In his first year as the Champlain Valley School District’s director of behavior systems, Evan Sivo has gathered some sobering data about the current state of local schools.
The CVU baseball team celebrates its third state championship in four years after beating Mount Anthony 6-0 on Saturday in Burlington. See story, Page 9.
Would you like to know how much time your kid spends online while at school?
The Champlain Valley School District would, too.
School administrators made a first attempt this year to create a screen time log across a sampling of K-8 classrooms. In kindergarten through fourth grade, teachers were asked to report total screen time during the day; in middle school classrooms, students were asked to
self-report.
Screen time was defined to include when each student was using their own device and when a classroom used a digital tool together, like when a video was projected to the group or when a special guest Zoomed in by video-conference.
Bonnie Birdsall, the district’s director of digital learning, said she is keeping the results private for now but offered that total time online “is actually less than we thought.”
“It’s not really conclusive,” she said. “It’s something we are
definitely committed to further exploring and are looking at other ways we can gather that data without putting it on people to self-assess.”
Administrators hope to eventually have accurate screen time accounting across all grades.
“An important element of this is … are (teachers) aware of what’s happening in each other’s classes to get a sense of, cumulatively, what does that look like during a day for a student,” said Birdsall. “Those are the kinds of questions we’re asking and try
Sivo reported to the school board in May that absences among staff have hit an all-time high this school year with an average of about 1,100 a month. At the same time — likely both a cause and an effect of the staff absences — instances of problematic student behavior (physical aggression, for example) are also higher than ever.
“We are in survival mode on a lot of days,” Sivo, the district’s first full-time director of behavior systems, told the board. “There are days where I look at the (staff) absences list and I’m like, ‘whoa. What are we going to do? How are we going to get through this day?’”
Staff absences first skyrocketed last school year, reaching a total of 12,578, nearly double pre-pandemic levels. Through April of this year, staff absences total nearly 11,000. The absences have led to daily shifting of staff responsibilities and increased substitute teaching, and it is layered on existing unfilled para-educator positions. The inconsistencies are weighing on the school environment and af-
fecting student behavior, Sivo said.
“When the people who are supposed to be running the system are stressed, how do our students respond,” he asked. “If the adults are not well and they can’t take care of themselves, how can they take care of our kids?”
Incidents of problematic student behavior that rise to a certain level are “written up” in a report that goes to a school-wide information system (SWIS). The number of SWIS reports being filed is up about 22 percent from last school year, Sivo said. The most frequent category of problematic behavior in reported incidents is physical aggression, he added.
According to his report to the board, there have been an average of 25 such incidents each day through the district’s five K-8 schools this year. The total number of K-8 incidents through April of this year (3,942) already surpasses last year’s total of 3,709. During the pre-pandemic year of 2018-2019, the number of incidents was 3,213.
Sivo said teachers are reporting “behaviors they’ve never seen before.”
About 27 percent of the total student population has been written up at least once, he added.
“We are stuck in a reactive system where people are see TECH page 20 see STRESS page 20
Shrimp
A display at Williston’s Dorothy Alling Memorial Library through the end of June features art on the theme of peace created by students at the S. Vasylkivskyi Children’s Art School located in Izyum in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. The artwork comes to the library via the Fermata Foundation, which seeks to develop cultural exchanges between New England cities and former Soviet cities.
Local Motion’s Chittenden County Traveling E-Bike Lending Library will be in Williston from June 14 to the end of July. Borrowers will be able to check out an e-bike for five days from the Williston Town Hall Annex to explore how these bikes can replace car trips and transform daily transportation. The fleet includes a variety of bikes at different price points, including Radwagon, RadCity and Trek Verve+2, all with an electric assist that helps riders get around with less effort.
To reserve a bike visit https://www.localmotion.org/chittenden_county_traveling_lending_library
Contact Andrew Plumb at aplumb@ willistonvt.org or 802-878-6704 with any questions.
Celebrating sheep at Rokeby Sheep & Wool Day returns to Rokeby Museum on Saturday, June 17 from noon3 p.m. Sheep farming transformed the historic economy and landscape of Vermont in the early 1800s. At the time, the flock at Rokeby numbered 1,500.
This free and family-friendly event will feature sheep, spinning demonstrations with The Burroughs Garret, printing demonstrations with A Revolutionary Press, wool products from Hands & Heart Farm, an instrument ’petting zoo’ with Young Tradition Vermont, crafts and lawn games, children’s history talks and a story walk on the Green Trail.
Rokeby Museum is located on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh. For more information visit https://rokeby.org/.
The ‘American Pickers’ return to Vermont in August to film episodes of The History Channel television series. The documentary-style series follows skilled “pickers” as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques with a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten historically significant objects while learning about people, their stories and American folk history.
If you or someone you know has a unique item or story to tell, and is ready to sell, email americanpickers@cineflix. com or call (646) 493-2184.
BY TAYLOR ANTONIOLI Special to the Observer
In the play “Little Shop of Horrors,” Audrey II, a sentient and carnivorous plant, claims in defiance of its caretaker, Seymour Krelborn, “If I can talk, and I can move, who’s to say I can’t do anything I want?”
Williston’s own Helen Weston took a bit of that “who’s to say?” attitude and put it into building the Williston Community Theatre. When asked what her mission is for the theater, she summarized it as “(a) mission to bring people together. When we get together, no matter our backgrounds we can do great things.”
She also shared that part of theater’s mission is to protect the environment, as they give any excess revenue to a different environmental organization each year. The theater is a part of the “First: Earth Project”
founded by Weston, a non-profit that, according to the Isham Family Farm website, “promotes and unites the community, performing arts and the natural environment.”
June 22 is the premier of the Williston Community Theatre’s version of “Little Shop of Horrors,” a play adaptation of the 1986 musical-horror movie by Howard Ashman featuring a man-eating plant. Seymour, the meek assistant for a flower shop in the bad part of town, pines for his coworker, Audrey, and hopes to impress her with this “strange and interesting plant,” as he calls it, which he then names after her. Despite it bringing success for the shop, it comes at a price. The Audrey II has a taste for blood and is willing to force Seymour into doing whatever it takes to get it.
Kyla Paul, director of the theater since November 2022, said that the-
ater members decided on the play because of its classic nature, fun music, and the 1960s nostalgia. They also determined that the limited requirements for set and cast worked for the small stage in the Isham family’s barn.
Paul said that those working on the play, such as herself, wanted to put their own spin on it while attempting not to change it dramatically. With gender-inclusive casting and a “glow-up” on the puppets used to create the Audrey II, Paul hopes to create a memorable impression on the audience and get them excited for more shows in the future. The theater’s ticket page describes their version as a “delicious sci-fi smash about a man-eating plant, boy meets girl. All wrapped up in a moral tragedy.”
There are three shows from June 22-24. Tickets are on sale at www. sevendaystickets.com.
BY JASON STARR Observer staff
It’s a week of grand openings on Cottonwood Drive.
Below a cluster of apartments with more on the way, the newly minted road off Route 2 in the Cottonwood Crossing development is now fully lined with street-level businesses.
Community Bank kicked things off in 2020, moving in its corporate offices and a local branch as the first phase of Cottonwood Crossing began construction to become the first commer-
cial element of the neighborhood.
A year later, Jr’s brought a second location of its long-established Italian restaurant, complete with a bar and gameroom. More recently, a flurry of tenant signings culminates this week with the opening of three health-and-wellness-oriented businesses: Align Cycling, The Body Lab pilates studio and Greene Mountain Nutrition and Smoothies.
Along with Allen Pools and Spas, Champion Comics and Coffee, Vermont Integrative MD (Dr. Sepinoud Basil), Sante Salon and a Canon sales office, which all opened over the past several
months, the first-floor commercial space in the first phase of the neighborhood is full.
“It’s exciting. I think we have a nice synergy of businesses here,” said Rory Malone, owner of Champion Comics and Coffee, which, at seven months, is one of the longer-tenured businesses on the street.
Newly arriving business owners, like Sarah DeGray of Align Cycling and Ryan Greene of Greene Mountain Nutrition and Smoothies, have been getting to know each other as they put the
see COTTONWOOD page 8
After many year’s serving hamburgers, fries and hot dogs at the annual Champlain Valley Fair, Al’s French Frys announced last week it will no longer staff a booth at the 10-day end-of-summer celebration.
Al’s will continue to operate its other locations, including its flagship restaurant in South Burlington.
“With the rising costs of doing business and our success opening in communities throughout the state, we realized we couldn’t be in multiple places at once,” Al’s owner Bill Bissonette said.
“This decision, while a tough one, is best for Al’s French Frys. The Champlain Valley Fair continues to be a big part of our hearts, and I look forward to returning as a fairgoer with my grandchildren this August.”
Jeff Bartley, marketing director of the Champlain Valley Exposition, said, “We are actively working with our concessionaires on filling the booths formerly occupied by Al’s French Frys and have a few new food options we look forward to (announcing) in the coming weeks.”
He worked in the mountain operations department while in high school and college.
“I am super stoked to go full circle and be part of the Bolton Valley team again,” he said. “I am proud to be here and look forward to doing my part to build on the positive momentum at BV.”
Minority-Owned Business of the Year
CQ Strategies, Burlington
Microenterprise of the Year
Vermont Gatherings, Essex Junction
Veteran-Owned Business of the Year
Parro’s Gun Shop, Waterbury
Woman-Owned Business of the Year
Junapr, Charlotte
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
QOR360, Burlington
The Vermont Department of Labor is
offering $400,000 in funding for “WorkBased Learning and Training” internships. These grants are open to all Vermont employers. Applications will be accepted through June 30.
“Internships are a valuable way for students and other members of Vermont’s workforce to gain real-world experience and develop skills that will help them succeed in the workforce,” Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington said. “This program will help more Vermont employers offer quality internships to the benefit of students, businesses and the state’s economy.”
Employers can apply at https://labor.vermont.gov/workforce-development/grants.
Bolton Valley Resort has announced the appointment of Eric DesLauriers as mountain operations director. DesLauriers, the son of Bolton founder Ralph DesLauriers, spent the previous 15 years at Palisades Tahoe leading its freeride ski team. Eric will join his sister, CEO Lindsay DesLauriers, and brothers Rob and Adam on the management team.
In his new role, Eric will oversee all aspects of mountain operations, including ski patrol, lift operations, lift mechanics, grounds, vehicle and property maintenance, snowmaking, grooming, mountain bike trail crew, and mountain safety programs.
Business leaders from across Vermont gathered last Thursday in Burlington to celebrate Sen. Patrick Leahy’s career and contributions to the Vermont economy. Hosted by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the event provided an opportunity for business leaders to thank Leahy and his wife Marcelle for their impact on Vermont.
“There are a lot of things that we do not miss about Washington, but I do miss being an advocate for Vermont,” Leahy said. “That was one of the most satisfying and rewarding parts of serving as a United States Senator and what a majority of my staff worked on each and every day.”
On June 15, the U.S. Small Business Administration will celebrate this year’s Vermont SBA award winners with cocktails and a reception at Zenbarn in Waterbury. Winners are:
Small Business Persons of the Year
Chris and Cortney Keene
Keene Perspectives, Hartford
Exporter of the Year
Advanced Conversion, Barre
Family-Owned Business of the Year
Boston Tailoring & Cleaners, St. Albans
At his weekly press conference on May 17, Gov. Phil Scott delivered startling news: Legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2023 would cost Vermonters “roughly $1,200 per household per year.”
Wow! Good thing that’s not true.
In making his calculation, the governor tallied up four items, including a $100 million payroll tax (true), $20 million in DMV fees (true), $30 million in property tax pressure (maybe), and at least $180 million in potential clean heat mandates (false).
If you divide that total ($330 million) by the number of Vermont households (262,000), bingo: That’s $1,259.
That’s a lot of money, especially at a time when many Vermonters feel they are falling farther and farther behind. So, before we drop those imaginary invoices in the mail, we should check the math.
Payroll tax: The Legislature passed a landmark childcare bill this year, one of our top priorities. Childcare is a public good: It supports kids, families, businesses and our economy by allowing parents to work. But across Vermont, families can’t find spots or afford tuition, while childcare centers struggle to pay their staff and keep their doors open.
H.217, which passed by overwhelming multi-partisan votes in both House and Senate, offers a fiscally responsible solution. It will expand subsidies to make childcare more affordable for more families, provide financial stability for providers and boost pay for our valued early childhood educators. We’ll pay for this expansion through a payroll tax that kicks in on July 1, 2024 and will be shared by employers (0.33 percent) and employees (0.11 percent).
Here’s an example, based on statewide averages provided by our nonpartisan Joint Fiscal Office: Right now, a four-person
family with an infant and toddler receiving full-time care at a center-based childcare program — and an income of $105,300 — is not eligible for subsidy. They’re spending approximately $35,204 a year out-of-pocket for childcare, approximately $677 per week. With the passage of H.217, this family would become eligible for subsidies with an estimated
co-pay of $225 per week, saving more than $23,500 a year on childcare. Starting in 2024, this same family would pay an additional $115 for the year through the new payroll tax.
Property Tax: The “$30 million in property tax pressure” refers to Universal School Meals, an extremely popular program that provides every student with a nutritious breakfast and lunch — free of charge — at every public school.
Funded entirely by the federal government during the pandemic, Vermont schools strongly support continuing this program. They say it erases cafeteria stigma and is a game-changer for kids’ nutrition, health, behavior and readiness to learn.
In the upcoming year, the estimated $29 million will be cov-
ered by a surplus in the Education Fund. After that, it could mean about 3 cents on the property tax rate. But the program costs are expected to drop by as much as onethird, due to changes in the way schools are partially reimbursed for meals by the feds.
We don’t assess family income or charge extra fees for textbooks, riding the bus or the extra support many students need to learn. Why would we charge anyone extra for the most basic part of any child’s day — a meal?
Taken together, families will benefit significantly from these two programs, saving money on both childcare and school meals.
DMV Fees: The Department of Motor Vehicles hasn’t raised
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If the cost of home heating goes up next winter, it’ll be for the same reason as always: a volatile global oil market.
While July Fourth is generally a favorite holiday for people, it can be very stressful and dangerous for pets. Fireworks shows, barbecues and the heat of the day all pose risks for our companion animals.
Dogs, cats, horses and even livestock can react to fireworks in ways that could potentially cause injury and even death. During upcoming celebrations, never leave pets alone outdoors, even if tethered or in a fenced-in yard. It’s not uncommon for dogs to escape or injure themselves in a frenzied attempt to escape July Fourth noise. In fact, many animal shelters report increases in stray intakes after the holiday due to the number of pets running away to avoid noise and excitement.
If you are planning on attending a fireworks celebration, keep pets at home. A good idea is to keep small pets indoors, in an interior room without windows.
Protect pets from kids who may not realize the consequences of waving sparklers or setting off home fireworks.
People like to feed pets treats at barbecues or picnics, but grapes, chocolate, onions and garlic can be toxic to pets. Be aware that some animals may try to jump up and get food off of outdoor grills. This can lead to severe burns, so keep them away from temptation.
Finally, since it is summer, it may get too warm or humid for pets at a party. They should be kept inside when it’s extremely hot out, and they should always have access to shade and water when outdoors. Don’t leave them outside at a party unattended as they may start to show signs of heat stroke, which can be life-threatening.
If you have concerns about your animals during July Fourth celebrations, talk with your veterinarian about the best ways to keep your pets safe.
Erin Forbes Mountain View Animal Hospital Essex JunctionI’m writing to acknowledge our Williston Representatives, Erin Brady and Angela Arsenault, for their support for the permanent Universal School Meals bill that is now on its way to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk — and especially Rep. Brady
for her leadership over the past three years to make sure that no student in Williston, or anywhere in Vermont, will ever again learn what hunger feels like at school.
Their efforts have placed Vermont among the few states that have implemented universal school meals. This accomplishment speaks volumes about the dedication of our elected officials to prioritize the well-being of our children and families.
Many hardworking families are struggling to get by but are just over the federal poverty line, making them ineligible for many lifeline programs like free school meals. In Vermont, there are at least 25,000 school-age children in this very situation.
These students live in households that are not eligible for free or reduced-price school meals because their income is above 185 percent of the federal poverty level, but below Vermont’s Joint Fiscal Office’s basic needs budget estimates for most family sizes. This means that their families are struggling to make ends meet but are not eligible for the same level of support as those below the poverty line.
I urge Gov. Scott to enact the Universal School Meals Bill into law. This is a critical piece of legislation that will have a positive impact on the lives of so many Vermonters. I hope that the governor will see the value in this bill and take action to make it a reality, as Vermont’s citizen legislature has already done.
Anore Horton Executive director Hunger Free Vermont Williston
Saving for retirement should be easy, but tens of thousands of Vermont workers lack access to a workplace retirement plan.
Many of these workers are not saving a penny for retirement, and this is a major threat to Vermont’s economic future. That’s why I am so excited S.135 (VT Saves) has been signed into law by Gov. Phil Scott after unanimously passing the Legislature.
VT Saves establishes a retirement savings plan for Vermonters who are not currently offered a retirement plan through their employer. It’s designed to make saving for retirement easy and auto -
matic, at no cost to employers and no ongoing cost to taxpayers.
The program will automatically enroll workers who do not have access to a retirement plan through their employer in a Roth IRA account. By automatically enrolling workers, we hope to promote participation in the program and make it easier for people to start saving.
Contributions to the account will be deducted automatically from workers’ paychecks, making it a hassle-free way to save and invest for retirement. Employees can set their own contribution rate — or use the program default — and can opt out of the program if
they choose. Employees can also choose from a simple menu of investment options, including lowfee target date funds that automatically rebalance over time.
Saving for retirement can be daunting, especially for individuals just starting their careers and particularly when other bills are competing for your take-home pay. VT Saves will help tens of thousands of Vermonters save for retirement and achieve financial security. I encourage all eligible Vermonters to participate when the program takes effect in July 2025.
Mike Pieciak Vermont state treasurerNotice is hereby given that the Champlain Valley School District (formerly Chittenden South Supervisory Union) including the towns of Charlotte, Hinesburg, St. George, Shelburne, and Williston intends to destroy the special education records of all students who exited from any special education program during the 2017-2018 school year.
A permanent record of the student’s name, address, phone number, grades, attendance record, and year completed is maintained without time limitation.
Any former student, who has reached 18 years of age, may review and/or receive these records upon request. Also, any parent of a student who is 18 years of age or older, who has retained parental rights, may obtain these records.
Please contact the Champlain Valley Union High School Special Services Office at (802) 482-7115 by July 31, 2023. If no student, parent, or guardian responds to this public notice prior to or by July 31, 2023, the school district will assume consent to destroy the entire record specific to the student.
finishing touches on their spaces in preparation for opening their doors this week.
“Before I even signed my lease I was introducing myself to the people who were here,” DeGray said. “It’s been really fun because a lot of us are in a similar stage and we’re just walking in and out of each other’s spaces. It’s shaping up to be a really nice community.”
Future phases of Cottonwood
Crossing will bring more residential and commercial space. The project is owned by Allen Brook Development of South Burlington.
“Williston is the center of Vermont,” said Jr’s owner Bogdan Andreescu, whose original restaurant operates in Winooski. “It’s a nice area for young professionals and families and it’s going to do nothing but expand, expand, expand.
“It’s a good place to do business.
I love it,” he added. “The more businesses that are here, the more people come, the more people see my place. It’s nothing but good things.”
DeGray’s indoor cycling and fitness studio is a reincarnation of Rev Indoor Cycling, which she originally opened on the South End of Burlington in 2012. A pandemic-forced hiatus gave her the opportunity to reimagine the business.
“This concept is really an evolution,” she said. “It is a culmination of all the things I’ve learned in the last decade of business — the good and the bad. It feels like a fresh start, but we have 10 years of history and I have clients and a community that is excited to evolve with us.”
Next to Align, Ryan Greene has just hung the sign for Greene Mountain Nutrition and Smoothies, marking the second location for a business he started in 2016 in Essex with a focus on nutritional products and smoothies.
The Cottonwood Crossing space will have more of a dine-in feel, with smoothies, smoothie bowls and seating.
“With Align going in and the Body Lab going in, it’s perfect,” Greene said. “This has become a little fitness-oriented complex.”
The one Cottonwood business that is a bit of an outlier is Canon. The big red logo is recognizable, but the business isn’t focused on foot traffic; no operating hours are posted, and doors were closed Tuesday. According to Malone, the space appears to be a regional hub for sales and leases of Canon copiers and other office products.
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continued from page 6
its fees since 2016. This has contributed to a $14 million structural deficit in our Transportation Fund, which pays for things like paving roads, building bridges, plowing and public transportation. For most Vermonters, this will mean a $6 increase in the driver’s license fee and a $15 increase in car registration fees.
Raising fees occasionally to keep pace with inflation is good governance, plain and simple.
“Potential” Clean Heat Mandates: In May, the Legislature passed S.5, the Affordable Heat Act. It’s a proposed measure that could help a lot of Vermonters transition away from price-volatile fossil fuels over time — for example, by weatherizing a drafty home or installing heat pumps. But offering incentives to Vermonters could also mean that fuel prices go up.
How much? We need to find out. So instead of putting this program into place, S.5 commits the state to an intensive two-year fact-finding and design process. We’ll get the facts through impartial studies and draft the rules that would govern the proposed program.
All of this information will come back to the Legislature in 2025 to consider next steps. The House and Senate could approve
the program, revise it a little or a lot or stop it completely if the evidence shows it won’t benefit Vermonters. It can’t move forward unless it clears these hurdles, and the earliest it would begin its gradual rollout is 2026.
So, as passed in 2023, S.5 does not raise the price of heating fuel or impose any mandates on Vermonters. If the cost of home heating goes up next winter, it’ll be for the same reason as always: a volatile global oil market.
We hate negative politics, and we don’t much like the punch-counterpunch approach. But while we can and should debate the merits of any particular bill or policy, the conversation has to be based on facts instead of sound bites.
These policies are fiscally responsible both in the short and longterm. The investments they make will help us to build stronger families, schools, communities and stable state government, while making life more affordable for many Vermonters.
So here’s the good news: Having checked the math, your $1,200 invoice will not be arriving in the mail.
Reps. Kathleen James and Seth Bongartz represent the Bennington-4 district in the Vermont Legislature. This column originally appeared in the Manchester Journal.
Family owned since 1967
Talk about peaking at the right moment.
The CVU baseball team put together a near-perfect game at the perfect moment to capture the Division I state championship on Saturday, beating Mount Anthony 6-0 at Centennial Field in Burlington.
First the team’s offense went to work, scoring six runs in the first two innings to grab control
The Redhawks got things going in the first inning, hitting back-to-back-to-back singles to score two runs and jump out to a quick lead. Robbie Fragola, Travis Stroh and Zach Santos all had hits to get CVU on the board.
Stroh then helped the Redhawks take full control in the second, hitting a three-run home run over the left field wall to extend the score to 6-0.
“You want to be in control when you’re playing baseball and that’s when we’re at our best,” Elderton said. “That second inning really showed kind of who we are as a team — there’s nobody on and two outs and we put up four runs.’
“The two-out rallies,” he continued, “we did that a lot this year and it just shows how much each kid competes.”
Rickert then took over on the mound, making a six-run lead feel insurmountable. The junior pitcher had a no-hitter through five innings and allowed just one hit in the complete game performance.
“We know Steven is going to battle and he is such a competitor,” Elderton said. “That focus he has on the mound, it really shows the rest of the team. Our defense on Saturday was making all the plays for him. He didn’t strike out many guys but the defense had his back.”
Stroh was 2-for-3 with four RBIs for the Redhawks. Robbie Fragola added a hit and two runs. Zach Santos, Calvin Steele, Kyle Tivnan and Lewis Kerest all had hits for CVU.
of the early momentum. Then the Redhawks turned the ball over to pitcher Stephen Rickert, who turned the six-run lead into a stranglehold with a complete game, one-hit performance.
“Our game plan going in and when we were most successful all year was when we got out in front early,” said CVU coach Nicky Elderton. “Our hitting came together the last handful of games. We finally put a complete game together where we got great pitching, great hitting, the base-running was awesome and our fielding was great as well.”
It is CVU’s third title in four years and the first under Elderton.
“At the end of the day, we knew what we had to do and we executed the game plan,” Elderton said. “We put a full game together and it was pretty amazing to watch them play.”
“We finally put a complete game together where we got great pitching, great hitting, the base-running was awesome and our fielding was great as well.”
Nicky EldertonCVU
baseball coach
Burr and Burton scored in a second overtime period to beat CVU 15-14 in the Division I girls lacrosse state title game Saturday at the Uni-
versity of Vermont’s Virtue Field.
It was perhaps the best lacrosse game of the season.
“It still kind of stings,” said CVU coach Tucker Pierson. “Overall I know it’s a great sports moment and it’s good for girls lacrosse and it’s very exciting and I’m very proud of my team. But yeah, it’s a little tough.”
CVU scored with 2 seconds re-
“SUNDAE MAN” has been making treats for anxious families for decades, though his reason has remained a mystery. This children’s storybook illustrates lifelong family bonds and offers reassurance concerning time spent apart from loved ones.
maining in regulation to send the game into overtime, and missed two scoring opportunities in the first overtime. The Bulldogs capitalized on their chance late in the second overtime on a goal by Paige Samuelson. The Bulldog star had five goals and one assist to lead all scorers,
“We knew that (Paige) is really hard to stop,” Pierson said. “She is a really good player. We just weren’t able to stop her.”
The Redhawks’ performance in the final was the next step for a program that has been climbing the ranks of Division I since Pierson took over eight years ago. CVU last won a girls lacrosse title in 2005.
Montpelier 12, CVU 10: The CVU boys ultimate frisbee team fell to No. 5 Montpelier in the Division I state championship on Saturday at South Burlington High School.
DJ Steinman and Victor Colon each had three goals for the Redhawks, who lost only one game during the regular season. Brendan Fellows and Thomas Garavelli each tallied twice for CVU.
It was the first appearance for CVU in the D-I title game. The team has bowed out in the semifinals the last two seasons.
CVU’s Marlie Cartwright scores the game-tying goal with less than 20 seconds to go sending the game into overtime during the Redhawks’ D-1 Championship overtime loss to the Burr and Burton Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon at UVM’s Virtue Field.
Stowe 4, CVU 3: The CVU girls tennis team dropped three early matches in the Division I state championship last Thursday and could not recover in a loss to Stowe.
The Raiders won the first four singles matches to beat the Redhawks and clinch the program’s third D-I title in a row.
Erin Fina got a 6-0, 6-1 win in No. 5 singles after Stowe had clinched the title, while CVU got wins in both doubles matches. Addie Maurer and Ariel Toohey got a 6-3, 6-1 win in the No. 1 doubles match, while Eliza Willoughby and Victoria Chyra won 6-3, 7-5 in No. 2 doubles.
BY ETHAN TAPPER Special to the Observer
While some people call all evergreen trees “pines,” pines are actually a distinct group of closely related trees in the Pinus genus. While Vermont is home to four species of native pines, the two most common are Eastern white pine and red pine.
Of these two species, white pine is by far the most common, the most charismatic, the most valuable and the most celebrated. Red pine, on the other hand, is a more idiosyncratic tree — the under-appreciated younger sibling of the pine world.
To me, the foliage of white pines looks soft and cloud-like, comprised of thin, delicate needles in clusters (fascicles) of five. While healthy white pines usually have straight, columnar trunks, many have multiple stems as a result of damage from the white pine weevil — a native insect that attacks white pine trees growing in the open. By comparison, red pines look like bottlebrushes, with a single, arrow-straight trunk topped with a tuft of coarse-looking foliage — relatively thick, brittle needles in fascicles of two. Red pine bark is distinctive too. It’s an extremely flaky mosaic of pink, red and grey that looks a bit like broken slate.
Like our white pines, most of Vermont’s red pines are legacies of historic land use. Whereas most white pine trees are “volunteers,” growing on abandoned agricultural land, nearly all of our red pines are planted stands (plantations). Red pine was widely planted in the early-1900’s, with many plantations established by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and 1940s. More red pine was planted in the mid-1900s, as white pine blister rust swept across North America. Red pine was lauded as a resistant alternative to white pine.
As late as the 1960s and 1970s, farm -
ers in Vermont were incentivized to convert old fields into red pine plantations. In the early-1900s, plantations were considered the height of responsible forestry, a way to grow timber quickly and efficiently while stabilizing soils and protecting water supplies. Today, for a variety of reasons, healthy red pine plantations are the exception, not the rule, and plantation forestry is largely seen as an antiquated and ineffective method of growing trees and forests.
Area’s Libby’s Look Trail and the Sunny Hollow Natural Area in Colchester.
While red pine provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, my favorite example is the way it is used by black bears, which rub on red pines, claw them and bite them, using them as territorial markers. The next time you see an individual red pine tree in the woods, look for bitemarks and clawmarks. In my experience, you will nearly always find them.
At a time when the future of our forests depends on bolstering resilience and reducing vulnerability, plantations are nearly the opposite of the forests that we need. They are monocultures extremely vulnerable to pests, pathogens, catastrophic natural disturbances and the many effects of climate change. In many cases, the most responsible action with respect to wildlife habitat, biodiversity protection, carbon and climate resilience is to use forest management to transition red pine plantations into diverse, multiaged forests.
In Vermont, unplanted red pine is somewhat uncommon. It can be found scattered across south-facing slopes and dry sites, often growing with red oak, red maple, red spruce, white pine and beech. Red pine is a component of several uncommon natural communities, usually found on thin-soiled ridgetops, like at the top of the Preston Pond Conservation
Red pine, like most pine species, is fire-adapted, considered an indicator of forests that may have historically burned. Fire creates two conditions that benefit red pine: soil scarification (the removal of leaf litter, exposing the mineral soil beneath) and large canopy openings (red pine is intolerant of shade). While fire is uncommon on our landscape today, we can create these conditions by managing some forests in the summertime, when dragging trees and the tires of logging equipment can create scarification, and by making some larger openings. Doing these things will encourage red pine, as well as a whole suite of trees, shrubs and plants that are adapted to these same conditions.
Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden County Forester for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Read more of his writings at https:// linktr.ee/ChittendenCountyForester.
The next time you see an individual red pine tree in the woods, look for bitemarks and clawmarks. In my experience, you will nearly always find them.
Many homegrown fruits and vegetables require pollination to develop fruit and seeds.
Approximately 75 percent of all food crops grown in the United States depend on bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators. However, pollinator populations worldwide are decreasing due to habitat loss, disease and environmental contaminants.
We can all support pollinators by creating hospitable areas in our home gardens. Beyond choosing pollinator-friendly plants, add features to your garden that will encourage pollinators to visit and stay. A welcoming pollinator space benefits both the pollinators and your garden.
A diverse selection of native plants is the backbone of a hospitable pollinator garden. When choosing plants, look for a variety of colors and flower shapes. Group a few of each type together. This helps pollinators find what they are looking for and forage efficiently.
Ideally, you will have flowers blooming throughout the season. Consider this when making selections.
For help, check out the “Vermont Pollinator Habitat Plant Palette” on the Gardening Resources page of the University of Vermont Extension Community Horticulture website (http://go.uvm.edu/garden-resources). Click on “Pollinators.” This resource lists plants by flower color, bloom time and the pollinators that each
attracts.
Pollinators also need a water source. This can be as simple as a shallow pan with water. Add stones or marbles for them to land on while drinking. Change the water every few days to avoid pests laying eggs.
At the end of the gardening season, leave some plant material on the ground for nesting sites. Leaf litter, piles of sticks and uncut grass are desirable overwintering locations. When cutting back dead plants, cut to a few inches above the ground. The hollow stalks provide winter shelter.
Some pollinators may enjoy a more formal nesting site. Bee boxes, bat boxes and bug hotels add visual interest to the garden and provide shelter and nesting space for pollinators. Many can be constructed easily from found materials and require little maintenance.
Instead of using pesticides and chemical fertilizers in your lawn and garden, try to manage pests naturally. This is more time-consuming, but pollinators and your soil will benefit greatly.
Prevention is the key here. Planning for crop rotation, companion planting, paying attention to insect life cycles and using barriers are all tools that can be used successfully to avoid the need for pesticides and chemical fertilizers. These strategies are known as Integrated Pest Management or IPM.
The lack of oversight and certification requirements for builders related to energy efficient construction techniques has led to buildings that structurally fail, builders told lawmakers last month. For example, improper use of spray foam insulation has caused building structures to rot, causing devastation for homeowners, VTDigger recently reported.
BY EMMA COTTON VTDigger
In May, a group of builders and architects took a somewhat unusual step: They asked Vermont lawmakers and state government officials to increase regulation and oversight of their industry.
Requirements created by a new proposed building energy code, they argued, could become dangerous for homeowners and tenants unless contractors and builders have more training and oversight while they attempt to meet the standards.
Last Thursday, the state’s Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules, or LCAR, appeared to heed the builders’ concerns. Members voted to move forward with a new residential building energy stan -
dard, but they delayed its effective date by a year — to July 2024.
Meanwhile, lawmakers who serve on the committee said they plan to introduce a bill next session that would design a new state program to enforce the building energy code and educate builders who have not had the training they need to comply with it.
As it stands, the building energy code in Vermont — which regulates residential construction to ensure that buildings use energy efficiently and to help meet climate change goals — is seldom enforced.
“Every other state has a full agency dedicated to amending the code, adopting a code, certifying contractors, training contractors, inspecting contractors and certifying,” Jason Webster,
president and co-owner of Huntington Homes, told lawmakers in May. “Since 1997, the Vermont Legislature has not given Vermonters or Vermont builders that agency. It’s just given us the wish that we want energy efficiency.”
The lack of oversight and certification requirements for builders has led to buildings that structurally fail, builders told lawmakers last month. For example, improper use of spray foam insulation has caused
building structures to rot, causing devastation for homeowners.
Vermont’s building energy code is updated every three years to comply with the International Energy Conservation Code. While builders say the lack of oversight has already led to home failures, the new proposed changes mark “the first amendment where the technical requirements of the code are going beyond basic building practices,” Webster said.
The proposed changes would require more robust insulation in basements, tighter air sealing and efficient and balanced ventilation systems. They would also include new standards for homes to have the capacity to charge electric vehicles.
“I think it’s really, really dangerous to be requiring an installation strategy that we haven’t been trained on, and there’s nobody there looking at us to make sure we’re doing it the right way,” Webster said.
In Vermont, the Department of Public Service designs changes to the building energy code, which are then approved by LCAR — a panel of state representatives and senators charged with evaluating rules put forward by the executive branch. Then, according to Sen. Chris Bray, D-Addison, who serves on LCAR, the Department of Public Safety checks certain components that could pose safety concerns, like a home’s HVAC
system and its plumbing and wiring, but doesn’t enforce compliance with the energy code.
“We have this odd situation where the people who publish the code don’t enforce the code, and so we need a home for the reinforcement and education pieces,” Bray said.
During last Thursday’s meeting, Bray said the committee didn’t have a good reason to delay voting on the building energy code. The Department of Public Service had drafted a reasonable rule, he said, and the enforcement issue stood outside of the rulemaking process.
With that in mind, he proposed that the committee confirm the rule but delay its implementation until July 2024 to give the Legislature time to create a state entity that would improve compliance with the code. The committee voted in favor of his motion, 6-1-1.
In an interview, Bray said he can’t say for sure what a new state entity would look like, but that it could include two to three staff members who would coordinate a new system.
He pointed to a piece of the omnibus housing bill, S.100, which Gov. Phil Scott recently signed, that creates a working group to study the issue of building energy code compliance. Its report is due in December, in time to inform lawmakers’ decisions next session.
the Scott administration hadn’t readily agreed to regulating the building industry but that the pleas from builders themselves may help change the governor’s mind.
Jim Bradley, a project developer with Hayward Design Build who also performs build -
building practices. “And I’m one person,” he said.
He imagines a system in which some builders or contractors receive extra training and certification through a program called HERS, the Home Energy Rating Score, and then help to inspect and certify projects.
Regardless of what happens next year, Bradley counted the outcome of Thursday’s meeting as a win.
“I think it’s a big win for consumers in Vermont,” he said. “I think it’s a big win for our building industry. It’s a big win for our planet.”
Jason Webster Huntington Homes“It’s like a three-legged stool,” he said. “You need the builders, you need the administration and you need the Legislature all working together to get this done. Today in that meeting, I heard a clear articulation from all sides that we need to get all three legs of the stool shored up and working.”
Bray said that, in the past,
ing audits, told VTDigger he’s pleased that lawmakers appear ready to move toward a system with increased oversight.
Bradley works as an energy auditor for Efficiency Vermont and often investigates building failures. He estimated that he’s been called to evaluate around 20 homes in the last year that have failed due to improper
Sandy Vitzthum, a Montpelier architect and representative of the American Institute of Architects, has been active throughout the process and said she, too, counts the committee’s decision as a significant step forward, but she’s cautious in her optimism.
“It depends heavily, also, on the Scott administration supporting it, too,” she said. “There’s a lot of ‘ifs’ in this, but we’re hopeful, because it’s a really significant problem.”
“I think it’s really, really dangerous to be requiring an installation strategy that we haven’t been trained on, and there’s nobody there looking at us to make sure we’re doing it the right way.”
Gov. Phil Scott has allowed H.126, a land conservation bill that was a top priority for environmentalists during the legislative session, to pass into law without his signature.
The law establishes a goal of permanently conserving 30 percent of Vermont’s total land area by 2030 and conserving 50 percent by 2050. It aligns with national goals articulated by the Biden administration.
In a letter to lawmakers, Scott said he considered vetoing the bill because some of its findings “muddy the purpose,” and it includes definitions that are “broad and vague.”
But he also applauded lawmakers for working with his administration to address the concerns he raised last year, when he vetoed a similar bill. Now, the legislation positions the Agency of Natural Resources to “be the clear lead in the effort to achieve our conservation goals with the understanding future growth is necessary and inevitable in Vermont,” Scott wrote.
In addition to setting goals for land conservation, the bill, introduced by Rep. Amy Sheldon, D-Middlebury, outlines a path forward. It instructs the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, in consultation with the Agency of Natural Resources, to create an inventory of the land already conserved in Vermont, along with the state’s land conservation policies. It is due to lawmakers by July 1, 2024.
Lawmakers also established categories for different types of conservation that would apply to the state’s land in the future.
Those categories include “ecological reserve areas,” where land would be managed passively to become wild; “biodiversity conservation areas,” where land would be carefully managed in an active manner to improve biodiversity for certain species and habitats; and “natural resources management areas,” where long-term, sustainable logging could take place.
In all of these categories, conversion of large areas — for housing development, for example — would not be allowed.
By Dec. 1, 2025, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board is required to submit a plan to meet the conservation goals in the bill, and it must include all of the categories.
Of Vermont’s 4.2 million acres of forestland, more than 12,600 acres are converted for other uses each year, according to a
2020 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Also last week, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies released a report that characterized the range of biodiversity in Vermont — and predicted that the state will lose about 6 percent of its species by 2100 due to climate change.
Land fragmentation and climate change pose compounding challenges to species, and land conservation has been identified as a key strategy for mitigating that harm.
While the need for housing in Vermont is dire, Scott, a staunch advocate of creating more housing, said the bill “anticipates the need for housing and for the conservation plan to incorporate smart growth principles to ensure future conservation investment does not impede the buildout of areas the state has designated for growth.”
“Balancing land protection and housing is core to the state’s future and this bill will allow ANR to work closely with VHCB to ensure this critical balance in the planning process,” he wrote.
Sheldon said she and other members of the House Environment and Energy Committee worked to craft a bill that the state’s Agency of Natural Resources, and the Scott administration, could support.
“I’m so excited, because I think that it sets the standard for how we conserve biodiversity in the future in Vermont — but also, because other states are just beginning to have these conversations, we can be a leader, and they can look to see what we’ve done,” she said.
Environmentalists celebrated the bill’s passage into law on Monday. Jon Leibowitz, executive director of the Vermont Wilderness Trust, a land trust that conserves land to be “forever wild,” called the new law a significant “step in the right direction.”
In particular, he lauded the bill’s inclusion of ecological reserve areas, which would be managed passively to become wilderness. Across Vermont, where 74 percent of the state is covered in forest, only around 3.7 percent is managed passively, with no logging or other management allowed, according to a recently released report by Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities.
Zack Porter, executive director of Standing Trees, a group that advocates for increased protection of public lands, called the bill’s passage “monumental.”
Though the bill does not require land conservation — it establishes goals and creates a plan — Porter said he’s optimistic
that it will have a significant impact.
“Without setting goals, there isn’t the political incentive to make progress,” he said.
A group of environmental organizations, including Vermont Natural Resources Council, Vermont Conservation
Voters, The Nature Conservancy in Vermont, Audubon Vermont, Vermont Land Trust and the Trust for Public Land issued a statement calling the new law “a major win for the future protection of Vermont’s forests, water, wildlife, and community resilience.”
Gravity is one of the most important forces in the universe. It causes planets and stars to form. It keeps everything, including us, on our planet. It traps the air in our atmosphere and causes the tides.
The Mini Page talked with an expert from the National Science Foundation to learn more about this important force.
Gravity is one of the four forces that affect the universe. Gravity causes every object to attract every other object. The three other forces are strong, weak and electromagnetism
A force is something that pushes or pulls something. It can make an object move in a certain direction, or it can make an object stop moving.
A force is like an imaginary elastic band attached to an object. The force pulls the object just as an elastic band pulls an object.
Gravity is the weakest force. We know little about it since it is mysterious.
According to NASA, some scientists think gravity is made up of particles called gravitons, which travel at the speed of light.
Sir Isaac Newton was a scientist born in England who lived from Jan. 4, 1643, until March 31, 1727. He was the first person to explain gravity.
The story goes that Newton was sitting under a tree when an apple fell and bonked
him on the head. He wondered what had made the apple fall down. Why hadn’t it gone up? Why hadn’t it flown to the side?
Mini Fact: Gravity keeps the moon revolving around the Earth and the Earth and other planets orbiting the sun.
When Newton was still in his 20s, he figured out that the same force that had made the apple fall also made the moon orbit the Earth and the planets orbit the sun. He was the first person to make this connection. Everything
In the early 1900s, another young genius, Albert Einstein, realized that Newton’s idea of gravity doesn’t work for huge distances. It doesn’t work near massive objects such as black holes.
Einstein, who was born in Germany, figured out that time had to be part of the picture. Time and space are linked together. To understand gravity, we need four dimensions — length, width, height and time.
If you’ve watched sci-fi shows or movies or read sci-fi books or graphic novels, you may have heard about the space-time continuum (kuhn-TIN-u-uhm). This is what they’re talking about.
Words that remind us of gravity are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:
APPLE,
Next Week: Our states: Massachusetts
Gravity is a mysterious force. Here are some facts about gravity:
• Bigger objects have stronger gravity than smaller objects.
• Closer objects have a stronger gravitational pull than distant objects.
• Weight is tied to gravity. The more gravity there is, the more something weighs. For example, the moon has only about one-sixth the gravity of Earth. You would weigh about one-sixth as much on the moon as on Earth. If you weigh 84 pounds on Earth, you would weigh about 14 pounds on the moon.
• Around really massive objects like black holes, the gravity is so strong that it bends light.
• The stronger the gravity is, the slower time moves.
• Gravity effects are measured in G-forces, or G’s. One G is the effect of gravity on the Earth’s surface. It is what we feel all the time without even realizing it. Space shuttle astronauts experienced about 3 G’s at liftoff. This means they felt about three times heavier. Roller-coaster riders can briefly experience about 5 G’s.
• Gravitational waves can change the shape of matter. On Earth, we’re hit by gravity waves all the time. They stretch or squash our bodies, but they are so weak that we don’t even notice them.
On the Web:
• pbs.org/video/ gravity-m3swlv
At the library:
• “Gravity” by Jason Chin
• “Space Exploration for Kids” by Bruce Betts Ph.D.
Gil: Did you read the book about gravity?
Gina: I couldn’t put it down!
MYSTERY, NASA, NEWTON, PLANETS, SPACE, SPEED, TIME, WAVES, WIDTH.
The deep ocean currents that carry vital heat, oxygen and nutrients around the world are slowing down around Antarctica in a trend scientists
BLACK HOLES, CONTINUUM, EARTH, EINSTEIN, FORCE, GRAVITY, HEIGHT, LENGTH, MASS,
explain gravity. The story goes that Newton was sitting under a tree when an apple fell and bonked
may have heard about the space-time continuum (kuhn-TIN-u-uhm). This is what they’re talking about.
Words that remind us of gravity are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:
APPLE, BLACK HOLES, CONTINUUM, EARTH, EINSTEIN, FORCE, GRAVITY, HEIGHT, LENGTH, MASS, MYSTERY, NASA, NEWTON, PLANETS, SPACE, SPEED, TIME, WAVES, WIDTH.
No-Bake Granola Cookie Bars
You’ll need:
• 1 (11-ounce) package butterscotch chips
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 cups granola mix
• 1 cup chocolate chips
What to do:
1. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and then line with wax paper.
2. Melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat while slowly stirring.
3. In a large bowl, mix chocolate chips with granola.
4. Pour peanut butter mixture over the granola and mix thoroughly.
5. Spread mixture in pan; cover and chill for 2 hours until firm. Cut into bars. Makes 18 bars.
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. what you sleep on (8)
2. spiny desert plant (6)
3. mammal with a flat tail (6)
4. expensive house (7)
5. large body of salt water (5)
6. hibernation season (6)
7. where stuff is made (7)
Gil: Did you read the book about gravity?
Gina: I couldn’t put it down!
The deep ocean currents that carry vital heat, oxygen and nutrients around the world are slowing down around Antarctica in a trend scientists warn could have a massive effect on climate. Australian scientists say the trend is caused by rapidly melting Antarctic ice, which is flooding the surrounding ocean with less-salty and less-dense water, reducing the typical downward movements of the currents around the icy continent. Those currents are only part of a vast system of important currents around the world that affect temperatures and precipitation.
For later:
Look in the newspaper for articles about space.
Teachers: Follow and interact with The Mini Page on Facebook!
Answers: mattress, cactus, beaver, mansion, ocean, winter, factory.
Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some good over-the-counter hearing aids for seniors on a budget?
I’m not sure what to get or where to buy them.
Hard of Hearing
Dear Hard,
The new FDA approved overthe-counter (OTC) hearing aids that hit the market last October have become a very attractive alternative for millions of older Americans with hearing impairment.
These new hearing aids can be purchased at pharmacies, consumer electronics stores or online without a hearing exam, prescription or appointment with an audiologist. And the savings are significant. The average cost of an OTC hearing aid is about $1,600 per pair, which is about $3,000 less than the average price of a prescription hearing aid. But sorting through all the different options and styles can be confusing. Here are some tips along with a reliable resource that can help you choose the right aid for you.
CHECK YOUR HEARING
Your first step to getting a hearing aid is to get your hearing tested. Be aware that OTC hearing aids are designed only for people with mild to moderate hearing loss (signs include trouble hearing speech in noisy places, in groups and during phone calls).
The best place to get your hearing tested is through a hearing care provider like an audiologist. These in-person tests
are usually covered by private medical insurance, and as of this year, Medicare will pay for general hearing evaluations without a doctor’s referral.
You can also assess your hearing at home with a good app-based hearing test like Mimi (www.mimi.health) or SonicCloud (www.soniccloud.com).
If you find through your test that you have severe hearing loss (signs include being unable to hear spoken words even in a quiet room or trouble hearing loud music or power tools) then OTC aids aren’t the right solution for you. You’ll probably need a prescription hearing aid, which you must get through an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist.
CHOOSING AN OTC AID
If you decide that an OTC hearing aid may work for you, here are a couple pointers to help you choose.
First, you need to know that OTC hearing aids come in two types: self-fitting and preset. Self-fitting aids typically use a smartphone app to set up and adjust the device to suit your specific hearing needs, which makes them better suited for seniors who are technologically inclined. Preset hearing aids are much simpler devices that come with a number of set programs for different levels of hearing loss, and
the controls are directly on the hearing aid.
Also, because OTC hearing aids have a learning curve, it’s very important to know the level of customer support you’ll have access to. So, before you buy, find out how long the company provides support after your purchase, and what sorts of experts will be providing the support.
You also need to find out about the company’s return policy. It can take weeks to get accustomed to wearing hearing aids and figure out whether they’re really working for you or not. So, make sure to choose a brand that offers a minimum 30-day free trial period, or a money back return policy.
To help you cut through all the different options, the National Council on Aging (NCOA), which is a national nonprofit organization that advocates for older Americans, recently assembled a review team who collectively spent more than 5,000 hours researching, testing and interviewing customers about OTC hearing aids.
They came up with a list of nine winners based on such criteria as affordability, style and fit. Their best OTC hearing aids for 2023 in their nine categories see SAVVY SENIOR page 20
We understand the love you have for your pets and the importance they hold in your life. Our compassionate staff is devoted to easing the difficulties at this challenging time.
Our staff is here for you 24/7 Tiger & Buster
SOLUTION ON PAGE 22
TODAY’S HISTORY:
ANDREWS MCMEEL
• In 1836, Arkansas was admitted as the 25th U.S. state.
• In 1846, Britain and the United States settled the boundary dispute between the U.S. and Canada in the Pacific Northwest.
• In 1864, Arlington National Cemetery was established.
• In 1877, Henry Ossian Flipper became the first African American cadet to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.
• In 1994, Israel and the Vatican established formal diplomatic relations.
TODAY’S FACT:
• Excluding 1,538 miles in Alaska, the U.S.-Canada border is 3,987 miles long.
SOLUTION FOUND ON PAGE 22
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.
June 2 at 8:56 p.m. — Report of a disturbance on Zephyr Road. A male, age 33, was issued a citation to appear in court for simple assault, disorderly conduct and violating conditions of release.
June 3 at 12:04 p.m. — Report of a disturbance at Hannaford. A male, age 43, was issued a citation to appear in court for driving with a criminally suspended license.
June 3 at 2:18 p.m. — Report of an intoxicated male at Falcon Manor. A male, age 36, was issued a citation to appear in court for violating conditions of release.
June 3 at 7:34 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Walmart. Case is still under investigation.
June 3 at 9:39 p.m. — Suspicious female reported on Harvest Lane. Female was located and moved along.
June 4 at 3:27 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Best Buy. Officer has a suspect; case is still under investigation.
June 4 at 5:18 p.m. — Following a traffic stop, a male, age 39, was issued a citation to appear in court for suspicion of DUI.
June 5 at 12:36 p.m. — Report of a retail theft at Walmart. Officer has a suspect. Case is still under investigation.
June 5 at 2:37 p.m. — Disturbance report on Walnut Steet. Both parties were moved along.
June 5 at 7:02 p.m. — Report of a suspicious male on Williston Road. A male, age 33, was issued a citation to appear in court for violating conditions of release.
June 5 at 11:51 p.m. — Report of a vehicle playing loud music at Sucker Brook Trail. A male, age 23, was issued a citation to appear in court for suspicion of DUI.
June 5 at 11:33 a.m. — Retail theft reported at Best Buy. Case is still under investigation.
June 5 at 12:27 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Case is still under investigation.
June 6 at 11:33 a.m. — Retail theft reported at Best Buy. Case is still under investigation.
June 8 at 9:33 a.m. — Retail theft reported at Home Depot. Investigation showed that a male, age 33, had outstanding arrest warrants. He was transported to Chittenden County Criminal Court and was issued a citation to appear in court for retail theft.
June 8 at 11:20 a.m. — Retail theft at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Investigation showed that a female, age 30, had active arrest warrants. She was transported to Chittenden County Criminal Court.
June 8 at 5:03 p.m. — Suspicious female reported at Walmart. Investigation showed that a female, age 32, had active arrest warrants. She was transported to Chittenden County Correctional Facility.
June 8 at 11:29 p.m. — Suspicious vehicle reported on Hurricane Lane. Vehicle was moved along.
Williston Police officers also responded to eight alarms, 10 motor vehicle crashes and conducted 27 traffic stops during this time frame.
continued from page 1
to make sure we explore further. We are going to definitely keep our focus on this.”
The school district currently has signed agreements with about 130 online digital tools. Administrators are continually assessing whether some should be phased out and whether new ones should be added.
Teachers who are interested in using a new digital learning tool must first complete a “request for tech” form. This spring, the district is updating the form to take a broader view of the impact of
continued from page 18
include:
• Best for Seniors: Jabra Enhance (www.jabraenhance.com)
• Best Invisible Fit: Eargo (www.eargo. com)
• Most User-Friendly: Lexie (www.lexiehearing.com)
• Most Affordable: Audien (www.audienhearing.com)
• Most Financing Options: Audicus (www.audicus.com)
• Best Remote Customer Service: MDHearing (www.mdhearingaid.com)
• Best Rechargeable for the Money: Go Hearing (www.gohearing.com)
• Best Variety: Lucid (www.lucidhearing.com)
• Best Earbud-Style: Sony (www.electronics.sony.com)
To learn more, see www.NCOA.org/ adviser/hearing-aids/best-otc-hearingaids.
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.
adding a new tool, some of which require a paid subscription. The district requires representatives from each tool, app or website to sign the district’s student data privacy agreement before it will be approved for use.
Other considerations are the initial and ongoing costs, whether something similar is already available for use, how the new technology will be used in a classroom and how many students will use it.
“There is a lot to consider,” Birdsall said, “so we’re trying to be more transparent with educators. It’s not just, ‘I heard about this, let’s use it.’ There’s more to it than that.”
place before the pandemic have not been re-established.
responding to calls for crisis. We don’t have the capacity to be as proactive as we want without overloading staff,” Sivo said.
Greg Marino explained that the resources to handle student behavior that were in
continued from page 1 www.WillistonObserver.com
“That has a direct connection to what we are experiencing,” he said. “People just don’t have the bandwith.”
The situation is bound to lead to educators leaving the profession, Superintendent Rene Sanchez warned.
“Unless things change, we will lose high-quality educators to another career,” he said.
Jacqueline L. Duval, devoted and loving wife, mother, grandma and great-grandma, passed away on June 3, 2023 at Harborview Senior Communities at the age of 94.
Jackie was born in Milford, NH, the daughter of the late Mario and Winifred (Bowler) Bianchi. Jackie graduated from Milford High School, went to secretarial school, and became a medical secretary in a local doctor’s office.
She met the love of her life, Francis, through her sister Lucy who was married to Fran’s best friend, Bob Locke. Jackie and Fran were married Feb. 4 in Amherst, NH. Jackie became an Air Force wife as Fran was enlisted in the USAF. She became adept at moving, quickly setting down roots, and making friends throughout all his changes in posts. When Fran was stationed in Minnesota they welcomed their daughter, Sandy. His next post was North Dakota, where they welcomed their daughter, Sheri.
Eventually the family moved to Old Lyme, CT after Fran’s retirement from the Air Force. While in Old Lyme, Jackie was a member of Saint Ann’s Episcopal Church and for many years she was the Altar Guild Directress and Altar Guild Treasurer. She also worked as a dental secretary, a clerk in the Old Lyme Town Clerk’s Office, and utilized her sewing skills working at the Seam Shoppe.
The Duvals lived in Old Lyme for 29 years before moving to Williston, VT to be closer to their children and to watch their grandchildren grow. Jackie served with her husband Fran as beloved volunteers at Fletcher Allen Health Care for 15 years, found community through participating in Fletcher Allen’s Cardiac Rehab program and were also members of All Saints Episcopal Church in South Burlington. Jackie and Fran were once featured in a local TV segment for their dedicated volunteer work.
Jackie is predeceased by her husband of 66 years, Francis Duval and her parents, Mario and Winifred (Bowler) Bianchi and sister Lucille MacDonald.
She is survived by daughters, Sandra Aldrich of Milton, VT and Sheri Youngberg and her husband Brian of Richmond VT. She is also survived by four granddaughters, Karin Bell and her husband Ted Myotte of South Burlington, Heather Allen and her husband James of Hardwick, Kelly Youngberg of Colchester, and Pryscilla Youngberg and her spouse Sam of Essex Junction. Jackie also leaves behind greatgrandchildren: Owen, Milo and John Allen, Colin Myotte, and Wilhelmina Youngberg. Jackie is also survived by beloved nephew David Locke of Palm Springs, CA along with several other nieces and nephews.
Her family will remember her for her strength, strong will, devotion, and love which she displayed until the very end. They are comforted by the knowledge that Jackie and Fran are together once more.
There will be no calling hours. A Memorial service will be on Saturday, July 8 at 11 a.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, 1250 Spear Street, South Burlington, VT. In lieu of flowers, the family requests support for UVM Home Health and Hospice. Dona-
GARAGE SALES
COMMONS — Garage sale at the
Commons in Williston Village June 24 and 25 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
JOB SUMMARY
The City of South Burlington is looking for an innovative, strategic and dynamic proven leader to be our next IT Director: oversee and lead all aspects of Information Technology for the City; design and develop IT strategies and infrastructure, hardware and software, network operations and security, server maintenance and connectivity, help desk and customer service operations and project management. Administrative functions include budget and resource management. As a Department Head, this position is a member of the City Manager’s Leadership Team.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s in Information Technology, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, or a related field, plus a minimum of five years’ experience in information technology leadership and administration, equivalency considered. Learn more about the position and see a detailed job description by visiting: southburlingtonvt.gov/jobopportunities
APPLY NOW
Review of applications will begin July 5, 2023. To apply, please email an South Burlington City employment application form, cover letter, resume and three references to sbcityjobs@southburlingtonvt.gov with “IT Director” in the subject line.
PUZZLE FOUND ON PAGE 19
SUDUKO SOLUTION PUZZLE FOUND ON PAGE 19
A nonpro t upscale resale shop in the of Shelburne Village
SCHIP is seeking two candidates to join our dynamic team:
• Part Time Warehouse/ Merchandise Associate start 8/1/23
• Part Time Sales Associate start 8/1/23
For full job details and to learn more about our mission visit TheSchip.org
Email us at Operations@theschip.org
The Gay-Straight Alliances of the Champlain Valley School District held their third annual Pride Rally on June 3 at Hinesburg Community School. It was an opportunity for community members to celebrate diversity and support LGBTQ community members. Above right, Angela Arsenault and Willow Martin Show their spirit. Top left, participants at the Pride Rally work on a collaborative art project. Bottom left, Rep. Saudia LaMont, a state representative from the Lamoille-Washington House District, speaks to the crowd. Activities included food trucks, music, speeches, a march into Hinesburg town center, crafts and a photo booth.
