Independence Day Preview - PAGES 11-15
Williston
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JUNE 25, 2026
A ‘grand’ finale WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
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The Grand Marshals in this year’s Fourth of July Parade are retiring Public Works Director Bruce Hoar, right, and Police Chief Patrick Foley.
OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY
Retiring department heads to lead July Fourth parade BY JASON STARR Observer staff There is hardly a moment when Patrick Foley or Bruce Hoar are truly off duty. They both signed up for town jobs — police chief and public works director — with ’round-the-clock responsibilities. But on the Fourth of July, when Williston stages its annual Independence Day parade through the Village, the pair will get a chance to give someone else the keys, sitting in a convertible as Grand Marshals at the head of the parade. It will be a time to wave, take a bow and say goodbye; they are both retiring at the end of the month. During Foley’s nine-year tenure as Williston Police Chief, he’s typically been on foot during the parade directing traffic. He said his law enforcement mindset will likely creep in, even this year. “I’m always working. Even
when celebrating, I’m always concerned about the what-ifs,” Foley said. Hoar typically does not attend Williston’s parade but said he was honored when asked to be a Grand Marshal, feted for his 17 years leading the public works department. “It’s a nice recognition,” he said. FAMILY CALLS
Foley is wrapping up a 50-year law enforcement career, the majority of it spent as chief in Vermont and Massachusetts towns. He arrived in Williston in 2017. Although he had planned to serve out the remainder of his current contract through 2028, family medical issues have pulled him and his wife increasingly toward his native Rhode Island over the past few years. Last winter, Foley, 73, decided it was time to move there. His wife had already been living in Rhode Island taking care of ailing family members.
“I need to relocate to help people down there,” Foley said. “It’s time. We need to be down there for everybody.” Foley’s daughter and her family live in Vermont at a home in Bristol, and he expects to return often. He also has friends and colleagues amassed during a career that began as an officer at the Burlington Police Department in the late 1970s, with whom he looks forward to continued get-togethers. “We will still visit,” Foley said. “It’s not that far of a ride and we like it here.” In Rhode Island, Foley plans to continue his committee work with the National Association of Chiefs of Police and potentially take a law enforcement teaching job. “I’m going to stay active,” he said. “I can’t sit still.” Foley is leaving a police department that continues to try to staff up. Recruiting officers has been a constant challenge of Foley’s
tenure, and the department is currently three officers short of fully staffed. A female officer is being sworn in later this month. Ideally, Foley would have had a deputy chief working under him for the past few years ready to step into the chief’s role. But departures of experienced officers short-circuited that plan. Town administrators are hoping to have a new chief in place soon enough to train under Foley for at least a few weeks before his July 31 retirement date. “The people I’ve heard who have expressed interest, any one of those would be a good replacement for me,” said Foley. “They are going to get somebody they are happy with.” EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME
Public works is a second career for Hoar — one that’s lasted 30 years. A native of Lancaster, Penn., Hoar joined the U.S. Coast Guard at age 17, and came to Vermont
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as a navigation officer on Lake Champlain. At age 30, he enrolled at Vermont Technical College, where he earned a degree in civil engineering. Hoar worked in the South Burlington public works department before taking the head job in Williston. “I’ve enjoyed my time here. It’s been a great career, but it’s time,” the 66-year-old Richmond resident said. “I don’t want to be the person in charge of everything anymore.” More than any other municipal department, public works serves every resident every day. From the water system, to the sewer system to the roads and sidewalks, the department maintains the infrastructure that is essential to daily life. “When you wake up in the morning and turn the water on, that’s public works,” said Hoar. “When you go out the door to drive down the road, that’s public works. see GRAND MARSHALS page 3
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