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OCTOBER 12, 2023
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
A pod of our own
WWW.WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
Planning commission member launches Williston-focused podcast BY JASON STARR Observer staff
Williston’s never been given the podcast treatment before. But the newest member of the town’s planning commission has taken on the endeavor of delving into local history, landmarks, people and peculiarities in a new podcast series. Steven Shepard has lived in Williston since 1991. He was appointed this fall to a seat on the commission. As a veteran writer and podcaster digging into the town’s comprehensive plan, zoning regulations, development bylaws and form-based code, one of his first thoughts was: “I’m going to take on the responsibility of being translator.” “Planning people speak planning and they are good at it,” he said, “but the average person doesn’t necessarily understand what they are talking about.” His concept of a Williston-centric podcast expanded after talking with Planning Director Matt Boulanger, not just about land-use regulations, but also about some of the myths, legends and curiosities around Williston that Shepard believes most residents are unaware of. “I thought, as part of this role (on the planning commission), I want to tell the stories of the town that we are in fact planning,” Shepard said. “I want people to understand exactly what it is we are trying to protect and where it is we’re trying to go.” Episode 1 of the as-yet untitled series is already produced. It’s a 12-minute overview of the town’s upcoming update of the Williston Comprehensive Plan — the official vision document that underpins all local land-use regulations — a project that town administrators have dubbed “Willis-
Steven Shepard is the newest member of the Williston Planning Commission. He’s turned his passion for storytelling and natural curiosity into a new podcast series focused on the people, places and peculiarities of Williston. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
ton 2050.” Shepard has been jotting down other topic ideas as well: • An explanation of some of the tucked away memorials in town, such as the Civil War memorial in one of the town’s cemeteries and the understated war memorial between Town Hall and the Town Hall annex. • An overview of the town’s walking trails, other than the popular paved rec path. • An appreciation of the quietude of Mud Pond Country Park. • An interview with the director of the local restorative justice center. • Interviews with local kids answering the question: “What is your favorite playground in town and why?” • Explanations of stormwater management, historic preservation rules in the Village, public works operations and the Taft Corners form-based code. see PODCAST page 5
Making strides in education
A small but enthusiastic group of walkers headed to Williston Central School down North Williston Road on Wednesday to kick-off the Williston Walks & Rolls to School event. See more on page 3. OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY
Airport reconsiders F-35 noise impacts
When the Vermont Air National Guard brought F-35s to town in 2019, the Burlington International Airport created a noise exposure map to estimate the impact, in decibels, that the
Noise from F-35 fighter jets taking off and landing at Burlington International Airport will be mapped as part of an updated effort by airport and FAA officials. OBSERVER FILE PHOTO
state-of-the-art fighter jets would have on surrounding communities. Now that the planes have been flying over Chittenden County for nearly five years, the airport is updating the map with actual, rather than anticipated, impacts. The airport has been recording decibel levels around the runway since 2021 with noise monitors placed in Williston, Winooski and South Burlington. Williston’s noise monitor shows decibel levels repeatedly spiking into the upper 70s, while Winooski’s shows decibel levels in the 80s. South Burlington’s monitor has recorded the highest decibel levels, with spikes over 120. The data is available at https://www.btv. aero/about-btv/community. Spikes over 110 decibels can cause hearing loss if the exposure lasts more than two minutes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease see F-35 page 5
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Williston Observer
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October 12, 2023
PROPERTY TRANSFERS SEPTEMBER 2023 • Ryan Hayes bought a home on Lefebvre Lane from Nicole Voth for $540,000. • Marcia Pressey bought a condominium on Commons Road from Cynthia Breton for $465,000. • David Kirk bought a home on Village Grove from Bret Powell for $615,000. • Deborah L. MacDonald Trustees bought a condominium on Commons Road from Margaret Whitby for $510,000. • Jonathan Girdzis bought a condominium on Zephyr Road from the Tod and Elaine Besserty Trust for $575,000. • Dimas Zuniga bought a home on Sadler Lane from Andrew Lamar for $890,000.
Around Town
home on Isham Circle from Talia Williams for $574,900. • Theodore Lokenberg bought a home on Walker Hill Road from Gregory Yandow for $538,000. • Kevin Rondeau bought a home on Meadowrun Road from Laurie Sutka for $529,000. • Gregory Still bought a home on 4 acres on Blackberry Ridge Road from Sarah Bauer for $705,212. • Finney Hotel 2 LLC bought 2 acres of open land on Holland Lane from Snyder FC Commercial Properties LLC for $975,000. Property Transfers sponsored by
• Theresa Thyng bought a condominium on Ian Place from Susan Boyer for $680,000. • Mark Churchill bought a
ki — will be in attendance. Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger will be a keynote speaker.
Catamount walk explores managing forests for a changing climate On Saturday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., join Ethan Tapper, the Chittenden County Forester, for “Understanding Forest Management: Managing Forests for a Changing Climate” — a walk of a recently completed forest management project at the Catamount Community Forest (home to the Catamount Outdoor Family Center) in Williston. In September, about 25 acres of the 393-acre Catamount Community Forest were managed as part of a research project called Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change. The goals of the project were to learn more about how to manage forests in a changing climate while also creating a more diverse, vibrant, resilient forest, making a relatively young forest more like an oldgrowth forest. The walk will take place on a gravel trail through the managed
Exit 12 park-andride opens
area, and Tapper will discuss forests, forest management and forest ecology. To join the walk, meet at the Catamount Outdoor Family Center parking lot at 553 Governor Chittenden Rd., Williston. Register at: https://www.citymarket.coop/calendar/2023-10-14/understanding-forest-management-walk
Winooski Valley Park District celebrates 50th anniversary The Winooski Valley Park District — which owns and maintains Chittenden County’s largest network of public trails, conservation land and parks — is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Thursday, Oct. 12 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum in Burlington. Representatives from each of WVPD’s member districts — including Burlington, Colchester, Essex, Essex Junction, Jericho, South Burlington, Williston, and Winoos-
A new park-and-ride opened last week after nearly a year of construction near the Exit 12 interchange of Interstate 89 in Williston. The entrance to the facility is located just south of the interchange, near where a new Vermont State Police barracks is under construction across from Hurricane Lane. Some minor work within the parking lot will continue over the coming weeks. The Green Mountain Transit commuter link which operates weekdays between Burlington and Montpelier has begun making a new stop at the park-and-ride. Visit https://ridegmt.com/86-montpelier-link-express for schedule details.
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October 12, 2023 •
Williston Observer
Walking the walk
OBSERVER STAFF REPORT
This small but enthusiastic group of walkers headed down North Williston Road, turning onto the bike path at the Federated Church parking lot on its way to Williston Central School during the Wednesday kick-off of the Williston Walks & Rolls to School event. OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY
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Williston students and parent volunteers on Wednesday kicked off what organizers hope will be an increasingly popular school-day morning ritual: walking or rolling (biking, scootering, skating or skateboarding, for example) to school. “Williston Walks & Rolls” is an initiative of the Williston Safe Routes to School team, which is comprised of school administrators, town parks and rec staff, parents and staff from the Vermont Department of Health and the non-profit advocacy group Local Motion. At about 7:15 a.m., students and adult volunteers gathered at one of six walking/ rolling routes to Allen Brook School and Williston Central School. Other participants joined along the way. Families who
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don’t live along a designated route were encouraged to drive to the beginning of a route and either drop their student off with walk leaders or join the walk, too. “Walking and rolling is a great way to reduce congestion at schools (and the stress that comes with that congestion), allows students to move more and be physically active, helps increase focus at school, helps build students’ sense of independence, and reduces our impact on the environment,” a news release about the event states. “Plus it’s just fun.” Students who participate throughout the year will receive tickets to be entered into monthly drawings for prizes. For more information, contact Local Motion Safe Routes to School Regional Coordinator and Williston parent Amy Brewer at abrewer@nmcinc.org or (802) 922-2587.
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October 12, 2023
VSU releases buyout plan; faculty union cries foul
BY PETER D’AURIA VTDigger
Vermont State University is offering buyouts to up to 33 fulltime faculty members as it plans to cut and consolidate academic programs. The university, which is carrying a structural deficit of $22 million, plans to shed between 20 and 33 faculty positions as part of a larger cost-cutting initiative. Administrators hope the faculty reductions will save around $3.35 million a year. Faculty members who choose the buyout option will continue teaching through the end of this school year, after which they will receive a payout equal to half their annual salary. Family members
would still retain tuition benefits at the Vermont State Colleges (VTSU and the Community College of Vermont) for up to six years. The deadline to choose the buyout is Oct. 27. In a Tuesday press release, VTSU interim president Mike Smith said the buyout plan “shows gratitude for (faculty’s) dedication.” “It is a generous option for faculty members to choose their path and hopefully avoiding the need for layoffs,” Smith said. “It allows those who are ready to depart at the end of the academic calendar year to do so with additional financial support.” Vermont State University is the product of a merger between three previously separate public
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Mike Smith, interim president of Vermont State University, at the Williston campus in May. PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER
institutions: Castleton University, Northern Vermont University and Vermont Technical College. The July consolidation was intended to ensure the survival of the institutions, which have struggled for years amid declining enrollment. Over the past three years, Vermont’s Legislature released millions of dollars to help set the new institution on a path to stability. Lawmakers also instructed it to cut its deficit by $5 million a year, a prescription that set the stage for the current faculty reductions. Linda Olson, a sociology professor and faculty union leader, slammed the buyout plan.
“Faculty are not happy,” she said. University leaders have failed to release the data used to determine where faculty should be cut, she said, meaning “the decisions they’re making are based on data we’ve never seen.” The union plans to push for reductions and cost-savings in VTSU’s leadership positions, a longstanding goal of faculty who have decried what they say is administrative bloat. “We will fight back, because I think there’s an existential crisis here,” Olson said. “I think that we believe that if this goes through as planned, it’ll be the end of our institutions.” Faculty in 14 academic disciplines would be eligible for the buyouts proposed by administrators. Most of the offers are concentrated in the humanities — an apparent sign that those departments would see the largest staff reductions. Sarah Truckle, the university’s vice president of business operations, said in an interview that it’s still too early to tell exactly what programs will see staffing reductions. But the list of programs where faculty are eligible for buyouts is “indicative of the disciplines that we’re looking, yes, to reduce the
faculty size,” she said. VTSU is offering nine buyouts to faculty in literature, writing, and creative writing, a program that, Olson said, employs only 11.5 fulltime faculty. (One full-time faculty member is shared between two different academic departments.) The university is offering another four buyouts in fine arts and graphic design and four in “social sciences,” which includes history, anthropology and sociology. Programs in mathematics, statistics, electrical engineering, chemistry, physics and other sciences account for another nine buyout offers. Vermont State University currently employs 207 full-time faculty. Truckle also reiterated a pledge by Smith, the interim president, to examine VTSU’s administrative expenses and recommend cost savings. Leaders will make recommendations about potential cuts before the end of the month, she said. “We recognize that this is an incredibly difficult time,” she said. “But one of our goals here in the buyout is to avoid layoffs. And we really feel like we’ve tried our best to create a package that allows people to make a choice and provides financial support (for) doing that.”
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Podcast
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“I have about two year’s worth of material,” Shepard said. He plans to post a new episode of the podcast to hosting site Sound Cloud about every 10 days. He also hopes to have a link to the series placed on the town’s website and planning commission webpage. The topic ideas have blossomed well be-
F-35
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Control and Prevention (CDC). Decibel events in the 70-85 range are classified as merely “annoying” by the CDC. The 2019 noise exposure map outlines an oval-shaped land area where noise impacts were expected to be greater than 65 decibels. The map shows three noise exposure zones, with areas closest to the airport at 75 decibels, an intermediate area of 70-decibel and an area of 65-decibel exposure. Homes and apartments within the three zones may be eligible for noise mitigation or home sale assistance through funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. The northwest corner of Williston, including about 100 homes on North Brownell, South Brownell and Shunpike roads, falls within the 65-decibel exposure zone. The map can be viewed at
yond the purview of a planning commission member. But, Shepard said, increasing people’s understanding of the past and the reasons for planning the town’s future will underpin the project. “This is why we have a planning commission,” Shepard said. “This is what we’re protecting, this is what we’re creating. This is what we all want and what we are trying to do through planning. That will kind of be the subliminal message that comes through the whole thing.” https://www.btvsound.com/nem-update/ documents/. As part of the map update, the airport is convening an advisory committee with representatives from municipalities and organizations affected by F-35 noise. The Williston Selectboard recently appointed Assistant to the Town Manager Erin Dickinson as the town’s representative. The first meeting of the committee took place this Thursday at the airport. The process is being facilitated by Boston-based consultant The Jones Payne Group. The committee is expected to meet four times over the next seven months, finishing its work in May with a draft of a new noise exposure map. A public comment period will follow before a submission for approval of the map to the Federal Aviation Administration, according to Jones Payne Group Chief Operating Officer Diane Bryant Carter. — Jason Starr
Williston Observer
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October 12, 2023
GUEST COLUMN
We can reduce poverty, but will we? BY JACK HOFFMAN We have the means to reduce poverty. What we need is the political will. That is the conclusion of a massive real world experiment that took place during the Covid pandemic of 2020-2022. Now that the emergency has subsided, we are beginning to see the effects of actions — and the dangers of inaction—taken by political leaders to help people meet their ongoing basic needs. In response to the economic problems triggered by the Covid pandemic, the federal government moved quickly to put money in people’s pockets. Some of the efforts were temporary, such as the Economic Impact Payments and the Paycheck Protection Program that helped employers retain their workers while businesses were shut down. Once things opened up again, those programs lapsed.
Congress also expanded some existing programs during the pandemic. Benefits increased under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known in Vermont as 3SquaresVT. Supplemental federal unemployment insurance increased benefits and extended eligibility to more workers. And there was a substantial increase in the federal Child Tax Credit: From $2,000 a year for a child of any age to $3,600 for children under 6 and $3,000 for children 6 and older. The expanded Child Tax Credit had a dramatic effect: It is credited with reducing the national child poverty rate to 5.2 percent, the lowest level in more than 50 years. In combination with the other federal programs, it also helped to reduce poverty overall. In Vermont, according to new data from the U.S. Census, an average of 48,000 peo-
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Elected officials must keep choosing to promote policies that ensure everyone can meet their basic needs. ple, or 7.6 percent, were living below the federal poverty line from 2020 to 2022. That was an increase from the 20192021 average but still below the pre-pandemic poverty rate. In other words, thanks to government assistance, 10,000 fewer Vermonters were living in poverty during one of the biggest economic crises of the century than during the period of 2017 through 2019. So that was Part 1 of the experiment: Federal and state policymakers understood the urgen-
cy of expanding unemployment benefits, instituting programs to retain employees, increasing child tax credits, and otherwise helping people meet their basic needs. The nation and the state found the means to do it, and political leaders found the will. Mostly, their efforts succeeded. Then came Part 2. As jobs returned and people went back to work, the need for emergency economic assistance decreased. In 2022, Congress allowed the pandemic-era Child Tax Credit to lapse. And — no surprise — nationally, the number of children in poverty rose again. Vermont made a different choice. Here, lawmakers stepped up for children. In 2022, they approved a state Child Tax Credit of $1,000 a year for children under 6. And this year, the Legislature made a big initial investment to increase subsidies for childcare. We don’t yet know the effects of these expen-
ditures. Although the Legislature approved the state Child Tax Credit last year, the first claims could not be filed until this year. But one piece of evidence is incontrovertible: Bigger federal credits — short-lived as they were — lowered child poverty. They are likely to do so in Vermont, too. It’s too bad Congress couldn’t muster the political will that Vermont’s lawmakers did. But poverty was a problem before anyone heard of Covid — and it remains a problem now that the pandemic has waned. Elected officials must keep choosing to promote policies that ensure everyone can meet their basic needs. Jack Hoffman is a senior policy analyst at Public Assets Institute, online at www.publicassets.org.
Vermonters take on every town through the 251 Club challenge BY OLIVIA WILSON Community News Service Ariel Mondlak and Abbie Waite first embarked on their journey to visit every town in Vermont 12 years ago, when the two friends were college students joined by a love of their home state’s history. “You kind of look at things a little bit differently when you go there with the intention of playing tourist and exploring,” said Mondlak. Their travels became more official after they discovered the 251 Club, a nonprofit for Vermont enthusiasts that challenges people to visit all 251 (now 252 with the addition of Essex Junction last year) municipalities in the state. The club officially got its start in 1954 when founder Arthur W. Peach, noted scholar and poet, decided more people needed to discover Vermont. Since 2011, when the club started keeping digital records, 1,200 members have completed the challenge, and some have even done it more than once. The group’s 68th annual
member meeting took place in South Burlington on Oct. 1 at the Delta Hotel by Marriot, where Olympic gold medalist skier and club member Barbra Ann Cochran spoke. Mondlak and Waite had already been to most communities in Vermont, but for the challenge, the two
only check places off the list if they visited together and can recall a specific memory or photo from the trip. Both foodies, the two have found enough hole-in-the-wall restaurants to keep them from ever going hungry. Their favorite so far? The Jerisee 251 CLUB page 7
A roadway view taken by Shelburne resident and 251 Club member Tom Clavelle on one of his trips. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO
October 12, 2023 •
251 Club
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cho Tavern. “Go where the journey takes you, and it will all be fun in the end,” said Mondlak. “Find the different places that you never would have found otherwise.” The group currently has more than 5,000 members — both in and out of state, native and non-native — who have completed or are working on their 251 visits. Among them is club executive director Stephanie Young, who grew up in Connecticut, but upon moving to Vermont, immersed herself and her family in the state’s history. Since Young became the organization’s executive director in 2020, she, her two sons (9 and 13) and her husband have visited 198 towns. You don’t have to have completed the 251 to be a part of the fun. There is no timeline, no right or wrong way: The club is a choose-your-own-adventure extravaganza. “Some people do it in a couple months. I’ve talked to some people who took 30 years to do it,” said Tom Clavelle, a Winooski native now living in Shelburne with his wife, Wendy. A few years ago, Clavelle decided
to take up a new retirement activity: biking through every town in the state. Since 2020, he said, he has ridden through about 70 percent of Vermont. “Every wrong turn is a new experience,” he said. He’s shared about two-thirds of his rides with other people, either his wife or friends, and on those trips he has taken almost 2,000 pictures, he said. Combining his passion for cycling with the 251 Club was a way to create relationships and experiences. He contemplated attempting the whole state in one ride, but realized the point of the challenge is the journey and the experiences you collect along the way, rather than the destination. Couple Warren Irish and Christianna Raiche, of Jericho and Williston, have decided the club’s goal is not quite enough of a challenge. They’ve made it their goal to visit every village on top of every town and city, which evens out to 293 destinations. Irish is a ninth-generation Vermonter, so it seems right to him that he sees everything the state has to offer. He and Raiche began their official journey in 2020 but had both known about it most of their lives. Raiche had visited many towns with her parents as a child. She was homeschooled, and a key part of her
education was Vermont history. She visited the towns after reading “The Gazetteer of Vermont Heritage,” an old chronicle of each community’s history that she still uses to augment adventures. The two make sure to capture a memory from each town, taking a picture in front of every post office. Due to the flooding this summer, the annual meeting was moved from the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier to South Burlington. In addition to the yearly meetings, the group also hosts spring get-togethers throughout the state. “These events provide members with a chance to meet other club members, share stories and discover or rediscover a new place in Vermont,” said Young. The Clavelles were at first a little wary attending a club meeting, unsure if they would know anyone or if it would be any fun. But when they pulled into the parking lot outside the meeting venue, they ran face-to-face into their neighbors “who were the last people we would have expected to be there,” said Clavelle. It’s proof, he said, that the club can bring together residents from the furthest stretches of Vermont but also reconnect you with those closest to you.
Williston Adams Farm Market Belle’s Café Chef’s Corner Dorothy Alling Memorial Library Fairfield Inn Gardener’s Supply Green Mountain Bagel Hannaford Healthy Living Williston Home2Suites Korner Kwik Stop Marriott Courtyard Men At Wok People’s United Bank Ramunto’s Rehab Gym Shell Gas Station (Essex Rd) Simon’s Mobil Williston Simply Divine Café Sonesta Sunoco Station Town of Williston Offices UPS Store Vermont Meat & Seafood Williston Coffee Shop
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Craft-or-treat with three Vermont children’s authors!
storytime
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Williston Observer
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October 12, 2023
BY ETHAN TAPPER Special to the Observer On a highly altered landscape, the idea of an old-growth forest is captivating to many. But what are old-growth forests? And why do they matter? Definitions vary. Some would say that the only true old-growth forests are primary forests — the tiny fraction that has never been extensively altered by humans (or humans of European descent). Others would say that an old-growth forest is any forest that is old, that has escaped extensive disturbance for a long period of time, usually at least several centuries. Yet others would say that a forest becomes old-growth when it attains late-successional characteristics, the suite of traits common to many older forests. These characteristics include multiple generations of trees — with some big, old trees, and lots of dead wood on the forest floor. By any definition, most people have never seen an old-growth forest in Vermont, or anywhere in eastern North America. Unless you specifically seek out one of our few
What is an old-growth forest? remnant old-growth forests, a walk in Vermont’s woods will carry you through an area that was a field or a clearcut within the last 150 years, and probably as recently as the 1960s. The vast majority of Vermont’s forests are just 60-100 years old, at the beginning of their centuries or millennia-long journey towards old-growth. While old-growth forests once covered more than 90 percent of Vermont, today the number is closer to 0.1 percent — perhaps 1,000 acres in total. The most obvious characteristic of old-growth forests is the presence of big, old trees — often just 1012 per acre. Old-growth is equally characterized by multi-generationality, by tons of dead wood on the forest floor, by a canopy filled with gaps and by deep, well-developed soils. Interestingly, while many people imagine that old-growth forests are peaceful and easy to appreciate, these qualities actually make them seem messy, chaotic and even jarring. From an ecological perspective, old-growth forests are not just
Some characteristics of an oldgrowth forest: big, old trees, and dead wood on the forest floor. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO
valuable because they’re old, they’re valuable because of these characteristics. On a landscape that was once dominated by old-growth, the characteristics mentioned above are the conditions to which our native flora and fauna have adapted for thousands of years. Each of these characteristics supports vital natural processes and provides important habitats for wildlife, and all are woefully underrepresented on our modern landscape.
CVSD COMMUNITY Join us! Wednesday, October 25, 6:00 pm at CVU
BUDGET FORUM
See the full schedule of upcoming budgetrelated board meetings on the website. https://www.cvsdvt.org/budget The Champlain Valley School District welcomes input from ALL members of the CVSD community as we embark on the budget development process for the 2024-2025 budget!
The rareness and uniqueness of old-growth forests has convinced some people that the best thing for our forests is just to leave them alone. Unfortunately, this is not so. While we should certainly protect all existing old growth forests and set aside some unmanaged reserves, we need to acknowledge that our forests are facing an apocalyptic array of threats and stressors. They have been cleared and exploited, have lost native species and have had non-natives introduced. They are simultaneously navigating a climate crisis, a biodiversity crisis and a mass extinction event. Many — if not most — of our forests have been altered to an extent where they will likely never become old-growth without our help. Of the forests that may someday become old-growth on their own, this process will likely take two or three centuries, leaving our planet and our biodiversity to suffer in the meantime. While some say “not in my backyard” to local forest management, forests — including old-growth forests — will be exploited across the world to feed our need for resourc-
es, forcing peoples and ecosystems elsewhere to bear the cost of our consumption. As we pretend that the beauty and the importance of oldgrowth means that we should leave every forest unmanaged, our forests and the biological communities that they support will continue to suffer without our help. To me, old-growth forests are a call to action. At a time when oldgrowth is more needed than ever before, we can use forest management to create old-growth characteristics, and the myriad habitats and benefits that they provide, in decades rather than centuries. We can do so while protecting biodiversity, sequestering and storing carbon, producing local, renewable resources, and supporting a vibrant and just local and global economy. To me, this is a far greater tribute to old-growth than leaving every forest alone. Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden County Forester for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. For more, visit https://linktr.ee/ ChittendenCountyForester.
October 12, 2023 •
MULTI-AGE PROGRAMS READ TO A DOG (LOLA)
Thursday, Oct. 19, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Call to schedule a 10-minute session. 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, access digital offerings and register for programs. Need help? Call 878-4918 or email daml@ damlvt.org.
YOUTH PROGRAMS Children in fourth grade and younger must be supervised by someone over 16 years of age. TEEN NIGHT: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
Friday, Oct. 13, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12-plus. Join our bi-weekly campaign. FRENCH STORYTIME
Saturday, Oct. 14, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Drop by for French story time. POKÉMON CLUB
the sun on the Town Green. BABY TIME
Wednesday, Oct. 18, 10:30-11 a.m. Enjoy gentle activities with your baby. AFTER SCHOOL MOVIE
Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2-4 p.m. PG. Do sheep belong in the Big City? PRESCHOOL MUSIC AND PLAYTIME
Thursday, Oct. 19, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Enjoy music, then stay to play. No music on Oct. 26. KIDS PAINT A PUMPKIN
Friday, Oct. 20, 3-4 p.m. Paint a mini pumpkin at the library. Register ahead at www.damlvt.org. TEENS PAINT A PUMPKIN
Friday, Oct. 20, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12-plus. Paint a mini pumpkin at the library. Register ahead at www. damlvt.org. QUIET KIDS’ READ-IN
Monday, Oct. 23, 3-4 p.m. Challenge yourself to read for a full hour! AFTER SCHOOL CRAFT
Monday, Oct. 16, 4-5 p.m. Enjoy Pokémon-themed activities and show off your favorite cards.
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2-3 p.m. Make a fidget at the library.
STORYTIME
LEGO TIME
Tuesdays, Oct. 17 & 24, 10:3011 a.m.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
SUN TRACKING
Tuesday, Oct. 17, 3-4 p.m. Weather permitting, safely observe
Thursday, Oct. 26, 3-4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12-plus. Join the library’s Teen Advisory Board.
TECH TUTOR
Wednesday, Oct. 18, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Call to register for a half-hour time slot for help with your technology. SPANISH CONVERSATION (ONLINE)
ADULT PROGRAMS
Wednesday, Oct. 18, 5-6 p.m. All abilities welcome.
For online programs, email daml@damlvt.org for link.
OPEN HOUSE AND HALLOWEEN TRIVIA
ADULT MEDITATION (ONLINE)
Fridays in October 12-12:30 p.m. MYSTERY DATE WITH A BOOK
Register at www.damlvt.org until Oct. 15. We’ll select a book for you from your choice of mystery: Cozy, Thriller, True Crime or Surprise Me. Books available for pickup starting Oct. 16. MAH JONGG
Fridays, Oct. 13 & 20, 1-3 p.m. Drop in. All levels. FRENCH CONVERSATION FOR ALL
Saturday, Oct. 14, 10:45-11:45 a.m. All levels welcome.
COOK THE BOOK
Wed nesday, Oct. 18, 12 p.m. Copy a recipe from “Time to Eat” by Nadiya Hussain and join us for a potluck.
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Page 9
tilles. Co-hosted by SBPL, DAML and Vermont Department of Families. AUTHOR EVENT
Saturday, Oct. 21, 1-3 p.m. Old Brick Church. Author Nancy Stone debuts “Indigo Hours,” her book of poetry that addresses the emotions of caring for someone with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Wednesday, Oct. 18, 6:30-7:30 p.m. New in town? Stop in to get a library card, explore the library and meet others.
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 12:30-1:30 p.m. “The Reading List” by Sara Nisha Adams.
LUNCH WITH LIBBY
CURRENT EVENTS
Thursday, Oct. 19, 12-1 p.m. Learn how to access the library’s electronic collections. Bring your lunch. Dessert provided. Register ahead at www.damlvt.org.
BROWN BAG BOOK CLUB
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 10:30 a.m.12 p.m. Drop by and discuss newsworthy topics. LIFE STORIES WE LOVE TO TELL (ONLINE)
SPECIAL BOOK DISCUSSION AT SOUTH BURLINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
INDOOR MOVIE
Saturday Oct. 21, 12-1 p.m. “Stranger Care: A Memoir of Loving What Isn’t Ours” by Sarah Sen-
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 6-8 p.m. Enjoy a PG13 campy take on a famous Eyre novel.
BOOK CLUB BUFFET (ONLINE)
Tuesday, Oct. 17, 12:30-1:30 p.m. “Fuzz” by Mary Roach.
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Page 10 •
Williston Observer
• October 12, 2023
Killer at large in shooting of retired college dean
Woman killed near Vermont State University campus in Castleton BY ALAN J. KEAYS VTDigger
Vermont State Police on Monday said they had received more than 200 tips but still have no suspect after a retired Vermont State University dean was shot to death near the campus in Castleton last week. The investigation into 77-yearold Honoree Fleming’s death entered its fifth day as students began returning to a school on
edge. Classes had been scheduled to resume on Monday following a week-long fall break, but were delayed until Tuesday due to the tragedy. Police said they are still attempting to locate and interview a “person of interest” who they consider “armed and dangerous.” The man — described as white, red-haired and about 5-foot-10 — was seen leaving the area of the shooting shortly after bystanders heard gunshots, police said. Maj. Daniel Trudeau, head of the Vermont State Police criminal division, called on the public
to be vigilant as the investigation continues. “We don’t really know yet if the community is in any further danger,” he told reporters during an afternoon press briefing. “We don’t know if this is isolated or not isolated. We’re still trying to develop leads to further figure that out.” The shooting occurred on the rail trail about a mile from its intersection with South Street on Thursday at around 4:30 p.m., police said. Trudeau said investigators are interested in talking to anyone who was walking on the rail trail
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that day, especially between 3-5 p.m., as they continue to run down scores of tips. “We vet through them and oftentimes they don’t pan out, sometimes they are helpful, but every tip is better than no tip,” Trudeau said. Trudeau said that tips have included possible sightings of the man, who was last seen wearing a dark gray T-shirt and carrying a black backpack. Others have provided investigators with possible names of that person. Trudeau said investigators have also been interviewing potential witnesses, nearby residents and people who were on the trail around the time of the shooting. “This type of case is going to be probably a blend of old-fashioned detective work, along with new age technology-based detective work,” Trudeau said. Castleton Police Chief Peter Mantello told reporters Monday that he is not aware of any other cases that the homicide in Castleton appears connected to. “What’s frustrating for police and the investigators and everybody involved in this is that we don’t have a suspect. We don’t have a motive,” the police chief said. The Vermont State University at Castleton has doubled its security staff and contracted with the Rutland County Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement services to the campus through the week, according to Sylvia Plumb, assistant vice president of Vermont State University market-
ing and communications. Small groups of students could be seen around campus Monday, though it was largely quiet with few vehicles in the parking lots. Trevor Iken, a 21-year-old sophomore at the school, said he was at home in Ohio for fall break when he learned about the shooting through a Thursday evening message from the school. “I got really freaked,” he said. “I was not really looking forward to coming back.” Braeden Kloss, 18, a first-year student, said he also found out about the shooting through the school’s message. He was in New York, where he resides and had gone for fall break. “At first I really didn’t believe it,” he said. “It’s pretty scary it happened so close to campus.” Both Iken and Kloss said they are heeding safety advice they have received in follow-up messages from the school, including to pair up with another person when going out, especially at night. In a message on Friday, university officials described Fleming as a “beloved” teacher at Castleton, noting that “scores of students benefited from Dr. Fleming’s teachings and research.” Before joining Castleton, according to the university, Fleming was a faculty member at Trinity College, Middlebury College and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Fleming was the wife of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Powers. They lived in Castleton.
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October 12, 2023 • Williston Observer
•
Page 11
‘Reading crisis’ sharpens education secretary search
Vermont seeks secretary as educators rethink literacy instruction BY PETER D’AURIA VTDigger
As Vermont looks to hire a new secretary of education, Vermonters have weighed in with their preferred qualifications for a candidate. The state’s top education official, parents, educators and administrators say, should support public education, promote equity and opportunity for students, and revitalize what some see as an ineffectual agency. Some Vermont advocates are pushing for a secretary with expertise in one particular area: teaching kids to read. “We feel like there’s a tremendous opportunity for our state right now in appointing a leader who has the reading crisis high on their radar,” said Laurie Quinn, the president of the Williston-based education nonprofit Stern Center for Language and Learning, “who understands the opportunity that we have right now in Vermont to turn the reading crisis around for our kids.” The push comes amid a nationwide reckoning over how kids learn to read, as a grassroots advocacy movement pushes schools to change their reading curricula to better fol-
low scientific data. Legislatures in dozens of states have implemented reforms intended to bring reading instruction in line with that research. Now, Vermont advocates are seeking a new secretary who will follow in their footsteps. ‘SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THAT SCIENCE’
A growing number of educators, parents, teachers and lawmakers across the country are arguing that schools have been teaching kids to read the wrong way. Galvanized in part by an American Public Media podcast called Sold a Story, advocates point to numerous studies that show that children learn reading better when they are explicitly instructed to connect letters and sounds, also known as phonics. But for years, they argue, school reading curricula have omitted or underemphasized phonics instruction — to the detriment of students. “With the secretary of ed vacancy, we really need someone who understands that science, and why it’s so important to support teachers — so that we can therefore support our kids,” said Abigail Roy, a board member at the International Dyslexia Association’s Northern New England Alliance and an evaluator at the Stern Center. Through the Dyslexia Association, Roy has led a campaign urging
A student works on their writing skills in Melisa Peterson’s kindergarten class at Flynn Elementary School in Burlington on the first day of classes in August 2022. FILE PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER
Vermonters to write letters to the Vermont State Board of Education and governor asking them to choose a secretary who knows how to teach reading. “Now is the time to organize efforts to encourage Governor Scott and members of the State Board of Education to choose a Secretary that is knowledgeable in the Science of Reading and supportive of structured literacy instruction in our Vermont classrooms,” the association said on its website. More than a dozen Vermonters have drafted letters or submitted tes-
timony to the State Board of Education asking for a secretary who will prioritize literacy instruction. HOW BAD IS IT?
Every other year, Vermont fourthand eighth-grade students are tested in reading and math by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, a standardized test sometimes called the Nation’s Report Card. For much of the 2000s, Vermont’s average test scores in reading and math were largely steady, even ticking up slightly. According to NAEP, the state’s average scores in reading were at a modest 13-year high in 2015. Around that same year, the state recorded highs in the percentage of students — 45 percent — who scored “proficient” and above on the tests. That year, however, marked a
turning point. After 2015, Vermont’s NAEP reading scores started to drop, a decline that continued through the Covid-19 pandemic. By 2022, 71 percent of eighth-graders tested in Vermont were scoring below a “proficient” level — up from 60 percent in 2002. Among fourth-graders, 68 percent of those tested were below proficient, compared to 61 percent 20 years earlier. Those declines largely mirror national trends. The state’s average test scores in mathematics have followed a similar trajectory, peaking around 2013 and declining in the years since. Is inadequate reading instruction behind the state’s middling scores? Some advocates speculate that it is. Quinn, of the Stern Center, said she had consulted with a colleague who guessed that poor reading curricula became “entrenched in the decade prior.” Ted Fisher, a spokesperson for the Vermont Agency of Education, declined to make any state officials available for an interview. Asked about the causes behind that decline, Fisher referred VTDigger to a 2019 press release from the Vermont Agency of Education. “I urge school districts to pay attention to these results and make sure we are focused on providing high-quality instruction in core skills like literacy and mathematics,” then-Secretary of Education Dan French said in the release. ‘TAKE IT INTO CONSIDERATION’
Not everyone is convinced that see EDUCATION page 12
Page 12 •
Williston Observer
•
Education
continued from page 11
the silver bullet is more phonics instruction. Marjorie Lipson, a founding board member of the literacy nonprofit Partnerships for Literacy and Learning and former education professor at the University of Vermont, said that the focus on phonics oversimplifies the many factors that go into how kids learn to read. “My argument is not with pho-
October 12, 2023 nics,” Lipson said, noting that it’s a key part of curricula. “It’s with an approach that says that’s all that’s important, and that you need to hold back other aspects of becoming a reader until after that job is done.” She likened phonics instruction to practicing shooting a basketball: “You could have a child go into a gym and practice shooting hoops until they … collapsed from fatigue,” she said. “At the end of the day, if that’s all they’d ever done — was shoot hoops — they would be pretty skilled at shooting hoops. But they wouldn’t be a good
basketball player.” Jay Nichols, the executive director of the Vermont Principals Association, compared the current discourse to the “reading wars” of the 1980s, when educators debated how much of a role phonics instruction should play in classrooms. “It’s exactly the same,” he said. “The pendulum’s kind of swung back and forth. And I think, as usual, the answer’s somewhere in the middle.” Either way, it’s not clear that advocates will succeed in getting a secretary who will prioritize reading
instruction. Under Vermont law, the State Board of Education is supposed to present at least three candidates for the position to the governor, who will make a final choice. The job application window closed on Oct. 5. Jennifer Samuelson, the chair of the state board, declined an interview, saying she was preparing for a trip. Asked about the campaign for a secretary of education to prioritize literacy, she said in an email that “I think this is an area that is clearly of interest to a lot of Vermonters.”
But the board had not discussed the topic, she said. She declined to say whether the body would prioritize reading instruction in its search for a new secretary, saying that information about the hiring process was “privileged” under Vermont law. Nor is it clear how much Gov. Phil Scott will focus on the issue. In response to an emailed inquiry from VTDigger, Jason Maulucci, a spokesperson for Scott, said, “The Governor will certainly will take it into consideration, along with other public feedback.”
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October 12, 2023 • Williston Observer
•
Page 13
30 YEARS
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A student waves to a passing school bus on Bridge Street in Richmond.
Coalition launches campaign to document school bullying
FILE PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER
BY AUDITI GUHA VTDigger
Hate incidents, racism and other forms of harassment in Vermont’s pre-K-12 school system have prompted a coalition of 13 organizations to launch a website to collect and document those experiences among students. Vermont Narratives for Change (https://vtnarratives4change.my. canva.site) is “a storytelling campaign against harassment and bullying” that “seeks to raise awareness about the impact of these negative behaviors and advocate for positive change within schools statewide,” according to the website launched this week. “What this project does is it allows children and families to tell their stories, to share their truth, and for the community at large to let those children and families know that this is not OK,” said Melissa Houser, a doctor and executive director of All Brains Belong VT, an organization that provides neurodiversity-affirming health care and education. The Montpelier-based nonprofit is one of 13 organizations that formed the coalition. Students and their families will be able to share their experiences via a secure and confidential form, an interview with one of the members, or in a small group discussion. Participants will also have the option to decide how their information is used, according to a press release from the coalition. The coalition formed in part to call attention to and address shortcomings with the state’s current system for handling such incidents. Its members include the Vermont Human Rights Commission, Outright
Vermont, the ACLU of Vermont and the Rutland NAACP. Shelburne parent Leah Mount-Namson — who said her daughter had been repeatedly bullied, called the N-word and harassed at the Champlain Valley Union High School over the past couple of years — said she would use the website to share her story, as the traditional method of reporting incidents has not worked for her. Reporting those incidents served only to further marginalize her daughter, she said. “I feel I tried everything to help my daughter while she attended CVU. And time and time again nothing ever came out of it,” she said via email. “In the end, do I look back and feel like I was fighting a losing battle? Yes, absolutely.” The state’s policy on preventing harassment, hazing and bullying of students was issued in 2016, according to the Agency of Education, and all schools are required to adopt their own policies. Schools and districts have wrestled for a long time with how best to handle reports of hazing, harassment and bullying. But Hudson Ranney, vice president of the Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network, which is part of the new coalition, said the current system does not work for most students. Ranney told VTDigger he’s heard from many students dissatisfied with how such reports are handled. “I’ve heard a lot of, ‘Oh yeah, I’m sorry, we can’t do anything,’” he said. “It’s just an immediate shutdown from my experience and from other people’s experiences.” Whether to include students in an anti-harassment bill divided lawmakers earlier this year. After edu-
cation officials raised concerns that doing so could create more liabilities for schools, lawmakers passed the legislation without including them. The coalition, in its release announcing the project, pointed to the results of the annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as evidence of a “concerning prevalence of bullying and harassment among our youth.” It also criticized the “the inaccessibility of data from the (Vermont) Agency of Education,” which, it said, “prevents a complete understanding of the extent of this problem in our state.” In 2018, a lawsuit by the Vermont ACLU forced the agency to make some data about bullying available publicly on its school climate page. Spokesperson Ted Fisher said in an email last Wednesday that the agency takes incidents of hazing, harassment and bullying “extremely seriously” and is “very interested in working with all parties on potential solutions that protect students. He pointed to the annual data now available on the exclusionary discipline dashboard. The data, however, can be hard to decipher and presents an incomplete picture of the problem. In the 2020-21 school year, for instance, Fisher explained that the 102 incidents of bullying and 138 incidents of harassment refer only to students who were disciplined. Fisher admitted it’s not the clearest dataset and said the agency is aware of that and is working on simplifying it. Advocates hope the new effort to collect stories and data will fill in some of the gaps.
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Page 14 •
Williston Observer
• October 12, 2023
Farms still await promised flood relief more than 30 years. The state launched a grant program in early August to help businesses after the flooding. But months later, fewer than one-fifth of agricultural business applicants had received payments — and those that did, on average, received tens of thousands of dollars less than applied for. Of 41 approved applications, only 28 agricultural businesses had gotten paid as of Oct. 4, ac-
CHARLOTTE OLIVER Community News Service Outside Dog River Farm in Berlin, five pallets of bright orange pumpkins rest roadside in a loose grid along the grass, far fewer than owner George Gross normally has for sale. The summer floods wiped away a dozen acres of his crops. “This is probably the worst summer growing season I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Gross, a farmer for
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cording to data from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. That was out of 147 agricultural business applications total, according to the data, sent to Community News Service by agency Secretary Anson Tebbetts. Combined, the applicants had net damages of about $13.2 million, according to the data, averaging out to about $89,600 per applicant. But the average grant award as of Oct. 4 was just $14,193, Tebbetts said. “We totally understand that this program is not going to meet the needs of all the losses that are out there, that the losses that our farmers have faced are catastrophic in many cases,” Tebbetts said in an Oct. 4 interview. “We continue to have a long way to go,” Tebbetts said, explaining that his agency has recently taken on new reviewers to go through applications. Gross, the Berlin farmer, said late last month he had applied for federal funds and for money from the state grant program — the Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program, or BEGAP. Had he received anything? “Zippo,” he said. Farmers like him across the state seem frustrated the government isn’t supporting its local food producers. “How do we back up the ecological and cultural value that we put into agriculture in our state?” asked Mandy Fischer, program director at the Intervale Center in Burlington, a collective of farms and community gardens. “There’s not going to be any farmers left if we don’t figure out how to do that, not just as a state but as a region, as a country.” Local farms are turning to their communities to help lighten their financial burden. The Vermont Farm Fund, a project of the Northeast Kingdom– based Center for an Agricultural Economy, offers an emergency loan to people whose farms or farming careers have been jeopardized due to an unexpected natural disaster, like the floods. The loans have a 0 percent interest rate for up to $15,000, payable over 36 or 48 months, with the ability to defer payments for up to 12 months. “The flood only compounded what was already a really hard growing season,” said John Ramsey, the Hardwick center’s executive director.
The few pumpkins remaining after the summer floods at Dog River Farm in Berlin. Owner George Gross says he has received no financial help from the state or federal government. PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE OLIVER
The fund has been helping farmers since Hurricane Irene. It’s an example of how farmers and their advocates want to become more self-sufficient in the midst of what they consider incomplete resources from the state and federal governments. The state grant program launched Aug. 3 to help businesses with damages not already covered by insurance, donations or other grants. For businesses with less than $1 million in physical damages, the program originally covered 20 percent, and it would only pay up to $20,000. On Sept. 20, officials got rid of the $20,000 max and raised the percentage covered to 30 percent for businesses with less than $1 million in physical damages. For businesses with higher damages, the state would cover 20 percent with a $500,000 max. Eligible businesses that applied before Sept. 20 should still receive the 30 percent coverage, officials said. Those eligible that have already received funding should receive an additional check in the mail. Fischer, Gross and Ramsey all said the floods this summer came at an especially disastrous time for farmers, who after a season of prep and growing were getting ready to see their crops turn a profit. Throughout May, farmers dealt with abnormally hot and dry conditions, followed by an unexpected freeze late that month — then weeks of heavy rainfall. The results: saturated soils and flooded fields. “We (only) got one-twentieth of our crop (yield),” said Gross. “I’m looking at $25,000 just in repairs,” he added.
Growers at the Intervale Center along the Winooski River are “anticipating about a 50 percent reduction in yields across the board,” said Fischer, the center’s program director. Many farmers there struggled after the floods to pay their bills and put food on the table, even after receiving grant money from the state, Fischer said. “Immediate cash is really critical in terms of resilience,” she said. Gross has seen more financial support from his local community than from any state program. “I have a really great customer base, I always have,” he said. “All summer long this place would be busy all day long. They want to see me continue.” Digger’s Mirth, one of the farms at the Intervale, was able to raise $68,000 through a GoFundMe campaign. At least 15 farms have gotten help from the Vermont Farm Fund, said Ramsey, who along with his work at the center owns Sawmill Brook Farm in Greensboro. “I believe that we’ve deployed $220,000 in emergency flood relief funds since the flood in July,” he said late last month. Standing outside the store that sits on his farm, Gross seemed optimistic about the fall growing season and the crops he has, despite the challenges he’s faced since summer. Across the farm he and workers have been picking kale, he said. “Things are rolling, and we’re harvesting all these wonderful things,” he said. “Markets are strong, you know.” He hoped the next few weeks would stay like that.
October 12, 2023 •
Williston Observer
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Page 15
SPORTS
Team triumph
Hey Woodski! I like to bike and run long distances. If I eat before I go, I get stomach cramps. I know it’s good to have eaten something, but I also don’t want to carry a lot of snacks. Any recommendations? Bell E Ache, age 16 (female, biking) Dear Bell E Ache, Running and biking are excellent ways to see more of the outdoors! Kind of a bummer that stomach cramps spoil the fun. There’s good news: You can train your gut just like you train your muscles. Just like a biker’s training plan gradually builds mileage over time, your stomach also can be trained to tolerate food and water before exercise. It will take patience, but you can do it. Approach “gut training“ as two parts. Ideally around 2-4 hours before exercise, eat a pre-workout meal, such as a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with some vegetables and hummus. Around 30-60 minutes before exercise, eat something small and simple like a half banana or an apple sauce packet. Don’t worry if you’re not there
CLOCKWISE (l to r): CVU’s Merrill Jacobs sets the ball to the outside during the Redhawks’ straight-set win over the Burlington Seahorses on Oct. 5 in Hinesburg. Anna Daggett gets down low for a dig. Rose Bunting jousts at the net with a Burlington middle. Lauren Vaughan gets a kill at the left pin.
yet. Start with whatever’s currently comfortable with no cramps. Take a step-by-step approach; slowly adding more food and/or closer to exercise. Plan to experiment with different foods and timing strategies to see what works best for you. Each step requires an adjustment stage of a minimum of two weeks before bumping it up again. The goal isn’t to make your stomach crampy. The goal is to go just short of discomfort, and then adapt for a few weeks before you take the next step. Repeat out loud after me: “I’ll take small, small steps and I won’t get impatient!” Lastly, drink plenty of water throughout your day. If you continue to get cramps despite healthy sports nutrition, consult your doctor or a registered dietitian. Steve Fuchs is a health coach at Steve Fuchs Health Coaching. Go to www.vermonthealthcoach. com to anonymously ask a question about things that affect your athletic performance. The advice offered in this column is not intended to replace professional medical advice. It is advised that you talk to your doctor before making any changes in your diet, exercise or lifestyle choices.
OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY
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October 12, 2023
41 (23)
Next Week: All about bats
Founded by Betty Debnam
Splendid Species
Queen’s hedgehog
Mini Fact:
Sometimes undiscovered species are found in places like forests that don’t have humans nearby. photo by Jens-Olaf
Did you know there are more than 8.7 million species on Earth? Millions of insects, plants, animals and bacteria have been identified so far, and even more species are being discovered each year! The Mini Page takes a look at some of the newer species discovered during recent years.
Rainbow-colored fish
photo courtesy of NOAA
photo by A.R. Emery and R. Winterbottom
The rose-veiled fairy wrasse was identified off the coast of the Maldives (MALRice’s whale deevz). It It can sometimes take years of research for was given scientists to officially describe a new species, Rose-veiled fairy wrasse its name which was the case for what’s now known because of its vibrant color. as Rice’s whale. This species was formerly Similar to the case of Rice’s whale, the thought to be part of another species, Bryde’s rose-veiled fairy wrasse was originally (BROO-duhz) whale. thought to be a known species. However, Observations made in the 1990s motivated upon closer examination, it was found to be a the National Oceanic and Atmospheric separate species. Administration (NOAA) to collect samples Biologist Ahmed Najeeb co-authored and study them. the paper that introduced the rose-veiled In a scientific article published in 2021, fairy wrasse. Doing so made him the first Dr. Patricia Maldivian to describe a new species. Rosel and her Tarantula colleagues Not all discoveries are made by scientists. shared In fact, a new tarantula was discovered by information a YouTuber! JoCho Sippawat first noticed on the first unusual brown tarantulas while visiting a structural jungle in Tak in northwest Thailand. Rice’s whale examination This particular spider lives inside stalks of a skull from this whale species, which of bamboo. Taksinus bambus, aka bambootula, distinguished it from Bryde’s whales. is the first species known to live on just one Rice’s whales have protected status under species of bamboo. the Endangered Species Act as well as the Bambootulas crawl through the holes in Marine Mammal Protection Act because bamboo that are made by other insects and there are fewer than 100 of them remaining. animals.
In Surrey, England, a new type of fungus called the Queen’s hedgehog was discovered in 2022 in an ancient woodland. This white, lumpy fungus has a slightly sweet odor.
Bolivian waterlily
Also in 2022, a new species of waterlily was officially identified. It is called the Bolivian waterlily, and its leaves can grow up to 10 feet wide! Guinness World Records awarded the new waterlily Bolivian waterlily three titles: world’s largest waterlily species, world’s largest waterlily leaf and world’s largest undivided leaf. This species of waterlily is native to Bolivian wetlands, where it has been located in five areas, but it can also be found in conservatories and botanical gardens. Beetles pollinate these waterlilies. The flowers are covered in prickles and turn from white to pink. photo by E. Johnston
Issue 41, 2023
Resources On the Web:
• bit.ly/MPspecies2023
At the library:
• “Fish for Kids” by Kevin Kurtz • “Highlights Book of How” by Highlights
The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication
Try ’n’ Find
German and Russian biologists have discovered a stunning new species of lizard in Vietnam. The species, dubbed us of species are hidden in this puzzle. Some Words that remind Calotes bachae is a small lizard, measuring are hidden up to 4 inches words (10 cm) in length. . Bothbackward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See males and females are capable of if you can find: changing colors to better match their surroundings. ANIMALS, BAMBOO,
BOLIVIA, DISCOVER, FISH, FUNGI, MALDIVES, NATURE, RECORD, SKULL, SPECIES, TARANTULA, THAILAND, WATERLILY, WHALE, WRASSE, YOUTUBE.
PHOTO FROM HTTPS://NEWS.MONGABAY. COM/2013/01/PHOTOS-NEON-BLUE-DRAGONDISCOVERED-IN-VIETNAMESE-RAINFOREST/
H M N R S E V I D L O Y B J N E B U T U Y L I L R E T A W D A Y S E I C E P S U D I S C O V E R Q U P S L A M I N A F S I M Z A A L U T N A B A M B O O W R A S
Mini Jokes
A M I I B O Y I L O G G L D L N U B N I K U M A V Z U L L I R A T I A S E I A D
Suzie: Where do whales sleep at night? Sam: In water beds!
Eco Note Australian marine life experts are attempting to repopulate Sydney Harbor with endangered White’s seahorses
the Endangered Species Act as well as the Marine Mammal Protection Act because there are fewer than 100 of them remaining.
species of bamboo. Bambootulas crawl through the holes in bamboo that are made by other insects and animals.
• “Fish for Kids” by Kevin Kurtz • “Highlights Book of How” by Highlights October 12, 2023 • Williston Observer
The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication
Try ’n’ Find
Page 17
Mini Jokes
Words that remind us of species are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: ANIMALS, BAMBOO, BOLIVIA, DISCOVER, FISH, FUNGI, MALDIVES, NATURE, RECORD, SKULL, SPECIES, TARANTULA, THAILAND, WATERLILY, WHALE, WRASSE, YOUTUBE.
•
H M N R S E V I D L O Y B J N E B U T U Y L I L R E T A W D A Y S E I C E P S U D I S C O V E R Q U P S L A M I N A F S I M Z A A L U T N A B A M B O O W R A S L W H A L E H S I F D R O C E R N A T U
Suzie: Where do whales sleep at night? Sam: In water beds!
A M I I B O Y I L O G G L D L N U B N I K U M A V Z U L L I R A T I A S E I A D R L L H C R E E T K
Eco Note Australian marine life experts are attempting to repopulate Sydney Harbor with endangered White’s seahorses by placing those raised in captivity into “seahorse hotels,” where they can grow and reproduce. The Sydney Institute of Marine Science says the fish will be protected by nets and metal structures covered in algae and sponges to help them survive. White’s seahorses have declined due to loss of sea grasses, soft coral and algae along Australia’s eastern coast, landing them on the endangered species list in 2020.
Cook’s Corner • 8 ounces soba noodles • 1 cup shelled edamame (soybeans) • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro • 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
What to do: 1. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. 2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. 3. Refrigerate until ready to serve or pack for lunch. Serves 4. Adapted from “The Robin Takes 5 Cookbook for Busy Families” with permission from Andrews McMeel Publishing (andrewsmcmeel.com).
adapted with permission from Earthweek.com The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication
You’ll need:
* You’ll need an adult’s help with this recipe.
Soba Noodles With Edamame
For later:
Look in the newspaper for facts about plants and animals.
Teachers: Follow and
interact with The Mini Page on Facebook!
Brevity BY DAN THOMPSON
Page 18 •
Williston Observer
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October 12, 2023
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insurance. On the other hand, if you had a child late in life or have a relative with special needs who is dependent on you for income, it makes sense to keep paying the premiums on your policy. You also need to make sure your spouse’s Dear Approaching, retirement income will It depends on your not take a significant hit family and financial situwhen you die. Check out ation. While many retirthe conditions of your ees choose to stop paying pension or annuity (if their life insurance preyou have them) to see if miums when they no lonthey stop paying when By Jim Miller ger have young families you die, and factor in to take care of, there are your lost Social Securiseveral reasons you may still want to keep ty income too. If you find that your spouse your policy. Here are some different factors will lose a significant portion of income to help you decide. upon your death, you may want to keep the Family situation: Life insurance is policy to help make up the difference. designed to help protect your spouse and Debts: If you are still paying off your children from poverty in the case of your mortgage or have other large debts, you untimely death. But if your children are should probably keep your policy to help grown and are on their own, and you have your loved ones pay off these debts when sufficient financial resources to cover you you die. But if your debt payments are a and your spouse’s retirement costs, then small part of your net worth that poses no there is little need to continue to have life see SAVVY page 20
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October 12, 2023 • Williston Observer
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Page 19
CROSSWORD • SOLUTION ON PAGE 22
Almanac ANDREWS
MCMEEL
TODAY’S HISTORY: • In 1492, explorer Christopher Columbus’ expedition made landfall in the Bahamas. • In 1892, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited by more than 12 million students in public schools for the first time, in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage. • In 1946, the Allied Control Council in Germany decreed that the Nazi political party be dissolved. • In 2000, a suicide bomb attack on the USS Cole in Yemen killed 17 sailors and wounded 39. TODAY’S FACT: • The United Nations Population Fund estimated that the world’s population reached 7 billion at the end of October 2011, but according to U.S. Census Bureau demographers, that number was not reached until 19 weeks later.
SOLUTION FOUND ON PAGE 22
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Williston Observer
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October 12, 2023
Savvy
continued from page 18
risk of financial difficulty, then you may not need it. Work: Will you need to take another job in retirement to earn income? Since life insurance helps replace lost income to your family when you die, you may want to keep your policy if your spouse or other family members are relying on that income. However, if you have very little income from your retirement job, then there’s probably no need to continue with the policy. Estate taxes: Life insurance can also be a handy estate-planning tool. If, for example, you own a business that you want to keep in the family and you don’t have enough liquid assets to take care of the estate taxes, you can sometimes use a life insurance policy to help your heirs pay off Uncle Sam when you die. To help you with this decision, consider talking to an estate-planning expert or a fee-only financial advisor who can help you weigh out the pros and cons. SELL OR SWAP YOUR POLICY
If you decide that you don’t need your life insurance policy
any longer, you may want to consider selling it in a “life settlement” transaction to a third-party company, which typically pays four to eight times more than the policy cash surrender value. The best candidates are people over age 65 who own a policy with a face value of $100,000 or more. If you’re interested in this option, get quotes from several life settlement providers or brokers in your state. To find them, the Life Insurance Settlement Association provides a directory at www. LISA.org. Another option is to use a taxfree 1035 exchange to swap your policy for a hybrid product that blends life insurance with longterm-care insurance coverage. These products come in various forms, but they often combine a whole or universal life policy with a long-term-care rider. If you don’t use the long-term-care coverage, your heirs get the death benefit. 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.
of a male inside Home Depot who isn’t supposed to be there. A male, age 45, was issued a citation to appear in court for unlawful trespass and violating conditions of release. Sept. 29 at 9:33 a.m. — Report of an erratic female on Industrial Ave. Female was provided resources and calmed down. Sept. 29 at 2:59 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Home Depot. A male, age 35, was issued a citation to appear in court. Sept. 29 at 3:23 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Home Depot. A male, age 45, was issued a citation to appear in court for retail theft, unlawful trespass and violation of conditions of release. Sept. 29 at 4:50 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Home Depot. A female, age 26, was issued a citation to appear in court. Sept. 29 at 6:37 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Home Depot. After investigation, it was discovered that a male, age 35, and a female, age 38, both had outstanding arrest warrants. They were both transported to the
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correctional facility. Sept. 30 at 4:45 a.m. — Report of a stolen vehicle on Chelsea Place. Vehicle was later located in Burlington and returned to the owner. Sept. 30 at 12:24 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Dick’s Sporting Goods. A male, age 26, was issued a citation to appear in court. Oct. 1 at 1:17 a.m. — Following a traffic stop, a female, age 22, was issued a citation to appear in court for suspicion of DUI. Oct. 2 at 5:46 p.m. — Report of a male at CVS that was concealing property. Male paid for all merchandise and left the store.
Oct. 4 at 6:05 p.m. — Report of a retail theft at Home Depot. A male, age 37, and a female, age 38, were both issued citations to appear in court. Oct. 5 at 10:39 a.m. — Assisted Williston Rescue with a female who was confused and didn’t know where she was. Female was transported to the hospital for evaluation. Oct. 5 at 5:42 p.m. — Report of a female breaking into a car at Best Buy. Officers located the female. It was her own vehicle and she locked the keys inside. Officers assisted with unlocking the door.
Oct. 3 at 7:09 a.m. — Report of a retail theft at Shaw’s. A male, age 55, was issued a citation to appear in court. Oct. 4 at 12:06 p.m. — Report
Officers also responded to two alarm activations, three motor vehicle crashes and conducted 13 traffic stops.
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Oct. 4 at 4:35 p.m. — Report of a retail theft at Plato’s Closet. Case is still under investigation.
When you shop for yourself, Remember the Shelf! The Williston Community Food Shelf is seeing a large and increasing number of clients (over 300 families per month!).
WE NEED YOUR HELP! We especially need items for ‘Back to School’ that provide children breakfasts and lunches: Canned Chicken • Soup • Juice boxes Granola bars • Ramen noodles Crunchy Peanut Butter • Sweet cereals Microwave popcorn
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WILLISTON COMMUNITY
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CANNED CHICKEN • SOUP • JUICE BOXES • GRANOLA BARS • MICROWAVE POPCORN • FRUIT SNACKS • SWEET CEREALS • CAKE MIXES • RAMEN NOODLES
Page 20
October 12, 2023 •
Williston Observer
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Page 21
OBITUARIES
Martha Anne Bombardier Martha Anne Bombardier left this world on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023 at UVM Medical Center. She was born in Burlington on March 8, 1942 the daughter of the
late Leland and Nita (Hutchinson) Towne. Martha was predeceased by her son Bruce who died in 1987. She leaves behind her loving husband of 60 years, Roger Bombardier, and her daughter Roxy Bombardier and daughter-in-law Sarah Bombardier. She also leaves behind two cousins, Cynthia Garcia and Gary Towne; numerous nieces and nephews, her brother and sister in-law, Robert & Amanda Bombardier, and brother-inlaw Paul Bombardier. Martha graduated from Mary Fletcher School of Nursing in 1962. She was a wonderful and dedicated nurse. She had a long and prosperous career at The University of Vermont hospital, where she cared for the sick and
Speak up!
helped many women deliver children. Martha loved her Siamese cats and all animals. She especially enjoyed watching the many wild animals of Robbins Mountain who visited her yard. She traveled extensively and cared for so many loved ones in her life, and she raised two children to adulthood. Martha’s desire was for a private burial service. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Chittenden County Humane Society, to which she was a constant supporter, 142 Kindness Ct., So. Burlington, VT 05403. Arrangements are in care of Gifford Funeral Home, Richmond. To send online condolences to her family please visit www.vtfuneralhomes.com.
Send letters and story ideas to editor@willistonobserver.com Williston
Betty Lou Tatro Betty Lou Tatro, 86, of Williston died on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, after a hard recovery from surgery. She was born in Burlington, VT on Feb. 20, 1937 daughter of the late Barton and Pearl (Muir) of St. John. She was a nurse’s aide at the age of 16 and married Everett Tatro at the age of 17 on Aug. 7, 1954. She worked at the Williston
Central School Cafeteria and then at the South Burlington Elementary School Cafeteria. Betty loved gardening and flowers, canning in the fall, and enjoyed knitting and crochet. She always gave her creations to family and friends. She is survived by three children. Sheryl Keesler of Williston, Thomas Tatro of Williston, and Kirk Tatro of Williston; her sister Nancy Bernola; brothers, Steve St. John, Douglas St. John, and Gary St. John; and by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren who she loved so very much. She was also a foster parent to several children. Betty was predeceased by her husband Everett Tatro, her son Craig Tatro, and her brother Wayne St. John. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Oct. 6 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Williston with burial following at East Cemetery, Williston. To send online condolences to her family, please visit www. vtfuneralhomes.com.
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Be a part of the Williston Observer’s NOV. 3
2022 Community Giving Guide! The Observer will be highlighting the groups and organizations in our area who would welcome the support of the community through donations and volunteers. To be included:
Nonprofit organizations
Call or email susan@willistonobserver.com, 802-489-5499
Advertisers
Call or email rick@willistonobserver.com, 802-373-2136
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Page 22 •
Williston Observer
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October 12, 2023
NOW HIRING The Stowe Reporter is looking to fill positions in:
AD TRAFFIC and GRAPHICS/PRODUCTION Send a resume and cover letter to: Stowe Reporter, POB 489, Stowe VT 05672; or katerina@stowereporter.com. No phone calls please. For more information, email: katerina@stowereporter.com
CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL
Town of Williston Selectboard Notice of Public Hearing Tuesday, October 17, 2023 7:30 P.M. The Williston Selectboard will hold a public hearing to receive comment on proposed changes to the existing Williston Unified Development Bylaw (WDB), pursuant to 24 V.S.A §4442 and the Williston Unified Development Bylaw. The public hearing will take place on Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 7:30 PM in the Beckett/McGuire Meeting Room of the Williston Town Hall located at 7900 Williston Road with remote participation offered using the online platform zoom with access information listed at the bottom of this hearing notice. The proposed amendments to the Town’s Unified Development Bylaw include: Add provisions for inclusionary zoning: • Establish an alternative path to growth management for inclusionary projects. • Require minimum percentage of affordable units for inclusionary zoning. • Establish fee-in-lieu provisions. • Establish requirements for affordable
CROSSWORD SOLUTION PUZZLE FOUND ON PAGE 19
units. • Establish incentives for inclusionary projects. • Add exemptions from growth management for low-impact projects (4 or less dwelling units on a parcel, adaptive reuse from commercial to residential). • Amend growth management criteria to encourage applicants to commit to energy conservation measures in residential development. • Amend density provisions: • Adaptive reuse projects are exempt from residential density requirements. • Residential projects in mixeduse districts that include >30% of affordable dwellings qualify for a density bonus. • Clarify that Transfer of Development Rights applies only to receiving areas within the Growth Center outside of the Taft Corners Form Based Code District. • Allow mobile vendors (i.e. food trucks) as accessory to commercial parking lots with an administrative permit • Allow food & beverage manufacturers to have larger indoor eating areas (50% or 5,000 square feet whichever is
SHELBURNE Human Resources Coordinator $24 - $28 hourly DOQ Full-time with flexible scheduling available and excellent local government benefits The Town of Shelburne team has grown to require a dedicated human resources professional. Help all our staff achieve their best, and cultivate the spirit of public service in our town. This coordinator will support all of our departments in the full suite of HR routines and special projects. The ideal candidate has related education and experience in human resources work, including recruiting, benefits administration, training, and problem solving. We have opportunities to grow, and to shape this postion to the skills and interests of the right candidate.
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Visit www.shelburnevt.org/jobs to see the full job descrition and application. To apply, email scannizzaro@shelburnevt.org. Review of applications begins immediately. The Town of Shelburne is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
less; currently 30%/2,000 square feet) and larger outdoor patios (up to 1,500 square feet; currently 500 square feet) • Additional changes to encourage solar canopies in parking lots, amend the number of members and name of the Historic and Architectural Advisory Committee, allow electric vehicle charging infrastructure with an administrative permit, temporary events now regulated by Town Ordinance and not bylaw, requirements for demolition sites to be secured and erosion measures in place. • Miscellaneous changes for language clean-up. • If adopted, the amendments to the Bylaw will go into effect 21 days after adoption unless a petition is filed for a popular vote to repeal the amendments within 20 days of the adoption vote as provided for in 24 V.S.A. § 4442. The above is a summary. Copies of the entire text of the proposed Unified Development Bylaw amendments are available for review during regular business hours at the Town Hall located at 7900 Williston Road, Williston, VT and can also be found on the Town’s website at http:// town.williston.vt.us by navigating to public records & documents then legal notices. Contact Matt Boulanger, Planning Director & Zoning Administrator at (802) 878-6704, or at mboulanger@willistonvt.org with any questions. Zoom Participation: https://us02web.zoom. us/j/88317489308 Phone: 1-646-558- 8656; Meeting ID: 8831748-9308
LEGAL
Town of Williston Notice of Adoption Williston Unified Development Bylaw Amendments On October 3, 2023 the Williston Selectboard adopted amendments to the Town’s Unified Development Bylaw. Adoption followed a public hearing that was held to receive comment on the amendments that took place on October 3, 2023. The proposed amendments to the Williston Unified Development Bylaw Appendix F will amend the Regulating Plan Map, the corresponding Street Specification Map and Town-Wide Official Map by changing the location of the public green adjacent to Trader Lane, a future grid street, relocating it further south at the terminus of Wright Avenue. The amendment will also change the street specifications type for Trader Lane to ST 38-86 PCT from ST 38-80. The change will increase the public right of way to 76 feet from 64 feet and include bicycle lanes on both sides of the street. The amendments to the Bylaw will go into effect on October 24, 2023 unless a petition signed by at least five percent of the voters of Williston is filed with the Town Clerk by October 23, 2023 asking for a vote to disapprove the adoption. If a petition is received, the Selectboard will warn a special meeting and the voters may vote on that question pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4442. The above is a summary. Copies of the maps effected by this proposed amendment to the Williston Unified Development Bylaw Appendix F are available for review during regular business hours at the Town Hall and can also be found on the Town’s website at http://town.williston.vt.us by navigating to public records and then documents / legal notices. Members of the public can contact the Williston Planning Department at (802) 878-6704, or at planning@ willistonvt.org with any questions.
To place a classified ad, email rick@williston observer.com or call 373-2136 Deadline for classifieds is Monday.
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NEWS BRIEFS State appoints emergency management director Vermont Department of Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison has appointed Eric Forand as director of Vermont Emergency Management. Forand had been serving as interim director since June. His tenure as interim director included leadership of the State Emergency Operations Center during this summer’s floods. “His guidance … through the (flood) response and the continued recovery have shown his dedication to Vermont,” Gov. Phil Scott said. “We’re fortunate Eric has agreed to continue this work.” Forand joined VEM in September of 2017 and was named deputy director in July of 2022. He previously served as a firefighter, EMT and instructor at the Vermont Fire Academy. “I am excited to continue the work of ensuring the state’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters continues to evolve to address changing hazards,” Forand said. “A critical piece of that will be continu-
ing Vermont Emergency Management’s partnership with local responders and the larger state enterprise in our collective efforts to keep Vermonters safe.” Vermont Emergency Management is a division of the Department of Public Safety with 35 employees and an annual budget of $3 million. “(Forand) has extensive experience in emergency services in Vermont and can use that insight to inform decisions that will benefit local emergency responders and help the evolution of emergency response in Vermont,” Commissioner Morrison said.
UVM Medical Center president addresses Congress about cyberattacks Stephen Leffler, president and chief operating officer of the University of Vermont Medical Center, appeared recently on Capitol Hill before the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation; and The Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regu-
latory Affairs. The hearing was a discussion of the impact of cyberattacks occuring on public and private organizations nationwide. UVM Medical Center experienced a cyberattack in 2020, and since then, hospital and network leaders have worked with counterparts at other hospitals and health systems, industry experts, and now in the nation’s capital, to help others improve preparedness and better respond to threats. “I was glad to provide testimony at this hearing, because it’s so important that we take our expertise and share it as broadly as possible with other hospitals and health systems,” Leffler said. “lessons we learned right at home in Burlington have now been shared with a group of U.S. leaders that are discussing cybersecurity preparedness and solutions on a nationwide and even global scale.”
State seeks equity in traffic laws As required by the passage last year of Act 106, Vermont’s executive director of racial equity, commissioner of motor vehicles and
commissioner of public safety are seeking public comment about Vermont’s traffic laws and how they affect people. The group will then make recommendations to lawmakers about whether some traffic laws should be modified or repealed. The group hopes “to learn whether there are specific changes or updates that would improve your experience as a motorist, passenger, pedestrian, resident, or visitor in Vermont,” a news release from the Vermont Racial Equity Advisory Panel states. The group will hold several listening sessions around the state and is also taking public comment online at https://racialequity. vermont.gov/traffic-statute-review-community-engagement. Listening sessions are scheduled for Oct. 12 in Northfield, Oct. 18 in Brattleboro and Oct. 19 in Bennington. Previous sessions took place at Champlain Valley Union High School and St. Johnsbury School. For more information, email etan. nasreddin-longo@vermont.gov.
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October 12, 2023