Williston Observer 6/9/2022

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McCullough steps away from Legislature

Arsenault launches candidacy to join Brady in House

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

A performance of pointe-shoed pollinators

Dancers from Ballet Vermont perform Sunday at the first Isham Family Farm summer series show of the season.

See story on page 14.

PHOTO BY HEATHER GARUFI

Taft Corners zoning rewrite becomes law Public hearing set for July 5

BY JASON STARR Observer staff A split Williston selectboard voted to move forward with the rezoning of Taft Corners on Tuesday over the objections of the area’s primary landowners.

The board voted 3-2 to set a July 5 public hearing on the new zoning regulations, which are aimed at creating a more walkable and bikeable commercial and residential neighborhood, in line with stated goals in the Town Plan.

According to Planning and Zoning Director Matt Boulanger, the mere setting of the public hearing makes the regulations law, affecting any new development applications in Taft Corners. Terry Macaig, Jeff Kenney and Greta D’Agostino voted in favor of setting the public hearing. Jeff Fehrs and Gordon St. Hilaire voted against, preferring more time to seek com-

promise with the developers.

The Planning Commission worked for two years with interested residents and a land development consultant to craft the regulations and recommend them for adoption to the selectboard. The rules prescribe the size and look of buildings, as well as their relation to streets and parks — rather than the traditional zoning approach that regulates building uses. An official map was created to mandate a series of new streets and green spaces that are aimed at creating a downtown feel.

Development applications in the district will be governed by the new code and not require approval from the Development Review Board as they have in the past.

The three largest landowners in the district — Al Senecal of Allen Brook Development, owner of Cottonwood Crossing; Chris Snyder of Snyder Homes, developer of Finney Crossing and proposing a new neighborhood on the former Essex Alliance Church property; and Jeff

Nick and Jeff Davis, co-owners of Taft Corners Associates, owners of the Walmart/Home Depot lot and surrounding undeveloped land — urged the board to reconsider the rule changes.

Davis said the landowners shared their concerns with the planning commission and its consultant, Washington D.C.-based Geoffrey Ferrell, over the past several months.

“The answer was no to everything we said,” Davis said. “It’s very frustrating to have someone from Washington D.C. come in and tell you what you are going to do with your land and not understand the nuances of Vermont.”

The zoning will prevent single-story commercial buildings, commonly called “big box” stores.

That is misguided, according to Nick, who said there should still be a place for car-centric development in Taft Corners, particularly in the area south of Marshall Avenue near where the existing large retailers are located.

“Requiring multi-story buildsee ZONING page 22

Jim McCullough is retiring from the Legislature after 20 years representing Williston. Hoping to fill the opening is school board chair Angela Arsenault.

McCullough, 77, spent the majority of his time in the House of Representatives working on environmental issues as a member of the Natural Resources Committee.

He is founder, with his wife Lucy, of the Catamount Outdoor Family Center and three years ago sold much of his property on Governor Chittenden Road to the town to create the publicly owned Catamount Community Forest.

McCullough said it’s time for “new, good blood and young approaches to things … There are too many old, white men in the Legislature.”

McCullough and his longtime co-representative from Williston, Terry Macaig, set the stage for turnover four years ago. Both were considering retirement but did not want to drain Williston’s institutional knowledge from the House of Representatives at the same time. They agreed that Macaig would step away first, which he did in 2020. McCullough served one more two-year term, ending this spring.

Erin Brady, who was elected to replace Macaig two years ago and just completed her first term in the House, helped recruit Arsenault.

The two serve together on the Champlain Valley School Board,

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Both Brady and Arsenault filed with the Secretary of State to be on the Democratic party ballot in the August primaries. It will be an uncontested primary as there are two available seats. In November, they will face a challenge for one of the see MCCULLOUGH page 2

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Page 2 •

Williston Observer

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June 9, 2022

McCullough continued from page

1

seats from Republican Bruce Roy, who is planning to be on the ballot in the general election, according to Vermont Republican Party Chairman Paul Dame.

Roy is a former active duty Air Force officer and member of the Vermont Air National Guard, retiring after 30 years as a colonel in 2008.

He simultaneously worked at IBM, retiring in 2013. A native of Essex, he has lived in Williston since 2001. “(Roy) will offer the opportunity for civil, balanced discussions and common sense to legislative issues facing the state that comes from experience as a business leader, military officer and Vermonter,” Dame said in a campaign announcement.

Brady, a high school teacher,

served on the House Education Committee in her first term and helped lead successful efforts to extend universal free school meals and create a new child tax credit.

In a May campaign announcement, she said she plans to continue to focus on childcare, housing and climate policy.

“For the past two years, I have been honored to work on behalf of Williston in the Legislature to fulfill the commitment we made at the beginning of the pandemic: to support Vermonters, their families, and their communities in a strong statewide recovery,” Brady said in the announcement.

Brady has served as an example for Arsenault of a mom who can juggle legislative duties, school board responsibilities and raising a family.

“I’m very committed to (the

school board) and I only wanted to do this if I felt like I could continue to serve on the school board and do all of that work as well as I want to do it,” Arsenault said.

If elected, Arsenault’s legislative focus will be on policies that support families — from housing and health and human services to employment and education. Her areas of interest certainly overlap with Brady’s.

“Erin and I have similar values but different skill sets — complementary skill sets — much like Terry and Jim,” said Arsenault.

McCullough plans an active retirement and is ready to focus on family time after a public service career that goes back to when he first became a justice of the peace in the early 1980s. He’s proud to have shepherded a variety of environmental stewardship legislation

into law over the past two decades as well as serve as a liaison to state government for his Williston constituents.

“Being a state legislator these 20 years has been a gift from the voters to me,” he said. “Legislators get to help people in their community who have issues that they can’t solve by themselves. The title ‘representative’ goes a long way to helping to open doors. That as well has been a gift to me.”

This year, through the Legislature’s reapportionment process driven by population counts in the 2020 census, Williston’s house districts have been split. The majority of town will continue to have two seats in the House. But about 1,500 residents on the southwest side of town are now in a combined House district with South Burlington.

McCullough said he tried to

recruit a Williston resident to run in the new district, but only Democrat Noah Hyman from South Burlington filed with the Secretary of State’s office to be on ballot for the August primaries. He could face a challenge from a Republican or independent in the general election in November.

Williston is also in a new Senate district, with three open seats shared with several neighboring municipalities. Five Democrats are running for the three Democratic nominations; incumbent Sens. Thomas Chittenden (South Burlington), Kesha Ram Hinsdale (Shelburne) and Ginny Lyons (Williston) are challenged by Steve May (Richmond) and Lewis Mudge (Charlotte). No Republican has filed for the primaries but could still run for a seat in the general election in November.

PROPERTY TRANSFERS - MAY 2022 • Alex Evanczuk bought a home on 1.5 acres on Oak Hill Road from Lucas Jenson for $690,000.

• Richard Choquette bought a condominium on Whitewater Circle from the Dorothy D. Darling Trust for $501,000.

• Kevin Dean bought a home on Essex Road from Donna Constantineau for $370,000.

• Erin Davis bought a condominium on Old Creamery Road

from Haven Homes LLC for $632,000.

Champlain Housing Trust for $6,125,000.

• Adam Beach bought a home on Brennan Woods Drive from Jason and Josilyn Adams for $625,000.

• Vista Williston Hotel, Inc. bought a hotel on Hurricane Lane from Burlington Hotel LLC for $8,200,000.

• Randall Morton bought a home on Sundown Drive from John Hearn for $485,000.

• Kim Moon bought a condominium on Forest Run Road from Stephen Litwhiler for $430,000.

• Zephyr Place Housing Limited Partnership bought a multi-family building on 2.5 acres on Zephyr Road from the

• Parnagian Realty Trust bought a condominium on Northview Court from Ildiko

Zhang for $306,000.

• Ramona Janowetch bought a home on Metcalf Drive from Brian Ricca for $710,000.

• Katherine Greco bought a condominium on Commons Road from Picklebits LLC for $420,000.

• Vincent Cannistraro bought 33 acres of open land on Ledgewood Drive from XYZ Real Estate Inc. for $1,300,000.

• Steven Weaver bought a home on Southridge Road from Christopher Smart for $640,000.

• Todd Morgan bought a home on Hillcrest Lane from Benjamin Vanderveen for $950,000.

• Maureen McCaffrey bought a condominium on Steeple Way from Robert Scott for $450,700.

• Benjamin Gubits bought a home on one acre on Oak Knoll Road from Marc Murphy for $815,000.

Property Transfers sponsored by Polli Properties.

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June 9, 2022 •

Williston Observer

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Page 3

A biweekly trip down memory lane with members of the Williston Historical Society

New light on old crimes (Part II)

The Potters, the Griswolds and the murder of Sally Griswold

BY ELIZABETH ALLEN

My first article about Adelia Barber (Griswold) Potter and her adoptive mom Sally Griswold’s murder focused on Adelia’s childhood and early marriage to Charley. (Williston Observer, April 28, 2022.)

Angry enough at Charley’s alleged infidelities to file for divorce, Adelia viewed herself as a chronically wronged person.

She and Charley were also violence-prone criminals. I believe that her feelings of victimization contributed to Sally’s death and to Adelia’s role in later crimes.

While Adelia and Charley Potter racked up debts in the 1850s, Ephraim and Sally Griswold prospered. The Chittenden County Historical Society’s “Look Around Essex and Williston” (1972) says that the Griswolds headed to California during the gold rush, with Ephraim returning by 1853. Sally stayed, kept a boarding house and came home later, around 1856, very rich. She then built a fancy Federal-style house.

A contemporary source corroborates the general story in “Look Around,” if not the specific dates: “The murdered woman was possessed of considerable property, partly inherited, partly acquired … in California, where she kept a hotel, during the earlier years of the gold excitement …

After her return home, she built the house in which she and her husband … have since resided” (Burlington Free Press, Aug. 28, 1865).

The Potters moved into the Griswolds’ expensive house in early summer 1865, and they were not impressed by the Griswolds at all. Perhaps the Griswolds invited the Potters into their home as a way of helping their adopted daughter. Given Adelia and Charley’s fugitive, financially precarious life in the late 1850s and early 1860s, they may have moved in with the Griswolds because they had little other choice.

In his confession to Sally’s murder, published in 1869 as a pamphlet with trial documents under the title “John Ward, or The Victimized Assassin,” convict John Ward supplied another rea-

son: “On account of (Ephraim’s) wife’s temper and her interference with the outdoor labor of the farm, they could not keep any men to work for them … The old man (Ephraim) made a visit to (Charley) Potter… for the purpose of getting Potter to come and live with him and take charge of the farm at Williston.” (Burlington Free Press, April 14, 1869).

In John’s interpretation, Ephraim persuaded the Potters to move in with him and Sally out of desperation.

Everyone was unhappy with the living arrangement in the Griswold house. Charley complained vociferously about Sally.

During the trial, Curtis Baldwin testified that Charley accused Sally of “wanting to drive him off.”

George William recalled Charley saying that he would pay up to $500 to “get that old devil (Sally) out of the way” (quotes from the Burlington Daily Times, April 14, 1866).

Sally was killed on the night of Aug. 27, 1865. John Ward and Charley Potter were arrested for Sally’s murder.

John was convicted, Charley acquitted.

Sally hated Charley right back.

Chauncey Brownell remembered that, shortly before Sally’s death, Charley asked Sally’s opinion of him. Chauncey reported that Sally “found some fault in (Charley’s) being abusive to her,” though she gave no specifics. Understandably, she disliked being demeaned by her son-in-law in her own home.

Ephraim may have been dissatisfied too. John Ward’s confession stated that Ephraim “was tired of (Sally’s) endless clack and that he would be glad if she was dead.” Ephraim furthermore was said to have supported Charley’s failed attempt to commit Sally to an asylum. After that, Charley “asked the old man (Ephraim) if he had any objections” to murder.

“The old man said he had not” (all quotes from Burlington Free Press, April 14, 1869).

Ephraim’s testimony alluded to none of this.

I am unsure whether Ephraim felt this way. When “John Ward, or The Victimized Assassin” was published, the confession included a preface and closing remarks

by John’s prison chaplin, Franklin Butler, who wrote, “In particular reference to Mr. Griswold’s supposed cognizance of and sympathy with the evil designs against Mrs. Griswold, he (John) said ... he only knew what others had told him.”

Claims about Ephraim’s antipathy toward Sally come to us second- or third-hand. They also probably come to us ultimately from Charley, who might have exaggerated or fabricated Ephraim’s hostility.

We have no statements from Adelia about her feelings toward her fellow housemates and the case. (I assume, however, that she held lingering animosity toward Charley for his infidelities, detailed in her divorce petition.)

But we can make some educated guesses.

I conjecture that Adelia coveted Sally’s wealth. First of all, Adelia really liked money. Her divorce petition devoted more words to her financial assets than to the custody of her kids. She counted her assets carefully, listing them by source, specifying that she wanted “all such money and personal property and securities which have come to her and which she now (held)” to be “assigned to her for her sole use” (Burlington Free Press, Nov. 11, 1858).

Adelia knew very clearly what she considered to be her due, and she wanted complete control of those assets. Because the Griswolds made Adelia their legal heir, the financially focused Adelia probably viewed Sally’s wealth as rightfully hers.

Adelia must have also envied Sally’s riches and concomitant security. Adelia’s detailed recording of her personal property implies that she really wanted to control her money. In reality, she and Charley made bad deals, ran away from creditors and lacked the stability that Adelia wished for. Conversely, Sally used her mansion to create a stable place for herself where she didn’t worry about debt. Adelia probably wanted Sally’s comparative peace of mind as much as her money.

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June 9, 2022

One hospitalized after recycling center incident

Williston firefighters respond to a fire at All Metals Recycling on Redmond Road last Tuesday.

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Williston in Bloom volunteers have completed planting flower beds around Town Hall, the Village Gazebo and along Route 2 in the Village. With support from the Department of Public Works, Williston in Bloom has been planting flowers in the Village for roughly 20 years, with a break only in 2020 due to Covid restrictions.

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Eight workers became ill after an unknown respiratory irritant was processed through the Chittenden Solid Waste District’s recycling center Friday morning on Avenue C. Williston firefighters responded at about 9:20 a.m. to triage the patients. Four people were evaluated by emergency medical technicians and one was transported to the hospital.

Williston firefighters investigated the source of the irritant and believe it to be a substance such as bear spray or mace.

UVM Rescue and Essex Rescue also responded to the scene, while the South Burlington Fire Department and Richmond Rescue provided backup fire coverage.

Three days earlier, the Williston Fire Department extinguished a fire at All Metals Recycling on Redmond Road. Multiple calls came in around 9 a.m. reporting black smoke coming from an open bay building used for scrap metal recycling.

The fire was controlled within 45 minutes, according to the department. The cause was determined to be “accidental,” the department reported.

Fire departments from Essex, Essex Junction, Burlington, Richmond, Hinesburg, Jericho and the Air National Guard also responded.

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June 9, 2022 •

continued from page

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CVU greenhouse goes solar

Champlain Valley Union High School has added a solar energy system to power the greenhouse used to grow vegetables at the school cafeteria.

The idea started as a project from students in the Nexus program before being handed off to Director of Maintenance Tom Mongeon and sustainability teacher Dave Trevithick.

The system, installed by South Burlington-based Green Mountain Solar, is not connected to the larger power grid.

“It can run the honey centrifuge and power tools and keep the goats’ water unfrozen,” Trevithick said.

Last year, students grew 450 pounds of produce at the greenhouse.

Green Mountain Solar only does a handful of off-grid solar projects a year.

“Off-grid is not usually a feasible solution for most homeowners, but this was a unique situation where off-grid made more sense than attempting to make a grid-tied system,” said Ben McFeeters, Green Mountain Solar field supervisor. “Along with growing their own food, they can now produce all the power needed right on site.”

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Troop tribute In preparation for Memorial Day and to honor United States veterans, members of Williston Scout BSA Troop 692 recently planted flags on the graves of veterans at the four Williston ceme-

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June 9, 2022

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

TO ADVERTISE Submission deadline is Friday at 5 p.m. for next Thursday issue. rick@willistonobserver.com

ADVERTISING Rick Cote Associate Publisher Sales & Marketing rick@willistonobserver.com 802-373-2136

CLASSIFIED ADS Paid Classifieds: There is a fee for business, real estate and help wanted ads.

Free Classifieds: Must be 25 words or fewer. Printed on a space-available basis.

Submission deadline is Friday at 5 p.m. for next Thursday issue. susan@willistonobserver.com

EDITOR Jason Starr editor@willistonobserver.com PRODUCTION & DESIGN Jan Kenney jan@willistonobserver.com BILLING INQUIRIES Michael McCaffrey office@willistonobserver.com MEMBER:

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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.

The Williston Observer reserves the right to edit or refuse submissions or advertising. Opinions expressed in the paper are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the paper.

A publication of Twin Ponds Publishing LLC

Legislature drops ball on police reform

BY FALKO SCHILLING This legislative session impacted Vermonters’ civil liberties in significant ways, both good and bad. Specifically, while Vermont continued to adopt smarter criminal justice policies this year, we have also seen a shockingly inadequate response to the opioid crisis, and a failure to enact any meaningful police reforms.

The people of Vermont want to turn the page on the failed “tough on crime” era of mass incarceration, and they want their leaders to prioritize people and communities over prisons and policing.

Luckily, policymakers have been listening. Since March 2020, Vermont’s prison population has been cut from 1,656 down to 1,313 — a 20 percent drop in just two years and a 40 percent reduction from 15 years ago.

Some of this progress can be attributed to the “justice reinvestment” process (JRI), championed by legislative leaders like Sen. Dick Sears. JRI uses data analysis and stakeholder engagement to identify problems and achieve better outcomes. It has revealed glaring racial disparities in state drug prosecutions. It also showed that Vermont has had one of the most punitive community supervision systems in the country, with revocations from parole and furlough driving nearly 80 percent of new prison admissions.

By reforming that system,

revocations from furlough have been cut dramatically, from 1,404 in 2018 to just 268 in 2021.

Legislators should be commended for this progress, and for creating a new system of data collection and analysis to address systemic racism in our legal system and enable more “smart justice” reforms. These investments will continue to pay off in terms of human rights, public safety and

By effectively giving police veto authority over public safety reform, the governor and the Legislature are doing a great disservice to the majority of Vermonters who want to see real change. savings to taxpayers.

There were also, however, plenty of missed opportunities and causes for concern. The Senate did not advance some key sentencing reforms passed by the House. And the Legislature has not abandoned construction plans that would expand our prison system, despite a broad consensus that we should instead be invest-

Williston

The Williston Observer is mailed to every home and business in Williston and St. George every Thursday. In addition, we provide rack distribution to locations in Williston, Richmond and Essex.

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ing in community-based models and support programs.

We also witnessed a clearly insufficient response to the opioid crisis at a time when Vermont communities are experiencing record overdose deaths. The human toll and cruelty of the failed war on drugs becomes more apparent every year, and while some limited drug policy reforms were advanced this year, legislators have yet to act on more robust and effective solutions that are available.

Meanwhile, Gov. Scott vetoed a bill that would have helped to reform our drug laws and address racist disparities in sentencing.

Another glaring disappointment was the failure to enact any meaningful police reforms this session. More than 90 percent of Vermonters say they want police to be held accountable when they violate someone’s rights and, in 2020, the Legislature reformed Vermont’s use-of-force laws, following widespread protests against police brutality and impunity.

But far more remains to be done, and at the outset of this session, there was cause for optimism. Legislative leaders, to their great credit, introduced a bill to end qualified immunity — an idea supported by three in four Vermonters — to hold police accountable for civil rights violations.

Other bills sought to address overpolicing and racial profiling via traffic stops; create a database of untrustworthy police; prevent coercive interrogations that lead to false confessions; and limit “no-knock raids” that have resulted in preventable deaths in Vermont. These and other reforms are urgently needed to remedy the continuing lack of transparency, oversight and accountability in Vermont police agencies.

And yet, none of these proposals will be signed into law this year. Gov. Scott opposed ending qualified immunity, and every substantive police reform bill introduced this biennium was opposed, gutted or defeated by law enforcement leaders and defenders of the status quo.

To be clear, many legislators championed these reforms tirelessly. Whether their colleagues balked because they actually believed the cynical and misleading testimony of state law enforcement officials, or because they were afraid of a police backlash, the end result was that, two short years after we as a state recommitsee SCHILLING page 8

June 9, 2022 •

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Gun ownership done right I am a gun owner, as are probably the majority of Vermonters.

I do not hunt, nor do I own an assault rifle. Such weapons are meant to maim and kill, and it requires no skill to fire one.

My sole purpose in owning guns is for my enjoyment of target shooting. I work on improving my accuracy, just as I seek to improve my golf game and get that elusive hole-in-one.

I was taught at an early age the proper use and respect for guns and their potential. When I purchased my first handgun ages ago while living in New Jersey, I had to be fingerprinted by the local police, and the prints were then sent to the FBI where they are on permanent file. There was a week or two waiting period while a background check was done. I went through all the proper channels to get my permit, just as I did to get my driver’s license.

There is a difference between responsible gun ownership and allowing anyone with the money to purchase a firearm with little or no restrictions.

Julie Bonanno Williston

An antidote to violence While we seem safer here in Vermont, we are far from being immune to violence. Whether or not we regulate access to guns, a more fundamental solution is to reduce violent tendencies and deal with the growing lack of impulse control in our society that leads to violence of all kinds.

Violent or impulsive behavior originates in the brain, therefore that is where it must be prevented.

A problem arises when individuals (especially as children and teens) are deprived of certain key developmental experiences (like a safe, nurturing family and school life) or are exposed to stressful situations (like substance abuse and actual violence or simulations in computer games and other media.)

Their prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for moral reasoning and for controlling impulsiveness, instead persists in primitive, immature behavior and reactions, and predisposes the individual to impulsive violent behavior.

Peer-reviewed research has shown that the transcendental meditation technique activates the prefrontal cortex and creates more efficient, integrated brain functioning by neutralizing the stress that negatively impacts the brain.

In addition, it increases creativity and problem-solving ability.

Perhaps others can offer additional methods, but with the large body of evidence from research

among prison inmates, students in at-risk schools, and veterans with PTSD, the transcendental meditation program has proven to be more than worthy of consideration and implementation as a preventive and therapeutic solution.

Janet Smith Williston

A cautionary tale from a California valley When I received a letter about a Williston Development Review Board meeting in June, of course I looked up the project site plans and descriptions. While reading these, a popular ditty from 1970 started playing in my head.

More on that later.

So, here’s my tale. My hometown, in a valley in California, was a crossroads sort of place like Williston. Only it was surrounded by acres and acres of orchards instead of farms. Lordy was that whole valley beautiful and sweet smelling in the spring. The folks in the valley called it the “Dried Fruit Capitol of the World.”

When I started high school in 1960 there were already a number of suburbs filling in the treeless acres around the town. I often heard the adults joking about becoming a bedroom community for the big towns north and south of us. Then, of course, the semiconductor “chip” came into prominence and, unbeknownst to us, a small electronics company to the north decided it wanted to get into the act.

As I progressed thru high school, the “company” became more widely known and more businesses along the same vein began moving into the valley. Everyone was pumped about all the businesses and homes being built, talking about “progress” and “revenue” and how it was all so good for our little town. No more raising homeowner taxes for schools and things. But I’m sorry to say, even I didn’t notice that as more buildings filled the horizon, there were fewer orchards.

The company was HewlettPackard. The valley — originally called Santa Clara — is now known world wide as Silicon Valley.

That song from 1970s says: “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. They paved paradise, put up a parking lot.” — Joni Mitchell Sharon Dufur Williston

An inspirational place I, like many others, had the privilege of growing up at Windswept Farm. Windswept is a special place that will cease to exist if

the land it leases is developed.

The pandemic was hard on my parents, Tina and Mike Mauss, owners of Windswept. I wanted to do something special for them.

I reached out to the vast community of “Windswepters” and asked for stories to compile into a “Windswept Appreciation Book.”

I’d like to share excerpts that illustrate the importance of Windswept Farm: “For me, the barn was a safe place, and my eagerness to be there never faded. It was a home.”

“When my life at home and at school felt out of control, the barn was my safe haven. Windswept gave me a reason to always feel good about myself and provided me a place where I always had friends.”

“Through Windswept, I learned such valuable lessons in ambition, dedication, compassion and loyalty … all qualities you both show daily. Through these characteristics, I was not only able to get into vet school, but also get through vet school. You both will always inspire me every day to keep working hard toward my passion.”

If this land is developed, I urge you to preserve enough acreage for Windswept Farm to continue to operate and offer such experiences.

Windswept Farm is a substantial community benefit. Many come to Windswept looking for a summer camp experience, a safe place for their equine pet, to explore a new hobby, or for riding lessons. They get much more; they become part of the Windswept family.

To create such a vast and caring community is a huge accomplishment and an incredible asset.

For the community of Williston and surrounding towns, to lose this special place would be devastating.

Alex Mauss Kailua, Hawaii

Williston Observer

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Page 7

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Getting your COVID-19 booster is a simple and effective way of protecting you and your loved ones from COVID.

Excited to support Molly Gray Last week, I was honored to be part of a historic endorsement in a historic campaign. Former VerIf you’re older, a booster vaccine can mean the difference mont Gov. Madeline Kunin — the between a mild or severe COVID infection. Learn more about the first woman elected governor of COVID booster and why it’s important to be vaccinated.

Vermont (in 1984) — endorsed Molly Gray in her bid to become Call our Helpline at 1-800-642-5119 the first woman from Vermont or visit Vaccine4Vermont.com elected to Congress.

Vermont is the only state in Helping older the country that has yet to elect a Vermonters woman to its congressional deleage well. gation. In a room filled with women of all ages, women who are community leaders, elected officials and young leaders just beVT4A001-22_ShelburneWillCitizenOther_4x7.75_Booster.indd 1 5/20/22 ginning their journeys, Molly was emotional as she reflected on Gov. see LETTERS page 8

www.WillistonObserver.com

12:18 PM

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June 9, 2022

Schilling continued from page

6

ted to eradicating systemic racism and reimagining public safety, Gov. Scott and Vermont’s Legislature in 2022 took few meaningful actions to back up those commitments.

By effectively giving police

Letters continued from page

Benevento bench

Mike Benevento’s family was on hand for the dedication of the Mike Benevento memorial bench on Saturday. The engraving on the bench, bottom left, notes Benevento’s service in the United States Air Force, his commitment to friends and family and dedication to Williston’s baseball and softball communities. Williston Little League president Jeff Audette and Tim O’Brien unveiled the bench, which overlooks the baseball and softball fields behind Williston Central School. Benevento, a long time volunteer with Williston Little League and softball passed away last year.

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

7

Kunin’s extraordinary career and her tireless work to support women seeking elected office.

I am supporting Molly because she is committed to the issues that matter to me and so many Vermont families: affordable childcare, paid family leave, aggressive climate action, income inequality and protecting reproductive healthcare for women. I am supporting Molly because she is uniquely qualified. She worked for Congressman Welch for many years, then got her law degree and worked around the world on human rights and currently serves our state as Lieutenant Governor. I

veto authority over public safety reform, the governor and the Legislature are doing a great disservice to the majority of Vermonters who want to see real change.

The ACLU and our partners will redouble our efforts to convince more state leaders to heed the calls of their constituents and reimagine public safety in Ver-

mont. And we will continue working to hold police accountable in the courts and in our communities. In the meantime, those communities will be worse off as a result of police-led opposition and legislative inaction.

am supporting Molly because she knows Vermont. She grew up in Vermont, she was educated in Vermont public schools all the way through UVM, and more importantly, she is working tirelessly to talk with Vermonters of all backgrounds in every corner of our state.

There is so much bad news lately, but campaigns provide an important antidote for me: caring people working tirelessly to share their determination, new ideas and endless hope for a better future. Molly’s campaign embodies all of those and is a refreshing reminder of all that we have to look forward to when we finally send a woman to Washington.

Molly Gray will serve us well in Congress and I am proud

to support her.

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Rep. Erin Brady Williston

Appreciation for kid creators With all of the images of gun-violence and murder in schools, I spent extra time on The Observer’s Kid’s issue of June 2. I admire the artwork, poetry, essays, responses about super powers, photos, announcements of community libraries to come, and essays in response to prompts.

Thank you to these students for sharing bright spots with Williston readers. I appreciated their work.

Tricia Knoll Williston

June 9, 2022 •

The Dorothy Alling Memorial Library is open for in-person service during the following hours: • Monday/Wednesday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

• Tuesday/Thursday/ Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

• Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Visit www.damlvt.org to place holds, apply for a card, renew materials, get programming updates and access digital offerings. Public wifi is available 24/7 from the patio. If you need help accessing materials or services, call 878-4918 or email daml@damlvt.org.

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Children in fourth grade and younger must be supervised by someone over 16 years of age.

Register for programs online at www.damlvt.org or by calling 878-4918.

STORYWALK On the green: “Busy Tree” by Jennifer Ward; In the park: “Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt”

by Kate Messner; Catamount Forest: “The Busy Tree” by Jennifer Ward.

STORY TIME ON THE GREEN Tuesdays, June 14 and 21, 10:30-11 a.m. Join Danielle for outdoor stories, rhymes and songs.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC AND PLAYTIME ON THE GREEN Thursdays, June 16 and 23, 10:30-11 a.m. Birth to age 5. Sing and dance with local musician Linda Bassick, then stay to play on the library patio. In case of inclement weather, contact library.

TWEEN BOOK CLUB Monday, June 13, 3-4 p.m.

Read a Golden Dome book and join our tween book club in discussing your thoughts.

BIG BLUE TRUNK: SUMMER READING KICKOFF Saturday, June 18, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Stop by the Town Green on June 18 to kick off your summer reading. Rides, games and snacks will be available. In case of inclement weather, contact the library.

SUMMER DECORATION CRAFTS Monday, June 20, 2-3:30 p.m.

Stop by the library to make a sum-

mer craft for the library, and another for yourself!

TEEN NIGHT: FOOD FOR THOUGHT Monday, June 20, 5-6 p.m.

Grades 7-plus. Join the teen advisory board at the library and work on projects, programs and ideas with other teens. Registration required to ensure enough food.

OCEAN SENSORY BOTTLES Tuesday, June 21, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Make an ocean sensory bottle for some soothing beach time.

Registration required.

ADOPT A HOUSEPLANT Wednesday, June 22, 4:30-6 p.m. Paint a pot and then choose a houseplant to take home with it.

Registration required.

LEGO TIME Thursday, June 23, 3-4 p.m.

Make something exciting with the LEGO collection at the library.

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS To join a program, email programs@damlvt.org or call 8784918. For programs with online registration, register at www. damlvt.org.

ONLINE MEDITATION Fridays in June, 12-12:30 p.m.

Maryellen Crangle leads a Zoom meditation.

COOK THE BOOK Wednesday, June 15, 12-1 p.m.

“The Iraqi Cookbook” by Lamees Ibrahim. Stop by to copy a recipe and sign up.

SPANISH CONVERSATION ONLINE Wednesday, June 15, 4-5 p.m.

Join our guided conversation. All levels welcome. Register online at www.damlvt.org.

Williston Observer

Page 9

MAH-JONGG Friday, June 17, 1-3 p.m. Drop by the library to play the classic tile-based game. All skill levels welcome.

BOOK CLUB BUFFET (ONLINE) Tuesday, June 21, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Join Maryellen Crangle online to discuss “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah.

CURRENT EVENTS DISCUSSION Wednesday, June 22, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Drop by to meet with others to discuss the topics of the day on the library patio.

TECH TUTOR Wednesday, June 22, 4-6 p.m.

Sign up for a half-hour appointment to receive one-on-one help with your technology questions.

Call 878-4918 to schedule.

MULTI-AGE PROGRAMS SUMMER READING PROGRAM The Summer Reading Challenge begins on June 18. Pre-register at www.damlvt.org. Join the Youth or Adult challenge to track reading and listening, win prizes and enjoy great books.

FRENCH CONVERSATION FOR ALL Saturday, June 11, 10:30-11:30 p.m. Join Romain Feuillette for informal conversation. All abilities and ages welcome. Register at www.damlvt.org.

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•

Page 10 •

Williston Observer

• June 9, 2022

SPORTS

On track at the field CLOCKWISE from top left: CVU’s Mahoune Felix leaves the blocks in the starting leg of the 4x100 meter relay at the Vermont D1 State Track and Field Championships held at Burlington High School on Saturday.

CVU’s Gus Serinese wins the boy’s 300 meter hurdles. CVU freshman Alice Kredell catches her breath after finishing third overall in the 1500 meter run. CVU’s Greg Seraus swept the short sprints with a win in the boy’s 200 meter dash, and the 100 meter dash. CVU’s Gus Serinese passes the baton to Hayden Berard during the 4x400 meter relay.

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

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SPORTS

Williston Observer

•

Page 11

Redhawks face Hornets

LEFT top to bottom: Redhawk Sam Whitcomb battles Tanner Robbins of the Hornets for possession of the ball during CVU’s game vs. Essex on May 26 in Hinesburg. Colin Zouck passes the ball up field to his teammate. A high shot from the Hornets is blocked by Redhawk goalie Jake Bowen BELOW: Max Destito sidesteps around Essex’s Sam Giuliani.

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

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Page 12 •

Williston Observer

•

June 9, 2022

The cans we kick: Lawmakers request 99 reports

BY RILEY ROBINSON VTDigger

Since 1997, Andrew Mikell has advocated that Vermont modernize its land records system.

An attorney and state manager for Vermont Attorneys Title Corporation, Mikell believes the state should either create a centralized land records system or establish uniform standards for towns. Vermont is one of just three states that keeps deeds town by town, he said.

Over the past 25 years, the Vermont Legislature has commissioned nine reports on the is-

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sue. This year, in the bill H.512, lawmakers requested a tenth.

This practice of incessant studying is “the poster child of inefficiency,” Mikell told VTDigger. He has testified or served on the study committee for several of the nine previous government reports.

Delayed political action has real consequences for consumers, Mikell said. For someone seeking to buy property in Vermont, title searches take longer, increasing buyers’ legal fees.

Delays during a title search — particularly if a town clerk has limited hours or closes the office unexpectedly — can prevent buyers from locking in a lower interest rate, increasing costs over the life of their mortgage, according to Mikell.

“I’m totally discouraged,” he said. “I think the system we have will be the system we have forever.”

The report on record-keeping is just one of nearly 100 new studies requested by the Vermont Legislature this session.

Some of those will be performed by new study committees, and the rest will fall to state agencies or existing study committees.

VTDigger analyzed all 133 bills that passed the Legislature this session and created a list of all new reports and committees by searching for keywords, including “task force,” “working group,” “council” and “findings.”

The Legislature commissioned 99 additional reports and created 31 new fact-finding panels.

Some bills have yet to reach Gov. Phil Scott’s desk and may not necessarily be enacted into law, and others Scott has al-

The Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier.

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

ready vetoed.

This list excludes requests for oral reports, interim findings or straightforward datasets.

Some bills call for multiple studies. This year’s omnibus economic development bill, for example, requests nine studies or reports. Topics range from how to regulate sports betting — another perennial study topic — to a “history of state efforts to cultivate the film and media industry.”

These studies will add to each state agency’s pile of recurring reports. Bills from this session will also expand Vermont’s roster of 243 existing boards, task forces and study committees, according to a 2021 tally by state archivist Tanya Marshall. Those boards collectively had more than 2,300 members.

Some, such as the Green Mountain Care Board or the

State Board of Education, have muscular regulatory power. Oth-

Bills from this session will expand Vermont’s roster of 243 existing boards, task forces and study committees, according to a 2021 tally by state archivist Tanya Marshall. Those boards collectively had more than 2,300 members. ers are narrower in focus, such as the Maple Advisory Board, the Groundwater Coordinat-

ing Committee, the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the Birth Information Network Advisory Committee and the Large Farm Operations Advisory Group. Panels created by the Legislature usually culminate in a report.

Vermont lawmakers even created a committee to quantify and manage the hundreds of study committees: the Sunset Advisory Commission.

Until a few years ago, no state entity kept a list of Vermont’s many boards, panels and commissions. Otto Trautz, who served as the state budget director for decades before his death in 2020, took it upon himself to list these fact-finding bodies in a spreadsheet, as a sort of passion project. The Sunset Advisory Commission, formed in 2018, based its work on Trautz’s list. see LAWMAKERS page 13

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Lawmakers continued from page

12

The number of study committees “was totally out of control,” said Rep. Rob LaClair, R-Barre Town, who serves on the body.

The commission reviews the list of committees each year and helps develop bills to close out, or “sunset,” those that have concluded their work.

But this pruning effort is quickly outpaced by the creation of new committees. This year, the Legislature dissolved six, but created 31 more.

“Based on legislative actions, we’ll actually be losing ground,” said Matthew Krauss of Stowe, who also serves on the Sunset Advisory Commission.

The Legislature’s website lists both annual and one-off reports submitted to lawmakers over the past few years. A VTDigger analysis shows that the number of reports rose sharply from 2011 to 2016, peaking at around 300.

Similar bill-by-bill analyses in recent years suggest this year’s load of new reports is hardly unusual. A 2013 VTDigger analysis found lawmakers asked for 133 new reports. And a 2017 Seven Days story found that the Legislature ordered 68 new reports.

Some of these study committees and subsequent reports lead to policy change, and landmark pieces of legislation are often preceded by a study or working group. Conor Kennedy, chief of staff to House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, said last year’s task force and report on state pensions was critical to this year’s pension reform bill, S.286, which became law last month.

But other reports are lost to the ether.

In another bill this year, the Legislature created a working group to study alternative governance models for the Burlington airport. The bill’s language acknowledges that the issue has been studied before and instructs the working group to review previous reports on the topic dating back to 1985.

Legislative leadership asked committee chairs to use requests for reports “judiciously” this session, said Carolyn Wesley, chief of staff to Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, D-Windham.

“Sen. Balint recognizes the value of legislative studies and task forces to expand the capacity and expertise of Vermont’s citizen legislature. At their best, like last year’s task force on pensions, they get all relevant stakeholders around a table to come up with solutions that result in stronger legislation,” Wesley

said in an email. “They also take up legislative and staff time and resources in the off season.”

She added that several proposed reports were ultimately removed from bills throughout this session.

UNKNOWN COSTS

Lawmakers commission reports for various reasons. Some reports require the executive branch to show how money was spent or how laws were implemented: For example, S.100, the bill that created a universal school meals program, also requires the Agency of Education to report back next year on how many students used the pro-

‘I honestly think many of them aren’t read.’

Julie Moore Agency of Natural Resources secretary

gram.

These reports can be simple datasets, but they are important for legislators’ due diligence, said Sen. Jane Kitchel, D-Caledonia, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Once lawmakers appropriate public money, they want to see how that money is spent.

Other studies solicit specific policy proposals. For example, the Legislature set aside $50,000 to hire a private contractor to look at privatizing Vermont’s liquor market.

But others are a way to postpone decision-making on controversial issues.

The biggest law enforcement reform bills this session — ending qualified immunity, decriminalizing drugs — now just create working groups to study those proposals.

This year’s opioid response bill, H.728, created a working group to study the feasibility of opening overdose prevention sites, where people can use illicit drugs with medical supervision.

The working group’s report will be the third public study on the issue in the past five years.

“Sometimes a study is a way of keeping an issue open for future deliberation if you can’t make a decision at that particular time,” Kitchel said. “Sometimes a study is simply a way of kicking the can down the road.”

Nobody really knows how much these reports and study committees cost the state, said Krauss, the Sunset Advisory Committee member.

Most legislative panels include lawmakers, state agency employees and stakeholders from the general public. Lawmakers receive $155 per day, plus food costs and mileage, for their work on study committees. Members

of the public get per diem stipends, usually $50 per day. Per diem expenses are not broken out in agency budgets, Krauss said, though he plans to push for that in the next budget cycle.

Krauss served two terms each in the Vermont House and Senate between 1988 and 1996.

During that time he noticed potential for abuse: The people who create study committees can also serve on them, meaning they could create their own opportunities for additional work, paid for using public funds.

“In the past, in my time, some of (the committees) were created to provide a few extra dollars for legislators who weren’t fully employed, and would serve on a board or a panel to make a few extra dollars,” Krauss said.

Kennedy contested this characterization. He noted that lawmakers would probably earn more money returning to a job outside the Statehouse than the daily stipends provided for serving on study panels.

“Most legislative members had such a grueling session that not everyone is jumping up and down to be appointed to one of these committees,” Kennedy said.

But aside from the explicit per diem costs, there are the harder-to-calculate costs of state employees’ labor. State employees are not reimbursed separately for their time spent on legislative reports or study committees; it just comes out of their time they’d spend on other normal tasks.

“All of this — it is a significant burden on staff,” said Julie Moore, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.

“And it directly competes with the time we have available to provide direct service to Vermonters.” Lawmakers tasked the agency with seven additional reports this year.

The Agency of Education requested — and received — an additional legislative affairs and communications position this year, mostly to manage study requests from the Legislature, said Ted Fisher, the agency’s director of communications and legislative affairs.

Moore and Fisher each estimated that their agencies are required to produce 10 to 15 annual reports, in addition to new requests in any given year.

Moore described it as a “death of a thousand cuts.” Nobody thinks their one request for information is a significant drain on state resources. But the cumulative impact is significant, Moore said.

The Agency of Natural Resources has asked lawmakers to lighten the demand for reports, with mixed results, according to Moore. In 2019, the agency

consolidated several required reports and turned others into forms. The agency also retooled some required reports to make them readable for lay audiences — in hopes that they could serve double-duty as a public communications tool.

The reports “were not getting the utilization, generally, that would have been commensurate with the level of effort required to produce them,” Moore said. “I honestly think many of them aren’t read.”

LaClair said some study committee members, after concluding their reports, have expressed frustration that their work was for naught.

“Quite often, I know I’ve

Williston Observer

•

Page 13

heard people say, ‘well, that’s kind of a waste of my time because you didn’t take any of our suggestions,’” LaClair said. “‘You just went off and did whatever you wanted to do.’”

Kitchel joked that when she sees a request for a report in a bill, she wants to add a rule stating whoever asked for the study is required to read it.

“I think it’s something that we need to be much more conscious of, and it’s just like when we’re doing appropriations: Is this where you put your first dollar? Is this where you want to use staffing resources?” Kitchel said. “It’s not very sexy, but it’s fundamental. It’s priority setting.”

Page 14 •

Williston Observer

• June 9, 2022

Bugs at the ballet

The Isham Family Farm in Williston was host to a different crop of blossoms on Sunday when dancers from Ballet Vermont performed “Bees and Friends,” a ballet celebrating the importance of pollinators as part of the First: Earth Summer Series. Flowers from the garden, left, sway and dance in the sun in one vignette, while below, fireflies perform a duet amidst the changing maple leaves.

Isham Family Farm launches First: Earth Summer Series

BY ERIN ZUBARIK Special to the Observer Last Sunday, the Isham Family Farm kicked off its First: Earth Summer Series by inviting Ballet Vermont to perform “Bees and Friends.”

Spectators picnicked on the lawn while dancers dressed as pollinators moved to the soundtrack of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons.” The show used music, movement, Vermont landscapes and colorful costumes to bring together community and connect people to the natural world.

The Isham Family Farm was built by going to the Vermont Center for EcoSsome of Williston’s first settlers in 1788 tudies. and has more than 200 years of histo“I think it’s really important for us to ry. The farm is run by Mike Isham and move forward constructively as a world,” Helen Weston, who grow berry bushes, Weston said. “I feel like we are getting pumpkin patches, corn and Christmas further and further apart from recogniztrees. It was Weston’s idea to start a per- ing our neighbors and our differences forming arts summer series on the farm. and knowing that we Weston has a backcan resolve things just ground in the performing by knowing each othFirst: Earth arts; she grew up studying er.”

Summer Series ballet, piano and theater, There was someand she was a music teachIsham Family Farm thing for everyone on er in Addison County for 3515 Oak Hill Rd. Sunday: before the many years. As a young Next show: 7 p.m. June 13 show, children were girl, her parents would Youth Opera Company invited to participate bring her to local perforof Vermont in an art project and mances, and she recalls learn a dance with the how these productions had performers.

Adults the power to unite people. listened in as local Weston hopes that the Isham summer researchers from the UVM Extension series can mirror the productions she and honey farmers from Bee the Change attended as a child by bringing together spoke about how they are working to prearts and the community. She also wishes serve pollinators in the area. All of these to bring attention to environmental pro- events were set up on the lawn before tection. All proceeds from the show are the performance for families to gather,

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The performance itself featured caterpillars that transformed into butterflies, a romantic duet between fireflies, and maple tree leaves with changing colors. These metamorphoses were paired with Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” concerto — a piece of music that also celebrates changes in the natural world.

Ballet Vermont Executive Director Katie Decker said that the purpose of “Bees and Friends” is to bring awareness to the importance of pollinators. ‘“Bees and Friends’ focuses on different bugs and creatures in a garden, and the setting of the ballet is in a garden, so for each main character in the story, there is a different inspiration for

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the dance,” she said. “For instance … in this ballet there is a male firefly and a female firefly that have different flashing patterns, and they are trying to assess if they are going to make it work as mates, or if they are going to have to go separate ways. So each piece in the ballet has a story behind it or a characteristic of that bug or creature that we are trying to bring to life.”

After the show, the performers were met with grand applause, signifying an entertained audience and a successful beginning to the First: Earth Summer Series. The next summer series performance will feature the Youth Opera Company of Vermont and will take place on June 13.

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June 9, 2022 • completed a background investigation for local employment.

May 27 at 11:25 a.m. — Police took custody of lost property on Wright Avenue. The officer returned the property to its owner.

May 24 at 1:37 p.m. — Police responded to a report of retail theft at Maple Tree Place.

May 22 at 8:41 a.m. — Police responded to a report of a traffic hazard on Allen Brook Lane.

May 24 at 2:53 p.m. — Police provided blue lights and traffic control on Williston Road while a traffic light was fixed.

May 22 at 8:46 a.m. — Police responded to assist Norwich Police Department on Zephyr Road.

May 24 at 3:16 p.m. — Police provided a case number for property damage on Marshall Avenue.

May 22 at 10:23 a.m. — Police responded to an elevator alarm activation on Holland Lane.

Upon arrival, the alarm was confirmed to be false.

May 25 at 10:59 a.m. — Police responded to assist Williston Fire Department with a medical call on Harvest Lane.

May 25 at 12:12 p.m. — Police responded to a motor vehicle complaint on Harvest Lane.

May 25 at 1:49 p.m. — Police provided a case number for lost property on Merchants Row.

May 22 at 11:11 a.m. — Police responded to a vehicle collision on St. George Road. There were no injuries or hazards reported on the scene.

May 25 at 2:08 p.m. — Police responded to a lockout on Hawthorne Street. The officer was able to gain access to the vehicle for the operator.

May 22 at 11:38 a.m. — Police responded to assist Williston Fire Department with a fire alarm activation on Hurricane Lane.

May 25 at 4:49 p.m. — Police responded to a vehicle collision at Maple Tree Place.

May 22 at 8:44 p.m. — Police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle on Essex Road.

Upon arrival, the vehicle had left the scene.

May 23 at 4:37 a.m. — Police assisted Williston Fire Department with a fire alarm activation on Tyler Way. May 23 at 9:18 a.m. — Police responded to a 911 hang-up on Knight Lane. Upon arrival, no emergency or suspicious behavior was identified on the scene.

May 24 at 8:10 a.m. — Police responded to a vehicle collision on Christmas Lane. There were no injuries reported at the scene.

Happy Father's Day!

May 25 at 6:03 p.m. — Police responded to an alarm activation on Lawrence Place. Upon arrival, the alarm was confirmed to be false.

May 25 at 6:47 p.m. — Police responded to a report of suspicious behavior on Marshall Avenue. The individual was taken into custody for violating conditions of release before being transported by Williston Fire Department for medical attention.

May 26 at 2:33 a.m. — Police responded to assist Vermont State Police on Duxbury Road.

May 26 at 8:25 a.m. — Police provided a case number for property damage on Harvest Lane.

May 26 at 9:22 a.m. — Police responded to a report of illegal dumping on Avenue D. The officer was successful in locating the responsible individual who picked up their property.

May 26 at 1:55 p.m. — Police advised a citizen regarding a civil matter on Tower Lane.

May 26 at 6:14 p.m. — Police responded to a vehicle collision at Maple Tree Place.

May 26 at 6:27 p.m. — Police provided a case number for property damage on Harvest

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May 23 at 8:11 p.m. — Police responded to assist Williston Fire Department with a medical call on Madison Drive.

May 27 at 9:16 a.m. — Police

May 28 at 10:47 a.m. — Police completed multiple VIN verifications on Mountain View Road at a business’ request.

The incidents above are not a full recount of police activity, rather a highlight of some of the events that occurred. Charges filed by police are subject to review by the Chittenden County State’s Attorneys Office and can be amended or dropped.

Fa mily

May 23 at 4:58 p.m. — Police responded to complete a VIN verification on Avenue D.

May 27 at 8:21 a.m. — Police responded to assist a citizen at Maple Tree Place.

May 28 at 10:37 a.m. — Police responded to a report of suspicious behavior on Helena Drive. Upon arrival, the officer found that there was no issue.

May 28 at 5:13 p.m. — Police conducted a motor vehicle stop on Mountain View Road. The operator was found to be under criminal suspension and was violating conditions of release.

The officer took the operator into custody.

NED W

May 23 at 1:34 p.m. — Police responded to a request for assistance on Chelsea Place.

May 27 at 1:15 a.m. — Police conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 89. The officer took the operator into custody for driving under the influence.

May 27 at 8:21 p.m. — Police responded to assist Williston Fire Department with a medical call on Jensen Road.

May 28 at 4:49 p.m. — Police responded to take custody of found property on Central School Drive.

5

May 22 at 3:02 p.m. — Police provided a case number for property damage on Boxwood Street.

May 26 at 8:32 p.m. — Police responded to assist Williston Fire Department with a medical call on Harvest Lane.

Page 15

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May 22 at 10:37 a.m. — Police responded to a report of suspicious behavior on Porterwood Drive. Upon arrival, the individual did not require assistance.

Lane.

•

May 28 at 4:45 p.m. — Police responded to a report of suspicious behavior on Interstate 89.

Upon arrival, the officer confirmed that there was no issue.

LO

May 22 at 2:54 a.m. — Williston Police Department assisted Vermont State Police on Plains Road.

May 27 at 2:39 p.m. — Police provided a case number for property damage on Williston Road.

Williston Observer

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Page 16 •

Williston Observer

•

June 9, 2022

release dates: June 11-17, 2022

24 (22)

Next Week: Disc golf

Founded by Betty Debnam

Fulgurite

Mini Fact: A bolt of lightning travels 270,000 mph.

Flashing Lightning photo by G. Lamar

Formation

photo by Anton Pinchuk

Lightning is a strong blast of electricity that occurs in a flash of a second during a thunderstorm. It’s basically a large electrical spark that starts in the sky.

A bolt of lightning can be 5 miles long!

Since light travels faster than sound, you might notice that you’ll see a flash of lightning before you hear the thunder that accompanies a storm.

Among the factors that make lightning visible are dust and moisture.

Did you know lightning bolts often appear white, but based on atmospheric conditions, we can also see them as blue, violet, red, orange, green or yellow.

Distance

Sometimes people count the seconds between a flash of lightning and a boom of thunder to determine how far a storm is from their location. If you divide the number

Nancy

of seconds you count between the flash and thunder by 5, some say you’ll get an estimate of how many miles the storm is from you.

Power

According to the National Weather Service, the average flash of lightning is about 300 million volts and 30,000 amps. To give you an idea of how powerful that is, one flash of lightning could power a 100-watt lightbulb for three months.

Fast facts

The location that is struck by lightning the most is Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela.

Residents there can see as many as 40,000 lightning strikes per night.

There are more than 3 million flashes of lightning around the world every day. That’s 44 strikes every second!

During the 1700s, people believed that ringing church bells would drive off lightning.

During storms, bell ringers would go to work, ringing their bells until the lightning and thunder stopped.

The width of a lightning bolt is only 2 to 3 centimeters! That’s about the size of a grape, penny, walnut or slice of banana.

photo by Andrew Knapp

Last week we learned about tornadoes.

Another element of storms that you might notice — and it’s hard not to since it lights up the sky — is lightning. The Mini Page takes a look at lightning this week.

Resources On the Web:

• bit.ly/MPLightning

At the library:

• “National Geographic Readers: Storms!”

by Miriam Goin • “Lightning (Smithsonian-science)” by Seymour Simon

The Mini Page® © 2022 Andrews McMeel Syndication

BY OLIVIA JAIMES

Try ’n’ Find

Mini Jokes

Words that remind us of lightning are hidden in this puzzle.

Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: AMPS, BELLS, BOLT, COLOR, DUST, FLASH, FULGURITE, LIGHTNING, MOISTURE, QUARTZ, SAND, SILICA, STORM, STRIKE, THUNDER, VENEZUELA, VOLTS, WORLD.

When lightning strikes an area full of sand that is high in the compound silica (quartz), it leaves behind something rare: a fulgurite, or a unique formation of sand fused together by the heat of the blast.

Fulgurite gets its name from fulgur, which is the Latin word for “lightning.”

The National Park Service describes the formation of fulgurites at the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in Colorado this way: “Lightning blasts the sand, vaporizing the area This fulgurite was found in Michigan. where the bolt of electricity shoots through the sand and melting the surrounding sand into dark glass.”

The lightning striking the sand is 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit — hotter than the sun’s surface!

The size of a fulgurite depends on the strength of the lightning bolt and the thickness of the bed of sand it strikes.

Fulgurites are most often white or black in color. photo courtesy Endophasy

Issue 24, 2022

N A S T R I K E R P

P E R U T S I O M A

S L L E B B O Z F U

G N I N T H G I L B

B L M R S S I L S V

V O L T S N A I E K

H D T S U D L N M Q

S T O R M I E O D U

A I C G C Z K S N A

L V R A U A M P S R

F O G E R N X D I T

F U L G U R I T E Z

X A X N Y D L R O W

T H U N D E R V Q L

T T L O B R O L O C

Lark: What did one lightning bolt say to another lightning bolt?

Lil: “You’re shocking!”

Eco Note New research suggests that the movement of water between the clouds, land and ocean due to climate change has intensified at twice the rate earlier predicted. Writing in the journal Nature, scientists say that rising global temperatures have been making this

by Miriam Goin • “Lightning (Smithsonian-science)” by Seymour Simon June 9, 2022 • Williston Observer • Page 17

The width of a lightning bolt is only 2 to 3 centimeters! That’s about the size of a grape, penny, walnut or slice of banana.

between a flash of lightning and a boom of thunder to determine how far a storm is from their location. If you divide the number

The Mini Page® © 2022 Andrews McMeel Syndication

Try ’n’ Find

Mini Jokes

Words that remind us of lightning are hidden in this puzzle.

Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: AMPS, BELLS, BOLT, COLOR, DUST, FLASH, FULGURITE, LIGHTNING, MOISTURE, QUARTZ, SAND, SILICA, STORM, STRIKE, THUNDER, VENEZUELA, VOLTS, WORLD.

N A S T R I K E R P

P E R U T S I O M A

S L L E B B O Z F U

G N I N T H G I L B

B L M R S S I L S V

V O L T S N A I E K

H D T S U D L N M Q

S T O R M I E O D U

A I C G C Z K S N A

L V R A U A M P S R

F O G E R N X D I T

F U L G U R I T E Z

X A X N Y D L R O W

T H U N D E R V Q L

Lark: What did one lightning bolt say to another lightning bolt?

Lil: “You’re shocking!”

T T L O B R O L O C

Eco Note

You’ll need: • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes • 2 cups roughly chopped cilantro • Juice from 1 lime • 1/2 medium onion, chopped (optional)

• 1 medium jalapeño pepper, chopped and seeds removed (optional) • Tortilla chips

What to do: 1. Place all ingredients (except chips) in a blender.

2. Blend until well-mixed.

3. Chill and serve with tortilla chips.

News of the Weird Oops

Great Art

Bonus!

During a May 24 broadcast on the BBC of the French Open tennis championship, the news ticker at the bottom of the screen briefly read, “Manchester United are rubbish,” Reuters reported. Later, BBC anchor Annita McVeigh issued an on-air apology saying, “behind the scenes, someone was training to learn how to ... put text on the ticker. So they were just writing random things. It wasn’t meant to appear on screen.

I hope that Manchester United fans weren’t offended by it.”

In Parks, Louisiana, a rendering of the Last Supper in the St. Joseph Catholic Church has all the usual elements — plus a regionally iconic extra: a bottle of McIlhenny’s Tabasco hot sauce, conveniently placed in front of one of Jesus’ disciples. Christie Hebert, the artist of the piece, told the Daily Advertiser that she was asked to not make the painting an exact replica of the DaVinci original; the priest at that time “wanted to make it unique to our area,” she said.

Vicky Umodu of Colton, California, was thrilled to find two free sofas and a matching chair on Craigslist for her new house.

Family members were liquidating the possessions of someone who had died, ABC7 News reported on June 2. When she got the furniture home, she felt something in one of the cushions. Upon further inspection, she found several envelopes filled with cash. Umodu found a staggering $36,000 in total. She returned the cash

The Mini Page® © 2022 Andrews McMeel Syndication

Easy Tomato Salsa

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

Cook’s Corner

New research suggests that the movement of water between the clouds, land and ocean due to climate change has intensified at twice the rate earlier predicted. Writing in the journal Nature, scientists say that rising global temperatures have been making this process more extreme, with water moving away from dry regions toward wetter ones. This is driving more severe droughts in some areas while amplifying heavy rainfall and the resulting flood disasters in others. adapted with permission from Earthweek.

For later: Look in your newspaper for articles about lightning.

Teachers:

Follow and interact with The Mini Page on Facebook!

to the family, who told her they had found other hidden stashes in the deceased man’s home, but not such large amounts.

Hungry thief The investigation is ongoing in Trout Run, Pennsylvania, to find the hungry thief who on May 20 broke into the apartment of Tyler Whyte, 26, but stole only one item: a 5-pound bag of Mrs. T’s pierogies, The Smoking Gun reported. The burglar caused minor damage to drywall in the kitchen, but left all of Whyte’s other belongings untouched. The pierogies were valued at $10.

Hole in the wall WFIE-TV in Evansville, Indiana, reported on June 2 that Your Brother’s Bookstore has more to offer than just great reading material. New owners were preparing to open last year, when they discovered a trap door. Officials investigated and found the hole led to a tunnel that runs under the town’s Main Street. The owners found artifacts related to Prohibition: a still, glass bottles, and tables and chairs that might have been part of a gambling den. The owners said they will make a small museum-quality exhibit in the store.

Page 18 •

Williston Observer

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June 9, 2022

SENIORS

Adaptive clothing takes the stress out of dressing Dear Savvy Senior, What kinds of clothing options are available to mobility challenged seniors who have a difficult time dressing?

Looking for Mom

Savvy Senior

By Jim Miller

Dear Looking, The chore of dressing and undressing in traditional clothing can be difficult, time-consuming and even painful for millions of people with certain health and mobility problems. Fortunately, there’s a wide variety of special clothing, known as “adaptive clothing,” that can help with most dressing challenges. Here’s what you should know.

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Adaptive clothing are specially designed garments for people with mobility issues, disabilities and cognitive challenges who have a difficult time getting dressed.

This type of clothing incorporates discreet design features to make dressing and undressing easier, while still having the outward appearance of typical clothing.

Depending on your mom’s needs, here are some of the many different types of adaptive clothing options that could help.

For self-dressing seniors who suffer disabilities that affect dexterity, there is clothing made with Velcro or magnetic closures

instead of buttons and zippers, which are much easier to fasten and unfasten. (Magnetic closures are not suitable for those who have pacemakers.)

For those who are disabled or who have limited range of motion and need assistance dressing, there are adaptive pants with zippers or snaps on both sides of the pants that are easier to pull on.

There is also a wide range of rear closure shirts, tops and dresses with Velcro or snap fasteners in the back for those who can’t raise their arms over their head.

For wheelchair users, there are higher back and elastic waistband pants that don’t slip down, as well as

pants with fabric overlaps at the seat to allow for easier toileting access.

For people with tactile sensitivity, there are garments with soft, stretchy fabrics without tags and sewn with flat seams.

There are also one-piece jumpsuits that have a back-zipper access to prevent the wearer from disrobing inappropriately.

WHERE TO SHOP?

Because each person’s dressing needs and style can be so specific, finding appropriate adaptive clothing can be difficult.

Recently, mainstream clothing stores like JCPenney (www.jcpenney.com), Target (www.target. com) and Tommy Hilfiger (www. usa.tommy.com) have started offering a line of adaptive clothing for adults, but their in-store options are limited. To get a bigger selection, visit the stores’ websites and type in “adaptive clothing” in their search engine.

You can also find online stores that specialize in adaptive clothing like Buck & Buck (www.buckandbuck.com) and Silverts (www. silverts.com). These companies have been selling adaptive clothing for decades and offer a wide variety of garments Some other adaptive clothing sites you should visit include Joe & Bella (www.joeandbella.com), Ovidis (www.ovidis.com), and IZ Adaptive (www.izadaptive.com).

If your mom is in need of adaptive footwear, Velcro fastening shoes (instead of shoelaces) have long been a popular option and can be found in most local shoe stores.

Some other adaptive shoes include Kiziks (www.kizik. com) and Zeba (www.zebashoes. com), which make fashionSOLUTION FOUND ON PAGE 22 able sneakers and comfortable walking shoes that just slip on, hands-free.

Billy Footwear (www.billyfootwear.com) and Friendly Shoes (w w w. f r i e n d l y s h o e s .c o m) We give people the help they need ™ make uniquely to live in the place they love designed zip-on shoes.

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Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org.

June 9, 2022 •

Williston Observer

•

Page 19

CROSSWORD • SOLUTION ON PAGE 22

Almanac ANDREWS

MCMEEL

TODAY’S HISTORY • In 1790, John Barry’s “The Philadelphia Spelling Book” became the first copyrighted work in the United States.

• In 1856, nearly 500 Mormon “handcart pioneers” began a pilgrimage on foot from Iowa City, Iowa, to Salt Lake City, Utah.

• In 1954, Army counsel Joseph Welch confronted Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the Army-McCarthy hearings.

• In 1999, Yugoslavia signed a peace treaty pledging that Serbian forces would withdraw from Kosovo in 11 days, thus ending the Kosovo War. TODAY’S FACT • Legendary guitarist Les Paul is the only person to be inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

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2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1⁄4 tsp baking soda 1 Tbsp baking powder 1 tsp kosher salt or 1 tsp salt 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, very cold

1 tsp vanilla extract

Whipped Cream In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter-like.

1 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar

In a medium bowl combine the strawberries and sugar. Cover berry mixture, and let stand.

1 cup buttermilk Whipped Cream: 1 cup heavy cream

For the strawberries: 1 lb ripe strawberries; hulled and quartered 2 Tbsp sugar; more to taste

To assemble: Split biscuits in half horizontally. Spoon about 1/2 cup berry mixture onto each shortcake bottom; top each with whipped cream.

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Page 20

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Williston Observer

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June 9, 2022

OBITUARIES Leslie A. Langlais

Sunrise: June 27, 1942 Sunset: June 4, 2022 Leslie’s soul has crossed to be with The Lord and his many loved ones, waiting patiently for him.

Les was born the second son of five children to Francis (Pat) and Edwina (Eddie) Langlais at their home on Pearl Street June 27, 1942 in St. Albans, VT. He attended Holy Angels Schools, served in the US Air Force, training in fire fighting, enjoyed hunting, fishing, and spending time with his loving family.

He married his soulmate, best friend and loving wife, Kathleen, on April 16, 1966 in St. Thomas Church, Underhill Center, VT. He was a brave, kind soul, very patient with concern for others, always ready to help. He was a real Jackof-all trades, and worked tirelessly for his family, making many friends along the way.

His true love was as a career firefighter, which he proudly was for 36 years with the City of St. Albans, VT. During this time, Les successfully completed numerous fire training classes and even had the honor of delivering 2 babies!

He leaves his wife of 56 years, Kathleen; his beautiful gift, a daughter, Andrea Sleeper; 3 granddaughters, Avery, Kate, and Ryan of Shelburne VT; his 2 brothers and their spouses, Larry (Barbara) and Leonard (Dawna) both of Highgate Center, and 1 sister, Patricia (Haskell) Mayo of Swanton, as well as several nieces and nephews, great nieces

Ruth Mary Elliott (Ruthie) Donnelly

and nephews, and their families. Les was predeceased by his parents and one sister, Cynthia, at age 6 with cystic fibrosis.

In lieu of flowers, please send condolences online to the family (klanglais303@gmail.com) or contributions to the Chittenden County Home Health & Hospice or to the Williston Fire Department for all their special care.

The family offers a heart-felt thank you to all our close friends, Dr. John Wright, UVMMC, VNA, and Hospice for Les’ care during his journey.

A celebration of life may be held at the convenience of the family at a later date.

Schedule a free pickup today!

The Habitat ReStore accepts gently used furniture, appliances, home goods, and clothing and turn them into affordable homes for families in our community. Donate today to support our work!

Ruth Mary Elliott (Ruthie) Donnelly, born on December 13, 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of Yule Elliott and Hattie (Karle) Elliott died May 27, 2022 at the age of 85.

Ruth spent her childhood and teenage years in Cleveland, Ohio, graduating high school from St. Joseph’s Academy in 1955.

Her mother passed away when she was only three years old. She was lovingly raised by her father Yule and her devoted Aunt Mary.

As a teenager, Ruth loved sports and had the initial interest in becoming a sports writer, a profession that women of her generation seldom pursued.

At age 18, she met her future husband and love of her life William McCool (Bill) Donnelly. They married on September 15, 1956.

They celebrated almost 65 years of marriage before Bill’s passing in 2020. Ruth and Bill went on to have two children. Kathleen, their daughter, was born in July 1957, followed by a son, John, born in October 1958.

Ruth was still a teenager when she and Bill purchased their first home in 1956 and due to her young age, she had to have an adult cosign on her behalf to purchase the home.

During the early years (1957-1970) residing in Cleveland, Ruth was very busy raising Kathie and John. Then, Bill worked long hours at the service stations he owned in Cleveland.

Ruth and Bill always had the dream of relocating to Vermont and in the 1960s, the four Donnelly’s traveled to Vermont for their week-long summer vacation several times.

Ruth soon became enamored with Vermont and in 1970 Ruth and Bill purchased a home in Montpelier, Vermont. Almost immediately after purchasing their home, Ruth and Bill bought a store, Donnelly’s News Agency (108 Main Street), which they operated together with their children John and Kathie for five years. During this time, Ruth and Bill employed Kathie and John, many local teenagers, Vietnam Veterans, and neighbors.

Ruth remained very active following her childrens’ busy schedules with athletics. Both Kathie and John participated on numerous athletic teams while attending Montpelier High School. While at Donnelly’s News Agency, Ruth was the personality of business and Bill was the business manager. Ruth enjoyed making sure every customer was satisfied with their purchase.

After selling Donnelly’s News Agency, Ruth and Bill continued with entrepreneurship and owned and operated an Amoco Service Station just down the road from Donnelly’s News Agency on Main and School Street.

They also operated country stores in Water-

bury Center, and South Peacham.

Over the years, Ruth and Bill resided in numerous homes in Central Vermont and made many friends. They lived in Montpelier, Waterbury Center, Northfield, South Peacham, Barre, Williamstown, Williston, and Orange.

Ruth also expanded her resume throughout her lifetime. She was the lead hostess and cashier at the Lobster Pot Restaurant in Montpelier. She also managed Dana Jewelry in the Berlin Mall. Later, Ruth spent several years in sales at the Superstore in Williston where she made many friends. During this time she appeared in several television commercials for Handy Chevrolet. Her notoriety gained her fans, laughs and recognition throughout the area.

Ruth is predeceased by her husband Bill, her mother Hattie, her father Yule, brothers Lynn and Josef, infant sister Jean. Ruth leaves behind her daughter Kathleen (Kenneth Ball) and son John (Deborah Parsons Donnelly), and seven grandchildren Jared (Jessica); Matthew; David (Andrea); Michael (Lauren); John Jake (Caroline); and Remington. Ruth also leaves behind six great-grandchildren Sydney, Cameran, Braden, Adalynn , Kylee Ruth and Alexander William. She also leaves several nieces and nephews in Ohio.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Augustine Church in Montpelier on Saturday July 16, 2022 at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Childrens’ Research Hospital or to your local animal shelter. The family would like to thank the many individuals and agencies who assisted Ruth during the past few years. Special thanks to Barre Housing Authority, Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, Heaton Woods, Central Vermont Medical Center, Bayada Services and Berlin Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Douglas C. Murphy

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Douglas C. Murphy of North Port, Florida and South Burlington, Vermont passed away peacefully on Sept. 18, 2021 after a hard fought battle with Covid. Doug was born May 4th 1934 and is survived by his wife of 62 years Maureen K. Murphy of North Port, Florida and Williston, Vermont, son Sean Murphy and his wife Tracy of Williston, Vermont, daughter Laura Abbott and her husband Richy of South Burlington, Vermont and daughter Maureen Harrison and her husband Peter of Sugar Loaf, NY. He is also survived by his grandchildren Jacob Murphy, Justin Abbott, Tucker Abbott, Jeffrey Harrison, Sar-

ah Harrison and her husband Joe Kramer as well as many nieces and nephews.

Doug was preceded in death by his twin brother Don Murphy, his brother Peter Murphy and his sister Anne Shelton.

Doug’s life was celebrated with a Mass of Christian Burial on June 4, 2022 at 12:00 pm at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 160 Hinesburg Road, South Burlington. He was laid to rest at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Burlington, which will be followed by a luncheon at the St. John Vianney Church Hall.

Local arrangements are by Boucher and Pritchard Funeral Directors.

June 9, 2022 •

Williston Observer

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Page 21

OBITUARIES Nelson Albert Lefebvre On June 1, 2022, Nelson died at home surrounded by his loving family, at 94 years of age.

Nelson was born in Richmond on August 29, 1927, the son of the late Armand and Yvonne (Lapointe) Lefebvre.

Nelson was an Army veteran and served in Germany after WWII. On March 31, 1951, he married Beverley O’Brien and together they raised their family.

He was an active member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Williston. Nelson spent his working career in the fertilizer industry. He and Bev partnered later in life to found Vermont Fertilizer Systems, where they worked side-by-side for many years. Together, they developed close relationships with the local farmers.

He loved his dog Aggie, planting his vegetable garden and mowing his lawn. He enjoyed family gatherings at Christmas and Fourth of July barbeques.

He is survived by Mitch and Deborah Lefebvre of South Burlington, Rick and Mary Lefebvre of Williston, Brian and Donna Lefebvre of Williston, Tim Lefebvre and Margie Walden of Huntersville NC, Deb and Tom Bodell of Waterbury, Albert and Sharon Lefebvre of Monkton and Paul Lefebvre of Colchester. He is also survived by his grandchildren Chris Lefebvre, Matt Lefebvre, Nicole Gooding, Travis Lefebvre, Amy Zarwell, Ryan Lefebvre, Crystal Murphy, Jessie Bodell, Yvonne Bodell, Kaitlyn Farnham, Hillary Lefebvre and 11 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Norman Lefebvre, sisters, Germaine Lefebvre, Alice McKowen, and Jeannine Lane.

He was predeceased by his wife Beverley, son Robert Lefebvre, daughter-in-law Nancy Lefebvre, grandson Douglas Lefebvre, sisters Florette Mongeon and Therese Lesage.

There will be no visitation and a Mass of Christian burial will be private as well as burial at Resurrection Park. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Ready Funeral Home Mountain View Chapel.

To place on-line condolences please visit www.readyfuneral. com.

Speak up.

Send your letters to email editor@ willistonobserver.com

Lorraine Corinne Aube Mathieu, 93, of Eastview Circle, Williston died on June 3, 2022, at her home surrounded by her loving family.

She was born on September 1, 1928, in Charlotte VT the daughter of Damien and Corinne (Charlebois) Aube. She was a graduate of Shelburne High School where she was the vice-president of her class as well as valedictorian. Upon graduation she became bookkeeper for the Shelburne Cooperative Creamery where she met Robert Mathieu.

She and Robert married on September 8, 1951. Lorraine and Robert owned and operated a commercial and residential development business in Essex Vermont. In 1971 they moved their family to Mt. Dora Florida to develop commercial and residential properties. Lorraine was bookkeeper for the couple’s business ventures. Six weeks later Robert suffered a fatal heart attack, following which Lorraine moved the

Lorraine Corinne Aube Mathieu

family back to their hometown in Essex, VT. Lorraine is survived by her 9 children and spouses, Sharon (Mil) Bessette, Becky (Bob) Belida, Reg (Peg) Mathieu, Linda (Carl) Beauregard, Lenore (Pierre) Marcoux, Diane (Michael) Beauregard, Donna Mathieu, Steven “Pete” (Sue)

Mathieu and Michelle (Bruce) Scott. She also has 31 grandchildren, 54 great grandchildren and 6 great great grandchildren. She was predeceased by son-in-law Bob Belida, grand-sons Frank Bessette and Shawn Marcoux.

Lorraine was the last surviving of her 9 siblings.

Lorraine always expressed great love for her family, asking that they always have love for one another, remain close as a family in good times and during challenges, remembering to forgive and forget. Lorraine and Robert were original founding families of St. Pius X church in Essex, established in 1957. Her Catholic faith was especially important to her throughout her life as evidenced by her commitment to the Associates of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph, as a phone line coordinator for the Bishops Pro-Life phone tree for 14 years, as a member of the prayer line group, along with her service as a CCD teacher,

lector, and participation with the Visitation Committee.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mom’s most recent caregivers Carol, Alicia, and beloved niece Laurie, as well as the support of the nurses of Bayada Home Health Care services.

Visiting hours will be held Thursday, June 9 at the Ready Funeral Home Mountain View Chapel, 68 Pinecrest Drive, Essex Junction, VT from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on June 10, 2022, at 2:00 PM at St. Pius X Church in Essex Center VT, with interment to follow in Resurrection Park in South Burlington VT. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105-1905.

Arrangements are in the care of the Ready Funeral & Cremation Service. To send online condolences, visit www.readyfuneral.com.

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Page 22 •

Williston Observer

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June 9, 2022

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Zoning continued from page

1

ings in this area will significantly change the character of this area and will not support the businesses already there,” Davis and Nick cowrote in a June 2 letter to the selectboard. “These retailers contribute large sums of money to Williston’s tax base and we should be working to complement them and keep them strong.”

Large retailers are successfully adapting to the challenge posed by online shopping, Nick said, and their interest in Taft Corners property remains strong. But large national retail brands are not compatible with the multi-story, multi-use buildings envisioned in the code.

“I can’t imagine anyone would want to live above an O’Reilly Auto Parts,” Nick said.

Planning commission chair Meghan Cope said the new regulations reflect the will of residents as shared with planners over the zoning rewrite process.

“I realize this is a big step, but there is a lot of unhappiness right now in town with the style and pace of development in Taft Corners,” she said. “If we do nothing, that will

just continue.”

A first phase of Snyder’s proposed neighborhood on the Essex Alliance Church property recently received Development Review Board approval and can proceed under the traditional regulations.

Future phases, however, will be subject to the new code, Boulanger said.

The same is true at Finney Crossing, where, while the vast majority of the neighborhood is constructed and occupied, some parcels remain undeveloped.

Snyder asked the planning commission to exempt the Essex Alliance Church parcel from the new code but was denied. He prefers the traditional Development Review Board hearing process.

“Having discussions in front of a board is a very positive thing in my mind, and I think we come out with better projects,” he said. “By shifting the burden to the zoning administrator, you lose that process.”

In calling the public hearing, the selectboard welcomes residents to weigh in on the regulations on July 5. Any substantive changes that result would require additional public hearings.

CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA Tuesday, June 14, 2022 – 7:00 PM Hybrid Meeting: Town Hall Meeting Room, (7900 Williston Road) or Zoom Meeting ID 864 8114 4825 on zoom. us/join or call 1-646-558-8656 DP 16-05.4 Allen Brook Development (c/o Al Senecal) requests a discretionary permit to amend Phase I of Cottonwood Crossing to change the residential unit mix in Buildings B1 and C1 (resulting in an increase in residential units from 42 to 49) and make changes to the elevations of Building C1. Located at 6180 Williston Road in the MURZD. DP 22-10 JC Properties LLC (c/o Jeremy Matosky) requests pre-application review of a proposed 5,000sf office building, additional parking spaces, lighting and landscaping at 478 Blair Park Road in the BPZD. Continued from May 10, 2022 APP 22-02 Reed Carr appeals the decision of the Zoning Administrator set out in a zoning violation warning letter and administrator opinion letter dated March 18, 2022 issued to Village Associates LLC; pertaining to landscaping for ‘The Hamlet’ at Center Street, Day Lane, Madison Drive, Jakes Way, Seymour Street and Zephyr Road in the TCZD. Project details and site plans are available online, go to bit.ly/DRBagendas. Contact Planning & Zoning Office for more information: 802-878-6704 or email planning@willistonvt.org

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TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA Tuesday, June 28, 2022 – 7:00 PM Hybrid Meeting: Town Hall Meeting Room, (7900 Williston Road) or Zoom Meeting ID 864 8114 4825 on zoom. us/join or call 1-646-558-8656 DP 22-11 Cody Rice (c/o Landmark Engineering and Design) requests preapplication review for a proposed 30-lot residential subdivision on an 9.9± acre parcel to create 29 new dwelling units located at 669 Essex Road in the RZD. Continued from May 24, 2022: DP 2105 Scott Michaud c/o O’Leary-Burke requests a discretionary permit for a 15 unit residential subdivision on a 10.4 acre parcel to create 14 new dwelling units located at 230 Mountain View Road in the RZD.

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Project details and site plans are available online, go to bit.ly/DRBagendas. Contact Planning & Zoning Office for more information: 802-878-6704 or email planning@willistonvt.org

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Williston Observer

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June 9, 2022

We remember

The Williston Memorial Day Observance, organized by the Rotary Club and the town, incorporated music along with reflection and recognition of those who have served the country. Several new inscribed bricks honoring veterans were installed in the patio of the town’s war memorial this May and dedicated during the ceremony.

CLOCKWISE: Williston Selectboard Chair Terry Macaig, above, reads the names of over 120 deceased veterans. Ken Stone stands by the brick honoring his service as a captain in the U.S. Air Force. Hazen Metro’s bagpipes call the nearly 50 people in attendance to gather. Luke Buehler, a student at Williston Central School, plays taps to conclude the ceremony.

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY SUSAN COTE

Past Times continued from page

3

lia’s general sense of victimization. As I pointed out in part I, Adelia frequently felt herself to be persecuted. Furthermore, she probably saw Sally’s money as essentially hers. Therefore, if, as the chaplain’s summary of the case says, Sally “was not on good terms with Mr. Potter, and that some hints had been given of a disinheritance of his wife, which excited his displeasure,” Adelia would have taken these hints as a personal injury. Eagerly possessive of her adoptive mother’s wealth, wishful of the security that money could afford, and indignant about the prospect of disinheritance, Adelia was likely upset with Sally on several levels.

Sally was killed on the night of Aug. 27, 1865. John Ward and Charley were arrested for Sally’s murder. John was convicted, Charley acquitted. Both Potters had verifiable alibis establishing that they couldn’t have slain her because they were out of town.

Nevertheless John’s confession some two and a half years later accused Charley of orchestrating

the deed and hiring another man, who was never caught, to work with John. Charley, at least, was definitely involved.

But what about Adelia? Her silence on her adoptive mother’s death can be read as a sign that she was not involved. I suspect that she was, though. As I wrote in my previous installment, Adelia and Charley worked together.

Both of their names were on the promissory notes that they avoided paying. They moved to Quebec to avoid debts together. After Sally’s murder, Adelia and Charley committed robbery together. They were a habitual team.

Because Adelia collaborated with Charley in other illegal, harmful activities, I think that she knew about Charley’s plans to kill Sally. In fact, John’s confession intimates as much. When John enlisted a companion to accompany him to Williston to case the joint, Charley remarked that Adelia “was privy to everything and well acquainted with” the other hired muscle (“John Ward, or The Victimized Assassin” pgs. 108-109).

Because Adelia likely felt abused by Sally and entitled to her money, she also probably supported Charley’s plans. She may

not have organized the murder, but she was involved. At the very least, she knew what was going on and didn’t try to stop it.

Learn about Adelia’s life after Sally’s murder, including her and Charley’s burglary of a local store, in Part III, coming soon.

If you missed reading the first installment of this story in the Williston Observer’s edition of April 28, 2022 you can read it online at https://www.willistonobserver. com/past-times-new-lighton-old-crimes-part-1/

The last two paragraphs of Adelia Barber Potter’s divorce petition, printed in the Burlington Free Press on Nov. 11, 1858, show that she was very particular about the disposition of her personal property, which gets a whole paragraph, and less concerned with custody of her kids, who get less than a sentence.

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO BY LESLEY MURRAY