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JANUARY 8, 2026
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Wired Cats dig into Abenaki heritage ‘Zoombombs’ cause public meeting pivot
WCS robotics team preps for state championship
BY JASON STARR Observer staff
BY JASON STARR Observer staff The Williston Central School Lego robotics team was surprised to learn of the presence of an ancient Native American camp next to where they went to elementary school. And they’ve made it a centerpiece of their competition season. The Williston Wired Cats are a group of middle-schoolers who build and code robots to compete in Vermont’s FIRST Lego robotics league. They have qualified for the state championships taking place at GlobalFoundries in Essex Junction on Jan. 17. While Lego robotics competitions are known mostly for pitting robots against each other in timed tasks, they also challenge students to complete a service project in their communities around a certain theme. The Wired Cats were exploring ideas around this year’s theme — archeology — when they learned about a site near Allen Brook School where state archeologists have unearthed Abenaki artifacts. “The fact that there is something so old and so crucial to our history, and we didn’t know about it — we thought it’s something people should know about,” team member Isaiah Covey said. The University of Vermont conducted an archeological dig on the site decades ago as part of the permitting process for a highway that was never built. They uncovered Native American artifacts that suggest the presence of a fishing camp that would
Williston Wired Cats team members — Xander Goodchild, Liam Blackburn, Isaiah Covey, Emmit Lestage, Joshua Westman and Evan Brady — pose during practice Tuesday in the Williston Central School makerspace. OBSERVER PHOTO BY JASON STARR
have been on the Winooski River during the era of the receding Champlain Sea, more than 10,000 years ago. “We wanted to explore this more since we had no idea we went to school right by truly ancient history,” team member Xander Goodchild said. In addition to Goodchild and Covey, other team members are Liam Blackburn, Emmit Lestage, Joshua Westman and Evan Brady. The team is developing concepts for a monument of sorts to the history of the site. They are drawing up plans for interpretive signs and a gazebo that would welcome people to the site and educate about its history. Their project won first place
in December’s robotics league qualifier at Norwich University. They’ve consulted on the project with Chapin Kaynor, a local conservationist and planning commission member. Kaynor has raised awareness about the site in recent years, encouraging its use as an outdoor classroom at Allen Brook School, leading an effort to rid it of invasive species and honoring its Native American history. “Our missions are very aligned,” Kaynor said about his efforts and those of the robotics team, “I’m delighted that students are showing the way in furthering our understanding of this history to the land we call ‘Williston.’”
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The students continue to practice their project presentation and refine their robot coding ahead of the state championships, meeting in the WCS makerspace after school under the guidance of coach Allan Miller. Miller revived the school’s robotics program after a COVID-era hiatus when he joined the staff in 2021. He’s excited about how the team is coming together. “They are kids who didn’t know each other, and now are really good friends,” Miller said. “They work hard, and they share the load with each other. There is nobody pushing anybody around, and when someone runs into a wall, they say ‘I can help you see WIRED CATS page 3
During a December meeting of the Catamount Community Forest Management Committee, two unknown participants entered through the online video-conference platform Zoom. The fact that committee members and town staff didn’t recognize them was not an immediate cause for concern; this was a public meeting after all, with a link accessible to anyone posted on the town website. But when one began disrupting the meeting with incessant gibberish, it became clear that this was a case of “Zoombombing.” Video-conferencing of public meetings has been a ubiquitous practice for Vermont municipalities since 2020, when it began out of necessity during the COVID pandemic. The remote option has proven useful and convenient enough to remain in the years since. But it does expose public meetings to more bad actors. A selectboard meeting was disrupted with an inappropriate intrusion early in the Zoom era, and a couple of the town’s subcommittees have been victims in recent months. “I have heard of a couple more incidents recently of that sort of thing,” Town Manager Erik Wells said. As a result, the town’s volunteer subcommittees — such as the conservation commission, the planning commission and the Catamount Community Forest Management Committee — will be going to a more restrictive Zoom “webinar” format to conduct their public see ZOOMBOMB page 3
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Williston Observer • January 8, 2026
Around Town Holiday decorating contest winners announced Results for the Williston Recreation and Parks annual holiday decorating contest are in. First place in the residential category was the home at 55 Southfield Drive; second
place was the home at 80 Coyote Lane. The winner in the business category was Williston Coffee Shop. Voting was done by residents driving by and judging displays in December. Contest sponsors were the Williston Observer, Healthy Living, Adams Farm Market, Williston Coffee Shop and Williston Meat & Fish.
Town seeks ideas for park amenities Residents interested in the future of Williston’s parks are invited to share their ideas at a
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A section of the damaged bridge over the Allen Brook in Village Community Park was removed in December. The removal was part of an eventual rebuild of the bridge, which was damaged in flooding two years ago. It was done to prevent people from crossing the damaged bridge — part of a walking route to Williston Central School. A rebuild of the bridge is planned for later this year. The Williston Public Works Department reports that its primary sidewalk plow is out of commission with a mechanical issue, limiting the town’s ability to clear sidewalks. Residential areas will be prioritized, but some sidewalks will remain unplowed. “Normal sidewalk plowing operations will resume as soon as the equipment is repaired and back in service,” the department notes on the town website. “We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to resolve the issue.”
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Recreation and Parks Master Plan workshop. Tell planners what new amenities or facilities should be added to Williston’s parks, and where they should be located. The event will take place from 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12 at the REC Zone, 94 Harvest Lane.
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EastRise CEO to step down EastRise Credit Union Chief Executive Officer John Dwyer has announced plans to retire in June. Dwyer has led the Willistonbased institution for nearly 40 years as president, chief operations officer and chief executive officer. Formerly New England Federal Credit Union, EastRise arose out of a merger with the Vermont State Employees Credit Union in 2023. “John’s unwavering dedication to the credit union movement amid decades of transformation, challenge, innovation and disruption is deeply appreciated,” said Art Woolf, chair of the EastRise Board of Directors. Board vice chair Spencer Newman will lead a search committee in collaboration with an executive recruiting firm to conduct a nationwide search for a successor.
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January 8, 2026
Wired Cats
Zoombomb
continued from page 1
with that.’ It just happens naturally, and it’s pretty cool to see.” This will be the second year in a row that GlobalFoundries has hosted the FIRST Lego League state championships. Last year’s state champion — Green Mountain Homeschool Robotics, also based in Williston — went on to compete in the robotics world championships in Houston. GlobalFoundries views hosting the event as a way to encourage mentorship and workforce development in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. “We are excited to continue our role as the presenting sponsor for FIRST Lego League in Vermont for the 2025-2026 season,” GlobalFoundries executive Ken McAvey said in a news release. “Supporting FIRST is an investment in the future semiconductor workforce, and we’re excited to once again empower students to pursue careers in technology and innovation, where they can help us shape what’s essential.”
continued from page 1
Williston Wired Cats team members, from left, Evan Brady, Joshua Westman and Xander Goodchild, compete in last month’s robotics league state
meetings. The selectboard already uses the more restrictive format. “We’d imagine that the smaller citizen committees are small peanuts to somebody trying to mess around like that, but the safest thing to do, to avoid circumstances like that is to switch to a webinar format,” Senior Conservation Planner David Moroney explained to conservation commission members this week. Public participation is still welcome, but people will need to jump through a new hoop to be recognized to speak. In the original format, participants could “unmute” themselves to chime it. Now, participants will need to message the town staff member leading the meeting to be allowed to speak. Also, only meeting leaders will be able to see who is viewing the meeting online. “(Participants) won’t have any ability to interact unless they are promoted to do so,” Moroney said. “This is an extra precaution to prevent anyone from sharing inappropriate material in these public forums.” Catamount Outdoor Family
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Williston Observer • Page 3
“(Participants) won’t have any ability to interact unless they are promoted to do so. This is an extra precaution to prevent anyone from sharing inappropriate material in these public forums.” David Moroney Williston Senior Conservation Planner
Center Executive Director John Atkinson, who was at the December meeting of the Catamount Community Forest Management Committee, believes the Zoombombers aren’t necessarily human. “I think we’re seeing automated attacks,” Atkinson said. “These are bots that are crawling (the web). Anybody or any bot that is scrolling for this type of stuff would find it.”
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Williston Observer • January 8, 2026
State workforce navigates return to office mandate Warnings of mass resignations don’t materialize BY ETHAN WEINSTEIN VTDigger
When Gov. Phil Scott announced that state workers would need to return to offices at least three days per week starting Dec. 1, the state employees’ union warned the initiative could cause a mass exodus of top staff. So far, that doesn’t appear to be the case. Comparing mid-September to mid-December of 2025 to the same period in 2024, retirements are up slightly from 66 to 76, according to data from the Vermont Department of Human Resources. Resignations, on the other hand, have fallen from 205 to 185, a drop of nearly 10 percent compared to last year. Sarah Clark, Vermont’s secretary of administration, said in an interview earlier this month that the number of applicants for state jobs has actually risen. “When you look out at what’s happening both in the federal government and the private sector, I think state government is a very attractive employer,” Clark said, crediting, in part, the state’s health and pension benefits. The Vermont state government and its employees’ union have been facing off since Gov. Phil Scott announced this summer that employees would need to return to work in-person at least three
days a week. Like many employers around the country, Vermont’s government is navigating the challenge of trying to bring its workforce back into the office more regularly following the normalization of remote work during the Covid-19 pandemic. As for how the first month of the three-day office mandate has gone, Clark described it as relatively smooth, though navigating childcare and long commutes are top issues state employees have reported. “This is a big change for our workforce, and I’m empathetic to their concerns and needs,” she said. “But (I’m) also excited about the opportunity that it presents for us supporting Vermonters and also working collectively together.” Despite the administration’s optimism, the Vermont State Employees’ Association — the union representing state workers — is continuing to pursue legal challenges to the mandate. The administration “didn’t talk to employees. They just threw this out there, and said, ‘This is the way it is,’” Steve Howard, the union’s executive director, said. “We don’t agree with that. We think they have an obligation to bargain with us.” In late November, the state employees’ union took the Scott administration to court, hoping a judge would deny or delay the return to office mandate. The judge ultimately did not issue an injunction, finding that state employees had sufficient relief available to them through the state’s exemption
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process, through which employees can make their case for working remotely more than two days per week. But the union has continued its legal challenges, with a Vermont Labor Relation Board hearing expected in February, according to Howard. Howard said employees have received “contradictory guidance” from managers about when to ap-
State leaders have said they are reviewing all employee requests for more remote work flexibility on a case-by-base basis. It’s unclear if the approved requests have any similarities. While state-issued guidance has listed very limited circumstances when exemptions may be warranted, officials have said exceptions are not limited to those reasons. Any employee who believes they have a “compelling reason” for an exception can make their case, according to state guidance. Vermont’s flexible working arrangements law also allows employees to request changes to their working arrangements, such as remote work flexibility. Employers must consider an employee’s request and whether it “could be granted in a manner that is not inconsistent with its business operations or its legal or contractual obligations.” Half to two-thirds of state employees had already been working in person more than three days per week and thus their work was not impacted by the hybrid mandate, Clark said. In a tight budget year, the added cost of returning to offices has drawn criticism. The state is leasing new office space in Waterbury to accommodate workers, paying $430,000 in the first year and $2.3 million by the end of a five-year lease. The new offices also require one-time costs to prepare the sites to be occupied by state workers, which total $385,000, according to
State employees enter the state office complex in Waterbury. FILE PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER
ply for exemptions and what might qualify a person for an exemption, and some supervisors “still don’t know what to tell people” about how to navigate the mandate. As of mid-December, the Scott administration had received about 500 requests for exceptions to the in-office policy. About 40 had been approved, according to Clark, and the rest remained outstanding, with employees allowed to work their previous schedules while their requests are processed.
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Clark. While data doesn’t show a mass exodus of state employees, some have reported resigning as a result of the return to office. Matthew Grimo, a paralegal with the Vermont Agency of Transportation, said he had been commuting two days per week from Burlington to Barre. An extra day of the roughly 50-minute commute wasn’t a financial burden he could accept. Grimo submitted his resignation last week. “I love my team, I love working with my team,” he said, “One hundred percent I wouldn’t have considered this if the return to office had not cropped up.” Grimo said he submitted a request to be exempted from the three-day requirement in November and had continued commuting two days per week since — the number of days he’d been told to commute when he was hired in 2024. But he had yet to hear back from the state, Grimo said, and felt he had to assume his exemption wouldn’t be approved and decided to resign accordingly. “The state, the administration was incredibly unclear, and to this day, is still incredibly unclear with exactly what they expect and what they will allow with employees,” he said. In his new job, Grimo will actually need to commute more often, but the drive will be much shorter. “It’s five minutes from my house versus an hour,” he said, “which makes all the difference to me.”
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Williston Observer • Page 5
Waterbury — a dairy town no more ‘IT’S BAD FOR A WHILE, AND THEN IT GETS WORSE’
BY SARAH ANDREWS Community News Service WATERBURY – For 48 years, George Woodard woke up before dawn and milked his cows. His day would end the same way, in his barn with the herd. For many of those years, Woodard’s 200acre farm was booming. Now, the milking stalls in his barn sit empty, only occasionally visited by Woodard and his tabbycat, Jack. “It was a time which was precious. And it’s gone,” Woodard said. Waterbury was once a dairy town. But rising costs of production and competition from ever-growing commercial dairies have driven out Waterbury’s dairy farms. Until recently, Waterbury was home to three commercial dairy farms: the Wallaces’, the Davises’ and the Woodards’. Today, there are none. Ten years ago, a fire destroyed Rosina Wallace’s dairy barn, killing her entire herd of 23 cows. After that, it was too expensive to start over. “The dairy industry does not want small farmers,” Wallace said. “Financially, it was just impossible for me to get back into it.” In 1943, Mark Davis’s grandparents bought nearly 200 acres of grazing land to start their farm. Davis started milking when he was 14. Later, his wife Maureen and their children all took part in managing the herd of more than 40 cows — it’s not a job that can be done alone. Davis stopped milking about two years ago, after years of losing money. “It was a great job, a great way to grow up, a great way to raise our kids. But it’s a very hard way to make a living,” Davis said.
Woodard’s grandfather bought their Loomis Hill farm in 1912. He used the land for logging and sugaring. In 1973, Woodard graduated from Vermont Technical College and returned to Loomis Hill. He started by buying 10 heifer calves. Then, he bought 10 more. By December of 1975, the Woodards started shipping milk. Across town, Wallace’s great-grandfather bought their Blush Hill Road farmland in 1866. For many years, it was mainly operating as a maple farm and fruit orchard. Wallace’s father decided to transition the farm to dairy after he finished college. As Wallace’s father got older, he asked her to take over the farm. Wallace couldn’t wait. “I grew up helping on the farm all the time. It just never occurred to me that I could be the farmer,” Wallace said. “I gladly came back to the farm and worked with my dad to learn everything.” In the 2000s, the price that large milk buyers offered small farms plummeted. They reduced the amount of milk purchased from small dairies. Woodard and Wallace, like many other small dairies, started producing organic milk. The buyers were willing to pay more, and demand was higher. The costs were higher, too. Organic feed was expensive, and the demands of keeping the herd healthy were high. “The last 10 years that I farmed, I was organic,” Wallace said. “I thought being organic would help me to be able to stay healthier financially, but then the price of the grain more than doubled.”
Beef cows on the Davis farm in Waterbury. PHOTO BY SARAH ANDREWS
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Williston Observer • January 8, 2026
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The view from Route 2A While I don’t dispute that there is speeding on Old Creamery Road (Fresh ideas for Old Creamery Road” Dec. 23), I am a resident of St. George Road (Route 2A), and I know first-hand that the stretch of St. George Road between Old Creamery Road and Butternut Road is a literal drag strip. There is basically no police presence to enforce the speed limit, and I often see drivers going over 60 mph (I’ve witnessed vehicles going close to 100 mph). There was a deadly head-on collision last year that seems to have been swept under the rug. How can I have a voice when the town says it’s a State Police issue, yet the state Agency of Transportation says the town needs to request a speed limit reduction (and patrol). I’ve seen two speeding stops in the eight years I’ve lived here. Please give a voice to the people who don’t own “McMansions” on Old Creamery. Joe Guzelak Williston
GUEST COLUMN
Complexity in the classroom BY STEVEN BERBECO I’ll own it, I’m a policy nerd. And like any social scientist, I gravitate to principles that have some predictive power. One of my favorites is based on the work of John Gall, a pediatrician who had the unenviable hobby of studying failed systems. Gall’s Law states that effective complex systems evolve from simpler systems, and a complex system designed from scratch won’t ever work. I bet you can see where I’m going with this. For decades, we have tried to engineer education excellence in Vermont the way one might assemble a Swiss watch, with statutes stacked on regulations stacked on guidance stacked on dashboards. Each reform arrives with earnest intent and a glossary. Each promises coherence. But the result is not a watch. It is a Rube Goldberg machine held together by impractical deadlines and middling results. Vermont now operates one of the most intricate and expensive education governance structures
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Vermont now operates one of the most intricate and expensive education governance structures in the country … in the country. Supervisory unions and districts and schools swim in a sea of categorical funding, compliance calendars and accountability measures. When outcomes disappoint, the reflex is not to simplify. It is to add another layer, another fix, another committee or task force to coordinate the coordinators. Gall’s Law predicts exactly this failure mode. Complexity designed upfront does not bend. It snaps. Or worse, it creaks along just well
enough to survive while exhausting the people inside it. Teachers feel this first. They experience reform not as vision but as paperwork, and not as trust but as checklists. Principals become middle managers of mandates. Superintendents spend more time translating policy than leading instruction. Families — taxpayers — encounter a system that is hard to explain and harder to change. When no one can describe how the whole thing works, accountability becomes theatrical. The irony is that Vermont already knows how to do education well. Small schools rooted in their communities have long produced strong relationships, local ownership and deep knowledge of students. These systems were simple — a school, a community, clear responsibility. They evolved practices that worked because they could see the consequences quickly and adjust. Perhaps the path forward comes
with a dose of humility, not another grand redesign. Instead, we could try subtraction. Fewer mandates. More authority where the learning actually happens. Let working schools work, then learn from them. Scale what proves itself over time, not what reads well in a report. As I see it, Gall’s Law works the way Vermont forests do. You don’t fix a struggling sugarbush by adding more tubing and pumps. If the trees are stressed, more infrastructure just spreads the problem faster. Healthy complexity only emerges when the basics are right: soil, water, time. Gall would have shaken his head at us. Our system of education won’t grow without seeing the forest for the trees. Steven Berbeco is editor of the 802 Ed, a biweekly newsletter about education policy and practice in Vermont. He lives in Winooski.
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Dairy
not making enough money off my animals to keep going, I keep my day job,” Wallace said.
Davis didn’t go organic, but expenses still soared. The price farmers received for their milk just couldn’t keep up with the rising costs of feed, maintenance, labor and processing. “My dad had a saying about it. The milk price goes in cycles; it’s bad for a while, and then it gets worse,” Wallace said. The rising costs led to a loss of the support businesses that dairy farms depend upon — a sort of dairy death spiral.
CAN SMALL DAIRY FARMS SURVIVE?
continued from page 5
‘SHOULD HAVE STOPPED 20 YEARS EARLIER’
Throughout the 20th century, Waterbury had an agricultural economy. There were two creameries in town, and a large animal veterinarian. Over time, as small dairies started to close, so did those supporting agricultural services. Emergency veterinarians became harder to find, coming from Waitsfield or Warren. When Waterbury’s creameries closed, shipping milk became more costly. As processing shifted to larger plants, milk had to move larger distances, putting small dairies at a disadvantage, said Silene DeCiucies. She’s with the Center for an Agricultural Economy, a nonprofit that advocates for local farmers. “The economy of scale is very real in dairy,” DeCiucies said. The story of dairy in Waterbury mirrors the trends in Vermont as a whole. Over the last decade, the number of dairy farms in Vermont has fallen from more than 900 to fewer than 500 today. Meanwhile, the size of those remaining farms has increased. Only 2 percent were considered large farms a decade ago; now, 9 percent have herds of 700 or more cows. These changing economic factors slowly pushed Davis, Woodard and Wallace out of milking. Davis says 2014 was the last year his farm turned a profit. “I should have stopped 20 years earlier than I did, because, you know, we were feeding a lot of money that was made in the past back into it, just to keep things going,” Davis said. In 2021, Woodard stopped milking. Davis followed two years later. Now, both farmers run small beef operations. Beef requires less
George Woodard of Waterbury now raises beef cattle after closing his dairy operation of 48 years. PHOTO BY SARAH ANDREWS
labor, and the costs of production are lower and more stable. Woodard now has 10 cattle, Davis has 26. Instead of going to the barn every 12 hours to milk, the farmers spend their time managing the pasture and feed. It’s a much easier way to farm. Dairy farming is hard work, and after almost 50 years, Davis welcomes the change of pace. “I’ve spent my whole lifetime looking for an off switch on a cow, and I’ve never found one,” Davis said. After the fire destroyed Wallace’s barn and she lost her herd, dairy farming was no longer an option. “I really miss it. And if I’d had my choice, I’d still be dairy farming.” Wallace said. “The good thing is I never would have been smart enough to stop when I should have.” Wallace doesn’t plan to make the transition to raising beef. For her, sending her animals to be processed for beef is too emotionally difficult. “For me, the hardest part of dairy farming was determining when I had to pronounce a death sentence for an animal,” Wallace said. She now takes care of two alpacas, whose wool she processes for textiles. Her farm also is home to her two beloved steers, Ferdinand and Gad. But the farm no longer turns a profit. Wallace now works at the Cabot Creamery Store, a tourist-focused dairy attraction down the road from Ben & Jerry’s. “It’s what I really, really, really like doing, but as long as I have my animals and I’m
Rosina Wallace talks with one of her alpacas on her Waterbury property. PHOTO BY SARAH ANDREWS
Waterbury’s experience begs the question: Is it possible for any small dairy farm to survive in today’s Vermont? Laura Ginsburg, an expert at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, thinks so. “People sometimes get stuck at looking at what’s worked in the past, that it should work into the future. But we’re in a very different place today than we were even five years ago,” Ginsburg said. There is a stable market for organic dairy, and she said innovations can cut costs. “I do think there is opportunity, it’s just going to look different than it’s looked in the past,” said Ginsburg. Young farmers are struggling to start their own dairies. Land costs are just too high. “You can only get so much manure in a 5-gallon bucket. And when the 5-gallon bucket is full, there’s no room left for anything else,” Woodard said. “The same thing has happened with land. You can’t buy a farm anymore,” Woodard said Today, dairy farming is gone in Waterbury, and it doesn’t seem likely to return. Wallace recognizes that large dairy farms are likely to continue to outcompete
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Williston Observer • Page 7
smaller ones. “Some things change, but some things stay the same, and the whole idea of getting bigger in order to survive probably isn’t going to go away,” Wallace said. High land prices offer an easy way for struggling farmers to exit the business. But even though they are done with dairy, Wallace, Woodard, and Davis plan to continue farming on their land as long as they are able. “You’re sitting on a gold mine, but the only way you can, you know, retrieve the gold is to get off the gold mine,” Davis said. Woodard doesn’t know what the next century will bring to his farm. He says it’s unlikely his kids will want to farm. But running one of the last dairy farms in Waterbury was a good life, he said — one he would not trade. “If you’ve got a farm, okay, you’re not going to be making a whole crap load of money, but at the end of 50 years, you still have that place, and you’ve made a living on that place,” Woodard said. Wallace has no children, so her niece will take over the fifth-generation farm someday. She hopes her niece will continue to run it as a farm. “Brown cows and green grass is a beautiful sight,” Wallace said. Community News Service is a University of Vermont internship program.
Page 8 •
Williston Observer • January 8, 2026
Lawmakers weigh tough decisions on food, heating assistance BY THEO WELLS-SPACKMAN VTDigger
Facing federal funding cuts and potentially faltering tax revenues, Vermont lawmakers say decisions over food and heating assistance programs serving their most vulnerable constituents will be particularly difficult. “We’re coming back to the basic hierarchy of needs here,” said Rep. Theresa Wood, D-Waterbury, who chairs the House Committee on Human Services. Food aid is among her highest priorities. But both 3SquaresVT, Vermont’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the state’s charitable food system have been significantly impacted by federal cuts in recent months. In 2025, 3SquaresVT incorporated a host of tightened restrictions following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July. Work requirements have been expanded, a number of categories of noncitizens have been excluded from the program, and new financial burdens have been placed on individual states. Vermont will be responsible for more than $8 million in new administrative costs, with millions more in possible penalties under a new accuracy enforcement system.
Should the administration make errors, according to the program’s rules, just 1 percent more frequently than it did last year, the state could be required to contribute over $7 million to the cost of benefits next year. Meanwhile, support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has dried up for local food providers, causing layoffs and reductions in service across the state. “The federal government’s lack of human compassion is just beyond belief,” said Sen. Ginny Lyons, D-Chittenden Southeast. Lyons, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, agreed that nutrition assistance is an essential issue going into the new legislative session. “We need to provide food — we need to ensure that SNAP continues,” she said. The Vermont Foodbank has requested an allocation of $5 million from the Legislature to fund its farm-focused Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program and generally support its network of services. “What we are seeing is this continued need for support beyond what philanthropy is able to do,” said Carrie Stahler, the Foodbank’s government and public affairs officer. Stahler said 3SquaresVT has never been
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available to everyone in the state who needs help with food. But after thousands more Vermonters lost access to the program this fall or became subject to new requirements in order to be eligible, the nutrition assistance system is more important than ever. Wood said she expects the Vermont Department for Children and Families, which administers 3SquaresVT, to include the program’s new state-level costs in its budget later this month. While she supports full funding for 3SquaresVT, the Foodbank’s request is one of a number of similar pleas to her committee. “They’re not all going to be able to be met,” she said, adding that her committee is “going to be careful in doing our due diligence.” Lyons expressed a desire to redirect or generate more funds for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance program, or LIHEAP, which President Donald Trump’s administration has indicated it wants to eliminate. The state’s Public Utility Commission recommended that the Legislature increase funding for heating assistance in an energy cost study last month to shore up the state’s crisis fuel service, and to prepare for potential federal cuts to the program. The commission suggested raising the existing fuel tax slightly to partially cover the measure, which Lyons said she supports. But Wood urged caution on increasing funds for programs like LIHEAP, saying that this year, there likely won’t be room in the
Ethics complaints dismissed against senators with private school ties BY COREY MCDONALD VTDigger
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budget. “We have many things to balance,” she said. “We have to be strategic.” Housing, a major priority for Wood’s committee, continues to demand attention and funding. In addition to ongoing disagreement over the state’s motel program, Vermont’s housing authorities requested $18 million this fall to fund the state’s Section 8 voucher program after federal cuts left a number of organizations across the state facing shortfalls. And health care, particularly in a moment where Vermonters face skyrocketing premiums and an increasing state cost burden, will be near the top of Wood’s agenda too. Sen. Andrew Perchlik, D/P-Washington, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that last year’s buffer against federal cuts would potentially be a difficult model to replicate this year. Onetime allocations in general, he said, could be in short supply, including to individual organizations like the Vermont Foodbank. Tax revenue slumps in recent months are a concern for lawmakers, Perchlik said. Though nothing is set in stone, he continued, it seems unlikely that the Legislature will have the same scale of tax surplus to use at its discretion, particularly in light of Gov. Phil Scott’s desire to buy down property taxes. “It’s not clear we’ll have any of that money,” Perchlik said. “It’s definitely going to be more difficult.”
The Vermont Senate Ethics Panel dismissed two complaints against Sens. Seth Bongartz, D-Bennington, and Scott Beck, R-Caledonia, and found their conduct was not unethical under the state’s Senate rules. The complaints were filed over the summer, after lawmakers worked overtime to craft the final form of a wide-ranging education bill, now called Act 73. The ethics complaints allege the senators advocated for private schools they are associated with. Beck, the Senate minority leader, is employed as a teacher at St. Johnsbury Academy, while Bongartz, the chair of the Senate Education Committee, served almost two decades on the board of Burr and Burton Academy. Bongartz and Beck both held critical positions on a conference committee charged with reconciling differences in the House and Senate versions of education reform legislation. The Legislature passed the bill June 16 and Gov. Phil Scott signed the bill into law on July 1.
One complaint, filed by Friends of Vermont Public Education board member Geo Honigford, alleged that the two senators violated ethical standards by negotiating the reform bill and used their positions to advance provisions benefiting the private schools. Among its many components, the bill set new limits on which independent schools would remain eligible to receive public funding in the future and how much they would be able to charge. The other complaint, filed on July 9 by Essex-Westford school board Chair Robert Carpenter, alleged ethical violations against Beck specifically. Carpenter, in his complaint, said he was “alarmed at the conflicts of interests we watch unfold at the state level,” and asked why Beck did not recuse himself from education reform negotiations. In the Senate Ethics Panel letters dismissing the complaints, panel member Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Chittenden Southeast, wrote that the panel “did not find probable cause an ethical violation occurred” under Senate rules.
January 8, 2026 offers a combination of kickboxing and grappling. You’ll learn real fighting while bouncing to sweet tunes and laughing with new friends. Wednesdays, Jan. 14-Feb. 4, 6:30-7:30 p.m. $95. Instructor: ONTA Studio.
Happy New Year! We at Williston Recreation & Parks would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a Happy New Year. As you look to the new year, we encourage you to consider participating in one of our recreation programs, which cater to various interests, including fitness, education and leisure activities. Also, the parks in Williston offer a range of enjoyable experiences and amenities throughout the year. Look for new monthly free special events for all ages throughout 2026. RECREATION & PARKS MASTER PLAN WORKSHOP
Monday, Jan. 12, 5:306:30 p.m. at the R.E.C. Zone, 94 Harvest Lane. Share your ideas about what new amenities and facilities can be added to Williston’s parks, and where they should go. This workshop is part of a Recreation & Parks Master Plan project. SNOWPERSON BUILDING CONTEST
From Jan. 1-31, anytime the snow flies, get outside and show off your snow-building skills. Build a snowperson, a snow creature, a snow animal or any snowy creation in a local park, or in your own yard. The more creative, the better. To enter the contest, take a picture of your creation and email it to recreation@willistonvt.org. All entries will be posted on the Rec Department’s Facebook page, and the picture with the most likes wins a prize from contest sponsor Turner Toys! FAMILY SKATE & COCOA/ S’MORE NIGHT
Grab your skates and the whole family for a fun evening of outdoor skating at Village Community Park. Glide across the ice, enjoy the wintery weather, and warm up alongside the fire with some hot cocoa and s’mores. This event is free. Come and enjoy the fun. Saturday, Jan. 17, 5-7 p.m.
FAMILY PROGRAMS DANGEROUS GIRLS
Ages 14-plus. This program
ADULT PROGRAMS A MATTER OF BALANCE
Ages 50-plus. This program is designed to help older adults feel more confident about preventing and managing falls. You will be instructed by a trained facilitator to build strength, improve balance and develop strategies for staying active and independent. Wednesdays, Jan. 14-March 4, 1-3 p.m. Free. Preregistration is required. Instructor: Elizabeth Arms. SENIOR COMMUNITY MEALS
Ages 60-plus. Preregistration is required; space is limited. The Recreation Department and Age Well are offering meals on Tuesdays from 12–12:30 p.m. Check-in begins at 11:30 a.m. Following lunch, enjoy a free senior-focused program. Check out the meal menu online at willistonrec.org. SELF DEFENSE KICKBOXING INTRO
Ages 18-plus. This program mixes training techniques from multiple martial arts — including Filipino stick fighting, kickboxing and Jiu-Jitsu — to create a fun, non-competitive environment where participants can learn practical self-defense skills. Perfect for both beginners and those with a prior martial arts background. Tuesdays, Jan. 13-Feb. 3, 6:30-7:30 p.m. $95. Instructor: ONTA Studio. TAI CHI
Ages 18-plus. Come strengthen your body, regulate and build physical energy, and cultivate your mental concentration and spirit with this gentle and nourishing practice. Thursdays, Jan. 22-March 26, 6-7 p.m. $99. Instructor: ONTA Studio. JAZZERCISE CARDIO SCULPT PROGRAMS
Jazzercise New Year sale: $99 for two months of unlimited classes. Ages 18-plus. Programs are geared to people ages 50-plus but open to all ages. Instructors will show you how to take it high or low. Cardio Sculpt Low/ Low — Tuesdays and Fridays, 8:30-9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
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Williston Observer • Page 9
Cardio Sculpt Low/High — Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4:45-5:45 p.m.; Sundays, 8:309:30 a.m. Instructor: Kit Sayers. TAI CHI INTRO
Ages 50-plus. Mondays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. Free. Instructor: Adina Panitch. BONE BUILDERS
Ages 50-plus, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10-11 a.m. Free. Instructors: Ann Naumann and Joyce Oughstun. SENIOR STRENGTH & FUNCTIONAL MOBILITY
Ages 50-plus. Wednesdays and Fridays, 10-10:45 a.m. Free. Instructor: Jazmine Averbuck. ZUMBA GOLD
Ages 18-plus. Thursdays, 8:45-9:45 a.m. Free. Instructor: Ciara Gregory.
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YOUTH PROGRAMS SWIM LESSONS
Ages 6 months-2.5 years. The Recreation Department and The Edge on Morse Drive in Essex are teaming up to offer preschool group swim lessons. The lessons introduce swimming techniques and increase safety skills around the water. Lessons are on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Dates and times at willistonrec.org. NINJA INTRO PROGRAMS
Ages 4-15. There are separate programs for different age levels. Come try a four-week introduction to Kids Martial Arts. The programs help girls and boys realize their full potential in an environment that is playful, supportive and fun. Instructor: ONTA Studio. Programs are offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. SUMMER CAMPS REGISTRATION
Information on day camps and enrichment camps for the summer of 2026 will be emailed to last year’s participants on Thursday, Jan. 8. Registration opens on Monday, Jan. 12 at 8 a.m. Guides are located at Town Hall, the library, the Recreation Department office and the R.E.C. Zone.
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Page 10 • dates: Williston release Feb. Observer 7-13, 2026 •
January 8, 2026
06 (26)
Next Week: Citizen scientists
Issue 06, 2026
Founded by Betty Debnam
Counting Birds
They’re counting on you!
Mini Fact:
This Iceland gull was photographed in Cleveland Harbor, Ohio.
photo by Victor W. Fazoio III
Why count birds? photo by Dan Pancamo
Birds are always on the move. Many species migrate, or travel, to find warmer weather or better sources of food. It would be This Carolina chickadee impossible for one was photographed in scientist or even one Houston, Texas. team of scientists to study the movements of so many birds over a short time. With information collected from bird counts such as the GBBC over many years, scientists can answer questions they have about birds and their environments.
What have we learned?
In 2025, the GBBC counted almost 8,100 species of birds from 217 countries or
subregions. The Cornell Lab estimates that more than 830,000 people participated. Past GBBCs have provided useful information not only about birds, but also about our environment. Scientists look at a species’ range, or where it’s spotted, to learn about climate change and diseases, such as the West Nile virus.
How to join in
You can get involved in the Great Backyard Bird Count on your own or with your family, either in your yard or away from home. You can also make the GBBC a project for your Scout troop, classroom or youth group. 1. Count birds anywhere you want for at least 15 minutes. Keep track of the kinds of birds you see and how long you watch. Include the type of count you did. Traveling means you walked a trail or drove around a wildlife refuge. Stationary means you stayed in one place (perhaps These bird watchers headed into the woods to count watching a birds. feeder from your window). Incidental means you saw a bird while doing something else. 2. Make an estimate of how many birds you see of each species. 3. Create an online account at birdcount. org. Enter your data there.
photo by WCN 24/7
Twenty-nine years ago, when the internet was brand-new, bird experts at National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology had a question: Would ordinary Word Nerd people count birds and contribute their results to Ornithology an online survey? is the study of Of course! In 1997, birds. Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) found 13,000 people from North America entering checklists of birds. The 2026 Great Backyard Bird Count will take place Feb. 13-16. Will you help count birds?
The Mini Page® © 2026 Andrews McMeel Syndication
Are you ready to count? The Mini Page provides some ideas to help you get started. To watch birds, you might use: • a guidebook to help you identify species • a camera • comfortable clothing • binoculars • a small notebook or checklist to record birds you’ve seen. It’s important to use good birding manners, including: • Be quiet! This will also help you listen for bird calls. • Take extra care when you come upon nesting areas. When setting up a feeder: • Make sure there’s cover close by for the birds, such as a bush. • Also provide water for birds. • Use several different types of bird feed and different kinds of feeders if possible. This will help you attract different kinds of birds. Good luck counting!
Resources On the Web:
• bit.ly/4qlA0yI
At the library:
• “Kids’ Field Guide to Birds” by Daisy Yuhas • “Bird Count” by Susan Edwards Richmond
Try ’n’ Find Observer rack locations Mini Jokes
Hannaford Williston Price Chopper Words that remind us of counting birds are hidden in this puzzle. Shell Gas Station (Essex Rd) Essex/Essex Jct. Simon’s Mobil Williston Healthy Living Williston Adams Farm Market Essex Automotive Quality Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters Bina: What bird is known to Bake Shop Simply Divine Café Home2Suites Aromas of India Five Corner Variety River Road Beverage be very rude? are used twice. See if you can find: Chef’s Corner
Island Homemade Ice Cream Sonesta
BACKYARD, BINOCULARS, KwikAStop Dorothy Alling Memorial R P QKorner N S Z X D KSunoco R DStation N S L Town Marriott Courtyard BIRD, CAMERA,Library CLIMATE, M A W K R R R O R C E ofI Williston E P Offices A UPS Store Men At Wok Fairfield Inn COUNT, DISEASE, K C N E S J A N I A D S S E T Call Rick Cote at ail Vermont Meat & Seafood M&T Bank Folino’s Pizza em or ENVIRONMENT, FEEDER, O O M G F D C L B R E E T C N (802) 373-2136 erver.com Gardener’s Supply M A NRamunto’s illistonObs MANNERS, N E R S O U T Williston E A Coffee I IShop E Rick@WINCIDENTAL, copies e lik ld ou w Rehab Gym Green Mountain Bagel u yo if NESTING, NOTEBOOK, n C L I M A T E X U C F S N E D for your locatio K O O B E T O N Q N O E G S I ORNITHOLOGY, RANGE, D R A Y K C A B J S T N Y S C SPECIES, TRACK. T N E M N O R I V N E P I K N
Hannaford Bobby: A mockingbird!Richmond Inn at EssexWhy do birds fly Cumberland Farms Barry: south? Mac’s Market Richmond Free Library Brenda: Because it takes too long to walk! Martone’s Deli Richmond Market Williston
Eco Note Scientists say millions of migratory birds traveling between Europe
What have we learned?
you see of each species. 3. Create an online account at birdcount. org. Enter your data there.
In 2025, the GBBC counted almost 8,100 species of birds from 217 countries or
Yuhas • “Bird Count” by Susan Edwards Richmond January 8, 2026
The Mini Page® © 2026 Andrews McMeel Syndication
Try ’n’ Find
Williston Observer • Page 11
Mini Jokes
Words that remind us of counting birds are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: BACKYARD, BINOCULARS, BIRD, CAMERA, CLIMATE, COUNT, DISEASE, ENVIRONMENT, FEEDER, INCIDENTAL, MANNERS, NESTING, NOTEBOOK, ORNITHOLOGY, RANGE, SPECIES, TRACK.
•
R P Q N S A Z X D K R D N M A W K R R R O R C E I E K C N E S J A N I A D S S O O M G F D C L B R E E T M A N N E R S O U T E A I C L I M A T E X U C F S N K O O B E T O N Q N O E G D R A Y K C A B J S T N Y T N E M N O R I V N E P I T C O R N I T H O L O G Y
S P E C I E S S K B
Bina: What bird is known to be very rude? Bobby: A mockingbird!
L A T N E D I C N I
Barry: Why do birds fly south? Brenda: Because it takes too long to walk!
Eco Note
Mini Spy Classics
adapted with permission from Earthweek.com
For later:
Look in your local newspaper for items about the GBBC in your area.
Mini Spy Classics appear in the first issue of each month.
The Mini Page® © 2026 Andrews McMeel Syndication
Mini Spy and her friends are putting up feeders for their backyard birds. See if you can find the hidden pictures. Then color the picture.
Scientists say millions of migratory birds traveling between Europe and Africa are carrying less energy for their journeys, raising concerns about their ability to survive long-distance migration. A study by Durham University and the British Trust for Ornithology, analyzing 40 years of data from 286 sites, found declining “migratory fuel loads,” or fat reserves, among 33 species of birds that fly between Europe and Africa during fall migration. The decline was not seen in spring, suggesting worsening European summer conditions are limiting birds’ ability to build energy stores. Researchers also found that birds in northern Europe are fattening earlier.
Based on materials originally produced and/or created by Betty Debnam.
• letter D • duck • bell • number 3 • letter C
• hamburger • ladder • lips • teapot • strawberry
• word MINI • puppy • needle • sailboat • dragon
• sea horse • dolphin • question mark • butterfly
Photos from the Williston Observer are available for purchase! Visit willistonobserver.com to see current and past photos of events, school sports, nature shots and more!
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Williston Observer •
January 8, 2026
SAVVY SENIOR How to find a quality nursing home
By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, Can you give me some tips on picking a good nursing home for my father? Since his stroke, I’ve been taking care of him at home, but he’s gotten to the point where it’s too much for me to handle. Exhausted Daughter Dear Exhausted, Choosing a nursing home that provides quality care can be difficult and requires a bit of homework. Here are some considerations.
Make a list: There are several sources you can turn to for referrals to top nursing homes in your area, including the Area Agency on Aging (call 800-677-1116 or visit Eldercare.acl.gov for contact information); your dad’s doctor or nearby hospital discharge planner. Online there is Medicare’s nursing home compare tool (Medicare. gov/care-compare). This tool will not only help you locate nursing homes in your area, it also provides a rating system based on recent health inspections, staffing, quality of care, and an overall rating. If possible, try to choose a place that’s close to family members and friends who can visit often, because residents with frequent visitors often get better care. Call your long-term care ombudsman: This is a government official who investigates nursing home complaints and advocates for residents and their families.
This person can tell you which nursing homes have had complaints or problems in the past and can help you locate a good facility. Visit LTCombudsman.org for local contact information. Contact the nursing homes: Once you’ve narrowed your search, call to verify that they have any vacancies, that they can accommodate your dad’s needs and what they charge and if they accept Medicaid. Tour your top choices: During your visit, notice the cleanness and smell of the facility. Is it homey and inviting? Does the staff seem responsive and kind to its residents? Additionally, be sure to taste the food, and talk to the residents and their family members, if available. It’s also a good idea to visit several times at different times of the day and different days of the week to get a broader perspective. Be sure to find out about their
staff screening and training procedures, staff-to-patient ratio and staff turnover rate. To help you rate your visit, Medicare offers a helpful checklist of questions to ask (at Medicare. gov) that you can print and take with you on your visit. PAYING FOR CARE
With nursing home costs now averaging $324 per day nationally for a semi-private room and nearly $371 for a private room, paying for care is another area you may have questions about or need assistance with. Most nursing home residents pay for care from either personal savings, a long-term care insurance policy, or through Medicaid once their savings are depleted. Or, if your dad is a veteran, he may be able to get funds through the VA’s Aid and Attendance benefit (see VA.gov/pension/ aid-attendance-housebound).
Medicare only helps pay up to 100 days of rehabilitative nursing home care, which must occur after a hospital stay of at least three days. To learn more about the payment options, ask the nursing home director. You can also get help from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which provides free counseling on all Medicare and Medicaid issues. To find a local SHIP counselor, visit ShipHelp. org or call 877-839-2675. For more information, see Medicare’s booklet “Your Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home.” You can view it online at Medicare. gov/Publications. Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.
OBITUARIES
Nathan L. Ackerman Nathan L. Ackerman of Williston, died peacefully from a bleeding brain aneurysm Dec.22, 2025 at the age of 33. He graduated high school from Sturgis Charter School in Hyannis, Mass. where he earned an International Baccalaureate diploma. He attended Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn. Nathan was a kind and thoughtful child and young man. He had great empathy for those less fortunate than he. He loved music and played saxophone in his school’s jazz band and guitar in a rock band. He was active and participated in many sports as a child. He especially
enjoyed skiing and snow boarding. He loved skiing at Stowe and greatly enjoyed traveling to Utah, Colorado and Canada on ski vacations. He also enjoyed hiking, photography and documented trips to the southwestern and northwestern United States with his camera. At the age of 20 he became ill and struggled with disabilities and poor health. Nathan always found comfort from his constant companions — his dog Radar and his cat Indy. He remained ill for thirteen years until his death. Nathan desired to be an organ donor and we have been notified that his liver and kidneys have been successfully transplanted saving three lives. Nathan was survived by his parents, David and Monica Ackerman of Williston, and several loving aunts, uncles and cousins. A celebration of his life will be held at Jericho Congregational Church Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to World Central Kitchen (WCK.org), the organization established by Chef Jose Andreas to provide food support to victims of disasters. Their efforts were greatly admired by Nathan.
Nancy Lee Savoy Nancy Lee Savoy, 80 years old, of Terry Lane in Williston, died Dec. 23 at home. She was born Sept. 10, 1945 at the Mary Fletcher hospital in Burlington, Vt. She was a graduate of Winooski High School in 1964 and pursued a CDA degree in early education. She was predeceased by her parents. She is survived by her special friend of 53 years Patti Parker; special cousin, Jim Stuart his son James, and his son Kolson; and by many cousins and friends. A special
mention to Louise Burnells, Linda Trombley, Luanne Tatro, Glenna Myers, Mary and Stan, Carroll, Jeffery Dixon, Sheila Fahey, and Arthur Cardinal. Nancy started her career at Saint Michael’s College in the library and the dining hall. She then became a preschool teacher for Headstart for 43 years. Nancy touched the lives of countless children and families in her professional and private life, as an advocate for children building close relationships that continued long after her teaching days were through. She always said that children kept her young. She was honored by the families who still kept in touch with her to let her know about their successes. We have heard from many people expressing their appreciation for the love and attention she gave their children, and what she gave to every child: respect, education and love. Nancy‘s favorite pleasures were her love of animals, especially Buffy; music and dancing at the St. John’s club; playing bingo at the Winooski Senior Center; camping at Hislop’s
Landing; fishing; and going to the Champlain Valley Fair and Disney World, just to name a few. Nancy was best known for her wit. She excelled in joke telling, knowing her audience and landing a punch line. Even the EMT’s and hospital staff were treated to her sense of humor amidst difficult times. Nancy was a member of the VFW in Essex Jct., the Eagles Club of Milton, the American Legion of Colchester, and St. John’s Club of Burlington. Special thanks to friends Patti and Jim; Bayada LNA nurse Dennis Beauregard and the Bayada team. Together, they helped to fulfill Nancy’s wishes to be at home during her journey. Visiting hours were held Jan. 3, with a service following at LaVigne Funeral & Cremation Service in Winooski. Burial followed at St. Francis Cemetery. In lieu of f lowers, donations in Nancy’s memory can be made to the Humane Society of Chittenden County, 142 Kindness Ct. So. Burlington, VT 05403.
January 8, 2026
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Williston Observer •
Page 13
CROSSWORD • SOLUTION ON PAGE 14
TODAY’S HISTORY:
• In 1790, President George Washington gave the first State of the Union address. • In 1877, Crazy Horse lost his final battle against the U.S. Cavalry along the Tongue River in Montana Territory. • In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson outlined his “Fourteen Points” peace plan. • In 1982, AT&T agreed to give up its local “Baby Bells.” • In 2011, a gunman opened fire at a public event for Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, killing six people and injuring 13, including Giffords.
TODAY’S FACT:
• About 600,000 people annually visit Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee.
SOLUTION FOUND ON PAGE 14
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Page 14
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Williston Observer •
4
January 8, 2026
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
CLASSIFIEDS
SUDOKU SOLUTION
Puzzle found on page 13
TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA Tuesday, January 27, 2026 – 7:00 PM Town Hall Beckett/McGuire Meeting Room (7900 Williston Road, use rear entrance) or Zoom Webinar ID 813 6162 7981 on www.zoom.us/join
Puzzle found on page 13
I. Public Forum II. Certificate of Appropriateness III. Public Hearing DP 24-08.1 Jim & Lucy McCullough, LLC request pre-application review of a proposed development with 32 dwelling units at 88 Mountain View Road in the Residential Zoning District. IV. Communication, Final Plans and Other Business V. Minutes of December 9, 2025 VI. Adjourn
RABIES BAIT
continued from page 2 The week-long bait drop is a cooperative effort between Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture ANTIQUES Wildlife Services to stop the spread of the potentially fatal disease. ANTIQUES WANTED Decluttering? Rabies is a deadlyDownsizing? viral disease of the We can help you discover, learn about and sell: brain that infects mammals. It is most often WATCHES • JEWELRY • COINS • SILVER • ARTWORK seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, but unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get rabies. The virus is spread through the • 802-489-5210 • info@bittnerantiques.com biteBrian of Bittner an infected animal or contact with its
RABIES saliva. If left BAIT untreated, rabies is almost alcontinued from page 2 ways fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly week-long drop is asoon coopera100The percent effectivebait when given after SERVICE DIRECTORY effort Vermont and the U.S. ative person is between bitten by a rabid animal. Department Agriculture Wildlife Services So far thisofyear, 23 animals in Vermont BARBERSHOP to stop the positive spread offortherabies, potentially have tested and 14fatal of ☛ MIKE’S CLASSIC BARBERSHOP LLC disease. those have been raccoons. Rabies is a to deadly viralofficials, disease of the According wildlife rabid brain that infects mammals. It is animals often show a change inmost theiroften norseen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats, mal behavior, but you cannot tell whether BY APPOINTMENT butanimal unvaccinated petssimply and livestock can also an hasONLYrabies by looking at MON/WED/THURS/FRI: 8AM - 6PM get rabies. The virus is spread through the it. People should not touch or pick up wild SAT: 8AM - 1PM biteLocated of an infected or contact with its animals or strays –animal even baby animals. within Sola Salon Studios
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saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost always fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly 100 percent effective DAY when given soon after SHELBURNE a person isfrom bitten by4a rabid animal. continued page So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont INSURANCE have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of Shelburne Historical Society will have a those have been raccoons. display and president Dorothea Penar will According to wildlife officials, rabid lead a cemetery tour at 1 p.m. Food venanimals often show a change in their nordors round out the event with everything mal behavior, butYour youLife’s cannot tell whether Covering Journey from coffee and lemonade to burgers and an animal has rabies simply by looking at creemees. Kids will enjoy meeting animals 802-862-1600 it. People should not touch or pick up wild fromEmail: Shelburne Farms, craft projects, and animals orinfo@turnbaughinsurance.com strays – even baby animals.
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•
Williston Observer • Page 15
OBITUARIES
Eveline R. “Evie” (Boulanger) Corey Eveline R. “Evie” (Boulanger) Corey, age 89, passed away peacefully on Dec. 28, 2025, at the
McClure Miller Respite House Kingdom. As a young woman, cross-country skis. For many in Colchester, following years of she moved to Burlington and went years, she shared her voice in the loving companionship and devot- to work at General Electric. It was Saint Catherine’s Church Choir. ed care in her home at Williston there, between the comings and After her children were grown, Place Independent Senior Living goings of an elevator, that she no- Evie worked as a bank teller ticed a handsome young man who at the Howard Bank branch in from her daughter, Kim. Evie was born Dec. 7, 1936, would soon change her life. On Shelburne. Evie is survived by her the ninth of 11 children, in Feb. 6, 1960, Evie married Dick Orleans, Vt., to Joseph Louis Corey of Burlington, beginning a daughters, Kimberly A. Corey of Boulanger and Gwendolyn partnership that would span more Colchester, and Heidi L. Corey than five decades. Together, they of Rutland; and her son, Daniel (Gilson) Boulanger. She was predeceased by her raised four children, first in South R. Corey, and his wife, Beth husband of 55 years, Richard Burlington and later in Shelburne. Harrison of Colorado Springs, A devoted wife and moth- Colorado. She is also survived Phillip “Dick” Corey; her eldest daughter, Robin E. Corey; er, Evie had a gift for making a by her sisters, Rita (Boulanger) her parents; and her eight broth- house a true home, always plac- Hilliard of Springfield, Mass., and ers: Francis, George, Raymond, ing her family before herself. She Catherine (Boulanger) Bechert 04/22/2024 David, Leo, Phillip, Joseph, and found joy in gardening, classical of Parkland, Fla.; her sister-inand playing the piano. She law, Kathy (Lysaght) Boulanger Richard Boulanger. 3.25music, x 2 AD for Williston Observer Proud of her Vermont roots, was known for her daily four-mile of Shelburne; and many beloved Evie carried with her the resil- walks, her enjoyment of a round nieces and nephews. The family extends their ience, strength, humility, and of golf, and when fresh snow fell, deep sense of family learned she could often be found gliding heartfelt gratitude to the UVM while growing up in the Northeast through the neighborhood on her Health Network Home Health
and Hospice; the McClure Miller Respite House; Williston Place; and Evie’s independent caregivers, particularly Ms. Dhyanna Lucia, for their tireless, compassionate care and support. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, at Saint John Vianney Catholic Church, with internment to follow at Resurrection Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester or to UVM Health Network Home Health and Hospice. Arrangements are in the care of the Ready Funeral and Cremation Services. To send online condolences please visit www.ready http://www.readyfuneral.com.
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Page 16 •
Williston Observer •
January 8, 2026
SPORTS
She flies through the air…
Six point win
CLOCKWISE (from right) CVU’s Connor DuBois gets the reverse layup past Mount Mansfield’s River Hadley during the Redhawks’ 56 - 50 win over the Cougars Saturday in Hinesburg. Tyler Simons gets free in the paint for a bucket. Adrian Paliling and River Hadley race for the loose ball. Connor DuBois outleaps MMU’s Jake Philbrick. OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY
CVU’s Mckena Lesage, top, leaps high above the balance beam during the Redhawks’ dual meet win over the Burr and Burton Bulldogs Dec. 30 at the Green Mountain Training Center. Leah Fortin, bottom left, lands a reverse somersault dismount from the beam. Gabriella Serafini, bottom right, completes the low bar release. OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY
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