Williston Observer 6/11/2020 by Williston Observer

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Williston Police get employment contract, re-evaluate social contract By Jason Jason Observer staff

The Williston Selectboard in May approved a new employment contract with Williston’s police officers union. The contract will begin July 1 and run through December 2021. The contract sets pay and benefits, defines how officers are disciplined and prescribes what happens to officers’ performance records, among other things. Officers will receive pay increases of 1.6 percent annually under the new contract, the same annual increase that is in the current contract, Town Manager Rick McGuire said. The selectboard approved the contract about three weeks before a Minneapolis police officer killed a black man in his custody, which has prompted international demonstrations against police brutality and racism, and calls to defund, disband or completely rethink the way policing is carried out in American communities. In Burlington, for example, a group of 250 citizens spoke at a Board of Finance meeting calling for a 30 percent reduction in police officers and a reduction in the department’s scope of work, according to a VTDigger report. Gov. Phil Scott has responded to the unrest with the creation of a Racial Equity Task Force. Officer accountability in Williston is defined by the new contract, which carries forward policies in the current contract and have not been changed in recent memory, McGuire said. Citizen complaints are accepted through a form available at police headquarters on Williston Road and can lead to discipline after an investigation. According to Police Chief Patrick Foley, there is one current investigation of an officer stem-

According to Police Chief Patrick Foley, there is one current investigation of an officer stemming from a citizen complaint. ming from a citizen complaint. The complaint is unrelated to the use of force, Foley said, and an investigation of the complaint is currently in the hands of a third party investigator, and noted that most investigators are retired police offiers. Foley said he plans to have Lt. Josh Moore handle most citizen complaint investigations in the future. “I’d like to have someone inhouse who can handle that so we don’t have to bring in an outside investigator,” Foley said.

Impartiality concerns When asked whether it might be difficult for a co-worker to be impartial when investigating someone on their own team, Foley said that the “second in command” is in a management position and is not part of the police union. He said that if a complainant felt uncomfortable with someone from the department conducting the investigation, he would reach out to the state police, the attorney general or the state’s attorney for guidance. “Law enforcement is

not territorial,” he said. On Wednesday, when the Observer asked Foley if he would be willing to speak to these outside resources about setting up an option for using an investigator from outside his department as a matter of regular practice, he said he would be speaking with Vermont’s state attorney general T.J .Donovan on Thursday morning and would discuss this with him. The Observer will have a follow up story next week on the results of that conversation. Discipline levels range from reprimand to suspension to dismissal, according to the contract. Officers can appeal any disciplinary decision against them to an arbitrator. They can also ask the town manager to expunge any record of disciplinary action from their personnel file after two years. The contract states that all personnel records are kept confidential and not releasable to the public.

Continuing training Williston is 93 percent white, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Its largest minority group is African Americans at 1.8 percent of the roughly 10,000-person population. However, the population swells daily with commuting employees, diners and retail shoppers — all of which are part of the Williston Police Department’s purview. In 2017, a study by the University of Vermont entitled “Driving While Black and Brown in Vermont” attempted to quantify biased treatment of minorities by police agencies in Vermont. According to the study, Williston police are more than twice as likely to search a car after stopping a black driver compared to a white driver, and black drivers are more than twice as likely as white drivers to be arrested by Williston po-

Observer photo by Al Frey

Williston Police Department’s comfort dog Duke ‘sits’ at attention.

Community Bank donates to police comfort dog program The Williston Police Department accepted a $7,500 donation from Community Bank last Wednesday at the Village Gazebo to support its comfort dog program. The police department adopted a Labrador retriever, Duke, in May and is training it as Vermont’s first police comfort dog. Duke will accompany officers on calls to support victims of crimes and witnesses during investigation and foster connections between police and community members. “We are committed to supporting our Williston friends and

neighbors and look forward to seeing the many benefits the comfort K9 program will bring to our community,” Community Bank Regional Manager Anita Bourgeois said in a press release. “The program is very deserving of the support.” Police Chief Patrick Foley said: “Having a strong partnership within the community is appreciated and welcome, and I commend Community Bank in stepping forward and supporting our initiative in bringing what we believe is an essential program to the community of Williston and the Williston Police Department.”

lice after a traffic stop. The study was conducted the year Chief Foley started and reflects data from before his tenure. Foley said that since he took over, one Williston officer has attended a training on bias in policing. “I’ve talked to the chief about doing more training on implicit bias,” McGuire said Monday. A group of law enforcement leaders from around the state called the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council, which oversees the Vermont Police Academy, regularly recommends continuing education courses for officers. Vermont state law mandates officers take 30 hours of professional development training annually.

Topics include use of force, firearms handling, fair and impartial policing, social media use and anti-bias policing. Some courses are taught online, others are taught at the Vermont Police Academy and others are taught at out-of-state facilities such as criminal justice colleges and the FBI. Foley said he prefers to look for training opportunities for his officers outside of Vermont to broaden the array of possible instructors and topics. But when it comes to use-offorce and de-escalation training, the Williston Police Department has an in-house trainer — officer

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Finney Crossing residents Kris and Mike Benevento are holding a moment of silence and gathering for peace, equality and justice every evening this week. They have invited all Finney Crossing residents to join, but as of Tuesday, it appeared they were the only participants. The demonstration is a response to police brutality, but less of a protest than a call to look inward, spark individual change and reaffirm a commitment to each others’ well being , Kris Benevento said. The gathering begins at 7 p.m. through Saturday.

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Schools to reopen this fall for pre-K to 12th grade students

On Wednesday, Gov. Scott held a press conference and announced that kids in pre-K through 12th grade will be heading back to school this fall. Daily health checks, along with cleaning and hygience measures, will be part of the plan to keep kids safe. The Vermont Agency of Education website offered the following details on the plan: Planning for the reopening of school for the fall is underway with the focus on returning to in-person instruction. The cornerstone of this planning will be school safety and health guidance developed by the Department of Health and the Agency of Education in collaboration with school nurses and other educational partner organizations. This guidance should be finalized by mid-June. From there, the AOE will produce a planning template to guide district-level planning work. A key aspect of this work will be flexibility, and the need to be able to shift school instructional dispositions on a continuum of options from full in-person instruction to full remote learning, including a hybrid approach that might include both. Continuity of learning and remote learning strategies were enacted rapidly as a crisis re-

sponse to address an immediate public health emergency. “We now have the opportunity to reflect on how to improve these strategies in order to support a successful reopening in the fall,” according to a statement on the Vermont Agency of Education website. After the safe and healthy school guidance is published in mid-June, the AOE will create a larger planning template to guide district-level preparations for the fall. Currently, that plan includes the following domains: 1. Safe and Healthy Environments –based on guidance developed in cooperation with the Department of Health, the AOE, school nurses and the other educational organizations 2. Leadership, Policy and Funding – local school board policies, procedures, budgeting strategies and communications strategies 3. Maintaining Operations – strategies designed to keep schools open for in-person instruction 4. Continuity of Learning – improving the ability to provide remote learning as a contingency to in-person instruction 5. Social and Emotional Health – systems to support the social and emotional needs of students and staff. Districts and approved independent schools will be required to prepare and submit local plans for reopening their schools for in-person instruction in accordance with the state-level planning template. They will need to include a wide variety of stakeholders in their local planning. AOE staff will be available to support districts and approved independent schools.

Health Dept. tries to quell Winooski virus outbreak Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine said Monday that an outbreak of COVID-19 in Winooski had grown to 62 cases and spread to Burlington. In total, 48 residents of Winooski, nine Burlington residents and five people from other Chittenden County towns are part of the outbreak, Levine said. Cases are confirmed among 38 adults and 24 children. The median age is 21 and the age range is from 1 to 64 years old. The Health Department reports that roughly one in five of the people it has interviewed are reporting symptoms. Levine said additional cases related to this outbreak are expected as more people get tested. “There is no shame in getting this virus that’s been spreading around the world, across our country and into our state,” Levine said. “It spreads because we share the air that

we breathe.” Health Department contact tracers have reached out to close contacts of those infected and are working with them to prevent further spread. “No matter who you are or where you live, you can still walk the streets of Winooski and Burlington, or in any other community in Vermont,” Levine said. “Yes, the virus is still among us, but it remains at very low levels across the state, and we want to keep it that way.” Vermonters should continue to wear a face covering, keep a 6-foot distance from others, wash their hands often and stay home if they are sick, Levine advised. Virus testing sites are currently scheduled through June 26. Find locations and make an appointment to be tested at www.humanresources.vermont.gov/popups, or call 2-1-1 or (802) 828-2828.

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Protesters and the pandemic ‘We have to do two things at once,’ Scott says By Guy Page Special to the Observer

At his press conference Monday, Gov. Phil Scott spoke highly of recent nonviolent protests against police brutality conducted statewide, at which most people have worn face coverings. Scott has taken heat on social media for encouraging but not requiring protesters to follow pandemic measures of social distancing. One Chittenden County resident wrote: “Looking at the number of people in that group who are not social distancing, please tell me again why our children are banned from playgrounds and why we can’t have our restaurants and churches open to full capacity? The hypocrisy in Montpelier is staggering.” Meanwhile, most July Fourth parades have been cancelled.

On Monday, Scott was asked: “Some people who were already skeptical about the need for continued social distancing now say that since you’ve made an exception for the protesters, they plan to gather for large group events, irrespective of crowd size and reason for gathering. Others are willing to continue to follow the rules, but are angry that these mass gatherings may actually extend the state of emergency. What do you say to encourage them to stay the course when others can disobey the rules and risk the health of others without consequences?” Scott replied: “I’ve been very proud of what happened over the weekend. We want to make sure people are safe. We hope there is not an outbreak because of that. I believe that how we have handled this has led to more safety. There hasn’t been as much violence as what we have seen throughout the country.” Scott was then asked why protesters would not be required to socially distance and wear masks. “We have an opportunity to do something better for society,”

Scott said. “The alternative is to do what? Do we do mass arrests? (Require protesters) to disperse? “We’re doing the best we can with the information we have in hand. We have to do two things at once. Change is needed. I believe that having these protests, to make sure their voices are heard, takes priority over that.” Scott also said that he has no immediate plans to terminate the state of emergency, although more and more restrictions are being removed. Gyms and restaurants are both opened for indoor use, with restrictions. On Monday he announced that non-contact sports competition (including soccer and baseball) may proceed, provided the number of competitors and spectators at any single event does not exceed 25. College and professional sports games are still prohibited. Guy Page is publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle, online at www.vermontdailychronicle. com.

Delegation pushes IRS to finish stimulus check distribution Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch on Friday sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig demanding improvements to the Economic Impact Payment program. Delegation offices have heard from many Vermonters who are frustrated that they still have not received their payments and about the IRS’s poor communication. The delegation letter asks the IRS to address late or incomplete payments, confusion around payments delivered as prepaid debit cards and the lack of clear communication from the IRS that has made recipients susceptible to fraud. In the letter, Leahy, Sanders and Welch said: “We are writing today because of the significant delays and confusion during the processing and receipt of the EIPs. We continue to receive reports from Vermonters who have yet to receive their EIPs after months of waiting, including Social Security beneficiaries. In addition, EIPs delivered via prepaid debit cards are causing confusion for recipients and financial institutions tasked with processing withdrawals from the debit cards. “Adding to the delays and confusion is the lack of clear and timely guidance to the public and Congressional offices who assist constituents with obtaining their EIPs.” Vermonters who received incorrect payments have been told that they will not receive the additional money they are owed until next year, despite the immediate economic crisis many are facing. The letter urges the IRS to immediately begin payments to Vermonters who are owed money.

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Police continued from page

John Hamlin. He has been on the force for two years, and has been trained at the Vermont Police Academy as a use-of-force and de-escalation instructor. Williston is also part of a group of Chittenden County police departments that have partnered with social workers from the Howard Center to help them respond to domestic disputes and other situations that call for the expertise of a social worker. That program, in its second year, has helped de-escalate incidents in Williston, McGuire said. The department also recently launched a comfort dog program (see related story) that promises to bring a softer side of policing to the community. “Officers get training on de-escalation, but from a law enforcement perspective, whereas outreach workers are trained from a social work perspective,” McGuire said. “That’s why they are so important. The

and procedures to even further instill in our officers the importance of community policing and a shared sense of purpose in addressing racism.” In an interview Tuesday, Foley said he will wait for state legislators — along with the Vermont Police Academy and the Department of Public Safety — to take the lead on reforming police policies. “This is a group effort to see how we go forward,” Foley said. “Our legislators need to come up with what they want, and work with all law enforcement in the state so we all agree on the direction we need to go.” On Monday, Sen. Patrick Leahy announced the introduction of a bill in Congress called the “Justice in Policing Act.” “It would require real accountability and transparency in policing, and it would fundamentally alter how law enforcement thinks about its use of force,” said Leahy.

Police Chief Foley wrote that the incident has prompted him to ‘think deeply about systemic racism that has brought our country to this point.’ officers are trained by seeing them work in those situations. It is really a tremendous benefit.”

‘A group effort’ In a letter to the community following the police killing in Minneapolis and subsequent protests, Foley wrote that the incident has prompted him to “think deeply about systemic racism that has brought our country to this point.” “The Williston Police Department is committed to looking inward and seeing what areas we can improve upon,” he wrote. “This includes adapting our policies

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GUEST COLUMN

After COVID-19, how much government?

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A year from now, Vermont state government will almost certainly look quite a bit different than it does now. We will hopefully have worked through much of the economic destruction of the COVID19 pandemic. State government will have pocketed and allocated $1.25 billion in federal funds to cushion the pandemic’s impact, but that pot of gold will not be continually replenished. Vermont, facing a $250 million shortfall in General Fund revenues for the fiscal year that starts in less than a month, will have to rethink what it is and what it does. To undertake that task intelligently, we must bravely launch a thorough performance review. A performance review is not merely a process for squeezing out waste from the current operations of our $6 billion state government. Every administration proposes to take aggressive action to improve operational efficiency and squeeze out waste. The present administration, for example, is carrying on a Program Improvement for Vermont Outcomes Together (PIVOT). It has generated a “program modernization and efficiency plan” to “identify and eliminate confusion, waste and duplicability in operational processes.” Under the direction of a very capable chief perfor-

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mance officer, the administration is striving for “results-based accountability” based on the answers to three questions: “How much are we doing? How well are we doing it? Is anyone better off”? Note that this jargon-rich process, like several feeble predecessors (such as the costly failure called “Challenge for Change” and an ephemeral creation named GRORC, assumed that our state government has properly become the Great Caretaker of Us All, charged with maintaining a prosperous economy, healthiness, cleanliness, sustainability, safety, nurture, education, family, caring for children and the disabled, and so on. These felicitous “population-level outcomes” were actually spelled out in the statute books in 2014 (3 VSA 2311). A performance review, by contrast, is not based on a foundation of expansive and expensive government serving as the Great Caretaker of Us All. A performance review is a careful and deliberate study by knowledgeable and disinterested people — not people who labored for decades to constantly create and expand government — of what state government is doing, how it does it and how what the people want done can be done better and more efficiently. The goal is to balance, over the long term, the cost of state

government’s programs and revenue from taxpayers, without imposing regulations and taxation that would shut down economic growth, affordability and revenue production. In a more pointed formulation, a performance review asks: “What are the core functions of government? How well is state government performing those functions? Are there better ways to achieve the same results, at less cost? What functions can be entrusted to a free people without invoking the governmental powers of regulation, confiscation, coercion and prohibition? And, what should our state government just stop doing?” With my pro-liberty bias, I would add: “Are the activities of state government protecting or endangering our constitutional rights and liberties?” The modern performance review idea has strong bipartisan roots. In the 1990s, Texas controllers John Sharp and Carole Keeton fed hundreds of cost-saving recommendations to governors Ann Richards and George W. Bush, saving Texas taxpayers billions. Michigan Gov. John Engler was soundly reelected in 1996 due to the success of his review called PERM (Privatize, Eliminate, Resee GUEST COLUMN page 13

June 11, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Changing representation on Fish & Wildlife board The current Fish & Wildlife Board, which has been primarily assembled by appointments of Gov. Phil Scott, consists 100 percent of hunters and/or trappers, some of whom also own businesses or are heads of clubs associated with hunting/trapping. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife website says there are 65,000 resident hunters in Vermont. The total population in Vermont is 600,412. So hunters only make up 10.82 percent of the state’s population — yet 100 percent of this board. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s mission is “the conservation of fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the people of Vermont.” For the people of Vermont! How in the world can the people of Vermont be fairly represented when all of Fish & Wildlife’s decisions are being made by hunters and/or trappers? Answer: They cannot. Two board member terms expired in February. If the governor wants to start being more responsible with his appointments, I strongly suggest he look to appoint two nonhunter/nontrappers who are adequately qualified to support the mission of the department.

I would also expect that he continue this appointment practice in the future to finally arrive at, then maintain, a more representative mix of member backgrounds. - Leslie Blow Middlebury

Answering the call to be an ally I have a favorite pair of paintings at Shelburne Museum, the 1843 portraits of Nancy and William Lawson by William Matthew Prior. I admire them for their historical significance — a middle-class couple of African descent, black Bostonians engaged in the maritime economy of their city. The artist’s signature, however, rivets me. Two decades before the Emancipation Proclamation, William Matthew Prior boldly signed his name to the front of the paintings, declaring himself forever allied with the sitters. Let us all be so brave. Like so many Americans, I went to sleep last night outraged at the murder of another man. Yet another man. A black man. I woke up this morning to find the country in flames, a literal symbol of the catastrophic failure of our leaders and institutions to address a 400-year legacy of racism in this country. “Justice,” wrote Benjamin Franklin, “will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.” We are long past the moment of wishing the question of race in

America would answer itself, go away over time. This is a moment of reckoning. As I write this, our country is in the grip of a fearful pandemic, a virus that has stripped bare the inequities of our society with the clinical precision of cold demographics. It is easy to turn away, pretend that the issue is not at hand in Vermont, but this cause is ours just as it belongs to Minneapolis, New York, Washington and myriad other communities from coast to coast. Our lack of diversity does not give us a pass. Being black in America should not be a pre-existing condition in the year 2020. Museums are trusted places in our society. We exist to foster community by engaging audiences in meaningful and contextual conversation about creativity and the human condition, past and present. It is naive to view ourselves as outside of the society we serve, and wrong to stand apart. To be part of our community, our country, we must speak out against racism, injustice and discrimination. Like William Matthew Prior, we must be willing to sign our names, to condemn the violence of recent days and the inherent inequities of our history and contemporary life. We must be allies on the road to a better future. - Thomas Denenberg Director Shelburne Museum

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ROAD WORK Road projects for this week as reported by the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. WILLISTON Motorists should be aware of project cleanup on Route 2A from the intersection of Bittersweet Circle to the bridge over the Winooski River between 6 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. RICHMOND There will be pavement grinding on northbound I-89 in Richmond proceeding north between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Also in Richmond, utility work on Bridge Street between Route 2 and the Bridge Street bridge will shift travel lanes and cause traffic delays through mid-August. Two-way traffic will be maintained most of the time with occasional one lane travel.

ESSEX JUNCTION Motorists should be aware of waterline and roadway construction on Lamoille Street through the end of July. BURLINGTON Work on Locust Street will cause alternating one-way traffic and occasional detours using Charlotte and Caroline streets. When detours are in place, the city will close Locust Street to thru traffic. This project is expected to continue through mid-July. Sidewalk work on Colchester Avenue from South Prospect Street to East Avenue will close shoulders on the south side to cyclists. The west- and east-bound bike lanes will be closed intermittently to allow construction vehicle access. Two-way traffic will be maintained most of the time. This work will continue through

mid-August. Some city streets have been redesignated as local traffic only to encourage people to get outside. COLCHESTER Road construction on Blakely Road at the intersection with Colchester High School will cause alternating onelane traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the end of June. Motorists can expect delays. JERICHO Water line replacement on Route 15 between Joe’s Snack Bar and Cilley Hill Road from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday will cause minor traffic delays through the end of June. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained. BOLTON Culvert work on Notch Road under I-89 will reduce traffic to one

lane with traffic control present during daytime hours. This project should be completed by mid August. MILTON Sidewalk installation on the north side of Route 7 from Haydenberry Drive to Chrisemily Drive may cause occasional short delays, but two-way traffic will be maintained. This project should be completed by the end of July. UNDERHILL Reconstruction of Route 15 from N. Underhill Station Road to VT Route 108/Church Street in Cambridge will cause minimal traffic delays through the summer. Work this week includes eastbound drainage improvements Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Traffic control will be present allowing for one lane of alternating traffic.

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Harrington appointed as labor commissioner Gov. Phil Scott has appointed Michael Harrington as commissioner of the Vermont Department of Labor. Harrington had been serving as interim commissioner since last September. “Mike’s dedication to, and effort on behalf of, Vermonters through unprecedented and incredibly difficult times is the type of service and determination I expect from leaders in our administration,” Scott said in a press release. “His experience with the department will provide valuable consistency and stability as we continue to navigate and recover from the economic impacts of this pandemic.” Harrington was originally appointed deputy commissioner of labor in January 2017. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to continue the work of the department to build a stronger workforce in Vermont while we focus on managing the current and emerging challenges we face as a result of COVID-19,” Harrington said. Prior to his service to the State of Vermont, Harrington, a native of Bennington, served as the economic and community development director for the Town of Bennington. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the State University of New York, College at Plattsburgh. Harrington resides in Northfield with his family.

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Page 10 • Williston Observer • June 11, 2020

Savvy Senior By Jim Miller

How to make the most of your telehealth appointment Dear Savvy Senior, I manage a doctor’s clinic that treats hundreds of seniors each month. We are moving to more telehealth visits to help keep our patients safe at home during the coronavirus pandemic, but this new way of seeing a doctor is befuddling to many of our elder patients. Can you write a column educating patients on how to prepare for a telehealth appointment? Regular Reader

Dear Reader, I’d be happy to help! To help keep patients safe and at home during the coronavirus crisis, more and more doctors and other health care providers are turning to telehealth (a.k.a. telemedicine) appointments, which are remote e-visits using a digital communication device like a smartphone, tablet or computer. Although telehealth has been

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around for a few years now, recent updates to regulations and a surge in demand has made it the easiest way to get many different types of medical care. Most telehealth appointments today tend to be primary care or follow-up visits that can assess symptoms or check on people who have had a medical procedure. Telehealth also works well for some specialties like dermatology or mental health care (counseling/therapy) services. So, what can patients expect from a telehealth visit, and how should they prepare? The first step is to call your doctor’s office to find out whether telemedicine visits are available and whether you will need to set up an account or install special software on your computer, phone or tablet. Until recently, doctors were required to conduct telehealth visits through platforms such as Doxy, Thera-Link or MyChart that were compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). But some of those requirements have been relaxed in the current crisis, so many providers are using popular apps such as FaceTime, Skype and Zoom to conduct visits. Once you know what technology you will be using, get familiar with it. You don’t want to spend the first 10 minutes of your visit trying to figure out how to unmute the audio. For older patients who aren’t familiar or comfortable with tech-

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Take the time to clarify the purpose of the televisit before it begins. Prioritize a written list of three or four issues you want to discuss with your doctor and make a list of the medicines you’re taking, along with the dosages. nology, ask a relative or friend with a smartphone, tablet or laptop to assist you. Take the time to clarify the purpose of the televisit before it begins. Prioritize a written list of three or four issues you want to discuss with your doctor and make a list of the medicines you’re taking, along with the dosages. Also, have relevant medical devices or logs on hand, such as a penlight or smartphone flashlight for viewing a sore throat, a blood-pressure cuff and thermometer (or recent readings), blood-sugar logs if you’re diabetic or a food log if you have gastrointestinal problems. If you’ve received medical care at different places, such as an urgent care facility or another doctor’s office, have your latest med-

ical records with you during the telemedicine visit. Wear loose clothing that will allow you to show your medical provider what is concerning you. The length of the appointment may depend on the problem. A routine visit could be very quick, while others, such as a physical-therapy appointment, may last as long as a session at a clinic. Waiting rooms are sometimes replaced by virtual waiting rooms. Before the visit ends, make sure you know the follow-up plan. Do you need to schedule an in-office visit, fill a prescription or get a referral to a specialist? Right now, Medicare and Medicaid are covering the cost of telehealth visits (see www.medicare. gov/coverage/telehealth for details), and most private insurers are following suit. If, however, you don’t have a primary care physician or need urgent care, you can get help through a virtual health care service like Doctor on Demand (www.doctorondemand.com) or TeleDoc (www.teledoc.com). These services currently do not accept original Medicare, but they may be covered by private insurers including some Medicare Advantage plans — be sure you check. Send your 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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20. Somewhat strange 22. Burning result 23. Mermaid's home 25. Tennis call 27. Little League coach, often 28. Geological time span 29. Unspecified number 32. Hose site 35. Drink from leaves 36. Waist measurement 38. Enjoy a meal 39. Urgency 41. Petition 42. It's definite 43. Miniature 44. Pick 45. Greenhorn 46. Burdens 47. Keen sound perception 48. Humorously sarcastic 51. Musical breaks 52. Slam 55. Shot off a cannon 57. Fauvism, Surrealism, etc 58. Definitely 60. Hard to come by 61. Arctic sight 62. Subtle auction bid indicator 63. Large liquid container 66. A mighty tree 67. Make an effort

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Page 12 • Williston Observer • June 11, 2020

WILLISTON

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The Williston Recreation and Parks Department is located at the Town Hall Annex building at 7878 Williston Rd. For online program registration, visit www.willistonrec.org. For department information, email recreation@willistonvt.org or call 876-1160. JULY FOURTH CELEBRATION UPDATE The selectboard voted to have the fireworks on July Fourth. A site is being confirmed with the owner and fireworks company. More info on the fireworks, viewing and safety precautions will be announced soon. All other activities on July 3-4 have been postponed, including the 5K run, ice cream social, town band concert, parade, activities on the green, vendors and Fire Department Open House. Some of these activities will be held if possible, when gathering is safe. The Friends of the Library has cancelled the book sale for this year. ONLINE PROGRAM OFFERINGS Senior fitness programs — Strength Training, Tuesdays and Thursdays; Gentle yoga, Fridays. Free, open to all Williston seniors 50-plus. Offered on Zoom with instructor Toni Kunker. Click on the fitness program on the rec website (www.willistonrec.org) under announcements, to be brought to the page with the instructions on how to join. Use password wsf2020. Dog Training — Three free programs you can do at home, complete with easy, step-by-step instructions and video tutorials. Critical First Lessons: Three important first lessons (attention, recall and manners), along with tips for common new-dog challenges such as house training, and games you can play with your dog to stay busy and prepare for later skills. Pseudo-socialization: Simple, fun approach to socialization when you can’t get out and socialize. Return-to-work prep: A four-week, free online program to help your dog prepare for when you go back to work/school, aimed at preventing separation anxiety.

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CAMPS UPDATE The Williston summer camps guidelines and protocols are available at www.willistonrec.org. They are updated regularly as new guidelines are received. They are listed under “announcements.” A plan has been developed to run the camps as safely as possible. Families need to make the final decision if camps are the best choice for their children this summer. Full refunds, to include the deposits, will be granted to any families wishing to take their child out of camps up to June 19. After this date, the regular policy will take effect. Camp registration and refund information can be found at www.willistonrec.org. REGISTER FOR CAMPS For the current list of camps that are being offered this summer, visit the www.willistonrec.org home page and under “announcements — camp update” click on the camp grid link. It is changing often, so check back. The following camps have been cancelled at this time for the summer: GPS soccer camps; US Sports Institute camps; soccer, basketball, lacrosse and multi-sports, Catamount golf camps, flip-dancecircus camp, art camps, string ensemble camps, knitting camp, engineering camps, baking camps, safe sitters camp. New camp: Rocketry Camp, Aug. 3-7, 1-5 p.m. FACILITY UPDATE The following amenities/facilities are now open: tennis/pickleball courts, basketball courts, one volleyball court and the disc golf course. Courts are for single/small groups and family members with masks and social distancing of 6 feet. Each court will be signed with guidelines that must be followed to keep courts open. The following amenities/facilities are closed until further notice: playgrounds, fields and restrooms. Large skatepark elements are not currently out for use. These amenities/facilities are still closed because CDC guidelines cannot be followed to open them safely. PROGRAM UPDATE The following programs have been cancelled for June and into the summer months: golf clinics, pickleball 101, track & field, music intro, soccer — parent and me and squirts, multi-sports — parent and me and squirts.

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Full-time position available for a Highway Equipment Operator/Maintenance Worker. Responsibilities include snow plowing, road repairs, and maintaining road and related facilities. Experience in highway maintenance is desirable and applicant must have good working knowledge of heavy equipment. Class B CDL is required. Excellent benefits. Position is open until filled and can be found at www.town.williston.vt.us EOE.

Habitat seeks applicant families for five new homes Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity will be building a single-family home in Burlington and a four-plex in South Burlington and the Williston-based nonprofit invites residents to apply for the housing. The Champlain Housing Trust will provide financial training and help families with the loan application process. The homes will be energy efficient and perpetually affordable for low-income working families currently living in substandard rentals. Applications are due by July 15 and include completing a training and qualifying for a loan from a list of approved lenders before the deadline. Apply at www.getahome.org/ habitat. The nonprofit’s volunteer Family Selection Committee will select the families by Sept. 15. Qualifications for a Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity built home include: — Having an income 80 percent or less of the median household income in Chittenden County, as well as ability to pay a monthly no- or low-interest mortgage. — Willingness to collaborate with Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity including completing 400 hours of sweat equity helping

to build the home and attending financial and homeownership training. — Must be living in substandard rental housing and/or not qualify for a conventional mortgage on a market rate home. Visit www.vermonthabitat.org/ apply-for-a-home for more information.

June 11, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 13

Guest Column continued from page

tain or Modify). In fact, the Vermont Democratic platform of 2004 pledged that party to conduct a “top-to-bottom ‘performance review’ of the functions of state government … to find creative, smart new ways to make government run more efficiently on the resources we have.” Unfortunately the Democratic legislature elected that year seemed to have forgotten this promising proposal. But it’s not too late for legislators to catch up. It won’t be easy to conduct such a review under the fierce and immediate pressure of a pandem-

ic, huge looming deficits and the ever–present resistance of special interest groups. But unless it’s done, the state government will stumble haphazardly on through the recurring cycle of politically driven program expansion, increased spending, revenue shortfalls, tax increases and then expanding all over again until the next recession. If the Democratic majority in Montpelier needs inspiration, it need look no further than its leader, Barack Obama. In naming his director of the Office of Management and Budget on Nov. 25,

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Page 16 • Williston Observer • June 11, 2020

Summer at Dorothy Alling Memorial Library

q All Ages Online Summer Reading Challenge (June 12-July 31) The library invites you to register for our All Ages Online Summer Reading Challenge! All ages - adults included - can join in the fun this summer to enter into our prize raffles. Participating is simple! All you need to do is visit our website to find out how you can register for a Beanstack account and sign up for the right challenge for your age group. Our brand new, user-friendly Beanstack website will offer easy logging and access through the website and mobile app. q Virtual Summer Events via Zoom Call (802) 878-4918 or visit damlvt.org to register. Registration required. For full schedule of events and details visit our website. - Gross-O-Rama presented by Mad Science Saturday, June 20 at 10am, Pre-K - 5th Grade - Imagine your story... as a comic book artist! with Kane Lynch Thursday, June 25 at 3pm, Ages 8-12 - Comic Workshop Series with Stephanie Zuppo Thursdays, July 9, 16, 23, 12:30-1:30pm, Teens & Adults - Imagine your story... as an author! with Taylor Antonioli Thursdays, July 9, 16, 23 at 3pm, Writing workshop series for ages 8-12 - Sing-Along & Uke Jam with Clare Innes Fridays, July 10 & 24 at 10am, all ages - Picture Book Author Visit with Josh Funk Saturday, July 18, 10-10:30am, all ages - Wildlife Encounters sponsored by the Friends of the Library Saturday, July 25 at 10am, all ages q "Dottie" the Bookmobile Our bookmobile is gearing up for Summer 2020, with materials for kids and adults! We are introducing themed “to go” book bags for easy pickup, and staff will be on hand to help you make selections. Patrons may also arrange to pick up reserved library materials at any of our stops. Bookmobile service will run June 16 - August 27. The complete schedule is posted on the DAML website. q On-The-Go Crafts Starting June 15, a new craft kit will be available in the library's vestibule and the bookmobile each week (while supplies last)! Week #1: Super Hero Masks Week #2: Paper Bag Dog Puppets Week #3: Straw Rockets Week #4: Paper Plate Stegosaurus Week #5: Make Your Own Playdough Week #6: DIY Gnome or Fairy Home Week #7: Clothespin Dragonflies q Williston StoryWalk®: Stuck by Oliver Jeffers June 15 -July 31 Get moving and reading with an interactive StoryWalk® east of the soccer fields, along the bike path at Williston Community Park. This StoryWalk® is brought to you by DAML in collaboration with the Town of Williston Recreation Department. The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

(802) 878-4918 | www.damlvt.org

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