Williston Observer 04/04/2024

Selectboard trims budget proposal

School budget revote set for April 16; town in May

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

The Williston Selectboard is prepared to shave $335,000 from the $15.3 million budget that a majority of voters rejected at Town Meeting Day, and present a new proposal for voter consideration in May.

The board on Tuesday settled on that reduction amount after hearing pleas from the town’s police and fire chiefs to retain all public safety personnel and equipment. Williston’s round-the-clock police, fire and EMS services account for roughly half of the town’s budget, according to Town Manager Erik Wells.

The selectboard plans to leave public safety expenses untouched in its new proposal and instead find the $335,000 in reductions from smaller items across the town’s eight primary departments. The board plans to pinpoint cuts in upcoming weekly meetings at Town Hall. One cut that board members already seem open to is a new human resources director position, an expense that was part of the failed Town Meeting Day budget.

“While I think we need an HR director, I think this is not the year to add that,” board member Jeanne Jensen said.

The board also agreed Tuesday to infuse the budget with $100,000 from the town’s re-

serve fund, which has built up to $3.6 million in prior year budget surpluses. Adding the $100,000 reduces the amount of budget cuts needed.

“It is a rainy day fund for the town, and I’d say this is a stormy situation,” Wells said.

The new proposal would come in at $14.9 million for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of $940,641 (6.7 percent) over the current fiscal year. That would result in an estimated increase in property taxes of about $20 per $100,000 of assessed property value, or about $60 on the annual property tax bill of a median-priced ($300,000) Williston home.

That represents a 6 percent tax rate increase over the current fiscal year, compared to the 11.5 percent tax rate increase that was associated with the defeated Town Meeting Day budget.

The selectboard is eyeing May 7 or May 14 as possible budget revote dates.

Meanwhile, voters in Williston, Hinesburg, Charlotte, St. George and Shelburne are called to the polls Tuesday, April 16 to consider a revised Champlain Valley School District budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Voters in the five-town district defeated the $106 million proposal at Town Meeting Day in March.

The Champlain Valley School Board has approved a revised budget of $102 million. Voting on the new proposal will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 16 at the National Guard Armory next to Town Hall on Williston Road.

Reducing the budget proposal by $4 million will require the reduction of 42 positions throughout the district, including 16 teaching positions, nine administrative positions and 17 support staff positions that were created with federal pandemic recovery grants. It also includes scaling back on school maintenance projects. The cuts were distributed across the district’s six schools and central offices, with $612,000 coming from Williston’s two schools.

Still, the budget carries a roughly $6 million (5.8 percent) increase in spending over the current fiscal year. School administrators attribute the increase to a 4.75 percent increase in teacher pay, a 6 percent increase in support staff pay, a 16 percent increase in staff health insurance costs and general inflation.

School administrators estimate that the new budget will result in a property tax rate increase of 14 percent for Williston property owners, down from the roughly 20 percent increase associated with the failed budget. The tax increase would amount to $241 for every $100,000 of assessed property value, or a $723 increase on the median priced home ($300,000) in Williston.

The school district will hold an informational meeting the night before the election. The meeting will be held at CVU starting at 5 p.m. Monday, April 15.

What’s on tap for Tapper?

County forester to move on for book and business

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

Ethan Tapper won’t just be Chittenden County’s forester anymore.

With a book coming out and a private consulting business launched, the Bolton resident

is ready to broaden his purview and increase his impact.

“I always ask myself, how can I have the most positive impact on forests and conservation,” he said. For the last eight years, the answer to that question has been to work for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources in the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation as the Chittenden County Forester. But Tapper plans to step down June 1 to promote his newly penned book “How to Love a Forest” and

start a conservation consultancy called Bear Island Forestry.

“This is really the next step for me in my conservation career to be even more of a presence and have even more of a platform with respect to forests and taking care of them,” Tapper said.

Readers of the Observer may know Tapper from his monthly columns that often

Ethan Tapper

Rush hour wreck

Williston firefighters clean up after a three-car collision Tuesday afternoon near the corner of Harvest Lane and Route 2. The Williston Police Department also responded, helping traffic navigate around the wreck. No one was injured. Car crashes in Williston increased in 2023 by nearly 100 incidents over 2022, according to Williston Police Chief Patrick Foley. There were 340 crashes in town in 2023, he said.

Born and raised in Vermont, Kaitlin has always felt a deep connection to the beauty of the northwestern part of the state. With nearly 15 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Kaitlin honed her skills as a manager, fostering a passion for meticulous attention to detail and exceptional service.

Around Town

WCS students return to the stage

2022.)

bit.ly/meet-with-kaitlin

kaitlin@polliproperties.com

802-324-3048

A cast of about 30 Williston Central School students are in the final days of rehearsals for next week’s production of the musical comedy, “The Addams Family.” It will be the first full musical performed by WCS students since the pandemic (the school put on a shortened version of “Frozen” in

CVU Theater program presents one-act plays

The CVU Performing Arts program presents three showings of three one-act plays next week. The productions are directed by students and will be presented at the CVU high school theater in Hinesburg. The plays are “Alice,” “Antigone Now” and “Black Comedy.”

CVU seniors Julia Shrier, Nisha Hickock and Veronica Miskavage are directing “Alice.” Seniors Xander Olszewski and Lynne Lynne are directing “Antigone Now” and seniors Frankie Fidler and Addie Nevitt are directing “Black Comedy.”

The Friday, April 12 showing at 7:30 p.m. will feature “Alice” and “Antigone Now.” The Satur-

Evening shows are slated for Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12 at the WCS Al Myers Theater (7 p.m. start). A Saturday matinee is set for April 13 at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door and online at www.willistoncentral.seatyourself.biz.

The poster for the CVU Theater’s spring one-act plays is designed by Miah Batres and Clark Clark.

day April 13 showing at 7:30 p.m. will feature “Antigone Now” and “Black Comedy.” The Sunday April 14 showing at 1 p.m. will feature “Black Comedy” and “Alice.” Tickets are available at www. ticketsource.us/cvutheater.

PHOTO BY JASON STARR

Ben Cook and Helen Carr rehearse for “The Addams Family” at Williston Central School on Tuesday.

PHOTO BY JASON STARR

Rotary reports rabbits running rampant!

Williston’s Village Green was hopping with children and parents on Saturday morning taking part in the annual Easter parade and egg hunt sponsored by the Williston-Richmond Rotary Club.

CLOCKWISE (l to r) Augie Adams and Mom, Josilyn, show off one of the prizes for finding the special “Rotary” egg.

The Williston Police leads the big throng to start the parade.

Jamie Wolf, below, snaps a photo of his family, wife Sara and two bright pink Easter bunnies, Mikey, age 7 (l) and Benjamin, 5.

The Rotary Club was up bright and early stealthily helping the Easter Bunny hide eggs all throughout the Green. Hunters had to look both high and low in search of the treasured eggs. OBSERVER

PHOTOS BY AL FREY

Burlington swears in new mayor

Mulvaney-Stanak pledges to prioritize community safety

BY AUDITI GUHA VTDigger

For the first time in 12 years, the Queen City has a new leader.

Emma Mulvaney-Stanak was sworn in as mayor of Burlington on Monday night as the city council kicked off a new term. In remarks to a packed auditorium, she pledged to tackle quality-of-life issues in a city she said had experienced an “unraveling of our sense of community” in recent years.

“As your mayor, community safety will be my top priority, because everyone deserves to feel and be safe in our city,” Mulvaney-Stanak said.

The first woman and the first openly queer person to hold the city’s top job, she also committed to be a mayor for everyone.

“I did not run for mayor because I believed that I alone had the answers to meet our current moment,” she said. “I ran because I believed my experience as a community and labor organizer and my ability to bring people together to solve complex problems was and is exactly the kind of leadership our city needs at this critical mo-

The council voted 10-2 for Councilor Ben Traverse, D-Ward 5, to serve as its president. He succeeds former Councilor Karen Paul, who also ran for mayor and whose term on the council expired. Councilors Melo Grant, P-Central, and Joe Kane, P-Ward 3, voted against Traverse.

The new council president congratulated Mulvaney-Stanak on “tonight’s historic milestone,” which he said would be an inspiration for “thousands of Burlingtonians, your daughter, my daughters.”

“The political campaigns are over,” Traverse said in brief remarks. “We now turn towards a shared commitment for our city. We will find partners to collaborate and find common ground wherever we can.”

In an interview earlier Monday, Mulvaney-Stanak discussed how she would prioritize “community safety” as mayor.

She said she had not determined whether to replace Police Chief Jon Murad, who has faced criticism from Progressive city councilors and skepticism from Mulvaney-Stanak. For now, she said, she is “waiting and watching.”

“Murad and I are still learning about each other,” the mayor said. “He has a lot of learning to do about me. I have a lot of learning to figure out about how he chooses to lead.”

ment.”

Mulvaney-Stanak, a Progressive former state representative and city councilor, thanked former Democratic Mayor Miro Weinberger and outgoing city councilors for their leadership. She also saluted City Councilor Joan Shannon, D-South District, whom she defeated in last month’s mayor election.

Newly elected and reelected city councilors were also sworn in Monday at the body’s annual reorganization meeting. The 12-member council includes five new members but remains under Democratic control.

Mulvaney-Stanak has three months before she formally announces new city appointments. In that time, she said, she is looking for Murad and all department heads to “be self-reflective, to think creatively and to move off things that are just fiscally not working and to be able to adjust to the new leadership that the majority of folks in the city supported.”

In her remarks Monday night, Mulvaney-Stanak said she was “eager to rebuild a police department that is right-sized for Burlington” and which includes officers, social workers and first-responders. But she said it was also important to ensure staffing levels were appro-

Emma Mulvaney-Stanak speaks after being sworn in as mayor of Burlington on Monday. She is the first woman to be elected Burlington mayor.

Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

priate in other frontline fields, such as teaching, nursing and mental health.

“I think we have to zoom out a little bit and really think comprehensively about this and move with the same urgency about the shortages in all those different fields to make sure that we have a system that’s working,” she said in the interview. “Because it will do us no good if we magically can get 20 more police officers but we can’t get more social workers, for example.”

Mulvaney-Stanak said she also plans to address homelessness, mental health and the opioid crisis plaguing the community.

“I am going to be the mayor who can recognize the suffering that’s happening while also holding two very different concepts at the same time that some people are feeling unsafe while other people are actually unsafe,” she told VTDigger. “And we can address both but there’s different urgencies around those two pieces.”

That conversation is also an opportunity to invite deeper community reflection and to develop shared compassion and dignity for all, she added.

Then there’s the matter of a $9 million city budget deficit. “That’s a big one,” she said.

Not having examined the budget in depth since she was a city councilor, Mulvaney-Stanak said, addressing that challenge will take “some serious pencil sharpening” and a hyper-focus on whether the city is achieving its priorities. She said she plans to convene a team of expert advisers — including subject matter experts, people with lived experience and formerly elected officials — who have worked through tough budgetary times.

The new mayor also announced three new hires on Monday: Chiefof-staff Erin Jacobsen, a former senior assistant attorney general and co-director of the Community Justice Unit at the state Attorney General’s Office; communications director Joe Magee, a former city councilor; and administrative assistant Emma Allen,

a holdover from the Weinberger administration.

Mulvaney-Stanak said her conversations with Weinberger and his staff had been honest and productive through the transition.

“There’s been a real generosity of sharing of information, and I very much appreciate that because no one really tells you how to be mayor,” she said.

The new mayor said she was most excited about being able to fully focus on one job — a luxury she said she had not experienced as a state legislator, city councilor and labor organizer.

“I finally get a chance to fully dig in and work with a team on my staff that I’m excited to get to work with and to just fully immerse myself,” she said. “So the policy dork in me is super excited to just be mono-focused on doing good work for Burlington.”

But first, she said, she plans to bring in some plants to brighten her new office in City Hall.

Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, right, greets outgoing Mayor Miro Weinberger.

PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER

People applaud after Emma Mulvaney-Stanak was sworn in as mayor of Burlington on Monday.

PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER Mayor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Lucky for library

April 8-12 is National Library Week. The Friends of the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library and the Library Board of Trustees want to express our appreciation for the amazing staff at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library.

The library offers a wide variety of programs to all ages in the community. The staff are helpful, welcoming and professional.

Williston is fortunate to have a wonderful library with a wonderful staff. We encourage library patrons to let them all know how much we value their hard work!

Friends of the Library and Board of Trustees

LETTER POLICY: We ask that letters run no longer than 300 words. We edit only for length, clarity, style, spelling and grammar. Please include your name, town or city where you live and a daytime phone number (which we won’t print) so we can verify you wrote the letter. The deadline is Monday at noon for letters to be printed in Thursday’s paper. Send to: editor@willistonobserver.com

A supersized spending problem at the Statehouse

BY PATTIE MCCOY

Today, the House Republican Caucus is sounding the alarm. The Supermajority in the Vermont Legislature is off the rails and out of control, and Vermonters have had enough.

Vermonters are struggling. They are stretched thin, trying to make ends meet. They have been stressed for years with Vermont’s already-high cost of living. Inflation has made things even more difficult. And this Supermajority has made it even worse.

As a reminder to Vermonters, last year, the legislative majority hiked your DMV fees by 20 percent. We know Vermonters are already feeling that. In July, we will begin to pay the Supermajority’s $100 million payroll tax. Our residents are facing a historic property tax increase.

The governor, along with House and Senate Republicans, have warned this was coming for years.

We have supported solutions.

The Supermajority is sending a message to businesses: We do not want you, or your jobs, here.

But this Supermajority has said no every step of the way, and now Vermonters are facing a property tax fiasco. Last year, they approved the so-called clean heat standard. When implemented, it could cost families and employers thousands of dollars more per year to heat their homes and businesses. And, they have not stopped there.

As Rep. Mark Higley (R. Orleans County) stated, “We should be considering the cumulative effect of our actions and mandates on Vermonters, such as passing the Global Warming Solutions Act, the so-called ‘Affordable Heat Act,’ which would add 70 cents or more to a gallon

of heating fuel, and the Renewable Energy Standard Bill.”

This year, they approved the Renewal Energy Standard, which was written by, and for, utilities and special interest groups, who stand to gain the most. It will cost Vermonters hundreds of millions on their electric bills.

Doing things like this behind closed doors does a disservice to Vermonters. It flies in the face of transparency, and it is done to hide from press accountability. How else do you explain a committee being hit with an additional $131 million in new taxes and fees on Thursday late morning and voting it out of committee on Thursday afternoon? $131 million folks.

Rep. Scott Beck (R. St. Johnsbury) stated: “Now, we are told by the Supermajority that we need to increase taxes another $131 million by increasing personal income, corporate income and property transfer taxes. These taxes will chase even more Vermonters and busi -

nesses to other states, and make it more expensive to purchase a home for those that remain.

“We are told that it will only impact a relative few. We need everybody, especially the 1 percent that are paying 35 percent of all Vermont income tax and bring philanthropy and economic vitality to Vermont. Vermont corporate income tax receipts have tripled in the last 10 years due to state tax policy, federal tax policy and corporate profits, and now we are told that we must increase the top tax rate from 8.5 percent to 10 percent, which will make Vermont the highest in the nation. This makes no sense.”

The Supermajority is sending a message to businesses: We do not want you, or your jobs, here.

Meanwhile, they are moving forward with H.687, a land use bill that will make it more difficult to build homes in the vast majority of the state.

“The House passed House

McCoy

continued from page 6

Bill 687, touted as a housing bill, although it is fundamentally not,” Rep. Ashley Bartley (R. Franklin County) said. “I would even argue that it constitutes an anti-housing bill. H.687 seeks to reform Act 250 land use jurisdiction in a manner that disproportionately penalizes rural Vermont, making development nearly impossible in these areas. Any legislation that hinders housing construction and sustainable growth cannot rightfully be classified as a housing bill”.

We have a housing crisis. Vermonters are demanding action. As the governor has said, we need to make it more affordable, and faster, to build housing. This bill does the opposite, especially for rural communities.

The leadership of the Supermajority is from Burlington; this bill does great harm to rural Vermont.

“As committees neglect to prioritize funding requests, beneficial programs like the Vermont Housing Improvement Program (VHIP) suffer reductions in their appropriations,” Bartley continued. “Despite the governor’s initial $6 million budget proposal for VHIP, the allocation was slashed to $1 million, likely spelling the end of the program by early January next year. VHIP boasts a commendable track record, having brought 535 affordable housing units online statewide since 2020, with an additional 386 units in progress. It is imperative that the Supermajority’s excessive spending does not result in the demise of programs that have effectively addressed the housing crisis.”

Many of my Democratic colleagues represent rural communities that would be harmed by this bill. The question is, will they side with their own constituents? Or will they side with their polit-

ical leadership?

Vermonters elected our governor to look out for them. Republicans, Democrats and independents sent him to Montpelier to offer balance, fiscal discipline and common-sense leadership. He won in every single House district.

Our caucus will continue to support his affordability plans and pro-housing agenda. We’re calling on our moderate colleagues across the aisle to do the right thing and do the same — to put their constituents over politics.

To all Vermonters, we are asking you to help restore balance to the Statehouse. Our caucus hears you. The governor hears you. We will continue to support you. We desperately need a moderate, pragmatic majority here. Because again, this Supermajority is out of control and off the rails.

They are on track to pass a bill to make Vermont the highest corporate tax state in the country. They did this with no real testimony, which leads us to ask, who is writing these bills?

Rep. Scott Beck stated: “In the last 10 years, Vermont personal income tax receipts have increased 54 percent, sales tax has increased 65 percent, property taxes have increased 53 percent and corporate income taxes have tripled. All of these increases dwarf economic growth, inflation and wage and salary growth during the same period. The only metric they haven’t exceeded is Montpelier’s insatiable appetite for spending increases. “Vermont doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem, a big one”.

We hear you. And we know you have had enough. Please, hold your representatives accountable. Now and in November.

Pattie McCoy represents Rutland in the Vermont House of Representatives and is the House’s Republican leader.

Tapper

continued from page 1

highlighted his philosophy of proactive forest management (i.e., the strategic cutting of trees to promote biodiversity, wildlife habitat and climate resilience). Residents who frequent the Catamount Community Forest may know Tapper from his guidance during the creation of the forest’s management plan and his spearheading last year of a climate change resiliency study project on the town-owned property.

Tapper recently received national recognition from the American Tree Farm System, which named him Tree Farm Inspector of the Year as part of his county forester duties working with private forest owners to prioritize wildlife habitat, water quality and forest product production. He’s also had the opportunity to advise other state agencies and organizations about his work in Chittenden County.

“As a private consulting forester, I can do that even more,” he said, adding that his work creating forest management plans at Catamount and the Hinesburg Community Forest — and communicating the intent of the plans to citizens — will inform his approach to private consulting.

“Forest management work can be very counterintuitive — cutting a tree then talking about how that’s an act of compassion toward forests,” Tapper said. “That’s hard to understand, so we really need to do a better job of talking about our work in ways that resonate with people and that make sense to people. That’s really the niche I’m interested in exploring more.”

In “How to Love a Forest,” Tapper focuses on the nature of forests and the human relationship to them. While it’s based on his work in Chittenden County, including his management of the forested acreage he owns in the Town of Bolton, he believes the themes are applicable worldwide.

“When most people think about what it means to love a forest, they probably think it means to just protect them and to leave them alone.

And what I’ve found is that, in many cases, just the opposite is the case, that to do nothing can actually be an act of negligence,” he said. “To care for them, even when it means doing things that are complex and bittersweet, can be incredibly powerful and beautiful … The future of conservation is caring for forests like that, doing the things we need to do to build a better world for the future.”

Tapper hopes his successor will be on board before his June 1 end date so he can help with the transition. He said one project the new Chittenden County forester will be involved with is an effort to control non-native invasive plants at Catamount.

“We’ll be investing in controlling invasive plants so that Catamount as a whole can be healthier in the future,” he said.

“How to Love a Forest” is published by Broadleaf Books and is available for preorder at www.ethantapper.com.

Ethan Tapper’s book will be published in September.

BY AMY SIMONE Special to the Observer

Your home landscape can be an amazing opportunity to collaborate with nature.

With thoughtful plant choices, you can invite more biodiversity into your yard. Even established landscapes will benefit from plant additions that can increase traffic

Sharing your yard with nature

es in areas with high foot traffic, its shallow roots and growing habits tend to require more inputs with regards to nutrients, water and time to maintain it.

Consider letting the “weeds” take over your lawn. The key is to choose the plants that you would like to have growing in your lawn versus allowing the truly undesirables to establish themselves.

from your favorite birds or provide forage for bees and other pollinators.

Most home landscapes are a monoculture of grass plants. While turfgrass certainly has its advantag-

Interplanting broadleaf plants such as Dutch white clover amongst your turfgrass will fix nitrogen from the air and enrich your soil, as well as attract pollinators to your sunny lawn areas. Creeping thyme

and ground ivy are other plants that can coexist nicely with turfgrass.

If you would prefer to keep your turfgrass pure, then consider other areas of your lawn that might benefit from groundcovers. They can save you from having to mow a steep bank while also creating a thick green carpet that prevents soil erosion.

Likewise, in the shady areas of your lawn where turfgrass simply will not take root, there are groundcovers that will gladly move in. Some options for plants here include cranesbill geranium, spotted deadnettle, Pennsylvania sedge and foam flower.

If you have room for trees in your landscape, consult your local nursery to select the right ones for your property. Trees are hard workers, sequestering carbon in their deep roots and offering habitat to many different animals.

Another idea to welcome more biodiversity into your yard is to increase your planting area by adding perennial beds. Determine how you use your turfgrass and carve out beds that complement your needs for play zones and walking paths.

If you have a tree on its own surrounded by a circle of mulch, shape a planting bed around it. Perhaps the bed can connect two lone trees together.

Use sheet mulching (https:// go.uvm.edu/sheet-mulching) to naturally suppress the grass in the designated areas and build up the beds with organic matter in preparation for planting.

Once ready, plant the beds with perennials and shrubs chosen as much for their beauty as for their biodiversity credentials. Prioritize native and/or pollinator-loving plants that offer a variety of bloom times and flowering longevity so

you are feeding pollinators from early spring through late fall.

As the plants mature, the need for bark mulch should be reduced or eliminated. Any bare spots can be filled in with groundcover plants.

Sharing your yard with nature can be as beautiful as it is beneficial to the environment.

Amy Simone is a UVM Extension Master Gardener from South Burlington.

Burlington, Vermont

Open House on Campus

Friday, April 12th at 4pm

Explore Rock Point School

• Small, supportive day & boarding school

• All gender, grades 9–12, & PG

• Fit in and stand out.

vermont gatherings present:

Explore over 65 artisans and vendors selling handmade gifts, clothing, woodcrafts, jewelry, mead, wine, and more.

April 6-7, 2024 | 10 am to 5 pm

Champlain Valley Expo, Essex Junction, Vermont Tickets are $10 for adults at the door and kids under 12 are FREE VTGatherings.com

Interplanting Dutch white clover amongst turfgrass in sunny lawn areas will not only enrich the soil but attract bees and other pollinators.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNSPLASH.COM

When libraries fill the social services gap

BY ANNA BERG AND SAM JEFFERSON Community News Service

The Rutland Free Library is in an old brick building on the edge of downtown. Behind heavy wooden doors, comfy chairs and tables wrap around tall bookshelves.

Amy Williams, assistant director, has been working at Rutland Free for eight years and knows all the ins and outs of the library. At the entrance, she points out resources that visitors can take for free, like hats and gloves.

“We have a warm things tree, and sometimes some hygiene kits. Those always go super fast,” Williams said.

The library also offers drug testing kits to grab on the way out.

“Essentially, it’s test trips so you can test your street drugs for fentanyl,” she said. “We had four and they were gone in under three hours — maybe in an hour; I just didn’t think to look that quickly.”

In the middle of the main floor, there is the librarian help desk. Staff consider this the mission control center of the library, built to handle the everyday library stuff, like checking books out. But the staff are also mindful of something else: security. Because of past issues with disruptive situations, they like to

keep an eye on who’s in the library, where they are, and what they’re doing.

“So every time we switch over, before you sit down at the help desk, you’re supposed to do a walk up here and just see who’s here,” Williams said.

The bathroom is another place in the library that the staff pay extra attention to. It’s near the entrance of the building and open to anyone, but

staff keep the keys at the help desk.

Despite these precautions, this past November, a patron almost overdosed.

“He came in to use the restroom, and after several minutes he hadn’t come out of the restroom and someone said, ‘Hey, that person’s in the restroom and not responding,’” said Randal Smathers, the director of Rutland Free. “I knocked and used my master key and went in, and he

was laying under the sink and his syringe was in the sink.”

Smathers was able to revive the person, and they ended up being OK, but this wasn’t a one-time occurrence. It was the latest in a string of incidents that stretch the definition of the typical services a library might provide. And Rutland Free isn’t alone. It was one of the concerns documented in a recent report to the Vermont Legislature on the status of libraries across the state.

Catherine Delneo, the Vermont state librarian and commissioner of libraries, said libraries have always been a point of contact to help connect people to social services.

“Someone who needed help accessing a government service or a social service may have gone to the library to do that in the 1950s, the 1980s, and they’re still doing it today,” Delneo said.

But what is changing is that more people aren’t getting the help they need for basic services, which has meant the library is asked to fill that gap.

“Because we’re still open to everyone in public libraries, we’re still welcoming everyone,” Delneo said. “But sometimes people’s behaviors in the library could be a little bit challenging for staff to manage.”

Many librarians across the state, including Jennifer Murray, the director at the South Burlington Public Library, echo this sentiment.

“People who have been working in libraries for a long time in particular find themselves saying, ‘Wait a second, this isn’t what I signed up for,’” Murray said.

In Barre, at the Aldrich Public Library, assistant director Garrett Grant said one way his library addresses some of those rising needs is by providing snacks during after-school programming.

“I would get kids that would come here just to get snacks,” Grant said. “At my teen night programs, we go through a lot of food. We feed (the kids) a meal.”

Aldrich also offers a place to put used needles. The sharps container is located in the bathroom on the ground floor and is being held together with book tape. Grant said it’s old, but that’s not the only issue: Right now, the container is at capacity, and whose job it is to empty it is up in the air. The local fire department used to have grant funding to empty them, but then it ran out. Without space in the containers, librarians find needles on the ground.

“When it was at its fullest, and

you couldn’t add anything else, that’s when you do start to see them around the library,” Grant said.

At the Aldrich, the librarians have to dispose of the needles themselves. Grant says a volunteer showed them how to use an empty plastic water bottle to pick them up safely.

In Burlington, Vermont’s largest library, Fletcher Free, has also been responding to issues related to substance use. Mary Danko, their library director, said they started to offer harm reduction bags to patrons.

They include Narcan, an overdose reversal medication, fentanyl test strips, and they recently added a supply of xylazine test strips to the bags as well.

But offering these extra services requires more resources from the library.

“We’re being asked to do more and more and more,” Danko said. “What sometimes doesn’t go hand in hand with that is the funding.”

Some libraries are or would like to partner with social workers in Vermont.

“When there’s a high community need for something, it can be really beneficial to have a library and a service organization working together,” said Delneo, the Vermont state librarian and commissioner of libraries.

For many libraries, it’s not an option because of the expenses that come with standing up an additional social work unit.

In the meantime, many librarians say they want to help everyone who walks through the doors, but it can be really draining.

“There’s been some times I’ve felt really defeated,” said Garrett Grant, the assistant director at the Aldrich Public Library.

He said he tries to set boundaries at work.

“Just come in and do as much as you can and do the best you can,” Grant said. “Offer what you can, be honest when you can’t, and then, you know, go home and take care of yourself.”

This story is a collaboration between Vermont Public and the Community News Service. The Community News Service is a student-powered partnership between the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program and community newspapers across Vermont.

Fletcher Free Library, in Burlington, offers harm reduction kits to patrons.

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

The eclipse: VT agencies in a state of readiness

Agencies prep for eclipse influx

BY BABETTE STOLK VTDigger

As the 2024 total solar eclipse draws near, so do the hordes of people expected to visit Vermont to see it. Public safety officials say they’re doing what they can to minimize risk.

Although the exact number of people coming to Vermont remains unknown, estimates range from tens of thousands to 160,000 visitors, according to Christine Hinkel Ianni, a spokesperson for the state Agency of Commerce and Community Development.

“We envision the potential

for a lot of individuals to wake up on Monday morning in a 400-mile radius and decide that they might want to go see an eclipse,” Eric Forand, director of Vermont Emergency Management, said of the April 8 event.

To prepare for the event, officials have been working to ensure adequate access to cell service and bathrooms, among other necessities, according to Forand, and all state police officers will be deployed that day.

“As a state, I feel like we are ready to go into this,” he said.

He added, “We’re going to continue to push the messaging about individual preparations and planning and that’s what’s going to make this go smooth.”

Burlington, which lies in the

“We are anticipating that travelers will try to exit immediately following the eclipse in the afternoon.”

Jayna Morse

Vermont Agency of Transportation

path of totality and is therefore expected to draw many eclipse tourists, is expecting anywhere from 25,000 to 100,000 visitors, according to Zach Williamson, the city’s events and festival director.

Williamson said the city ex-

Accommodations nearly full as eclipse date approaches

BY ERIN PETENKO AND HABIB SABET VTDigger

A total solar eclipse — when the moon completely covers the sun, causing the entire sky to darken — is a rare event, so it’s no surprise that it’s drawing interest from outof-staters.

Vermont officials are expecting tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of visitors to the state for the Monday, April 8 event, depending on the weather forecast.

Almost all of the lodging properties in the path of totality have 98-99 percent occupancy for the eclipse, said Kim Donahue, president of the Vermont Lodging Association, although there may be some rooms opening up “here and there.”

Short-term rentals, like Airbnb properties, also are seeing high demand, according to Julie Marks, director of the Vermont Short Term Rental Alliance. Her organization estimates that short-term rentals in counties in the path of totality have roughly 80 percent occupancy, compared with 50 percent on average for the day in previous years.

Marks said she’s also noticed examples of people renting out their homes or apartments solely for the

eclipse, which is not included in the data.

A handful of visitors have opted to camp, despite the chilly early spring weather. Almost 30 people booked off-season campsites at state parks, according to Nate McKeen, director of Vermont State Parks. Some state parks will be open for day use during the eclipse.

But Donahue said that the state’s hotels, inns, lodges and other accommodations are no stranger to busy days.

“We are at 100 percent occupancy, most of us, for all of the foliage

season, and some of us the weeks preceding foliage as well,” she said. “So we’re not worried about us being taxed. We know how to do this.”

Instead, the main challenge for hotel owners is preparing their guests for the hurdles they could face from weather, traffic and crowds. Donahue was quick to recommend that visitors sign up for text notifications from the state and check the GPS app WAZE for traffic updates.

Donahue is also the owner and general manager of the Inn at Round Barn Farm in Waitsfield. She said the inn is planning to provide extra

pects to establish large viewing sites across Burlington’s parks, with hundreds of portable bathrooms, extra trash receptacles and dumpsters, and emergency personnel.

“You just might be sitting in traffic for a little while,” Williamson said. “But from an actual safety standpoint, we feel good about it.”

State officials say they are confident that the eclipse will not result in major incidents.

“We’ve talked to a couple of other states that have had similar events and for the most part they were pretty calm,” Forand said. “People come, they watch the event and they go home.”

However, it is the “going home” part that might cause

problems.

“We are anticipating that travelers will try to exit immediately following the eclipse in the afternoon,” said Jayna Morse, the director of finance and administration for the Agency of Transportation and incident commander for the event. She said an influx of visitors is expected to start days before the eclipse.

“There will be a backup in the areas most closely aligned with the center of the pathway of the eclipse,” Morse said, including northern parts of I-89, Route 100, Route 7, Route 2, Route 5 and Route 22A.

Morse said state agencies have been planning for the eclipse since the fall.

meals and to-go food for guests to grab on their way out to their eclipse planning spot. They’ll even have grab-and-go food available on Monday night for hungry guests returning from parties or long traffic jams.

People departing for their viewing spot will most likely be staggered, she said, but “when totality ends, everyone is going to try to get back to where they came from or wherever it is they want to go,” all at once, leading to the potential for chaos.

The inn has also lined up rec-

ommendations for weekend guests looking for things to do during what is normally an off season for outdoor recreation. Donahue said sugaring and spring skiing were at the top of the list.

A handful of accommodation sites are hosting eclipse viewing parties and other events. Trapp Family Lodge, for example, is hosting an all-day event with DJs, live music and food.

“We think it’s going to be a fantastic, celebratory time,” Donahue said.

Post office returns to downtown Montpelier

BY JUAN VEGA DE SOTO VTDigger

Montpelier’s post office is coming back to downtown, according to the U.S. Postal Service, and the goal is to have it ready before summer.

On Friday afternoon, the Postal Service signed a lease agreement for a space in the City Center building on 89 Main St. A grand opening date has not been set yet, according to Postal Service spokesperson Stephen Doherty.

The service’s occupancy officially began April 1, but the process of building out the space to suit its needs will take some time. The work involves widening a couple doorways to accommodate the post office’s rolling equipment and installing the P.O. boxes, retail counter, safe, security features and IT infrastructure, according to Doherty.

Once it is operational, however, the Main Street post office should provide the full retail and box services the State Street post office used to, he said.

“There will be a counter where you can buy boxes, stamps, everything,” Doherty said.

The state capital has been without a post office since the federal building that housed it, at 87 State St., was swamped by flooding in July. The situation has left some businesses and residents in Montpelier and Middlesex without mail and with no physical post office to pick up medicine or bills.

“This is a really big win for the community of Montpelier,” said Ben Doyle, president of the Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience. “A lot of people worked really hard for this. This was a team sport.”

The commission is an independent body set up shortly after the floods to lead projects supporting the city’s renewal. Recovering the post office became one of its main objectives.

Vermont’s congressional delegation — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt. — also advocated for the reopening of the post office and criti-

cized the Postal Service for its lack of action.

In a joint statement Monday night, the three members of Congress said they welcomed the news, calling it “an important step in the right direction.” Sanders, Welch and Balint also repeated their criticism of the agency, saying that “the failure of USPS leadership to address this matter in a safe, timely, and transparent manner remains unacceptable and emblematic of a nationwide crisis made worse by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.”

Doyle, meanwhile, praised the congressional delegation for going to bat for Vermont’s capital.

“I mean, you had Sen. Welch on the floor of the U.S. Senate talking about the Montpelier post office,” said Doyle, who also leads the nonprofit Preservation Trust of Vermont, which has an office in downtown Montpelier.

But Doyle emphasized that the bulk of the pressure was exerted by the people who live in Montpelier.

“Regular residents were writing to the Postal Service saying

that this was unacceptable,” he said. “We’re just happy to see (the post office) return to downtown Montpelier.”

In the meantime, the federal building on State Street remains in disrepair, with no date set for its reopening. According to the General Services Administration, which owns the building, stabili-

zation works will continue through late 2024.

“Further investigation is required to identify additional issues and determine the extent of necessary repairs,” administration spokesperson Paul Hughes said in an email Monday. “Building heat has been restored and additional HVAC repairs continue.”

City Center in Montpelier, where the capital city’s new post office will be located.

FILE PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER

March 19 at 2:34 a.m. — Report of a suspicious vehicle on St. George Road. Male was sleeping.

March 19 at 8:55 a.m. — Report of a stolen tractor from United Ag & Turf. Case is still under investigation.

March 19 at 10:12 p.m. — Following a traffic stop, a male was issued a citation to appear in court for suspicion of DUI.

March 20 at 10:32 a.m. — Assisted Vermont State Police with blocking interstate due to a crash.

March 20 at 11:34 a.m. — Report of a retail theft at Hannaford. Male suspect had an active arrest warrant. He was transported to court for arraignment.

March 20 at 11:54 a.m. — Death investigation conducted. Nothing suspicious.

March 20 at 2:38 p.m. — Report of a female who smashed the windows of her apartment on Maple Tree Place. Female refused services.

March 20 at 7:32 p.m. — Report of a retail theft at Best Buy. Male suspect fled causing a foot pursuit. Officers caught up with suspect and took him into custody without incident.

March 21 at 10:26 a.m. — Assisted the courts with taking a male into custody for an emergency mental health evaluation. Male was transported to the hospital.

March 21 at 8:42 p.m. — Report of a possible retail theft from Dick’s Sporting Goods. Female suspect left the store without taking anything.

March 22 at 11:52 a.m. — Report of an assault at Get Air. Case is still under investigation.

March 22 at 8:15 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Ulta Beauty. Female suspect had an active arrest warrant. She was transported to the correctional facility.

March 23 at 2:23 a.m. — Following a traffic stop, a male was issued a citation to appear in court for suspicion of DUI.

March 23 at 2:11 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Staples. Male suspect was issued a citation to

appear in court.

March 24 at 11:09 a.m. — Report of a suspicious male and female on Harvest Lane. They were moved along.

March 24 at 2:24 p.m. — Assisted Williston Rescue with a female having a mental health crisis. Female left the area before services arrived.

March 25 at 10:17 a.m. — Retail theft reported at Best Buy. Arrest warrant was issued for female suspect.

March 25 at 9:42 p.m. — Assisted Williston Rescue with female having a mental health crisis.

March 26 at 5:41 a.m. — Officer located stolen vehicle. Small vehicle pursuit took place. Officers caught up with vehicle and took suspect into custody for suspicion of DUI, driving with a criminally suspended license, negligent operation, eluding a police officer and excessive speed.

March 26 at 12:18 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Best Buy. Female suspect was gone upon arrival.

Officers also conducted 22 traffic stops and responded to 10 alarm activations and 19 motor vehicle crashes during this time frame.

DAY CAMP COUNSELORS WANTED

Applications are now being accepted for summer day camp counselors. Positions are 40 hours a week from June 24- Aug. 16. Send a resume and cover letter to recreation@willistonvt.org or get an application on the General Info section of the town’s website (www.town.williston.vt.us).

SUMMER CAMPS

Registration is now open for summer camps. Detailed information is available at www.willistonrec.org.

VILLAGE COMMUNITY PARK KIDS FEST

Come out to Village Community Park on May 18 for Kids Fest — a family friendly day at the park for all ages. There will be children’s activities, games, giveaways, food and fun from noon to 2 p.m.

FAMILY PROGRAMS

LINE DANCING

Ages 6-plus. This program consists of instruction of a line dance for the first hour and open dance time for the second hour.

All experience levels, including beginner, are welcome. Instructors: Country’s Best VT. Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. $10 per person at The R.E.C. Zone, 94 Harvest Lane.

CAKE DECORATING

Ages 12-plus. Learn the basics of filling, stacking, crumb-coating and decorating cakes. Each person or pair will leave with a cake they have assembled and decorated, and a foundation and inspiration for future cake decorating. April 11. Instructor: Jamie Deutsch

VOCAL PERCUSSION AND IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP

Ages 13-plus. Root7, Vermont’s contemporary A Cappella group for 17 years, will host a free workshop introducing participants to vocal percussion, vocal improvisation and creating collaborative songs. For beginner and intermediate vocalists. April 18.

BOATER SAFETY

Ages 12-plus. Boater safety education is required for any motorboat operator 12 years old or older born after January 1, 1974. The Boat Vermont eight-hour classroom course will enable you to get the certification you need. Instructor: Jon Fick

DANGEROUS GIRLS

Ages 12-plus. A practical self-defense class designed for teens and young women with a combination of kickboxing and grappling. It’s fun, social, and before you know it, you’ll be able to kick butt. Instructor: ONTA Studio Staff.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS INTRO

Ages 13-plus. The program mixes training techniques from boxing, kickboxing and Jiu-Jitsu to create a fun, non-competitive environment where your child will get a great workout and learn practical self-defense skills. Instructor: ONTA Studio.

ADULT PROGRAMS

TAI CHI INTRO

Ages 50-plus. This class will present sequences of movements derived from the “Sun” style, which is slow, smooth and upright in posture. This style is especially accessible to those over 50 or with impaired mobility. Wednesdays 12:15-1:15 p.m. R.E.C. Zone, 94 Harvest Lane. Free. Instructor: Adina Panitch

SENIOR STRENGTH AND FUNCTIONAL MOBILITY

Ages 50-plus. Grab your weights and a water bottle and join this fitness program just for seniors. The program will concentrate on developing upper and lower body strength as well as improving balance and strengthening your core. In this dementia-friendly class, participants are encouraged to work within their

abilities while socializing and having fun.

The program meets Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:45-10:45 a.m. Cost is $5 per visit, payable when you attend class. The program is held at The R.E.C. Zone, 94 Harvest Lane. Optional equipment to bring with you: hand/ankle weights, bands/tubing, mat, ball. Chairs will be available to participants.

JAZZERCISE CARDIO SCULPT

Jazzercise is for every body. Dance, sweat and say hello to your favorite workout with easy-to-follow dance aerobic moves, strength training and flexibility. Programs are low impact with different levels of intensity. Instructors will show you options to take it high or low with lots of energy. Use of a chair is optional. This program is geared toward adults 50-plus but open to everyone looking for a low-impact workout to start your physical wellness journey.

There are two different programs offered:

— Cardio Sculpt Low, (low impact, low-to-moderate intensity): Classes offered year round, Mondays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and Tuesdays and Fridays 8:30-9:30 a.m.

— Cardio Sculpt High, (low impact, moderate-to-high intensity): Classes offered year round, Tuesdays 4:45-5:45 p.m. and Sundays 8:30-9:30 a.m. starting April 14.

Purchase one of three class pass options and start any time: single class, good for one month; 5 class pass, good for two months;

10 class pass, good for three months. Bring clean indoor sneakers to change into, light hand-held weights and water.

YOUTH PROGRAMS

YOUTH LACROSSE

Registration is open for youth lacrosse — a fast-paced sport that combines the power of football and hockey and the endurance of soccer and basketball. The KinderRec program is coed and is a child/parent program for ages 5-6. The Grade 1-8 program offers separate boys and girls teams. Volunteer coaches are needed in these programs.

NINJA INTRO PROGRAMS

Ages 4-8, 7-11 and 9-15. Come in and try a four-week introduction to kids martial arts. Kids ninja classes help girls and boys realize their full potential in an environment that is playful, supportive and fun. Separate days are offered for each session. Sign up for the one that works for your child. Instructor: ONTA Studio Staff

NINJA SCIENCE CAMP

Ages 8-13. This camp combines martial arts, tumbling and parkour with environmental science education. We’ll be doing lots of technique-oriented Karate, playing martial arts games, breaking boards and delving deeper into meditation and the moral and ethical precepts of the martial arts. April Break Camp, April 22-26, 9 a.m-3 p.m. Instructors: ONTA Studio staff

What Are You Reading?

Dave Eggers

In 2024, the John Newbery Medal was awarded to “The Eyes and the Impossible” by Dave Eggers. The book was illustrated by Shawn Harris.

The Newbery Medal is awarded by the American Library Association for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature.

“The Eyes and the Impossible” is a story about friendship and working together. Johannes, a wild dog, is the narrator of the tale who lives in a city park near the ocean. He works with other animals who live there, too — three old bison, a seagull, a raccoon, a one-eyed squirrel and a pelican. Together, they try to keep an eye on the humans who visit the park and the other animals there.

Dave Eggers has written many books for adults and children. He also started McSweeney’s, an independent publishing company in San Francisco, where he and his family live. Eggers told NPR that writing this book was “more fun than anything else that I’ve ever done.” He hopes that “The Eyes and the Impossible” will appeal to readers of all ages.

Vashti Harrison

Mini Fact: Visit the American Library Association’s Youth Media Award Winners Page: bit.ly/ MPbookaward

Illustrator and author Vashti Harrison received the 2024 Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished picture book for children.

Her book, “Big,” is about a little girl who is suddenly “too big” for some people, who criticize her. She learns to accept herself, even when she feels invisible to other people.

Vashti Harrison grew up in Onley, Virginia, and now lives in Brooklyn, New York. She is the author and illustrator of many other books, including the Little Leaders and Little Dreamers series books. Harrison also creates films and videos about her Caribbean heritage.

Harrison told Publishers Weekly that she “wanted to make a story that focused on someone who isn’t the smallest in the classroom but is still deserving of us cheering for her and rooting for her. ... I think it’s the most important thing for children to feel that they can learn, change, grow, experiment and be whoever they are.”

Honor Books

Next Week: Orchestra instruments

Five Newbery Honor Books and four Caldecott Honor Books were recognized:

• “Eagle Drums,” written and illustrated by Nasugraq Rainey Hopson

• “Elf Dog and Owl Head,” written by M.T. Anderson and illustrated by Junyi Wu

• “Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir,” written and illustrated by Pedro Martin

• “Simon Sort of Says” by Erin Bow

• “The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams,” written by Daniel Nayeri and illustrated by Daniel Miyares

• “In Every Life,” illustrated and written by Marla Frazee

• “Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter,” illustrated by Molly Mendoza and written by Aida Salazar

• “There Was a Party for Langston,” illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey and written by Jason Reynolds

• “The Truth About Dragons,” illustrated by Hanna Cha and written by Julie Leung

Coretta Scott King

The Coretta Scott King Author Book Award honored "Nigeria Jones" by Ibi Zoboi.

The King Illustrator Book Award winner was "An American Story," illustrated by Dare Coulter and written by Kwame Alexander.

The King Author Honor Books were "Big"; "How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee" by Carole Boston Weatherford; and "Kin: Rooted in Hope,” also by Weatherford.

The King Illustrator Honor Books were "Big"; "Holding Her Own: The Exceptional Life of Jackie Ormes," illustrated by Shannon Wright; and "There Was a Party for Langston."

Founded by Betty Debnam

14, 2024

photo by jeffcapeshop

Dave Eggers

Vashti Harrison

image courtesy Penguin Random House image courtesy Hachette Book Group

image courtesy daveeggers.net

image courtesy Instagram

fun than anything else that I’ve ever done.” He hopes that “The Eyes and the Impossible” will appeal to readers of all ages.

Try ’n’ Find

important thing for children to feel that they can learn, change, grow, experiment and be whoever they are.”

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

AUTHOR, AWARD, BOOK, CALDECOTT, CHILDREN, DISTINGUISHED, EGGERS, HARRISON, HONOR, ILLUSTRATOR, KING, MEDAL, NEWBERY, READ, STORY, WINNER, WORDS, WRITE.

Y B

O J N O S I R R A H X F L R S

N C F C A L D E C O T T D E D

O M P A U T H O R M H V R B R

R S R E G G E T I R W N A W O

C N E R D L I H C B D F W E W

W R E A D Y R O T S J T A N J

Mini Spy Classics

Mini Spy and her friends love to visit the library and check out new books. See if you can find the hidden pictures. Then color the picture.

• man in the moon

• word MINI

• heart

• bandage

• number 3

• jackknife

• letter F

• kite

• bell

• sock • olive

• mitten • acorn

• letter M

• number 7

• letter L

• pencil

• pumpkin

• letter H Hey Mini Spy Fans! Order Mini Spy Booklets (Volumes 1, 2 and 3) with 48 of your favorite puzzles! Visit MiniPageBooks.com, or call 844-426-1256 to order. Just $5 plus $1 shipping.

"Big"; "Holding Her Own: The Exceptional Life of Jackie Ormes," illustrated by Shannon Wright; and "There Was a Party for Langston."

Mini Jokes

Lily: Where does a librarian sleep?

Liam: Between the covers!

Eco Note

A new study finds that humancaused climate change produced a clear decline of snowpack in at least 31 locations around the Northern Hemisphere between 1981 and 2020. The changing snowfall patterns threaten people in areas that depend on spring snowmelt as a source of fresh water. Scientists say that when snow doesn’t accumulate in winter, droughts can follow during the spring and summer. They found that when a region warms to a wintertime average of 17.6 degrees, snow melts away more quickly as the seasons change.

For later: Look in your newspaper for kids' book reviews.

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

Recommended vaccines for Medicare recipients

Dear Savvy Senior,

My husband and I recently turned 65 and would like to find out which vaccines are recommended and covered by Medicare?

New Beneficiaries

Dear New,

All recommended vaccines for adults age 65 and older should be covered by either Medicare Part B or Part D, but there are some coverage challenges you should be aware of. Here’s a rundown of which vaccines are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and how Medicare covers them.

Covid-19: Even though Covid-19 is no longer a public health emergency, it can still cause severe illness, particularly in older adults. Because the Covid virus continues to mutate, new vaccines are being developed to keep pace, so the CDC recommends that all seniors stay up to date with the latest Covid vaccines, including booster shots. All Covid-19 shots are covered 100 percent by Medicare Part B.

Flu: Considered an annual vaccination, most people of all ages receive flu shots in the fall when flu season begins. The CDC recommends seniors 65 and older get a high-dose flu shot for extra protection beyond what a standard flu shot offers. The Fluzone High Dose Quadrivalent, FLUAD Quadrivalent and FluBlok Quadrivalent are your three options.

Annual flu shots are covered under Medicare Part B.

Pneumonia: These vaccines help protect against pneumococcal disease, which can cause pneumonia, meningitis and other infections. The CDC recommends everyone 65 and older get a pneumococcal vaccine. There are several different vaccine options available, so talk to your doctor or pharmacists to find out which is best for you or visit the CDC’s Pneumococcal Vaccination webpage at www.CDC.gov/vaccines/ vpd/pneumo/public/index.html.

Medicare Part B covers both single dose and two-dose pneumococcal shots once in your lifetime.

Shingles: Caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox, shingles is a painful, blistering

By Jim Miller

skin rash that affects more than 1 million Americans every year.

All people over age 50 are recommended to get the two-dose Shingrix vaccine, which is given two to six months apart, even if you previously received Zostavax. In 2020, Shingrix replaced Zostavax, which is no longer available in the U.S.

All Medicare Part D prescription drug plans cover shingles vaccinations, but coverage

amounts and reimbursement rules vary depending on where the shot is given. Check your plan.

Tdap: Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) are diseases caused by bacteria that can lead to serious illness and death. Therefore, a one-time dose of the Tdap vaccine is recommended to all adults. If you’ve already had a Tdap shot, you should get a tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster shot every 10 years. All Medicare Part D plans cover these vaccinations.

RSV: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can lead to pneumonia or bronchiolitis and can worsen other chronic conditions common among older adults, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The CDC recommends all adults age 60 and older talk to their doctor about getting one of the RSV vaccines (either Arexvy or Abrysvo), usually in the fall and winter months when the virus is most prevalent.

Most Medicare Part D plans

cover the RSV vaccine, but not all.

If your plan doesn’t cover it, you can ask for a coverage exception. You can also pay for the shot out of pocket and then follow-up with your plan to get reimbursed. If you pay for the shot upfront, your plan must pay you back.

OTHER VACCINATIONS

There are other vaccines you may need depending on your health, lifestyle or travel plans. To help you get a handle on which ones are appropriate for you, take the CDC’s “What Vaccines Do You Need?” quiz at www.cdc.gov/ nip/adultimmsched. Also, talk to your doctor during your next visit about what vaccinations you should get.

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.

•

•

•

TODAY’S HISTORY:

• In 1949, 12 nations signed the North Atlantic Treaty, forming NATO.

• In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray at a motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

• In 1973, the World Trade Center was dedicated in New York City.

• In 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

TODAY’S FACT:

• The Beatles were the first artists in history to simultaneously hold the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a feat the group accomplished on this day in 1964.

OBITUARIES

Laurette P. Boisvert

On March 24, 2024, Laurette P. Boisvert, of Williston, passed away at the McClure Miller Respite House.

She was born Jan. 28, 1945, in Burlington, VT; the daughter of Philibert and Gertrude (Campbell) Boisvert. She grew up in Shelburne and attended Shelburne Elementary School and Rice Memorial High School. In 1967, she graduated from Trinity College with a BA in Mathematics.

She moved to her home in Williston in 1973. She obtained her private pilot’s license in 1971.

She worked at General Electric and Lockheed Martin for 33 years. Seven of those years she served on the Board of Directors for the GE Credit Union. She retired in 2000. In her retirement, she learned to play the violin and piano just for fun.

She was a member of St. Lawrence Parish in Essex Junction.

She was predeceased by her parents, brother Armand and his wife Claire, and sister-in-law Ginette.

She leaves three brothers - Joseph W. (Mesa, AZ), Jacques (Charlotte, VT), and Gaston and Margaret (Essex Junction, VT). She also leaves nieces, nephews and their children – Catherine (Phoenix, AZ) and daughter Amber; Amy and daughter Zada Anderson and Zada’s father Andy; Jennifer and children Anthony, Oliver, Eleri, Isolde and Finian; Ryan P. (Essex, VT), his wife Abby, and their son Kye; Joseph P. (Winooski, VT); and Elyse (Essex Junction, VT), her husband Daniel Kless, and their sons Sawyer and Ryker.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital at 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Winooski, VT, or any charity of one’s choice.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Lawrence Parish in Essex Junction, VT on April 3, 2024 with interment on April 4, at Resurrection

Park in So. Burlington.

Funeral arrangements by Ready Funeral Services.

Michael Edward Jarrett

Michael Edward Jarrett “Mike,” 86, passed away peacefully after a short illness on March 21, 2024 at Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, VT.

Mike is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years, Nancy Jean Bluto Jarrett. He will be deeply missed by his three daughters, Michelle Jarrett; Shari Walcott and her husband Stephen; and Stephanie Edwards.

Mike took great pride in his grandchildren, Ana and Jeremy Case, Kyle and Jack Gagnon and Sydney and Olivia Duncan, as well as son-in-law James Edwards. He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, sisters-in-law and brother-in-law.

He was predeceased by his parents, George and Evelyn Jarrett, his brother, Douglas “Spike” Jarrett and his uncle Ed Brennan.

Mike was born in Providence, RI, Oct. 23, 1937, but he loved Vermont and felt like a true Vermonter. The family moved to Vermont in 1940. Mike grew up in Burlington attending Burlington schools, and then attended Northwood Prep School in Lake Placid. The summers were spent working at Citizens Coal Company for his father, shoveling and delivering coal and installing systems.

After 2 years at the University of Vermont, where he met Nancy, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Mike and Nancy were married in North Bennington, VT on Halloween, 1959. In 1960, after an honorable discharge, he returned to Burlington to work for his father at Citizens Oil Company. Mike took over the family business in 1965 and was a fair, honest, and well respected Burlington businessman for decades.

Mike served his community over the years as a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, President of Burlington

Boys Club, President of the Vermont Oil Heat Institute, and on the board of directors for the Ethan Allen Club. He was also a member of the Burlington Country Club, Eagles, Elks and St. Johns Club.

He was the captain of the Big Splash of Lake Champlain for over 40 years.

Mike and Nancy took the Big Splash to NY, Quebec City, and as far as Annapolis, MD.

Summers were always spent on the water cruising, swimming, and socializing with fellow boaters. Mike enjoyed a good game of poker and was a champion cribbage player. He loved old cars. He stayed close to his Burlington High School classmates throughout his life, attending class reunions every summer. In his later years, he enjoyed solving Sudoku puzzles and telling stories.

Mike was very fond of animals, and his beloved cat, Michelob, will be buried with him.

Mike’s towering stature belied his gentleness. He loved the sound of a child’s laughter. Mike was a kind and wonderful man and will be missed very much by his family and everyone who ever knew him.

Visiting hours were held at Corbin and Palmer Funeral Home, Essex Junction, Wed, April 3. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Mike’s honor to the Burlington Boys and Girls Club or the Cancer Patient Support Foundation.

James Daniel MacDonald, of Williston and formerly of Underhill, passed away peacefully on March 25, 2024 at age 86.

Dan was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia on Jan. 19, 1938, the third child of Hugh and Anne MacDonald. He moved to Bedford, MA at age 15 to help his aunt and uncle manage their farm. In Bedford he met the love of his life and future wife, Elizabeth Siekman. Dan graduated from

Concord High School in 1956 and married Elizabeth in 1962.

Dan worked as a foundry manager, was a member of the National Guard Reserves and spent most of his career with IBM, but at heart he was a farmer and horseman. Dan and Elizabeth settled in Underhill in 1973 and soon collected several cows, pigs, various poultry, and a goat. Dan purchased his first Standardbred race horse in 1974 and was active in the Vermont harness racing circuit for many years. Following his racing years, he derived great pleasure from working with his Belgian Draft Horse, Nick.

Dan was a lifelong Catholic and longtime parishioner at St. Thomas Church in Underhill Center, where he was a member of the Cemetery Commission.

Dan is survived by his loving wife, Elizabeth, of Williston; his son, Paul, and wife, Nancy Skarmeas, of Hopkinton, NH; and his daughter, Rita Rivers, and husband, Tom, of Essex Jct. Dan was a devoted grandfather to Zachary Rivers (Clara), Emily Berger (Sage), Theia MacDonald, and Fiona MacDonald. His great grandchildren, Coralie and Henry Rivers, brightened his later years. In addition to his parents, Dan was predeceased by his brother, Paul, and his sister, Mary Jane Biekens.

A Mass of Christian burial was held on Monday April 1 at 11AM at St. Thomas Church.

Donations in Dan’s memory may be made to the St. Thomas Cemetery Commission to help support long term maintenance of the cemetery.

Dan’s family would like to thank the staff at Bayada Home Health, UVM Home Health and Hospice, and Birchwood Terrace for their care and support.

Travis J. LaFrance

Travis J. LaFrance of Williston, Vt., born on Aug. 25, 1994, died unexpectedly on March 14, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. His gentle, kind and caring spirit and wonderful smile will be missed by his family and friends.

James Daniel MacDonald

Marilyn Janet VanGraber

Marilyn Janet VanGraber, 83, passed away peacefully and unexpectedly Sep. 8, 2023 at Converse Home in Burlington, Vermont.

Marilyn was born in Burlington on May 4, 1940, to Lila (Manchester) and Robert VanGraber. Marilyn was raised by her mom Lila, a single working mom who supported Marilyn and her older siblings John and Sandy.

Marilyn often talked about growing up in an apartment above Montgomery Ward’s on Church Street in downtown Burlington. She told about her sledding activities and how she often wandered the city streets.

Marilyn went through Burlington’s public school system, excelling in several subjects and found her love for debating as part of the Debate Club. Teamed up with George Siager, they won six out of seven tournaments held in Maine and were highlighted in a Burlington Free Press article on February 19, 1958.

Marilyn found her way to the Salvation Army, which was instrumental (pun intended) in forming the Marilyn that we all love. There she learned how to play the baritone horn, played in the Salvation Army Band, and learned about Jesus.

Marilyn earned her B.A. from the University of Vermont in 1962, being awarded the Edward Page Butler Debating Award, the Robert Ashton Lawrence Debating Award, and taking second in the Robert Ashton Lawrence and George Edin Lawrence Debating Award. Marilyn continued her education and earned a Ph.D. at the University of Iowa in speech (rhetoric and communications psychology), specializing in rhetoric.

Marilyn taught at the University of New Mexico (Albu -

querque), Indiana University (Bloomington), and in New Jersey. While she published articles on rhetoric, her true passion was teaching. She often told stories of classroom interactions she had with her students.

Marilyn is known for her caring heart; when her mom Lila needed help, Marilyn gave up academic teaching and came back to Vermont to live with her mom. This next life chapter included working in the field of Risk Management for Fanny Allen and Fletcher Allen Hospitals (now UVM Medical Center).

Marilyn teamed up with her brother-in-law Dr. John W. “Jack” Heisse, Sandy’s husband, to teach law enforcement professionals and others how to use the voice-based Psychological Stress Evaluator (PSE), a truth detection device, an alternative to the polygraph. Marilyn taught how to both design the interviews and to analyze the instrument’s results. She worked with Jack for years in the professional association for using the PSE, the International Society of Stress Analysts, and helped conduct research into the instrument’s effectiveness with the inventors. She developed long and good friendships with several local law enforcement officers and attorneys through this work.

Marilyn was a member of Essex Alliance Church. She gave freely of her time and talents. She had a puppet ministry for kids, wrote and performed in church dramas, sang in the choir, served on the church’s governing board, and was instrumental in starting the “Stephens Ministry” as part of the church’s care department. Ask anybody from Essex Alliance and most likely they will have a “Marilyn Story.”

Marilyn was always volunteering her time and teaching others. She would help the students at the Rick Marcotte School write and publish their school newspaper. She also volunteered at Mountain Lake PBS.

Marilyn and Lila lived together in Williston. After Lila’s death she moved to Iby Street in South Burlington. After her first lower leg amputation, members of her church added an extensive, multi-section wheelchair ramp that included several turns to accommodate the inclines from ground to front door. Intrepid learner and refusing to

be daunted, she learned to walk with a prosthesis and to drive a car modified for hands-only operation. Marilyn’s diabetes forced a second leg amputation. This made living independently very difficult and she moved to Converse Home on lower Church Street in Burlington. Marilyn thrived at Converse Home and was loved by staff and residents.

Over decades, several dogs and cats were lucky to “have adopted her” and become her companions, including German Shepherds Chrissy and Meg, Corgie Morgan, and at least three orange cats, two of whom were brothers.

Marilyn succeeded in life, but she had to work very hard to overcome many barriers. She often took the barriers head on, which created her feisty personality. It has been said that Marilyn had a sharp mind, a sharp wit, and a sharp tongue. While her feisty personality did create some challenges, many whom Marilyn touched say they were better off after the experience of knowing her.

Marilyn was predeceased by her beloved mother, Lila Marion Manchester VanGraber Denham; cherished brother, John A. “Dutch” VanGraber and sister-in-law, Gloria VanGraber; adored sister, Sandra “Sandy” Arlene VanGraber Heisse and brother-in-law John W. “Jack” Heisse; beloved step-nephew, John Jay Heisse; and many other well-loved relatives, friends, and mentors.

She is survived by John and Gloria’s two children: Michael VanGraber of South Burlington and Kimberly VanGraber Theriault and her husband Steve of Burlington; Kim and Steve’s children Kassie Theriault and Kyle (Leah) Theriault; Kim’s grandson Maddox Theriault; step-niece Karen Meg Heisse of Baltimore, Maryland; and many friends and colleagues.

At Marilyn’s request, on Nov. 11, 2023, she was interred at Druid Ridge Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland, next to her sister Sandy and near other Heisse loved ones.

An informal Celebration of Life will be held at Essex Alliance Church, 37 Old Stage Road in Essex Junction, in the video cafe at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Please come and share your Marilyn stories.

The right candidate has great customer services skills. Duties include patient scheduling, billing, reports. If you have the personality we’re looking for, we’re willing to train. Four-day work week! Professional

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The bare facts…

The needs of our community have increased.

The Williston Community Food Shelf is now seeing 350 families every month.

Top needs this month include peanut butter and jelly.

Thanks for your support!

LEGAL

TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 – 7:00 PM

Town Hall Meeting Room (Town Hall, 7900 Williston Road, use rear entrance) or Zoom Meeting ID 846 5863 3532 on zoom. us/join or call 1-646-558-8656

DP 23-03 Michael and Cynthia Olson

request discretionary permit review of the proposed 2-lot subdivision of a ±10.1-ac parcel to create (1) ±6.1-ac parcel for the existing dwelling and (1) 3.96-ac parcel for a proposed single-family home at 98 Snowdrift Ln in the ARZD.

DP 22-09.1 Nautilus Holdings, LLC

requests discretionary permit review of the proposed site work to create two loading docks at 115 Wellness Dr in the IZDW.

DP 24-01 P&P Septic Service, Inc. requests discretionary permit review of

the proposed development of a ±1.05-acre site with a 16,200 SF commercial building and associated site work at 581 Shunpike Rd in the IZDW.

DP 23-09 William & Joan Boardman request discretionary permit review of the proposed 4-Lot subdivision of a ±29.09-ac parcel to create (1) ±5.47-ac parcel for the existing home, (1) ±0.82-ac parcel for a proposed home, (1) ±0.79-ac parcel for a second proposed home, and (1) ±22-acre parcel to be protected as open space at 10 Ricky Vista in the ARZD.

DP 24-17 Pre-App Scott Allaire requests pre-app review of the proposed triplex on an existing ±0.55-acre parcel at 3157 St. George Rd in the ARZD.

Project details and site plans are available on the website, town.williston.vt.us, under “Public Records and Documents”, then “Agendas & Minutes”, and “Development Review Board”. Contact Planning & Zoning Office for more information: 802-878-6704 or email planning@willistonvt.org

LEGAL

TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA

Tuesday, April 23, 2024 – 7:00 PM

Town Hall Meeting Room (Town Hall,

7900 Williston Road, use rear entrance) or Zoom Meeting ID 846 5863 3532 on zoom.us/join or call 1-646-558-8656

HP 24-03 Katherine and McKew Devitt request a Certificate of Appropriateness to relocate and restore the 600 SF historic barn, and demolish a 450 SF addition, at 8210 Williston Road in the National Register Historic District of the Village Zoning District (VZD).

DP 24-14 Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) requests a discretionary permit to construct a ±68,000 SF Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) with access drive, parking, and storage areas at 432 and 694 Redmond Road in the Industrial Zoning District East (IZDE).

DP 24-18 UVM Medical Center (UVMMC) requests a discretionary permit for

SERVICE DIRECTORY

802-343-4820

Vermont Spring Market returns to the Expo

Dozens of local crafters and artisans will welcome guests to the annual Vermont Spring Market at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction on April 6-7.

Shop ideas for Mother’s Day, weddings, graduations and more from vendors from across Vermont and New England. About 65 vendors will have items for sale, including woodcrafts, clothing,

jewelry, spices, pottery, food, sweets, leather goods, maple products, artwork, teas, meads, wines and distilled spirits, games, pet goods.

The market is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at the Expo, 105 Pearl St., Essex Junction. Tickets are available at the door ($10 for adults; kids under 12 get in free. Visit www.vtgatherings.com for more information.

Made in Vermont Marketplace opens this weekend

Stop and shop at the Made in Vermont Marketplace at the DoubleTree Hotel in South Burlington on April 6-7.

The event showcases Vermont companies and their products, including foods, clothing, furniture, wines, spirits and more. Doors open at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 6 and close at 5 p.m. On April 7, the hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit madeinvermontmarketplace.com for more information.

Dozens of vendors from throughout Vermont and New England will have a variety of locally crafted items for sale at the Expo on April 6-7.