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Energy coordinator added to budget proposal Board uses federal funds to offset tax increase BY JASON STARR Observer staff The Williston Selectboard added a full-time energy coordinator position to its budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year and included $300,000 in federal pandemic recovery funds to soften the budget’s property tax impacts in deliberations earlier this month. Last Tuesday, the board finalized the $13.1 million proposal, forwarding it for voter consideration at Town Meeting Day, March 1. The proposal is about $100,000 greater than the first draft proposal presented by town administrators in December, largely due to the addition of the energy coordinator position. However, the tax impact of the budget was decreased from the original draft due to the use of the federal funds. The budget carries about $1.6 million in new spending over the current fiscal year — an increase of nearly 14 percent. The municipal tax rate is estimated to increase roughly 15 percent, from about 27 cents per $100 of assessed property value to 31 cents, costing the owner of a median-priced ($302,000) Williston home an additional $115 on their annual property tax bill. The town has been granted $3 million in pandemic recovery funds through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. In using 10 percent of those funds ($300,000) to offset the budget’s tax impact, the selectboard reduced the tax rate increase three percentage points from the 18 percent that was estimated with December’s first draft. “Let’s maximize what ARPA dollars we can this year because of this huge (budget) increase,” board member Jeff Fehrs said during a Jan. 11 meeting. The town had already committed about $300,000 in ARPA funds for use this fiscal year and in next year’s capital budget. Use of the remaining $2.4 million will be the subject of future board deliberations. The town has until the end of 2024 to spend the funds. The majority of the $1.6 million budget increase is attributable to the approval of nine new firefighter positions, as recommended in a staffing study the Fire Department commissioned last year. Using one-time federal funds to help pay for salaries and benefits of the new hires presents the prospect of future budget and tax increases when the federal money is spent, Town Manager Erik Wells advised. “In the end, any positions that use ARPA for initial funding will need to be paid for in full by the general fund in a future budget,” Wells wrote in a Jan. 11 memo to the board. The need for new full-time firefighters is driven by the shrinking ranks of the department’s on-call staff.

Town Meeting Day voting will take place March 1 at the National Guard Armory on Williston Road, above. Early voting is available by contacting the Town Clerk to request a mailed ballot. Below, selectboard incumbents Ted Kenney, left, and Greta D’Agostino, center, are running unopposed for new terms. At right, Angela Arsenault, is running unopposed for a new term on the school board. OBSERVER FILE PHOTOS

Ted Kenney

Greta D’Agostino

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

the budget and borrowing questions at its Jan. 18 meeting. The budget increases spending by $4.1 million over the current fiscal year and would cause a tax rate increase of 2 percent, to $1.62 for every $100 of assessed property value, according to Jeanne Jensen, the district’s chief operations officer. The increase would cost the owner of a

Angela Arsenault

School budget finalized for Town Meeting The Champlain Valley School Board will ask for voter support for an $89.4 million annual budget and borrowing authority for school buses and building upgrades totaling $7.7 million on the Town Meeting Day ballot. The board unanimously approved

see ENERGY COORDINATOR page 16

$300,000 Williston home, as an example, an additional $94 on their annual property tax bill. The primary drivers of the spending increase are anticipated salary and health insurance increases in a new contract with the teachers union that is currently being negotiated, as well as inflation in the general cost of see SCHOOL BUDGET page 16

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EPA changes cleanup plan for Commerce St. site

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Public comments accepted through Feb. 23 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting public comments on a proposed update to its cleanup plan for the Commerce Street Plume Superfund Site on 1 acre of land at 96 Commerce St., in Williston. The proposed update, for-

mally called an “Explanation of Significant Differences,” includes a modification of soil cleanup levels, elimination of the use of chemical oxidation of groundwater and modifying the method for preventing volatile contaminants from accumulating in the home on the site. According to the EPA, the changes won’t fundamentally change the scope or cost of the project. The site was home to var-

ious manufacturing and electroplating operations since 1960. The primary source of contamination was an unlined lagoon used to dispose of industrial rinse water and sludge wastes. During a 1982 investigation of the site, the State of Vermont found the company on the site in violation of hazardous waste regulations for the disposal of chromium-contaminated wastes. Contaminated soil, sediment and groundwa-

ter with metals and industrial solvents were found. The site was added to the EPA’s National Priority List in 2005. The site was recently selected to receive funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding will jump start the groundwater cleanup, which has been awaiting funding since 2018. More information about the Explanation of Significant Differences can be found at www.epa.gov/superfund/com-

CVSD opens preschool applications for next school year The Champlain Valley School District’s early education program is accepting applications for a random lottery to fill spots for the 2022-23 school year. The preschool programs are available in Williston, Hinesburg and Shelburne and follow the CVSD school calendar. Students who will be age 3 or older by Sept. 1, but not yet 5 years old, are eligible to enter the lottery. Applications must be re-

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ceived by Feb. 4. Application forms are available at https:// sites.google.com /cvsdvt.org/ cvsd-early-education/home. The program is a part-time, partial day, play-based preschool with a curriculum based on Vermont early learning standards. Students will be selected via a lottery and families notified in early March. Questions can be directed to CVSD Director of Early Education Shelley Henson at shenson@cvsdvt.org.

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mercestreet and at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. Public comments will be accepted through Feb. 23 and can be emailed to Darryl Luce at luce.darryl@epa.gov or mailed to: Darryl Luce; U.S. EPA Region 1 Mail Code: 071; 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100; Boston, MA 02109-3912. For more information, contact EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Charlotte Gray at gray.charlotte@epa. gov or (617) 918-1243.

Nature trail boardwalk replacement begins The Allen Brook Nature trail entrance from the Village Park recreation path will be closed starting Jan. 31 as the town’s planning department rebuilds the boardwalk along the trail. The project is expected to be ongoing through at least the end of March. Other trail access points will remain open. Questions about the project and the closure can be directed to Conservation Planner Melinda Scott at 8786704.

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Paying farmers for pollution reduction BY EMMA COTTON VTDigger Farmers who are working to reduce phosphorus pollution from their fields into local water bodies may soon be eligible for a new kind of compensation. Agriculture has long been recognized as the largest source of phosphorus pollution to Lake Champlain, and farmers, often financially strapped, have said that water quality work is expensive, time-consuming and sometimes out of reach. A new program, run through Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, aims to compensate farmers for amounts of phosphorus pollution they can reduce that go beyond what’s ex-

pected through regulatory programs. A grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation District allocated $7 million to what’s called the “pay for performance” program, Vermont officials announced earlier this month. Over four years, the program will send $4.9 million in direct payments to farmers who successfully reduce phosphorus. A farm has to reduce 40 percent of its phosphorus before it can be eligible for the program, though farmers can get $15 per acre — up to $4,000 — for entering data from their practices. After that initial reduction has taken place, a farmer could earn $100 per pound of phosphorus re-

duced, up to $50,000 per farm per year. Ryan Patch, assistant director of the Agency of Agriculture’s water quality division, said he hopes that about 40 to 50 farms will enter their data, and the program plans to enroll between 20 and 30 farms. Phosphorus exists in manure and fertilizer often used on farm fields, and rain and snowmelt can wash it into streams or lakes. In excess, phosphorus can cause blooms of cyanobacteria and algae, which can rob water bodies of the oxygen that plants and animals need to survive. Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, poses risks to human and animal health. see POLLUTION page 4

Green tips Advice for maximizing your fireplace and chimney efficiency this winter, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (www.energy.gov). • Keep the fireplace damper closed unless you have a fire burning. It can be easy to forget to close it when the fire has burned out, but keeping the damper open can cause drafts and heat loss in the rest of the house. But be careful, it can also be easy to forget to open it when you start a fire. • Install tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system that blows warm air back into the room. • Check the seals around your fire-

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place flue damper. If the seals aren’t tight, you could be losing home heating through the chimney. • Insulate your chimney. Exhaust exiting through the chimney can create creosote build-up and decrease the efficiency of your fireplace. Liners provide maximum efficiency for your chimney and protect masonry from corrosive byproducts of the flue gases. • Each year before it gets too cold, have your chimney properly inspected by a professional certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America. A certified chimney inspector can offer advice to help make sure all the components of your fireplace and chimney are functioning efficiently and safely. • If you don’t use your fireplace, consult an expert and have the chimney flue plugged and sealed.

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January 27, 2022

Lake Champlain is loaded with too much phosphorus, according to the 2016 Total Maximum Daily Load, a document that serves as a restoration plan for the lake. It outlines goals for the lake that the state is expected to meet by 2038. In 2016, agriculture in Lake Champlain’s basin contributed about 40 percent of that phosphorus. Since that year, when the Environmental Protection Agency established the Total Maximum

Daily Load, farmers have been responsible for more than 90 percent of the phosphorus reductions that have taken place. The “pay for performance” program is one of the first of its kind in the United States, according to an announcement from the agency. “We’re looking at some of those cumulative effects of planning — nutrient management, all of those practices — across every field across the whole farm,” Patch said. In this case, the agency is using environmental modeling tools, calibrated to Vermont’s

climate, that measure pollution reduction. When the Total Maximum Daily Load was created, the EPA modeled how much phosphorus ran off of farm fields and into water bodies. Farmers would take data from their nutrient management plan — a document that guides their use of fertilizer and manure — and plug it into the modeling system. The program would use that modeling to compare the amount of phosphorus coming off of fields now. “We compare those two values: What’s the base loading? What’s the current loading?”

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Patch said. In 2020, management practices stopped around 25,000 pounds from entering local waterways, according to the most recent Clean Water Performance Report published in January 2021. Farmers have implemented management practices on more than 50,000 acres of agricultural land. Recently, several environmental organizations sent a letter to the Agency of Agriculture asking it to implement stricter regulations for farmers. Experts expect climate change to increase the amount of precipitation and extreme weather in Vermont, which could increase the amount of runoff coming from farms, the letter said. Elena Mihaly, vice president and director of Conservation Law Foundation Vermont, one of the organizations that spearheaded the letter, said the organization supports “the program’s design to only pay for voluntary stewardship that goes above and beyond farms’ regulatorily-required levels of stewardship” under the Total Maximum Daily Load. “We will be interested to see

how many farms take advantage of the program,” Mihaly wrote in an email to VTDigger. “And I would underscore the importance of robust verification to ensure these funds actually bring about phosphorus reduction.” John Roberts, executive director of the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition, said the organization recently sent an email to its 100 members encouraging them to apply for the program. The organization was created to help make farmers aware of their impact on water quality, he said. “Paying for outcomes to actually demonstrate that farmer X is reducing above and beyond what the regulations would do — I think that is a tremendous benefit to the farmers,” he said. Only hay and crop fields are eligible for this year’s applications to the program. Farmers must also have an up-to-date nutrient management plan and maintain good standing with state and federal requirements. Farmers interested in applying can submit applications through the end of January at www.agriculture.vermont.gov/VPFP.

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Bill targets renewable status of hydro-power

BY GUY PAGE Special to the Observer

Beginning next January, carbon-free power produced by dams 200 megawatts or larger will become 10 percent less “renewable” every year for state energy standard purposes, according to a bill introduced Tuesday in the Vermont House of Representatives. H.557 is an effort to make hydro-power — mostly from New York and Canada — less available as an option to meet the Renewable Energy Standard (RES) mandate the Legislature gave utilities in 2017. Under the standard, Vermont’s utilities must procure a defined percentage of their total retail electric sales from renewable energy. The requirement started at 55 percent in 2017, increasing 4 percent annually until reaching 75 percent in 2032. Renewable energy is defined by state law

as: “energy produced using a technology that relies on a resource that is being consumed at a harvest rate at or below its natural regeneration rate.” With hydro-power, the snow melts, rain falls, rivers flow and turbines spin. Contracts with Hydro-Quebec and upstate New York generators provide about 20 percent of the state’s electricity. The state’s 84 tiny power dams, by contrast, together have a generating capacity of less than 200 megawatts, below the threshold targeted by H.557. The bill is co-sponsored by Williston’s Jim McCullough and James Masland of Thetford, among others. “If we’re going to plug in more and burn less, we’ll need more renewable energy,” Masland wrote. “If we’re honest with ourselves, we should recognize that HQ (Hydro-Quebec) power comes from methane-producing dam construction and flooding that destroys the Quebec landscape and displaces

Bill addresses transportation’s carbon footprint Last week, a group of lawmakers introduced a proposal in the Vermont House of Representatives Transportation Committee to address carbon emissions in the transportation sector. Sixty members of the House have signed onto the bill as co-sponsors — the Transportation Innovation Act (H.552). It proposes a suite of actions, incentives and programs to help Vermont meet the requirements of the Global Warming Solutions Act and parallels the pathways laid out in the Vermont Climate Action Plan. It builds on programs and policies already in place, such as electric vehicle incentive programs, plans for the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations and innovations in transit. “Economic, environmental and equity considerations drive the introduction of

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this bill,” said sponsor Rep. Rebecca White of Hartford. “Vermonters are ready for a transportation system that meets their needs and meets our Climate Action Plan’s carbon emission reduction goals. The Transportation Innovation Act melds together the incoming federal funding opportunities with the priorities of the Climate Action Plan to act as a catalyst for a new generation of transportation systems that benefit all Vermonters. This is a pivotal moment in our history.” “Passage of this bill will put Vermont in a leadership position,” Rep. Curt McCormack of Burlington added. “It will help to deploy electric car charging stations throughout the state. It will put more electric vehicles on the road in our automobile fleet, along with electric public transit vehicles and school buses. It will create safe places on all of our roads in which to walk or ride a bicycle.”

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the indigenous population that has lived there for millennia. If we think that HQ won’t expand further we’re fooling ourselves.” The construction of a hydro-power dam is extremely carbon-intensive. However, wind turbines and solar panels also are carbon-intensive in their manufacture and installation. Nevertheless, wind, hydro and solar power are all considered “carbon-free” because of their low carbon output during the entire life cycle of construction, operation and decommissioning. Canadian hydro-power is considered a godsend by many southern New England utilities and states. Demand for power is growing. Fossil fuel and nuclear plants are closing. Every year the renewable energy standard demand grows. Solar and wind power have not fulfilled their promise of

producing the lion’s share of the region’s electricity. Yet just north of the border, huge amounts of carbon-free, renewable power are for sale. Transmission capacity is a problem. Several more power lines running through Northern New England have been proposed, only to be shot down by alliances of concerned neighbors and supporters of Atlantic Ocean off-shore wind projects. Other sponsors of H.557 include Peter Anthony (D-Barre), Mollie Burke (P-Brattleboro), Michael Mrowicki (D-Putney), Emma Mulvaney-Stanak (P-Burlington) and Trevor Squirrell (D-Underhill). Guy Page is the publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle, online at www. vermontdailychronicle.com.

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GUEST COLUMN Williston’s Community Newspaper Since 1985

www.willistonobserver.com P.O. Box 1401, Williston, VT 05495 | 802-489-5499 PUBLISHER Susan T. Cote susan@willistonobserver.com 802-489-5499

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SUBMISSIONS & LETTERS Send to editor@willistonobserver.com • Deadline is Monday at noon • News/story tips welcomed • Letters must be 300 words or fewer • Include your name, address and a daytime phone number so that 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 and organization • Date, time and place of event • Contact information We print submissions for nonprofit groups and organizations only.

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Gov. Scott’s diamond mine BY JOHN MCCLAUGHRY Some years ago, faced with the many competing spending demands before the Senate, I would say “All this state needs is a diamond mine.” That is, with an inexhaustible supply of dollars in the till, all worthwhile projects and programs — and a quite a few that weren’t worthwhile — could be funded without laying higher taxes on our voters. Last week in his budget message, Gov. Phil Scott announced that, in effect, Vermont has at last found its diamond mine. It arrived in the form of half a billion in unspent American Rescue Plan funds, plus another $2.2 billion in the Congressional infrastructure bill. In addition, despite Covid, our own tax base has produced a $320 million surplus across the three major funds. Did Congress discover a diamond mine, to be able to bestow this staggering benefaction on our little state? Not exactly. Congress has voted more than $10 trillion in deficits over the past 10 fiscal years, signed into law by presidents Obama, Trump and Biden. The 2020 Trump budget ran $3.16 trillion in the red, and the 2021 Biden budget added another $2.8 trillion. There’s no end in sight. One consequence of this fantastic deficit spending is a 7 percent rise in the Consumer Price Index over the 12 months ending in December, the largest 12-month increase since June 1982. But let’s disregard that and look at the far happier Vermont budget situation. For Vermont, 2022 will be a once in a lifetime “historic moment.”

The governor proposed to pay off $52 million in state debt, provide a one-time $45 million property tax rebate, reduce tax rates on Social Security and military pension income, and increase the nation’s most generous Earned Income Tax Credit. Those proposals should be relatively noncontroversial. The debate will be over the distribution of the vast spending of this windfall. Once again, the governor focused on the lack of workers to take 23,000 good jobs going begging, even as in the past year our workforce shrank by 24,000. The governor wants lots more workforce training, and more money for health care workers, technical education centers, child care, housing subsidies, colleges and mental health. There are some important conclusions one can extract from the budget message. First is the governor’s commendable view of fiscal responsibility: We can’t commit a billion dollars to pay for continuing programs when there’s no assurance that we’ll have the money to keep those programs going once launched. That means that we can’t risk future tax increases. Second, the governor wants to address climate change but not by new taxes and mandates. His offer to the climate change advocates is $216 million to support home weatherization and “community resiliency,” an indistinct category that includes steps to reduce flood damage. This will certainly be a flash point with the Democrat legislators eager to fund their sweeping Climate Action Plan. The climateers’ goal is driving

down carbon dioxide emissions by 80 percent by 2050 by inflicting higher gasoline and diesel prices on cars, trucks and buses, plus higher heating oil and gas prices paid by businesses and homeowners. That runs aground on the governor’s constant opposition to carbon taxes, and to “mandates that Vermonters can’t afford.” He’ll need to make that clear to his agency heads, who will be under pressure from the Climate Council majority to adopt burdensome rules (that the legislators don’t want to vote on) to slay the climate beast. Third, while the governor vowed to commit the full $395 million required by the teachers’ and state employees’ retirement plans, he did not make any commitment to pouring maybe $200 million into the two funds to reduce the $5 billion-plus actuarial deficit. The recent agreement between the two unions and the state, while not an optimal fix, is nonetheless a step in the right direction, and should have a strong claim on available funds. Finally, the governor’s budget proposals do not involve any significant structural changes in the way government systems work. There’s no welfare reform, no consolidation of the state’s five housing assistance programs, no relaxing of stringent land use regulations that defeat affordable housing, no proposed change in the health care system increasingly dominated by the high-overhead UVM Health Network, no concern for building a power transmission system to support the grand plan for electrifying see McCLAUGHRY page 7

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Masks on Naysayers always get the most column inches (“Mask mandate extended into February” Jan. 20). I support Williston’s mask mandate. My community is the people I may protect and who protect me. I can speak louder if needed. I can listen better. I know that others know when I’m smiling by the warmth in my eyes.

I had a negative Covid test recently when I had all the symptoms of Covid after three shots, likely from an unmasked event I attended. So I stayed home. I’m waiting to get N95 masks I’ve ordered, although I’ve liked my purple cloth mask. I say thank you to the Selectboard. We can do this. Tricia Knoll Williston

Officials tout Covid case decline BY ERIN PETENKO VTDigger

Vermont’s Covid-19 cases are down 27 percent in the past seven days, and other states in New England and the Northeast have reported even more dramatic declines in new infections, officials reported in a press conference Tuesday. But during that same period, Vermont’s hospital visits for Covid have risen about 7 percent, and scientific models are projecting that they are likely to remain elevated through mid-February. Fatalities, too, are expected to “lag behind case improvements,” according to a report from the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, which keeps the state’s coronavirus statistics. Gov. Phil Scott defended Vermont’s record on hospitalizations, saying the state would have 250 Covid patients, instead of the current 101, if the hospitalization rate resembled the national average. Scott also pointed to recent hospital data provided by Health Commissioner Mark Levine to defend the state’s track record. According to Levine, a review of hospitalized Covid patients in Vermont shows about a third of them did not come in for treatment because of the virus, but tested positive while they were there. “From the very beginning, we said we were going to watch the hospitalizations, and that’s what we’ve done,” Scott said. “And when you couple that with the number of people in the hospital with Covid, not because of Covid, I think it does make the point that we’re seeing a milder variant.” Even Covid-positive people who come in for different reasons can strain hospital resources because they may need to be isolated and raise issues around personal protective equipment and staff exposure, Levine said.

Vermont is providing additional health care staff through a private contractor, federal emergency relief and National Guard members. EDUCATION AGENCY DEFENDS NEW POLICY

Education Secretary Dan French acknowledged complaints about the state’s new testat-home program for schools, used when a student tests positive for Covid-19. The method requires far more Covid tests than earlier testing practices. School districts across the state said they have been running out of rapid Covid tests, but French denied it was an issue, saying that “we rush in” to provide more tests as quickly as possible. “If your district runs out, don’t worry. They will have more tests soon,” he said. It’s hard to say how the new testing policy is affecting Covid numbers in schools because the state has stopped compiling K-12 case data due to concerns about its accuracy under the new test-at-home policy, which requires parents to test their children and report the results to the school. French said there was no enforcement of the requirement that parents inform the district about their kids’ positive status nor any way for schools to force children to stay home if they suspect the parents of lying. Under the previous guidance, a lot of the conflict between school nurses and parents was “just the broader sense of fatigue that was setting in,” he said. “So certainly one of the aspects of tests-at-home, I think, that’ll be more successful is not only the broader distribution of testing, but also a higher degree of cooperation. I think it’ll be easier for both.”

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Evergreen Health plans consolidation on Industrial Ave. Evergreen Family Health Partners plans to consolidate three of its four locations into a newly remodeled space at White Cap Business Park on Industrial Avenue by the end of the summer. The new location will house all of Evergreen’s providers from its clinics in Williston, Essex Junction and Shelburne. Alder Brook Family Health, which joined the Evergreen Family Health Group in 2018, will remain in its Essex location. “It was the commitment to meet the strong demand for independent primary care practitioners, the need to accommodate more accessibility for our primary care and sports medicine patients, and to lower costs that necessitated our new facility,” said Evergreen Senior Partner Paul Reiss. “We are excited for our patients and our staff. We are confident that we can bring our culture of personal care to this wonderful new location, and trust that our

McClaughry continued from page

everything, and no expansion of parental choice in education, which would make educators compete for students. To be fair, the budget message is not the place to unveil any such transformative steps. What is long overdue in Vermont is a thorough performance review. Democrats proposed that

patients will be supportive of this move.” The new location will combine three laboratories, reduce redundant equipment and improve collaboration between practitioners and staff. “Medical practices do not often move. This is a huge undertaking and we are approaching this transition with a very long-term perspective,” said Managing Partner Michael Johnson. Meanwhile, Evergreen was recently named the inaugural recipient of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont’s Provider Innovation Award. The award was given because of the practice’s collaboration with the insurance provider in the field of primary care management. The collaboration pairs a per-member, per-month care management payment with measurable patient outcomes — testing one of the tenets of health care reform. The practice will be tracking

in their 2004 platform, but it hasn’t been heard of since. There are plenty of ways to make state government more efficient and state economies more vigorous, perhaps enough to attract back those 24,000 missing workers. But Vermont is not looking for those ways. John McClaughry is vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute, online at www. ethanallen.org.

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outcomes for patients with chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Blue Cross intends to expand the program to additional primary care practices in Vermont this year. “This endeavor aligns with what we are trying to accomplish in primary care for our patients. It has been a rewarding experience to think outside of the box and have Blue Cross support our joint priority focusing on quality measures (that) improve patient health outcomes,” Johnson said.

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SPORTS

Hot shots

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Redhawk Tucker Tharpe gets into the lane for two points during CVU’s game vs. the Colchester Lakers on Jan. 18 in Colchester. Sam Sweeney goes in for a layup. Alex Provost drives hard to the hoop. Logan Vaughan puts up a short jumpshot. OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

Photos from the

Williston Observer

are available for purchase! AlFreyPhotography.com Place your order online or email afrey202@gmail.com

January 27, 2022 •

Williston Observer

•

Page 9

SPORTS Ice queens

‘Hawks face Lakers CVU’s Alex Zuchowski, right, gets around Colchester’s Brody Rassel during the ‘Hawks’ game vs. the Colchester Lakers on Saturday at Cairns Arena. CVU’s Owen Pierce, below, looks to get by Colchester’s Cooper Blondina. OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

i w o h my met HOW DID YOU MEET?

TOP TO BOTTOM: Cougarhawk goalie Grace Ferguson makes a trapper save during CVU/MMU’s game vs. the Essex Hornets at Essex last Saturday. Cougarhawk Megan Rivard cuts for the goal. Cougarhawk Tess Everett gets in close for a shot. OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

For Valentine’s Day, the Williston Observer is looking for the love stories of our community. Do you have one to share? Stories of first meetings, details of the moments when you just knew, the pillars of long relationships and retellings of the romantic moments that have kept you together. We’d love to hear about relationships that started online, or that have survived long distances or that began in a funny or unique way. Please describe the love stories you would like to share with the community in writing and email them to editor@willistonobserver.com by Feb. 7 for publication in the Feb. 10 edition. Prizes will be awarded to those who get published. With love, The Observer team

Williston

Page 10 •

Williston Observer

• January 27, 2022

release dates: Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2022

05 (22)

Next Week: Valentine’s Day

Issue 05, 2022

Founded by Betty Debnam

What’s Your OQ*?

Mini Fact: Seven new events have been added to the Winter Olympics since 2018.

(*Olympics Quotient)

A pictogram quiz

During the Olympics, you’ll see pictograms that represent each sport. They work well for this international event because they don’t depend on any particular language to be understood. Can you match each of these 10 Olympic events with its official Beijing 2022 pictogram? 1.

Alpine Skiing

images courtesy Beijing 2022

Q: What does XXIV mean? A: The games are numbered using Roman numerals. M = 1,000 D = 500 C = 100 L = 50

X = 10 V=5 I=1

The Olympics in Beijing are the 24th Winter Games. If a number is smaller than the number that comes after it, it is subtracted from the total, not added, so IV is 5 – 1 = 4. Q: Have the Olympics ever been canceled? A: Yes! Three were canceled during World War I and World War II, and in 1908, an eruption of Mount Vesuvius forced the games to relocate from Rome to London. Q: How will the time change between my house and Beijing affect watching on TV? A: Beijing is 13 hours ahead of New York (Eastern Standard Time) and 16 hours ahead

Nancy

of Los Angeles (Pacific Standard Time). When an athlete wins a medal at 10 a.m. on Wednesday in China, a kid in Chicago (Central Standard Time) might just be going to bed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday! Q: Why are there mascots? A: Each host of the Olympics creates mascots to represent their city, their nation and the Olympic spirit. This spirit, or feeling, is that the Olympic athletes come together to compete in peace, friendship and fairness. The mascot for Beijing 2022 is Bing Dwen Dwen, 冰墩墩 a panda. “Bing” means Bing Dwen Dwen “ice,” and “Dwen Dwen” represents children. Q: What’s with the torch? A: The modern torch relay began with the 1936 Games. During the relay, the torch is handed from person to person as it makes its way toward the host city. Today, every torch relay begins at Olympia, Greece, the site of the first Olympics. Q: When do the Games close? A: The closing ceremony will be on Feb. 20. The mayor of Beijing will turn over the Olympic flag to the mayors of the host cities for 2026.

Bobsleigh

Cross-country Skiing

Curling Freestyle Skiing Big Air

Freestyle Skiing Slopestyle Skeleton

10. Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom Speed Skating

Resources On the Web: • olympics.com

At the library:

• “The Story of the Olympic Games” by the Olympic Museum

BY OLIVIA JAIMES

Try ’n’ Find

Mini Jokes

Words that remind us of the Winter Olympics are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: ATHENS, BEIJING, BIATHLON, BOBSLEIGH, CANCELED, CEREMONY, CHINA, EVENTS, INTELLIGENCE, MAYOR, OLYMPICS, PICTOGRAM, QUOTIENT, SKELETON, SPIRIT, TIME, TORCH, WINTER.

Biathlon

Answers: 1. Curling; 2. Freestyle Skiing Big Air; 3. Skeleton; 4. Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom; 5. Speed Skating; 6. Alpine Skiing; 7. Bobsleigh; 8. Freestyle Skiing Slopestyle; 9. Cross-country Skiing; 10. Biathlon.

Have you ever heard of IQ? IQ stands for intelligence quotient. It’s a measurement of a person’s intelligence. With the XXIV Winter Olympics officially beginning on Feb. 4 in Beijing, China, The Mini Page will help you improve your OQ, or Olympics quotient, with some facts about the centuries-old games. Let’s get started!

S T N E V E T A C E

E C E R E M O N Y M

S N E H T A R N Y I

M I A T G G C C S T

L N T N P N H P C M

Z T C E H I R I I R

D E N I A J E C P H

E L O T N I T T M G

L L T O I E N O Y I

E I E U H B I G L E

Ollie: What can be plowed but not planted? Olivia: Snow!

C G L Q C N W R O L

N E E Q R O Y A M S

A N K E K B C M W B

C C S T I R I P S O

Z E N O L H T A I B

Eco Note A new species of millipede was unearthed 200 feet beneath the surface in a mining region of Australia’s Eastern Goldfields province, sporting a total of 1,306 legs. While all but one of the 7,000 known species of millipedes worldwide don’t come close to having 1,000 legs, Eumillipes persephone has

affect watching on TV? A: Beijing is 13 hours ahead of New York (Eastern Standard Time) and 16 hours ahead

ceremony will be on Feb. 20. The mayor of Beijing will turn over the Olympic flag to the mayors of the host cities for 2026.

At the library:

• “The Story of the Olympic Games” by the Olympic Museum January 27, 2022 •

Try ’n’ Find

S T N E V E T A C E

E C E R E M O N Y M

S N E H T A R N Y I

M I A T G G C C S T

L N T N P N H P C M

Z T C E H I R I I R

D E N I A J E C P H

E L O T N I T T M G

L L T O I E N O Y I

E I E U H B I G L E

C G L Q C N W R O L

N E E Q R O Y A M S

A N K E K B C M W B

C C S T I R I P S O

Z E N O L H T A I B

Eco Note

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 1 teaspoon honey • 1/4 teaspoon salt

What to do: 1. Combine cantaloupe, tomatoes and chopped red pepper in a medium bowl. 2. Mix the two juices and honey in a smaller bowl. 3. Pour juice mixture over fruit and vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and stir well to mix flavors. 4. Refrigerate or serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

News of the Weird in-car video responding, “I don’t want to be his help” and “Screw it.” Instead, they continued their hunt for a Snorlax and Togetic Pokemon, eventually meeting up with their sergeant at a 7-Eleven. When he questioned them about the robbery call, they said they hadn’t heard it because they were responding to another call, leading their supervisor to review the dashcam footage. After the officers were fired, they sued, saying that the video captured their “private communications” and that they were improperly questioned.

Five years later, the courts disagreed, and Lozano and Mitchell have plenty of time to hunt for Snorlax and Togetic.

Family Values Cypress Falls High School teacher Sarah Beam took her 13-year-old son to a Houston-area COVID-19 drive-thru testing site on Jan. 3, KHOU-TV reported. When a worker there approached her car, Beam told her that the boy was in the trunk because she didn’t want to be exposed to the

You’ll need: • 2 cups cantaloupe, cut in small chunks • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped • 2 tablespoons orange juice

* You’ll need an adult’s help with this recipe.

Orange and Red Salad

On Jan. 7, the California Court of Appeal ruled that the Los Angeles Police Department was justified in its firing of two officers in 2017 after they ignored a robbery call to play Pokemon Go, the Los Angeles Times reported. On April 15, 2017, Louis Lozano and Eric Mitchell were assigned to patrol the LAPD’s southwest division. But when a call for backup came over the radio, Lozano and Mitchell were captured on their

Page 11

Ollie: What can be plowed but not planted? Olivia: Snow!

Cook’s Corner

Unclear on the Concept

•

Mini Jokes

Williston Observer

A new species of millipede was unearthed 200 feet beneath the surface in a mining region of Australia’s Eastern Goldfields province, sporting a total of 1,306 legs. While all but one of the 7,000 known species of millipedes worldwide don’t come close to having 1,000 legs, Eumillipes persephone has far more. Writing in Scientific Reports, scientists say its body has up to 330 segments and can measure 3.8 inches in length. Its new scientific name translates into “true-thousand-foot,” while “persephone” references the Greek goddess of the underworld. adapted with permission from Earthweek.com

For later: Look in your newspaper for items about the Winter Olympics.

Teachers: Follow and interact with The Mini Page on Facebook!

virus. Police were alerted, and Beam was arrested and charged with endangering a child. While he was not hurt, officials said in the event of an accident, he could have been. But the Cypress Falls community has shown support for Beam, posting messages outside her home to say they “have her back.” She was released on bond and put on administrative leave, the school district said.

Keeping Up With the Times In Aksaray, Turkey, one family has been raising cattle for three generations, Oddity Central

reported. Izzet Kocak believes their success is linked to their willingness to keep up with modern technology. To that end, the farmer is testing virtual reality goggles that make his cows think they’re standing in a green field of grass in the summer. Kocak says the average yield per day from his cows is 22 liters, but “We had two of our cows wear virtual reality glasses and watch vast green pasture all day, and the daily milk production increased up to 27 liters.” He said the quality of the milk also increased. He has ordered 10 more pairs of VR goggles, and if results are similar, he plans to order them for all of his 180 cows.

Page 12 •

Williston Observer

•

January 27, 2022

SENIORS

How to recognize a mini-stroke and what to do

Savvy Senior By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior, How can a person know if they’ve had a minor stroke? My 72-year-old mother had a spell a few weeks ago where she suddenly felt dizzy for no apparent reason and had trouble walking and speaking, but it went away, and she seems fine now. Concerned Son Dear Concerned, The way you’re describing it, it’s

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very possible that your mom had a “mini-stroke,” also known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA). If she hasn’t already done so, she needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. Each year, around 250,000 Americans have a mini-stroke, but less than half of them realize what’s happening. That’s because the symptoms are usually fleeting — lasting only a few minutes, up to an hour or two — causing most people to ignore them or brush them off as no big deal. But anyone who has had a mini-stroke is much more likely to have a full-blown stroke. A mini-stroke is caused by a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain and can be a warning sign that a major stroke may soon be coming. That’s why mini-strokes need to be treated like emergencies.

Men also have a greater risk for stroke than women, and African Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk than those of other races.

WHO’S VULNERABLE?

The easiest way to identify a stroke is to use the F.A.S.T. test to identify the symptoms. • F (Face): Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? • A (Arm): Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? • S (Speech): Ask the person to say

A person is more likely to suffer a TIA or stroke if they are overweight or inactive, have high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or diabetes. Other factors that boost the risks are age (over 60), smoking, heart disease, atrial fibrillation and having a family history of stroke.

The Williston Recreation and Parks Department is located at the 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. ICE RINK

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Rink is located near the warming hut at Village Community Park. It has a temporary fence around. The rink will be open when it is safe to use, and closed when unsafe or ice is being made. The opening and closing of the rink will be posted on Facebook and at www.willistonrec.org under “Announcements.” Please be respectful of the rink. Stay off it when it is closed so ice can be formed that is safe to use. Respect the users of the rink and share in the use. No one group has priority or allocated time. All are welcome. BROMLEY DISCOUNT TICKETS

Discounted lift tickets at $81 per person are available at www.bromley.com. Use Code: WVTREC2022. Ticket prices are subject to change. This promo code is valid any day but can only be used for single day lift tickets.

WARNING SIGNS

The symptoms of a mini-stroke are the same as those of a full-blown stroke, but can be subtle and shortlived, and they don’t leave any permanent damage. They include any one or combination of the following: • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of coordination. • Sudden, severe headache.

It cannot be applied to already discounted lift tickets (multi-day, etc.) or any other products.

a simple sentence. Is their speech slurred? • T (Time): If you observe any of these signs of stroke, call 911. GET HELP

If these warning signs sound like what happened to your mom, she needs to go to the emergency room or nearby stroke center. If the doctor suspects a TIA, he or she will run a series of tests to determine what caused it and assess her risk of a future stroke. Once the cause has been determined, the goal of treatment is to correct the abnormality and prevent a full-blown stroke. Depending on the cause(s), her doctor may prescribe medication to reduce the tendency for blood to clot or may recommend surgery or a balloon procedure (angioplasty). For more information on ministrokes and how to recognize one, visit the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association at www.StrokeAssociation.org. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. ing martial arts, tumbling and parkour with environmental science education. We help girls and boys realize their full potential in an environment that is playful, supportive and fun. Feb. 21-25, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Instructors: ONTA Studio staff. NINJA KIDS

SNOWMOBILE SAFETY

Online course available for ages 12-plus. The course provides the opportunity to earn the certification necessary to legally operate on Vermont’s Statewide Snowmobile Trails System. Course can be taken online at any time. Go to www.willistonrec.org for a link to the course.

Ages 4-8 or 7-11. The playbased curriculum increases strength and self-confidence while moving meditation helps children manage their emotions and develop the connection between mental and physical well-being. Programs start the week of Jan. 25. Instructor: Zachary Stevens, ONTA Studio.

PICKUP ADULT PROGRAMS

NINJA TEENS

Volleyball and basketball programs for men and women have begun. Pickup programs are by registration and payment only. Some are full but you can register for the waiting list. Visit www.willistonrec.org for more information. YOGA PROGRAMS

Age 14-plus. Intro programs in beginner, gentle and yin yoga are offered by Sangha Studio. Programs start at the end of February. Register at www.willistonrec.org. FEBRUARY NINJA SCIENCE CAMP

Ages 4-9. This camp unites the body and mind by combin-

Ages 9-15 or 12-17. The playbased curriculum increases strength and self-confidence while moving meditation helps children manage their emotions and develop the connection between mental and physical well-being. Programs start the week of Jan. 25. Instructor: Zachary Stevens, ONTA Studio. MY HEALTHY VT

Want to be healthier and feel better? My Healthy VT can help. Find a free course that’s right for you and take it online any time. Go to www.willistonrec.org for a link to the My Healthy VT website.

January 27, 2022 •

Williston Observer

•

Page 13

CROSSWORD

THE SOLUTION TO THIS PUZZLE CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 14 OR AT WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM

Almanac ANDREWS

MCMEEL

TODAY’S HISTORY: • In 1924, the body of Vladimir Lenin was placed in a tomb in Moscow’s Red Square. • In 1944, the German siege of Leningrad ended after 872 days. • In 1945, Soviet forces liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland. • In 1967, astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee died in a cabin fire during a launchpad test of the Apollo 1 command module. • In 1973, the Vietnam peace accords were signed in Paris by delegations representing the United States, North Vietnam, South Vietnam and South Vietnamese revolutionaries.

This cozy comforting dish is a fun twist on the classic potato leek soup - sweet potatoes! Try this hearty soup for an easy weeknight dinner, or the perfect weekend lunch on a cold snowy day.

TODAY’S FACT: The U.S. Supreme Court decided 62 cases during the 2020-2021 term.

Two Potato Leek Soup Ingredients:

Directions:

2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and medium diced

In a medium stock pot, melt the butter on medium heat.

2 cups yukon potatoes, peeled and medium diced

Add leeks to the butter and cook until the leeks are soft, about 3-4 minutes.

1 cup leeks, dark green tops removed and medium diced

Add both types of potatoes and chicken stock to cover potatoes.

1 tsp chipotle peppers, roughly chopped

Bring to a boil then simmer until potatoes are soft, about 15-20 minutes.

1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 cup heavy cream

Add milk, cream, chipotle pepper to the potatoes.

1 quart chicken stock

Puree entire mixture completely in a blender.

1 Tbsp butter

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Salt and pepper to taste

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Page 14 •

Williston Observer

• January 27, 2022

CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL

Section 7. Effective Period

TOWN OF RICHMOND, VERMONT On January 18, 2022 the Town of Richmond Selectboard adopted the following Rule RULE REQUIRING WEARING FACE COVERINGS INDOORS IN PUBLIC SPACES

The full text of the rule may be viewed at the Richmond Town Clerks Office located at 203 Bridge St. Richmond, VT 05477 and online at richmondvt.gov Questions and comments may be directed to Town Manager Josh Arneson at 802434-5170, 203 Bridge St. (PO Box 285 mailing) Richmond, VT 05477.

LEGAL

Section 1. Authority Section 2. Purpose

PUBLIC NOTICE

Section 3. Requirement to Wear Face Coverings Section 4. Exceptions Section 5. Other Laws Section 6. Severability

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announces a 30-day public comment period to update to the agency’s plan to clean up the Commerce Street Plume Superfund Site in Williston, Vermont. The proposed update, formally called an “Explanation of

Significant Differences,” (ESD) will not fundamentally change the terms, scope, performance or cost of EPA’s plan to clean up the Commerce Street Plume site that was established in 2015. EPA encourages public input on the ESD during the public comment period, which began on January 24th, 2022, and conclude on February 23rd, 2022. In 2015, EPA selected a comprehensive remedy to address risks to human health by excavation and removal of contaminated soils, management of groundwater migration through treatment, and mitigation of vapor intrusion from contaminated groundwater into a residential house. There are three proposed changes to the remedy, including modifying the soil clean up levels to reflect site conditions and meet EPA risk standards; eliminating the use of

certain chemical additives to groundwater (referred to as chemical oxidation), and instead using only bioremediation; and modifying the method used for preventing the potential for volatile contaminants to accumulate in the residential home (i.e., a process known as vapor intrusion). The State of Vermont has reviewed and commented on the proposed update and concurs with its issuance. To access a copy of the ESD and learn how to submit comments, visit our website at: www.epa.gov/superfund/commercestreet For more information, please contact: Charlotte Gray US EPA Community Involvement Coordinator 617-918-1243 Gray.charlotte@epa.gov

We just raised salaries at CCS. Significantly. And that’s on top of being a “Best Place to Work In Vermont” for three years running. Great jobs in Service Coordination ($45k) and Direct Support Professionals ($18 per hour) at an award-winning agency serving Vermonters with intellectual disabilities. Make a career making a difference. Check current openings at https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/ ccs-vt.org EOE

SOLUTION FOUND ON NEXT PAGE

Antiques Roadshow coming to Shelburne PBS’ popular series, Antiques Roadshow, will make its first-ever Vermont visit this summer with a stop at the Shelburne Museum. The July 12 event will be an all-day appraisal of antiques and collectibles by auction houses and dealers to be aired as part of the show’s 27th season Each guest will be allowed to bring two items for appraisal. “This is an amazing opportunity to spotlight our unique history, art and culture,” said Scott Finn, president and CEO of VPR and Vermont PBS. “Antiques Roadshow is one of our most popular shows, and folks around the region will be eager to be a part of it. We’re especially pleased to host this with the Shelburne Museum, a unique and beautiful setting for the show.” Other stops in the show’s 27th season will be Nashville, Tenn.; Boise, Idaho; Santa Fe, N.M.; and Woodside, Calif. “The magic of a Roadshow event is the serendipitous moments captured by our cameras, and we’re ready to discover Vermont’s treasures during our day at Shelburne Museum,” the show’s executive producer, Marsha Bemko, said. Admission is free but tickets must be obtained in advance. Visit www.pbs.org/ roadshowtickets by March 21 for a chance at tickets.

EMAILED ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISING INSERTION ORDER Thomas Hirchak Company PUZZLE FROM: Dakota WardFOUND ON PAGE 13 Phone: 802-888-4662 Email: Advertising2@THCAuction.com

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Williston Observer

•

Page 15

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Page 16 •

Williston Observer

•

January 27, 2022

Energy Coordinator continued from page

bon-reduction energy goals.

and

renewable

BOARD SEATS UNCONTESTED

“This (is a) foundational shift in the department’s personnel resource structure to address the reality of resources available and to build the necessary depth for a consistent response level,” Wells said. The addition of an energy coordinator is one of the first tasks of the town’s Energy Plan adopted into the town’s Comprehensive Plan in 2020. The position would work with the town’s newly empaneled citizen Energy Committee to implement the Energy Plan, which aligns with the State of Vermont’s car-

The deadline for candidates to file petitions to appear on the Town Meeting Day ballot passed Monday. Seven positions are up for election: two selectboard seats, one Champlain Valley School Board seat, one Board of Listers seat and three Board of Library Trustees seats. None of the positions are contested as the incumbent for each was the only resident to file a petition to run. That includes selectboard member Greta D’Agostino, who was appointed last year after Joy Limoge’s resignation. D’Agostino is running for a

School budget

schools would see “grounds and building repairs” totaling $270,000 and CVU High School would get “mechanical upgrades and grounds maintenance” totaling $865,000. The largest expense ($4.7 million) would go toward “electrical and life safety improvements” at Charlotte Central School. A second borrowing question would authorize $210,000 in debt for the purchase of two school buses. The school district’s annual meeting will be held via video-conference Monday, Feb. 28. In-person voting will take place

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goods and services. The district is also planning to add two to four elementary school teachers, two special educators, a district-level data analyst and enough money for three full-time people to work on diversity, equity and inclusion. The board also approved a ballot question seeking authority to sell $7.5 million in bonds to cover the costs of upgrades in all six of its school buildings. Williston’s

new two-year term. Selectboard member Ted Kenney is running for a new three-year term. School board chair Angela Arsenault is running for another three-year term on the school board; Harold Cort is running for a three-year term on the Board of Listers and Brian Goodwin, Barbara Mieder and Shari Westman are running for five-year terms on the Library Board of Trustees. TOWN CLERK TAKING EARLY BALLOT REQUESTS

Town Meeting Day ballots are now available by contacting Town Clerk Sarah Mason at 878-5121 or by email at smason@willistonvt.org. An early at the National Guard Armory at 7846 Williston Road, March 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting is available by requesting a ballot from the Town Clerk’s office at 878-5121 or by email at smason@willistonvt.org or stopping into the Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall. An early ballot request form can also be found in the Town Clerk section of the town website (www.town.williston.vt.us) or at the State of Vermont’s “my voter” site (www.mvp.vermont. gov).

ballot request form in the Town Clerk section of the town website (www.town.williston.vt.us) or at the State of Vermont’s “my voter” site (www.mvp.vermont. gov) can also be used to request a mail-in ballot. Ballots can also be picked up at the Town Clerk’s office inside Town Hall. Early ballots can be dropped into the dropbox behind Town Hall or mailed back to the Town Clerk’s office. Early ballots must be returned before Town Meeting Day, March 1. Ballots returned on March 1 must be brought to the polls at the National Guard Armory at 7846 Williston Road

between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The polls will be open at that time for in-person voting for those who do not vote early. Like last year, pandemic restrictions have prompted the selectboard to conduct the annual meeting — typically held in the Williston Central School auditorium on the Monday before Town Meeting Day election — remotely. A video-conference link will be made available to residents to participate in the meeting, which will include an explanation of the town and school budgets that are up for voter approval.

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