARZD.

Project details and site plans are available online, go to bit.ly/DRBagendas. Contact Planning & Zoning Office for more information: 802-878-6704 or email planning@willistonvt.org

LEGAL

Sara Daly is seeking a divorce from Christopher Daly, including a Decree of Divorce, Division of Property, and Name Change.

Per this publication, Mr. Daly should reply to Ms. Daly’s complaint within 21 days, responding to each claim. If Mr. Daly does not file an answer or file an appearance, the Court is not required to notify him of hearings.

If Mr. Daly does not attend the court hearings, the Plaintiff may receive everything requested in the Complaint. Mr. Daly must give or send a copy of his answer to Ms. Daly as well as the Court located at Chittenden Family Division, 32 Cherry St., Stuie 200, Burlington, VT 05401. Mr. Daly can wish to get help from a lawyer and even if he cannot get legal help, he must still give the Court a written Answer to protect his rights.

Ann Doughty Bunting, sev enty-nine years old and a res ident in Shelburne Vermont, passed away at the Arbors mem ory care community, Nov.13, 2022.

The daughter of Roswell K. and Eleanore W. Doughty, Ann was born in Rochester, NY on Oct. 7, 1943, and, with her two siblings Martha and Bob, spent her childhood years in Mama roneck, NY.

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Ann had an inquiring mind and was on a lifelong journey for truth and meaning, reflected in her early years as an active member of the local Method ist church and as an academic talent in school. She graduated from Connecticut College in 1965. Initially pursuing grad uate studies in religion, Ann’s interest quickly shifted to psy chology, receiving a master’s in counseling at Harvard Universi ty in 1970 and completing a PhD in human development from the University of Maryland, in 1977. Ann would say, however, that her true education in the field of psychology began in the late 1970’s, when she began studying family systems theory with Dr. Murray Bowen, at Georgetown University.

Ann met Charles I. (Chuck)

Bunting while in graduate school at Harvard, and they married in June 1969. She and Chuck moved in 1971 from Cambridge to Washington DC, where their two sons, Matthew and Adam, were born, in 1974 and 1976. The family moved to Vermont in 1985, and Ann opened an office for her clinical practice in Burlington.

She noticed that a number of her clients became interested in learning more about Bowen sys tems theory and practice, and she began organizing clinical conferences for those interested in learning more. Subsequently, she invited colleagues to consid er forming a more formal orga nization in 1997, and the Ver

mont Center for Family Studies was founded a year later. The VCFS developed a range of pro grams for teaching Bowen the ory and its applications in Ver mont, while also building and sustaining important ties to the Bowen Center in Washington.

Ann’s legacy as a clinician and colleague was extraordi nary, and with her family and community she was a profound ly influential, devoted, and be loved partner, mother, grand mother, and friend. She also followed many other interests, including yoga and meditation, delivering meals on wheels, gar dening, walking and swimming. In particular, her grandchildren saw her as a source of uncondi tional love, lemon cough drops, peanut M&M’s, and countless viewings of Star Wars and Mary Poppins.

Ann leaves her spouse of 53 years, Chuck, and their two sons: Matthew and his wife Hadley, in South Burlington; Adam and his wife MaryBeth, in Williston; and her brother Robert, in Harp ers Ferry, WV; she was prede ceased by her sister Martha and her husband, William. She also leaves five wonderful and be loved grandchildren: Madeline, Abernathy, Rose, Charlie, and Henry.

There will be a celebration of Ann’s life at the Charlotte Con gregational Church, at 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16, and a private family gathering in late spring.

For those who wish to do so, memorials can be sent to: VCFS Ann Bunting Legacy Fund, c/o Erik Thompson, 65 Leeway Circle, St. George, VT 05495; or Community Giving Fund, Champlain Valley Union High School, 369 CVU Road, Hines burg, VT 05461.

ways fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly 100percent effectivewhengivensoonafter a person is bitten by a rabid animal.

So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of those have been raccoons.

According to wildlife officials, rabid animals often show a change in their nor mal behavior, but you cannot tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it. People should not touch or pick up wild animals or strays – even baby animals.

Shelburne display lead dors from creemees. from

Willistonians flock to Community Turkey Drive

CLOCKWISE from right: A few of the 150 turkeys donated to the Williston Community Food Shelf at their annual Turkey Day on Saturday morning. St. Michael’s students and alumni donated their time to help Food Shelf clients bring groceries to their cars; (l to r) Elise Genereux (alum), Vicky Castillo (‘20), Isabella Paredes (‘24) and Andrea Herrera (‘25). The Food Shelf ’Turkey Crew’ (l to r) Jen Selwah, Ginger Morton, Heather Tenda and Jean Staunton who keep track of the turkeys coming in and going out. Below, the Evarts family, represented by David and Bodie (front) delivered two turkeys with all the fixin’s for two families with the help of Grandpa, Drew Meservey.

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY