Williston Observer 5/11/2023

Stars align at Chef’s Corner

Leahy, Guzman join restaurant owners in commercial film shoot

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

All the ingredients are in place for Chef’s Corner to produce the perfect TV commercial.

The Cornerstone Drive restaurant has famous longtime patrons who have become the owners’ friends, and a seasoned film producer in the family in founder Jozef Harrewyn’s son, Ashton.

On Tuesday, they gathered at the restaurant with a bunch of “extras” and a classic red Rolls Royce parked in front as a prop to

on Green Up Day

BY SUSAN COTE Observer staff

The second annual Williston Town Fair on Green Up Day last Saturday benefited from warm sunshine and a variety of offerings to entice and engage community members.

The event on the Williston Village Green, held on the day of the statewide Green Up Vermont effort, was initiated last year with an aim of getting people excited to clean up Williston and thanking those who had done their part.

“I think it’s just great to see how many people care to spend a nice Saturday morning getting out to pick up trash, to care for our environment and make our roadsides clean again,” said organizer Emily Heymann, a senior planner with the Town of Williston.

Another motivation behind the fair is to create an opportunity for town departments and committees, as well as other community organizations, to connect with residents to share information and ideas.

film a 30-second commercial that will run on local TV this summer. Inside, prolific actor Luis Guzman and recently retired Sen. Patrick Leahy prepared for their scenes, where they would both try a sampling from the Chef’s Corner creemee stand.

The restaurant is running the commercial partly to promote the unique offerings of the creemee stand, which is going into its second summer with creations like the Hippy Crisp — an apple cider creemee topped with granosee CHEF’S CORNER page 3

Attendees were invited into a large tent housing tables representing various town departments and committees, as well as the Red Cross and the Williston Federated Church. The Energy Committee offered information on weatherization, as well as fuel and other assistance to homeowners. Area businesses donated beverages and food to fuel Green Up efforts.

The event also served as the official launch pad for Williston 2050, the project tasked with producing the updated town plan required by the state by 2025, as well as a longer-term vision for the town.

“So (we’re) writing our eight-

At the Town Fair on Saturday, visitors, above, picked up their Green Up Day bags and visited the displays set up on the Town Green. Camille and Joe Lovering, left, found plenty of trash on North Brownell Road during Saturday’s Green Up Day. Sarah ShowalterFeuillette, below, picks up trash in Williston’s Rossignol Park on Saturday morning.

OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY

OBSERVER PHOTO BY SUSAN COTE

OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY

Cameraman/director Ashton Harrewyn, left, films Sen. Patrick Leahy’s scene in a 30-second commercial for local restaurant Chef’s Corner. See more photos on page 3. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

Around Town

Guided, educational bike ride at Catamount

Chittenden

County Forester

Ethan Tapper will be leading an educational bike ride through the Catamount Community Forest in Williston as part of the Catamount Outdoor Family Center’s Spring Launch Party.

The ride will take place Saturday, May 13 from noon to 2 p.m.

It is an opportunity to learn from Tapper about this summer’s adaptive silviculture for climate change project, which will work to make a 25-acre area in the northwestern corner of the Catamount Community Forest more adaptive and resilient to climate change.

To join the ride, bring your mountain bike to the Catamount Outdoor Family Center’s parking area at 592 Governor Chittenden Rd. The ride will take place on relatively flat, graded terrain over a total distance of

about one mile.

More information is available at www.catamountoutdoor.org/2023/05/04/ethan-tappers-forestry-ride/.

Rotary welcomes Hunger Free Vermont executive director

The Williston-Richmond Rotary Club will host guest speaker Anore Horton, executive director of Hunger Free Vermont, at its weekly breakfast meeting on Thursday, May 18 at 7:15 a.m.

Hunger Free Vermont runs programs to improve food security for vulnerable Vermonters and advocates to transform social and economic policies to permanently end hunger in the state. Horton will speak about these efforts and share ways to get involved.

Interested community mem -

see AROUND TOWN page 9

PROPERTY TRANSFERS APRIL

• Scott Morse bought a mobile home on Williston Woods Road from Mary Schmidt for $250,000.

• Patricia Sweeney bought a home on Chloe Circle from Northridge-Williston LLC for $709,274.

• Joseph Sexton bought a home on Chamberlain Lane from Robert Selwah for $695,000.

• Russell Charif bought a home on Lawnwood Drive from Paul Mammorella for $611,000.

• Phillip Richard Sumner bought a mobile home on Porterwood Drive from Allen Realty Trust for $170,000.

• Raymond Kawasaki bought a condominium on Hideaway Lane from Alex Barker for $352,000.

• Amerco Real Estate Company bought an acre of commercial property on Lot 1 of the Robear

2023

Subdivision on Williston Road for $195,000.

• Patrick Nenon bought a condominium on Holland Lane from the Estate of Barbara O’Keefe for $460,000.

• Brendan Lahue bought a condominium on Seth Circle from Alexander Waskow for $300,000.

• Erin Cofiell Barker bought a condominium on Chelsea Place from Serge Bacon for $475,000.

• The Dill Family Living Trust bought a condominium on Chelsea Place from Mark McKenna for $470,000.

• Alana Izzo bought a home on 2 acres on St. George Road from Dennis Roberts Jr. for $575,000.

• Joseph Kolk bought a condominium on Seth Circle from Gregory Corrigan for $315,000.

• Colin Iverson bought a home on Balsam Circle from Arlene

Schukei for $625,000.

• Gregory Corrigan Jr. bought a home on Madison Drive from Denise Beers for $441,400.

• Arnar Ingason bought a condominium on Cedar Lane from Denise Rittwage for $305,000.

• Gwendolyn Talbot bought a condominium on Westview Circle from Patricia Jarvis for $335,000.

• Harold Wigler bought a condominium on Abbey Road from Pernell Dongmo for $435,000.

• White Birch Lane LLC bought a home on White Birch Lane from Michael O’Brien for $327,000.

downsizing

Chef’s Corner

continued from page 1

la — as well as some of the new items on its weekday breakfast menu, which has evolved since Harrewyn’s retirement earlier this year.

The script of the commercial ties together the retirements of Harrewyn and Leahy as they enjoy their creemees in a toast to retired life.

“The friendship the two of them have had over the years has been really cool. We thought it would be awesome to highlight them together — a longtime friend of the restaurant and the founder of the restaurant,” said chef and owner Jeff Moisan.

Leahy retired in January after nearly 50 years in the U.S. Senate. He said he often stopped at Chef’s Corners for a meal after landing at Burlington International Airport from Washington D.C. He’s recovering from a fall last summer and an injury earlier this year that caused him to miss the Burlington City Council meeting where it was announced that the airport would be renamed after him, and has been working out of an office at UVM writing about intellectual property policy for Bloomberg Finance News.

“I’ve turned down a bunch of

film shoots around the state since I’ve been home, but Jozef has been a good friend, and they wanted to do a little tongue-in-cheek ad and asked if I would do it,” Leahy said while preparing for Tuesday’s shoot.

“Sen. Leahy is a customer,” said Harrewyn. “Every time he comes in I always say ‘hi’ to him. Then we got to talking a few years back, and was talking about retiring. Then we both did it the same year.

“I don’t really like the word retirement,” Harrewyn added. “It’s just the next phase for me.”

The friendship with Guzman came about in a similar way, with the owners getting to know the actor as a regular customer. Guzman, who lives in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, has appeared in films such as “Boogie Nights” and “Carlito’s Way” and TV shows like “Miami Vice” and a spinoff of “The “Addams Family.”

According to Moisan, the Chef’s Corner TV commercial was originally going to focus on footage of food, then Guzman showed up for breakfast with his daughter and an idea was sparked.

“Over the years we’ve gotten to know him really well,” said Moisan. “We just pitched him on it, and he was like, ‘yeah no problem.’”

With Leahy and Guzman on

Hollywood actor Luis Guzman’s scene, top left, in the commercial had him cruising by in a classic Rolls Royce. Top right, Jozef Harrewyn, recently retired owner/chef of Chef’s Corner, and Sen. Leahy look ready to enjoy their take-out ice cream treats. Ashton Harrewyn lines up an outside shot.

board, Ashton Harrewyn — a local commercial and documentary filmmaker and son of Jozef — began scripting a 30-second spot. The commercial was filmed during two sessions at the restaurant and is scheduled to air this summer on WCAX. Footage from the video shoots will also serve the restaurant’s continued social media marketing efforts.

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY JASON STARR

A trip down memory lane with members of the Williston Historical Society

First encounters with the Old Brick Church

The story of the Village landmark’s restoration

BY MARK HUTCHINS Special to the Observer

In the late 1950’s, my family lived in the New North End of Burlington. It was a wonderful place and time to grow up. Everything was new.

We enjoyed a new school within walking distance of our home. Every house around was newly built and they were filled with young families. The beach at Lake Champlain was within easy bicycle distance, as was a friendly local market.

The landscape was partially old forest, which provided infinite opportunities for adventures. The whole country felt optimistic and crime was nearly non-existent. At the age of 8, I could hop on a local city

bus bound for my music lessons in downtown Burlington, and my parents had no concerns I would return on schedule.

My grandparents in those pre-Interstate days lived in central Vermont in the Town of Morrisville. We made numerous trips there, and my father, a native Vermonter who loved to drive, had several options for routes to Morrisville, some perhaps a little longer. He liked to vary the journey as much as possible.

Early on I became familiar with the various routes as well as many landmarks that helped me time the trip. We would pass a prominent barn or bridge and I knew where we were and how much longer the journey would take.

The ride through Burlington and South

Burlington, then through Williston and eastward on Route 2 to Waterbury, then up through Stowe to Morrisville, was my favorite from an early age. Among my earliest memories are recognizing the collection of brick buildings that clustered in the center of Williston Village and the elaborate white spire of the Williston Federated Church as one approached or departed the Village at the east end. I did not realize, of course, what these buildings were, but somehow they made an impression on a very young boy — an impression that I would develop into a passion for architecture and, particularly, vintage architecture.

In 1961, my father decided to move our family from Burlington for more open space. He was a very fine carpenter and had decided to build his own house. Accordingly, he purchased property on Route 2A in Williston. He arranged for a giant mobile home to be set up for our family to live in for the year it would take him to construct the house.

I loved all the new fields and forests to explore and made friends with new neighbors quickly. We joined the Federated Church, which excited me because I had passed by it so often and admired the ornate steeple.

I enrolled at Williston Central School as an eighth-grader in the fall of 1962. In those days, Williston Central School was basically two wings connected by an auditorium. It was quite modern and had an almost cozy feel to it. Most of the students were transported by bus from all over town, and it was an interesting mix of farm kids and the growing population of Burlington professionals who had moved away from the city for the same reasons

my father did. We were a happy school in the sense that I do not remember any major issues of discipline or strife.

The eighth-grade classrooms occupied the south side of the west wing, and each classroom looked slightly uphill toward Route 2. Every day, no matter which classroom I was in, I sat near the big windows and could distract my attention easily with what might be happening outside.

My daily panorama included the brick civic buildings I had admired for years

We had no idea who the church belonged to but did know it was probably illegal to enter without some kind of permission.

driving by, including the town’s library, Town Hall, the closed former Universalist church and the mysterious, shuttered, derelict-looking former Congregational church that was just to the east of the school, facing the other landmarks across the highway.

I began to develop an intense curiosity about this particular structure. I gazed at it intently and easily memorized every feature, from its faded gray-white belfry to its rotting shutters that were tightly closed but catching a glimmer of reflected light from the glass behind them.

No matter what the weather, the old building stood silent and brooding under the nearby trees. In winter, it became much more appealing as the sunlight glowed off

Children work on restoration inside the Old Brick Church in the early 1960s. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARK HUTCHINS

Past Times

continued from page 4

the bricks and the white snow coated roofs and belfry.

I began to ask questions one winter. Some people said they had been inside and it was very spooky. But none of the adults I questioned seemed to know anything about it, except that it had been closed as long as they could remember. Surprisingly, no one seemed at all interested.

As spring approached and snow began to melt away, for reasons I still cannot explain, my curiosity became a growing compulsion to see the inside of this church. One of my new friends, David Hart, who had a growing reputation for mischievous adventures, told me he had been in the

church and knew how to enter it.

We had no idea who the church belonged to but did know it was probably illegal to enter without some kind of permission. Nevertheless, David and I made a plan to meet one Saturday, pretending to go to the library. We stashed our bikes there and proceeded to walk around the church from behind, the north side.

There was heavy brush there, but it was too early for any leaves. We watched carefully for any sign of anyone taking notice, but there was very little activity. Passing in the field behind Deal’s hardware store, we made it into the heavy brush behind the church. The next threat to our adventure might have occurred from the house adjacent to the old church on its east side, the home of local teacher Esther Urie. She had a well-deserved reputation for strict

obedience to all rules and regulations. If she caught us trespassing, she would have called the authorities without hesitation. We watched for any sign of her, but the house was quiet and her car was not visible in the back yard.

At this point, we made a quick dash to the shrubs and small trees growing along the north wall of the church, burrowing into them and waiting again for any sign of discovery. Assuring ourselves, I followed David along the wall to one of the two rear basement windows. He deftly opened one of the shutters and, with what looked like a practiced maneuver, pushed the window open. I would later learn this was a popular entry point for nefarious visitors and vandals for decades.

I followed David as he dropped to the ground inside. We both landed on a dirt floor and paused to let our eyes adjust. We were in!

Look for Part 2 of this article in next week’s Observer.

… A story worth remembering

Former Williston resident Mark Hutchins, now a Californian, is constructing a first-person history of the restoration of the Old Brick Church in the 1960s for eventual archiving at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. This is part 1 of his first installment for the archives. Part 2 will be published in next week’s Observer, and the full history of the building’s restoration will be available at the library later this year.

“For three years, the town came together to save the church from demolition, as the owners had plans to sell the land for a gas station site,” Hutchins said. “Today the Old Brick Church is a much-loved landmark of Williston, thanks predominantly to a bunch of kids who worked hard to preserve it and inspired their parents and others to support their efforts. It is a story worth remembering.”

May Flowers for Mother's Day and all your OSpecialccasions

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

The Old Brick Church in the middle of the 20 th Century. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARK HUTCHINS

GUEST COLUMN

Unsustainable home heating must go

BY ROXANNE VOUGHT

With nearly two-thirds of all energy currently used to heat homes in Vermont coming from fossil fuels, our thermal sector sits atop a list we might title “Unsustainable Status Quo.”

At Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), we have always called for bold climate action. In this moment, there are no bold ways forward on climate that don’t directly and immediately address how we and our neighbors heat our homes.

Along with hundreds of members and partners, we are calling upon our elected officials to meet the urgency of the climate crisis

with decisive legislation that gets to the heart of what needs to be done: lowering emissions and moving Vermont to a clean energy future. No single policy decision will get us there, but the Affordable Heat Act moves the needle in some very effective ways.

We know it’s a struggle for many in our region to afford to heat their homes in an increasingly extreme and unpredictable climate. Legislators have toiled admirably with the bill to be sure that it provides equitable financial relief for low- to moderate-income Vermonters. They’ve done this by creating mandates that are estimated to save working Vermonters an average of $7,500 per household

and reduce the overall heating cost across homes in Vermont by a whopping $2 billion just from actions taken by 2030. These figures are hard to ignore in the face of often staggering fuel

bills.

Thriving local economies determine the health of our broader business community. Our current reliance on fossil fuels to heat our homes depends on an energy source that is entirely imported, meaning every dollar generated from our collective fossil fuel purchases leaves our local economies and the state’s economy as a whole. VBSR supports keeping money local, which has the immense added benefit of accelerating a resilient clean energy future.

In the face of increasingly obvious climate impacts, regulations placed on heating fuel are an obvious part of the solution. As the number one pollution-reducing

recommendation in Vermont’s Climate Action Plan, the Affordable Heat Act has been studied, analyzed and debated for years. The time has come to put all that work into action.

This legislation brings economic relief to low- to moderate-income Vermonters and protects the land we’re all privileged to enjoy — and obligated to protect. We hope our elected officials, business leaders and fellow citizens will join us in decisively turning away from an unsustainable status quo by supporting the Affordable Heat Act.

Roxanne Vought is executive director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.

Normalizing and supporting mental health first aid

BY STEVEN BERBECO

May is Mental Health Awareness month. So often, when we

hear about mental health, we hear about problems and cracks in the system. It can be overwhelming and difficult to know what we can

do as individuals and community members to support each other when so many of us are struggling.

This mental health crisis we keep hearing about in the news and in our communities is real and dire, but it is not hopeless. As

a community, we have the power and the capacity to be protective factors for each other.

Rep. Becca Balint made headlines recently by proposing her first piece of federal legislation, a bill that takes aim squarely at the youth mental health crisis.

The bill directs nearly $25 million to supporting schools’ access to mental health first aid training. This national training program teaches participants to identify and respond to symptoms of mental illness and substance use see BERBECO page 7

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There are no bold ways forward on climate that don’t directly and immediately address how we and our neighbors heat our homes.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

A special night of housing advocacy

Last Tuesday’s meeting of the Williston Selectboard was kind of remarkable.

Arriving early for agenda items 6 and 7, my husband and I got to hear testimonies regarding item 5, the Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative.

When we first walked in, we saw (and heard) a young man in his wheelchair expressing excitement to be there. Okay! We didn’t know what to expect with Jeff

Berbeco

continued from page 6

disorder. It gives more of us the skills to step in and help each other before a visit to the emergency department.

This effort is aligned with our state Legislature’s recent efforts. Last year, the Legislature passed Act 112, which created a two-year grant program that supports mental health first aid for school staff using a version of the training tailored especially for youth. Substantial funding was allocated to support this: roughly $3 million.

Yet, Vermont only has about a dozen certified mental health first aid trainers, not nearly enough to meet the anticipated needs of schools, youth-serving organizations, community associations and others.

In response, United Way of Northwest Vermont’s Mental Health Initiative has supported the certification of 10 of our participants to become mental health first aid trainers. These volunteers come from a broad range of organizations with wide professional reach, including the Vermont Principals Association. Our plan is to more than double the number of mental health first aid trainers in the state, to increase awareness

Fehrs gone after 25 years, and two new selectboard members up there … but this seemed to be an even more special meeting.

A group of parents had come out on that rainy night to make the case for affordable group housing for their young adult children with disabilities, many of whom were there with them. In different ways, all eloquent and straightforward, they told of their concerns as aging parents for the future of their children. They told stories about why their children want to continue to live in Williston, where they grew up and are known and cared

of this important and potentially life-saving training, and to reduce barriers to accessing it.

Only by looking out for one another can we turn the tide on the number of deaths by suicide. Last year, youth in Vermont aged 1524 had the highest rate of any age group when it came to emergency department visits for suicidal ide -

about by so many people. These grown kids want to live together with their friend group, near their jobs at Healthy Living and Shaws to name a few, perhaps close to nature and in a home they can afford.

I’m not a good enough writer to convey what filled the room as these families spoke together, in public, on behalf of their children. I do know that my husband and I both felt enriched by having been there, and we also felt proud and lucky to be living in Williston.

Marcy Kass Williston

the mental health system of care, including schools, early childhood and higher education, housing, transportation, local and state government, religious and civic groups, and of course direct care providers and community members with lived experience.

Increasing the number of certified mental health first aid trainers in Vermont and making this tool more accessible is just one of many projects we are working on. Together, we are supporting each other and finding solutions. We are becoming protective factors for each other.

ation and self-directed violence — about one in 10 across the state. And in some cases, this safety net failed us, as there was a suicide death among Vermont’s youth almost every month last year.

United Way’s Mental Health Initiative is leveraging the participation of 150-plus community members to solve, at scale, many of our most pressing problems in the system of mental health care. Our participants come from the many places that now overlap with

By bringing together stakeholders from these many sectors and experiences, we are making essential connections across the state that are a part of the solution. Come join our conversations. Together we can make a difference in mental health for our families, our neighbors, our friends and colleagues, and for all of us in Vermont.

Steven Berbeco is the director of United Way of Northwest Vermont’s Mental Health Initiative. He lives in Winooski and serves on the Winooski School Board. Learn more about United Way’s Mental Health Initiative at www.unitedwaynwvt. org/mental-health-initiative.

LOCAL

This mental health crisis we keep hearing about in the news and in our communities is real and dire, but it is not hopeless.

Funding advanced for continued free bus service

BY SHAUN ROBINSON VTDigger

Lawmakers from Vermont’s House and Senate transportation committees advanced legislation last Tuesday that would allocate $850,000 for Green Mountain Transit to continue operating its bus services fare-free through the end of the year.

The funding is included in this year’s transportation bill, versions of which had already passed the House and Senate. Members of each chamber’s transportation committees met last week to reconcile the differences between their respective versions of the bill, H.479, including the source of funding for zero-fare rides.

Green Mountain Transit plans to reinstate fares — which the agency has not charged since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic — in January 2024. That’s a change from earlier this year, when the agency said it planned to start charging fares by July 1 of this year.

The reason for the change,

Green Mountain Transit officials have said, is that the agency needs more time to get its fare collection system back up and running.

Nearly half of the fare collection boxes that the agency was using before the pandemic have become obsolete, according to Clayton Clark, the agency’s general manager. He said it likely would be fall before the replacement fareboxes are installed and set up, and the agency’s workers and maintenance staff get trained on how to use them.

“GMT’s problems are our problems, right?” said Rep. Sara Coffey, D-Guilford, the House Transportation Committee chair. “We want to make sure they’re able to get this funding and get it out the door to address these issues as they make a transition.”

Both committees had planned to provide Green Mountain Transit with funding to keep fares free for the rest of the year, but they each had proposed taking different routes.

House lawmakers suggested funding fare-free service with $1

million — the amount that the transit agency asked for earlier this year — taken from the state’s highway maintenance budget for the 2024 fiscal year. The Senate, meanwhile, had proposed a $750,000 allocation of state and federal funding — as well as asking Green Mountain Transit to

chip in $150,000 from its reserves — to fund continued fare-free service.

Both Green Mountain Transit and the state Agency of Transportation supported the Senate’s plan, officials have said.

At last Tuesday’s meeting, lawmakers agreed to a compro -

mise: allocate $850,000 from the state’s highway maintenance fund for fare-free service, while asking Green Mountain Transit to pay the same $150,000 share. The committee also added language to H.479 stating that the Agency of Transportation “shall utilize

Champlain Valley School District is offering publicly funded prekindergarten (PreK) for children between the ages of 3* and 5 who reside in the towns of: Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George and Williston Now Enrolling for the 2023-2024 School Year

*Children must be at least 3 years old on or before Sept. 1 2023 to qualify for PreK funding.

What is publicly funded prekindergarten education?

Publicly funded prekindergarten is defined as:

• Ten hours per week (for 35 weeks) of developmentally appropriate early learning experiences that is based on Vermont’s Early Learning Standards.

• Children who reside in Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George and Williston and will be 3, 4 or 5 years old on or before September 1, 2023, and who are not attending kindergarten, are eligible for universal PreK funding from CVSD. Funding is limited to 35 weeks during the academic school year (September 2023 - June 2024).

• Publicly-funded PreK services can be found in schools and qualified communitybased programs (homes and centers).

• The state tuition rate paid to community-based private PreK providers on behalf of CVSD children attending prekindergarten during the 2023-2024 school year is $3,764.

How do I apply?

• The full registration packet is available on CVSD’s website at: https://tinyurl.com/c33rbswe

• You will need to enroll your child with the private pre-qualified prekindergarten program and register directly with the school district for Act 166 funding.

For additional information about publicly funded prekindergarten or if you have any concerns about your child’s development, please visit the CVSD website or contact Erin Gagne at egagne@cvsdvt.org. Our Early Education team provides developmental screenings in the areas of communication, social-emotional development, motor skills, adaptive development, and cognition.

If you have questions about the CVSD Act 166 registration process contact Suzanne Curtis at scurtis@cvsdvt.org or 802-985-1903.

Green Mountain Transit will continue to operate buses fare-free through the end of this year under new legislation being finalized this spring.

VTDIGGER FILE PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL see

available federal monies in lieu of” the $850,000 authorization “to the greatest extent practicable,” as long as it does not find that other public transportation agencies need the money.

“I think they’re getting more certainty with 100,000 more dollars where (the bill) settled from what the Senate sent over,” Sen. Thomas Chittenden, D-Chittenden Southeast, said after lawmakers reached the agreement.

Green Mountain Transit was only able to waive fares on its routes for the current fiscal year, which runs through June, after lawmakers approved a similar $1.2 million add-on to the state

Around Town

continued from page 2

bers are encouraged to attend. To join in person or via Zoom, RSVP to RotaryClubofWillistonVT@gmail.com.

Fair housing discussion at library

The Williston Community Justice Center, in collaboration with the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, will be hosting a panel discussion about what fair housing means in Vermont and more specifically in Williston. The discussion will be moderated by Cristalee McSweeney, executive director of the Williston Community Justice Center and Williston Racial Equity Part-

transportation budget last spring.

Extending fare-free service for the rest of 2023 will also give Green Mountain Transit the time it needs to meet another provision in H.479, agency leaders have said. The bill calls for the agency to develop and implement by January 2024 a “fair fares” system whereby some who use its Chittenden County routes could pay less or no money.

H.479 calls for the agency to develop this system “in consultation with community action agencies and other relevant entities, such as those that represent the migrant and refugee populations,” and report on the plan to lawmakers by Dec. 1, 2023.

Clark has said that Green Mountain Transit hopes this tiered-fare system would help

nership. It will take place at the library on Wednesday, May 24, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Panel members will include residents who have faced or who are facing homelessness, eviction or barriers to affordable housing. A member of Sen. Bernie Sanders office has been invited to attend, as have former and recently elected local representatives. The panel will be followed by an open discussion.

Participants are invited to read “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City” by Matthew Desmond to prepare for the discussion.

For more information, email McSweeney at Cmcsweeney@ willistonvt.org or the library at daml@damlvt.org.

buoy the system’s ridership numbers after it brings back fares. A January report found that the agency could expect to lose more than 15 percent of its riders if it starts charging again, compared to the number of people who would take the bus should it continue to be free.

If the agency loses enough riders, it also could lose some federal funding that is tied to ridership numbers, Clark said, which he called “a major concern.”

“Our hope,” Clark wrote to lawmakers earlier this year, “is that with ‘Fair Fares’ and robust public education we will not see such a large decrease in ridership.”

The conference committee’s report will now head back to the full House and Senate for up-ordown votes.

Participants in the May 24 fair housing discussion at the library are invited to read Matthew Desmond’s “Evicted” before the event.

Landmark reproductive ‘shield’ bills signed into law

BY SARAH MEARHOFF VTDigger

Against a national backdrop of ever-tightening restrictions on abortions and gender-affirming care, Gov. Phil Scott on Wednesday signed two high-profile “omnibus” bills that seek to expand protections for and access to reproductive care in Vermont.

“Today, we reaffirm once again that Vermont stands on the side of privacy, personal autonomy and reproductive liberty, and that providers are free to practice without fear,” the Republican governor said in a press release announcing his signatures Wednesday.

When the U.S. Supreme Court last summer struck down Roe v. Wade case precedent, thereby ending the federal right to an abortion, dozens of states immediately outlawed or severely restricted access to the procedure. Meanwhile, numerous state legislatures have also taken aim at transgender rights, passing laws regulating gender-affirming care for patients who are transitioning, particularly minors.

In a patchwork nation of disparate laws regarding reproductive health care, Vermont lawmakers set out to make the state a refuge for these procedures — not just for residents, but out-of-state patients who travel to receive the procedures, as well.

H.89 is the Legislature’s socalled shield law, protecting Vermont doctors from being forced to cooperate with out-of-state investigators, should they seek to prosecute a patient who traveled to Vermont to obtain care from a state where abortion or gender-affirming care is outlawed.

Lawmakers were clear from the start: Vermont can only shield doctors and patients so long as they remain in state lines. But H.89 does offer out-of-state patients some level of protection, by essentially kneecapping any investigations.

The Senate’s companion bill, S.37, offers doctors professional protections for providing reproductive care in Vermont, such as barring medical malpractice insurance companies from hiking rates on providers, or preventing providers from having their medical licenses revoked.

The legislation also includes a section taking aim at so-called crisis pregnancy centers, which are nonmedical facilities that advertise themselves for pregnant patients, offering some basic obstetrics — such as pregnancy tests and ultrasounds — but actively seek to dissuade patients from obtaining abortions. Critics have long called these facilities’ advertising strategies misleading, and S.37 makes them subject to Vermont’s existing false and mislead-

ing advertising statutes.

Collectively, H.89 and S.37 go a step further than Article 22, an amendment to the state constitution guaranteeing “reproductive liberty” that passed with majority support in every Vermont city and town last fall.

Such laws are among the first in the nation. In the words of David Cohen, a Drexel University law school professor, they represent an advent of the post-Roe “interjurisdictional abortion wars.”

Both bills passed overwhelmingly in the Vermont House and Senate. They were widely supported by prominent Vermont medical organizations and institutions, as well as reproductive care and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups such as Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and OutRight Vermont. Anti-abortion rights groups such as Vermont Family Alliance objected to the legislation.

While the two bills saw broad support among legislators, there was a last-minute hiccup: When news broke that a federal judge in Texas ruled that Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone, a widely used abortion medication, should be revoked, lawmakers scurried to add in additional, specific protections for abortions carried out by medicine. Medication is the most commonly used method for abortion nationwide and in Vermont.

Several hundred people gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Burlington after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade abortion decision last June.

VTDIGGER FILE PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL

Clockwise from top: Town Fair booths fill the Village Green early on the morning of Green Up Day. Williston’s Cub Scouts help clean up around the Williston Central School and the athletic fields on Saturday morning. Emily

Town Fair

continued from page 1

year town plan, but thinking more broadly about what’s Williston in 2050: How is Williston a livable, resilient and equitable place? What are the goals and policies the town needs to have to make that vision a reality?” said Heymann.

“We got a grant through the Vermont municipal planning grant program to do a really broad and thorough public outreach campaign, unlike anything that’s ever been done for past town plans,” added Heymann.

At the Williston 2050 table, as a way to gather initial input, Melinda Scott from the Planning Department

offered “postcards from the future” that town residents can complete to describe their idea of what an ideal future Williston would be like. More information about this project and how to get involved can be found at www.williston2050.com.

Outside the tent, a booth hosted by REI’s Williston store featured make-your-own trail mix and provided information about “leave no trace” practices when hiking and camping.

Visitors at the Habitat for Humanity booth learned about volunteer opportunities at the Williston Habitat ReStore and nearby home building sites.

The Williston-Richmond Rotary Club offered free plants started by club members, while at the Williston Observer booth, staff gave away gift

cards, coupons and other prizes donated by local businesses along with tips on how to reuse old newspapers.

The morning was capped off by a first-of-the-year concert by the Williston Town Band featuring movie themes and other favorites.

Heymann reported that about 800 Green Up bags were picked up by residents, and the town collected over a ton of refuse gathered along area roads.

Heymann leads a group in yoga poses. The Williston Town Band performs popular tunes from the gazebo.

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY, MICHAEL MCCAFFREY AND RICK COTE.

Grabbing a Tiger by the tail

CLOCKWISE (l to r): CVU’s Emerson Rice fires a shot into the Middlebury goal during the Redhawks’ 18-3 win over the Tigers on Monday afternoon in Hinesburg. Amelie Scharf flips one into the goal. Kate Boehmcke scoops up the loose ball. Bibi Frechette, below, takes the draw opposite Middlebury’s Ada Weaber. At the other end of the field, CVU goalie Clair StackpoleMcGrath makes a save.

The complexity of forest carbon

BY ETHAN TAPPER Special to the Observer

In the midst of a climate crisis, many people are interested in the ability of forests to mitigate climate change by sequestering and storing carbon. While managing forests for carbon is simple in principle, in practice it is incredibly nuanced, complex and unintuitive.

What is forest carbon? While we may picture carbon as some shapeless, amorphous substance, most carbon in the forest is, in short, wood. As a tree photosynthesizes, it sequesters carbon – sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Combined with a few other elements, that carbon is transformed into sugars and starches that are used to help the tree grow. Much of it ends up stored in the tree’s branches, trunk and roots.

When that tree dies, some of its carbon will be released into the atmosphere through the process of decomposition, and some of it will be stored in the forest as dead wood and eventually as organic material in forest soils. Incredibly, only about one-third of the carbon in a typical Vermont forest is found in living trees. The majority – about 60 percent – is stored in the soil.

In the form of living trees and plants, carbon feeds and shelters thousands of species of living things, forming the living structure around which the forest community is built. In the form of dead wood, carbon benefits forest hydrology, provides habitat for mammals, amphibians, insects and fungi, and enriches forest soils.

Forests are not carbon factories; carbon is a co-benefit of healthy forested ecosystems, one that must be considered alongside wildlife habitat, biodiversity and many other vital qualities, functions and values. Forest management will always be a balance among these things. We can’t responsibly manage forests solely for carbon any more than we can manage them solely for timber or for any other individual resource.

While research suggests that unmanaged forests store more carbon than managed forests in the short-term, our forests are young and altered, vulnerable to largescale natural disturbances and to an expansive array of threats and

stressors that fundamentally challenge their ability to grow, thrive and thus sequester and store carbon. Although it would be comforting to believe, leaving all of our forests unmanaged is not a viable or responsible long-term strategy for carbon or for climate mitigation.

Instead, we need to focus on resilient carbon — carbon that is stored in healthy, diverse and resilient forests. In many, if not most,

bon-friendly practices, and/or for resources like steel and concrete that have massive carbon footprints. We engage in the illusion of preservation, displacing the impacts of our consumption on ecosystems somewhere else and on people without the privilege of saying “not in my backyard” – likely with a much greater cost to our forests, our climate and our global community.

The future of forest carbon

OBITUARIES

setts. They subsequently lived in South Carolina and Illinois, eventually retiring in Vermont.

Mary Ann loved quilting, gardening, dogs, old movies (especially Hollywood musicals), BBC Proms, and sharing music with family. She enjoyed traveling with Mike to Europe, South America, and Hawaii. Mary Ann made friends everywhere she went, and always made a place for travelers and foreign exchange students in her home and at her table.

Mary Ann Funke

Mary Ann (Gorman) Funke (81), of Williston, Vermont, passed away peacefully on May 1, 2023, surrounded by her beloved husband, Mike, and their four children, Jane, Laura, Amy, and John.

Mary Ann, an accomplished pianist, ice skater, and horsewoman, was born on July 3, 1941 in Evansville, Indiana. She was the oldest of five children, all daughters, of Bill and Mary Jane Gorman.

Mary Ann and Mike were childhood sweethearts, having met at Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville. She graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Elementary Education, and worked as a teacher. Mary Ann and Mike were married in 1962 and raised their family in Texas, Oklahoma, and Massachu-

Mary Ann’s greatest joys were being a mother, and having a baby in her arms. In fact, she initiated a family tradition of welcoming new babies with handmade quilts for grandchildren and extended family.

Mary Ann is survived by her husband Michael Funke, children Jane Holland and her husband Marc, Laura Miller and her husband Dennis, Amy Juodawlkis and her husband Paul, and John Funke and his wife Frances England, and her grandchildren Liam Funke, James Juodawlkis, Kai Holland, Rowan Funke, Rory Miller, and Jia Holland. She is also survived by her sisters Marty Rugh, Sally Riggs, Susie McQuiston, and Liza Waller (and spouses), sister-in-law Nancy Merkley, and numerous nephews and nieces.

Mary Ann’s family will hold a private memorial celebration at a later date but invite all to share memories and condolences now by visiting www.awrfh.com.

Helen Phillips

cases, management is necessary to help forests develop qualities like multi-generationality and diversity, which are integral to their ability to be resilient and adaptable, as well as to respond to the countless forest health and biodiversity threats that they face. This will often mean removing some carbon from forests in the shortterm (cutting trees) in order to safeguard their ability to sequester and store carbon in the long-term. This carbon will not be a loss, it will be an investment in a more abundant and resilient future.

As we consider the nuances of forest carbon, we must also recognize the present and future carbon costs of our lives. When we use carbon as a justification for saying “not in my backyard” to forest management, we often trade local wood for wood produced in industrial forests that use much less car-

is not a landscape of unmanaged forests, it is a landscape where forests are managed for resilience and adaptability; biodiversity; local, renewable resources; and resilient carbon — all at once.

As we try to protect our forests and ourselves in a changing climate, it is critical that we reject simple and incomplete solutions in favor of nuance and complexity, and that we do the right thing even when it makes us uncomfortable. Resilient carbon is another example of what is so often the case in our forests: that what is simple is rarely true and what is necessary is rarely easy.

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

A committal service for Helen Phillips, who passed away on January 3, 2023, will be held on Friday, May 12, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Cemetery, Tilden Avenue, Richmond, VT. Arrangements are in care of Gifford Funeral Home, 22 Depot Street, Richmond, VT.

When a tree dies, some of its carbon will be released into the atmosphere through the process of decomposition, and some of it will be stored in the forest as dead wood and eventually as organic material in forest soils.

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

In print and online: we’re your neighbors, committed to keeping you informed on what’s going on in Williston.

bec, Canada, to the late Elphege and Sara (Deschamps) Laneuville. In 1956 he moved to Vermont and worked on dairy farms for several years before working for Agro Automation installing International Harvestore silos. Eventually Larry went into business for himself.

Laurent R. Laneuville

Laurent R. Laneuville passed away in Essex Junction on Dec. 18, 2022.

Larry was born July 15, 1938 in St. Elie d’Orford, Sherbrooke, Que-

OBITUARIES

Association and enjoyed working at the maple products booth at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Jct., at the Big E in Springfield, MA and The Vermont Maple Festival in St Albans.

Charles Lewis Wolf

After 91 years of living life to its fullest, Charles Lewis Wolf passed away on April 30, 2023 at his home in Shelburne. He had just spent several days with his family. His wife of 67 years, Mary Ann, sang him “The Cornell Evening Song” just before he died.

Charlie was born in Sunbury, PA to Grace Lucy (Startzel) and Lewis Reuben Wolf. He grew up on “The Island” in the Susquehanna River, and made many life-long friends, including his best friend, Bill Dunkelberger. He often recalled stories of happy times in 1944-1945, when he lived and worked on the Hauck Farm. Between milking cows and haying fields, he goofed around with the three Hauck boys and became part

On Sept. 5, 1959 he married Helena Boutin and moved to Williston where they raised their family. As a general contractor, Master Plumber and Journeyman Electrician Larry built a number of Vermont homes, barns and a sugar house. He was a member of the Vermont Licensed Plumbers Association, Inc. For many years Larry was active in his church, the Knights of Columbus Council 2946 in Essex, and Alcoholics Anonymous, serving on various boards and in leadership positions. He was an active volunteer of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’

of their large family.

After he graduated from Sunbury High School, he attended the Taft School in Watertown, CT, then graduated from Cornell University where he majored in Economics.

At Cornell, in the spring of 1955, he met Mary Ann Peck. They married in October in Binghamton, NY. The two of them shared a life filled with family, friends, music, and beloved dogs. For their 50th anniversary in 2005, they had a party to celebrate their lives together. Charlie kept the guest list in the apartment to remember the wonderful day with so many loved ones.

Mary Ann and Charlie had three children, Robert Lewis Wolf, William Peck Wolf, and Karen Ann Wolf. They moved 10 times in the first 10 years of marriage with their young boys, from Army bases in NJ and AZ, to graduate student housing in NYC, apartments in PA to NJ, and eventually settled in Vermont where their daughter was born. Charlie loved his children deeply, and was interested in all of their endeavors.

Charlie served in the US Army Signal Corps as a First Lieutenant and was awarded the Army Commendation Ribbon upon his honorable discharge. He was proud of his service in the military.

Charlie began his professional life with New Jersey Bell Telephone, but resigned to become

Larry had a penchant for Hawaiian and colorful shirts, and was well-known for his vast array of ties.

On Aug. 12, 2000, Larry married Christiane Lassonde and moved to Essex; he and Chris became snowbirds, spending their winters in Haines City, FL.

Larry is survived by his wife, Chris; his daughters, Susan Gill and her partner, Jake Jacobson; Mae Mayville and her husband, Bill; Lynne Moon and her husband, Steve; and Kara Cleaver. He also leaves six grandchildren: Luke Mayville and his wife, Darby; Aubrey Moon and her fiancé, Eli Conwell; Elizabeth Gill; Hayley Wood

a full time graduate student at Teachers College, Columbia University. He graduated with his Master’s Degree in 1962 in Student Personnel Administration. His passion was to work as a financial officer in higher education.

He began working at the University of Vermont in 1965. During his 29 years at UVM, he moved from creating the Internal Audit Office to starting the Budget Office, then to the Comptroller’s Office, and finally served as Treasurer. Some of his favorite professional work was from 1973 to 1990 when he consulted for the university’s software vendor, Information Associates Inc., at universities and colleges in Saudi Arabia, Australia, Newfoundland, British Columbia, and throughout the US.

Music was central to Charlie’s life. He played slide trombone and piano from an early age. He sang in church choirs starting at Sunbury’s Zion Lutheran Church and for many years at the First Congregational Church in Burlington. At Cornell he sang 1st tenor in the Glee Club and with the triple quartet called the Cayuga’s Waiters. He appeared on the CBS Perry Como Show, ABC radio, toured to Mexico City, Bermuda, and sang on several records distributed by RCA. He paid for some of his college expenses from record royalties. He reunited with the Waiters

and her husband, Nick; Nicholas Cleaver; and Nolan Cleaver; and two great-grandchildren: Alec and Leah Mayville. He is also survived by his sisters Jeanne and her husband, Real Beaulieu; Yvette and her husband, Jean-Eudes Fleurant; and Cecile and Doris Laneuville; and his brothers Raymond, Leo, and Andre Laneuville; and sisters-inlaw Therese Laneuville, Françoise Turner and her husband, Gary; Louise Schwabe and her husband, Don; Denyse Labrie; Janine Bilodeau and her husband, Denis; and Roxanne Shull and her husband, David; and brother-in-law Serge Lassonde and his partner, Kate Sherwood, and many nieces and nephews. He also leaves many cherished members of the Boutin family.

Larry was predeceased by his first wife, Helena (Boutin) Laneuville, in 1999; his sisters, Roseanne Laneuville and Rachel Lebrun; and

after retirement, meeting for annual weekends to sing together. Singing brought him tremendous joy. He would come home from a long day at work and sit down at the piano to play show tunes or Scott Joplin. At Christmas, he was the maestro for neighborhood sing-alongs in the living room, bringing a smile to everyone’s face with a boisterous rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Community was important to Charlie. Many know him as a dedicated volunteer. He was happy to carry boxes, walk dogs, mentor middle schoolers, cheerfully serve at the Chicken & Biscuit Suppers, or plan an investment strategy for non-profits that were near and dear to his heart: Feeding Chittenden (formerly Burlington Emergency Food Shelf), Mobius Mentoring, Green Mountain Club, Joint Urban Ministries Program, Humane Society of Chittenden County, Williston Federated Church, First Congregational Church of Burlington, and Boy Scout Troop 1 in Burlington. He worked with other community members to create the Williston Community Food Shelf and the first Respite House in Williston.

Charlie played baseball and football as a youth. He considered himself an “avid, but average sportsman.” He began running marathons in his 50’s, golfed, skied, enjoyed sailing with his family, rode his bike in the Wil-

his brothers Benoit and Real Laneuville. He was also predeceased by his mother-in-law, Angeline Lassonde; his brother-in-law, Jean-Paul Lebrun; and sister-in-law, Lucille Laneuville.

Many thanks to the team from Bayada for the amazing hospice care Larry received in his final months. Their nurturing care helped us all tremendously during his final days.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, May 18th, 2023, at 11 a.m. at the St Lawrence Church in Essex Junction with Reverend Charles Ranges, S.S.E. officiating. Committal prayers with internment will be held immediately following at the family lot in Williston East Cemetery. Reception following services at Holy Family Hall, Essex Junction. Calling hours are Wed., May 17, 5 to 8 p.m. at A.W. Rich Funeral Home – Essex Chapel.

liston 4th of July parade with his granddaughters, and worked out with beloved trainers at Fitness Options weekly. He was proud that he did 91 pushups everyday until March, and continued to do strength training while in hospice, even four days before he passed.

He leaves his wife of 67 years, Mary Ann Wolf; His children and their partners; Bob Wolf & Cydney Wolf, Willi Wolf & Alex Nowik, and Karen Sharpwolf & Steve Sharp; Beloved granddaughters Olivia Wolf, Caroline Wolf, Sophia Sharp; Nieces, nephews, dear friends, countless dogs past and present, and one special cat, Pauli.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 10 a.m. at the First Congregational Church in Burlington at 38 South Winooski Avenue. He was a colorful character, so colorful clothing is welcomed. It will also be available via streaming for those who cannot attend in person.

The family wishes to thank Bayada Hospice, the caregivers at the Residence at Shelburne Bay, and Hands at Home Care Service for excellent care.

If you would like to make a donation in Charlie’s memory, please consider the Humane Society of Chittenden County at www. hsccvt.org, Feeding Chittenden at www.feedingchittenden.org, or Williston Community Food Shelf at www.willistonfoodshelf.com.

Next Week: Ada Lovelace

Time to Read

Many kids look forward to summer: time off from school, camp, sports, vacations — and time to read! This week, The Mini Page offers some ideas to keep your imagination active all summer long.

• Younger readers can start the summer by celebrating the accomplishments of 12 Black women who were at the center of the civil rights movement. The short biographies in “Justice Rising” by Katheryn Russell-Brown go beyond the familiar names to include other trailblazers.

• Author Diana López takes readers on a magical adventure in “Felice and the Wailing Woman,” the first book of a series. Felice has been living with her uncle in Corpus Christie, Texas, but when she finds out her mother is haunting the river near Tres Leches, she sets out to release her mom and other monstruos and free the people of the town.

• In “The Area 51 Files” by Julie Buxbaum, Sky Patel-Baum gets a crash course in what life is like inside the famous top-secret military base. When Sky goes there to live with her mysterious uncle, she also discovers a lot of aliens. But as they begin disappearing, the secrets and the fun pile up.

Mini Fact: Kids ages 6 to 8 read an average of 19 books over the summer break, experts say.

• It’s summertime, and being outdoors means coming into contact with creatures! Leap into “Bite, Sting, Kill! The Incredible Science of Toxins, Venom, Fangs & Stingers” by Julie Beer to learn the mechanics of fangs and stingers, along with how to “milk” a snake and what antivenom does.

• C.C. Harrington’s “Wildoak” is the winner of the 2023 Schneider Family Book Award. When Maggie Stephens is sent to stay with her grandfather, she never imagines crossing paths with a snow leopard cub in Wildoak Forest. Living with a stutter, Maggie is quiet and tries to avoid drawing attention to herself, but soon she finds she must speak up for those who can’t.

• What’s it mean to be “The Greatest Kid in the World” ? In the new story by John David Anderson, that’s what Zeke Stahls would like to know. Somehow, he’s been chosen to compete for a $10,000 prize, and he wants to win to help out his mom. But as he prepares for the contest, he gets more confused about what being “great” really is.

Make a list of books you hope to read this summer. Share it with a friend.

• The animal kingdom is huge and varied, and so are its members’ life spans. In “How Old Is a Whale?” by Lily Murray, readers can discover fascinating facts, including life spans, of beings as different as a bat and a quahog. (Spoiler alert: The quahog (KO-hawg), a type of clam, lives about 400 years!)

• Want to write a book of your own? Get a jump start with “The Storyteller’s Handbook:

52 Illustrations To Inspire Your Own Tales and Adventures” by Elise Hurst. More than four dozen fantastic drawings will spark a young writer’s imagination and open the door to a summer of creativity.

• Everyone feels out of place now and then. So it was for author and illustrator Dan Santat, who shares his awkward middle-school experience with readers in the graphic memoir “A First Time for Everything.” Stepping out his comfort zone, Dan takes a class trip to Europe and finds a new version of himself.

On the Web:

• Search “summer reading 2023” to find reading programs in your local libraries.

At the bookstore:

• “Reading Log for Kids” from Belle Journals

Painting black and white stripes on wind turbines could help prevent the hundreds of thousands of bird deaths

The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication

Founded by Betty Debnam Issue 19, 2023 IMAGINATION,

photo by Lauren Finkel

courtesy Delacorte Press

courtesy Scholastic Press

courtesy

Big Picture Press courtesy Compendium courtesy First Second

courtesy NationalGeorgraphic Kids

courtesy Kokila courtesy Walden Pond Press

courtesy Viking Books for Young Readers

uncle, she also discovers a lot of aliens. But as they begin disappearing, the secrets and the fun pile up.

Try ’n’ Find

Make a list of books you hope to read this summer. Share it with a friend.

Mini Jokes

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

ADVENTURE, ANIMALS, BOOKS, CELEBRATE, CONTEST, GRAPHIC, IDEAS, ILLUSTRATION, IMAGINATION, MEMOIR, MYSTERY, QUAHOG, READING, SUMMER, TIME, TRIP, VACATION, WRITE.

Cook’s Corner

Cheesy Rice and Olives Casserole

You’ll need:

• 1 cup enriched long-grain white rice, uncooked

• 1/2 cup stuffed green olives, sliced

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 2 cups water

What to do:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.

2. Place in a greased 2-quart casserole dish.

• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• pinch of pepper

3. Bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 45 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered. Serves 4 to 6.

7 Little Words for Kids

Use the letters in the boxes to make a word with the same meaning as the clue. The numbers in parentheses represent the number of letters in the solution. Each letter combination can be used only once, but all letter combinations will be necessary to complete the puzzle.

1. website with many videos (7)

2. fight (6)

3. water channel (5)

4. hits with a loud noise (7)

5. your shirt may have them (7)

6. small flying machine (5)

7. in the middle of (5)

buttons, drone, among.

DRO ES YOU TLE

BE BUT CR AM

Billy: What does the librarian say when he’s ready to leave?

Bethany: “Time to book!”

Eco Note

Painting black and white stripes on wind turbines could help prevent the hundreds of thousands of bird deaths caused each year by impacts with their blades. Most turbines are painted white to make them blend in with the landscape. But avian vision experts say that makes them nearly invisible to many bird species. Experts say alternating bands of black and white would create a flickering pattern that could make the turbines stand out to birds, even in low light levels.

For later:

Look in your newspaper for items about summer reading programs in your local libraries or community centers.

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

BY DAN THOMPSON

The Mini Page®

Why Williston Place?

April 28 at 2:33 p.m. — Retail theft at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Officers caught up with the vehicle. A female, age 34, and a male, age 44, were issued citations to appear in court for retail theft.

April 28 at 7:12 p.m. — While officers were out dealing with another call, they witnessed a stolen vehicle pull into a residence nearby. A female, age 35, was issued a citation to appear in court for false information to a police officer. It was also discovered that a male, age 35, had an outstanding arrest warrant. He was transported to the correctional facility.

April 29 at 1:06 a.m. — Following a traffic stop, a female, age 31, was issued a citation to appear in court for suspicion of DUI.

April 30 1:18 p.m. — Report of a male in a store who had stolen items in the past. Officers issued a notice of trespass and he was moved along.

May 1 at 12:42 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Plato’s Closet. Case is still under investigation.

May 1 at 12:47 p.m. — Retail theft reported at CVS Pharmacy. Case is still under investigation.

May 1 at 1:31 p.m. — Report that a waiter at Chili’s stole a customer’s phone. Phone was recovered and employee was issued a citation to appear in court for grand larceny.

May 2 at 2:16 a.m. — Officer came upon a broken down vehicle on the side of the interstate. After investigation, a male, age 52, was issued a citation to appear in court for suspicion of DUI, resisting arrest and driving with a criminally suspended

license.

May 2 at 2:36 p.m. — Assisted rescue with a male who overdosed. Male was transported to the hospital.

May 2 at 7:37 p.m. — Report of a male trespassing in Best Buy. Officers arrived and, after a physical altercation with the suspect and several attempts to ID the suspect, it was discovered that a male, age 45, had several outstanding arrest warrants. He was ordered to appear in court for the charges of false information to a police officer, resisting arrest, aggravated assault, violation conditions of release, simple assault and two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer. The male was transported to the correctional facility.

May 3 at 5:05 p.m. — Stolen vehicle located in the parking lot at Taft Corners. Vehicle was turned over to the Vermont State Police.

May 3 at 8:07 p.m. — Male came to the police department looking for assistance with his children. The male, age 29, was issued a citation to appear in court for violating conditions of release.

May 4 at 12:13 a.m. — Report of a disturbance in the Walmart parking lot. A male, age 38, was issued a citation to appear in court for violating conditions of release.

May 4 at 7:58 a.m. — Report of a suspicious male looking into cars on Seymour Street. Upon investigation it was discovered that the male, age 27, had active arrest warrants. He was transported to the Chittenden County Courthouse.

CROSSWORD • SOLUTION ON PAGE 22

TODAY’S HISTORY:

• In 1858, Minnesota was admitted as the 32nd U.S. state.

• In 1894, the Pullman Strike began, involving more than 3,000 Chicago railroad-car plant workers.

• In 1987, the first heart-lung transplant was successfully completed in Baltimore.

• In 1997, the IBM chess-playing computer Deep Blue defeated world champion Garry Kasparov with two wins, one loss and three draws in a six-game match.

• In 1998, the first euro coins were minted in France.

TODAY’S FACT:

• The 2-euro coin is the highest-valued euro coin, and it is the only one with writing on its edge. Each country has its own design for the edge writing on its 2-euro coin.

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.

22

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some good online dating apps or sites for retirees? I’m a 66-year-old widow and would like to find a new friend to spend time with, but don’t know where to turn.

Cautious Carol

Savvy Senior Best dating apps for retirees

Dear Carol,

Whether you’re interested in dating again or just looking for a friend to spend time with, online dating sites and apps have become an easy and convenient way for older adults to meet new single people without ever having to leave home.

And to make things even easier, most sites today use matchmaking algorithms that factor in your interests and preferences so they can steer you to matches that are best suited for you. Here are some other tips to help you get started.

Choose a site: There are dozens of different matchmaking websites and apps available

today, so choosing can be a bit confusing. Many sites offer free trials or watered-down free content, so finding out the price can be difficult until you register and provide some information.

In general, viewing complete profiles and messaging potential dates will require a monthly fee, which can range anywhere between $10 and $40 per month.

Some top mainstream sites/ apps that are popular among older adults are www.eHarmony.com, www.Match.com and www.OKCupid.com. If, however, you’re interested in more age-specific sites, some great options are www.OurTime.com

or www.SilverSingles.com.

If you have a specific kind of person you’d like to meet, there are dozens of niche sites like: www.EliteSingles.com for educated professionals; www. ChristianMingle.com for Christian singles; www.BLK-app.com for black singles; www.JSwipeApp.com for Jewish singles; and www.Facebook.com/dating for people who love Facebook.

Create a profile: When you join a matchmaking site, you’ll need to create a personality profile that reflects who you are, including recent photos, hobbies, interests, favorite activities and more. If you need some help, sites like www.ProfileHelper.com can write one for you for a fee.

Practice caution: When you register with a site, you remain anonymous. No one gets access to your personal contact information until you decide to give it out, so be prudent with to whom you give it. Before meeting, you should chat on the phone or video chat a few times, and when you do meet in person for the first time, meet in a public place or bring a friend along. And if someone asks for money or your financial

information, don’t give it out. Online dating/sweetheart scams are rampant so be very cautious.

Be skeptical: In an effort to get more responses, many people will exaggerate or flat out lie in their profiles, or post pictures that are 10 years old or 20 pounds lighter. So, don’t believe everything you see or read.

Make an effort: A lot of times, people sit back and let others come to them. Don’t be afraid to make the first move. When you find someone you like, send a short note that says, “I really enjoyed your profile. I think we have some things in common.” Keep it simple.

Don’t get discouraged: If you don’t get a response from someone, don’t let it bother you. Just move on. There are many others that will be interested in you and it only takes one person to make online dating worthwhile.

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.

Dorothy Alling Memorial

Library hours:

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

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

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

YOUTH PROGRAMS

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

BOUNCY BALL MAYHEM

Monday, May 15, 5-6 p.m. Make your own bouncy ball while learning how they work.

STORYTIME

Tuesdays, May 16 and 23, 10:30-11 a.m. Join Danielle for stories and fun. On the Town Green.

BABY TIME

Wednesday, May 17, 10:30-11 a.m. Socialize and bond with gentle activities.

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITY

Wednesday, May 17, 2-3 p.m. Have fun with a STEAM activity.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC AND PLAYTIME

Thursdays, May 18 and 25, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Enjoy music, then stay to play. On the Town Green.

TEEN D&D

Monday, May 22, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12-plus. Join our teen Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITY

Wednesday, May 24, 2-3 p.m. Enjoy making a fun craft.

LEGO TIME

Thursday, May 25, 3-4 p.m. All ages. Use the library’s LEGO collection to make something exciting.

CASUAL CRAFTING FOR KIDS

Thursday, May 25, 4-5 p.m. Stop by the library and let your imagination go wild.

MULTI-AGE PROGRAMS

FRENCH STORYTIME

Saturday, May 13, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Drop in for stories read aloud

in French.

READ TO A DOG (LOLA)

Thursday, May 18, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Call to register for a 10-minute time slot to read to Lola the Therapy Dog.

READ TO A DOG (EMMA)

Tuesday, May 23, 4-5 p.m. Call to register for a 10-minute time slot to read to Emma the Therapy Dog.

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS

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

ADULT MEDITATION (ONLINE)

Fridays, May 12 and 19, 1212:30 p.m. Reconnect with your peaceful body and breath.

MAH JONGG

Fridays, May 12 and 19, 1-3 p.m. Drop in for this popular tile game.

WRITE TIME WITH MARY ANN FULLER YOUNG

Friday, May 12, 1:15-2:45 p.m. at South Burlington Public Library (DAML patrons welcome). Drop by to explore the craft of writing in a supportive environment.

FRENCH CONVERSATION

Saturday, May 13, 10:45-11:45 a.m. All abilities are welcome.

BOOK CLUB BUFFET (ONLINE)

Tuesday, May 16, 12:30-1:30 p.m. “Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf. Available from the library in print and in Libby (Overdrive).

COOK THE BOOK

Wednesday, May 17, 12-1 p.m. “Milk Street: Tuesday Nights Mediterranean” by Christopher Kimball. Stop by the library to copy a recipe and then bring what you’ve made to share at our potluck.

SPANISH CONVERSATION (ONLINE)

Wednesday, May 17, 5-6 p.m. Brush up on your Spanish with teacher Elliott Lafferty.

TECH TUTOR

Thursday, May 18, 4-6 p.m. Call to reserve your half hour slot to get help with your tech questions.

BROWN BAG BOOK CLUB

Tuesday, May 23, 12:30-1:30 p.m. “Properties of Thirst” by Marianne Wiggins examines the moral cost of a Japanese-American internment camp. The author will be joining over Zoom for the discussion. Available in print from the library.

CURRENT EVENTS DISCUSSION

Wednesday, May 24, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Drop in to discuss newsworthy topics.

LIFE STORIES WE LOVE TO TELL (ONLINE)

Wednesday, May 24, 2-3:30 p.m. Maryellen Crangle will provide a prompt to guide the group in choosing a story to share.

FAIR HOUSING DISCUSSION

Wednesday, May 24, 6:30-7:30 p.m. The Williston Community Justice Center will host a panel discussion about fair housing in Vermont. For background, read “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City” by Matthew Desmond (copies available at the library and in Libby (Overdrive).

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.

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Job includes photography, research and customer service. Both in-office and local driving to appointments/tasks. Must be enthusiastic, efficient, enjoy meeting and working with the public and have a good driving record. Friendly work environment. Company vehicle provided. Please send your resume to info@nancyjenkins.com.

140 Kennedy Dr, Suite 102 South Burlington, VT 05403 802.846.4888 info@nancyjenkins.com NancyJenkins.com

Community Bankers – Chittenden County

Temporary Positions Available

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

There is no better time to join our Team!

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

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 Temporary 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!

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

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

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

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

PUZZLE FOUND ON PAGE 19

Communications and Outr each Coor dinator City of South Burlington, Vermont

OUR MUNICIPALITY

South Burlington is home to over 20,000 residents and lies at the heart of Chittenden County, Vermont. The second largest city in the state, South Burlington is comprised of five districts rich with residential, economic, and recreation vitality. More than 170 employees of the municipality serve the community to make it one of the best places to live, work, and visit. Governed by a City Council of five citizens and operated under the direction of a City Manager, the FY23 operating budget is $52.5 M. South Burlington is a growing community with a commitment to building a vibrant downtown – City Center –and providing exceptional municipal services.

JOB SUMMARY

The Communications and Outreach Coordinator plays a vital role in delivering timely and strategic messaging to the residents and businesses of South Burlington. Listening, engaging, and receiving information and feedback from our community is also imperative to the success of this position. This position is a member of the City Manager’s team. Key duties include collaborating with City Departments to develop and implement communication strategies, development of informational materials, engagement of residents to understand the interest of the community, and clear and effective delivery of city-wide messaging. The Communications and Outreach Coordinator is responsible for the city’s website, brand, and brand management, as well as, the training and coaching of all staff to best communicate with our constituents.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

A combination of education and experience in communications, marketing, and outreach. A minimum of three years of experience in public messaging and marketing with some personal or professional experience in local government preferred.

TO APPLY

Review of applications will begin April 24, 2023.

To learn more detail about these positions, see a detailed job description and apply, please visit our job opportunities website: https://southburlingtonvt.gov/jobopportunities

Apply Today – To apply today, please send a City employment application form, confidential cover letter, resume, and three references to:

US MAIL: Daisy Brayton, HR Director, 180 Market St., South Burlington, VT 05403

EMAIL: sbcityjobs@southburlingtonvt.gov with “Communications and Outreach Coordinator” in the subject line

CLASSIFIEDS GARAGE SALE

OAK KNOLL ROAD — Vintage collectibles, floor wood, wine/glass rack, lots of other stuff. Down sizing. Something for everyone. May 12 - 13, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 459 Oak Knoll Road, Williston.

FOR SALE

4 CROSS CONTACT LX SPORT

ALL SEASON TIRES — Size is 235765/R18. Only 7,000 miles. $300 total for all 4. Call 802-878-0405 to speak with Penny or Bill.

SERVICES

JACK OF ALL TRADES / HANDY

MAN— Looking for work that needs to be done? I have plenty of experience in landscaping, carpentry, construction, snow removal, tree cutting and removal, painting and sanding, lawn equipment repair, and gardening, haul and moving, pressure washing etc. Give me a call at 802-3436655.

SPRING

FIREARMS

Simulcast Auction

Sat., May 13 @ 9AM 131 Dorset Lane, Williston, VT

SPORTING RELATED

Online Auction Close Sun., May 14 @ 10AM 131 Dorset Lane, Williston, VT

THCAuction.com

 800-474-6132

to these local businesses for supporting our Town Fair!

Williston Coffee Shop

Village Hardware

Williston