m! Yu
NT AU R A RE S T
G U ID
E PAG
E
ECRWSS PRSRT STD US Postage
Williston
PAID
Permit #15 Williston,VT 05495 POSTAL CUSTOMER
4 S 1 1 -1
JUNE 12, 2025
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
Smoke signals
WWW.WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
Local meteorologists take on the task of forecasting fire smoke BY JASON STARR Observer staff
Of all the impacts of global warming, wildfires and their migrating smoke plumes may be the most widely felt. An expansive swath of North America is currently under a haze of smoke billowing from uncontrolled fires in western Canada, and as residents of the Champlain Valley know, northern Vermont is in the crosshairs. Last weekend, wildfire smoke deteriorated local air quality into an unhealthy range for “sensitive groups,” according to an alert issued by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation’s Air Quality Division. The
department recommended that older adults, children and people with heart or lung conditions limit time outside. Then on Monday, a strong south wind scoured out the valley and cleared the air. The task of forecasting the comings and goings of wildfire smoke and its fine particulates travelling over 2,000 miles has fallen to local meteorologists, and it’s proven to be a lot trickier than predicting the weather. “We’re not necessarily taught how smoke behaves, and that is what makes forecasting smoke so difficult,” said Marissa Vigevani, one of the on-air meteorologist at the local NBC affiliate, see SMOKE page 10
The summit of Mt. Mansfield is barely visible through a smoky haze in this view from Lower Pleasant Valley Road in Cambridge. VTDIGGER FILE PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL
Sheltered pavilion coming to Village Community Park BY TRENT SNYDER Special to the Observer On May 13, the Williston Development Review Board approved the Recreation and Parks Department’s plan to construct a sheltered pavilion at Village Community Park alongside Library Lane. According to plans submitted to the board, the pavilion will have a 30-by-40-foot concrete floor and a green metal roof. A 5-foot-wide paved path that connects to the parking lot will also be installed. “The pavilion will be a great asset to the park as there is not a
pavilion in the park at this time,” Recreation and Parks Director Todd Goodwin said. It will be similar to sheltered pavilions already in place at other Williston parks, including Rossignol and Brennan parks. “It would be a place of shelter for groups using the park in sudden rain,” said Goodwin. “It would be a place for people to get out of the sun, enjoy lunch in the park, stop to rest, or use it for family functions.” The pavilion will be free and open to the public. However, reservations for special events can be made through the rec department’s website.
Construction is anticipated to begin this summer. The cost of the project is $110,000, funded by the towns’ selectboard-approved Community Project Fund. As an enhancement to the pavilion, the rec department is seeking community sponsors to fund the installation of six new picnic tables in and around the pavilion. The tables will add to four existing ones, creating a seating capacity of about 70 people. Village Community Park currently has two charcoal grills, and a third will be added near the pavilion. Community members who donate to fund the construction of a
Join Us for Farm-to-Table Brunch! Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM 282 Holland Ln, Williston • farmhousetg.com
A depiction of the new sheltered pavilion to be constructed this summer at Village Community Park. COURTESY OF WILLISTON RECREATION AND PARKS
picnic table will be able to personalize the table with a plaque that has one of the following messages: “In Honor of,” “In Memory of,” “In Celebration of” or “Dedicated to.”
Contact the rec department for more information about the sponsorship opportunity at 876-1160, by email at recreation@willistonvt.org or online at www.willistonrec.org.