Williston Observer 07-20-2023

Board approves logging contract for Catamount

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

Roughly 1,200 trees surrounding Catamount Community Forest’s most popular biking, hiking and skiing trails will be cut down in September as part of a forest management demonstration led by Chittenden County Forester Ethan Tapper.

The Williston Selectboard finalized a contract with Tapper and Orleans-based Lafoe Logging earlier this month to do the work. The project will be confined to about 25 acres of the 400-acre town-owned forest.

“It’s only 6 percent of the land at Catamount but it’s the 6 percent that is most used,” said John Atkinson, executive director of the Catamount Outdoor Family Center that manages the trails to provide recreational programming for the town. “It’s the area where our most popular trails are.”

Tapper said he chose the highest-use acreage partly as a way to increase the visibility of the project. He has already marked all the trees that will be taken, posted signs explaining the project and led public walks in the forest to educate people about it.

“There is a massive benefit to showcasing responsible forest management — and what healthy forests truly look like — in a highly-visible area,” Tapper said. “I hope that this will help empower people to better understand our forest and what it means to care for them.”

The project is a part of an international forestry research effort called “Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change.” It is an attempt to demonstrate how biodiversity and ecological integrity can be protected on a warming planet. It’s being undertaken with UVM forestry

program chair Tony D’Amato. The idea is that removing older trees will stimulate the growth of new species, increasing species diversity and forest resiliency. In order to enhance the research opportunity, the foresters will compare the area over years to an undisturbed control plot in the forest, as well as a plot at the nearby UVM-owned Talcott Woods.

“As this area regenerates,” Tapper said, “it will show people how much more abundant and full of life this forest will become as a result of this work — that nothing is being lost, that as a result of this the forest will be enriched.”

The removal of the trees is expected to take less than two weeks. Atkinson and the Catamount Outdoor Family Center Board of Directors hope to keep some of the project area open for recreation during that time if it safe to do so. September is prime mountain biking season at the center.

The logger may be able to work half the project area at a time, keeping one half open for trail use, Atkinson said. Another option is to reopen trails in the evening, after logging activity has stopped for the day.

“We’re trying to keep the trails open as much as possible,” Atkinson said. “Safety is obviously super important and we’re not trying to ignore that, but if they are not working and nothing is falling then we should be able to be out there.”

Atkinson has a lot of confidence in Lafoe Logging due to its previous work in high-use recreational trail networks, such as the Cady Hill Forest in Stowe and at the Trapp Family Lodge. Tapper notes that Lafoe recently won the “Outstanding Logger Award” from the Vermont Forest Products Association and the “Northeast Region Outstanding see LOGGING page 16

Verizon seeks space in Old Brick Church

Historic landmark could be key to improving Village cell service

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

Williston Village is a notorious cell phone black hole. Help may be on the way, but it will take changes to the Old Brick Church to make it happen.

“People think the only place it happens is out in the country somewhere, but we are here in the Village and we have no cell service,” said North Williston Road resident Carmyn Stanko.

Verizon has made a proposal to the town that, according to its representative Andrew Davis of SAI Communications, will greatly improve service in the Village. Plans call for antennas to be installed in the steeple of the church and an equipment storage shed to be built off the back as part of

Andrew Davis

a $24,000-a-year lease with the town.

The selectboard has so far been supportive.

“I think there are a lot of Verizon users who would be very happy if we get this in,” board member Jeanne Jensen said.

Stanko said she would switch from AT&T to Verizon if the project makes her cell phone functional. She currently uses voice-over-internet technology to make calls through her home’s wifi signal. If her power goes out, however, she loses the ability to

make a call — an unnerving reality.

The same situation exists at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston Federated Church and Williston Central School. Communicating with cell phones in these buildings can only be done via wifi.

“We work around it but there definitely is an impact,” Library Director Jane Kearns said.

The library’s wifi allows patrons and staff to use their phones, but when the library goes mobile, with Dottie the Bookmobile for example, the lack of service comes into play.

“There are neighborhoods where we have no service, the ones closest to the library, so we have to do (circulation tracking) manually, then we have to put it into the database when we get back to the library,” Kearns said.

At Village Community Park,

“It would not be my first preference to choose a historical building.”

SAI Communications

Verizon has proposed to install antennas in the steeple of the Old Brick Church to improve cell phone service in Williston. OBSERVER FILE PHOTO BY SUSAN COTE

Flood recovery donation and volunteer opportunities

OBSERVER STAFF REPORT

The flooding of July 10-11 displaced residents, flooded downtowns, destroyed homes, businesses, roads and farms, triggered mudslides and left layers of mud, rubble and property damage throughout the State of Vermont.

Below is a compilation of ways to help, from donating money and supplies to volunteering for cleanup efforts.

FILL A FLOOD BUCKET

The Williston Federated Church is assembling “flood buckets” to help with clean up

around the state. The church seeks help from community members to fill buckets with laundry detergent, bottled dish soap, scrub brushes, work gloves and N95 masks, among other items. Donations of money and supplies will be accepted. Drop-off will be Saturday, July 22, from 9-11 a.m. in the church parking lot at 44 North Williston Rd.

Contact Carol at (802) 8627400 for more information.

FLOOD RECOVERY VOLUNTEER

OPPORTUNITIES

This list is compiled by the Peace and Justice Center in Burl-

ington.

• Vermont Emergency Management (https://vem.vermont.gov)

• Montpelier Alive (https://forms. gle/aW7btCR9uJhjxkef8)

• Vermonters Affected by Flooding (https://www.vermont.gov/ volunteer)

ORGANIZATIONS

ACCEPTING DONATIONS

This list is compiled by the Peace and Justice Center in Burlington.

• NOFA-VT’s Farmer Emergency Fund (https://www.nofavt. org/donate-now)

• Intervale Recovery Fund

(www.intervale.org/donate)

• Center for Agricultural Economy Vermont Farm Fund (tinyurl.com/CAEvtfarmfund)

• The Vermont Community Fund (https://www.vermontcf. org/our-impact/programs-andfunds/vt-flood-response/)

• Realtor Relief Foundation (https://bit.ly/3rnue6r)

MONTPELIER COMES TOGETHER

Two Montpelier nonprofit organizations — Montpelier Alive and the Montpelier Foundation have joined forces to create the Montpelier Strong Recovery

Fund. The fund will assist Montpelier downtown businesses in cleanup and rebuilding. Montpelier was one of the hardest-hit areas of the July 10 floods.

“This flood event has absolutely devastated our beloved downtown,” said Sarah Jarvis, chair of the Montpelier Foundation. “Without immediate and generous financial support, the small businesses that our community depends upon will not be able to reopen.”

The Montpelier Strong Recovery Fund will provide grants to downtown businesses. The fund will be administered by a see RECOVERY page 3

continued from page 2

committee that has been created by the two organizations.

Donations to the Montpelier Strong Recovery Fund can be made through the web sites of either organization, www.montpelieralive.com and www.montpelierfoundation.org. All donations are tax-deductible, and 100 percent of contributions will be distributed to flood victims.

have joined forces to raise money for the Vermont Flood Response & Recovery Fund. Donations to this special fund will be accepted through Sunday, July 23 at www.vermontpublic. org/recovery or by calling 800639-6391.

The Vermont Community Foundation created the fund to support emergency needs, families, farms, businesses and communities that were affected across the state and will help the foundation work with nonprofits, state government, relief organizations and other partners working on Vermont’s recovery.

the Federal Communications Commission permitting the station to use its airwaves to raise funds for another organization.

Vermont Public and the Vermont Community Foundation

Vermont Public applied for and received a special waiver from

“Giving to the VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund will help address needs in every corner of our state as the full scale of the flood’s impact emerges in the days, weeks and months ahead,” said Dan Smith, president and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation. “We appreciate every gift that helps us build on the incredible generosity we are already seeing as neighbors help neighbors and residents rally to assist local farmers, business owners and people in need.”

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

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, left, surveyed flood damage in Hardwick on Monday, along with Gov. Phil Scott, Sen. Peter Welch, right, and Rep. Becca Balint, pledging federal support for flood recovery.

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

WILLISTON: BUSINESS HUB OF VERMONT

New Aromas for restaurant spot

BY TAYLOR ANTONIOLI

Special to the Observer

Situated in the collection of businesses on Cornerstone Drive is an Indian restaurant called Aromas of India with a newly hung banner above their part of the overhang. The restaurant is the culmination of a dream for Sarita Devi that, according to her husband, Yogi Singh, she’s held for a long time, since before they were even married.

“It’s not a business,” Singh said, “it’s her dream. She’s been living

for it.”

Devi is a woman entrepreneur, running and owning the business by herself and doing the majority of the cooking. Despite opening only for

takeout on July 9, Devi and Singh are busy cooking for catering orders and taking phone calls for takeout, respectively.

According to Singh, the great response from the community about Devi’s cooking is why they were able to make the move from Richmond Kitchen to Williston. He described how, when they first moved to Vermont, she was always cooking for their friends and for gatherings, and their friends would always say Devi should start her own business and how everyone would love her food.

“She loves to get people together and cook for them,” Singh shared.

When she saw the listing for the space on Cornerstone Drive, long occupied by Naru Chinese restaurant, they went to visit it the very next day and applied.

Devi and her family hope to open the dine-in portion of the business in early August, as they are only waiting for the furniture, such as the booths, to arrive.

“The kitchen is ready; we are ready. All we need are the booths,” Singh said.

When asked what their favorite dishes on the menu are, the couple said they couldn’t pick but gave a few options that seemed to be the most popular. Devi shared a small preference for the Dahi Bhalla, which are lentil fritters dunked in yogurt and topped with spicy and sweet chutneys. Her husband, on the other hand, said people should try her unique Hariyali Paneer, an appetizer with paneer cheese and green sauce.

One of their business models is to have a multitude of options so “you can eat what you want to eat,” Singh said.

There are organic options for their rice, and they are planning to reach out to local farms, as they believe in having fresh ingredients. They themselves used to have a farm, and Singh shared that Devi uses her keen eye for good food during her cooking.

They hope to see a similar, if not better, response to the new business as they did while in Richmond to keep Devi’s dream going.

A banner announces the opening of Aromas of India restaurant in the former location of Naru Chinese restaurant on Cornerstone Drive.

OBSERVER PHOTO BY TAYLOR ANTONIOLI

“It’s not a business, it’s her dream. She’s been living for it.”

Yogi Singh

LaunchVT celebrates startup Class of 2023

LaunchVT recently held its demo night and pitch competition at Hula in Burlington to celebrate the program’s Class of 2023. The startups in the class presented their businesses to an audience and a panel of investor judges. Two businesses walked away with cash awards, and all eight will receive professional services from local businesses worth over $100,000.

Demo night marks the end of LaunchVT’s annual 12-week intensive accelerator program, where entrepreneurs work with business coaches and strategic advisors to refine their business models, develop their go-to-market strategies and prepare for future fundraising and investment.

Taking home the $15,000 grand prize was Plink!, an electrolyte tablet maker founded by Max Luthy and Luke Montgomery-Smith of Richmond.

Winning the $5,000 Audience Choice Award was Sleep Well Recycling, founded by Joshua Costa of Burlington. Sleep Well Recycling converts mattresses into raw recyclable materials, keeping them out of landfills.

The rest of the LaunchVT Class of 2023 includes: DairyDirt, DandyLion, LOGIC Building Systems, PurplCouch, QOR360 and Tacitly.

Job fair by the baseball diamond

The Vermont Department of Labor is hosting a job fair to coincide with the Aug. 1 Lake Monsters game at Centennial Field in Burlington.

The job fair begins during the pregame time, at 5:30 p.m. Game time is 6:35 p.m. Anyone who registers for the job fair in advance will receive a free ticket to the game. Register at www. labor.vermont.gov.

Employers in industries such as healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing and technology will attend.

Vermont Maple association presents annual awards

The Vermont Maple Sug-

All Hunter Douglas Shades On Sale

•

Cidery opens at Essex Experience

The Vermont Cider Lab held its grand opening celebration earlier this month at the Essex Experience in Essex.

Chris Line and Karen Wisehart are co-owners of the 50-seat tasting room and production facility located between Mad Taco and Magic Mann. The “Lab” reference in the name pays homage to their love of Labrador retrievers.

There are several hard cider flavors on the tasting room menu, as well as beer and wine options. Visit www.vtciderlab.com for more information.

•

•

Karen Wisehart and Chris Line

Take time to appreciate Vermont waters

BY PAT SUOZZI

Do you love to spend time at a nearby lake or pond swimming, fishing, boating or just enjoying the peace and serenity of the water?

July is Lake Appreciation Month and a good time to take a moment to appreciate the value and importance of the over 800 lakes and ponds dotting our landscape.

Vermont’s lakes attract tourists and visitors, providing important economic benefits to the state, and many have public beaches and boat launches providing unparalleled access to recreation for all Vermonters. In addition, lakes and ponds provide vital wildlife habitat, are a source of drinking water and help to replenish groundwater aquifers.

Although we still have some of the cleanest and most pristine waters in the country, Vermont’s lakes and ponds are under increasing pressure from climate change and the spread of aquatic invasive

species. Warming temperatures, more intense storms and rising nutrient levels from polluted runoff contribute to toxic algae blooms, while the spread of aquatic invasive species squeezes out native species resulting in destruction of habitat for native fish, amphibians and birds.

Volunteer lake associations around the state are working hard to protect Vermont’s public waters, to reverse rising nutrient levels, prevent the further spread

Williston’s Community Newspaper Since 1985

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802-373-2136

EDITOR

Jason Starr editor@willistonobserver.com

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Jan Kenney jan@willistonobserver.com

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Susan T. Cote susan@willistonobserver.com

BILLING INQUIRIES

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MEMBER:

of aquatic invasives, reduce or eradicate existing aquatic invasive infestations and restore and maintain Vermont’s lakes and ponds. This work takes not only these dedicated groups of volunteers but all who love and appreciate our vital water resources.

During this month, take some time to appreciate Vermont’s lakes and ponds and to consider ways you can help to preserve them. Here are a few things you can do:

• Visit your local lake and take a minute to enjoy and appreciate the resource.

• If you bring a boat, kayak, canoe, paddleboard or any aquatic gear, be sure that it is cleaned before entering the lake to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

• If greeters are on duty, make sure to have them check your

gear when entering and leaving the lake and have them wash your boat if there is a decontamination station available.

• Support your local lake association: become a member, join the board, donate. These volunteer lake stewards do an enormous amount of work to protect and improve the health of our public waters.

• Let your local selectboard, senators and representatives know how important healthy and clean lakes are.

• If you are a lakefront property owner, use native plants and shrubs to prevent shoreline erosion and keep polluted runoff out of the lake. Learn more about lake friendly landscaping and shoreland protection at www.vermontlakes.org/shoreland-protection/.

• Stop using fertilizers and pesticides on your lawn or garden to reduce polluted runoff into streams and lakes.

• Join the Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds in our work of public education and advocacy for all of Vermont’s lakes and ponds. Find out more about what we do and how you can help at www.vermontlakes.org.

This July, appreciate the beauty and quality of life that our lakes and ponds provide, but also recognize that these vital resources are fragile and need our care. With all of us working together, we can protect and preserve Vermont’s lakes and ponds for now and for future generations.

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SUBMISSIONS & LETTERS

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

The Williston Observer reserves the right to edit or refuse submissions or advertising. Opinions expressed in the paper are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the paper.

A publication of Twin Ponds Publishing LLC

www.willistonobserver.com P.O. Box 1401, Williston, VT 05495 | 802-489-5499 B A NG

Burlington Area Newspaper Group

Pat Suozzi lives in Hinesburg and is president of the Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds.

Appreciate the beauty and quality of life that our lakes and ponds provide, but also recognize that these vital resources are fragile and need our care.

Spirit of the Fourth shines bright

July Fourth festivities in Williston bring out amazing creativity, generosity and sense of community, and this year was no exception. I second the gratitude expressed by Parks and Recreation Director Todd Goodwin in the July 6 edition of the Observer for the town employees and volunteers who made Williston’s July Fourth activities so successful.

I was the honorary parade Grand Marshal this year (reluctantly), and the good will shown to me was an extension of the spirit of the Fourth. I insisted on marching with the Williston Town Band, and Todd Goodwin said “fine — we will make it work.” Kathy and Bob Schaw and all the band members accommodated the special circumstance, including a “Grand Marshal” sign and a spot on the band float.

Special thanks to Marcy Kass for making creative signs to identify this unusual Grand Marshal situation, to Sarah Showalter and Noah Jeter for carrying those signs along the route, and to all for the kind comments.

I’m grateful for the wonderful spirit shown by all.

When I look around Williston, I see employees, residents and volunteers doing good work in acts of personal, environmental and community support. Disasters like the current flooding make that especially visible, but it shows all year in other ways.

Let us celebrate the spirit of volunteering and community. Let us honor the land and creatures around us. Finally, let us give each other the benefit of the doubt when we disagree.

May the spirit of the Fourth last all year!

Chapin Kaynor Williston

Help keep Williston natives in the community

We would like to encourage our neighbors to support bylaw changes that will promote the creation of more affordable housing in Williston. Our families include young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. They’ve grown up in Williston, gone to school here and want to continue to live here.

Throughout their lives they’ve

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

been welcomed into the community, for which we’ve been immensely grateful. They’re known here and have friends here.

We appreciate that our sons and daughters have been very well supported in their education at Allen Brook School, Williston Central School and Champlain Valley Union, and while working in the community. We’re asking for that support to extend to changes in town bylaws that will allow for the creation of many levels of affordable housing, so that our adult sons and daughters can continue to live here once we can no longer care for them.

Submitted by Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative (DDHI) families: Sue Dodge; Bryan, Michelle and Angelina Gagne; Joe and Caroline McNamara; Tim, Marla and Justin McQuiston; Patrick, Donna, Jack and Shea Savage; Theresa Soares; Ed, Jennifer and Bennett Townley; Jeff, Beth and Jackson Wilson

Wrongs by association

The Finney Crossing Condo Association is not well served by its board of directors.

The association fails to meet the requirements of Vermont state law (Title 27A) and to comply with its “declaration” to do so. The association is not properly maintaining its common interest property and continues to inappropriately collect association dues in support of a 2020 capital reserve plan that is unlawful.

The association’s board of directors has not met to conduct business in 2023 and has refused many requests to meet and act on neglected maintenance and on the improper and illegal capital replacement reserve plan.

This neglect has been supported by the president of the Finney Crossing Master Association Board of Directors with uninvited recommendations to the condo association that are not founded in fact and are contrary to the requirements of Vermont law. These have misguided the condo association’s board of directors.

Specifically, the 2020 Reserve Study, which was created at a cost of $2,500 for the condo association, includes many elements that, by law, must be excluded from reserve plans. These are “limited common elements” for which the repair and

replacement costs are charged to the unit owner. The result of this mistake is an inappropriate, unfair and illegal payment plan. Many other mistakes in the reserve plan impact on the budget and should be fixed. The reserve plan should have been rejected in 2020.

Vermont law requires: “The executive board shall establish a reasonable method for unit owners to communicate among themselves and with the executive board on

matters concerning the association.” This has not been provided for either of the Finney Crossing associations. This must be done.

Finney Crossing is not the community that The Snyder group promised Williston. The leadership’s willful non-compliance with state law and with its association’s bylaws results in a community heading toward mediocrity, or something less.

Les Allen Williston

Next Week: Our states: Maryland

Rushing Toward Gold

Gold has long been seen as valuable. Some gold coins are dated as far back as 500 B.C. and were used as money.

In the 1800s, gold was found in California. Many people rushed to California to try to find gold of their own and become rich.

The Mini Page learns about the California Gold Rush this week.

How it started

The California Gold Rush took place from 1848 to 1855. It began in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which are in central California, and expanded to include a northern area later.

A man named James W. Marshall discovered gold while he and his crew were building a mill called Sutter’s Place. They used the river on the property to help move dirt while building, and one morning he found gold.

The goldfields in California are shown in red.

While Marshall’s primary concern was constructing the mill, the crew was allowed to pan for gold during their free time. Soon, however, word spread of gold being found on the property, and workers were no longer interested in building the mill. They wanted to search for gold. Later that year, people from Oregon, Latin America and Hawaii

Facts about gold

• Most of the people panning for gold were men

• Miners from France sent nearly $80 million worth of gold back to their home country. That’s equal to about $2.3 billion today.

• Not many miners made money or even found gold during the rush, but those who did find it tended to find a valuable sum of it.

showed up at Sutter’s Mill to try their luck at striking it rich by finding gold.

People

More than 300,000 people rushed to California during the gold rush. They were called forty-niners because many of them arrived in 1849.

Along with the influx of people came a need for towns, so people quickly built homes, businesses, schools and churches. San Francisco began as a small town with 200 residents in 1846. By 1852, however, nearly 36,000 lived there. This population explosion is why it was called a boomtown

Food and other supplies were needed, so opportunities for ranchers and farmers flourished. In order to care for fields and deliver goods, mules became an important resource.

Mules

Mules were used by firemen to pull equipment. Farmers who settled in California used them for fieldwork, and the Pack Mule Express was established to carry mail to gold miners along riverbanks and mining sites while they panned for gold.

More than 31,000 mules were in gold rush areas by 1855.

• There is still gold in California.

• The first gold rush in America was in North Carolina in the late 1820s.

• Gold is often used to make jewelry, but coins are also made out of it.

Sometimes gold is used for medical treatments, dental work and electronics.

• The chemical symbol for gold is Au.

• Gold is malleable, which means it can be hammered or pressed into a new shape without cracking.

• Gold is a good conductor of heat and electricity

• The melting point of gold is 1,947.97 degrees Fahrenheit

• The U.S. has the largest stockpile of gold reserves in the world.

Resources

On the Web:

• bit.ly/MPCAgoldrush

At the library:

• “If You Were a Kid During the California Gold Rush” by Josh Gregory

Mini Fact: It’s estimated that all the gold ever mined in the world would fit into 60 semitrailers.

Windstorms raging across the Gobi Desert, which borders China and Mongolia, sent out an unhealthful cloud of yellow dust that

The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication

Founded by Betty Debnam Issue 29, 2023

MALLEABLE, MARSHALL, MILL, MULES, RANCHER, RUSH, RIVER, SCHOOL,

photo by Gary Millar

photo by S.S.K.

interested in building the mill. They wanted to search for gold. Later that year, people from Oregon, Latin America and Hawaii

while they panned for gold. More than 31,000 mules were in gold rush areas by 1855.

Try ’n’ Find

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

BOOMTOWN, CALIFORNIA, CHURCH, COINS, COMMUNITY, EXCAVATE, GOODS, GOLD, JEWELRY, MALLEABLE, MARSHALL, MILL, MULES, RANCHER, RUSH, RIVER, SCHOOL, SYMBOL.

Cook’s Corner

White Bean Chicken Soup

You’ll need:

• 4 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans

• 8 cups chicken broth

• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken

• 3 cups salsa verde

• 11/2 teaspoons ground cumin

What to do:

1. Drain and rinse cans of beans.

• toppings: chopped avocado, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, grated Monterey Jack cheese

2. Place all ingredients except toppings in a large soup pot.

3. Heat until just boiling; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Top with chopped avocado, crushed tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese. Serves 8.

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. fish in a can (4)

2. pet kept in a bowl (8)

3. Curious George is one (6)

4. the biggest planet (7)

5. pig in “Charlotte’s Web” (6)

6. underwater vessel (9)

7. colors in the sky (7)

Mini Jokes

Gabrielle: What do you call a calm piece of gold?

Gabe: Mellow yellow!

Eco Note

Windstorms raging across the Gobi Desert, which borders China and Mongolia, sent out an unhealthful cloud of yellow dust that brought misery and disruption to life in parts of China, South Korea and Japan. The seasonal haze worsens air pollution and puts people at greater risk of respiratory disease due to the tiny dust particles that are small enough to become lodged deep in lung tissues. Chinese meteorologists say the Gobi sandstorms have occurred more frequently since the 1960s due to increasingly hotter temperatures and lower precipitation in the desert region.

For later:

Look in the newspaper for articles about California.

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

Answers: tuna, goldfish, monkey, Jupiter, Wilbur, submarine, rainbow.

The Mini Page® ©

2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication

By Jim Miller

Tips and tools for coping with vision loss

Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some good resources for seniors with vision loss? My husband was recently diagnosed with macular degeneration, which has deteriorated his central vision, and he’s become very discouraged.

Worried Wife

Dear Worried,

I’m very sorry to hear about your husband’s eye condition. Unfortunately, there are about 20 million Americans living with macular degeneration today. Over time, this progressive disease can rob people of their central vision, making everyday tasks like driving a car, reading a magazine or watching television extremely challenging. Here are some tips and resources that can help.

LOW VISION HELP

If your husband hasn’t already done so, he needs to see a low-vision specialist for a comprehensive examination. Low-vision specialists are ophthalmologist or optometrist with additional credentials or specialization in low vision testing, diagnosis and treatment.

A low vision exam, which is much different from a typical eye exam, will explore how your husband’s eye condition is affecting his day-to-day life, how he’s adapting emotionally, and prescribe solutions to help him regain as much day-today functioning as possible.

Your next step is to get your husband to a nearby vision rehabilitation service. These services, which are run by state or nonprofit organizations, or private eye care clinics, help people with all types of uncorrectable vision impairments. Most state and nonprofit services are free or low cost, while private clinics typically charge a fee or may

accept Medicare.

While vision rehabilitation does not restore lost sight, it does help people maximize their existing sight, or, if they have no vision, it can equip them with techniques and tools to help them maintain an independent lifestyle.

Services include counseling, along with training on how to perform daily living tasks with low vision, and how to use visual and adaptive devices and assistive technologies that can help improve quality of life.

They also offer guidance for adapting your home that will make it safer and easier for your husband to maneuver and can help him locate low-vision support groups. Some agencies will even send their specialist out to work with him in the comfort of your own home.

To find a vision rehabilitation service near you, ask your husband’s eye doctor for a referral, or you can locate services yourself by calling the American Printing House (APH) Connect Center at 800-232-5463.

ONLINE TOOLS

Another convenient place to get help for your husband is online at VisionAware (www.VisionAware. org). This free website that’s part of the APH Connect Center is specifically designed for older adults new to vision loss.

It provides information on eye diseases and disorders, along with

dozens of practical tips, information and instructional videos on living with vision loss. These include concepts for adapting your home to make it easier to navigate, techniques for traveling safely outside the home and various tips on how to manage things like finances, medications and other tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, grooming, reading, writing, doing hobbies and more.

VisionAware also provides a comprehensive list of more than 2,000 low vision agencies and organizations across the country that’s searchable by state or category.

Another terrific low vision resource that’s available to your husband is Hadley (www.Hadley.edu), which is a nonprofit organization and partner of the National Eye Institute and the National Eye Health Education Program.

Hadley offers online discussion groups, audio podcasts and dozens of free online workshop videos to help empower the blind and visually impaired. With Hadley, your husband will learn new ways to do things that have become more difficult due to his vision loss and connect him with a network of peers who understand what he’s going through.

ANDREWS MCMEEL Almanac

TODAY’S HISTORY:

• In 1944, Adolf Hitler survived an assassination attempt orchestrated by several senior-level German military officials.

• In 1969, Neil Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11, became the first person to set foot on the moon, followed by Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin.

• In 1976, Viking 1 landed on Mars and transmitted the first photos of the planet’s surface.

• In 2012, a gunman opened fire during a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” at a theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others.

TODAY’S FACT:

• The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) honored Neil Armstrong and associates with its Best Foreign Television Programme award in 1970 for their telecast from the moon.

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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.

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. To learn more about all our events, programs, new books and more, sign up for our monthly email newsletter on our website. 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.

TEENS DISNEY NIGHT

Mondays, July 24 and 31, 5:30-

7:30 p.m. Ages 12-plus. Cosplay and singing welcome. Bring a hairbrush and see the floating lights on the 24th. Bundle up for some chilly sisters on the 31st.

STORYTIME

Tuesdays, July 25, 10:30-11 a.m. with Danielle and Aug. 1, 10:3011:30 a.m. with Four Winds.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC AND PLAYTIME

Thursdays, July 27 and Aug. 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Enjoy music, then stay to play.

LEGO TIME

Thursday, July 27, 3-4 p.m. Create with the Library’s LEGO collection.

BABY TIME

Wednesday, Aug. 2, 10:30-11 a.m. Bond with your baby and socialize with gentle activities.

TEENS D&D

Friday, July 28, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12-plus. Join our Dungeons & Drag-

Women Build 2023

ons campaign.

SATURDAY MUSIC

Saturday, July 29, 10:30-11 a.m. Enjoy preschool music on a Saturday.

PUPPETKABOB — “SO CRAFTY TOGETHER”

Wednesday, Aug. 2, 5-6 p.m. Make your own puppets and background scenes out of paper with Puppetkabob.

MULTI-AGE PROGRAMS

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE

The Summer Reading Challenge is ongoing. Keep tracking your reading and activities on Beanstack. Ages 0-15 should check in with a youth librarian to claim prizes for every five hours they track.

“ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS” STORYTIME (GOOD CITIZEN CHALLENGE)

Tuesday, July 25, 2-3 p.m. All ages welcome. Meet at the library and walk to Town Hall to see where meetings take place. Stay for story time.

OLDEST BUILDING PICNIC (GOOD CITIZEN CHALLENGE)

Wednesday, July 26, 5-6 p.m. All ages welcome. Enjoy snacks outside

one of the oldest public buildings in Williston, the Old Brick Church, and then tour the inside.

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS

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

PUZZLE SWAP

Through the end of July, bring in your gently used puzzles (200-plus pieces) and take home something new to you.

HOT DATE WITH A BOOK

Through the end of July. Looking for a beach read? Our display of wrapped books will give a few hints, but you won’t discover your “summer read” until you get home.

ADULT MEDITATION (ONLINE)

Fridays in July and August, 1212:30 p.m. Reconnect with your peaceful body and breath in this online meditation led by Maryellen Crangle.

MAH JONGG

Friday, July 21, 1-3 p.m. Drop in to play this popular tile game.

BROWN BAG BOOK CLUB

Tuesday, July 25, 12:30-1:30 p.m. “Beautiful Country” by Qian

Julie Wang is a childhood memoir

of a heartrending journey through the American dream. Available in Libby (overdrive) as an eBook and in print from the library.

CURRENT EVENTS

Wednesday, July 26, 10:30 a.m.12 p.m. Drop by to discuss current topics.

LIFE STORIES WE LOVE TO TELL (ONLINE)

Wednesday, July 26, 2-3:30 p.m. Guest speaker Jane Wilson will share stories and pictures from her 12-week solo travels through Morocco.

TREE IDENTIFICATION WALK

Monday, July 31, 5-7 p.m. Learn to identify trees by more than just their leaves. Join Kate Forrer of the Vermont Woodlands Association and Ethan Tapper, Chittenden County Forester, for a walk at Catamount Community Forest on tree identification. Register at www. damlvt.org.

ADULT CRAFTERNOON: HYDRANGEA BUBBLE PAINTING

Thursday, Aug. 3, 2-3 pm. No paintbrush needed as we use bubble wrap to make colorful, gorgeous blooms. Register at www.damlvt. org.

Nancy A. Horton

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our mother, Nancy A. Horton, on July 11, 2023. She was blessed with a peaceful passing, surrounded by her family.

Nancy (Nan) Horton was born in Burlington, VT on March 28, 1932, the daughter of Arthur Edward and Mary Ellen (O’Neil) Brennan. She was educated in Williston schools, Mt. Saint Mary Academy, graduated from Cathedral High School in Burlington, Vt. and graduated from the Fanny Allen Hospital School of Nursing.

She married Edward E. Horton, Jr. Dec. 27, 1954 at Cathedral Church, Burlington. Over their 46 years of marriage, they lived in Waco, TX; Chappaqua, NY; Rochester, MN; South Burlington and Essex Junction.

Nan did private duty nursing at Fanny Allen and Bishop DeGoesbriand Hospitals. She gave up her nursing career to spend her time raising 5 children and devoting her life to being a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She never let her own illness or discomfort prevent her from tending to others.

Nan enjoyed vacationing with her family

and friends, and those special trips and cruises with her husband, Ed. A lover of nature, she enjoyed the time spent at the family summer camp, “Overlake”, on Malletts Bay. Her hobbies were ceramics, gardening, cake decorating, paint-by-number, reading mystery novels, pets, watching her backyard nature friends, along with genealogy and research of the family history. She greatly enjoyed activities with her “four musketeer” friends. Nan’s kindness, hospitality, generosity, and strength will be remembered by family, friends, and neighbors alike.

Nan is survived by her five children: Edward E. (Ted) Horton III (Juliette), Kathleen J. Horton (Kevin Barry), Carolyn M. LaMothe (Brian), Mary E. Horton, and Sharon A. Horton (Dale Laflam); five grandchildren: Amanda Carr (Tyler), Adam Horton, John LaMothe (Amiee), Cory LaMothe (Kayla Zehr), and Jessica Robinson (Okephief); five great grandchildren: Alexander and Helen Carr, Brynn and Landon LaMothe, and Zoja Robinson; sisters-in-law: Eleanor Clavelle, Patricia Perkins Rouille (Bud) and Rosemary Overon. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

Nan was predeceased by her husband, Ed, her brother, James L. Brennan and sister, Mary Patricia Shea, two sisters-in-law: Jane Horton and Elizabeth Yates and four brothers-in law: Michael J. Shea, J. Richard Yates, Raymond Clavelle, Sr., and Paul Horton.

We wish to thank staff of The Residence at Quarry Hill, Home Care Assistance and Home Instead for their caring, compassion and support during Nan’s 5 year journey.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, or the charity of your choice.

A Mass of Christian Burial was held July 18 at Holy Family Church, Essex Junction with burial following at Resurrection Park Cemetery. To send online condolences, please visit www.readyfuneral.com.

CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL

TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA

Tuesday, July 25, 2023 – 7:00 PM

Williston Recreation “R.E.C Zone” (94 Harvest Lane, use north entrance) or Zoom Meeting ID 846 5863 3532 on zoom. us/join or call 1-646-558-8656

DP 23-17 3JT, LLC requests a discretionary permit to subdivide a 4.4 ac lot into three lots; one 2.61 ac lot with the existing office building, a 1.14 ac vacant lot, and a 0.80 ac lot for a building reviewed under the Taft Corners Form Based Code at 2300 St. George Rd. in the TCZD.

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

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

PUZZLE FOUND ON PAGE 11

Join

SUDUKO SOLUTION PUZZLE FOUND ON PAGE 11

July 7 at 1:14 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Walmart. A female, age 34, was issued a citation to appear in court.

July 7 at 5:38 p.m. — Assisted rescue with a female overdose. She was transported to the hospital for evaluation.

July 7 11:45 p.m. — Following a motor vehicle stop, it was discovered that a female, age 38, had an active arrest warrant. She was transported to the correctional center.

July 8 at 5:05 p.m. — Suspicious female reported at Best Buy. She was moved along.

July 8 at 10:35 p.m. — Noise complaint on Holland Lane. Parties were moved along.

July 9 at 11:22 a.m. — Retail theft at Walmart. Case is under investigation.

July 9 at 3:13 p.m. — Death investigation conducted. Nothing suspicious found.

July 9 at 9:52 p.m. — Officer responded to a vehicle off the road. Upon investigation it was discovered that a male, age 53, had an active arrest warrant. He was issued a citation to appear in court. The male was also issued a citation to appear

SHELBURNE

Assistant to the Town Manager

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

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

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

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

in court for driving with a criminally suspended license.

July 10 at 12:47 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Best Buy. A male, age 34, was issued a citation to appear in court for retail theft.

July 10 at 8:15 p.m. — Report of scammers walking around Bittersweet Circle trying to sell the internet. Car was gone upon arrival.

July 11 at 6:37 a.m. — Report of a male sleeping in a shed at Home Depot. He was moved along.

July 11 at 1:51 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Lenny’s. Case is under investigation.

July 12 at 11:15 a.m. — Home Depot called looking to have a former employee trespassed. Male was not located.

July 13 at 12:28 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Walmart. A male, age 60, and a female, age 45, were both issued citations to appear in court.

July 13 at 2:30 p.m. — Assisted rescue with overdose at Walmart. The male, age 41, had an active arrest warrant and was transported to the correctional facility.

July 13 at 2:57 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Dick’s Sporting Goods. A male, age 34, was issued a citation to appear in court.

Officers of the Williston Police Department also responded to 12 alarm activations, nine motor vehicle crashes and made 10 traffic stops during this time frame.

Wed., July 29 @

Preview: Mon., July 24 11AM-1PM

Church

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where there is no wifi option, parents often find it difficult to coordinate drop-offs and pickups for their children, Kearns said.

Verizon first floated the idea of using the church steeple for a repeater in 2018. At that time, plans did not include the construction of an attached storage shed at the rear of the building. Terry Ma-

Happenings

continued from page 5

ar Makers’ Association board of directors presented the 2023 Annual Maple Awards and announced winners of their first annual Maple Contest at their annual meeting in June at Vermont Technical College’s Randolph campus.

The Outstanding Sugar Maker Award went to Cody Armstrong of Randolph Center. The Vermont Maple Person of the Year is Donna Young of Morgan. The Sumner Williams Lifetime Achievement Award went to Glenn Goodrich of Cabot.

caig, who was chair of the board at that time and is now still a board member, took note of the change.

“I’m less than thrilled with the design,” he said. Verizon will consult with an architect, Davis said, to minimize the visual impact of the addition, which will be visible from the library and the school.

“It would not be my first preference to choose a historical building. It would be much easier to go on some other, less poten-

In the inaugural Vermont Maple Contest, Glenn and Ruth Goodrich won best in show; Palmer Lane Maple of Jericho won Maple Cream; Pam and Rich Green of Poultney won amber color; and Pam and Rich Green of Poultney won dark color.

TD Charitable Foundation donates $150K to flood recovery

The Vermont Community Foundation received a gift of $150,000 from the TD Charitable Foundation to support flood relief efforts in the wake of catastrophic flooding on July 10.

The donation will go to the

tially sensitive piece of infrastructure,” said Davis, who is managing the project for Verizon. “But there are quite a few people surrounding this area that are using their devices, and Verizon would like to support those uses, and this site would do that very well.”

With the informal endorsement the selectboard offered at its July 11 meeting, Verizon will now continue with more detailed designs and permit application preparation, Davis said.

Vermont Flood Response & Recovery Fund to help bring immediate and longer-term assistance to Vermont communities and businesses that were devastated by flooding.

“TD’s Vermont team knew we had to act as soon as we saw and experienced the destruction of our main streets, commercial corridors and homes in Vermont,” said Don Baker, commercial market president of Vermont, TD Bank. “Through our contribution to the VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund, we know the Vermont Community Foundation will help our local nonprofits support those with immediate needs.”

Logging

continued from page 1

Logger” by the Forest Resources Association based in Washington D.C.

“They are using some specialized equipment to reduce trail impact,” Atkinson said.

The logging will dramatically alter the character of trails like the Sandmans Loop, the Woods Trace Trail and Cliffs of Insanity, Atkinson said — all located on the north side of Gov. Chittenden Road. He and some board members walked the trails with Tapper and requested about 35 trees that line the trails not be removed.

“He was responsive to our request to keep the trees that are right next to the trail and give the trail its character,” Atkinson said of Tapper. “We all learned from each other on that walk so it was a good process.”

Still, biking, skiing or walking the trails will be a much different experience after the logging.

“The feel of (the trails) where you feel like you are in a forest with a really big canopy way overhead and it’s all big trees … It’s going to feel really different,” Atkinson said. “But the goal of forestry health is important and I do recognize that

the trees are at the end of their life span. To take some down now rather than just wait for them to fall — and probably in a catastrophic way. It would be like in a big windstorm and we’d have a big problem — I do think there is value in that, despite the fact that it will feel different.”

At the July 11 selectboard meeting when the logging contract was approved, Brian Forrest, one of the authors of the town’s Energy Plan, spoke out against cutting down the trees. The trees’ role in removing carbon from the atmosphere outweighs whatever knowledge can be gained from the research, in light of global warming, he argued. Forrest noted that the United Nations’ International Panel on Climate Change warns that failure to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030 will result in irreversible damage to the planet.

“Cutting down trees that are our biggest and best and cost-free carbon sequestration devices makes no sense in the time frame we have,” Forrest said. “We need to focus on cooling the planet, and cutting down trees is going in the wrong direction.”

Tapper said that the timber removed will go to Lamell Lumber in Essex for processing into wood products.