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Farmhouse, Fiddlehead back out of Finney Discussions with brewery are ongoing

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

Pandemic-related uncertainty has caused a popular restaurant and brewery to shelve plans to open locations in Williston’s Finney Crossing neighborhood. The Farmhouse Group announced plans last winter for a second location of its Burlington flagship Farmhouse Tap and Grill to occupy the west end of the newly built Healthy Living building, which opened to customers in October. As the pandemic pulled restaurants into an austere new reality this spring and summer, the Farmhouse Group “hit the pause button” on the project, according to Finney Crossing developer Scott Rieley. “It’s not going to happen right now. It may very well happen in the future,” Rieley said. “They are concentrating on all

of the issues that the pandemic is creating for restaurants and they felt it was a good time to hit the pause button and focus on their current business.” The Farmhouse Group owns four Burlington-area restaurants. Healthy Living Market and Café occupies about 18,000 square feet of the new building, which fronts Route 2 across from Maple Tree Place. About 12,000 square feet remains, with enough space for up to five separate retailers, Rieley said. Fiddlehead Brewing Company and Folino’s Wood Fired Pizza — which are co-located at Fiddlehead’s Shelburne headquarters — had planned to move into a 7,500-square-foot building near the Hilton Hotel, which opened earlier this year. That building is in Finney Crossing’s master plan but is not yet built. In

the spring, Fiddlehead owners stopped is attractive to a lot of people. However, pursuing the project, Rieley said. it’s fair to say that everybody wants to be Owners of the Farmhouse Group and very careful about what type of business Fiddlehead did not removes they make.” turn calls seeking comA Fiddlehead-Foment. lino’s move to Finney “I think it had a lot Crossing is not off the to do with the pandemtable. According to Rieic,” Rieley said. “The ley, the owners are conpause button for evsidering the space on the erything got hit in late west end of the Healthy March. We have seen Living building that people moving very the Farmhouse Group carefully and very slowbacked out of. ly with their business “We have an ongo— Scott Rieley, decisions. ing discussion with FidFinney Crossing developer “There still remains dlehead for that space, a fair amount of interbut it’s not set in stone est (in the commercial space at Finney yet and the space remains available,” RiCrossing),” he continued. “We have a eley said. “It’s an expression of interest great building and a great location, and it only, not anything else.”

‘The pause button for everything got hit in late March.’

Employers urged to apply for hazard pay Senators condemn Walmart for ignoring program

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

Businesses have until the end of this week to apply for hazard pay grants on behalf of employees who worked on the front lines of COVID response last spring. The state grant program, funded through federal coronavirus relief funds, pays up to $2,000 per employee who worked in essential services related to the pandemic response in March, April and May. Only employees who make less than $25 per hour are eligible. “During the first difficult months of COVID, while most Americans were at home, many of these essential Vermont workers were asked to keep working or had no choice but to do so,” a group of state senators including Chittenden County’s Tim Ashe, Chris Pearson and Michael Sirotkin, said in a statement last Thursday, describing the grants as a ‘thank you’ to workers. The state has already distributed about $12 million in hazard pay grants to 7,000 people, according to the De-

partment of Financial Regulation. It has about $18 million left to distribute. Nearly 900 businesses have applied on behalf of their employees. The program is not set up for employees to apply individually. One notable exception is Walmart, which has six locations in Vermont including in Williston. The senators criticized Walmart for its decision to not apply for employee grants. “We are extremely disturbed to learn that Walmart has indicated they will not allow their Vermont employees to receive essential worker hazard pay grants,” the senators said. “Their decision, cruel under any circumstances, is especially unthinkable since the grants are intended to thank essential workers who stayed on the job in high-risk positions in the earliest days of the COVID pandemic.” The list of 887 businesses that have applied for grants is posted on the Department of Vermont Health Access website (www.dvha.vermont.gov). Williston businesses that have applied include see WALMART page 12

Redhawks battle for state titles CVU’s football and girls soccer teams reached their respective high school championship games Saturday. For results and photos, see pages 8-9. OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY

Page 2 • Williston Observer • November 12, 2020

We are pleased to welcome

Early December target for bringing grades 5-6 back to WCS BY ELAINE PINCKNEY Special to the Observer

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The Champlain Valley School District plans to have school open on the Monday after Thanksgiving. There are many rumors swirling around this topic, but they are just that, rumors. We have every intention to be in school and will be in school. The state will not be preemptively closing schools. As long as we are able to meet the basic criteria that govern our opening decisions (see sidebar), we will be in session. I wish I could tell you that we have a firm timeline for bringing back fifth- and sixth-graders to four-daysper-week, in-person instruction. We are actively working on it, but there are challenges. At this point, it is easier for us to bring back these students in our smaller schools than in our larger ones. The very complexity that afforded our larger schools more flexibility during hybrid learning creates greater logistical challenges. Our plan is to bring Charlotte and Hinesburg fifth- and sixth-graders back for four-days-per-week instruction as early as Nov. 16 and continue working with Shelburne and Williston in hopes

CVSD criteria for operating school in person • There is no or low COVID activity in our communities • Our ability to staff our classrooms is stable and sufficient • Our routines are efficient and effective and trouble spots have been worked out • We are able to maintain compliance with Vermont Department of Health and Agency of Education guidance • We are confident in the Department of Health’s ability to respond to any positive cases in our school community of bringing their fifth- and sixth-graders back after the Thanksgiving break — but no sooner than Dec. 7. As we have done in the past, we will survey families to learn their preference of instructional model (four-days-perweek in-person or fully remote). Elaine Pinckney is superintendent of the Champlain Valley School District.

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November 12, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 3

Committee tackles superintendent search

A sub-committee of the Champlain Valley School Board is considering hiring a recruiting company for help finding a replacement for Superintendent Elaine Pinckney. Pinckney has announced plans to retire at the end of this school year. She has been with the district for 20 years, the past 15 as superintendent. The board’s Human Resources Subcommittee discussed the hiring plan during its last three monthly meetings, most recently last Tuesday. A job opening announcement has not yet been published. “The committee is looking to do a thorough search looking for internal, local and national candidates with the full intention of having someone in place for the next school year,” District Human Resources Director

Elaine Pinkney

Mark McDermott said. The subcommittee includes McDermott and school board members Russ Caffry (Shelburne), Colleen MacKinnon (Hinesburg), Jeff Martin (Charlotte) and Ken Scott (Shelburne). As the hiring process continues, a larger committee of

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administrators, board members, school staff and parents will be convened to evaluate candidates, McDermott said. He expects a job opening announcement to be posted by the middle of December. During last Tuesday’s meeting, the committee discussed using a search firm to help find candidates. Members have had preliminary talks with a couple companies about it, McDermott said. Using a search company would be a first for the district, the largest in the state. — Jason Starr

Thanksgiving food drive set for Saturday

The Williston Federated Church is hosting a community-wide food drive to help 20 local families with Thanksgiving meals and food during the upcoming school break. Community members are asked to drop off food in the church parking lot at 44 North Williston Rd. between 9-11 a.m. on Saturday. Food items needed are: bags of potatoes, canned vegetables, pie crust mix, pie filling, evaporated milk, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy and Hannaford gift cards. Additional food items needed are: peanut butter, cereal, pasta sauce, canned fruit and granola bars. Any excess food will be donated to the Williston Community Food Shelf. Remember to wear a mask when donating food.

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Page 4 • Williston Observer • November 12, 2020

At Lyric, the show must go on

BY YASMIN TAYEBY Observer correspondent

After 46 seasons, the Lyric Theatre Company decided on March 13 to postpone an upcoming production for the first time in the organization’s history. Like so many other events, “Matilda the Musical,” set to be performed at The Flynn Center, was sidelined by COVID-19. “That was pretty heartbreaking for a lot of people,” said Erin Evarts, Executive Director of the South Burlington-based theater company. “But we pivoted really quickly.” The all-volunteer organization used its membership to the benefit of the state by partnering with the City of Burlington to make masks. Along with doz-

ens of other organizations and volunteers, Evarts said that they have now made roughly 24,000 masks for essential workers. However, as the virus continued to wreak havoc and restrictions remained in place, the company decided it was time to get back to what they love. “As it started to look more and more like we weren’t going to be able to get back into the Flynn right away, there were some discussions amongst the board and different members about what comes next. What else can we do to keep our membership engaged?” Evarts said. In the summer, the company put on an outdoor concert series called “New Leaf,” which closed on Oct. 4. With the colder

weather moving in, though, Lyric decided to pivot once more. “Songs for a New World,” a contemporary song cycle written by Jason Robert Brown, will be Lyric’s first full-length musical presented online. While the company is not the first to be moving its productions to streaming services, Lyric has found an innovative way of navigating the new reality. “When it comes to singing, because we do know that’s not the safest activity, we haven’t had people actually sing on set,” Evarts said. Cast members recorded themselves singing ahead of filming, and when it came time to remove their masks during the performance, they would lip-

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Lyric Theatre Company cast member Carah Pioli Hunt of Williston sews masks earlier this year. She is part of the group’s upcoming online show ‘Songs for a New World.’ OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO BY KYLIE HALPIN

sync to their own voices. This like a traditional theater perforwas also true of rehearsals to fur- mance, Evarts said the Christmas ther ensure the safety of the per- special is being shot more like formers. a TV special, All of the featuring skits audio files from as well as mu‘What else can each cast memsical numbers. we do to keep ber were sent Tickets for to the musical our membership “Songs for a director who New World” engaged?’ was in charge go on sale Friof editing and day at 10 a.m. — Erin Evarts Flynn executive director mixing all of at http://www. the parts into showtix4u. the instrumencom/event-detal tracks, Evarts said. tails/40714. Ticket prices are $15 The same technique is being for a single ticket, or $35 for a used to record Lyric’s second up- family. coming production, “Miracle on To follow the Lyric Theatre Green Tree Dr. – A Lyric Family Company and stay up to date on Christmas Special.” upcoming performances, such While “Songs for a New as the Christmas special, go to World” was shot by and large www.lyrictheatrevt.org.

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Quarantine required for all non-essential travel BY GUY PAGE Special to the Observer

Gov. Phil Scott suspended the Vermont COVID-19 “travel map” on Tuesday. The State of Vermont has implemented a mandatory 14-day quarantine for any non-essential returning or traveling to Vermont. Any Vermonter who travels out of state on non-essential business must quarantine for 14 days upon return. All visitors to Vermont on non-essential business must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. The Health Department “dashboard” showed 12 people hospitalized Tuesday for COVID-19, four in intensive care. The first death since July occurred several days ago. On Sunday, the state reported 43

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new cases, the largest one-day new case report since early last spring. The travel map had been used to show Vermonters where they could, and couldn’t, travel out of state without needing to quarantine upon return. But a current wave of COVID regionally and nationwide has made virtually every regional county unsafe for travel. The no-exceptions travel policy is the latest response by

the Scott administration to keep the rising wave of COVID-19 out of Vermont as much as possible. It follows Friday’s “strong recommendation” to limit indoor private gatherings to 10 or fewer people. The decision to not enforce (for now) limits on private gatherings is practical: it’s “very difficult to do,” Scott said. “That’s why we’re trying to make our case” for voluntary gatherings of 10 or fewer people. “People

are getting more lax.” State officials are collecting information on public behavior and transmission in Vermont restaurants, officials said. “Simply refusing to do your part is dangerous for the rest of us,” Scott said. “I’m asking you to think about what you can do to stop the growing waves of infections. Please do your part. I know it’s a choice. I’m asking you to make the right choice for the right reasons.”

“We are truly on a threshold, and the decisions we make will dictate our future,” Health Commissioner Mark Levine said. “And I don’t mean our long-term future, I mean our immediate future,” Health Commissioner Mark Levine said. Guy Page is publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle, online at www.vermontdailychronicle.com.

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Page 6 • Williston Observer • November 12, 2020

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Phone: (802) 872-9000

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SUBMISSIONS/LETTERS SEND TO editor@willistonobserver.com • News/story tips welcomed • Letters must be 300 words or fewer • Deadline is Monday at noon Include your name, address and a daytime phone number (so we can verify the letter’s author, phone numbers and street addresses will be kept confidential) Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity. Letters that have been submitted to multiple media outlets may not be printed. CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS SEND TO editor@willistonobserver.com Must include: • name of event & organization • date, time and place of event • contact information. We only print submissions for nonprofit groups and organizations. CLASSIFIEDS SEND TO marianne@willistonobserver.com PAID CLASSIFIEDS: There is a fee for business, real estate and help wanted ads. FREE CLASSIFIEDS: Printed on a ‘space-available’ basis; no guarantee of placement. • 25 words or fewer • Deadline is Friday at noon

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GUEST COLUMN

Scott: Time to rise above BY GOV. PHIL SCOTT

I want to congratulate President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris. I also want to recognize this historic moment as we see the first ever woman, and the first ever person of color, reach the U.S. vice presidency. It is my greatest hope they will be successful in uniting our country and leading us forward through these difficult times. And regardless of who we voted for, each of us must do all we can to heal our nation. We simply cannot go on with the level of division and polarization we’re seeing. It is preventing us from addressing our greatest challenges and strengthening adversaries who want to dim the bright light of liberty and economic opportunity that America represents in the world. We are counting on President-Elect Biden to deliver the principled, unifying leadership he committed to on the campaign trail. We are counting on the Congress to find a better, less partisan and more Amer-

ican path forward. And we are counting on President Trump and his administration to honor the will of the people, respect our democratic process and commit to the peaceful transfer of power that is the very foundation of our republic.

And regardless of who we voted for, each of us must do all we can to heal our nation. — Gov. Phil Scott

For over 200 years, our electoral process has stood as the example to the free world, providing hope for people and places where free elections are not guaranteed. We cannot let our system fall victim to those who fail to live up to its values. I want to be clear about this: Both Republican and Democrat election officials in every state in the country stand by the integrity of this process. Only legal votes are being counted. The voters have spoken. It is now up to each of us to rise above the anger and divisiveness and to turn our focus to our common humanity and love of family, freedom and country. This is what real leadership would call on us to do — win or lose.

We can start by treating those with whom we disagree on public policy or politics with dignity and respect, knowing vigorous debate can still be civil. We can listen to, and learn from, others, putting ourselves in another person’s shoes. And we can work to find common ground rather than create conflict. Whether it is in our homes, churches, schools, sports or the military, we teach our kids and young adults that character and integrity matter. We must reapply these principles to our public service. This is how we reunite in common cause. This is our moment in time to reclaim our moral compass, move the United States forward and live up to our greatest ideals: Equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity for every American. With every election, we are given a clean slate, a new opportunity to rise to the challenge and accept the great responsibility bestowed upon us by those we are elected to serve. Let’s face that challenge together — moderates, conservatives and liberals, Republicans, independents and Democrats — working together, respecting one another and pulling in the same direction. Phil Scott is governor of Vermont.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Election gratitude Thank you for electing me as one of your State Senators. If I did not earn your support in this election, I hope to do so in the years to come. We are facing many new challenges in the coming legislative session. My plan is to work hard on priorities that attract opportunity, growth, investment and people to Vermont while increasing housing affordability, upgrading broadband access, improving the health of our environment and social justice issues. My aim is to represent you in a maximally transparent and accessible manner. Please call, email, text or tweet at me. And please write letters to the editor of this newspaper. Our community newspapers like the Williston Observer provide high-quality local journalism critical to a functioning democracy, an informed electorate and vigorous public discourse. Facebook and Google are not writing articles about our local schools — this paper is. And in so doing, they are strengthening our communities and keeping Vermont neighborly. My wife and I think fondly of our years living in Williston and my aim is to represent Williston to the best of my ability

in every action taken down in Montpelier. I wish everyone the very best during these challenging times. Thomas Chittenden South Burlington

Voting is democracy I voted early for the first time this year, and I did so reluctantly. I enjoy the voting experience: running into friends, chatting with the volunteers and, most importantly, the baked goods offered from a local fundraiser. This year, of course, was different: Participating in the election process as if nothing were wrong in the world would have put at risk not only my life, but also everyone with whom I came into contact that day. Early voting, in this sense, was a lifeline for community members like myself who wanted to take part in our nation’s most fundamental right without putting anyone else at risk. It is through this perspective that I read with complete perplexity Rob Roper’s guest column “Why early voting is bad for democracy” (Nov. 5). It is not because his reasons are nonsensical, which they

glaringly are; it is his utter lack of the merest utterance of the pandemic that we are experiencing and have suffered through for the past 10 months. How could someone, a president of an institute no less, be so out of sync with the world he inhabits? It wasn’t until I did a little research and became more informed (as Roper condescendingly advises), I soon found out that the Ethan Allen Institute that he leads is a think tank run by politicos affiliated with our out-going president’s party. So now it all made sense. Voting, in whatever shape that it takes, is good for democracy; in fact, it is the essence of democracy. What is truly bad with our democratic process is the misinformation campaign that our soon-to-be ex-president has spread like a disease for the past four years and of which Roper’s article is just another misguided example that should be ignored. McKew Devitt Williston

Why early voting works for me I disagree with most of Rob Roper’s premises in his recent column (“Why early voting is bad for democracy” Nov. 5).

I moved here from Oregon two years ago. I voted by mail there for decades. This year, we have COVID. I jumped at the chance to vote by mail. Mail-in ballots must reach voters early. This year, we faced possible unreliable postal service due a political appointee’s manipulations at the top of the U.S. Postal Service. Oregon voters receive a voters pamphlet that provides information about every election in the state: candidates names, educational backgrounds and employment histories; state-

ments by the candidates; lists of organizations and individuals that endorse the candidate and their reasons; and statements by those who oppose the candidate. There is an expense to providing this pamphlet. Most voters wait for it before voting. Vermont’s resources for researching candidates are limited. I couldn’t find websites for some of the people on the ballot I received. Ditto news media coverage. Local candidates sometimes sent postcards that didn’t identify their political see LETTERS page 14

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Colchester stymies CVU title hopes BY LAUREN READ Observer correspondent

Saturday’s high school football game didn’t have the fanfare of a Division I state title game. It didn’t have the hard hits and bruising run game of a regular Vermont high school football matchup. But the Burlington area 7-on-7 high school football championship game between No. 1 Champlain Valley and No. 2 Colchester featured plenty of excitement and end-to-end action. And in the end, it featured joy for one team and heartbreak for another. “Every time we play a Tom Perry team, every time CVU and Colchester play, it’s exciting, it’s right down to the wire,” said CVU coach Rahn Fleming. “Heartbreaker if you are wearing red.” With just 18 seconds remaining, the Redhawks couldn’t find the end zone on a late two-point conversion try that would have tied the game, and Colchester won the back-and-forth contest, 35-33. “We came within a foot,” Fleming said. “We ask so much of them — their time, their energy, their dedication ... they responded and they gave everything they had right up to the very last.” After Colchester scored a touchdown with 2:21 remaining in the game, it pulled ahead to a 35-27 lead with Champlain Valley getting one shot at tying the game. The Redhawks marched down the field, with quarterback Max Destito finding receivers to get them

inside the 20-yard line. The sophomore found Alex Provost for a touchdown with 18 seconds remaining in regulation to give CVU a shot. “We had a sense of how we could call our plays to maximize the amount of space on the grass to give to our receivers and our quarterbacks,” Fleming said. “Our quarterbacks were just doing a good job of putting the ball where they can catch it.” But it all hinged on the two-point conversion. Destito fired the ball to a receiver right on the goal line, but two Colchester defenders stepped up to keep the CVU player out of the end zone and clinch the win for the Lakers. “I feel like we got right to the edge of the promised land, like a foot away from the border of the promised land and we didn’t get in,” Fleming said. “So what do we do? We fall back. We regroup, we get started (preparing for next year). Destito finished the game 20 of 29 passing, with 338 yards and four touchdowns. Seth Boffa caught an 80-yard TD and Provost caught nine passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Aidan Miller and Will Murphy each had a TD catch as well for the Redhawks. Isaac Bergeron also had a touchdown pass, completing a 6-yard pass to Murphy for a score. “I want to emphasize and celebrate the efforts of the kids that played here this year,” Fleming said. “We created momentum this year.”

Send your story ideas to editor@willistonobserver.com

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Luck runs out for Redhawks Burlington beat the Redhawks 2-1 to capture the state title and snap the CVU winning streak. “They got a couple of chances and obviously put them away,” said CVU coach Stan Williams. “Those kind of plays that almost to me highlights how incredible it’s been, what this group has done. I mean, the nature of soccer is those little plays can make an Redhawk, Olivia Zubarik gets by her SBHS impact like that.” defender during CVU's D1 final match vs. the So. Burlington Wolves on Saturday at Things started off Burlington's turf field. OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL well for CVU in the FREY game, with forward Josie Through 61 straight wins Pecor scoring just eight minutes and eight state titles in the last into the game. The senior took 10 years, the Champlain Valley a pass up near the 30-yard line, girls soccer team has gotten their took a peek at goal and fired fair share of lucky bounces. a picture perfect shot into the On Saturday, in the Divi- back of the net. sion I state championship game “I think we settled and startat Burlington High School, their ed to figure out trying to win the luck ran out. midfield and to get organized,” Two defensive miscues Williams said. “That was a pretturned into two goals as South see LUCK page 14 BY LAUREN READ Observer correspondent

November 12, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 9

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See What’S PoSSible In a year defined by challenges, UVM can help clear the pathway to a brighter future. Spring 2021 courses have been published and registration opens November 30th. Choose from hundreds of options, available on campus, online, and in hybrid format and use this time as an opportunity earnand credits your degree, career advancement, or Head to UVM this to summer achievetoward something that’s important to take a course just for fun. Explore courses now and start daydreaming you. Want to master a new skill? Study project management or digital about what’s possible in 2021. marketing. Need to scratch a creative itch? Take a class in photography or creative writing – they’re open to anyone. Whatever you want to SpringUVM courses accomplish, is the placestart to go. February 1, 2021

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Page 10 • Williston Observer • November 12, 2020

SENIORS

How to track down old friends online

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Remembering the Details Before you begin your search, a good first step is to jot down any information you can remember or find out about the people you’re trying to locate. Things like their full name (maiden and married), age or birth date, last known address or phone number, old e-mail address, names of family members, etc. Knowing details can help you turn up clues while you search.

Social Media and Search Engines

After you compile your information, a good place to start your search is at social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. And search engines like Google and Yahoo. When using search engines, type in the name of the person you’re searching for in quotation marks, for example, “John Smith.” You can narrow your search by adding other criteria like their nickname or middle name, the city or state they may live in or their occupation.

People Search Sites If your initial search comes up empty, you can also use people searches like www. AnyWho.com, www.Intelius. com or www.WhitePages.com. These sites will provide a list of potential matches from across the U.S. Because many people share the same name, these sites will also supply details to help identify the right person, perhaps including their age, prior hometowns, names of relatives, colleges attended or employer.

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While these sites are free to use at a basic level, they charge a small fee for providing certain details like the persons contact information. WhitePages, however, sometimes provides home phone numbers for free.

Niche Finding Sites Here are a few other niche people-finding websites to help you with your search. To look for old high school classmates, try www.Classmates.com. This site has contact information only for people who have registered with it. But even if your friend hasn’t registered, it could provide contact info for another classmate who remains in touch with your friend. Another option is to check out your high school alumni website. Not every school has its own site, but some do, and you can look for it by going to any search engine and typing in the name of the school with the city and state in which it is located. You can also search at www.AlumniClass.com, a huge hosting site for thousands of high schools across the U.S. If you’re looking for old college friends, look for an alumni directory on the school’s website. You might be able to access your friend’s contact info by completing an online registration. Or, try calling or emailing your alumni relations department and ask them to pass on your contact info to your friend. If you’re looking for somsee SAVVY SENIOR page 12

November 12, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 11

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. LEARN TO SKI/RIDE PROGRAM

The ski/ride program will be on Wednesdays from 2:304:30 p.m. at Cochran’s ski area starting in January. Busing may be available. Registration will open in December. The program is open to all Williston residents. DONATION OF SKI OR SNOWBOARDING EQUIPMENT

Donations of children’s equipment for the Learn to Ski/ Ride Program are greatly appreciated and helpful. The program is for K-8th-graders in Williston. It is a cooperative with Williston Schools, Cochran’s Ski Area and Williston Recreation. Children are provided with lessons and ski/ ride time for seven weeks. Donations of children’s skis, poles or boots and children’s snowboards and boots are appreciated. Donations of equipment can be dropped off at Williston Central School, at the front entrance to the building Nov. 12 from 5-6 p.m.

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Walmart continued from page

STAY SAFE, VERMONT!

Village Hardware, Subway, the O’Brien’s store, Vermont Meat and Seafood, Shelburne Meat Market, Shaw’s grocery store and Hannaford grocery store. “We are deeply grateful for our Vermont team and their dedication to serving our customers and communities,” said Shaw’s Community Relations Manager Teresa Edington. “After discussing the parameters of the … program with the Department of Financial Regulation, the company is partaking in the grant application process on behalf of eligible employees.” On Monday, Commissioner of Financial Regulation Michael Pieciak announced an expansion of the program to include people who worked at essential businesses last spring but no longer work for that business.

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These former employees will receive grant applications in the mail, he said. Legislators left it up to employers to apply on behalf of their employees to simplify application verification and grant distribution. They estimated about 30,000 workers would be eligible. “Better several hundred employers verify eligibility than requiring the submission of 30,000 applications,” the senators said. Pieciak urged potentially eligible employees to review the list of applicants at www. dvha.vermont.gov to see if their employer has applied. “I encourage eligible businesses to review the program, reach out if they have questions and to apply — we have removed financial barriers on employers and the money goes directly to the benefit of their employees,” he said.

Savvy Senior continued from page

vone you served with in the military, www.Military.com offers a free “Buddy Finder” service that has a database of more than 20 million records — visit www.Military.com/buddy-finder. You can also search for free at www.GIsearch.com, www. TogetherWeServed.com and www.VetFriends.com. If you can’t find any current information about the person you’re searching for, it could be that he or she has passed away. To find out if that’s the case, use obituary databases such as www.Tributes.com and www. Legacy.com, which has a newspaper obituary search tool from hundreds of U.S. newspapers. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

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Construction of mountain warfare facility begins in Jericho

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Soldiers train at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho. The range hosts the Army’s only mountain warfare school. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

The Vermont National Guard broke ground on its new Army Mountain Warfare School building last Thursday at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho. The $27 million, 83,000-square-foot facility is expected to be complete in early 2022. It will include educational space, sleeping quarters for 174 soldiers, a dining facility and an indoor climbing wall. It will use a geothermal ground source system to provide heating and cooling and have space for solar panel installation. The Vermont National Guard has operated the only Army Mountain Warfare School in the country since 1983. The guard instructs courses in basic, advanced and specialty mountain warfare. It provides training to United States and foreign military forces in a variety of

countries. “Replacing the facilities of the Army Mountain Warfare School allows the Army to greatly expand and improve its capabilities,” said Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy. “As appropriations vice chairman, I was glad to be in a position to be able to ensure that it was funded, when the Army told me that despite the need it had not been included in the budget submission. I’m proud of the opportunity ahead of us for Vermonters to expand our ability to teach soldiers and other members of our armed services how to not only survive, but to master the most of difficult terrain and cold climates.” Vermont National Guard Adjutant General Greg Knight said: “This school is where students learn to become com-

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Luck continued from page

ty even first half.” But South Burlington kept coming, putting pressure on the Redhawks defense and controlling the midfield. The hard work paid off with just under 15 minutes left in the first half, when a miscommunication between a defender and the CVU goalkeeper saw the ball fall to a wide-open Madison King-Thurber, who deposited it into the net for a 1-1 tie. “South Burlington is very good, they are very technical, quick, move the ball well,” Williams said. “They were very aggressive today, very quick on the ball and I think that showed.” The Redhawks turned up the pressure in the second half, looking to take the lead. But stout defensive work by Grace Johnson and the South Burlington back line kept CVU and its high-powered offense quiet. Then, the bad luck struck again, this time in a misplay by a defender on a long ball forward to South Burlington’s

Rachel Kelley with five minutes remaining in regulation. The miscue allowed the first-year forward to collect the ball alone and she fired it past the CVU keeper. “The girls, they figured it out and they played through it and then we had a number of chances,” Williams said. “Then one of those soccer plays that can happen again, just bounces a weird way. It just shows you how amazing it’s been.” The Redhawks finish the regular season with a 10-1 record, with their first loss coming in the final game of the season. The CVU senior class leaves the program with just that one loss — a 51-1 record — and three straight state championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019. “Their legacy as Vermont soccer players, as CVU soccer players, that’s cemented,” Williams said. “One game is not impacting that. Yes, they are going to hurt, they are going to cry, but they are going to do it together. “They’ll always have the memories of a pretty amazing four-year career.”

Letters continued from page

party. As for other statements in Roper’s column: Why is it an inconvenience to see lawn signs sprouting early? I find it hard to see how early voting impacts the economics of running for office. The good old days are gone. We know less about our neighbors and people in our town than our parents did. That’s how it is. And, voters choose when to mail a ballot in. Remember this COVID context: There was high participation thanks to the safety of mail-in ballots. Maybe they don’t need to come 45 days early, but as a senior, I prefer vote by mail. The sooner I have the ballot, the sooner I begin to determine who should have my vote. Tricia Knoll Williston

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A post-election opportunity For the last four years, it has been easy to point at President Trump as somehow being the accelerant for the fires of tribalism in our country. I suggest those fires were burning before Trump, and threaten to continue burning after the 2020 red-andblue maps are all tucked away. The reality is that, if we all continue to go for the jugular, who will we then blame for the toxic political culture with Trump out of office? Will the mainstream news media finally play it straight, or will they continue to present partisan opinion-mongering as “news.” If there is any institution that requires rehabilitation more than the presidency and Congress, it is the news media. Will they speak truth to power when those in power are the ones they prefer? If they don’t, and instead remain political lapdogs for their preferred side, then who was truly the gasoline being added to our partisan fire these last four years? Perhaps

those whose ratings and internet clicks depended upon sowing division across our nation. Being a glass-half-full kind of guy, I do see this as an opportunity for our society to mend itself and start charting a new course based upon mutual respect and a willingness to listen empathetically to those with whom we disagree. But this is nothing more than an opportunity. Life presents us with opportunities, but doesn’t guaranty the choices and outcomes that follow. It is up to each of us, regardless of our political stripes, to demand that this opportunity to correct course be taken full advantage of. If we continue down the same path of toxic politics when Trump is out of office, maybe it will be revealed that the real monster has been us all along. Let’s hope that is not the case or, if it is, let us all be honest enough with ourselves and our neighbors and fellow citizens to recognize this fact and do better — much better. Our nation’s future depends on it. Chris Roy Williston

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Jericho continued from page

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Fire damages home, kills pets

Firefighters respond to a house fire on Nob Hill Road last Wednesday. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTOS

A fire on Nob Hill Road last Wednesday that damaged a home and killed multiple animals living there was caused by the use of extension cords, an investigation by the Vermont State Police and the Vermont Fire Marshal’s office has concluded. No one was injured in the fire. The Williston Fire Department responded to the home Wednesday morning to find fire engulfing the backside

of the home. All people living there had evacuated. The fire began on a porch and traveled into the attic, Williston firefighters said. It took roughly two hours for firefighters to control it. “Numerous animals were discovered deceased inside the home,” Williston Fire Department Public Information Officer Prescott Nadeau said in a press release. “Our deepest sympathy goes out

to the homeowner for their loss.” Because the home is located in an area not served by fire hydrants, the department brought water tank trucks to the scene, along with 12 firefighters. An ambulance was also on scene. The fire department reminded residents of the following electrical cord safety guidelines from the U.S. Fire Administration.

• Extension cords should be used for temporary purposes only. • Avoid putting cords where they can be damaged or pinched, like under a carpet or rug, or through a doorway. • Replace worn, old or damaged extension cords right away. • Do not overload power strips • Use power strips that have internal overload protection.

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WITH SUPPORT FROM

• Interpreter services and a Spanish-speaking Counselor are available If you experience difficulty reaching 2-1-1, try 866-652-4636.

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