Williston Observer 3/2/2023

Williston Fire Department gains tool to save lives

Rotary funds enable purchase of Cyanokit

BY SUSAN COTE Observer staff

The paramedics of the Williston Fire Department have acquired a new tool to help save lives.

Thanks to the initiative of Captain Prescott Nadeau and Lieutenant Tony Simanskas the department is pioneering the availability of a medication to treat victims of smoke inhalation for field application in Vermont.

Cyanokit is the trademarked name of the kit which contains hydroxocobalamin, an antidote used in the treatment of cyanide poisoning caused by smoke inhalation during a structural fire. Delivered intravenously to victims, the medication binds with cyanide in the blood to form a substance that the body can safely excrete through urine.

To their knowledge, they are only the second fire department in the state to have acquired and been trained in its use.

Wood4Good warms homes and hearts

BY RICK COTE Observer staff

In 2019, Eric Axelrod of Jericho and his sons found themselves with more firewood than they needed for the winter ahead, so they decided to deliver a truckload to a family in need. What began as a random act of kindness has since grown into Wood4Good, a 501(c) (3) non-profit that distributed 190 cords of wood to 140 families for the winter of 2022/23.

“We were overjoyed! What an incredible safety net!” said Kate Reininger-Severin of Jericho, of when Axelrod reached out to them offering firewood. Kate’s husband, Jerome Mendicino, had been unexpectedly laid off from

a job he’d held for 42 years. They were getting by on unemployment and cutting what wood they could from around their home. A friend told Axelrod about their situation, which prompted the delivery. “We were stunned,” said Mendicino, when Axelrod and his sons “threw a cord of wood onto our driveway. It saved our heating for that winter!”

Reininger-Severin and Mendicino are now Wood4Good volunteers. She operates a hydraulic splitter while he lifts the heavy logs onto the machine. And they’re not alone. Last year, over 200 volunteers contributed to the effort.

According to Axelrod, on any given Sunday, you’ll find no fewer

than six and often more than ten individuals sawing and splitting firewood on the two-acre plot on Davis Farm in Jericho that owner Gary Davis has made available as a base for the organization. Some volunteers come once, maybe as part of a company outing, others come more frequently, including a handful of “super-regulars.”

Chris Stewart of Williston is among them. “When Erik spoke to the Williston-Richmond Rotary Club, I was inspired, so I went out to cut wood that first weekend.” Soon thereafter, Axelrod asked Stewart if he could drive the dump truck to make deliveries. Last season, Stewart spent “8 or 9 days” delivering as many as six loads see WOOD page 2

It all began with a podcast that the two regularly listen to called GRABS, which features stories of victim rescues from around the country. A “grab” in firefighter lingo is the rescue of a person from a building fire.

about $800 if purchased through the UVM Medical Center. Because it was not budgeted, they sought a way to help fund the purchase of an initial kit.

In August of last year Nadeau and Simanskas, at the invitation of Rotary member Sherry Pidgeon, spoke to the Williston-Richmond Rotary Club about the potential of adding a Cyanokit to the department’s resources.

For the most part, Nadeau explained to the group, “It’s not fire that kills people, it’s smoke.”

They repeatedly heard stories of people being pulled from structural fires and being administered a Cyanokit to save their lives. This got them interested in learning more about the tool and how they might be able to adopt it for their department.

They learned the kits were expensive, costing as much as a couple of thousand dollars. However, they could get one for

While the UVM Medical Center has three of these kits available, they do not have the ability to respond to a fire scene. The timeliness of receiving the medication matters. If transport time of a fire victim to the ER is 15-20 or even 25 minutes, administering this drug in the field could be the difference between life or death.

Hearing the potential of the Cyanokit, Rotary members deliberated and decided to provide the necessary funding through a combination of individual dona -

Lt. Tony Simanskas displays the Cyanokit that is now carried on the Williston Fire Department’s ambulance.

OBSERVER PHOTO BY SUSAN COTE see CYANOKIT page 3

“Just having the kit on a rig provides safety to the firefighters as well as to the civilian population.”

Captain Prescott Nadeau

Eric Axelrod of Jericho, along with his sons, is the founder of Wood4Good, a nonprofit that deliers free firewood to those in need.

DONATE

HOW TO HELP

Visit wood4goodvt.org to make a tax-deducible gift to help pay for equipment repairs & maintenance, insurance, fuel, etc. Operating budget of approximately $25,000.

VOLUNTEER

Sign up to volunteer and/or organize a group-volunteer day. Volunteers are welcome throughout the season for cutting and splitting firewood.

• Special Volunteer Needs

• Truck Driver / Delivery

• Skidsteer Operator

• Chain Saw Operator

• Social Media Outreach Coordinator

• Grant Writer

NEED WOOD?

Visit wood4goodvt.org to request firewood assistance.

Call

(802) 871-5808

continued from page 1

of wood per day to households in need.

“For me the exciting part is to see the delight on people’s faces when they get the wood,” said Stewart. “And it’s most rewarding to drive back to the yard with an empty truck and tell the other volunteers how it went. It’s very gratifying to know that we’re making a difference for someone who needs a little help with heating.”

Axelrod’s goals for the coming year are to distribute 200 cords for use during the 2023 season and to prepare an additional 400 cords for the 2024 season. The purchase of a commercial grade wood splitter just last month – along with greater volunteer engagement –will be key to continuing Wood-

4Good’s meteoric growth.

Wood4Good has delivered firewood to every town in Chittenden County, plus other towns in Grand Isle, Franklin, Lamoille, and Washington counties, all

within 50 miles of their Jericho base. Their ultimate dream, says Axelrod, is to bring Wood4Good to every county and every family in Vermont who needs their help.

Gary Davis, owner of the Davis Farm in Jericho has made two acres of his farm available as a base for the organization, where volunteers split, stack and load up firewood for delivery.

Cyanokit

continued from page 1

tions and money from the club’s charitable fund.

“Almost 100% of the cost of the drug was covered by the Rotarians stemming from that presentation,” said Nadeau.

“We were impressed with the forward-thinking and enthusiastic firefighters who clearly explained the value in rescuing victims from smoke inhalation. The opportunity to test the usefulness of this technology at the scene of a fire was too good to not support, so we were happy to raise the money for a kit,” said Sally Stockwell Metro, Rotary Club president, herself a retired physician.

Administering the medication can only be done by trained paramedics. The WFD has had paramedics on staff for about five years. Today the department has five paramedics and three new staff members who will complete their paramedic training at Vermont Technical College in Williston in the next year.

Paramedics can do more medically than EMTs, so their addition to the team has expanded the department’s ability to treat patients in a pre-hospital setting, said Nadeau. “We call it ‘getting healed in the field.’”

With funds secured, the department purchased their kit and conducted training in its use in late November. Co-taught by UVMMC Emergency Department Physician Doug George and Critical Care Pharmacist Kristina Stemple, the training was attended by the department’s paramedics and paramedics-to-be and recorded for sharing with other agencies, such as Richmond Rescue, for whom Williston provides mutual aid.

“We wanted them to know the signs and symptoms to look out for in the event someone is pulled from a fire and we could administer this kit,” said Simanskas.

“There is an insurance policy here. Just having the kit on a rig provides safety to the firefighters as well as to the civilian population,” said Nadeau.

Other departments in the area are now talking about getting the kit, as well. The pair expect to present about the Cyanokit at an upcoming county fire chiefs meeting and George and Stemple of the UVM Medical Center have offered to join them.

“I’ve had multiple people from other departments say ‘Hey, how’d you go about doing this?’ Hopefully, in a short time we’ll see other agencies carrying this kit as well,” said Simanskas.

If you would like copies for your location call Rick Cote at (802) 373-2136 or email

Lt. Tony Simanskas and Capt. Prescott Nadeau in the Williston Fire Department’s training room.

OBSERVER PHOTO BY SUSAN COTE

Town launches community survey to inform library, recreation and community facilities

Williston’s Community Center Scoping and Library Assessment Steering Committee will begin a three-month community engagement survey this month to hear from residents on what future community spaces they want to see.

The survey will come in two waves. The first, launching March 4, is an interview format with members of the Steering Committee. Meant to be an informal chat, the information gathered will inform the second wave of the survey in May designed to receive space-specific feedback.

To participate in the survey kickoff, Steering Committee Members will be available at the following locations:

• Saturday, March 4 – The R.E.C. Zone Open House, 94 Harvest Lane

• Monday, March 6, 6 p.m. – Start of Town

Meeting, Williston Central School Lobby

• Thursday, March 9 – Throughout the day at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library

Visit the project website, www.willistoncommunity.com, to learn more about the project and where you can connect to engage in a survey interview or schedule time to chat. Opportunities in the first wave of the survey will continue until late April. This project is being funded using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds received by the Town.

Donors needed for Williston blood drive, Saturday, Mar. 4

Spots remain open for the Red Cross Blood Drive sponsored by the Williston-Richmond Rotary Club on Saturday, March 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Williston Church of the Nazarene, 30 Morgan Pkwy, Williston.

To sign up, go to www.redcrossblood. org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-7332767).

Richmond Historical Society annual meeting features presentation on one-room schoolhouses

The Richmond Historical Society will hold its Annual Meeting on Sunday, March 5 at 3:00 p.m. The meeting in the Community Room of the Richmond Free Library will include a historical presentation by Karen Yaggy on Richmond’s one-room schoolhouses and early student education. There will be a short business meeting before the presentation for the purpose of electing the Historical Society officers for 2023 and reviewing 2022 RHS activities.

Eighty percent of all Vermont students were taught in one-room schoolhouses in the first decade of the 1900s. At that time Vermont and Kansas were tied for first place in the U.S. for the proportion of school-age children attending school. Richmond, at one time, had up to eleven schools scattered across the town. This Richmond Historical Society sponsored presentation will share Superintendent and Health Officer Reports, along with a variety of photos and thus will paint a vivid picture of Richmond’s local education in the early 1900s.

Town of St. George holds Annual Meeting March 7

The Annual Meeting for the Town of St. George will be held on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 6 p.m. at the Little Red Schoolhouse in the Town Center off Rt. 2A. The town warning may be viewed at https://stgeorgevt.com.

Williston Planning Commission to discuss Inclusionary Zoning

The Williston Planning Commission will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, March 7 with a focus on Inclusionary Zoning. Community members may join in person at the Annex Conference Room, 7878 Williston Road, or virtually at Zoom Meeting ID 873 0175 0819 on www.zoom.us/join or by calling (646) 558-8656.

Sustainable Williston invites community to monthly social

Community members are welcome to join the monthly Sustainable Williston Social at Grazers on Thursday, March 9 at 7 p.m. The group meets every second Thursday of the month for drinks and discussion. Topics include climate change, the town’s energy plan, home sustainability projects, electrification, transportation, housing, gardening, recommended books/podcasts/movies, and more.

Rotary offers youth leadership weekend for H.S. sophomores

The Williston-Richmond Rotary Club is looking to send a few area students to the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy this summer. The annual event takes place in Lyndonville June 23-25. Students from Vermont, New Hampshire and Quebec will engage in activities and learning about personality traits and how to bring out everyone’s talents, including their own. The fun weekend includes participation in a service project, team-building activities and a talent show.

Current sophomores who live in Williston, Richmond or St. George are encouraged to apply for a scholarship that covers the cost of this event. If interested, talk to your guidance counselor or email Elizabeth Davidson at happynerves@gmail.com to receive an application. Deadline is March 15. For more information check out this video: https://youtu.be/ oGEF5ludjX0

CVU Robotics teams seek funding for world championship trip

CVU’s varsity and JV robotics teams, the RoboHawks and RoboRedhawks, both qualified this month to participate in the world championships taking place in Houston in April. In the hope that all the students from both teams can make the trip, they have launched a GoFundMe campaign and are seeking community support as they represent Vermont in the competition. To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/f/cvu-robotics

CVSD sets a Penguin Plunge record

The annual Penguin Plunge event, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Vermont, was canceled this year due to the extremely cold temperatures on February 4. Those who had signed up to participate, as teams or individuals, were encouraged to find another way to show their support for this great organization. CVSD schools came through, raising a total of over $53,000.

Thank you to the organizers, students, faculty, staff, parents and caregivers who dedicated their time to raising funds and to those who created alternate events to keep the spirit strong.

WILLISTON CENTRAL SCHOOL

On Saturday, February 11, 35 brave Williston penguins assembled in the WCS parking lot - seated in a circle on cold metal folding chairs, waiting for a “Bucket buddy” to dump an ice cold bucket of water over their heads.

They counted down from 10, and then went around the circle. A few brave souls even volunteered to take a second bucket for the cause! It was a crisp sunny dayand the Wildcat spirit was alive and well.

The team felt great about honoring the generous donations raised that totaled over $16,400.

In fact, for the first time, the Williston team was the top fundraiser among the school teams signed up for the event this year.

Shout outs go to Emily Downing-Ponce, Ingrid Luby, Sam Beatson, Lauren Goracy, and Cathy Kohlasch - all who helped to make the event possible.

CVU HIGH SCHOOL

CVU, always a top fundraiser, did not disappoint this year. They raised $15,544 in support of Special Olympics Vermont and are currently planning a plunge into Lake Champlain at Shelburne Beach in March.

4-H’ers buzz in answers at Working Steer Quiz Bowl

Eleven 4-H'ers enrolled in the working steer project met Feb. 19 at the University of Vermont (UVM) Extension office in Berlin for the 2023 Vermont Working Steer Quiz Bowl.

The 4-H'ers were split into two groups for the competition. Questions were bovine-related and working steer-specific with some miscellaneous questions relating to 4-H and Vermont thrown in to keep contestants on their toes.

For a bonus question, participants were asked to name all 14 counties in Vermont in alphabetical order. Tunbridge 4-H'er Madeliene Bates was the first to complete the bonus, earning extra points toward her overall score.

Placements for the first group were as follows: Landon Campbell, Randolph (first); Matt Whitney, Chelsea (second); Lily Larocque, Randolph Center (third); and Remi Card (fourth) and Bristol Card (fifth), both from Williston.

In the second group, Charlotte Aiken, Tunbridge, placed first, followed by Madeliene Bates, also of Tunbridge, second; Clyde Tracy, South Royalton, third; Lydia Larocque, Randolph Center, fourth; Jasiu Murphy, Weybridge, fifth; and Colt Card, Williston, sixth.

UVM Extension 4-H sponsored the event, which was organized by Extension 4-H livestock educator Wendy Sorrell, who also served as quizmaster. Assisting with the event were Lillian Aiken, Tunbridge, and Amy Ferris, Braintree.

In addition to the quiz bowl, the 4-H'ers, along with their parents and club leaders, took part in a winter business meeting to discuss the working steer project and upcoming events, including the working steer shows this summer.

For more information about the 4-H working steer project, contact Wendy Sorrell at (802) 651-8343, ext. 513, or (800) 5710668.

Above, Williston Lead Principal Greg Marino enjoys a bucket of ice water being dumped on his head. Left, the group of Williston Central School “penguins” gathers to take on their ice bucket challenge.

OBSERVER CONTRIBUTED

Lillian Aiken, Tunbridge, works the buzzer as contestants (left to right) Colt Card, Williston; Madeliene Bates and Charlotte Aiken, both from Tunbridge; Lydia Larocque, Randolph Center; Clyde Tracy, South Royalton; and Jasiu Murphy, Weybridge, get ready to respond to the next question at the 2023 Vermont Working Steer Quiz Bowl, held February 19 in Berlin.

PHOTO BY MOLLY MCFAUN/UVM EXTENSION 4-H

BY REP. ANGELA ARSENAULT

It’s been a busy couple of months at the State House! I’ve been working hard to understand this incredible job and am starting to feel like I’ve found a groove. One of the harshest realizations for me in the first few weeks was that this work is intense by design. The legislature essentially moves through a year’s worth of work in five months, and the pace is accordingly unrelenting. It’s important for every legislator to find ways to decompress, let go of some of the toughest stuff, and create a community of support. I’m so grateful for the many friends and mentors I’ve met – including my fellow Williston rep, Erin Brady.

In addition to serving on the House Judiciary Committee, I’ve had the honor of being appointed by Speaker Jill Krowinski to the Joint Committee on Judicial Retention. This committee, composed of four Rep -

GUEST COLUMN

Notes from the Legislature

resentatives and four Senators, examines the work and temperament of all judges (and, this year, the five Supreme Court Justices) up for review in the regular sixyear review cycle. I’m also on the planning team for the Women’s Caucus and a member of the Climate Solutions Caucus.

Needless to say, I’m all in and will continue to lead with curiosity and love as I represent our community in Montpelier. To give you an idea of what that looks like through my committee work, I thought I’d offer an overview of what we’ve accomplished in the Judiciary Committee since the start of the session.

ADDRESSING DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE

Data kept by the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence shows that more than 40,000 Vermonters experience domestic or sexual violence (DV/SV) every year. There is a strong desire in the legislature to protect more Ver-

Williston’s Community Newspaper Since 1985

www.willistonobserver.com

ADVERTISING

Rick Cote, Associate Publisher rick@willistonobserver.com

802-373-2136

EDITOR

Jason Starr editor@willistonobserver.com

PRODUCTION & DESIGN

Jan Kenney jan@willistonobserver.com

PUBLISHER

Susan T. Cote susan@willistonobserver.com

BILLING INQUIRIES

Michael McCaffrey office@willistonobserver.com

MEMBER:

monters and better address the full spectrum of violence.

To that end, the House Judiciary Committee has passed or taken up five bills related to DV/SV since the session began in January. One of those bills is H.45, which limits a convicted abuser’s ability to use the court system to continue harming a survivor. Currently this can be achieved through frequent filing of motions or complaints that the survivor of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault then needs to answer – costing them money, work time, and any sense of actual safety or distance from their abuser. Abusive litigation is also a drain on the court’s very limited resources.

H.41 would allow community justice centers (CJCs) to receive referrals of DV/SV cases under specific conditions. As many as 80% of victims never

report their abuse, sometimes because they fear the typical criminal justice process. Opening the door to a restorative justice approach, which is entirely victim-centered and focused on repairing harm, may lead more victims to seek relief.

H.27 would add “coercive controlling behavior” as a cause to obtain an abuse prevention order against a family member –hopefully interrupting the abuse cycle before physical violence occurs. H.40 prohibits the nonconsensual removal of or tampering with a condom prior to or during sex, something commonly known as “stealthing.” And H.128 bans child marriage. Vermonters who marry younger than 18 years old (89% of whom are girls) are more likely to be abused by their spouse and are at higher risk for a host of physical and mental health challeng-

es. Because marriage is a legal contract, this bill aligns with Vermont’s general stance that children cannot enter into a legally binding contract.

PROTECTING HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS

H.89 – also known as the Shield Law – seeks to create the highest possible level of legal protection for Vermont-based providers of reproductive and gender-affirming health care (defined in the bill as “legally protected health care”), as well as patients receiving that care. The bill also aims to provide legal protections for any Vermont-based person or entity (e.g., health insurance company) who assists with or otherwise helps facilitate the provision of legally protected health care. Vermont law – and now the Vermont Constitution – already

see ARSENAULT page 8

ADVERTISING SPACE DEADLINE

Friday at 5 p.m. for the next Thursday issue rick@willistonobserver.com, 802-373-2136

CLASSIFIED ADS

Deadline is Friday 5 p.m. There is a fee for business, real estate, help wanted and legal ads. Free classifieds must be 25 words or fewer and are printed on a space available basis.

SUBMISSIONS & LETTERS

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

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

A publication of Twin Ponds Publishing LLC

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

Burlington Area Newspaper Group

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Appreciation for Korner Kwik Stop

It’s not common for an independent business in the town to be considered a general “service” to the greater community. But I think that the Korner Kwik Stop, owned and almost completely operated by Bernie Perreault, qualifies as such. It provides the only source of retail food and beverages, household goods, Lotto tickets and obviously gasoline and other motoring necessities east of metropolitan Taft Corners. The Kwik Stop has saved the day for almost everyone in the area at one time or another.

Whether you’re on the way into or out of the town, low on gas or realizing that you’ve forgotten an item or two as you return from a supermarket, Bernie will most often be able to fill your bill, and at a reasonable cost from his well-stocked shelves. He’s been manning the counter for decades,

knows most regulars by name, anticipates repeat customers favorite snacks, beer choices (and consumption!) as well as being an ear-to-the-ground expert on local politics, sports, and general scuttlebutt. His hours are long, his days of weekly operation only occasionally interrupted by national holidays, and his corner store business is well maintained and beautifully accented with his flower gardens from May through October.

He recently told me that the routine has slowly worn him down after these many years. We can only hope that he’ll continue for a while longer to provide that service that makes the Kwik Stop more than just another convenience store. It’s the current evolution of a 19th century general store, and brings a personal touch to everyone who stops by for whatever they need. Thanks, Bernie!

Jack Price Williston

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

SHOP DINE SPEND ENJOY L O C A L

Williston

Williston

Arsenault

continued from page 6

provides protections in very clear cases involving providers and practitioners residing in Vermont. Protections are not so clear in other scenarios, such as cases of telehealth care, or Vermont students who may temporarily reside and receive care outside of the state (e.g., college students). The changing and unpredictable national landscape related to reproductive and gender-affirming health care necessitates further protections aligned with Vermont’s public policy.

REDUCING LAWS THAT

EFFECTIVELY PUNISH

POVERTY

There are a number of reasons that a Vermonter may have their license suspended. H.53 eliminates the one money-relat-

ed reason, which is a failure to pay civil fees assessed for moving violations. Drivers would still receive points on their license and would be expected to pay fines for moving violations, but they would not face the penalty of a suspended license – and the subsequent inability to drive to and from work or get around to otherwise care for themselves and their family – if they did not pay those fees and fines within 30 days. The State has a variety of ways to collect the money due and this law would not change that. It is designed to avoid criminalizing poverty while still holding drivers to account through other means.

Angela Arsenault represents Williston’s Chittenden 2 district in the Vermont House of Representatives.

Solar lease buyout question will be on the upcoming ballot

BY KEVIN BATSON Williston Energy Committee

This coming Election Day, Tuesday March 7, Article 6 on the ballot asks Williston residents to decide whether the Town of Williston should use unspent funds from an existing Public Works bond to fund the buyout of the leased Solar Array on the Public Works building’s roof. The town currently has two solar arrays that provide 88% of the electricity used by town buildings. The solar trackers behind the Town Hall that are seen from I-89 were installed in 2012 and the lease was bought out in 2019, after 7 years. The trackers have continued to meet the projected power generation and financial targets. Their purchase price is projected to be recouped at the end of 2026, after which time, the electricity the trackers generate will reduce the electricity bill of town buildings by an estimated 5560% per year.

The lease buyout decision for the Public Works Solar Array, which is a fixed roof top installation, is whether to a) use bond funds to fund this buyout (the bonds can only be used for purchases and not other things, such as lowering property taxes); and b) continue with the lease if the town is not comfortable with the risk of owning the solar array. There is little risk in keeping the current lease agreement with Peck Electric which runs out after 25 years in 2040. With this agreement the town pays for 90% of the electricity generated. The 10% savings comes to roughly $2,400 annually or $48,000 at the end of the lease.

If the town decides to buy out the lease, the town takes on the risks associated with ownership, but also could reap a larger benefit over the life of the array. To illustrate the trade-offs, the Williston Energy Committee, working with a renewable energy consultant, came up with a range of financial scenarios if

the town were to buy out the lease.

In the worst-case scenario, estimated by the town’s consultant, the town ends up netting roughly $53,000, or about the same as the scenario where the town continues to lease the array. In this scenario, the control unit/inverter gets replaced, the solar array is removed and replaced to allow for a new roof to be installed, and there is a highcost maintenance contract.

In a less pessimistic case, if annual maintenance cost is reduced by 50% to a more reasonable amount, the return on investment (ROI) of the buyout would go up to $90,000. In a scenario where the roof membrane does not require replacement so there is no need to remove and replace the solar array, $190,000 would be added to the ROI.

In summary, we have two choices: leave the lease agreement as is or buyout the lease. In either case, the town is nearly guaranteed around $50,000 in ROI. If the town buys out the lease and the town doesn’t face the worst-case scenario, the ROI could go up to $280,000.

We hope that you have found this information useful and that it will help you make an informed decision regarding Article 6 on the Town of Williston ballot. Please be sure to vote in person or by absentee ballot on March 7, 2023.

To participate in Williston’s energy future, reach out to your Williston Energy Committee at energy@willistonvt.org or attend one of our public meetings, held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. The agenda for upcoming meetings is posted on the Town of Williston website and on Front Porch Forum. For detailed information please visit our website at: https://www.willistonvtenergycommittee.org/

This array of solar panels was installed on the Public Works building at 291 Avenue A in November 2016. Observer courtesy photo

What is succession in a forest?

BY ETHAN TAPPER Special to the Observer

Forests are dynamic communities, defined and enriched by change. As forests change, they tend to follow a pattern called succession: a series of developmental stages, each of which follows, or succeeds, the last.

Succession begins following a large-scale – or catastrophic – disturbance. As the forest regenerates, it enters a stage known as stand initiation, becoming an early-successional forest. Early-successional forests are defined by an incredible diversity of trees as well as a variety of shrubs and plants which provide habitat for wildlife species from pollinators to birds, bats and black bears.

After 20-30 years, trees rise above the shrubs and the plants of the early-successional forest. As these trees grow, their crowns knit together and the canopy closes, casting the understory in deep shade. The forest enters stem exclusion, a stage of succession characterized by a single generation of trees engaged in intense competition with one another.

Depending on the species that comprise this initial generation of trees, stem exclusion can last anywhere from around twenty years to well over a century. As the trees in the forest’s overstory get older and taller, and as they begin to decline and die, light is finally allowed to reach the forest floor again. A new generation of trees, usually of more shade-tolerant species, establishes in the understory, marking the beginning of the understory re-initiation stage.

Following understory re-initiation, the forest slowly and inevitably goes haywire. Through tree mortality and natural disturbances, generations of trees establish and grow, and the forest reshapes itself again and again. Over time, the forest becomes diverse and complex, with many different sizes and ages of trees, some large, old trees and a patchy, irregular canopy. Over decades – but more commonly centuries – the forest passes into late-succession, a stage of forest development which is sometimes called old growth.

In truth, succession is not a straight line – it is a cycle that forests pass through again and again, with many detours and false-starts along the way. While it is tempting to think of late-successional forests as the endpoint, pinnacle or climax

of forest development, each stage of succession is normal and natural. Over millennia, the tens of thousands of species that comprise our forest communities have adapted to every stage of forest development, from early-succession to late-succession. A vibrant and resilient landscape is not a monolith, but rather a diverse mosaic of forests of all different ages and types and expressions. Each stage of succession is vital, and none is a means to an end.

As a result of Vermont’s land use history, nearly all of our forests are just 60-100 years old, still at the early stages of succession. As they try to move forward, and to regain the diversity and complexity that once defined them, forests are confronted with an array of threats and stressors – including non-native invasive plants, pests and pathogens, the loss or functional-loss of native species, altered disturbance regimes, and a climate which is changing in unpredictable ways – all of which threaten forests’ vitality, their biodiversity, and their resilience. As comforting as it would be to believe that forests will naturally proceed down the road of succession, it is increasingly clear that we will not protect our forests and our biodiversity solely through inaction. We cannot afford to do nothing.

So, what can we do? There is no single solution. Protecting exist-

ing old growth forests and allowing some forests to be relatively unmanaged are important tools in our toolkit, but will not address all of these issues. We must take radical action, both within individual forests and across our landscape, to simultaneously address the legacies of the past, the realities of the present and the uncertainty of the future. Forest management can help forests build diversity, complexity and resilience and create habitats – like early-successional forests – for wildlife species of concern. None of these strategies will be effective unless we also act to control threats and stressors like climate change, non-native invasive plants, deer overabundance, deforestation and forest fragmentation. As always, forests challenge us to embrace nuance and complexity, to form a more expansive vision of what a forest is and what it means to care for it. As forest stewards, our job is not just to protect the trees in our forests but to protect and to celebrate how they change.

Ethan Tapper is the Chittenden County Forester for the Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation. To see what he’s been up to, check out his YouTube channel, sign up for his eNews and read articles he’s written at https://linktr.ee/ ChittendenCountyForester

When discussing forests, ‘succession’ is a term describing what happens following a large-scale – or catastrophic – disturbance such as the one that caused this tree to be uprooted. OBSERVER CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Sharing the magic of gardening with children

BY DEBORAH J. BENOIT Special to the Observer

Spring is in the air, and what better way to celebrate a return to gardening than to share its magic with children? It’s not too early to start planning now. Consider dedicating a small piece of the garden this summer as a spot where the kids in your life

can experience the magic of gardening firsthand. To keep things simple, consider limiting the plant varieties from which they can choose.

They can help pick out seeds to start indoors in early spring or join in choosing starter plants at the garden center later. When planting time arrives, guide them through the process and show

them how to care for their plants. A small watering can and kid-size garden tools will make it easier for them to take part.

If there’s no space for a tiny garden plot, containers are good alternatives for a child’s first garden. After planting, place the containers in good light where your

Springtime is a good time to introduce children to gardening, letting them help pick out the seeds and planting.

Gardening

continued from page 10

child can easily observe the wonder of plant growth.

Whatever form your child’s garden takes, it all begins with a seed. A tray of seed-starter mix or pellets that expand with the addition of water are readily available at garden stores and easy to use.

Creating your own seed-starting blocks is a project you can do together. Using a soil block maker, press moistened potting soil into the device, then eject onto a seed-starting tray. It takes a little practice, but that’s half the fun.

When helping your child choose what to plant, consider something easy to grow to help ensure success. Sunflowers are quick growing, showy and sure to bring a smile.

Local stores should have a number of varieties available. Seed packets contain growing information, including when to plant outside, how tall the sunflower will grow and how long it will take to flower.

For a bit of garden magic, check young sunflower flowers at different times during the day

during the growing season. They begin the morning facing east and slowly turn toward the west, following the sun. When mature, the sunflower’s seeds can provide a welcomed meal for local birds or be roasted as a tasty snack for the young gardener.

For another gardening idea, what could be more fun for kids than growing their own jack-olantern for Halloween?

Pumpkin seeds can be started indoors about three weeks before the average last frost date for your area. Or purchase starter plants from a local nursery.

Transplant outdoors or direct sow seeds in the garden after all danger of frost has passed. Information regarding your average last frost date can be found at https://garden.org/apps/frostdates.

Bush beans and snow peas also are fun options for kids to grow. They’re quick growing and can be eaten right off the vine. Other possibilities include radishes (harvest in less than a month!), cherry tomatoes and marigolds. For more on seed starting, see https://go.uvm.edu/ startseeds.

Whatever plants you choose, be sure to involve your children in planning, preparing, planting, growing and harvesting the garden. If you’re so inclined, save some of the seeds from this year’s harvest for next year’s adventure so they can see how the magic continues.

When you venture into the garden with children, introduce them to the magical presence of nature: fat bumblebees buzzing among the blossoms, the sound of birds singing as they go about their days devouring insect pests, and even the persistence of weeds. Don’t forget the frogs, toads, salamanders and garter snakes that help with pest control. How many can they identify?

Introducing the magic of gardening to children can be rewarding on so many levels. Along the way, you just might reawaken your inner child and find yourself smiling at the magic yourself.

Jo n us for the Flower Show After Dark Gala fundraiser to benefit the VNLA and GMHFH!

Deborah J. Benoit is a UVM Extension Master Gardener from North Adams, Massachusetts, who is part of the Bennington County Chapter.

Mother’s Day is traditionally the first day that most seedlings can be safely put in the ground in Vermont. OBSERVER CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

GMT is examining our current base level of service with the goal of improving coordination of services across Chittenden County, and we’d like your help! Please take our survey and help us build a better system for everyone.

‘Hawks stop the Knights on the court

CLOCKWISE (l - r): CVU’s Addi Hunter gets fouled on the way to the hoop during the Redhawks’ 48-37 quarterfinal win over the Rice Green Knights on Friday evening in Hinesburg. Shelby Companion works to evade one of the Knights in a drive up the baseline. Despite a block, Elsie Berger goes in for a layup. CVU Coach Ute Otley makes some adjustments during a time out. Zoey McNabb brings the ball up court.

Former CVU standout, Catherine Gilwee, left, launches a short jumper during the UVM Women Catamounts’ 64-41 regular season championship win over the Bryant University Bulldogs in an America East matchup on Saturday afternoon at Patrick Gym. The women’s team poses, top center, with the regular season championship trophy. The men’s team, bottom center, also got to celebrate an America East regular season title with their 81-70 win over the Binghamton University Bearcats Feb. 22 at Patrick Gym thanks in part to moves like Matt Veretto’s drive up the lane for a bucket, far right.

Next Week: Light Pollution

Phenomenal Moon Phases

Have you ever looked up in the sky on different nights throughout a month and noticed the moon has a different shape each time? The moon itself doesn’t change form. It’s actually our view of the moon that causes us to see a different shape.

The Mini Page learns about the phases of the moon this week.

Light

Our solar system has one source of light: the sun. The moon doesn’t have any light of its own. The side of the moon that faces the sun reflects the sun’s brightness, which is what we are able to see.

The moon’s orbit, or the curved path it takes around the Earth, is what helps us see a different view of the moon each night. The part of the moon that is brightly lit is the part of the moon that we see changing.

During the moon’s journey, we’ll see

Mini Fact: The moon is much smaller than the sun, but it is also much closer to Earth, so to us, they appear similar in size.

eight moon phases: new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, third quarter and waning crescent.

Moon phases

NASA gives helpful explanations of the eight moon phases and what we can expect to see during each one.

New: If the moon is in the new phase, we cannot see it from Earth because the side of the moon that is lit up is facing away from us.

Waxing Crescent: People in the Northern Hemisphere, or top half of the planet, view the waxing crescent phase of the moon as a sliver of light on the right side.

First Quarter: The first quarter phase appears as a half moon.

Waxing Gibbous: The waxing gibbous moon phase is between a half moon and full moon. Waxing means it is getting bigger.

Full: The side of the moon facing Earth is completely illuminated, or covered in light.

Waning Gibbous: The waning gibbous phase is between a full moon and a half moon. Waning means it is getting smaller.

Third Quarter: The third quarter moon also appears as a half moon, but it is the opposite half from the first quarter moon.

Waning Crescent: People in the Northern Hemisphere see the waning crescent phase as a sliver of light on the left side.

Full supermoons

The moon moves from one of the eight phases to the next during its orbit each month. The lunar cycle, or the journey through all eight phases, takes 29 days.

You might have seen a supermoon, which is a full moon that looks much bigger than normal. This happens only a few times each year when the moon is full at the same time as its orbit brings it closest to Earth.

Full supermoons in 2023 will be July 3, Aug. 1, Aug. 30 and Sept. 29. You might have noticed August mentioned twice, and that’s because the supermoon on Aug. 30 is also called a blue moon!

Have you ever heard the expression of something happening “once in a blue moon”? A blue moon is the second full moon happening in a calendar month, which doesn’t happen often. The blue moon on Aug. 30 is special because it’s the last blue moon we’ll see until May 2026.

Full supermoons appear brighter because the size and brightness of a supermoon is about 15% more than a regular full moon. Because of this, if the sky is clear on the night of a supermoon, you’ll likely experience a good view of it.

Resources

On the Web:

• bit.ly/MPmoonphases

• spaceplace.nasa.gov/oreo-moon/en/

At the library:

• “The Faces, or Phases, of the Moon” by Baby Professor

Try ’n’ Find

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

BLUE, BRIGHT, CRESCENT, DARK, EARTH, FULL, GIBBOUS, HEMISPHERE, ILLUMINATE, MOON, NEW, ORBIT, PATH,

Mini Jokes

Martha: How do you know when the moon has enough to eat?

Milton: When it’s full!

The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication

Founded by Betty Debnam Issue 09, 2023

photo by Erik Drost

Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech

Waning Crescent: People in the Northern Hemisphere see the waning crescent phase as a sliver of light on the left side.

Try ’n’ Find

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

BLUE, BRIGHT,

MOON, NEW, ORBIT, PATH, PHASE, QUARTER, SHAPE, SKY, SUN, WANING, WAXING.

Mini Spy Classics

Mini Spy and her friends are visiting a planetarium. See if you can find the hidden pictures. Then color the picture.

Mini Jokes

Martha: How do you know when the moon has enough to eat? Milton: When it’s full!

Eco Note

Researchers say they have observed that Adélie penguins appear to recognize themselves in their mirror reflections, a trait that could indicate some degree of self-awareness. The mirror test was developed in the 1970s and includes placing a mark on a test animal’s face or other parts of the body to see if it touches or investigates it when seen in a mirror. Very few animals have “passed” this test aside from some primates, dolphins and Asian elephants. Indian researchers say Adélie penguins study their images in the mirror and make movements as if to see if it is themselves.

For later:

Look in the newspaper for articles about the moon and planets.

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

BY DAN THOMPSON

The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication

CRESCENT, DARK, EARTH, FULL, GIBBOUS, HEMISPHERE, ILLUMINATE,

•

Estate Planning, Elder Law & Medicaid Planning

Peace

How to protect seniors from scam calls

Dear Savvy Senior, What tools can you recommend to help protect trusting seniors from scam calls? My 74-year-old mother gets tons of unwanted telemarketing and robocalls on her cell and home phone and has been duped out of hundreds of dollars.

Frustrated Daughter

Dear Frustrated,

•

•

Ellen

Stephen

Wendy S

It’s a great question! Scammers are always looking for new ways to dupe people out of money, and in the U.S., phone calls remain the primary way swindlers hook older victims.

The Federal Trade Commission recently found that 24 percent of adults over age 60 who reported losing money to a scam in 2021 said it started with a phone call –the largest percentage of any method, including email, text and mail.

To help protect your mom from the onslaught of robocall scams, telemarketing and spam calls, here are some tips and tools you can help her employ.

REGISTER HER NUMBERS

If your mom hasn’t already done so, a good first step in limiting at least some unwanted calls

By Jim Miller

is to make sure her home and cell phone numbers are registered with the National Do Not Call Registry. While this won’t stop fraudulent scam calls, it will stop unwanted calls from legitimate businesses who are trying to sell her something. To sign up, call 888-3821222 from the phone number you want to register, or you can do it online at DoNotCall.gov.

CELL PHONE PROTECTION

Most wireless providers today offer good tools for stopping scam calls and texts. For example, AT&T

has the ActiveArmor Mobile Security app; Verizon provides the Call Filter app; and T-Mobile offers the Scam Shield app.

To activate these tools, download the spam-blocking app from your mom’s carrier on her phone, which you can do at the Apple and Google App stores. These apps are free to use, but most carriers will also offer upgraded services that you can get for a small monthly fee.

If, however, your mom uses a regional or small wireless carrier that doesn’t offer scam/robocall protection you can use a free third-party app. Truecaller (Truecaller.com), Call Control (CallControl.com), Hiya (Hiya.com) and YouMail (YouMail.com) are all good options to consider.

BUILT-IN CALL BLOCKERS

Many smartphones today also offer built-in tools that can block spam calls. If your mom uses a newer iPhone (iOS 13 or later), she can completely silence all unknown callers who aren’t in her contacts list in the phone “Settings.”

Silencing all unknown callers is an extreme solution that will definitely stop all unwanted calls, but your mom will also miss some legitimate calls too. However, unknown callers do have the option to leave a voice message and their calls will appear in her recent calls list. And she can add any number to her contact list to let them through in the future.

If your mom owns a new Android phone, she can also block spam calls in the phone “Settings.” Or, if she owns a Samsung Galaxy phone, she can use “Smart Call,” which flags suspected spam calls and allows her to block and report them.

She can also block specific reoccurring spam call numbers on iPhones and Android manually.

HOME LANDLINE PROTECTION

To stop scam calls on your mom’s home phone set up the “anonymous call rejection” option. This is a free feature available from most telephone companies, however some may charge a fee. It lets you screen out calls from callers who have blocked their caller ID information – a favorite tactic of telemarketers. To set it up, you usually have to dial *77 from your landline, though different phone services may have different procedures.

Call your mom’s telephone service provider to find out if they offer this tool, and if so, what you need to do to enable it. And if they don’t offer it, find out what other call blocking options they offer.

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.

CROSSWORD • SOLUTION ON PAGE 23

ANDREWS

TODAY’S HISTORY:

• In 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico.

• In 1877, the U.S. Congress declared Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the 1876 presidential election, despite the fact that Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote.

In 1917, the Jones-Shafroth Act was enacted, granting U.S. citizenship to the people of Puerto Rico.

• In 1969, the Concorde supersonic airliner flew (at subsonic speeds) for the first time.

TODAY’S FACT:

• “King Kong,” which opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on this day in 1933, was made for about $672,000 ($15 million in today’s dollars). The 2017 reboot, “Kong: Skull Island,” cost $185 million to produce.

SOLUTION FOUND ON PAGE 23

Find the 7 words to match the 7 clues. The numbers in parentheses represent the number of letters in each solution. Each letter combination can be used only once, but all letter combinations will be necessary to complete the puzzle.

1 Seven Dwarfs member (6)

2 Six Flags offering (9)

3 five-sport Olympian (11)

4 Four Tops’ music genre (6)

5 three-toed sluggards (6)

6 twofold (6)

7 one-star reviews (4)

We’re proud of our smiles!

We believe that our state-of-the-art, impeccable skills; cheerful, approachable attitudes and ability to handle all your dental needs under one roof means a visit with us will always leave you with a beautiful smile.

© 2023 Blue Ox Family Games, Inc., Dist. by Andrews McMeel

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library hours:

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

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

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

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Children 4th grade and younger must be supervised by someone over 16 years of age.

LITTLES D&D

Saturdays, March 4, 11 a.m.12 p.m. and March 11, 12-1 p.m. Suggested ages 6-8. Register your little one for an exciting campaign. Caretakers should stay to help their campaigner.

POKÉMON CLUB

Monday, March 6, 4-5 p.m. Enjoy Pokémon-themed games,

crafts, and more!

TEENS D&D

Monday, March 6, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12+. Join our Dungeons & Dragons campaign for teens.

STORYTIME

Tuesdays, March 7 and 14, 10:30-11 a.m. Join Danielle for stories and fun.

AFTER SCHOOL LEGO & BOARD GAME TIME

Wednesday, March 8, 2-3 p.m. Build something or play games with the library’s collection!

PRESCHOOL MUSIC AND PLAYTIME

Thursdays, March 9 and 16, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Enjoy music, then stay to play.

LEGO TIME

Thursday, March 9, 3-4 p.m. Make something exciting with our LEGO collection!

FRENCH STORYTIME

Saturday, March 11, 10:1510:45 a.m. Drop in for stories read aloud in French.

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN

at Synergy to stay fit, healthy and in shape.

Your goals are

goals!

Monday, March 13, 4-5 p.m. Learn to make something delicious from Dietician Joanne Heidkamp from the comfort of your kitchen! Register for link and ingredient list.

PJ STORYTIME

Monday, March 13, 5:30-6 p.m. Drop in for stories and activities.

AFTER SCHOOL D&D

Monday, March 14, 3-4 p.m. Suggested ages 8+ (please review our unattended youth policy). Register for a seat to play Dungeons & Dragons!

AFTER SCHOOL MOVIE

Wednesday, March 15, 2-4 p.m. Rated PG. To infinity, and beyond!

TEEN NIGHT: T-SHIRT DESIGNS

Thursday, March 16, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12+. Register and bring in a t-shirt of any color! Learn to use the library’s Cricut machine to cut out vinyl to iron to your shirt.

MULTI-AGE PROGRAMS

VERMONT READS

Pick up a copy of The Most Costly Journey, by Marek Bennett et al. Email bonnie@ damlvt.org if you are interested in recording a short personal story for the associated podcast (collaboration with Brownell Library). Vermont Reads is presented in partnership with The National Endowment for the Humanities.

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS

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

Williston Community Blood Drive

SPANISH CONVERSATION (ONLINE)

Wednesday, March 1 & 15, 5-6 p.m. Join us for conversational Spanish.

ADULT CRAFTERNOON

Thursday, March 2, 2-3 p.m. “Not Your Grandma’s Pearls!”. Make a colorful, updated pearl necklace. This craft requires manual dexterity and a bit of patience.

GUIDED MEDITATION (ONLINE)

Fridays in March, 12-12:30 p.m. Reconnect to your peaceful body and breath.

MAH JONGG

Friday, March 3, 1-3 p.m. Drop in for this popular tile game.

CURRENT EVENTS DISCUSSION

Wednesday, March 8, 10:30a.m.-12 p.m. Drop in to discuss news-worthy topics.

LIFE STORIES WE LOVE TO TELL (ONLINE SERIES)

Wednesday, March 8, 2-3:30pm. Maryellen Crangle will provide a prompt to guide the group in choosing a story to share.

AFTER HOURS BOOK CLUB

Wednesday, March 8, 6:307:30 p.m. Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone. Available in print from the library.

FRENCH CONVERSATION FOR ALL

Saturday, March 11, 10:4511:45 a.m. All abilities welcome.

COOK THE BOOK

Wednesday, March 15, 12-1 p.m. Stop by to browse Catalan Food: culture and flavors from the Mediterranean by Daniel Olivella and copy a recipe to share at our potluck.

TRIVIA NIGHT

Wednesday, March 15, 6:307:30 p.m. Bring a team or come solo. Ages 16+.

TECH TUTOR

Thursday, March 16, 4-6 p.m. Call to register for an appointment for help with your technology.

When you support our 2023 March for Meals campaign, you can ensure that aging Vermonters can live more healthy, happy and independent lives at home, where they want to be. You can give back by donating, volunteering, or sponsoring a Meals on Wheels route. agewellvt.org/marchformeals

Anybody feel a disturbance in The Force the morning of Feb. 13?

The indomitable Karleen (nee Nie) Teply passed away just shy of her 78th birthday from the ravages of ovarian cancer. Karleen most emphatically did not want to leave this life, but when she did, it was at home with her best friend Patty Griffin close by, and cats “Simba” and “Feather” at the fire.

Karleen graduated UVM with a Masters in Music Education; her whole career was teaching music and conducting choruses for 34 years in South Burlington, VT.

As many musicians must, she juggled part-time jobs and activities at the same time. Her longest extra-curricular gig, lasting 33 years, was the South Burlington Community Chorus which she founded in 1976 under the auspices of the South Burlington Recreation Department. The membership swelled from an original twelve singing Christmas carols with a guitar to an ensemble as large as seventy performing Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” the Beethoven “Choral Fantasy,” and Brahms’ “Requiem.” This chorus of amateur adult singers adored her banter and entertaining rehearsal style. She was so smart, energetic and quick-witted!

Kris was born March 12, 1944, the second daughter of Karl Nie (thus her name, “Karleen”) and Ingeborg Schubert. Both German parents influenced her tremendously. Kris was just starting her senior year in high school when her beloved mother died at age 46 after battling cancer for a year and a half. That immense loss was traumatizing, impacting the

OBITUARIES

Karleen I. Teply

trajectory of Kris’s life forever. She vowed to live the life her mother never got to enjoy. She sure did.

Nothing Kris did was halfway. Ever. Nobody loved Christmas more than she. Every ornament of her vast collection was deliberately placed on a perfectly laden tree. Kris was in her element entertaining her neighbors at the Christmas party she and Patty hosted every year. Complete with live music performed by the two of them, the finale was always a spirited rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” with her directing. Everybody, even non-singers, was assigned a solo. It was chaotic and wonderful!

She appreciated fancy cars, beautiful gardens, flawlessly performed classical music, nature, and anything to do with the water. As hard as Kris approached work, recreation was expressed with equal intensity. In the summer, she boated on Lake Champlain. Her final vessel was a Carver 32’ Aft Cabin cruiser liveaboard. It was an extension of her personality.

“I swear to God, Allegro was me, and I was Allegro.”

The marina lifestyle was a perfect fit with her highly social nature: play on the water during the day, and party hearty at night, Luksusowa Vodka martini in hand. Kris was no ordinary boater. She served 47 years in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Burlington Division 1502. A masterful instructor, her knowledge of boating safety and seamanship was second to none in a venue dominated by men. She was the first person in the flotilla to wear the crossed oars of Coxswain, a highly coveted

Patricia Lynn Chaplin

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Patricia Lynn Chaplin, 67, of St. George, VT, at the UVM Medical Center Feb. 24, 2023.

She was born on Aug. 24, 1955 in Williston to Gerald and Florence (Hibbard) Russin. She attended Williston School and went on to CVU in Hinesburg.

On July 6, 1974 Patricia married the love of her life, Paul H. Chaplin in Williston. They celebrated 48 years of marriage last year.

Patricia was known as a wonderful teammate in custodial services at St. Michael’s College. A position she held for 28 years. In her spare time, she collected cookbooks, took ceramics classes, and knitted. She was also an avid Boston Red Sox fan!

She and the large family holiday gatherings she attended will be remembered fondly for many years to come.

Left to cherish Patricia’s memory are her husband Paul; her daughter Peggy Whitney and her husband Michael; her son Paul, Jr.; her sister Mary Rich; brother Kenny Russin; brothers and sisters in law; 4 granddaughters; 1 grandson; 1 great-granddaughter ;1 great-grandson; many nieces, nephews, and her best friend for 64 years Jackie.

She was predeceased by her parents; her

sisters Dorothy Chaplin and Geraldine Wheelock; her brother Gary Russin; and grandson Josh Chaplin just 6 months ago.

Patricia’s family will receive friends and family on Sunday, March 5, 2023 at Gifford Funeral Home, 22 Depot Street, Richmond, VT, between 2 pm and 3 pm. A memorial service will be held at 3 pm at the funeral home.

Arrangements are in care of Gifford Funeral Home, 22 Depot Street, Richmond, VT.

and rare designation.

Once she retired from teaching at age 55, Kris drove to Florida every year to spend some of the winter in Bonita Springs, Florida. As was typical of her, she immediately integrated deeply in the social life of the Little Hickory Bay community with the five B’s: Beach, Bingo, Bocce, Boating, and Bunko. The relationships she forged there were nurtured all year long. Even as everyone was scattered across the country during the off season, these caring people showered her with cards, care packages, and messages of love and support during her illness. Good friends and cherished family were the glue that kept her going in the face of her terrible prognosis.

“Auntie” was beloved by her family: Melanie Potter and her husband Hilon; Erin Grim

Why not have a job you love?

Positions include a sign on bonus, strong benefits package and the opportunity to work at one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont”.

and her husband Brian, their little charmer that stole her heart, baby Eliza Grim, and Christopher Potter (all of Hyde Park, NY); John Oesterreich and his partner, Adriana Bradshaw (College Point, NY); Catalina Ibarguen (Austin, Texas) Keith Oesterreich (Dawsonville, Georgia), and Kevin Potter(Somerville, MA).

Many thanks to the UVM Medical Center, the caring oncologist Dr. Charles Ashley, and his fabulous team. UVM’s Hospice and Palliative Care Unit was incredible, guiding and supporting Kris and her caretaker when the end was eminent. As she wished, Kris was cremated; a celebration of life and a joyous send-off will be arranged later, when the boats are in the water at the Champlain Marina in Colchester. Please visit awrfh.com to share your memories and condolences.

Service Coordinator: Continue your career in human services in a supportive environment by providing case management for individuals either for our Adult Family Care program or our Developmental Services program. The ideal candidate will have strong clinical, organizational & leadership skills and enjoy working in a team-oriented position. $47,000 annual salary, $1,500 sign on bonus.

Residential Program Manager: Coordinate staffed residential and community supports for an individual in their home. The ideal candidate will enjoy working in a team-oriented position, have strong clinical skills, and demonstrated leadership. $45,900 annual salary, $1,500 sign on bonus.

Direct Support Professional: Provide 1:1 supports to help individuals reach their goals in a variety of settings. This is a great position to start or continue your career in human services. Full and part time positions available starting at $19/hr, $1,000 sign on bonus.

Residential Direct Support Professional: Provide supports to an individual in their home and in the community in 24h shifts including asleep overnights in a private, furnished bedroom. You can work two days, receive full benefits and have five days off each week! Other flexible schedules available, starting wage is $20/hr, $1,000 sign on bonus.

Shared Living Provider: Move into someone’s home or have someone live with you to provide residential supports. There are a variety of opportunities available that could be the perfect match for you and your household. Salary varies dependent on individual care requirements. $1,000 sign on bonus.

Join our dedicated team and together we’ll build a community where everyone participates and belongs https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/

Make a career making a difference and join our team today!

https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/

Champlain Community Services, Inc.

Amanda E. Knight

Our abundantly loved wife, momma, daughter, granddaughter, niece, friend and coworker has laid down her burdens, pain and suffering and gained her wings.

Amanda entered this world as an immense gift to her loving parents, David and Gayle Knight. As a child, Amanda enjoyed horseback riding, dance classes, playing baseball, and enjoying the great outdoors. Amanda always spoke fondly of growing up on the lake in Maine; swimming, boating, fishing, and snowmobiling. She would often tell stories of learning to be a creative Ms. Fix It with her father and driving her mother wild with worry with her spunky and mischievous adventures.

Amanda attended Husson University where she graduated with a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy. She went on to use this degree to enhance the quality of life for countless adults in eldercare facilities. For the majority of Amanda’s career, she worked alongside an amazing and supportive team of coworkers at Starr Farm Nursing Center, later known as Elderwood at Burlington.

Amanda also spent two years as a traveling occupational therapist, touring the country in an RV with her wife, Carrie. Amanda met Carrie in 2014 and the two married on October 8, 2016. They honeymooned in Ireland, England and Scotland where they toured the countryside enjoying many sites, mainly current castles and several castle ruins. After traveling together, they returned to Vermont and bought a home in Richmond.

On Dec. 5, 2019, Amanda gave birth to their incredible child, Kastle Lennon. Amanda, Carrie and Kastle enjoyed a simple, quiet and love-filled life with their fur babies. Amanda’s favorite pass-times were playing and snugging with Kastle, taking drives and listening to music with Carrie, and sitting around a campfire with a few friends or family members, telling stories and laughing. Amanda was not one for drama and she kept her circle small, but if you were lucky enough to be in it, you were loved fiercely and without judgement. Amanda lived every healthy day to its fullest.

Unfortunately, on May 13, 2021, Amanda was diagnosed with triple negative metastatic breast cancer. Amanda had reported her concerns to several of her health care providers for 6 months before the simple, proper testing was ordered. By this time, the disease had spread, making it much more difficult to treat. Despite this devastating news, Amanda stood strong with her competent and compassionate team of doctors at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. She fought hard for 22 months.

A simple, everyday mammogram at the onset of symptoms could have changed the entire trajectory and ultimately the untimely ending of Amanda’s life. If nothing else, Amanda would want everyone to remember to listen to their inner voices and advocate for themselves, even when assured by trusted health care providers.

For 36 years, her bright and beautiful light shone upon everyone who was lucky enough to meet her. Her smile could light up any room; and she used it often. We are so thankful for every day, every hour, every minute and every smile we got to share with her. Amanda was and always will be the brightest light.

Amanda is survived by her wife, Carrie Knight and child, Kastle Knight, of Richmond, VT; her parents, David and Gayle Knight, of Jefferson, Maine; her maternal grandmother, Elnora Pike; her aunts Kathy, Cheryl, Lois, Barbara, Wilma, Karla and Leann, her uncles Donald, James, Kurt, Jeffrey, Bret and Robert; her brother-in-law and sister-in-law Thomas and Sarah Haselton; her niece and nephew Charlotte and Emmitt Haselton; her best friend, Tessa Pyles; her close friend and extraordinary nanny to Kastle, Jess Deforge, and many other friends and coworkers.

A celebration of life will occur at 2:30 p.m. on March 4 at the Gifford Funeral Home, 22 Depot Street, Richmond.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in support of Amanda’s family at https://gofund.me/10c914el.

Arrangements are in care of Gifford Funeral Home, 22 Depot Street, Richmond, VT.

OBITUARIES

Jessica Renee Contois Kramer

The family of Jessica Renee Contois Kramer is heartbroken to announce her passing on Feb. 14, 2023. She will be remembered as a shining light that we were able to enjoy for much too short of a time.

Jessica was born Sept. 19, 1983 in Virginia Beach, Virginia to her parents Jack and Irene Kupiec Contois. She grew up in Adams, MA and graduated from Hoosac Valley High School in 2002. She continued her education at St. Michael’s College in Winooski, graduating in 2006.

Jessica became an incredible science teacher and worked in the Champlain School district for 15 years. The highlight of her teaching tenure was working with her colleagues and students in Harbor House at the Williston Public School.

Her illnesses ended her school career but not her passion for learning. During her medical leave she was able to complete her National Board

Certification in 2019 and recently began following her dream with GrowVT-Ed, teaching future educators of Vermont.

Jessica fearlessly faced her challenges with strength, determination, and a constant smile.

She is survived, and tremendously missed, by her parents; her beloved sons Levi (9) and Lennon (8); Jaimie Kramer, her former husband; her sister Ashley Michael, brother-inlaw Austin, and their children Mady, Carys and Graham.

Jessica’s memory lives on with the special people in her life who were with her during every step of her brave journey. This included her godmother, Barbara Czerwinski, along with her cherished aunts, uncles and numerous supportive cousins.

Jessica’s loves of her life were her two little boys. No matter how she felt, she tried never to show her pain and always gave them her full love and attention. We believe they

saw her as a hero and so did we.

Jessica was so loved that she deserves two memorial services. For her friends and coworkers in the Burlington, VT area, a memorial service has been planned for April 1, 2023 at 2 o’clock in the afternoon at Essex Alliance Church, 37 Old Stage Road, Essex, VT.

Family will gather for a memorial service in Adams, MA the weekend of May 20, 2023. Specific arrangements have not yet been finalized.

Because there have been so many inquiries, a memorial fund has been set up to receive donations to help fund her young sons’ future education. Donations in the form of a check should be made out to Irene Contois with the memo stating “Memorial Fund”.

Donations may be mailed straight to Adams Community Bank, P.O. Box 306, Adams, MA 01220 or sent through Venmo to @LeviLennonMemorialFund.

André Joseph Bouchard

André Joseph Bouchard from Winooski, VT, age 95, died peacefully at McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester, after a long battle with dementia and a history of strokes. André also went by the names of Butch, Butchie, Dad, Mon Oncle, and Pepere.

André had a long and full life. He was born Sept. 22, 1927 in Frelighsburg, QC and grew up on a farm in nearby Saint-Ignace. He was the middle child and only son of Arthur Leopold and Marie-Ivone Donalda (Gallipeau) Bouchard.

From a young age, André was an entrepreneur. He would go around to the various farms and collect old, torn sacs for grain or potatoes, which they usually would give to him for free. He paid his sisters a penny to sew them and then would sell them back to the feed store for 5 cents each. He knew how to collect wild honey and how to catch skunks. He used to say, “There is only one good way to catch a skunk…with its tail facing AWAY from you.”

He quit school in the sixth grade but returned to receive his eighthgrade diploma in his 30s. Despite his lack of formal education, he

was one of the most intelligent men we ever knew.

The family moved to Williston before his 18th birthday. It was soon thereafter that he went to a square dance at Saint John the Baptist Hall in Winooski, where he saw the prettiest girl with beautiful auburn hair, Pauline Rita Phillips. On June 16, 1951, they were married at Saint Francis Xavier in Winooski. He built their house in Winooski at the age of 23 with the help of his father-in-law and brothers-in-law. This home is where they raised their six children and lived together for nearly 72 years.

He previously worked for the Woolen Mills and Grand Union, both in Winooski, before getting a job as a milk man for Hoods. After that he became an appliance repair man and then opened Bouchard-Pierce Appliance in Essex Junction with his oldest daughter Annette and her husband, William Pierce.

He retired around 1985 and he and Pauline traveled the world, as well as summering at their favorite spot in Isle La Motte next to Saint Anne’s Shrine.

He is predeceased by his par-

ents and three sisters, Leotine Tougas of Hartford, CT, Cecile Bergeron of Winooski, and Yvette Chaloux of Ocala, FL, as well as his granddaughter Melissa Bouchard and grandson, Richard Bouchard, both of Burlington, VT.

He leaves behind his wife, Pauline (Phillips) of almost 72 years; his sister Lorraine (Benny Quirion), his six children; Annette (William Pierce) of Alburgh, Suzanne Bouchard (Joe Dawson) of Winooski; Robert (Cheryl Hurteau) of Colchester; Diane (James Verret) of Isle La Motte; Richard Bouchard of Winooski; and Lisa (Shane Maxfield) of Keene, NH, as well as 17 living grandchildren and their significant others, 35 great grandchildren, and one greatgreat grandchild.

A funeral service was held at Saint Francis Xavier Church in Winooski on March 1

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Saint Francis Xavier School, Saint Anne’s Shrine, Bayada, and/or McClure Hospice House.

We all love you and we could not have asked for a better Pepere.

“Nate the Great, Boo Man, Nate Man”, cherished son of Ashley and Ken, treasured brother of Eric, rocketed into this world on October 5th, 2006 and left us way too soon on February 25, 2023.

Nate was a daring, happy kiddo with a glorious smile and twinkle in his eyes that often had him compared to Calvin of Calvin and Hobbs. He dug into all things technical and had a love for military planes and ships and could identify them all.

Nate grew into a reserved, sensitive, deep thinker who asked the really hard, really good questions that no one had answers to. He had numerous ideas for inventions. Most often ones that someone else should invent to help make his life easier! He never hesitated to engage in debate, always presenting the logical explanation. He was nothing

OBITUARIES

Nathaniel Taylor Couture

if not practical, always stating the most reasonable course of action that made you stop and say, of course, you’re right.

Nate loved the outdoors, particularly skiing woods with his Dad and friends and being on the water driving the boat. Nate loved traveling, mostly for the planes and eating out. He was always up for high adventure traveling to Montreal, Hawaii, Florida, and Maine. He had gotten his scuba certification and was planning on a school trip to work on restoring coral reefs this summer.

Most important to Nate, above all else, were his friends: spending time with them playing video games, eating subs at Jersey

Mike’s, seeing movies. One of his friends said he was the most sensible, level-headed one of their whole group. Known as Sizzler, Nate loved playing in the Williston Little League from t-ball all

the way to the State Championship mostly because of his teammates and great coaches.

He was sentimental about traditions, always wanting to help decorate the Christmas tree with his favorite ornaments and making his Memere’s traditional meat pie with mom every fall. With some predictable

age-appropriate complaining, the “Natester” joined family activities, whether taking cooking duty (he was our grill master), stacking wood, mowing the lawn, or participating in extended family events. His grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins all have memories of special moments with Nate that they will enjoy and cherish.

When Nate got his driver’s license recently, he chose to become an organ donor. We could not be more proud that Nate successfully passed on organs that will save three lives. Nate will live on in this way. We may have said goodbye to his body but his essence and spirit are with us forever. We would like to extend deep gratitude for the organ donation team at UVM Medical Center for their care of Nate, and of us - Jennifer DeMaroney, RN, Thu Le, RN, Caitlynn McGil-

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

licuddy, RN, Pat Delaney, RN, and Dr. Christopher Manfred.

If you choose to honor Nate’s memory, ski some woods, take a plane trip, play on the water, or have a burger, for Nate.

Visiting hours will be on Thursday, March 2, from 5pm to 7pm at the Ready Funeral & Cremation Service South Chapel, 261 Shelburne Rd., Burlington. A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 3, at 2:00pm at the College Street Congregational Church, 265 College St., Burlington. Parking is limited at the church, you may park in metered spaces on the street or in the local lots and garages.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to: Project HOePpnEr https://projecthoeppner. com/, Howard Center https:// howardcenter.org/ or another organization promoting suicide awareness and prevention.

OFFICIAL TOWN WARNING TOWN OF WILLISTON MARCH 6 & 7, 2023

Please note the starting time

Town Meeting Activities (March 6, 2023) 7:00 PM

Official Town Meeting

The legal voters of the Town of Williston are hereby warned and notified to meet at the Williston Central School Auditorium in Williston, Vermont at 7:00 PM on Monday, March 6, 2023, for the Annual Town Meeting. Following the meeting, the Articles to be voted by Australian ballot will be reviewed during a public information hearing and there will be an opportunity for questions and comments.

Article 1: To elect a Moderator

Article 2:

Shall the voters authorize that current taxes be paid to the Town Treasurer in three equal installments with due dates of August 15, November 15 and February 15 as authorized by 32 V.S.A. § 4871?

Article 3: Shall the voters of the Town of Williston accept the reports of the Town Officials as presented in the Town Report?

Article 4: To transact any other business to be brought before said meeting.

The legal voters of the Town of Williston are hereby warned and notified to meet on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at Vermont Army National Guard Armory located at 7846 Williston Road beginning at 7:00 AM, at which time the polls will open, until 7:00 PM, at which time the polls will close, to vote by Australian ballot upon the following articles:

Article 5:

Shall the voters authorize General Fund Expenditures of $13,977,877 of which $7,217,643 shall be raised by taxes, for the year beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2024?

Article 6:

Shall the voters of the Town of Williston approve use of One Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($125,000.00) of the unexpended principal balance of the 2013 General Obligation Bonds (issued to finance the construction of the Public Works Facility) to purchase the solar array installed on the roof of the Public Works Facility?

Article 7:

Article 8:

Shall general obligation bonds or notes of the Town of Williston be issued in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed Two Hundred Eighty Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($280,000.00), subject to reduction by available state and federal grants-in-aid and other financial assistance, to fund the purchase, equipping and delivery of a new ambulance?

Shall the voters elect to the Selectboard one member to fill an unexpired term of three years that began in March, 2021?

Article 9: Shall the voters elect to the Selectboard one member for a term of two years beginning March, 2023?

Article 10: Shall the voters elect to the Selectboard one member for a term of three years beginning March, 2023?

Article 11: Shall the voters elect a Town Clerk for a term of three years beginning March, 2023?

Article 12: Shall the voters elect to the Board of Listers one member for a term of three years beginning March, 2023?

Article 13: Shall the voters elect to the Library Board of Trustees one member for a term of five years beginning March, 2023?

Article 14: Shall the voters elect one Champlain Water District representative for a term of three years beginning March, 2023?

Article 15:

Shall the voters elect to the Champlain Valley School District Board one director for a term of three years beginning March, 2023?

HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE: There is no deadline to register to vote. You will be able to register to vote on the day of the election. You can register prior by visiting the town clerk’s office or going online to www.olvr.vermont.gov

REQUEST EARLY or ABSENTEE BALLOTS: You or a family member can request early or absentee ballots at any time during the year of the election in person, in writing, by telephone, email, or online at www.mvp.vermont.gov

Dated this 17th day of January 2023

Williston Selectboard

TOWN OF RICHMOND SELECTBOARD

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The Richmond Selectboard shall hold a public hearing on Monday, March 13, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. to hear public comment on proposed amendments to the Traffic Ordinance.

This hearing may be attended in person at the Richmond Town Center located at 203 Bridge St. Richmond, VT or by phone or online via Zoom Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8579323694

4?pwd=dk8rVGZYa09IdjJzL1RRRFJE

UW04dz09

Meeting ID: 857 9323 6944

Passcode: 002616

Join by Phone: +1 929 205 6099

Copies of the proposed ordinances are available at the Town Clerk’s Office, 203 Bridge Street Richmond, or by calling 434-5170, and under “Ordinances & Policies” at www. richmondvt.gov.

All interested persons may appear and be heard. Persons needing special accommodations or those interested in viewing the ordinance should contact the Richmond Town Manager’s Office (802) 434-5170.

Summary of Changes to Traffic Ordinance

Section 6A (A), 3: Remove parking restriction within Town Highway rightof-way

Section 6A, (A), 19: Add no parking area on east end of Cochran Rd.

Section 6A, (A), 20: Add no parking

area on Dugway Rd.

CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL

Section 9, (D): Increase parking ticket fine from $25.00 to $50.00

LEGAL

MARCH 6 and 7, 2023

RICHMOND, VERMONT

The legal voters of the Town of Richmond, Vermont and the legal voters of the Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District residing in Richmond, Vermont are hereby notified and warned to meet at Camels Hump Middle School, in said Town, on Monday, March 6, 2023, at 6:00 PM to transact the following business from the floor. Must be present, in person, to vote on Articles 1 - 3:

Article 1. To hear and accept reports of Town Officers

Article 2. Shall the voters of the Town of Richmond approve a budget of $4,530,571 to meet the expenses and liabilities of the Town of Richmond?

Article 3. To transact any other Town business that may come legally before this meeting.

The legal voters of the Town of Richmond and the legal voters of Mount Mansfield Unified School District living in Richmond are further warned to meet at Camels Hump Middle School, in said Town, on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, where the polls will be open at 7:00 am in the forenoon and close at 7:00 pm in the afternoon to vote on the following Articles by Australian ballot:

Article 4. Shall general obligation bonds or notes of the Town of Richmond in an aggregate amount not to exceed One Million Nine

Hundred Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($1,900,000.00), subject to reduction by available state and federal grantsin-aid and other financial assistance, to fund the replacement of waterlines and related appurtenances along Tilden Avenue (approx. 1305 linear feet), along portions of Cochran Road (approx. 1615 linear feet), and along a portion of Bridge Street (approx. 775 linear feet)?

Article 5. Shall the voters to approve funding the Conservation Reserve Fund by adding one cent to the municipal tax rate in the 2023-2024 fiscal year?

Article 6. To elect town and school officers for terms posted on the ballot.

SPECIAL NOTES

Requests for early voter absentee ballots will be accepted in the Town Clerk’s Office at the Town Center at 203 Bridge St. until NOON on March 3, 2023.

The legal voters of the Town of Richmond are warned and notified that an informational meeting will be held at Richmond Town Center, at 203 Bridge St. in the Town of Richmond on March 4, 2023, commencing at 9:00 AM, for the purpose of explaining the 2023-2024 proposed budget and Australian ballot items. This meeting may also be attended via Zoom: Join Zoom Meeting Online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8726284823

5?pwd=enNNZEZJR1h6d0VMVG1DZ1 VNVkM4dz09

Join by Phone: +1 929 205 6099 Meeting ID: 872 6284 8235

Passcode: 360611

MMUUSD Annual Meeting & budget informational meeting ~ March 2, 2023, at 6:00 PM

EMAILED ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISING INSERTION ORDER Thomas Hirchak Company FROM: Dakota Ward Phone: 802-888-4662 Email: Advertising2@THCAuction.com

Paper: Williston Observer Max Length 12.5

TODAY’S DATE: 02/24/2023

NAME OF FILE: 03032023_WO

DATE(S) TO RUN: 03/02/2023

SIZE OF AD: 1/16 page (2” x 5”)

EMAILED TO: Rick@Willistonobserver.com

Publishes in Williston Observer

SECTION: Auctions PO# 03022023

New degree requirement considered for high schools

Personal finance classes may become mandatory

BY CORA SMITH Community News Service

A new bill would require Vermont public school students to take a personal finance course to graduate high school.

If the bill, H.228, passes, the mandate will go into effect July 1 and apply to all public high school students graduating during or after next school year.

The proposed legislation comes as Vermonters seem increasingly interested in making sure teens graduate high school knowing how to manage money.

More than nine out of 10 Vermonters believe personal finance education should be taught in high schools, according to a poll by Public Policy Polling and the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College released in January.

Close to 90% of Vermonters think guaranteed access to a personal finance class is necessary and that a law requiring such a course is an

urgent issue, the poll also says.

Few schools require a finance course, despite the public support.

“Thirty-eight percent of the schools in Vermont offer an elective in personal financial literacy, but only about 11% make it a requirement or guarantee that each student can take the class,” said Rep. Stephanie Jerome, D-Brandon, one of the bill’s sponsors.

U-32 High School in Montpelier is one of the schools that requires students to take a personal finance class to graduate.

“This is a lot more than a math class,” said George Cook, who has taught a financial literacy class at U-32 for 12 years.

The class includes topics such as money management, financial planning, careers, credit and debit, risk management, insurance, saving and investing. Cook also notes the importance of teaching the psychological side of handling money.

“Money can be something that’s very psychological and affects people emotionally,” Cook said. “And it’s important to teach kids how to deal with that.”

Cook spoke passionately about

his teaching. He considers himself a “money mentor” to his students.

“This is without hesitation as important as any other class in the building,” he said. “It’s actually a class that affects every single kid in the building. And it’s literally a skill for a lifetime.”

Courtney Poquette, a personal finance teacher at Winooski High School, gave testimony at the Statehouse on Feb. 8 in support of the bill.

Poquette began developing the curriculum for her personal finance class in 2007 and has been teaching the class for 16 years.

“On the first day of my class students often think they will be ‘rich’ if they make $40,000 a year, but quickly discover the expenses associated with the lifestyles they dream of, so it is a reality check and one that gets students to really question the decisions that they are making now and how that will impact their futures,” Poquette said then. “Many students have reported that they have changed their life directions as a result of the class.”

She added that there are free or low-cost resources available for teachers, including through the Cen-

ter for Financial Literacy at Champlain College.

But some in education circles are hesitant to make it a requirement.

Jay Nichols, executive director of Vermont Principals Association, said he sees the importance of teaching personal finance but advocates for more choice in schools, rather than requirements.

He said research suggests it’s better for students when they have more choices in their education. and that students should have the option to count financial literacy as one of their math requirements.

Nichols is worried about the bill’s scant details on qualifications for teachers, and the difficulty of fitting another required course into students’ schedules. He also said that any time a bill changing education policy is proposed, local school boards should have a say.

If the mandate goes into effect, the Vermont Agency of Education will provide guidance for how to implement the new curriculum changes, which could address the concerns Nichols mentioned.

Agency officials cautioned that implementing a new education re-

quirement would take time.

“The difficulty in education is that requiring a course is one thing,” said Ted Fisher, director of communications and legislative affairs for the agency. “Making sure that the program is resourced enough and providing the professional learning and the supports to schools or to individual educators to actually provide good, high-quality instruction is a very different thing.”

Fisher declined to comment on the specifics of the proposed legislation since the bill has not been passed.

H.228 is in the House Education Committee. Rep. Michael Marcotte, R-Coventry, the other lead sponsor of the bill, said it is possible the committee will hear that the timeline to implement the change is too quick.

Cora Smith is a reporter with the Community News Service, a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide content for local news outlets at no cost. The Observer was not involved in the reporting or editing of this story.