Williston Observer 12/30/2020

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DECEMBER 30, 2020

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Pandemic creates historic changes in Williston

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BY JASON STARR Observer staff

oing through 2020 editions of the Observer was a surreal time warp. The January and February issues brought news of exciting new summer events, the coming of a new brewery and restaurant, state titles for CVU’s winter sports teams — we had no idea …

The first hint of what the year would bring came from a Page 14 item in our March 5 edition: “State creates COVID virus task force.”

By March 12, Williston Central School had shut down for a two-day deep clean because of the potential exposure to the coronavirus of one of its staff members while on spring break. A week later, every school in the state would be shuttered per emergency order of Gov. Phil Scott.

By March 19, the impacts of the pandemic came full force. Here are some headlines from that edition: “School district plans for extended closure” … “Brick Church Music Series cancelled” … “CVU’s winter sports season cut short” … “Dorothy Alling Library closes to public” For the rest of the year, nothing would be unaffected by the pandemic.

Typically at this time of year, the Williston Observer presents a chronological review of the year’s top stories. But 2020 was a different kind of year, and we now offer a different kind of look back.

Here is a categorized review of the biggest happenings in Williston in 2020.

And here’s to a very different 2021.

Cancellations

FOURTH OF JULY PARADE AND FIREWORKS

It became clear in May that pandemic health restrictions would not allow for Wil-

ABOVE: Allen Brook School Principal Angela Filion, right, greets a student on the first day of school in September. OBSERVER PHOTO BY MARIANNE APFELBAUM RIGHT: Deb Beckett, longtime Williston town clerk and treasurer, passed away in August after battling cancer. See page 4 for more. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

liston’s traditional Fourth of July celebration. The annual book sale had already been cancelled when town officials called off the annual July Fourth parade down Williston Road.

The selectboard attempted to salvage a fireworks show with a plan to host a drivein-style display from a parking lot in Taft Corners. But the police department warned that keeping the peace would be impossible, especially because the show would have likely attracted a regional crowd with so many other Chittenden County towns

cancelling their fireworks shows, and the board pulled the plug.

FARMHOUSE TAP & GRILL, FIDDLEHEAD BREWERY AND FOLINO’S In February, everything seemed on track for late-2020 opening of a second location of the Farmhouse Group’s flagship restaurant, the Farmhouse Tap & Grill, at Finney Crossing in Williston. Joining the Farmhouse in the commercial core of the mixed-use neighborhood would be a second location of Fiddlehead Brewery and Folino’s Pizza.

But by the spring, with pandemic-related restrictions roiling the restaurant industry, both projects were shelved. Fiddlehead is still in talks about an eventual revival of the project, according to Finney Crossing developer Scott Rieley.

SPRING SPORTS SEASONS

The annual July 4th parade in 2019. OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY

Hope for a shortened or modified spring high school sports season ended in May when school administrators cancelled interscholastic play statewide. Schools had already closed with students moving to online learning.

Champlain Valley Union High School’s

student-athlete participants in baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, ultimate Frisbee and track and field were affected.

“We are especially saddened for our 2020 seniors,” a Vermont Principals’ Association statement said.

BRICK CHURCH MUSIC SERIES The performing arts has been one of the most impacted industries by the pandemic, and the local Brick Church Music Series is no exception. Organizers of the monthly performances at the Old Brick Church in Williston Village have canceled the entire 2020/2021 season.

There was discussion this fall about the possibility of inviting a performer to livestream a concert from the Brick Church, but organizers determined they didn’t have the expertise to pull it off. see CHANGES page 2

Page 2 • Williston Observer • December 30, 2020

Changes continued from page

a full-menu restaurant. Founded in 2016, the brewery took over a 1,200-square-foot space next door to its Marshall Avenue location and converted it from a warehouse into a dine-in restaurant. Outdoor seating is available seasonally.

Goodwater brews, cans and distributes about a dozen different beers from the location, which is in the heart of Williston’s industrial zoning district.

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“We have every intention of coming back normally” in the fall of 2021, producer Dave Yandell said.

Initiations

‘TRUCKIN’ TUESDAYS AT ADAMS; FARMERS’ MARKET AT ISHAM FARM Two Tuesday night weekly outdoor summer events were launched in 2020, and they both survived social distancing and gathering size restrictions. The Isham Family Farm announced in January its plans to provide a home for a weekly summer farmers’ market, with fresh produce, ready-made meals, music and children’s activities.

Although the pandemic cur-

HEALTHY LIVING MARKET AND CAFÉ A first-year farmers’ market at the Isham Family Farm attracted vendors and patrons throughout the summer. OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY

tailed some activities, the market was popular enough to be extended through Sept. 18.

In another part of town, Adams Farm Market convened a variety of food trucks for its “Truckin’ Tuesdays” series. The series ran weekly through Aug. 25 with take-

NEW OWNERS AT THE OBSERVER

out options and on-site picnicking.

GOODWATER BREWERY RESTAURANT Goodwater Brewery evolved this year from a brewery with a tasting room into a brewery with

#SH PLOCAL FLOORING SALE

Healthy Living Market opened in October at Finney Crossing.

PHOTO BY SUSAN COTE

The Finney Crossing neighborhood came to life in October with the opening of Healthy Living Market and Café. The 20,000-square-foot store offers groceries, prepared foods, smoothies and coffee and employs about 65 people.

It is the third location for Healthy Living, which operates a flagship store in South Burlington and another in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

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tive cases. Duke, an incredibly cute black Labrador retriever, arrived in May. Under the guidance of Officer Matt Cohen, Duke has appeared at schools and community events serving a community relations role for the department. But his main function is to comfort crime victims, reduce tensions during domestic disputes and de-escalate youth behavioral issues.

“The idea is to help people in traumatic times communicate with law enforcement,” said Lt. Josh Moore.

Duke has an Instagram account @k9dukevt.

The Williston Police Department brought on a Labrador retriever named Duke to serve as a comfort dog. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

The Williston Police Department became the first in the state to bring on a therapy dog to help officers in their responses to sensi-

The Williston Observer transitioned to its third owners in its 35year history when locals Susan and Rick Cote bought the newspaper from longtime owners Marianne and Paul Apfelbaum.

The Apfelbaum’s had owned the paper since 1994; Marianne Apfebaum continues to work in advertising sales and as a transition consultant for the Cotes.

The Cotes have lived in Williston for 10 years. They moved from Woodstock, Vt., and prior to that lived in Cincinnati, where they both worked for Procter & Gamble. Rick Cote currently works for Dartmouth College. Susan Cote previously worked for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and an educational publishing company.

The couple bought the paper under the name Twin Ponds Publishing.

CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBLE GROWTH A group of citizens concerned about the pace of growth and loss of open space in Williston convened in February under the banner Citizens for Responsible Growth. The group came together in response to a January blog post from Planning Director Matt Boulanger that reviewed a defunct land development application from the 1980s.

The post described a 500-home proposal off Mountain View Road that was never built. It also described a current proposal for 140 homes in a similar location that has received preliminary approval from the Development Review Board.

The citizens group began meeting in person before the pandemic hit, then continued talking remotely through the summer, eventually pitching a proposal to the Planning Commission to require a 50 percent open space setaside for land considered for residential development. The Planning Commission rejected the idea. Instead, it endeavored to take a comprehensive look at zoning rules, especially in the Taft Corners growth center, based on a survey it issued over the summer about land development in Williston that received roughly 200 responses.

December 30, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 3

RESTAURANTS PIVOT TO TAKEOUT Gov. Scott issued an emergency directive in March to close indoor restaurant dining, leaving the state’s restaurants to pivot to takeout-only operations. Indoor dining with capacity limits returned in the summer.

While federal emergency loans and enhanced unemployment benefits were available, the industry and its employees were among the most affected by the pandemic.

“A lot of restaurants don’t know what the future holds,” Sam Handy, owner of Williston’s Grazers and Agave restaurants, said in April.

MAIL-IN ELECTIONS Susan and Rick Cote purchased the Williston Observer in October.

OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY

Pandemic response

LAUNCHING FOOD DRIVES

launching free curbside meal pickup outside Williston Central School.

The service was continued through the summer and into the fall with the help of federal coronavirus relief funding.

CARES ACT COMES TO VT Vermont received $1.25 billion as part of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act passed in April. The money came in the form of $1,200 payments to residents, $600 in weekly supplemental unemployment benefits, payroll loans to businesses, housing aid and rental assistance and aid for the child care industry.

A new round of federal stimulus money was passed at the end of December.

CVU student and Williston resident Ella Kenney organized a food drive outside WCS in April to benefit local residents in need through the community food shelf.

OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY

When businesses closed and unemployment rose at the onset of the pandemic, the prospect of rising hunger in the community became apparent. Williston residents responded in April with impromptu food drives. CVU student Ella Kenney organized a food drop-off at Williston Central School that garnered more than one ton of food and nearly $1,000 for the Williston Community Food Shelf. Ignite Church also collected and contributed about 500 pounds of food.

“We have an enormously generous community,” food shelf president Ginger Morton said.

FREE MEALS AT WCS When schools closed in March and kids were learning at home, families were deprived of daily school breakfasts and lunches. The Champlain Valley School District’s food service program responded by

Williston firefighter Dave Auriemma was among the first people in Vermont to receive a COVID-19 vaccination at the UVM Medical Center in December.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UVM HEALTH NETWORK

unsolicited to all voters in the state.

Williston Town Clerk Sarah Mason installed a ballot drop box behind town hall and accepted ballots up until the day before the election.

The result was record voter turnout — 82 percent in Williston (6,950 of 8,449 registered voters), with the majority voting by mail and just 17 percent voting in person on Nov. 3.

In December, state lawmakers indicated they will pass legislation to allow for mail-in balloting for Town Meeting Day in March.

SCHOOLS CLOSE, REOPEN AND ADJUST Town Clerk Sarah Mason installed a ballot drop box outside Town Hall to facilitate mail-in voting in the November election. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

Secretary of State Jim Condos worked with town clerks to encourage mail-in voting in the November general election by sending ballots

Like nearly every other indoor communal space, schools were forced to close in March by emergency order from Gov. Scott.

Teachers and students turned to Zoom and other online tools to finish out the school year.

In September, the new school year launched with a variety of remote and in-person learning options — but no sign of when public

education would return to normal.

“We’ve had virtually no experience with this, or training, or preparation,” Champlain Valley School District Director of Learning and Innovation Jeff Evans said in April.

School leaders lowered learning expectations and pared down curricula.

“Although we want students to make progress,” Williston Central School Principal Jackie Parks said in April, “the most important thing is the well-being of your child and family.”

School board member Erin Brady said the loss of face-to-face time with teachers will have a lasting effect.

“There are really critical things like math and literacy that kids are losing a lot of time on, and it’s going to land on our schools next year and in years to come,” she said in December.

see CHANGES page 4

Page 4 • Williston Observer • December 30, 2020

Changes continued from page

3

VACCINE ARRIVES Health Commissioner Mark Levine said the vaccine would be available to most Vermonters by spring.

The first shots of coronavirus vaccine were administered in mid-December to Vermont’s doctors, nurses and emergency first-responders. Williston firefighter Dave Auriemma was among the first dozen recipients of the vaccine in Vermont during a Dec. 13 event at the UVM Medical Center.

Vaccine doses were arriving by the thousands at year’s end, with people over the age of 65 and people with chronic or immune-compromising conditions prioritized for shots after health care workers and first-responders.

Health Commissioner Mark Levine said the vaccine would be available to most Vermonters by spring.

“This is truly a pivotal moment in the pandemic,” Levine said in December, “one that should give us hope for the future.”

Passings

DEB BECKETT

Deb Beckett, a Williston civic leader and Vermont National Guard member, died in August, five months after stepping down from her elected position of town clerk and treasurer.

Beckett had developed cancer in 2017, a result of exposure to toxic trash burning pits during a combat tour in Iraq as a member of the National Guard. Raising awareness about burn pit exposure and advocating for VA benefits for affected soldiers became a passion for Beckett in the years before her death.

Beckett’s contributions to the town of Williston were innumerable, from her service in the Rotary Club and the community food shelf to stints on the Development Review Board and the Tax Abatement Board. The Town Hall Meeting Room has been renamed the Beckett-McGuire Meeting Room in her and retired town manager Rick McGuire’s honor.

“Deb always had an answer you could trust, guidance you could follow and words to believe in,” said Sarah Mason, who has www.transitionspt.com

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“She has always been a true hero in our midst who has done more for the community than anyone else I know.”

Retirements

RICK MCGUIRE

BOBBY MILLER

replacement candidates, McGuire agreed to stay on the job longer.

Ultimately, the board promoted Assistant Town Manager Erik Wells to succeed McGuire.

McGuire, a Williston resident who led the town for 22 years through population growth and continuous land development, was praised in an August retirement party for his steady professionalism, problem-solving and integrity.

“In retirement, I plan on continuing to be a part of this wonderful community,” he said.

TERRY MACAIG

Legendary Chittenden County land developer and philanthropist Bobby Miller passed away in February.

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

Legendary Chittenden County land developer and philanthropist Bobby Miller passed away in February. Miller is the founder of Williston’s REM Development, which built the business parks on Industrial Avenue and Marshall Avenue.

Prior to his death, the company had initiated the sale of most of the Industrial Avenue property, including the parcels on Avenue D. The multi-million-dollar sale to purchaser Unsworth Properties of Burlington was completed in October by Miller’s children, Stephanie and Tim.

Town Manager Rick McGuire was celebrated at a retirement party in August. OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY

Longtime Town Manager Rick McGuire retired in August, a couple months later than planned.

He had announced his retirement in January with plans to step down at the end of the fiscal year in June.

But when the pandemic stalled the selectboard’s ability to interview

Rep. Terry Macaig announced in June his plans to step away from the Vermont Legislature, where he served six terms representing Williston. He endorsed fellow Democrat Erin Brady to succeed him.

Brady won election to the House in November.

While Macaig plans to travel to visit family in Florida more often with his winters free of legislative responsibilities, he has no plans to step away from his role as chairman of the Williston Selectboard.

KEN MORTON Ken Morton spent about 40 years with the Williston Fire Department, helping it grow from a group of on-call firefighters to a staff of 16 professional firefighters.

December 30, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 5

Ken Morton stepped down as Williston fire chief in 2020, after four decades with the department. OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY

Morton was fire chief for the past 28 years. Under his guidance, the department began ambulance service, added state-ofthe-art firefighting vehicles and oversaw the construction of a new fire station in 2007.

In September, town administrators hired Aaron Collette from the Burlington Fire Department to replace Morton as chief.

The Williston Selectboard is considering a citizen request to fly the Black Lives Matter flag at town hall. Local schools began flying the flag earlier this year. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

Other notable stories

ELAINE PINCKNEY The Champlain Valley School Board has initiated a search for a new superintendent after a July announcement from Elaine Pinckney that she plans to retire in June.

Pinckney, a resident of Williston, has led the district for the past 15 years, helping it consolidate from four separate local school districts.

Pinckney was named the Vermont Superintendent of the year in 2013 and was

Champlain Valley School District Superintendent Elaine Pinckney announced in July that she plans to retire in 2021.

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

previously Vermont’s deputy commissioner of education and a principal in Williston and Stowe.

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TOWN FINALIZES NOISE AGREEMENT WITH SHOOTING RANGE The Town of Williston amended its noise ordinance in April to reflect a negotiated agreement with the North Country Sportsmen’s Club. The amendment allows for expanded Wednesday shooting hours at the club and up to 20 events annually outside of regular hours.

The ordinance prohibits events on the first Saturday of the month in June, July, August and September in deference to noise concerns raised by neighbors near the Old Creamery Road range.

The amendment was negotiated over a period of two years as the selectboard, club members and neighbors attempted to follow guidance from a 2017 ruling of the Vermont Supreme Court. The ruling resulted from a lawsuit over the town’s enforcement of its previous noise ordinance.

The club’s regular operating hours will be noon to dusk on Wednesdays April 1 to Oct. 31 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

SELECTBOARD GRAPPLES WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER ENDORSEMENT A group of residents has urged the selectboard to back a symbol of support for the Black Lives Matter movement with a flag at Town Hall or another prominent message such as a roadway Black Lives Matter painting. But in meetings in October and November, the board declined to act. It instead requested more citizen input on the subject, including the recommendation of a newly formed “Community Coalition on Social Justice.”

The coalition includes the Williston-Richmond Rotary Club, the Williston Community Justice Center, the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Williston Federated Church, Vermont Interfaith Action and the Champlain Valley School District.

Earlier in the year, the school board approved the flying of the Black Lives Matter flag at local school buildings.

GOLF COURSE REDEVELOPMENT GETS INITIAL NOD A land development plan to transform the majority of the Catamount Country Club on Mountain View Road into a 141home neighborhood received preliminary approval at a June Development Review Board hearing.

The approval allows developers Alex Kourebanas and Chris Senesac to compete for housing unit allocation at the board’s annual growth management meeting in March.

Plans show the neighborhood establishing a new connection between Mountain View Road and Williston Road, via Raven Circle. Three holes of the nine-hole golf course would remain, as would the clubhouse. A neighborhood pool, community center, playground and athletic field are part of the plans.

F-35 NOISE IMPACTS BECOME REALITY IN WILLISTON As the Vermont Air National Guard’s full complement of 20 F-35 fighter jets arrived at the Guard’s South Burlington base and flights increased, the intensified noise impact of the jets in Williston, compared to the previously flown F-16s, became apparent.

Higher decibel levels were predicted and publicized over Williston’s westernmost sections, which includes the industrial zoning area and a few residential neighborhoods.

But residents from as far away as Lake Iroquois and other rural areas of town complained of decibel levels above 100 during F-35 takeoffs.

“I’m distressed by the noise, my animals are distressed and the wildlife must be petrified,” said Terry Marron, who lives near Lake Iroquois.

The airport installed noise monitors around runways in July, and more noise monitors further away from the airport are planned.

Data from the monitors will be used to verify a noise impact map airport officials published last year and underpin claims homeowners will be able to make through the FAA’s Noise Compatibility Program for noise mitigation assistance, including noise-proofing or help selling a home.

Page 6 • Williston Observer • December 30, 2020

GUEST COLUMN

Is this goodbye to the TCI?

BY JOHN MCCLAUGHRY

On Dec. 21, Gov. Phil Scott bailed out of the proposed 12-state Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), at least for 2021.

Only three of the 12 hopedfor state participants have agreed

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to implement the TCI (Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island). Eight others, including Vermont, agreed to keep on meeting, talking and negotiating, but the process is likely on life support.

The 12th state, New Hampshire, wants nothing to do with the TCI. SUBMISSIONS/LETTERS SEND TO editor@willistonobserver.com • News/story tips welcomed • Letters must be 300 words or fewer • Deadline is Monday at noon Include your name, address and a daytime phone number (so we can verify the letter’s author, phone numbers and street addresses will be kept confidential) Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity.

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The TCI is a multistate agreement crafted by lawyers at the Georgetown Climate Center. It aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the region’s transportation sector, which the backers believe are causing a “climate emergency.” It would impose a tax, disguised as an “allowance,” on every gallon of motor fuel sold throughout the region. The tax would start at 5 to 17 cents per gallon, and increase for 10 years until motorists and businesses use less motor fuel, and therefore produce fewer emissions.

Through his spokesperson, Rebecca Kelley, Gov. Scott announced that his administration “has always been clear that working to address transportation emissions that impact climate change is critical.”

Kelley went on to promise that the administration would keep on meeting, talking and negotiating with the other states until they come up with a scheme that won’t “increase costs on Vermonters, especially those in rural areas who must travel for work.”

Let’s be honest: There is no scheme to drive up the cost of motor fuel that will not increase costs on Vermonters, those in rural areas and everywhere else.

The coalition of environmental groups ardently promoting the TCI rushed to put out a release praising the TCI as “a cap-and-invest program designed to reduce pollution from the carbon-intensive transportation sector and use revenues raised to invest in equitable solutions that serve the unique transportation needs of different states.”

It argued that the TCI would put “more dollars in the pockets of Vermont’s low-income, rural, immigrant and BIPOC communities.”

Johanna Miller, the Vermont Natural Resources Council lobbyist now on the Climate Council, added that TCI revenues would “finance solutions that in particular serve lower-income and more vulnerable Vermonters well.”

It takes real imagination to explain how a 17-cents-per-gallon tax increase on gas and on-road diesel will finance an equitable solution to the problem of having to pay 17 cents more per gallon of motor fuel.

The most newsworthy revelation in the Vermont Public Research Interest Group’s news release is an admission that “with regional participation from Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, because of market dynamics, if Vermont does not participate in the program, Vermonters will likely pay TCI’s compliance costs (the ‘allowance’ taxes) without receiving any of the benefits.”

That’s absolutely true. In plain English, if Vermont opts to remain out of the TCI, the state treasury won’t collect any payments back from the TCI. Fair enough. But the TCI will still impose its allowance tax on every gallon of motor fuel sold at the big fuel terminal in Springfield, Mass., where many Vermont distributors buy motor fuel destined for Vermont gas stations and motorists. The state won’t get any of the revenue that the TCI governing body promises to distribute, but Vermont consumers will still pay the tax and the TCI

will hand out the money to somebody else.

The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources’ TCI liaison responds that the fuel seller at the Springfield terminal might, because of “market dynamics,” decide not to add the allowance tax cost to fuel destined for Vermonters. The seller might charge its customers in other states more, until they start asking why they are paying more when the seller is selling at a discount to Vermont distributors. Or maybe the seller will explain to its shareholders that the Vermonters’ discount was paid for by reducing their profits. The “market dynamics” argument, to put it most generously, requires a willing suspension of disbelief.

The TCI is complicated and ingenious. It’s designed to raise billions of dollars in motor fuel taxes from purchasers even in states that decline to sign on to it, in a way they can’t discern. VPIRG and its allies have let that cat out of the bag, and they will surely regret having admitted it.

Gov. Scott is not likely to put forth detailed objections to the TCI. He’ll raise a few questions, point to pandemic uncertainty, and pay his customary homage to climate change orthodoxy. But he clearly sees that this is just one more elaborately concealed carbon tax. He knows what that would do to families and COVID-stressed businesses. He has opposed it for four years and he won’t buy it. Good for him.

John McClaughry is vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute, online at www.ethanallen.org.

Williston Fire Department to change to online burn permit process

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Beginning Jan. 1, the Williston Fire Department will change to an online burn permit system. To obtain a burn permit or learn more about the process, visit www.williston.burnpermits.com or email admin@willistonfire.com. If a resident is unable to fill out a permit online, call the station at (802) 878-5622.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Speak up for town energy coordinator I encourage Observer readers to speak in support of including funding for an energy coordinator position in this year’s town budget at the upcoming online selectboard budget hearing Jan. 5, 2021 at 7 pm.

I’ll be there, and here’s what I plan on saying.

I appreciate the hard work of our selectboard, for governing to maintain the services that we expect from town departments, especially in this pandemic when money is tight — ­ too tight to afford an Energy Coordinator, some selectboard members say.

Unfortunately, the climate emergency will not be sweetly simmering on the back burner waiting for us to accrue more funds.

According to the United Nations, “The world is already seeing the consequences of 1 degree (Celsius) of global warming through more extreme weather, rising sea levels and diminishing Arctic sea ice … Limiting warming to 1.5 degrees (Celsius) is not impossible, but it would require unprecedented transitions in all aspects of society. The next 10 years are critical.”

An expectation is that the town energy coordinator would pursue grant money to support our town efforts, so perhaps this will eventually even be a money saving proposition. Money is available from state and private entities, we just need a paid staff member to be focused on this effort.

Zoom into the selectboard hearing on Tuesday and speak in favor of Williston taking meaningful action on climate change.

The future is in our hands.

Marcy Kass Williston

Eliminate the school resource officer There is absolutely no rational reason to keep the school resource officer (SRO) in the budget and at CVU. All research shows that there is a significant negative effect on the ability of students of color, and students with disabilities, to access their education with an SRO in the school. (For research, Google “effects of SRO on students of color”).

Why would we continue to support this negative effect? Why can’t the school board meet to address this? Student Support Services are supposed to be based on research, and as such should be advocating for immediate removal of the SRO. I am sure the district budget committee and budget buddies would be thrilled to have extra funds to use in this year’s budget. I encourage others who are concerned about this to write to the Champlain Valley School Board.

Marla McQuiston Williston

Stay away from the politics of Black Lives Matter On Dec. 2, I penned a letter to all the members of our selectboard and our town manager pertaining to the Black Lives Matter flag. To date, I have received a response from one selectboard member and our town manager. I thank both of you for your consideration.

I want to make it clear that if there were a flag that would eradicate, or even reduce racism, I am fortunate to say that I do not know a single person who would oppose such a measure. However, the Black Lives Matter flag will simply not achieve that, mainly due to its association with the organization.

Perhaps you support this organization. Maybe you have visited its website. A quick perusal will leave no doubt that this is an extremely political organization. There are numerous pages that call for the defunding and categorical condemnation of police.

There is also a focused effort to elect politicians that the organization favors, all from one side of the aisle. There are numerous calls to defeat Republican

Thank you to Williston Central School Our gratitude goes to the students, faculty and staff of Williston Central School. Thank you for your snowy efforts to help your neighbors facing hunger during this tough time, for your uplifting signs covered with healthy fruits and veggies and for raising money to help Hunger Free Vermont stop students just like you from ever experiencing hunger through our campaign for universal school meals.

I am so proud to live in the great town of Williston, and so honored to have you all as our partners in ending hunger for everyone in Vermont.

Anore Horton Executive director Hunger Free Vermont

candidates. Various Progressive and Democratic fundraising engines are present on the site, including ActBlue, Democrats.org and The Action Network, which states its mission as “dedicated to building online power for the progressive movement.”

If so inclined, all of this is fine to support as an individual. However, the Town of Williston must remain apolitical in our associations. Yes, the phrase and organization are different, but could the same argument be made if our selectboard was considering flying a red flag with the words “Make America Great Again”? I think we all know the answer.

Perhaps a town-wide call to design a unique flag that has no political agenda and thus avoids controversy would better serve all of us. I am sure we would receive many inspirational designs to vote on, thus creating a sense of community unity.

Tony O’Rourke Williston

Seeking respect for private property As Williston gets more crowded, people need to be respectful of private property. If you don’t own it, stay off it, with the exception of public property.

I have had people walk right by my “No Trespassing” signs I have posted, and when I catch them walking on my property, they often say, ‘I’m only walking on it or cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, what harm am I doing?’

I don’t need to give you a reason. It is private property. Please respect this.

In the past, I have had people walking across my backyard and wandering through my barn. I don’t wander across your backyard or go into your garage and snoop around. Be respectful of your neighbors.

David Martel Williston

Send your letters to editor@willistonobserver.com

Page 8 • Williston Observer • December 30, 2020

Millions will support vaccinations, broadband, education and unemployment

New federal stimulus funds set to arrive in Vermont

BY ANNE WALLACE ALLEN VTDigger Vermonters will see changes to broadband investment and to higher education funding as a result of the state’s share of the federal $900 billion in COVID-19 relief signed into law Dec. 27.

Many of the state’s 30,000 unemployed workers will see their unemployment insurance, which was scheduled to end this month, extended to March. Vermont’s performing arts businesses and theaters will receive an infusion of $30 million, a badly needed rescue package for a sector that was forced to cancel much of its programming.

Vermont companies that have survived this year on about $320 million in state economic relief grants – money drawn from Vermont’s share of the $2 trillion CARES Act that was passed last March – will be able to apply for federal Paycheck Protection Program loans, even if they already received one in an earlier round.

The loans don’t need to be repaid if certain conditions are met.

The new federal law also includes at least $200 million to help Vermonters with rent and utility payments, and billions national-

Anesthesiologist Anthony Fazzone was among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph earlier this month. Vermont will receive $38 million for vaccines in the federal relief package that was signed Sunday. PHOTO BY MIKE DOUGHERTY/VTDIGGER

ly for education programs, child care, aid to agricultural businesses and an array of other sectors. Education alone will get about $100 million more in federal funding than it does in a typical year. According to a pre-signature analysis of the bill released Dec. 24 by the state’s Joint Fiscal Office (JFO), the state will receive $38 million for vaccines and another $172 million for COVID testing, tracing and other mitigation measures.

The state will get $900,000 to help with burial and funeral costs

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for deaths caused by COVID — a .04 percent share of $2.3 billion earmarked for that purpose nationally.

Analysts are still poring over the huge document to assess the impact on Vermont programs. After the legislative session starts Jan. 6, lawmakers will start the work of allocating the money.

A larger share for Vermont Vermont’s share of the first CARES Act COVID-19 relief bill, passed in March, was $1.25 billion, a much larger portion per capita than other states received.

A provision in the law sets a minimum for small states.

Vermont, with a population of just 630,000, garners the same advantage from the newer COVID-19 relief measures. For example, JFO documents show that Vermont’s share of the rental assistance money is about 0.8 percent of the total $24 billion, even though the state has only 0.2 percent of the nation’s population.

It’s not yet clear exactly how much money will flow into the state as a result of the latest COVID-19 measure — compared to how much money is regularly sent to the states through the annual budget bill.

The new federal law includes $470 million in unemployment insurance for Vermonters, and $770 million in direct payments of $600 to adults who make less than $75,000 annually or $1,200 to couples that make less than $150,000.

Another $600 is available for a dependent child.

How much money flows into

the state through the PPP program depends on how many Vermont businesses apply for the loans.

The popular federal PPP program, which stopped accepting applications on Aug. 8, brought the state about $1,900 per capita, according to an analysis by the Legislature’s economist, Tom Kavet. In the new iteration of the program, the money is non-taxable.

Some of the COVID-19 money flowing into the state will be targeted to state agencies automatically; some will be allocated by lawmakers.

“The money will be coming from lots of different sources, and part of what we need to figure out over the next few weeks and months is how it will be coming in, and who gets to determine where it goes,” said Steve Klein, the chief fiscal officer for the Legislature’s Joint Fiscal Office. “Most of it will be the Legislature; some of it will be federally mandated.”

Unemployment Insurance The bill includes $120 billion to continue assisting the jobless nationally through March 14, including: • An additional $300 per week to supplement all state and federal benefits through the federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program • An extension of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program (PUA), which ended in December. This program, created last year, provides unemployment insurance payments to self-employed and freelance workers.

• An extension of federal benefits to workers who have exhausted regular state employment benefits.

Paycheck Protection Program While the state isn’t expected to receive money for the business grants program that has disbursed more than $300 million this year to individual businesses, Economic Development Commissioner Joan Goldstein said eligibility for the PPP program had been expanded.

The Agency of Commerce and Community Development is offering a webinar Jan. 6 with the Vermont Bankers Association for businesses planning to apply, said Goldstein. She also expects more stimulus money to become available for businesses that are affected by the pandemic.

“The expectation is there will be another bill once (Joe) Biden is inaugurated, but for now, for people who are still hanging on, this offers an important step for their survival,” she said.

Grants to the performing arts and theaters As places where people traditionally gather, performing arts venues have been particularly hard hit in the pandemic. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., in November introduced legislation to direct $15 billion in relief money to performance spaces around the country.

The federal COVID-19 relief package includes $15 billion for grants from the U.S. Small Business Administration to live music venues, independent movie theaters and other cultural institutions.

The money can be used for payroll, rent, utilities and personal protective equipment.

Rental assistance The bill includes $25 billion for an emergency rental assistance program that will be targeted to families affected by COVID-19.

The program can be used for pastdue rent, future rent payments and utility bills. The bill also extends the rental eviction moratorium through Jan. 31.

Broadband About $7 billion has been set aside for the development of greater broadband capacity, a major priority for Vermont economic development officials and many lawmakers. The program includes $300 million to help pay for broadband in rural areas, and a $3.2 billion benefit that will provide $50 per month to help low-income families pay for broadband. It’s not yet clear how much of that money will go to Vermont.

December 30, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 9

Pandemic safety at ski areas hinges on honor system

BY EMMA COTTON VTDigger On the snowy ascent to Killington Resort, blue road signs instruct out-of-state skiers to turn away if they haven’t quarantined according to Vermont’s COVID-19 guidelines.

The signs are a final plea by the resort, and the state, for those who haven’t followed the guidelines to stay away. Through a “Know Before You Go” campaign, the state’s marketing department has tried to tell out-of-staters they must quarantine for 14 days, or seven days followed by a negative COVID-19 test, before skiing.

“We don’t have a large marketing budget,” said Lindsay Kurrle, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. “This was significant, over $1 million spent to try to educate people on how to safely

to a crowd of skiers in a lift line at Killington last week, asking whether anyone was from Vermont. The crowd was silent.

‘I want them to play by the rules’ COVID-19 has placed the industry in the position of turning away paying customers who don’t follow the rules. Due in part to warming temperatures, Vermont’s ski areas have run into financial constraints in recent years, and some have consolidated or have been sold to large ski conglomerates.

While expressing the need for safety, many locals have celebrated the arrival of snow and broader opening of resorts after months of cabin fever attributed to the virus.

On social media and in interviews with VTDigger, many have cited instances where resort employees have encouraged mask

said she worries that comments from locals could dissuade visitors from coming to the state in the future.

“They may have quarantined, they may be living here for the season or they may have moved here and just haven’t changed their car registration yet,” she said. “I really worry about the rhetoric around out-of-state people, because our economy depends on those people.”

Wright said he often struggles with the issue. He has a friend who recently moved to Vermont, and she reported a significant difference in behavior from other drivers after she switched her license plates, which bothered him. Still, he was unnerved by sudden increases in drivers from out of state.

“I want them to play by the rules,” he said. “As a parent, it’s really important for my kid to go back to in-person learning. Working at the college, I just look at how much work time and effort we’ve spent into managing COVID on campus. We’ve invested all this energy, and all it takes is someone not following the rules, and then it spreads like wildfire.”

He’s seen posts from travelers who say they’ll arrive, ski and leave, but he worries about those who stop for gas, go into stores for food or interact with customer service at the resorts.

“You’re plugging into those communities just for a second, but that contact can be catastrophic,” he said. “I think that’s what all of us in Vermont struggle with.”

The base area at Bolton Valley.

season, skiers spend $925 million in Vermont, and two-thirds of that is spent in communities surrounding resorts. “It means a lot to the state,” she said.

The organization estimates $125 million in tax receipts from sales tax and rooms and meals tax during an average ski season. The industry is an economic driver in rural areas, and employs about 13,000 people at the height of a typical winter season.

“We knew it’d be tough,” said Mike Solimano, president and general manager at Killington. “The ski resort business is very expensive to operate, and very capital-intensive. So most of us can’t survive with a 50 percent reduction in revenue. This is a survival year, to be totally honest.”

He said reservations were

down 40-50 percent for the holiday week.

In a phone interview Tuesday, Bonnie MacPherson, communications manager at Okemo, sighed.

She had been thrilled about the 40plus inches of snow on the mountain earlier this month — a boon for the ski area, which has had to deal with warm temperatures in addition to the confines of the pandemic year.

Since then, the resort’s social media page, which she manages, has had an onslaught of commenters concerned about social distancing and overcrowding at the resort.

“I think they’re just scared, they’re frustrated, they’re fearful about this pandemic,” she said.

“There are rumors that we’ve never dealt with before, and there’s just see SKI AREAS page 16

A survival year A snowboarder drops in at Stowe. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SKI VERMONT.

travel to our state.”

Despite these precautions, following the season’s first major snowstorm, and ahead of what is typically one of the busiest weeks for skiing in Vermont, some locals have expressed concern about activity at resorts.

A majority of the attention has been centered on southern Vermont, which received more than 40 inches of snow in several spots earlier this month.

On social media, photos have circulated widely of crowded lift lines, along with stories of parking lots packed with non-Vermont license plates. Kurrle said those photos were the subject of several official complaints to the state.

In Killington’s parking lot last week, several skiers from out of state told VTDigger they hadn’t quarantined, and some had already traveled to multiple resorts.

A reporter from WCAX called

wearing, and others said they felt generally comfortable with measures taken by resorts.

“I think the resorts are doing what they need to do,” said Todd Wright, who often skis with his family at Sugarbush, and is also the director of Adventure Sports at St. Michael’s College. “I think a lot of it falls down on the users.

The people that do this stuff have a lot of responsibility, and we just can’t shift it all and say, ‘It’s the resort’s job to manage my behaviors.’

I need to manage my own behaviors.”

Officials, including Gov. Phil Scott, also warn against making assumptions based on license plates, as many out-of-staters have followed the guidelines, or have temporarily relocated to Vermont to work remotely or, for some, specifically to ski.

Molly Mahar, president of the Vermont Ski Areas Association,

Ski areas’ roles in enforcing COVID-19 restrictions changed in early November, when cases surged and Gov. Scott reinstated strict quarantine guidelines on travelers from other states.

Hotels reported a flood of cancellations, and multiple ski resorts refunded more than $1 million in season pass sales to those who couldn’t swing the requirements for out-of-state travel.

“We know that the hospitality industry has been particularly hard hit,” Kurrle said, “and they have this additional burden, the ski areas, of this frontline enforcement, letting visitors know what our expectation is, and trying to do it ahead of time.”

Kurrle said ski industry revenue will likely decrease 40-70 percent this season, a significant hit to the state’s economy. In an average year, the sport brings around 4 million skiers and riders to Vermont.

Mahar, of the ski areas association, estimates that in a typical

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Page 10 • Williston Observer • December 30, 2020

LIBRARY The Dorothy Alling Memorial Library is open for contact-free porch pickup of materials Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. To place holds, request a bundle of materials or for help deciding what to read next, visit our website, www.damlvt.org, or call 8784918.

Visit the website to explore options for downloading e-books, audiobooks, music and videos and to stay up to date on all of our programming offerings.

The library will be closed Jan. 1.

YOUTH PROGRAMS • Preschool to-go craft: snow globes Make a jolly snowman in a 2D snow globe. Pick up a kit from the library vestibule starting on Jan. 4, while supplies last.

• Zoom story time Tuesday, Jan. 5, 9 a.m. Join us for stories, songs and movement about bundling up.

Register at www.damlvt.org to receive the Zoom link. Geared toward preschoolers, but all are welcome.

• Kids Meditation: mindful moments Wednesday, Jan. 6 and 13, 1:151:45 p.m. Join us via Zoom.

Ages 8-14. Parents are welcome to take part. Email programs@ damlvt.org to register.

• Zoom Preschool Music Tuesday, Jan. 12, 10-10:30 a.m.

Dance, wiggle and sing along

with Linda Bassick. Register at www.damlvt.org to receive the Zoom link.

MULTI-AGE PROGRAMS • Spanish Conversation & Meetup Wednesday, Jan. 6, 4-5 p.m.

Join us online for conversation en Español. For beginners or fluent speakers, teen to adult.

Email programs@damlvt.org for the Zoom link.

• Library Giving Tree Consider supporting the library this holiday season. Sponsor a favorite program or purchase a book or DVD in someone’s honor. The Giving Tree display is available in our vestibule when the library is open.

Simply take a tag, fill it out and return it to the outdoor book drop. Payments may be made online or included with your tag.

• All Ages Winter Reading Challenge Jan. 1-31. Take the “Books Like Us” winter reading challenge, sponsored by Simon & Schuster.

Open to Williston and St. George residents of all ages.

Log up to 15 hours of reading and complete activities to earn badges and tickets for virtual raffles.

• Libraries and schools across the nation are participating in this challenge, and 10 winning schools or libraries will each receive 50 books from the “Books Like Us” collection and will be eligible to win virtual author visits.

• Register online at www.damlvt. beanstack.org and help us reach our community-wide goal of reading 50,000 minutes for

the month of January. Happy reading!

Sterling students contribute to community

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS Online programs are via Zoom.

Email programs@damlvt.org or call 878-4918 for an invitation.

• To-go craft kit: paper cranes Pick up a DIY project from the library to complete at home.

Available starting Jan. 2, while supplies last.

• Guided meditation Friday, Jan. 8, 12-12:30 p.m. Maryellen Crangle leads a short meditation.

• New perspectives book discussion Tuesday, Jan. 5, 12-1 p.m. “Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness” by Sharon Salzberg. Chapters 5-8. Copies available.

• BYOB book discussion Tuesday, Jan. 12, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Join us online to discuss what you’re currently reading.

• Current events discussion Wednesday, Jan. 13, 10-11:30 a.m. Connect with others for informal conversation about newsworthy topics.

• Cooking matters: soup, salad and quiche tasting Wednesday, Jan. 13, 12-1 p.m.

Drop off five tasting portions of a soup, salad or quiche at the library on Jan. 11 and pick up your tasting selection on Jan. 12.

We will have our virtual tasting and conversation on Jan. 13.

• Brown bag book discussion Tuesday, Jan. 26, 12:30-1:30 p.m. “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee. Copies available.

Williston Central School students, from left to right, Leelah Cruz, Austin Tardiff and Maya DeLuca.

Williston Central School students, from left to right, Sarah Skaflestad, Teagan Scruggs, Riley Scruggs and Katelyn Whittier.

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Students in Williston Central School’s Sterling House have been giving back to their community in a COVID-friendly way this December.

Students participated in the Sterling Chore Challenge, completing a chore for their family in exchange for specific food items needed by the Williston Community Food Shelf. For example, if a student cleaned a refrigerator at home, they earned baby food for the food shelf. If they cleaned a bathroom, they earned a jar of peanut butter. Or if they completed a load of laundry, they could earn a hygiene product like toothpaste or soap. Overall the students and families made a large contribution, completing 377 chores.

Sterling students also put on their creative hats and decorated about 150 rocks with positive affirmations and created cards for seniors in the Williston Community. The school coordinated with Whitney Hill Homestead and a few other local senior communities to distribute the positive vibes to help seniors who may be missing their families this time of year.

December 30, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 11

SENIORS

Dear Savvy Senior, Can you write a column on how to recognize elder abuse and what to do if you suspect it?

Concerned Relative Dear Concerned, Elder abuse is a big problem in the United States that has escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the National Council on Aging, as many as 5 million seniors are victims of abuse each year, but studies suggest this crime is significantly under-reported. Only 1 in 14 cases of elder abuse ever get reported to the authorities because victims are usually too afraid, too embarrassed, too helpless or too trusting to call for help.

The term “elder abuse” is defined as intentional or negligent acts by a caregiver or trusted individual that causes or can cause harm to a vulnerable senior. Elder abuse also comes in many different forms: emotional, psychological, physical or sexual abuse, abandonment, neglect and self-neglect and financial exploitation.

Those most vulnerable are

How to recognize and stop elder abuse in the COVID era seniors that are ill, frail, disabled, socially isolated or mentally impaired due to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s also important to know that while elder abuse does happen in nursing homes and other longterm care facilities, the vast majority of incidents take place at home where the senior lives. And tragically, the abusers are most often their own family members (usually the victim’s adult child or spouse) or caregiver.

How to Recognize Abuse So, how can you tell if an elderly relative or friend is being abused, and what can you do to help?

A change in general behavior is a universal warning sign that a problem exists. If you notice that your relative or friend has become very depressed, withdrawn or gets upset or agitated easily, you need to start asking questions. Here are some additional warning signs on the different types of elder abuse that can help you spot a possible problem.

• Physical or sexual abuse: sus-

Savvy Senior

BY JIM MILLER picious bruises or other injuries that can’t be explained; sudden changes in behavior (upset, withdrawn, fearful); broken eyeglasses; caregiver’s refusal to allow visitors to see an elder alone.

• Neglect or self-neglect: weight loss; poor hygiene; unattended medical needs; unsanitary, unsafe living conditions.

• Emotional or psychological abuse: The senior is extremely

OBITUARY Armand Leonard Leggett, Sr. Armand Leonard Leggett Sr., 86 of Williston, VT passed away peacefully on December 17, 2020 at The McClure-Miller Respite House in Colchester, VT with all the love of his family surrounding him. Armand was born on October 29, 1934 in Middlebury, VT, the son of William and Rhoda (Stone) Leggett.

He attended schools in Middlebury, VT. He was employed at The University of Vermont as a painter for 25 years, retiring in 1999. He thoroughly enjoyed reminiscing about the fun times he shared with his fellow co-workers.

He married the love of his life Madeline Ruth Bevins on June 23, 1956 in the United Methodist Church in Shelburne, VT. Together they celebrated 64 wonderful years. They enjoyed gliding across the dance floor arm and arm to their favorite music.

He loved the simple things in life. Good times, good food, great family and friends, especially vacationing on the ocean in Rhode Island/Maine, attending

his grandkids’ sporting events, gardening, ice fishing, deer camp, bowling, going to the casino, playing horseshoes, cribbage, and bingo just to name a few.

Armand was known for his infectious smile, hardy handshake, and zest for life. His family meant everything to him. He is survived by his wife Madeline, sons Armand Jr and Danny, daughters Sharon and husband Rob Miles, Karen and husband Kevin Jean. Also nine grandchildren Rachelle Leggett, Clayton and wife Jen Leggett, Taylor Leggett, Alyssa and husband Ryan Bathhurst, Tyler and wife Tiffany Leggett, Lauren Miles and fiance Luc LeBlanc, Nathan Miles, Dylan Jean, and Halle Jean. Also one great grandson Jackson Jay Bathhurst. He is also survived by his siblings Jacqueline Haight, Patricia Leggett, Darlene and husband Mike Charland, and Larry Leggett. Sisters-in-law Anne-Marie Leggett, Sharon Leggett, Virginia Alicandro, Janice Marcelino, Norma Brunelle and Rena Bevins. Brothers-inlaw Larry and wife Julie Bevins, and Norman Bevins. Also many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents William and Rhoda, brothers Donald, Ken, twin Arnold (Bozo), Billy, and Paul. Sisters-in-law Anne Marie Leggett, Theresa Leggett, Hazel Leggett, Bonnie Leggett and Belle Bevins.

Brothers-inlaw Howard Haight, Clifton Bevins, Richard Bevins, Ronald Bevins, Donald Bevins and Gary Bevins.

We would like to express our gratitude for the many years of wonderful care to Dr. Mark Pitcher and appreciation for his final care to The McClure-Miller Respite House. Due to COVID restrictions, a celebration of Armand’s life will be held in the Spring/Summer to honor him.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Armand’s memory can be made to The American Heart Association, PO Box 417005 Boston MA 02241-7005, or The McClure-Miller Respite House, 3113 Roosevelt Highway, Colchester, VT 05446.

Arrangements are in the care of Lavigne Funeral Home, 132 Main St, Winooski, VT 05404.

Those wishing to send online condolences may do so at www.lavignefuneralhome.com.

upset, agitated, withdrawn, unresponsive, fearful or depressed or demonstrates some other unusual behavior.

• Financial exploitation: missing money or valuables; unexplained withdrawals from bank accounts or transfers between accounts; unauthorized use of credit, debit or ATM cards; unpaid bills despite available funds; checks written as a loan or gift; abrupt changes in a will or other documents.

For more tips on how to recognize the warning signs of abuse during the pandemic, see the National Center on Elder Abuse website at www.NCEA.acl.gov/Resources/COVID-19.aspx.

What to Do The best ways to help stop elder abuse is to be in touch and keep the lines of communication open. If you suspect any type of abuse or neglect in your relative’s or friend’s home, report it to your local protective services agency.

Adult Protective Services is the government agency responsi-

ble for investigating elder abuse cases and providing help and guidance. Call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 to get the agency contact number in your area or visit www.NCEA.acl.gov/Resources/ State.aspx.

The agency will ask what you observed, who was involved and who they can contact to learn more. You don’t need to prove that abuse is occurring; it is up to the professional.

Or, to report suspected abuse in a nursing home or assisted living facility, call the local Long-Term Care Ombudsman — see www.

LTCombudsman.org for contact information.

If, however, you feel the person is in immediate danger, call 911 or the local police for immediate help.

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.

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Page 12 • Williston Observer • December 30, 2020

OBITUARIES Margaret (Maille) Guthrie Margaret M. Guthrie, 86, passed away on Saturday, December 12, 2020, at Elderwood in Burlington, peacefully and prematurely after her battle with COVID-19. She was born on March 15, 1934, in Swanton. She was the daughter of the late Dora (Miclette) and Amedee Paul Maille and spent many years on the family farms.

Margaret met her husband, Terry, while working at McGregor’s Pharmacy in Burlington. He saw her and it was love at first sight.

He immediately told his friend that was the girl he was going to marry. They were married on January 9, 1954 at St. Luke Catholic Church in Fairfax, and shared 45 years together. Terry predeceased her on October 4, 1999.

Troy “Tiger” Lee O’Brien In 1968, Eugene and Inez O’Brien were married in Walteria, California. After a small ceremony and reception, they began their lives together. Their honeymoon was a trip to Bear Mountain Lodge in Bolton, Vermont. After a short visit to Vermont, they traveled back to California where they started their family.

Troy O’Brien, the first of four, was born in California on October 28, 1969. Soon after,

Soon after marrying, she and Terry started their family, sharing two daughters, Debbra and Diann. They travelled around the United States, and even lived in England during Terry’s 20 years of service in the US Air Force.

Margaret and Terry made many friends throughout this time, whom they visited in retirement.

Margaret dedicated time to others, volunteering at the Fanny Allen Hospital in Colchester. She was fluent in both French and English, which helped her make connections and assist people. She was a fabulous cook; she baked the best ham anyone had ever tasted, her mashed potatoes were unparalleled, but she also had an unhealthy love of jello molds with fruit in them. She loved to laugh and enjoyed many fun adventures when her grand-

children were young.

Margaret enjoyed card games, country music, crafting, especially sewing and ceramics. She had a special affection for her many pets through the years, and is survived by her cat, Minou.

Margaret is survived by her daughter, Diann (Guthrie) Bean and her husband Steven of Georgia VT and her son-in-law Robert Thibault of Burlington. She leaves behind beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Angel (Thibault) Curtis and her husband Gerald of Burlington, their sons Gerald II and Phillip; Elizabeth Thibault and her husband Mark Yantachka of Westport, CT, their children Guthrie and Wynn; David Bean of Barre, his children Reanna Roy, Keegan, Layla, Riley, Kyle, and Charlotte; Matthew Bean and

his wife Samantha Fried Bean of Essex Jct. Margaret was also predeceased by her parents, father Amedee Maille and mother Dora Maille; her daughter, Debbra Guthrie Thibault; three brothers Joseph Maille, George Maille, Patrick Maille, and one sister, Lorraine (Maille) Barrows.

She was a parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary in Williston.

Due to the pandemic, a Mass of Christian Burial and interment at Holy Family Cemetery in Essex Jct. will be celebrated at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in her name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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

his brother Sean was born. A short period after that, Eugene and Inez decided to move to Vermont to raise their family. Eugene and Inez purchased a convenience store in Williston, Vermont; O’Brien’s Town and Country Store.

Troy and Sean soon had another brother Ladd, and a sister Holly.

As a young man, he established an insatiable binge for learning and reading voraciously, especially enjoying the high fantasy of Tolkien and Martin. The love of the out-

doors was immediate in his early life, with the hunger for exploring, hiking, fishing and especially the observation to the environment around him. He was captivated by the advancement of life and the works of this huge world in front of his young mind. Those small things in his local environment soon became an exploration for things much larger with astrology. His thirst for knowledge was unquenchable, for all his life. He was drawn to chess to master a mental challenge that others could not grasp. Troy was a man that was proud of everything he put his mind towards.

His favorite holiday was Halloween and often celebrated his birthday on that day.

Troy was married to Paula Minch and fathered two prized children, Jack and Lyla — two of his most astonishing accomplishments. He spent four years of honored military service in the 5th Special Forces Group with multi-language capabilities and overseas deployment.

After deciding the military wasn’t the permanent future he wanted, his thirst for knowledge continued. This lead him to continue his education at Harvard. Troy received one of the most honored awards of any academic, the Phi Beta Kappa award. As a young man he developed a desire to work concrete and became one of the things he would always be proud of. He has done work all over Vermont. Toward the end of his life, he began working in house framing and was enjoying it.

Five years ago he was gifted with another

prize, his beautiful little daughter Edda, with Ingrid Gitnick. Over the last five years, Edda would be the most valued object in Troy’s universe. He enjoyed spending time planting gardens, growing mushrooms, doing puzzles and going swimming with her.

Troy had an enormous amount of passions: cooking, fishing, hunting, gardening, writing and just hanging out with family and friends. He especially loved hiking. Troy had just published his first book of poems “Throwing Cats at the Sky” dedicated to his daughter Edda.

He leaves behind his three children. Jack is studying Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Washington, Lyla is working for the European Forestry Industry, and Edda is beginning Kindergarten and is a shy, intelligent, bubbly child. Along with his beloved children, Troy has predeceased his parents, Eugene and Inez of Williston, his brother Sean O’Brien and sister in law Mary Cenci of Williston, his brother Ladd O’Brien and sister in law Becky, of Williston, his sister Holly Biracree and brother in law Mike, of Essex.

As well as his great friends Don Gaffney, and John Weishaar. He also leaves behind many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Unfortunately, six weeks ago Troy fell ill and was soon given a terminal diagnosis.

On December 12, 2020 Troy lost his short battle with cancer. There will be a celebration of life on June 26, 2021 at 1:00 PM at Ladd and Becky’s house. We request all friends and family attend. No donations, please.

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December 30, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 13

Minority land access bill to be introduced in Legislature

The Vermont BIPOC Land Access and Opportunity Act will be one of the first pieces of legislation introduced in the Vermont Legislature this upcoming biennium. It addresses systemic racism and BIPOC (black, indigenous and people of color) land access. The bill, created through a collaboration of community leaders of color and allies, intends to acknowledge and address systemic racism by creating new opportunities for individual and collective land ownership and access for black, indigenous and other people of color in every town across the State of Vermont.

“As Vermont acknowledges and addresses its history of systemic racism, this piece of legislation … is one important and necessary step toward offering repair for the systemic discrimination faced by many people throughout the state over the past four centuries,” said Rep. Brian Cina, who will be introducing the legislation.

The bill will create a BIPOC Land Ownership Opportunity Fund with a BIPOC board empowered to budget money as needed for down payments for single family homes, owner-occupied rental units and for farms through sliding scale grants. It will also institute a BIPOC “Every Town” committee to create permanent land access for BIPOC in every town in the state in

collaboration with Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust.

“Every Town is a BIPOC-led project working in collaboration with the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust to ensure that at least one quality parcel of land in every town in Vermont will be held in trust permanently for BIPOC stewardship and access,” says Kenya Lazuli, cofounder of Radical Imagination, the organization that runs Every Town. “Land trusts can play a pivotal role in significantly increasing BIPOC land access and ownership by creating mechanisms to keep land in the hands of BIPOC permanently.”

The Vermont BIPOC Land Access and Opportunity Act also seeks to expand financial education and resource management programs, provide mortgage assistance for BIPOC land owners and fund anti-racist mutual aid organizations that support BIPOC or are BIPOC-led.

“It’s important that solutions to these systemic problems come from the people most affected by them and that’s exactly what the Vermont BIPOC Land Access and Opportunity Act is offering,” said Steffen Gillom, president of the Windham County Vermont NAACP. “It’s imperative that those in positions of power recognize the importance of these voices and support their work.”

Morris, Durfee appointed to Vermont Commission on Women

Kiah Morris of Bennington and Kerin Durfee of Burlington have been appointed to serve on the Vermont Commission on Women (VCW), the state’s commission working to advance rights and opportunities for women and girls.

The appointments make history, meaning three African-American women will be serving as commissioners — the highest number in the commission’s 54-year history.

“We’re thrilled to have Kiah and Kerin,” said VCW Executive Director Cary Brown, “and we’re especially grateful to have a commission that more fully represents Vermonters, recognizes the necessity of dismantling structural inequities and injustice and moves us toward a vision of Vermont that embraces all its people.”

Durfee is director of earned revenues and guest services at the ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. Prior to this position,

see VCW page 15

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Page 14 • Williston Observer • December 30, 2020

Winter care for houseplants

BY MELINDA MYERS Special to the Observer Holidays are filled with decorations that often find our houseplants relegated to any out of the way available space. Keeping your houseplants looking their best requires proper winter care.

are barely moist. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry for cacti and succulents. And always pour off excess water that collects in the saucer. Or use gravel trays to capture the excess water, eliminating this task.

Most houseplants do fine in the same temperatures we prefer. They do not tolerate drafts of hot air from heat vents or cold air

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EMPLOYMENT Moon Valley Pilea is a moisture-loving plant that prefers high humidity, but will tolerate average home humidity. PHOTO BY MELINDA MYERS

Make sure houseplants receive sufficient light throughout the winter. The shorter, often gray days of winter mean less light reaches our plants.

Start by moving plants to the sunniest available window. A south-facing window is usually best, but if it is obstructed by trees, awnings or shears it may be no better than an unobstructed window facing another direction.

If brightly lit locations are limited in your home, try rotating plants between high and low light areas. Switching plants every few weeks usually keeps them growing healthy.

Give the pots a turn every few weeks to ensure each side of the plant has time facing the light.

This encourages even growth and discourages stems stretching toward the light.

Consider supplementing natural light with artificial light when light is limited.

Newer styles of lights clip onto pots, can be mounted to a wall or tucked into furniture stands. New LED plant lights are more affordable, longer lasting and use less energy than older versions.

Humidity is the other winter stress.

Many of our houseplants are tropical and require higher humidity than our homes provide. As we turn up the heat, the humidity declines.

Boost the humidity around your plants by displaying them together. As one plant loses moisture, the others will benefit. Add a gravel tray for additional humidity. Fill a tray or saucer with pebbles and water. Then set the plant on the pebbles elevated above the water. As the water evaporates, it increases humidity around the plant.

Adjust your watering schedule to fit the conditions in your home. Always water thoroughly, but only as needed. Use your finger to check the soil moisture below the soil surface. Water your moisture-loving plants, like Moon Valley Pilea, when the top few inches

from windows and doors. Move plants as needed to avoid drafty locations.

Never trap houseplants between the curtain or blinds and the window. The temperature can be significantly colder, resulting in injury and even death of some plants. Place plants on a table near the window or windowsill extension, leaving room to close the window coverings at night.

Wait until spring to fertilize. Plants do not need as many nutrients when their growth is limited by less-than-ideal winter conditions. As outdoor growing conditions improve with longer days and brighter light, so do those indoors.

You will be rewarded with healthier, more attractive plants when giving them the care they need this winter. And as you tend your indoor garden, you will help fight the winter blues.

Melinda Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

This is a great full and part time opportunity.

UVM Health Network hires Home Health & Hospice president UVM Health Network has named Adrianne Johnson Ross the next president and CEO of its Home Health & Hospice division.

She replaces Judy Peterson, who is retiring in January after eight years leading the organization.

Ross comes to Vermont from Minnesota, where she has for the past year served as interim chief executive officer/executive director for Pheno Health Technologies.

There she was responsible for a $370 million multi-clinic operations budget and led a team of 250 staff.

“For decades and throughout this pandemic, home health and hospice professionals have played a crucial role in the delivery of essential care,” Ross said. “I believe home health is central to the future of health care delivery and will continue to expand and reach more families, ensuring patients will remain as comfortable as possible while receiving care.”

Ross, a native of Orlando, Fla., has a master of science in Health Administration (MHA) from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and a bachelor of science in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Georgia State University in Atlanta.

She was appointed to her new role after an extensive nationwide search.

“Adrianne brings an innovative mindset to help us think about our services and care delivery to our community,” said Tara Pacy, chair of Home Health & Hospice’s board of directors and member of the executive search committee. “I am excited about her energy and passion for our organization.”

Home Health & Hospice, which joined The UVM Health Network in 2018, is the sole home health agency in the bi-state network. It collaborates with affiliate partners such as UVM Medical Center to deliver patient- and fam-

December 30, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 15

VCW continued from page

13

she was City Market, Onion River Co-op’s front end manager for 12 years. She holds a master’s in business administration in Strategic Resource Management from Norwich University. Durfee was recently appointed by the Burlington City Council to serve on the city’s Police Commission.

Morris is a Chicago native who served as a state representative from 2014-2018. She is the first African-American and person of color elected to the Legislature from Bennington County and the second African-American woman to be elected to the Legislature in Vermont history.

Morris is currently filming a documentary on race in Vermont titled “Colorlines in the Green Mountains” with Long Shot Productions.

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Page 16 • Williston Observer • December 30, 2020

Ski Areas continued from page

9

so much misinformation about what’s happening and what’s going on.”

MacPherson listed the precautions the resort is taking, similar to other resorts: reduced capacity, mandatory face masks and social distancing, ghost lanes between skiers in lift lines, required reservations, spaced-out chairlifts and reduced capacity indoors.

Employees enforce social distancing at Okemo, MacPherson said, but many skiers are funneled into designated lift lines because the resort can’t yet open all of its terrain. Opening a trail requires snowmaking efforts and approval from ski patrol.

“I think we’ll probably hit capacity numbers,” she said.

Enforcement within the honor system So far, no cases of COVID-19 have been traced back to ski resorts. Still, some locals have argued for stricter enforcement within what is one of the state’s only industries that brings thousands of travelers to gather in one place during the pandemic.

An employee who frequently works at ski resorts in Southern Vermont told VTDigger he consistently sees sizable crowds that are equivalent to holiday weekends in a normal year. Guests often openly flout or joke

about the guidelines, he said. He asked not to be named to protect his employment.

Based on state guidelines, resorts require signatures from travelers, promising that they’ve adhered to the rules, but some locals have reacted squeamishly at the thought of handling community safety through an honor system.

“I’m not going to say that nobody’s breaking the quarantine,” said Solimano at Killington. “I’m not naive … and I think the governor’s not either. I think the key for us is we need to do all the things we can control.”

Solimano said he’s made an appearance in lift lines, and has offered pass refunds to people who need extra encouragement to properly wear their face coverings. “All of them have decided that they will pull their mask up,” he said.

Skiers aren’t required to wear masks while skiing, so most of the time, he said, he assumes those without masks have forgotten to pull them back up when they reach the lift line. He’s more concerned about indoor spaces, where skiers are removing masks to eat. Lodges are reduced to 50 percent capacity or a maximum of 75 people, and Solimano said guidelines are enforced resort-wide.

“It’s with the threat of taking away your $1,000 pass,” he said. “I think we’re pushing harder than probably a lot of businesses.

If you just walk into a retail store, nobody’s questioning where you came from.”

Resorts can revoke skiers’ passes if they

‘The benefit of the doubt’

Skiers enjoy the upper mountain at Smugglers’ Notch.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKI VERMONT.

aren’t adhering to mask wearing, social distancing or if the resort learns a skier hasn’t quarantined.

“If we find somebody hasn’t done that, we’ve already told people that we will pull their pass and probably give their name to the state,” Solimano said. “It’s the same thing if people are on site and refuse to wear a mask. We have a no tolerance policy for either of those.”

Neither Killington Ski Area nor Okemo Mountain Resort has revoked any season passes yet, though MacPherson said the resort’s hotels have turned travelers away upon learning they hadn’t quarantined. Mahar said she had not heard of any resort in the state pulling a season pass because of violating guidelines.

Ski areas are responsible for following the state’s guidelines, but there’s no specific procedure in place for a ski resort that does not take away someone’s pass if they haven’t followed the guidelines.

“The way we manage other businesses in the state is we’ve given people the benefit of the doubt that they’re going to follow our guidelines,” Kurrle said. “If we knew that somebody was in violation, our first approach would be to provide more education and more opportunity for them to adjust their operations to improve health and safety.”

Solimano said there is little the resort can do about travelers who promise they’ve quarantined, but haven’t. He’s hopeful that outdoor recreation businesses can continue to flourish during the pandemic. A summer season busy with out-of-state mountain bikers didn’t cause any problems, he said.

“To me, it says it’s working, that it’s safe to be outdoors,” he said. “We’re trying to balance this. We don’t want to have it be a police state. We’re trying to let people enjoy the outdoors, but you know, we have to balance that and try to stay open.”

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