Williston Observer 3/23/2023

Dog rescue dispute appears headed to court

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

Can a dog rescue operation function in a residential neighborhood without using a backyard? Is it OK for volunteers to walk homeless dogs around Lamplite Lane just as anyone else can stroll the public road?

These are the disputed questions that are likely to land a feud about Williston’s Vermont English Bulldog Rescue in court.

The nonprofit’s founder, Dawna Pederzani, said she plans to appeal last week’s decision by the Williston Development Review Board (DRB) to deny her a permit to operate the dog rescue as a home business, overturning a zoning office decision in January to grant the permit.

Vermont English Bulldog Rescue has been taking in and adopting out homeless dogs from Pederzani’s house for 14 years. But last fall — with complaints from neighbors about parking, barking and traffic intensifying — it was issued a zoning violation by the town. The violation required Pederzani to seek a permit from the DRB to continue operating, an application that the board denied in November. Pederzani submitted a second application in January after agreeing to scale back the operation and conduct its most intensive business — receiving vanloads of homeless dogs from out of state and matching them with families at a different location.

Zoning Administrator Matt Boulanger issued that permit with a few conditions of approval, giv-

ing Pederzani until the spring to create an off-street parking spwot and a plan for waste removal. Pederzani also began to limit use of her backyard to walks of one dog at a time supervised by a volunteer, no longer using outdoor cages.

A group of 16 Lamplite Lane residents hired attorney Mark Hall to help them appeal Boulanger’s approval to the DRB. Last Tuesday, the board took testimony from Hall, several residents, Pederzani and a few of the nonprofit’s volunteers, then entered a private session to weigh their decision. Back

ing their time … The Town of Williston has a duty to treat its citizens in a respectful and fair manner … I was not.”

The appeal would be heard in Vermont Superior Court’s Environmental Division, Boulanger said.

In its decision, the DRB found that Vermont English Bulldog Rescue violates a prohibition in Williston’s bylaws on home businesses using outdoor workspace in a residential zoning district.

“The dog rescue … uses the backyard to exercise the rescue dogs,” the decision states. “This is deemed a material part of the home business.”

That was a point that the neighbors emphasized during the hearing.

“The use shall be entirely within the dwelling,” Hall said, quoting the town’s regulations on home businesses. “There is no exception to that language. In this case, the outside of the (house) is integral to the business itself. It cannot function without that.”

Vermont artist reflects on a first visit to the Rockies

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

paintings at the college’s McCarthy Arts Center for a weeklong showing.

in open session, the board unanimously overtuned Boulanger’s decision, denying the dog rescue a permit. If the board confirms its decision as expected on March 28 by approving the meeting minutes, a 30-day appeal period will begin.

“I will appeal,” Pederzani said in an email Tuesday to the Observer.

She does not think she was treated fairly during last week’s hearing.

“The DRB had their minds made up going in,” she said. “It was clear that they felt I was wast-

Hall also noted that dogs are routinely walked around Lamplite Lane, although Pederzani has likened that to the freedom anyone has to walk on public roads.

“The road and its shoulder are public property,” Pederzani wrote in a home business plan submitted to the zoning office. “Any person can come into any development to walk their dog provided that walker and dog are acting within the law.”

That is a point that an Environmental Court judge may have to

A lifelong Vermonter has put all of her sensory and emotional experiences upon visiting the Rocky Mountain West for the first time into a senior capstone art display at St. Michael’s College this week.

Margaret Krause is a native of Middlebury who spent countless hours at her dad’s office in Williston as a child, doodling, daydreaming and painting. Now an Art and Design and Education Studies double major set for graduation in May, Krause has set up a series of acrylic

The exhibit, entitled “The Loop,” is inspired by Krause’s visit last summer to Utah and Wyoming, a camping road trip with friends that brought new sights, smells, thoughts and feelings for the Rice Memorial High School graduate.

“It’s the stuff you see in books when you are growing up, then when you actually get there you have to adjust to appreciate the beauty of what is around you,” she said. “Looking at it, it doesn’t feel real. It’s so massive

“The DRB had their minds made up going in. It was clear that they felt I was wasting their time.”

Dawna Pederzani

Vermont English Bulldog Rescue

Margaret Krause poses with one of her paintings for ‘The Loop,’ an art show running this week at St. Michael’s College.

OBSERVER PHOTO BY JASON STARR

Around Town

Kindergarten registration underway for ABS

Kindergarten registration for Allen Brook School is now open for all Williston and St. George students who will be 5 years old by Sept. 1, 2023. Email or call to start the registration process: absfrontoffice@cvsdvt.org or (802) 871-6200

Parents or caregivers should have the following documents ready: 1) proof of Williston/St. George residency, 2) student’s birth certificate, 3) Current immunization record.

DRB to hold annual growth management review, allocation

On March 28 at 7 p.m., the Williston Development Review Board will review growth project applications submitted in 2022 and determine unit allocations. The public may attend in person at the Police Station Meeting Room at 7928 Williston Rd. or via Zoom (meeting ID 846 5863 3532) by going to https://us02web.zoom. us/j/84658633532 or calling 1-646558-8656.

Rotary scholarship application now open

The Williston-Richmond Rotary Club is accepting applications for its annual Rotary Scholarship. All high school seniors living in Williston, Richmond and St. George are eligible to apply.

The club awards two one-time

scholarships of $1,500 to assist with post-high school educational advancement. Applicant must be accepted or enrolled in an accredited undergraduate vocational, college or university program. The application deadline is Friday, April 28. Application link: https://forms.gle/GEcDc95EQ4RgpMaJ7

Rummage sale upcoming at Federated Church

The Williston Federated Church is hosting a rummage sale Friday, March 31 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, April 1 from 9 a.m. to noon at its 44 North Williston Rd. location.

Residents are invited to shop for gently worn clothing for all ages. On Saturday, fill a 30-gallon trash bag for $5. Proceeds from the clothing sale are used for church outreach. For more information, contact Carol at 862-7400.

Age Well offers meals for seniors

Age Well and St. Catherine’s of Siena Parish in Shelburne are teaming up to provide a meal to go for anyone age 60 and older on Tuesday, April 11. The meal will be available for pick up in the parking lot at 72 Church St. from 11 a.m. until noon. The menu is baked ham with raisin sauce, sweet potatoes, Capri blend vegetables, wheat roll with butter, Congo bar and milk.

To order a meal, email Kathleen by April 5 at agewellstcath@gmail. com or call (802) 507-1107.

Winning WCS posters celebrate diversity

Williston Central School World Language students placed in the top three in the Vermont Foreign Language Association’s statewide poster contest celebrating world languages. The contest is open to students learning a foreign language at their schools as a way to demonstrate their understanding of the importance of learning new languages.

Pictured, from left to right, are Olivia Patten’s hand-drawn poster (first place); Ace Helm’s digital poster (second place); and Katie Sicard’s digital poster (third place).

Krause

and so big.”

Krause created the paintings during the fall semester, with the summer trip fresh in her mind. A circular theme permeates the exhibit, and the colors reflect her takeaways from the Tetons and Wasatch landscape.

“The adjustment from living in Vermont and never really going outside of New England, that definitely impacted how much I feel like I soaked in,” she said. “Each piece is me rethinking and going through each feeling and emotion.”

“The Loop” is on display through March 31. Other seniors in the College of Art and Design also get a week to display their projects. The exhibits are free and open to the public.

“These exhibitions … are a

way to demonstrate the student’s ability to present a cohesive body of work in a professional venue where their work can, and often is, seen by professional curators, local professional artists and community members,” Professor Brian Collier says on the St. Mike’s website. “In addition to making the work, students learn how to install their work in a professional gallery, design their own publicity materials and to publicize their shows … This gives them a great set of experiences that are extremely beneficial to anyone who wants to pursue a career as a practicing artist or to get a position in a range of art and design jobs.”

continued from page 1 Rescue continued from page 1

rule on.

“The dogs need exercise, which occurs on the property and throughout the neighborhood,” resident Ron Bliss said. “The operation is 100 percent reliant on the outside use of the property and in the neighborhood. It is not constrained to the dwelling only.

“The outdoor activity affects the quality of life in the neighborhood,” he said.

Krause’s post college plans include continuing to paint, travel and potentially move west.

“I love the idea that nothing is set in stone and I can make life whatever I want it to be,” she said.

If no appeal is filed by Pederzani, or if the Environmental Court upholds the DRB decision, Vermont English Bulldog Rescue would have to cease operations on Lamplite Lane to resolve the original zoning violation, according to Boulanger.

However, decisions of the Environmental Court are appealable to Vermont Supreme Court.

Charges mount for former state trooper

Alleged theft includes items from Williston evidence storage

BY ETHAN WEINSTEIN VTDigger

A former state trooper under investigation for stealing items from police storage in Williston now faces more than a dozen criminal charges — including felony theft and lying to police — after the initial investigation revealed more instances of stealing, according to Vermont State Police.

Giancarlo DiGenova, 44, of Essex, was placed on paid leave in December and resigned in February after state police began investigating him in response to the disappearance of valuables from the temporary evidence storage at the Williston barracks. The missing items — with a total value of over $40,000 — included a gold Rolex men’s watch, diamond earrings, Apple earbuds and a designer wallet, court records show.

While investigating the initial bag of stolen property, police discovered other instances of misconduct by DiGenova, according to a state police press release issued Monday.

Citing court documents, state police wrote that “DiGenova took a bag containing seized cellphones in June 2021 from a secure personal property storage area at the Berlin Barracks, and subsequently attempted to sell two of the devices at an automated kiosk at the University Mall in South Burlington.”

DiGenova later marked the cellphones as “destroyed” in the department’s evidence tracking system, according to the release.

DiGenova is also being charged in the theft of ADHD medication belonging to a child while investigating a disturbance in a Bolton residence last May, according to state police.

In a separate statement released Monday, Col. Matthew Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police, said he understood Vermonters’ anger and

disappointment with DiGenova’s alleged actions.

“Your outrage is appropriate. But I also want you to know that the system worked as well as it can when someone is determined to commit crimes by abusing their power and trust,” Birmingham said in the statement. “The former trooper’s actions were uncovered by his peers, who reported him to supervisors.”

“We launched an intensive, lengthy and comprehensive investigation that led to the filing of serious criminal charges. And

we have reviewed our policies and procedures, making changes where necessary and increasing the oversight already in place,” Birmingham said.

Prompted by DiGenova’s actions, state police conducted a “complete audit of temporary personal property storage areas” and added surveillance cameras to include more visibility of evidence storage areas, among other changes, Birmingham said.

In addition to the instances of theft, investigators discovered that DiGenova had performed checks of vehicle identification numbers for a household member’s car registration business, according to the press release. He admitted to

performing checks on out-of-state vehicles without ever seeing them, police said, which violates state requirements.

DiGenova faces 13 charges stemming from four separate cases spanning Chittenden and Washington counties, according to state police. He had been a state trooper since 2009, and his assignments included the Williston, Bradford and Middlesex barracks, as well as the Narcotics Investigation Unit.

DiGenova turned himself in at the Royalton barracks on Monday, police said, and is scheduled to appear in superior court in Burlington on Thursday, and in the Barre court on April 6.

Giancarlo DiGenova

Maple Open House weekends on tap

Area sugarhouses open their doors for Vermont’s annual Maple Open House Weekend on March 25-26 and April 1-2. Local producers will offer all things maple, ranging from sugarhouse tours, samples and sugar-on-snow to maple cotton candy, glazed donuts, hotdogs and adult beverages. For specific program information by location, visit https://vermontmaple.org/mohw.

MIke Isham explains to visitors how the evaporator works at the Isham Family Farm sugarhouse on Oak Hill Road in Williston.

Steam rises from the sugarhouse of Ken and Sherry Pidgeon on Pumpkin Hill in Williston.

Mark Yandow checks the density (sugar content) of this day’s syrup production at Yandow’s Sugartree Maple Farm on Bradley Lane in Williston.

Ken and Sherry Pidgeon watch over the evaporator in their sugarhouse on Pumpkin Hill in Williston.

Shawn Handy stokes the fire at the Isham Family Farm sugarhouse on Oak Hill Road in Williston.

Ken Pidgeon draws syrup off the finishing pan in their sugarhouse on Pumpkin Hill in Williston.

The fire box of Ken and Sherry Pidgeon’s evaporator, above, blazes away in their sugarhouse on Pumpkin Hill in Williston. Mark and Amy Yandow, left, stop moving long enough for a quick photo during a busy day at Yandow’s Sugartree Maple Farm on Bradley Lane in Williston.

Amy Yandow checks the color gradation of this day’’ syrup production at Yandow’s Sugartree Maple Farm on Bradley Lane in Williston.

GUEST COLUMNS

Act 250 changes won’t solve housing problems

BY AARON ADLER

Recent proposals on Vermont land use regulation and housing advance a “Field of Dreams” policy: “Permit it and they will build.”

Proponents erroneously claim that Act 250 and local zoning are barriers that cause Vermont’s shortage of affordable housing, and if we lift those barriers, we will get more housing that average people can buy or rent.

But the cause of the housing affordability problem is not socalled regulatory barriers. Subjecting fewer projects to land use laws is unlikely to increase affordable housing. If any new housing does result, it will be market-priced rural sprawl.

You may remember the movie “Field of Dreams,” in which a farmer hears a voice say, “If you build it, he will come.” The farmer plows under part of his crop to build a baseball diamond. Magically, dead players appear to use the diamond, and

crowds come to watch.

Magic works in the movies but not in reality. Removing a dam increases flow because a river is there. No river of affordable housing waits to spring forth if we open the proverbial regulatory dam.

It is market economics that are driving housing prices beyond the reach of many Vermonters.

Demand for housing in Vermont has surged due to the pandemic, migration from outside the state and a greater ability to work remotely.

The increased housing demand coincides with inflation that is outpacing wage gains. Nationally, the average cost for materials to build a single-family home rose 42 percent from 2018 to 2021, per the National Association of Realtors.

This environment pushed Vermont’s median price for a new home to over half a million dollars in 2022. A builder who can command that kind of price

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for a new home will not lower it simply because the builder does not have to get a permit, especially when the builder’s costs have climbed. The builder will charge what the market will bear. Meanwhile, the state has seen an increase in the fragmentation of large parcels into smaller lots used primarily for rural housing. One report found that over

a 12-year period ending in 2016, more than 12,000 acres per year changed from forest or farm to residential development scattered over Vermont.

Regulation cannot be too big a barrier to new dwellings when it is allowing so much residential development.

These trends indicate that, if reduced regulation leads to more housing, it will be expensive rural sprawl that fragments our forests and farmland, and therefore undermines wildlife habitat and the land use patterns that make Vermont a place to cherish.

Proponents nonetheless cite a handful of housing projects that underwent litigation and appeal, but anecdotal evidence is no substitute for system-wide data. Most projects that need Act 250 permits, housing or otherwise, are approved and not appealed.

Some may argue that housing costs have risen in Vermont as we have implemented Act 250 and local zoning, but that is a correlation only. It does not prove causation.

To the contrary, the Legislature has amended Act 250 and local zoning statutes many times

to promote affordable housing and the amendments did not prevent or remedy the state’s affordable housing problem. They included multiple reductions in Act 250 regulation over housing projects in many areas of the state.

Doing the same thing again and expecting a different result is not a recipe for success. We should look to other tools to address the problem, such as increasing funds for existing housing programs, creating new housing authorities, tax credits to builders of lower-priced homes and financing low-interest loans to homebuyers.

The Legislature should not pursue the proposed changes in Act 250 and local zoning, which are unlikely to promote affordable housing and may lead to high-priced residential sprawl that harms our environment and sense of place.

Attorney Aaron Adler is a former deputy general counsel to the Agency of Natural Resources, counsel to the Act 250 program and chair of the Brookfield Planning Commission.

The Legislature should not pursue the proposed changes in Act 250 and local zoning, which are unlikely to promote affordable housing and may lead to high-priced residential sprawl that harms our environment and sense of place.

BY JULIE SILVERMAN

I’ve spent decades sailing on waters throughout the Northeast, including on our own Lake Champlain. In recent years, I’ve begun to notice more and more trash floating in the water and washing up on beaches. From balloons to fishing gear to plastic, this problem only seems to be getting worse.

However, one type of trash has been more abundant than any other: the bright blue and white foam often used to support docks.

I’ve worked with volunteers to clean up hundreds of blocks of broken dock foam — some the size of clothes dryers ― that washed ashore on remote islands in Maine. And I’ve scooped up tens of thousands of tiny white beads of dock foam from Lake Champlain’s beaches after a storm.

Commonly known as Styrofoam, this pollution isn’t just an ugly nuisance. It can cause serious harm

Put an end to toxic dock foam

to the wildlife that eats it. It gets into the fish we eat, and it contaminates our drinking water.

If that weren’t bad enough, polystyrene is made from fossil fuels, which means it is contributing to the climate crisis from the moment it is manufactured. Finally, the toxic chemicals used to make Styrofoam can leach out into our waters.

many dock manufacturers no longer sell that product.

When these older foam blocks break down, or the tiny loose beads spill out, it is nearly impossible to collect all the pieces. That means we are stuck with that pollution — and the risks it poses to our environment, wildlife and human health — for decades to come.

It’s time to put an end to this pollution, and Vermont’s Legislature has taken notice.

to prevent polystyrene foam from leaking and disintegrating into the water. And any existing unencapsulated foam and loose-bead foam floats would need to be removed and properly disposed of within two years after the bill’s passage.

banned most polystyrene food and beverage containers, which is already having an impact on this scourge of pollution. It’s time to take the next step and ban this toxic pollution from docks as well.

Let’s be clear, docks are not the problem, it’s the plastic foam. The docks that pollute our lakes and rivers use exposed foam blocks (called “unencapsulated foam”) or floats filled with loose white foam beads.

Docks with unencapsulated foam are likely older or abandoned, as

A new bill, H.373 — supported by the Conservation Law Foundation and other advocacy organizations, including the Lake Champlain Committee and the Connecticut River Conservancy — has been introduced. It would prohibit the sale of unencapsulated polystyrene foam floatation and loose-bead foamfilled flotation in docks, mooring buoys and other structures on Vermont’s lakes, ponds and rivers.

The bill would also require that docks be maintained and repaired

The problem with polystyrene is that it’s brittle. It easily breaks apart when it’s exposed to the sun, wind, waves and ice. Like other plastic pollution, it also never breaks down or goes away. It keeps accumulating in our waters, in wildlife and on our beaches.

Because of these harmful qualities, Vermonters have already

Five other states have already passed legislation regulating polystyrene foam in floating docks. Let’s make Vermont the sixth, to commit to cleaner healthier water for swimming, fishing, paddling and wildlife.

BEFORE THEY GET BEHIND THE

Make sure they understand the risks of drunk and drugged driving. Let

Julie Silverman is the Lake Champlain Lakekeeper at the Conservation Law Foundation.

It gets into the fish we eat, and it contaminates our drinking water.

•

How big is your carbon footprint?

BY MARIA GINGRAS Williston Energy Committee

Imagine you are out for a walk, stepping on soft ground. If you look behind you, where you walked, you’ll see the impact that you made on the soil in the form of your footprint.

Individually, a single set of footprints usually has little impact on the earth. But the collective footprints of thousands of people walking in the same area can have significant and often detrimental effects.

Ellen B. LaPlante, Esq.

Stephen A. Unsworth, Esq.

Wendy S Hillmuth, Esq.

Members of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys & National Association of Elder Law Attorneys.

FOOTPRINT CALCULATORS

• EPA (www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator)

pros: quick, options for carbon reduction and money savings cons: requires fairly detailed data from the user

trash and travel.

Each question has suggested averages in case you aren’t able to estimate, and options to be more specific if you have more precise data. At the end, the calculator tells you on what date of this year the Earth would run out of resources if everyone in the world had the same ecological footprint.

UC BERKELEY’S COOL CLIMATE NETWORK

The same is true if we think of our own “carbon footprint,” which is the total impact we leave on the earth from the release of carbon through our use of fossil fuels from all uses including heating, driving vehicles, generating electricity, traveling and disposing of items in the trash.

Climate change mitigation, or how we can reduce the size of our carbon footprint, is often publicized in terms of largescale and often overwhelming solutions such as: decarbonizing the electric grid, switching all vehicles to electric and transitioning to more sustainable agricultural practices.

While these big ideas are all important, changing the climate for the better is ultimately the result of all the actions of billions of individual people across the planet. While this may sound daunting, it also means that as individuals there are steps we can take to lower our carbon footprint and mitigate our negative impact on the climate.

Determining the ranking, and therefore the impact, of a carbon footprint depends on how it is measured: an individual, business, city, state, or an entire country.

For example, within the United States, Vermont is one of the least carbon-intensive states, ranked 45th for per-capita emissions and 50th for total emissions. However, on a per-capita basis, the United States as a whole ranks roughly 16th high -

• Carbonfootprint.com (www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx)

pros: extremely detailed, very involved cons: requires detailed data, comparison “footprints” aren’t very helpful

• Ecological Footprint (www.footprintcalculator.org/home/en)

pros: great interface, easy and quick to do cons: hard to interpret the results

• Berkeley (https://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/calculator)

pros: easy interface; flexible level of detail

~ Williston Energy Committee

Berkeley’s calculator (https:// coolclimate.berkeley.edu/calculator) looks at travel, home energy use, food, shopping and, in some cases, allows the user to choose a simple approximation or a more detailed breakdown to estimate their carbon emissions. With each change the user makes, a graph updates showing the user how they compare to others. It also has a separate “take action” tab with carbon-reducing actions with their upfront costs and estimated payback per year.

est in the world. This means Vermonters still have some of the larger carbon footprints worldwide.

What can you do to reduce the size of your carbon footprint? One of the best places to start is to understand the size of your carbon footprint. Thanks to a variety of free online calculators, it has become increasingly straightforward to determine your carbon footprint. They range in level of detail and accuracy, but all can give you an idea of what changes you can make to reduce your impact on climate change. Here are a few we encourage you to explore and try.

EPA CARBON FOOTPRINT CALCULATOR

The EPA’s carbon footprint calculator takes users through three tabs: Home energy, transportation and trash. In each tab, the calculator asks users for specific information. Each tab also gives users an option to explore different ways to reduce their

carbon impact and save money, such as switching to LED lightbulbs or recycling glass bottles.

CARBONFOOTPRINT.COM

This calculator is the most involved and best for those who are familiar with their energy consumption by fuel, yearly spend on different types of goods, and can estimate their yearly travel well. At the end, the calculator depicts your country’s average footprint, the global average, and your carbon footprint as three footprint renderings of different sizes. It also allows you the option of showing how your footprint size would change if you offset different types of activities, such as household energy use.

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

This calculator (www.footprintcalculator.org) has a very user-friendly interface and only takes a few minutes to complete. It steps the user through simple questions about food consumption, sourcing, housing type, family size, electricity source,

While there are many other carbon footprint calculators available for you to try, these four should give you a good idea of how you as an individual or family are impacting the climate and will suggest ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

We can all be responsible stewards of our planet to the benefit of present and future generations. Try out one or more of these tools to measure your carbon footprint. Having that understanding may provide you the inspiration to make small changes in your daily life that collectively could reduce your carbon footprint by a lot.

Reach out to the Williston Energy Committee at energy@ willistonvt.org or attend one of the 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 (www.town.williston.vt.us). For more information, visit www. willistonvtenergycommittee.org.

The judges of this year’s Armand Poulin Memorial Green Up Day Poster Art Contest had their work cut out for them. There were 654 pieces of art to evaluate, a record increase from the 200-250 entries that Green Up Vermont usually gets.

“It is fantastic to see student engagement, in all age groups, on the rise. They are genuinely becoming more aware, more concerned and more involved in environmental stewardship,” said Green Up Vermont Executive Director Kate Alberghini.

Art from a Ludlow fifth-grader won the contest and will be featured

The importance of cleaning up our state

I didn’t really think about the environment until it actually impacted me.

I was driving to the city with my dad when I noticed the amount of trash on the side of the road. The city smelled, the ground was dirty, and it was because no one was taking care of the environment.

In Vermont, there’s very few instances where I feel that way. There’s no smell besides the fresh air smell. The ground isn’t littered with trash, it’s littered with plants. If we don’t take care of our environment, our children will have to do it. By then, it’ll be way worse.

When you support our 2023 March for Meals campaign, you can ensure that aging Vermonters can live more healthy, happy and independent lives at home, where they want to be. You can give back by donating, volunteering, or sponsoring a

on Green Up Day posters statewide. Other category winners were a Dorset 10th-grader, an eighth-grader from Shelburne and an Underhill fourth-grader. Cash prizes are awarded to each winner.

Green Up Day is Saturday, May 6, when Vermonters from all over the state pick up litter that has been released from the melted snow. For more information or to get involved, visit www.greenupvermont.org.

Green Up Vermont also puts on an essay, jingle and video contest for students. At right is the winning essay, by an eighth-grader from Montpelier.

Global warming, littering, and pollution are serious problems. Even just picking up your trash and sorting it into recycling is helping.

It’s the little actions that matter, they’re small, but mighty. As my mom used to say, ‘If everyone chips in, it’ll make the work easier and faster.’

Our global issues might not go away overnight, but if we start now, it’ll go away faster.

Winning Green Up essay Montpelier eighth grade student

A record burst of Green Up art Green tips

To flush or not to flush

Most things should not be flushed down toilets or drains – including tissues, cotton swabs, floss, diapers, feminine hygiene products, coffee grounds, cat litter, wipes, household cleaners, cigarette butts, and drugs.

To prevent wastewater issues in your home and community, use these tips and dispose of things the right way.

• Fats, oils and grease: Bring these to a transfer station or food scrap drop-off’s food waste bins, or work with a food scrap hauler that accepts fats, oils and grease.

• Food waste and organics like coffee grounds: Compost at a drop-off center, at home or hire a food scrap hauler. Remember to also follow bear-friendly composting practices.

• Hazardous waste labeled toxic, hazardous, poisonous, reactive, corrosive or flammable: Bring to a household hazardous waste collection facility or event.

• Solid waste like “flushable” wipes, pet waste and cigarette butts: Put in the trash.

• Medicine, vitamins and pills: Drop them off at your local pharmacy or police station.

Source: The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation

The winning Green Up Day poster, submitted by a fifth-grader from Ludlow, will promote Green Up Day (May 6) statewide.

COURTESY OF GREEN UP VERMONT

Donate your stuff, help build homes!

It's easy. Drop donations off, or book a free pick-up!

Donation hotline: 802-857-5296

Proceeds from the sale of your donation will stay local, helping families in our community.

GREEN BRIEFS

Build a rain barrel to save water and help Lake Champlain

Join the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission’s Rethink Runoff Stream Team in an upcoming rain barrel workshop. You’ll learn to build, paint, install and maintain a rain barrel for your home.

Rain barrels save water, money and improve water quality in local streams and lakes by capturing rainwater before it flows over roads and picks up pollutants. You can use the water you capture for watering lawns and flower gardens and washing vehicles and tools.

The workshop will be held at the Town of Williston Public Works Facility at 291 Avenue A. There are two sessions on Friday, April 14: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Register online at https://forms.gle/sN21gLzBx5i8sqX58.

Email Adelaide Dumm with any questions at adelaide@winooskinrcd.org.

ed at www.vtrans.vermont.gov/form/carbon-reduction-strategy.

The initiative is part of the state’s carbon reduction goal of reaching 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. It also supports federal requirements for each state to develop a carbon reduction strategy to be eligible for federal greenhouse gas-reducing transportation projects.

DEC offers leak detection

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is offering free leak detection services to local water systems that serve homes, schools and businesses.

Fixing leaks reduces the risk of costly emergencies, outages, damage, contamination and legal fees. Last year, the department helped 17 systems find and fix 21 leaks that saved 30.4 million gallons of water.

A partnership forms for hard-to-recycle materials

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

Williston If

“With new funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law, we will be able to double the funding for proactive leak detection services from $50,000 to $100,000 this summer and help more Vermont communities,” Joshua Lochhead of the DEC said.

The Williston Observer is mailed to every home and business in Williston and St. George every Thursday. In addition, we provide rack distribution to locations in Williston, Richmond and Essex.

Essex Junction

Essex Automotive

Five Corner Variety

Hannaford (at Essex Shoppes)

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

Casella Waste Systems, Inc., a regional solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, in partnership with TerraCycle, a recycling company that specializes in hard-to-recycle materials, is offering consumers a way to recycle snack wrappers, candy wrappers, corks and other items that local recycling services won’t accept curbside.

“Most candy wrappers are difficult to recycle because they are made from a mix of materials that are hard to separate, and synthetic corks are rarely accepted through curbside recycling services because they are too small to process,” said Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle.

The TerraCycle Pouch by Casella program is being piloted in the Burlington area as a subscription service. Visit http://www. terracyclepouch.com for more information and to subscribe.

Weigh in on state’s carbon reduction strategy

The Vermont Agency of Transportation invites the public to participate in the first virtual public meeting for the state’s carbon reduction strategy on Thursday, March 23. Meetings will be held at noon and 6 p.m. via Zoom. Links to the two sessions are post-

Contact Lochhead at (802) 622-4831 or email joshua.lochhead@vermont.gov for more information.

State has millions in new funding for energy efficiency

State officials last week launched a $45 million Municipal Energy Resilience Grant program to fund energy efficiency and resilience improvements in municipal buildings.

The program’s first offerings are grants to build community capacity aimed at developing strategies to support Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act. Funds may be used to hire a consultant to identify municipally owned buildings in need of energy efficiency improvements and provide grant application assistance for energy resilience assessments.

Cities, towns, fire districts and incorporated villages can apply through their local Regional Planning Commission.

“Increasing energy resilience and efficiency is an important part of our work to combat climate change, and state and municipal government has a role to play,” Gov. Phil Scott said. “I encourage municipalities to consider taking advantage of this significant funding opportunity, which can help reduce both costs and emissions.”

you would like copies for your location, call Rick Cote at (802) 373-2136 or email Rick@WillistonObserver.com

Celebrating the nuances of forest management

BY ETHAN TAPPER Special to the Observer

“Real life is not a bumper sticker.” I am struck by how true this idea — attributed via the “On Being” podcast to journalist Amanda Ripley — is for forests and for forest management.

As much as we would like to believe that taking care of forests is simple, in truth, it is nuanced and complex and often unintuitive. Celebrating nuance means having the courage to go beyond simple narratives and polarities and ask tough questions about what it means to care for forests at this moment in time.

One example of where nuance is often lacking is in the discussion of mycorrhizal networks — sometimes called “The Wood Wide Web.”

Through the research of Dr. Susan Simard and others, it has been shown that these underground fungal networks can connect trees’ root systems, facilitating resource-sharing, communication and a number of other emergent and adaptive properties. This has led some to anthropomorphize trees, thinking of them as people, and to mythologize forests, thinking of them as utopias. When we do this, we misunderstand the true nature of forests. Mycorrhizal networks are one piece of dy-

namic and imperfect communities that are defined by resilience, that celebrate death and change, and that need our help.

Taking care of forests means having the courage to recognize that they are nothing like us, that it’s more powerful to see them as they are than to weave comfortable and convenient narratives around them.

Another discussion that is often missing nuance is the discourse around old growth forests. Old growth forests are amazing. They support biodiversity, store lots of carbon and provide an array of other benefits to forest ecology and to ourselves.

Old growth forests are exceedingly rare in Vermont, and there is broad consensus in our conservation community that we need to both protect existing old growth forests and to leave some forests unmanaged to develop into old growth on their own. Where this discussion gets derailed is when the importance of old growth is taken to mean that forest management is bad, and that the answer to all of our problems is to leave forests alone.

Old growth forests are not valuable just because they are old. They are valuable because of the characteristics that they have — things like dead wood, canopy gaps, trees of different sizes and ages, and old

trees — each of which provides unique habitats and properties. Nearly all of Vermont’s forests are young, many having regrown from pastures within the last 60-100 years. Most are missing these attributes, and developing them naturally may take centuries. In a climate crisis and a biodiversity crisis, we need forests with these characteris-

tics now. We cannot afford to wait.

To this end, forest management can be a vital tool, helping create many of the attributes of old growth in just decades.

We also need to acknowledge that our forests face an unprecedented array of threats and stressors and are moving into an uncertain future. As a result, many of our forests may never become old growth on their own. As they navigate climate change, non-native invasive plants, pests and pathogens, forest fragmentation, deforestation, deer overabundance and more, inaction may actually be an expression of negligence. If we hope to protect forests’ function, their biodiversity and their ecology, we will need to manage them.

Another topic that often lacks nuance is forest carbon. While in theory unmanaged forests store more carbon than managed forests, a forest’s ability to sequester and store carbon in the long-term is a function of its holistic health, its resilience and its adaptability. What we need

is resilient carbon — carbon that is stored in diverse, multi-generational, healthy forests.

Managing forests, even when it causes some carbon to be released in the short-term, can help forests respond to legacies, threats and stressors, build resilience and adapt to climate change, thus safeguarding their ability to store carbon in the future.

What does it mean to love a forest? Celebrating nuance means having the courage to wade in uncertain waters, to recognize that what forests require from us in this moment is often complex and unintuitive, challenging and strange. Forests, and what it means to take care of them, will never be as simple as a bumper sticker, but that’s what makes them beautiful.

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

Whether

you’re considering clear aligners, retainers or today’s braces, an orthodontist is the smart choice. They have 2 to 3 years of education beyond dental school. So they’re experts at helping you get a great smile—that feels great, too.

You can a ord the smile you’ve always wanted.

A red oak seedling sprouting next to a red maple stump.

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

Sheriff reform bill advances in the Senate

‘We need to do something besides a study’

BY TIFFANY TAN VTDigger

The Vermont Senate could soon vote on a series of reforms to the county sheriff system following a spate of scandals in departments around the state.

The Senate Government Operations Committee signed off last week on the bill, S.17, which has expanded in scope since it was introduced in January. It has since been sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee; from there, it would head to the floor.

The latest version notably seeks to reform how sheriffs personally profit from their department contracts. Under current law, sheriffs have the option of charging an overhead fee of up to 5 percent of a contract’s value, then adding that amount, or a

New Special Occasion Dresses for Spring

fraction of it, to their own salaries. The rest is rolled into their department’s budget.

The legislation would still allow sheriffs’ departments to collect a 5 percent administration fee, but the money could no longer be used to augment a sheriff’s pay. Funds collected through the fee could be used only for department expenses not covered by state or county dollars, such as the cost of patrol vehicles, personnel uniforms and staff training.

The proposed change in a decades-old system comes in the wake of multiple scandals in Vermont sheriffs’ departments. Some legislators have described these as symptoms of a lack of oversight and accountability in an elected law enforcement office that can bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars from contracts with public and private organizations.

In Franklin County, state police are investigating the new sheriff, John Grismore,

after auditors expressed concern about the department’s finances during the time he was its chief deputy. In Caledonia County, auditors found that Sheriff Dean Shatney, before leaving office in February, gave himself and his entire staff bonuses totaling $400,000.

The sheriff reform bill also aims to address auditing issues. A section states that the moment a sheriff has announced he or she is resigning or not seeking reelection, all the department’s financial transactions, including transfers of assets, shall be cosigned by the sheriff and the county’s assistant judges to create checks and balances.

S.17 mandates that sheriffs maintain a detailed record of their work schedule, including their days off and any remote work outside their area of jurisdiction for more than three days.

Sheriffs are currently not required to fill out timesheets. As elected officials answerable only to voters during elections, they decide how much time off to take each year, when to do so, and where.

The last Bennington County sheriff,

Chad Schmidt, practically disappeared from public view after the Covid-19 pandemic reached Vermont in 2020. He recently acknowledged to VTDigger that he spent a third of last year and of 2021 in Tennessee, where his family had relocated during the pandemic and bought real estate.

The bill also creates the “Sheriff’s Departments Oversight Task Force,” which would examine reform and accountability issues across departments. Its job would include creating a sustainable funding model for sheriffs’ departments that is not based on contracts for services, as well as reviewing the compensation structure of sheriffs, deputies and department staff.

Before the Senate Government Operations Committee voted Friday on whether to advance the bill, its chair, Sen. Ruth Hardy, D-Addison, said the structural problems with the sheriffs’ departments needed legislative action.

“It’s beyond the single-bad-apple kind of argument. There is a problem with the way that sheriffs are doing their jobs in our state,” said Hardy, a sponsor of the bill. “While this bill does not pretend to fix those problems, and there’s a lot more work to do … we need to do something besides a study.”

Windham County Sheriff Mark Anderson, who serves as president of the Vermont Sheriffs’ Association, said his organization was excited at the opportunity to work with the committee on meaningful reforms. But he lamented that the Senate Government Operations Committee moved the current draft forward despite feedback from sheriffs and their representatives about the harm it would cause rural communities and the state.

“Sheriffs are expected to do more, with less, and do it better. Reducing and constraining funding has a storied history of bad outcomes,” Anderson said in an email. “This bill will have profound impacts on Vermonters.”

Diane Von Furstenberg Shoshanna Alice & Olivia Shona Joy Trina turk Halston Hutch Julie Vos Monique L huillier Toccin Mac Duggal Ted Baker Joseph ribkoff soia & kyo

Sen. Ruth Hardy, D-Addison, is a sponsor of a bill targeting reforms to Vermont’s sheriff’s departments. ‘There is a problem with the way that sheriffs are doing their jobs in our state,’ she said. ‘We need to do something besides a study.’

VTDIGGER FILE PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL

Border patrol dropping immigrants in St. Johnsbury

BY ETHAN WEINSTEIN VTDigger

Overwhelmed by border crossers, federal border patrol agents have begun transporting immigrants to the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center without plans or supplies, according to St. Johnsbury Police Chief Timothy Page.

“We just became aware of it yesterday,” Page said Tuesday, noting that his officers had noticed a few immigrant families appearing in town in recent weeks. He said he received confirmation from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that the agency had indeed transported immigrants to St. Johnsbury.

“We had no idea how they got there,” Page told VTDigger.

Those who were left at the St. Johnsbury center sought transportation to Plattsburgh, N.Y., as well as New York City, he said. St. Johnsbury is about 40 miles south of the Canadian border crossing at Derby Line.

“I just know they were being dropped in the area by the border patrol because they had so many people up at the border lately, and they needed to do something

with people because the resources up there were being overrun,” Page said. He did not know where the immigrants were from, nor did he know their immigration status, he said.

Page did not know the current whereabouts of all the people left at the historic train depot in downtown St. Johnsbury, but he told the Caledonian Record some of them may have taken a Rural Community Transportation bus to other locations in the state.

At his press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott said he learned about the situation late Monday night, and his office got in touch with Page.

Jennifer Morrison, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, said “approximately a dozen people” had been “seeking asylum” at the northern border and “appeared to have no plan.” She said that anecdotally, most asylum seekers have a transportation plan in place when they cross the border.

“We will stay in constant contact with (border patrol) to address this issue in the most humane yet responsible manner. I think we need to have some conversa -

tions on a larger scale about exactly what we’re prepared to do,” she said.

Jenney Samuelson, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Human Services, said at the press conference that her agency and the Department of Public Safety had previously planned around “housing, food and other services that are necessary (for asylum seekers).”

A team “has begun working with the local towns and agencies in that area to both assess what’s available and to contemplate and put in place what will be necessary if we continue to see an increasing number (of asylum seekers),” Samuelson said.

Border patrol at the agency’s Swanton sector has reported a “major increase” in

apprehensions at the northern border in recent months, and additional border patrol agents were recently transferred to the Swanton sector — which covers the length of Vermont’s border with Canada — to deal with the influx of immigrants.

In St. Johnsbury, Chief Page thanked staff at the welcome center for helping the immigrants, and stressed that local residents do not need to worry about the few families who’ve been transported to town.

“There’s nothing that led me to believe we need to fear these people. I think we need to help them,” he said. “It’s not an easy situation for anyone.”

Phone and email requests for comment left for border patrol officials were not returned on Tuesday.

WORLD PREMIERE

“There’s nothing that led me to believe we need to fear these people. I think we need to help them. It’s not an easy situation for anyone.”

Timothy Page St. Johnsbury police

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have begun transporting immigrants to the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center without plans or supplies.

VTDIGGER FILE PHOTO BY JUSTIN TROMBLY

OBITUARIES

David Bartlett, Sr.

David Bartlett, Sr., 88, beloved husband and father, passed away March 13, 2023, surrounded by his loving family at the Miller-McClure Respite House. David was born Aug. 5, 1934, in Burlington to Earl & Jessie (Gleason) Bartlett. He spent his childhood in Underhill. While attending Essex High School, David met the love of his life, Janice Osborne. They were married April 21, 1951.

David and Janice spent their early married years raising their family on the family farm in Williston. They settled in Milton in 1963.

David was a hard-working, Vermont farmer through-andthrough. David worked for H. P. Hood for years and then went into landscaping where he owned his own business, Bartlett’s Landscaping and Lawn Service, until he retired.

David enjoyed being outside, hunting, fishing, gardening, driving the back roads and puttering in his garage.

David is survived by his loving and devoted wife of almost 72 years, Janice. He is also survived by his loving children, David Jr., his wife Marie, and their children Kim, Nicky and Jessica; Kathy Chase and her partner Noah and children, Sean and Chad; Linda Hanson and her husband Jeff and

children, Missy, Jen and Jason and Liz Miller and her husband Tim and their children Thomas and Katie. David is also survived by 16 great-grandchildren, his brothers and their spouses; Arthur and Toni, Robin and Pat Bartlett and his sister Betsey Berryman, sister-in-law Shirley DePaul, brother-in-law Howard Osborne and his wife Ann. David is predeceased by his parents, Earl and Jesse Bartlett; in-laws Howard and Flora Osborne; his daughter Sandy Chapman and her husband Rick; son-in-law Jim Chase; his brother Irving Bartlett; granddaughter Christine Dubuque and great-granddaughter Courtney Tousignant.

A Celebration of Life was held March 20, 2023 at New Life Christian Church.

Charles J. McDonald

Charles J. McDonald, 84, of Williston and formerly Stanhope, New Jersey, passed away at the McClure Miller Respite House on March 6, 2023, following a long illness. He spent his last days surrounded by adoring family.

Fondly known as Joe, he was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania on July 9, 1938, to Helen and Joseph McDonald. Joe was a talented athlete who loved playing baseball, basketball, and football. Following graduation, he enlisted in the US Army and served as a radar instructor. Later, he began a 40-plus year career as an electronic technician at Picatinny Arsenal in Wharton, NJ. He retired in 1996.

Joe is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Elizabeth, his son Joe and wife Lissa of Essex, Vermont, son Tom and wife Mai of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, brother-in-law Steve Kozup and wife Sue of McGaheysville, Virginia, cousin Margaret of Pennsylvania, and nieces Sarah of Virginia, Jill of Missouri, and Gina of California.

Joe was a dedicated father who coached his sons in little league,

Barbara (Sargent) LaPlant

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Barbara (Sargent) LaPlant, 86, of Richmond, VT, on March 12, 2023. She was born January 26, 1937, in Hartford, VT, to M. Jackson and Harriet I. (Cote) Sargent. After graduating from High School, Barbara attended the former Johnson State Teacher’s College.

On December 29, 1957 she married Ralph H. LaPlant at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Burlington, VT. They celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary a few days prior to Ralph’s passing on January 1, 2003.

Barbara and her husband, Ralph, owned and operated Richmond Burner Service in Richmond, VT for many years. In her spare time, Barbara enjoyed selling Sarah Coventry jewelry, designing and sewing clothing for family and loved ones and using her endless creative talents for various projects. After being a long time enthusiast of the Richmond 4th

Tom and his wife Mai. They enjoyed traveling, site seeing, and exploring areas from the northeast to the west coast. He also adored his cairn terrier, Ozzie who made friends with everyone in their neighborhood at Williston Woods and at every rest stop, hotel, and campground from Vermont to California. Joe continued to discuss the purchase of his next best vehicle until his final days.

basketball, and football in the Stanhope, New Jersey area. Joe and Betty followed their sons’ college football careers as they played for the University of Maine Black Bears, traveling to every game, home and away. He was well known in South Burlington as the vociferous man behind the camera as he filmed South Burlington High School football games for 25 years. Joe shared his love of sports, dirt bikes, motorcycles, and cars with his sons. They taught him to ski at age 50 so they could continue to be active as a family and spend quality time together. Joe and Betty packed up their truck and RV and traveled from Vermont to California for 17 years in a row to spend winter months with their son

We invite you to share your condolences and memories of Joe at awrfh.com. A celebration of life for close family will be held at a later date. Many thanks to all staff at Thomas Chittenden Health Center and to Dr. Ahmed from the UVM Cancer Center for their excellent care. Our family would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the McClure Miller Respite House where Joe received the best of comfort, compassion, and dignity in his final days. So that other patients and families may benefit from this amazing facility, in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the McClure Miller Respite House at UVMHomeHealth.org, or send via mail to: McClure Miller Respite House, UVM Health NetworkHome Health and Hospice 110 Prim Road, Colchester, VT 05446

of July celebrations, she and her friends joined together in 1987 to form the Richmond Parade & Fireworks Committee where she sat for 32 years.

In retirement, she and Ralph set off on another business venture. Traveling in their RV, lovingly named “Ramblin’ Rose,” they combined Ralph’s love of driving with Barbara’s love of selling jewelry and meeting people, operating booths at local fairs and markets around New England.

Left to cherish Barbara’s memory are her children Vicky LaPlant and her partner, Shawn, Dana LaPlant and his wife,

Kathy, Gail LaPlant-Mongeon and her husband, Lenny, niece Lisa Wright and her husband, Harry. Her grandchildren, Denver Webb and his wife, Crystal, Amanda Tetreault, Katelyn Nadeau and her husband, Paul, Miranda Young and her husband, Mike, Trevor LaPlant and his wife, Tatum, Bailee Montgomery-Noel and her husband, Kyle, Mindy Vincent and her partner, Brad, Melinda Crosby and her wife, Sarah, Laura Crosby and her partner, Brian, Christina Mispel and her husband, Shane, and Janet Hill and her husband, Paul. As well as, 20 great grandchildren. Also many special friendships including, Susan and Peter Glennon, and Norman Perkins.

She was predeceased by her husband Ralph LaPlant, her brother Gaynor Sargent, and sister-in-law, Anne Sargent.

Visiting hours were Monday, March 20, 2023 from 4pm to 7pm at the Richmond Congregational Church, 20 Church Street, Richmond. A service was held on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 11:00am at the Richmond Congregational Church.

Cat rescue community mourns loss of fire victim

BY SHAUN ROBINSON VTDigger

She met Sarah Berger in, perhaps, the most fitting way possible: while rescuing a cat.

The small, gray shorthair was stuck up in a tree at Berger’s house in Winooski. Berger called a local animal rescue and advocacy organization, where Kathee Ludwig had just started volunteering. Ludwig borrowed a ladder from a neighbor to reach the cat, and “we were friends from that moment on,” she recalled in an interview last week.

In countless other cases, though, it was Berger rescuing the cats herself. She didn’t do it for a living — there was no money in it, anyway — but saving cats was, in many ways, her life’s work, Ludwig and other friends said. Berger later moved north to Richford and would go on to care for as many as hundreds of farm cats throughout Franklin County.

Berger, 68, died earlier this month in a fire that razed her home and likely killed the 10 cats that lived with her. Her death has left others who look after farm cats in the region wondering what they’ll do without her.

“Just the thought of her being gone is really tragic for Franklin County, because I would get calls all the time for her,” Ludwig said. “She was just so active in the community.”

Monica Rondeau

On a windy cold day on March 7, 2023, Monica Rondeau reached to the endless sky and gathered her golden wings while surrounded by her loving family at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester.

The bubbly spirit, Monica was born on March 18, 1947 to Fay and Vera Bruce. She spent her childhood on their family farm in Williston and attained many of her skills in gardening, canning, sewing and baking during her youth.

After graduating from C.V.U High School, Monica chose to work in the health care field and became a phlebotomist and lab technician at the U.V.M Medical Center for 45 years. In addition to her years of service Monica was always busy gardening, canning, quilting, embroidering or cooking up some of the

And according to friends and coworkers, Berger’s organizational skills shined in her day job as bookkeeper for the CCTV Center for Media & Democracy, the Burlington-based television station. Berger started there in 1995. Meghan O’Rourke, CCTV’s projects director, attributes much of the organization’s financial stability to Berger’s diligence.

March 10 at 1:09 a.m. — Following a traffic stop, a male, age 33, was issued a citation to appear in court for suspicion of DUI.

March 10 at 10:23 a.m. — A female texted 911 looking for help. Upon arrival, it was discovered that a male, age 27, had an active arrest warrant. He was issued a citation to appear in court.

March 11 at 9:25 p.m. — Following a traffic stop, a male, age 38, was issued a citation to appear in court for driving with a criminally suspended license.

March 12 at 1:16 a.m. — Report of a suspicious male on Shunpike Road. A male, age 42, was issued a citation to appear in court for violating conditions of release.

Berger would drive miles and miles a day to make sure several feral cat colonies in the region had food and warm shelter, friends said. She also worked closely with rescue organizations to bring feral cats to local veterinarians, where they could be spayed and neutered, and then released back outside — a process known as “trap-neuter-return.”

When Berger came across friendly strays, she often helped them find homes.

“Especially in the Richford area, she was the eyes and ears to help keep the population under control,” said Charlotte Benedict, who lives in nearby Swanton. “We’re all just scrambling at this point to make sure that everything she was feeding stays fed.”

Berger’s friends remember her as a straight shooter with a big heart. She did not carry a cellphone, according to Benedict, but kept scrupulous paper records documenting her work with the cats — most, if not all of which, were lost in the house fire on March 8.

OBITUARIES

Berger graduated from Richford High School in 1972 and then attended cosmetology school in Burlington, according to an obituary published in the Saint Albans Messenger. She worked as a hairdresser for 15 years before getting her job at the TV station.

Berger also loved outdoor activities, including hiking, swimming and riding horses, according to the obituary. She is survived by her sister and her son, who could not be reached for comment for this story.

Benedict and others plan to host a free spay and neuter clinic for stray and feral cats in the Richford area both to honor Berger’s work and help address some of the need she is no longer filling. They plan to publish more details about the clinic soon.

“It’s a tremendous loss to a lot of people,” said Annie Malloy, co-founder of the organization Cat Crusaders of Franklin County. “She left a huge gap — not to mention being missed, personally, by us humans.”

March 10 at 12:36 p.m. — Report of a male passed out in front of Best Buy. The male, age 30, had an active arrest warrant. He was transported to court for arraignment and then transported to the correctional facility.

March 10 at 4:49 p.m. — Report of a vehicle driving erratically. A female, age 43, was issued a citation to appear in court for driving with a criminally suspended license.

March 11 at 2:51 a.m. — Officer attempted a traffic stop and a short pursuit took place. A male, age 32, was issued a citation to appear in court for eluding a police officer and suspicion of DUI.

March 11 at 6:07 p.m. — Retail theft at Wal-Mart. A male, age 32, had an active arrest warrant. He was issued a citation to appear in court.

March 11 at 8:51 p.m. — Retail theft at Old Navy. A male, age 60, had an active arrest warrant. He was transported to the correctional facility. He was also issued a citation to appear in court for retail theft.

March 12 at 2:25 p.m. — Report of a wallet that was stolen at Monkey Do. A female, age 24, and a male, age 32, both received citations to appear in court for petit larceny.

March 14 at 4:04 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Best Buy. Case is still under investigation.

March 15 at 3:48 a.m. — Burglary reported at Taft Corners Mobil. Case is still under investigation.

March 15 at 2:32 p.m. — Philadelphia Police Department requested officers check a residence on Casey Lane for a stolen vehicle. Vehicle was located along with a stolen motorcycle. Case is still under investigation.

March 16 at 1:09 a.m. — Suspicious vehicle in the Wal-Mart parking lot. A male, age 52, and a female, age 41, both had active arrest warrants. Both were transported to the correctional facility.

March 16 at 12:17 p.m. — Retail theft at Home Depot. A male, age 38, was issued a citation to appear in court for retail theft.

of Colchester her beloved grandson Wyatt Rondeau. Her siblings, Dianna and Joe Dufresne, Lydia Blackburn, Fay Clarke Bruce Jr (Joe) and Sharon Bruce, Shirley and Roger King, Michael Bruce, Kathie Bruce and Noreen and David Rivers. Her In-laws, Sylvia Arnold, Ronald and Jane Rondeau, Helene Rondeau, Louise Curtis and Laurie Curtis.

tastiest dishes in her kitchen, which of course she shared with everyone, especially her family. Monica married her life long partner, David Rondeau, on Dec. 22, 1979. They resided in Hinesburg for many years until her death.

Monica is survived by her husband of 43 years, David Rondeau, her son Joshua and Beth Rondeau

Monica was preceded in death by her parents Fay and Vera Bruce, and siblings Jean Marie Bruce and David Bruce and in-laws Simone Curtis, Claude Rondeau, Gary Blackburn and Lawrence Rondeau.

The family of Monica Rondeau wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the wonderful caregivers at the McClure Miller Respite House.

The funeral service was March 15, in South Burlington at St John Vianney Church. Burial will follow at a later date.

Sarah Berger

Next Week: Book Awards

Getting to Know New Jersey

The Mini Page has been learning about America’s states. We’re taking a look at another northeastern state this week: New Jersey! It was the third state to join the Union, after Delaware and Pennsylvania. Location

New Jersey’s location has always been important. Because it is located between New York City and Philadelphia, many people live in the state but commute to those cities to work.

Manufacturing is a big part of New Jersey’s economy, especially for chemical and medicinal products. Printed materials and food products are also important.

The first European to explore the area was Giovanni da Verrazano, who explored it for France in 1524. It was also claimed by the Netherlands, Sweden and Britain.

More than 100 Revolutionary War battles were fought there. It joined the Union in 1787.

New Jersey is the fifth-smallest state in area, at 165 miles long

Mini Fact: Atlantic City was the site of the first boardwalk in the world.

New Jersey at a glance

There are 127 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline in New Jersey. There are also about 4,100 lakes, rivers and streams, as well as the Hudson and Delaware rivers

The first boardwalk in the world was built in Atlantic City in 1870 so tourists wouldn’t track sand from the beaches into the hotels and railroad cars.

President Grover Cleveland’s birthplace in Caldwell is largely as it was in 1837, when he was born.

The first nearly complete dinosaur skeleton discovered in the world was found in 1858 in Haddonfield.

Thomas Edison invented the first incandescent lightbulb in 1879 in Menlo Park. He invented the first phonograph there in 1877. He developed the first motion picture studio in West Orange.

Fishing is important. There are more than 1,400 miles of trout streams, and fishing for clams, lobsters and oysters is a big business.

Fast Facts

• The eastern goldfinch is the state bird.

• Granite, trap rock, sand and gravel are important minerals.

• Hiking, camping and canoeing are big attractions in the more than 1 million acres of wilderness in the Pine Barrens Reserve near the Delaware River.

• The red oak is the state tree.

• The Isle of Jersey is an island in the English Channel. The British named New Jersey after it.

• The game of Monopoly® is modeled after actual places in Atlantic City, such as Boardwalk and Park Place.

• The state’s nickname is the Garden State because it is one of the top growers of fresh produce in the U.S.

• It is second in blueberry and eggplant production, and third in the raising of cranberries, peaches, spinach and bell peppers. Flowers, tomatoes and dairy products are also important.

• The purple violet is the state flower. The

Founded by Betty Debnam Issue

photo by Peter Miller

New Jersey’s flag image courtesy Alexrk

New Jersey is the most densely populated state. That means it has more people per square mile than any other state!

Try ’n’ Find

his first guitar when he was 13 years old. He has sold 65.5 million albums in the United States.

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

BATTLES, BOARDWALK, CITY, COASTLINE, DINOSAUR, EDISON, FISHING, FOOD, LAKES, MANUFACTURING, NEW JERSEY, RIVER, SPRINGSTEEN, STATE, STREAM, VERRAZANO.

Cook’s Corner

Pumped-Up Peanut Butter Snack

You’ll need:

• 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 medium banana, mashed

• 1 tablespoon salted sunflower seed kernels

• Whole-wheat bread or crackers

What to do:

1. Combine peanut butter and honey in a small bowl; microwave on high for 20 seconds.

2. Stir in mashed banana and sunflower seeds.

3. Spread on whole-wheat bread or crackers. Serves 1.

Mini Jokes

Nick: What is the fruitiest subject at school? Niecy: History, because it’s full of dates!

Eco Note

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved the first-ever vaccine to prevent a deadly bacterial disease that can destroy honeybee colonies. The new vaccine for American foulbrood in honeybees will stop the microbe from infecting the pollinators. The disease is currently battled by incinerating bees and infected hives or by treating them with a mixture of antibiotics in their food. The new product is mixed into “queen feed,” which worker bees consume to create royal jelly that they feed to the queen bee. Her larvae will then be born immune to the disease.

For later:

Look in the newspaper for articles about New Jersey.

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

BY DAN THOMPSON

How to appeal Medicare surcharges when your income changes

Dear Savvy Senior,

Is there anything I can do to reduce my high Medicare premium surcharges? Because of my past income, I pay $329.70 per month for my Part B premium and $64.50 per month for Part D, but my income has dropped since I retired. Do I have any options?

Overcharged Andy

Dear Andy,

If you’re getting hit with a higher premium for Medicare Part B and Part D and you think it’s unjustified, you can ask Social Security to revisit its decision and perhaps reduce your cost.

Here’s what you should know.

Green Burials

come exceeds those thresholds pays a higher premium, also known as an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA), or surcharge.

The higher monthly premiums rise steadily from $230.80 to $560.50 through five income tiers. The same tiers apply to IRMAAs for Medicare Part D, with enrollees paying an extra $12.20 to $76.40 per month depending on their income.

and include supporting documents, such as the death certificate for a spouse or a letter from a former employer stating that you’re now retired. If you filed your federal income tax return for the year that your income was reduced, you will also need to provide a signed copy.

By Jim Miller

MEDICARE SURCHARGES

Many retirees don’t realize that monthly premiums for Medicare Part B (coverage for doctor’s services and outpatient care) and Part D (prescription drug coverage) are based on your modified adjusted gross income from two years earlier. So, to determine your 2023 Medicare premium, Social Security uses your 2021 tax return. In those two years, however, your life can change in ways your 2021 tax return and current Medicare premium don’t reflect. Sometimes, those changes are enough to convince Social Security that your Medicare premium should be reduced.

Part B’s standard monthly premium in 2023 is $164.90 for individuals earning $97,000 or less; it’s $194,000 or less for joint filers. Anyone whose in -

About 7 percent, or 4.4 million higher-income Medicare beneficiaries, pay a surcharge on their monthly Part B and/or Part D premiums.

REASONS FOR APPEALING

In certain situations, Social Security will recalculate your premiums – known as a redetermination – for Part B and Part D, particularly if the agency based the cost on a tax return that was later amended.

Otherwise, there are seven life-changing events that qualify for a redetermination if they hurt your income: marriage, death of a spouse, divorce or annulment, reduced work hours or retirement, involuntary loss of income-producing property, the loss or reduction of some types of pension income, and an employer settlement payment because the company went bankrupt or reorganized.

HOW TO FILE A CLAIM

To ask Social Security for a redetermination, you’ll need to complete Form SSA-44 (www. SSA.gov/forms/ssa-44-ext.pdf)

A decision usually takes a few weeks, but if you had one of the events that Social Security considers life-changing, you should win the appeal. In that case, Social Security will reimburse you for the additional premiums by adding it to your benefit one month. If you are on Medicare but haven’t started collecting Social Security, you should see a credit on a future invoice.

If your request for a redetermination is denied, there are three additional levels of appeals you could try: to the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, to the Medicare Appeals Council and finally to the federal district court where you live.

For more information on the premium rules for high-income beneficiaries, see www.SSA. gov/benefits/medicare/medicare-premiums.html.

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.

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.

CROSSWORD • SOLUTION ON PAGE 22

ANDREWS MCMEEL

TODAY’S HISTORY:

• In 1806, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began their return trip east after reaching the Pacific coast.

• In 1956, Pakistan became the first Islamic republic.

• In 1983, President Ronald Reagan proposed the “Star Wars” plan for the development of missile-intercepting technology.

• In 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

• In 2021, the Ever Given cargo ship ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking it for six days.

TODAY’S FACT:

• The Russian space station Mir was pulled out of orbit on this day in 2001. Although it reentered the atmosphere over Fiji, most of the debris burned up during the descent.

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.

FOUND ON PAGE 22

Penguin Plunge raises over $525K for Special Olympics Vermont

The 28th Annual Special Olympics Vermont Penguin Plunge went remote due to anticipated extreme weather conditions on Saturday, Feb. 4. Nevertheless, hundreds of plungers raised funds and created their own chilly activities in support of programs that enrich the lives of a community of over 5,000 Vermonters.

The Penguin Plunge is the largest fundraising event for Special Olympics Vermont (SOVT),

and this year over $525,000 was raised by over 1,000 participants between the Burlington, Cool Schools, and Southern Vermont plunges to support SOVT initiatives and programming.

Fundraisers were encouraged to show their support for SOVT by plunging remotely and recording or taking photos of their creative alternatives to the usual in-person plunge into Lake Champlain.

“We are so grateful for the

support of our community, who continue to make this event a success year after year,” said Special Olympics Vermont President and CEO Missy Siner. “Our plungers, sponsors, partners, volunteers and donors embraced the shift to a remote plunge by continuing to raise funds and awareness for our organization, demonstrating their commitment to building a more inclusive future for Vermont.”

Williston Central School led the way as the top fundraising team of the Cool Schools Penguin Plunge, breaking its high school counterpart’s nine-year streak. The 67-member team raised over

THECITY OFBURLINGTON

Job & Internship Fair

Wednesday, April 12th 12-4PM City Hall, 149 Church Street

Contois Auditorium (2nd oor)

INAUGURAL EVENT! This is your opportunity to meet with our City department representatives and apply for any of our open positions. Explore career opportunities for full-time and part-time, temporary, seasonal roles and internships.

We offer a competitive and comprehensive benet package, including health, dental, life insurance, retirement plan, FSA and much more!

We believe in promoting a culture that reveres diversity and equity. The City of Burlington is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we are strongly committed to creating a dynamic and equitable work force.

No advanced registration required; register upon arrival.

www.burlingtonvt.gov/HR/jobfair

Williston Central School led the way as the top fundraising team … The 67-member team raised over $16,000.

$16,000. For the fifth year in a row, the Union Mutual Popsicles were the top fundraising team of the Burlington Plunge, with their 45-member team raising an astounding $104,006.

The Southern Vermont Penguin Plunge took place in-person on March 11 at the Dana L Thompson Memorial Park in Manchester. Close to 100 community members

from Manchester and neighboring towns raised over $16,000. Plungers ran through streams of water from a Manchester Fire Department fire truck in support of Special Olympics Vermont.

All funds raised through the Penguin Plunge support SOVT’s athletic training and competition opportunities for both community and school-based programs, free health screenings, and leadership opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in Vermont. As SOVT athlete leader Bennett Townley says, “Special Olympics programs have made a positive impact in my life, allowing me to feel more included in the community, make new friends and improve my physical and emotional well-being.”

Human Resources Benefits & Payroll Administrator

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.

Our Human Resources team is GROWING,and we are looking for a professional to joinour exceptional HR team in our Berlin Operations Center.

Job Responsibilities & Requirements

The Benefits & Payroll Administrator will be responsible for processing bi-weekly payroll, handing employee benefits information updates, maintaining employee files and reports, and will act as the primary contact for internal questions and requests related to benefits and payroll.

The successful candidate will have excellent verbal and written communication skills, be highly organized, and have a high attention to detail. This position will support the HR team in many capacities, while supporting the organization and maintaining confidentiality. A high school diploma, general education degree (GED) or equivalent is required.

Prior Human Resources, Office Management, or Accounting experience is welcomed.

Opportunity for Growth

Our team will encourage and help you develop within Human Resources, providing guidance on how to obtain appropriate HR certifications. The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking to start or continue your HR career, join us!

What NSB Can Offer You

Competitive compensation based on experience. Well-rounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity. 401(k) matching retirement program. Professional development. Positive work environment supported by a team culture. Work/Life Balance!

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com or mail to:

Northfield Savings Bank Human Resources PO Box 7180, Barre, VT 05641

Take precautions as bears become active

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has begun to receive reports of bears coming out of their dens as the weather warms.

Bear incidents have been on the rise over the past several years. In 2022, there were multiple bear homes break-ins, and two bear attacks. Officials believe this trend is a result of Vermont’s healthy black bear population learning to associate people and food over multiple generations.

“Preventing bears from having access to human-related foods is key to successful coexistence with these long-lived and intelligent animals,” said Jaclyn Comeau, Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s bear biologist. The department asks Vermonters to take the following proactive steps for coexisting with bears:

• Take down birdfeeders between late March and December

• Store garbage in bear-proof containers or structures. Trash cans alone are not enough

• Use electric fences to keep chickens and honeybees safe

• Request a bear-proof dumpster from your waste hauler

• Feed your pets indoors

• Never feed bears, deliberately or accidentally

“Now is the time for Vermonters to take down our birdfeeders, make sure our garbage is secure and protect our backyard chickens and bees with an electric fence,” said Comeau. “This will help teach bears that our yards and neighborhoods are not good places to search for food — but it will only work if everyone does their part.”

Vermont Fish and Wildlife also asks Vermonters to submit reports of bears engaging in potentially dangerous behavior, like targeting birdfeeders and garbage, feeding on crops or livestock, or investigating campgrounds. Reports can be submitted on the department’s webpage (www.vtfishandwildlife.com).

“If bears are finding food on your property, it is your responsibility to remove that attractant and report a problem before the situation escalates,” said Comeau.

Community Bankers – Chittenden County

Part Time Opportunities - 10am-2pm shifts available

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. Consider joining our team as a Part Time Community Banker!

Relevant Skills:

• Customer Service

• Cash Handling (we’ll train you!)

Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

What NSB Can Offer You

Competitive compensation based on experience. Profit-Sharing opportunity. Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program. Positive work environment supported by a team culture. Opportunity for professional development.

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

Bandanas for Benefts

Do you want a customized bandana for your pet?

If so, Bandanas for Benefits has just what you’re looking for. It’s a micro business started by four students in the CVU Principles of Business class.

Our goal is to create customizable dog bandanas and dog boxes for your pet(s). All of our profits will be donated to the Chittenden County Humane Society!

If you are interested in supporting our small business and the Humane Society, scan the QR code above to place your order!

If you have any questions please contact us at catherinesaladino@cvsdvt.org, or on Instagram: @bandanas_for_benefits.

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.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

PUZZLE FOUND ON PAGE 19

SUDUKO SOLUTION

PUZZLE FOUND ON PAGE 19

Community Bankers - Chittenden County BUILDERS I MAKERS I 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!

Job Responsibilities & Requirements

This frontline position is crucial in creating a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience for NSB customers. The successful candidate 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 mail to:

Northfield Savings Bank Human Resources PO Box 7180, Barre, VT 05641

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL

TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA

Tuesday, March 28, 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

Annual Growth Management Review and Allocation. All projects that successfully completed pre-application review in calendar year 2022 are eligible for allocation per Williston Unified Development Bylaw Chapter 11 Growth Management.

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

TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA

Tuesday, April 11, 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

DP 23-13 Pre-App Leo and Mona Bountin request pre-application review for a 2-lot residential subdivision of a ±40 acre lot with ±30 acres of open space to create a new ±2.2 acre lot with an existing dwelling at 1513 Old Creamery Road in the Agricultural Rural Zoning District (ARZD).

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

To place a classified ad, email rick@williston observer.com or call 802-373-2136

Deadline for classifieds is Monday.

SUPPORT

Residential Painting Insured/References

Experience since 1977

Tom Tavares South Burlington, VT 802-864-9082

FOR CHANGE

TRANSITION POINTS

Evidence-Based Strategies to Navigate Life Changes

Life, Career, Retirement, Moving, or End-of-Life Support

Judy F. Carr, Ed.D. 802.487.8077 - jcarrvt@gmail.com

Winooski, Vermont & Virtually www.TransitionDoula.org

ANTIQUES WANTED

Brian Bittner • 802-489-5210 • info@bittnerantiques.com

Showroom at 2997 Shelburne Rd • Shelburne Open Wed-Sat, with walk-ins to sell every Thursday. www.bittnerantiques.com

E-mail: georgessafes@gmavt.net www.georgeslocks.com www.georges-safes.com

Specializing in Low-Pressure Vinyl Siding Washes Washing Decks, Gutters, Patios, Walkways & More

Owner operated - Call Greg Mack

802-238-3386

Williston vet sees uptick in respiratory illness in dogs

BY EMMA COTTON VTDigger

Melinda Moulton woke up in the middle of the night last week to the sound of her 2-year-old mini dachshund, Milo, with a “goose cough.” In the morning, the pup was spitting up white foam, and the condition worsened until Moulton rushed him to the emergency vet.

“He looked really concerned and scared, and he was shaking, and his respiration seemed really high,” said Moulton, a Huntington resident and the cofounder of Burlington’s Main Street Landing.

On antibiotics now, Milo seems to be on his way to a full recovery. But an illness with similar symptoms has popped up in dogs around New England, and some cases have required hospitalization. Some have even been fatal. Local veterinarians are encouraging dog owners to take a few extra precautions to avoid exposure.

Veterinarians at Burlington Emergency and Veterinary Spe -

cialists, based in Williston, have seen roughly 30 dogs with upper respiratory infections since the beginning of the year, according to Mallory Sullivan, an associate emergency veterinarian with the animal hospital.

So far, the illness does not have a name, and while vets have tested the dogs for possible causes, they haven’t yet found any. Its most common symptoms

are coughing, the production of white foam, discharge from the nose or eyes, fatigue, fevers and lack of appetite. In about 90 percent of the cases the animal hospital has documented, dogs were fully vaccinated.

“Many of these dogs have progressed to pneumonia from upper respiratory disease despite antibiotics, which is concerning,” Sullivan wrote in an email.

About half of the documented cases required hospitalization, mainly when the illness progressed to pneumonia. Four dogs have died since the beginning of the year, she said.

The illness “is affecting more dogs than we have seen in the past and they are presenting with more significant illness/pneumonia,” she wrote.

Dogs are most likely contracting the illness at pet daycares, dog parks and boarding facilities. Sullivan recommended that pet owners take note of other dogs with whom their pet comes into contact, and see a vet quickly if their own dog develops any of the relevant symptoms.

Although the disease has popped up throughout New England, Vermont Public first reported, it doesn’t appear to be prevalent everywhere.

Lauren Quinn, a doctor of veterinary medicine at Onion River Animal Hospital in Berlin, said the facility has only seen “what seem to be fairly typical cases of kennel cough, or infectious coughs” in dogs. Staff at the an-

imal hospital are in touch with vets at Burlington Emergency and Veterinary Specialists and are keeping an eye out for the illness.

While Onion River sometimes sees a total of more than 60 animals per day, staff have only seen about 10 cases of newly coughing dogs from the beginning of February to now, in which the cough wasn’t explained by heart disease or another chronic condition, Quinn said.

“That’s not an unusual number of coughing dogs for us, especially during seasonal outbreaks of respiratory disease,” she wrote.

None of those cases developed into pneumonia, and Quinn said the animal hospital has not seen severe disease or deaths from respiratory illness.

Quinn recommended that pet owners “stay current on the Bordetella vaccination and their distemper combo vaccination, so they are as protected as they can be against the most common respiratory illnesses.”

Coughing dogs should stay at home, Quinn said.

Canine respiratory illness has circulated around New England, but veterinarians still aren’t sure what’s causing it.

PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER