Williston Observer 1/5/2023

Townwide property reappraisal likely to begin

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

A reappraisal of all private property in Williston is likely to be initiated in 2023.

Townwide reappraisals are undertaken periodically to true-up the market value of homes and businesses with the value at which the town assesses them for property tax revenue. They are triggered by state statute when a town’s ratio of market value to assessed value — expressed as the town’s “common level of appraisal” (CLA) — gets too low.

Any CLA below 85 percent triggers a mandatory reappraisal. A Dec. 23 memo from the Vermont office of Property Valuation and Review lists Williston’s CLA at 77 percent.

Assessor Bill Hinman has already secured a contractor to complete the reappraisal. The last townwide reappraisal was completed in 2016.

Last year, the town’s CLA was just below the 85 percent threshold, but the selectboard won an appeal that bumped the ratio back over 85 percent, putting off the reappraisal. The selectboard has until the end of January to file an appeal to this year’s CLA. But Hinman seems ready to move forward with the reappraisal, which he will oversee. In a Dec. 30. memo to the selectboard, he said he has secured the ser-

vices of Russ Beaudoin of Connecticut-based Appraisal Resource Group to complete the reappraisal. The reappraisal could take as long as two years to complete, according to Town Manager Erik Wells.

It will result in a new taxable value for all Williston properties. Property owners have the right to appeal their new valuations.

Nearly every Vermont municipality that has not completed a reappraisal in the past two years will be required to in the coming few years, according to Hinman — a result of housing price increases seen since 2020.

“We are aware that many towns are concerned about the change in the market due to the effects of Covid-19 over the past few years,” Jill Remick, director of the office of Property Valuation and Review, wrote in the Dec. 23 memo. “Sales have increased generally in price and some towns have seen this more than others … As a result, there are more towns experiencing large drops in their CLA. There will be many more reappraisal orders going out to towns than in a typical year.”

Remick’s memo lists Williston’s Grand List — the total taxable value of private property in town —at $2.1 billion. The state’s estimate of the total market value of Williston property is roughly $600 million more.

One in a million view in vermilion

Williston dispatch consolidates with Essex

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

Starting this month, calls to the Williston Police Department will be picked up in Essex under a 2.5-year joint operating agreement recently approved by the selectboards in both towns.

Williston has long needed help operating a 24-7 dispatch center and, until last year, had relied on the Vermont State Police to cover some overnight hours when Williston didn’t have a dispatcher avail-

able. But, citing a staffing shortage, the state police stopped filling in last year.

That prompted Williston Police Chief Patrick Foley and Lt. Josh Moore to look to neighboring Essex, whose headquarters is within a half-mile of the Williston town line, for help. The Essex Police dispatch center began picking up calls for Williston starting last summer during the same overnight hours that the state police had been covering — Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.

The new agreement merges the two dispatch centers entirely, bringing Willis -

ton’s three dispatchers to Essex to create 24-7 coverage with Essex’s four dispatchers. The agreement runs through the middle of 2025.

According to Lt. Moore, people calling the Williston Police Department won’t notice any change. Dispatchers in Essex will handle calls the same way they would if they answered them in Williston, with the ability to route calls to Williston personnel. Dispatchers in Essex will also have access to video from newly installed security cameras at the Williston Police

Department and the ability to unlock doors remotely, Moore said.

But the absence of dispatch in Williston will be noticeable for those walking into Williston police headquarters on Williston Road; dispatchers will no longer be there to greet them. Foley said the department will have someone available to handle walk-ins during normal business hours — Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

After hours, people can call the Essex

Mother Nature seems to empty all of the colors left in her 2022 color palette to dramatically paint the morning skies Dec. 29.

OBSERVER

PHOTO BY SUSAN COTE

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CVU student’s app wins Congressional award

Jaden Parker, a CVU High School senior from St. George, won this year’s Vermont Congressional App Challenge with his app called Hollow Valley.

The app is a game he began developing with JavaScript and HTML during a computer programming class at the high school.

“I hope to improve (on it) as I become a better programmer,” he said.

The Congressional App Challenge is an initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle

school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science.

“If I had to summarize my feelings about winning down to one word I’d choose empowering,” said Parker.

“Computer programming is a fiercely competitive sector. While the coding itself is difficult, creating something of your own design requires a different level of creativity than I’m used to.

“With my app, I put some of my best work forward and a lot of hours. Winning this award makes it all feel worth it.”

Correction

An article in the Dec. 22 edition of the Observer headlined “Vermonters enlisted in fight for federal broadband funds” mistakenly said that Congressman Peter Welch visited St. George on Dec. 21 to discuss challenges to the Federal Communications Commission’s map of high-speed internet availability. The event was canceled due to Welch’s responsibilities in Washington D.C.

Public invited to Williston MLK Day observance

The Williston-Richmond Rotary Club is sponsoring a virtual observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 16.

The hour-long ceremony will feature remarks by local students and members of the Williston Racial Equity Partnership, as well as a musical tribute by KeruBo. The public is invited to join this program to honor the contribution that Dr. King made to our country and to recommit to the work of systemic change. Register to be sent a Zoom link at: https://bit.ly/WillistonMLKDay.

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Travails of winter travel in Williston

BY RICHARD ALLEN Special to the Observer

Like a great number of New England towns, Williston has welcomed and cursed winter weather for years. It is celebrated for recreation and dreaded for the cold temperatures and difficult travel conditions.

To the 19th century residents, snow did not mean skiing but other opportunities for fun, such as sleighing.

In 1886, a local bragged about early snowstorms. A letter to the Burlington Free Press from Edmund Whitney recounted a foot of snow on Nov. 4-5 in 1862 “that made a week or so of fine sleighing … The drifts were so large that many of them remained on the ground all winter …” His love of the cold extended to what today seems like a risky sport. The newspaper reported that Mr. Whitney’s mare, Twanet, won a trotting race in February 1888 … on the river!

In the 1800s, Vermonters preferred snow- and ice-packed roads to ease winter travel. In the early 1900s, the emphasis changed to clear roads for motorized vehicles. Large snowstorms would often bring travel to a halt.

In 1917 it was reported that “the town has had a road snowplow made which has just been completed. It was used for the first time last week. It is hoped that now the roads … will be cleared so they will be safe …” according to the Burlington Free Press.

The challenge proved greater than having one plow. Since Route 2 was the main connection between Burlington and Montpelier, any travel restrictions became regional concerns. In the 1920s and 1930s, snow drifts could halt traffic around Taft Corners and along Route 2 to Richmond. In 1931, the news was that the “Burlington-Montpelier Road was impassable between Williston Village and French Hill and difficult of passage beyond Jones-

donate a vehicle

ville.” In 1937, the headline was “Storm Ties Up Fifty Automobiles at French Hill.”

The impact of serious snowstorms on local roads was depicted by Emerson Miles, Jr. in his “Memoirs of a Boy to Man.” Sometime shortly after World War II, Fred Shattuck, the road commissioner, came to the Miles residence and asked Emerson’s father if the teenagers, Emerson, and half-brother Earl, were home. “He wanted us with our shovels to work. We got into his ‘40 Chevrolet car which had chains on, and we headed up Oak Hill Road. In the car was also Freeman Lashua, Roland Osborne, Jesse Osborne, and Fred’s son-in-law Harvey Alapa. When we stopped, we were at the corner of West Butternut Road.”

It seems that Fred’s truck and plow were buried somewhere on the road; the group was not sure of the exact location.

Emerson picks up the story from there: “When we were getting organized Paul Keefe came along in his ’46 Jeep. Paul lived where Bill Skiff’s place is today. Paul asked Fred, ‘Think I can make it home?’ Fred replied, ‘Gee, I don’t know.’ At that, Paul put the Jeep in gear and up over the snowbank and down the road he went. All we could see were lights going up and down over drifts and into his driveway. Freeman spoke up and said, ‘Yes, and he drove right over your truck and plow.’

“As we walked down the roadway, I could see that there was a hard crust of snow that had held him up. About halfway down the road Freeman said, ‘It must be about here.’ We took shovel handles and poked through the crust until we hit the top of the cab. We shoveled out the side of the truck to put gas in. Fred got in and started it up and said, ‘Just go ahead and break the crust.’ It was a good 6 to 8 inches thick. … I saw him rock the truck and plow back and forth until he got about a six-foot start and low and behold, he plowed out the road. Fred had a ’46 K-6 International truck. Freeman stood on the back … with his shovel handle up over the cab in front of the windshield and steered Fred because the snow was coming over the plow and up over the windshield. After they plowed out

the road on two passes, we returned by car home and Fred and Freeman continued to plow more roads …”

Miles also recalled that: “One year the snow was so deep my father couldn’t make it to the Talcott farm for milking for approximately three days … Dad went into the cellar and removed the top boards off the coal bin, cut up a belt for straps and made a pair of skis. He tried to get on top of the snow but failed. We took the snow and piled it on the front porch and carried some down cellar to drain so as to tunnel a path to the (North Williston) road … Three days later we heard a rattle, and the house shook. It was W.C. Kirby’s bulldozer breaking a single path down the road. Every now and then he would push a blade full off to the side so cars could pass each other. Dad walked behind it to the farm. I believe the milk had to be dumped in the barn because there was no power and all the cans were full.”

Jack Bradish became the Williston postmaster in 1951 and the post office moved from the Warren Store across Oak Hill Road to the large brick Bradish house. In the accompanying photograph, the vehicle is a 1948 Willys Jeep Station Wagon, their family car, and one particularly suited for the Williston roads in winter.

Son Bob Bradish recounted: “Robert Alberts was the rural mail carrier at that time and for many years after that. There could well have been times when my dad had to fill in … Floyd Putnam would fill in at the post office when needed … (I) n the winter all the postal patrons on the rural mail route were responsible for shoveling the snow away from their mailboxes. When we had a big snowstorm many of the mailboxes were not shoveled out, so the rural carrier couldn’t deliver the mail which would be brought back to the post office. It would then go out the next day with the carrier. Often people on the rural route would come to the post office to pick up their mail as soon as the roads were clear.”

So, let us salute the state and local crews who keep our winter roads drivable and safe.

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

The Bradish House, the mid-century home of the Williston Post Office, is pictured alongside a 1948 Willys Jeep Station Wagon on Oak Hill Road after a snowstorm in the early 1950s.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WILLISTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

THANK YOU to the sponsors who helped make the magic of Winter Lights 2022 at Shelburne Museum!

Photograph of the Ticonderoga by Bob and Carol King.

SPECIAL THANKS TO ICE BAR SPONSORS BARR HILL, BURLINGTON BEER COMPANY, WHISTLEPIG WHISKEY, AND UNION BANK.

BY ROB ROPER

For over 150 years, Vermont has operated the most equitable and dynamic school choice program in the nation. Any parents of any children in towns/districts that do not have a public school (some 90 Vermont towns) can choose any public or approved independent school to send their child to with an amount of money following the child that is competitive with, if less than, the cost to educate that child in the public school system.

This system has given rise to some of Vermont’s most sought-after educational experiences, not just locally but globally.

The four “traditional academies” — St. Johnsbury Academy, Burr & Burton, Lyndon Institute and Thetford Academy — attract students from roughly 30 countries, making these choice schools by far the most racially, culturally, economically, and intellectually diverse in our state. And, given the tuition paid by the out-of-dis-

trict students (as much as $64,500 a year), these schools are critical economic engines in their communities.

In addition to the four academies, there are over 100 independent schools throughout Vermont serving over 10,000 students, including about 40 with specific missions to serve students with special needs. Of the general admission independent schools, we see some of the top performing schools in the state in terms of student outcomes in places like the Sharon Academy (tuition: $18,500) and the Long Trail School (tuition: $19,860).

It is worth noting that these stellar outcomes and unique opportunities offered by independent schools come at significantly less taxpayer expense than government-run public schools. The maximum tuition allowed to follow a child to an independent middle or high school is $16,020, and $17,278 respectively (exceptions made with local voter approval), compared to an average

of $23,299 per public school pupil (according to the National Education Association). That’s about a 25 percent taxpayer discount.

One would think that, based on a simple cost/benefit analysis (and a long-standing outcry by voters to reduce education property taxes), lawmakers would be eager to expand Vermont’s tuition system. But, when the Legislature convenes in Montpelier in January, Vermont’s century-and-a-halfyear-old, highly successful experience with school choice will be under threat of elimination.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this past summer in Carson v. Mason that if a state chooses to operate a school choice program that allows independent schools to participate — which Vermont does — the state cannot discriminate against religious independent schools by barring them from competing for students — which

Vermont has been doing since the 1960s. Such discrimination was determined to be in violation of the “free exercise” clause of the First Amendment.

What this means for Vermont is that other high-achieving schools, such as Rice Memorial High School (tuition: $12,214) in Burlington and Christ the King (tuition $5,590) in Rutland, are now available choices for tuitioning students. That’s a good thing.

But rather than allow this benefit, several powerful Vermont lawmakers are pledging to eliminate Vermont’s tuitioning system for all independent schools. Families without a public school in their district would have to pick a public school in another district to send their child to or pay out of pocket to continue in their current independent school. That is if they can afford it, and if that school can remain viable at all without tui-

tioning.

This is the preferred approach by Senate Majority Leader Alison Clarkson (D-Windsor), who, ironically, sent her own children to Groton, the elite Massachusetts boarding school (tuition: $59,995).

Another approach is that of Senate Education Committee Chair Brian Campion (D-Bennington), which would essentially force all independent schools that receive tuition dollars to operate as public schools in terms of admissions and programming. In other words, it would force the more expensive model that is demonstrably failing lower-income and non-English-speaking students onto the less expensive more successful schools rather than the other way around.

If we want to apply the same public school standards to independent schools, fine. But then

number so that we can verify the letter’s author.

Vermont State Youth Council holds inaugural meeting

A group of 28 newly appointed young leaders from across the state convened in December for the first meeting of the Vermont State Youth Council.

The council is charged with providing Gov. Phil Scott and state legislators advice and recommendations on policies that impact young Vermonters. The group includes Williston resident Graciela Sanchez, who was selected in the fall as one of roughly 200 applicants.

The Vermont State Youth Council was established through Act 109 signed into law last May.

Roper

let’s also apply the same independent school standards to public schools. For example, 1) limit the amount of taxpayer dollars flowing to a public school to $17,228 per pupil. If we did that, Vermont property taxpayers would save roughly a third of a billion dollars a year. 2) If parents decide the public school is not meeting their child’s needs, they can pull the child out of the public school at any time and send him or her to another, with the money following the child. And 3) if a public school fails to actually deliver in practice its legal obligations to serve all special needs students, all public funding for that school will be

pulled.

That’s fair.

If two years of Covid showed us anything it is that parents need and deserve a multitude of educational options that they can choose from to meet their child’s and their family needs. The wealthy can choose to hire tutors, create “learning pods” and homeschool if that’s what it takes to educate their children. Lower-income families deserve at least a similar range of options, and expanding Vermont’s school choice tuitioning system is the way to give them those choices.

Rob Roper is on the board of EdWatch Vermont and is the former president of the Ethan Allen Institute. He lives in Stowe.

Hinesburg’s Nisha Hickok, an 11th-grade member of the council, said of her participation: “My parents never hesitated to assure me that if I felt something wasn’t right, I have the power to change it, so I’ve spent a lot of my time working for small change within my school and community. I’m excited to join the State Youth Council because it’s an opportunity to directly impact change across the state.”

In the coming months, council members will receive training on Vermont governance and the legislative process, public speaking, effective meeting procedures, leadership skills and how to formulate policy proposals.

“Young people make a better Vermont, especially when their voices are heard and respected,” said Vermont Afterschool Executive Director Nicole Miller, one of the group’s advisors. “They’re problem-solvers and, as we learned during the application process, they are eager to be engaged. I’m grateful to the Legislature and Gov. Scott for their support of authentic youth voice within Vermont’s government.”

“I’m grateful to the Legislature and Gov. Scott for their support of authentic youth voice within Vermont’s government.”

Nicole Miller Executive director Vermont Afterschool

Trooper suspected of stealing from Williston evidence room

BY TIFFANY TAN VTDigger

A Vermont state trooper is suspected of stealing a Rolex watch and other valuables that had been seized during an arrest, court documents show. The trooper denies the allegations, with his attorney saying numerous other people had access to the storage area.

Trooper Giancarlo DiGenova, of the Williston barracks, was placed on paid leave Dec. 19 amid a state police investigation into possible theft from the barracks’ temporary evidence storage, the agency said last week. It didn’t provide details about the alleged misconduct, citing an ongoing investigation.

As of last Friday, DiGenova, 44, of Essex, wasn’t facing any criminal charges. But state court records show the longtime trooper is suspected of having committed multiple

crimes, including grand larceny, sale of stolen property and possession of stolen property.

These are detailed in a police request for a warrant to search DiGenova, his home and vehicles and an accompanying statement of probable cause, obtained from Chittenden County superior criminal court and first reported by freelance journalist Mike Donoghue.

The court documents reveal DiGenova was suspended two weeks after troopers at the Williston barracks couldn’t locate several items that had been seized from an arrestee on Nov. 22 and placed in the barracks’ temporary evidence storage room.

The items consisted of a gold Rolex men’s watch, stud earrings, Apple Airpod earbuds and case, keys and a wallet, according to the search warrant request by Det. Sgt. Jesse Robson. The affidavit said DiGenova accessed the storage room “numerous times” after the

items were stored and before they were discovered missing.

The document states that another trooper, Ben Katz, upon obtaining a description of the missing Rolex watch, told his superiors that DiGenova had shown him a similar watch on Nov. 28. Katz reportedly said DiGenova told him he’d gotten the watch for $700-$800 from an online marketplace and later said a local jeweler found it to be a good quality counterfeit.

Shortly before he was suspended, two state police detectives interviewed DiGenova about the watch, and he allegedly told them he bought it through his cousin who lived four hours away. DiGenova said he’d returned the watch after discovering it was a fake and didn’t have a receipt of the transaction nor could he provide messages with his cousin discussing the purchase, according to the affidavit.

DiGenova, the affidavit continues, said he was only trying to find his son a Christmas present, which he later corrected to be a 21st birthday present.

Based on DiGenova’s statement during the interview, including his explanation for the watch he showed Katz, Vermont State Police decided to suspend him that same day, Robson wrote.

DiGenova’s cousin later corroborated his watch purchase story, Robson said.

items.

“Suspicion of Giancarlo is based entirely upon innocent coincidence; he had a watch and VSP lost a watch,” the lawyer said in an email Monday, referring to the state police. “Numerous others had access to the property storage area which, unlike the evidence locker, has never been subject to stringent security measures.”

The affidavit also shows that a search of DiGenova’s state police vehicle after he was suspended turned up a business card for Periwinkle’s, a Burlington jewelry store and Rolex dealer. The store owner reportedly told state police that DiGenova came to the store on Nov. 29, in uniform, and asked her to appraise the value of a gold Rolex men’s watch that he said came from a case he was working.

The store owner estimated the Rolex to be worth $14,000. She said it could fetch more if DiGenova had the box and watch documentation, but the trooper said he didn’t have them, according to the affidavit.

On the evening of Dec. 21, court documents reveal, police searched DiGenova’s home for the items missing from the temporary evidence storage room and for any paperwork associated with their sale or pawning. Police seized his cellphone and a pair of “possible diamond earrings.”

It states that DiGenova is also suspected of official misconduct, neglect of duty and giving false information to police.

State police earlier said once the criminal investigation is concluded, the agency will conduct an internal investigation.

DiGenova became a trooper in 2009, and his assignments included the narcotics investigation unit. In 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont recognized DiGenova with its outstanding collaborative investigation award.

Defense attorney David Sleigh said DiGenova denies any wrongdoing in connection with the missing

Giancarlo DiGenova

Sunny Eappen takes helm at UVM Health Network

BY KRISTEN FOUNTAIN VTDigger

Dr. Sunil “Sunny” Eappen spent his first weeks on the job as the UVM Health Network’s new leader criss-crossing Lake Champlain from Vermont to New York and back, touring all six hospitals under the network’s umbrella. He expects to make the trip frequently, having made a commitment to visit each hospital on “a very, very regular basis,” Eappen told VTDigger last month.

The visits will not be as hands-on as what he did during his 14 years as a hospital administrator in Boston. An obstetric anesthesiologist, Eappen scheduled himself each month for one work day and one day on call in the busy maternity center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. But the purpose is the same: to get a direct and immediate sense of what a regular day is like for staff and patients.

“It let me really feel what it was like to continue working,” said Eappen, 56, who started his new role as president and CEO on Nov. 28. Whether it was during the pandemic or during the implementation of a new electronic medical record system, “when people were complaining, I could

really understand.”

Wanting to meet and listen closely to as many people as he can is a core component of who Sunny Eappen is, according to

longtime colleague and recent supervisor Ron Walls, the chief operating officer of Mass General Brigham, which is Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s parent organization. He thinks that impulse is part of what makes Eappen so effective.

“He’s a great listener. He’s a quick adapter. He’s ready to take feedback and change course when he needs to do that,” Walls said. “He is one of the most ego-free leaders I have ever worked with in academic medicine.”

As chair of the emergency medicine department, Walls collaborated with Eappen on streamlining and codifying how anesthesiologists participated in emergency rooms, which saved precious minutes getting a trauma patient into surgery. In 2018, after moving into an executive role, Walls recruited Eappen back to Brigham to serve as chief medical officer — a position he’d held at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

Making the shift from the smaller spe -

cialty hospital was “a giant step,” Walls said, perhaps an even bigger one than moving from Brigham to leading UVM Health. But Eappen took it in stride, according to Walls. “You would have sworn that Sunny had been in that role for five years if you met him three weeks into it,” he said.

In fact, in its scale, Brigham is slightly larger than UVM Health network. The former had expenses of $4.5 billion in 2021, around 21,000 employees and 1,000 licensed inpatient beds, while UVM Health’s expenses were just under $2.4 billion, with 15,000 total employees and 620 licensed inpatient beds. The Boston hospital trains physicians through an affiliation with Harvard Medical School, similar to the relationship between UVM Health and the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine.

Eappen’s accomplishments at Brigham over the last four years — 10 months of which he served as interim president — included a complete reorganization of pharmacy operations, making them more patient friendly and efficient, Walls said. Eappen also confronted some “very challenging professionalism issues” with empathy and an even hand.

“He was really good at that because he always put the patient first,” Walls said. “He always cared about the providers, too, and cared greatly about them, but the patients were the trump card.”

Eappen says his model of service to the patient is his father, a Chicago-area pediatrician in a solo practice who rarely went a night without waking up to respond to a family with a sick child. Eappen’s compassion and calm demeanor were informed by a very public tragedy that years ago rocked his young family.

In 1997, his eight-month-old son, Matthew, died from injuries consistent with being violently shaken. Later that year, a jury convicted a British au pair, hired to care for the infant and his older brother, of second-degree murder in his death, though a judge reduced the charge and sentence. The

Compassionate Dentistry

Sunil “Sunny” Eappen, president and CEO of the University of Vermont Health Network, speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony to announce an investment in new housing in South Burlington on Dec. 15.

PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER

Eappen

continued from page 10

trial garnered international media attention at the time, drawing talk radio commentary and hate mail, mostly directed at his wife, Debbie, an ophthalmologist, Eappen said.

The loss changed them both and shaped their approach to work and family, Eappen said. It put all other concerns into perspective and rearranged their priorities. The couple both changed their medical practice schedule to part time in order to share the care for their three other children, all now adults.

They also founded the Matty Eappen Foundation, named for their late son. The all-volunteer organization, in which his wife is still very active, is dedicated to educating the public and medical professionals about abusive head trauma, also called shaken baby syndrome, and supporting victims and their families.

Eappen still feels the impact of the balance that they both worked to achieve. “I don’t really get too stressed out by things that are going on,” he said. “I think it’s brought a certain sense of peace and calmness to me and the people around me, and a positivity that I am happy about.”

Those qualities will be an asset as Eappen tackles the financial and workforce challenges facing UVM Health and other hospitals around the state.

The health network ended its fiscal year with a $90 million operating loss, largely attributed to having to pay high rates for

traveling clinical staff because of an inability to find enough local workers. Most critical for Eappen, the hospital’s operating margin is now so low — and has been for so long — that it is getting difficult to invest in the buildings and people needed to deliver high-quality care to patients.

ects like one recently announced to construct 120 new apartment units and a child care center in South Burlington.

Joining the group of part-time doctors at Brigham in the late 1990s exposed him to the issues concerning working parents, particularly mothers.

“At the time, it was me and 28 women,” Eappen said. “The challenges that they had really shaped the way that I think about diversity and equity in the workplace.” Drawing long-term employees is also about promoting a mission-driven culture, he said.

“When you are cleaning a room or serving food, you are not just doing that. You are actually helping families and helping individual patients get better,” Eappen said. “When you are working in a back office, you are not just doing (information technology). You’re making it easier for patients to see the information they need to see.”

to individuals visiting the hospital or doctor’s office is what most interested him in taking the job.

“The idea that we provide care to everyone, that we’re committed to doing that, and the quality of care is the same regardless of where you live, what color you are, that is the dream,” Eappen said. “It’s a really different enterprise when you start thinking like that, that all of the whole community is ours and that we’ve got to commit to taking care of them.”

Mike Fisher, the state’s health care advocate who works for Vermont Legal Aid, welcomes Eappen to a very difficult job. No doubt his greatest challenge will be addressing the real needs of the state’s largest health system without making care even more expensive and inaccessible for Vermont-

ers, Fisher said.

Vermont hospitals often look to the regulatory Green Mountain Care Board for permission to raise commercial insurance rates as a primary source of new income. An annual health insurance survey showed in 2021 that although only 3 percent of Vermonters are uninsured, around 40 percent of those who do have insurance are considered underinsured, meaning the cost of the premium, deductible and copayments amount to more than 10 percent of household income.

“They may really need a rate increase from their perspective, and that rate increase will price more Vermonters out of the ability to get the care they need,” Fisher said. “That’s tough for somebody who really wants to do both.”

One result: A report from the Vermont Agency of Human Services found that getting in to see a medical specialist at UVM Medical Center for most people took almost three months or more, the longest wait time in the state.

Eappen says that he sees at least two key areas where effort can yield improvements. First, the system needs more workers, so it must do what it can to make UVM Health a place where clinicians and others that support them want to work. That means more proj-

Second, clinicians like doctors and nurse practitioners can be supported more broadly by community health staff, pharmacists and social workers in providing care, so they can focus on what they have been trained to do.

“Patients can connect to the entire health care system, or (a wider variety of staff in) an office that they go to, as opposed to feeling like it’s just me and the doctor,” he said.

That more expansive view of care is deeply rooted in the UVM Health staff he has interacted with during his bi-state visits, Eappen said. That they already see their jobs as supporting health in entire communities and not just reacting

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“He’s a great listener. He’s a quick adapter. He’s ready to take feedback and change course when he needs to do that. He is one of the most egofree leaders I have ever worked with in academic medicine.”

Ron Walls

Mass General Brigham CEO

What will Vermont lawmakers do about religious schools?

BY PETER D’AURIA VTDigger

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in a case called Carson v. Makin, finding the State of Maine could not withhold public money from private religious schools simply because those schools might use the money for religious purposes.

In Vermont, which operates a tuition program that is similar to Maine’s, officials have been paying close attention. As the new legislative session begins, lawmakers and advocates are gearing up for a pitched debate over how best to respond to that ruling.

The question of religious schools is “one issue that continues to rise to the top, that people are talking about,” said Rep. Peter Conlon, D-Cornwall, the ranking member of the Vermont House Committee on Education.

In Vermont and Maine, students that live in towns without public schools can use state money to attend private schools elsewhere. For years, however, both states said that money could not be used at religious schools.

But in a series of rulings over the past few years, the U.S. Supreme Court has eradicated those prohibitions.

For many in Vermont, the prospect of public dollars going to religious schools is an uncomfortable one. For one thing, it raises concerns that private religious schools may discriminate against LGBTQ+ students or staff.

Vermont’s constitution also complicates the picture. The document contains a “compelled support clause” — language that protects Vermonters from being forced to support a religion that is “contrary to the dictates of conscience.”

“I believe the majority of Vermonters do not want public dollars going to religious schools,” said Sen. Brian Campion, D-Bennington, the chair of the Senate Committee on Education.

But it’s unclear what lawmakers will — or can — do to prevent that from happening.

One likely uncontroversial

move would be to simply bar all independent schools, including religious ones, from discriminating against students and staff.

State rules already prohibit discrimination in both public and private schools. Earlier this year, lawmakers advanced, but did not pass, legislation that would have strengthened those protections, and some expect another attempt in the upcoming session.

Such legislation may not resolve the question of the Vermont constitution’s compelled support clause, however.

Another solution that has

involves political and practical constraints,” said Peter Teachout, a constitutional law professor at the Vermont Law and Graduate School. “And one of them is that the state has become accustomed to providing parents from school districts without public schools of their own a wide range of choice as to which private schools they can send their kids to and get tuition reimbursement for.”

Conlon, who is expected to be appointed the chair of the House Education Committee, said that Vermont’s tuition system “works well for the vast majority of students and taxpayers.”

“However, I think that the issue of transparency and oversight for those schools that are private and receiving taxpayer dollars will be a major topic,” he said. “Whether that results in a huge change for the vast majority of students or schools that receive taxpayer dollars, I’d say, remains to be seen.”

What’s clear is that some organizations are already gearing up for the session. A group calling itself the Education Equity Alliance — which includes representatives from the state associations of principals, superintendents, school boards and teachers union — has hired the Necrason Group, a prominent Montpelier lobbying firm.

been discussed could be to require school districts to designate several private schools for their students to attend. Under that model, only the designated schools — which might have to follow certain rules — could receive public tuition dollars from the district.

But it’s unclear that such a model would be able to exclude all religious schools. And it would likely generate strong pushback.

Another even more controversial proposal would be to eliminate all public tuition to independent schools, or to limit it to only a handful of schools.

“To me, the big problem that the Legislature is going to face

In a “values statement” released earlier this month, the alliance warned of “unanticipated, radical changes to our taxpayer-backed Education Fund” and called on lawmakers to draft legislation based on the values of equal opportunity and transparency.

“Vermont communities, taxpayers, K-12 students, and schools are now at a defining crossroads,” the statement reads.

Mill Moore, the executive director of the Vermont Independent Schools Association, said he expects a heated battle.

“Because now — instead of it appearing likely that religious schools were going to get money, and a few were actually getting it — now it’s been given the Supreme Court’s seal of approval,” Moore said.

“So I think it’s going to get intense,” he added.

Trinity Baptist Church runs a K-12 school on its campus on Mountain View Road in Williston. After a U.S. Supreme Court decision changed the legal landscape around religious schools, Vermont lawmakers and advocates are preparing for a debate.

OBSERVER FILE PHOTO BY JASON STARR

“The state has become accustomed to providing parents from school districts without public schools of their own a wide range of choice as to which private schools they can send their kids to and get tuition reimbursement for.”

Peter Teachout Constitutional Law Professor Vermont Law and Graduate School

lice station.

“The citizens of Williston

be really confident in the (arrangement with Essex),” Foley said.

Meanwhile, town administrators are working with counterparts in Burlington, Colchester, South Burlington, Milton and Winooski to launch a regional dispatch center in South Burlington. Williston voters approved the town joining the regional dispatch center at Town Meeting Day in 2018. Officially, the entity is called the Chittenden County Public Safety Authority (CCPSA).

“The CCPSA has taken great strides over the past year and is working to develop a timeline to be able to start offering dispatch services to communities in the coming years,” Williston Town Manager Erik Wells said. “The co-location with Essex is intended to be a stable bridge for multiple years until the town can transition police dispatch to the CCPSA.”

New Census data show household finances improving

BY ERIN PETENKO VTDigger

Vermonters earn higher incomes and are less likely to live in poverty than they were a decade ago, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

At first glance, the data — collected via surveys of thousands of people — show Vermont’s economic outlook improving in the past few years. But a closer look at statistics on housing, income inequality and the labor force paint a more complicated picture.

According to the Census’ American Community Survey, Vermonters pocketed a median annual household income of $72,431 from 2017 to 2021. The survey combines multiple years of data to provide more accurate estimates.

That’s a roughly 25 percent increase over the previous five-year period, or an 11 percent increase when adjusting for inflation, which in recent years reached record highs. Earnings for working Vermonters also rose 12 percent over that time period, accounting for inflation.

Peter Nelson, a geographer at

Middlebury College, noted that the percentage of households earning more than $100,000 rose between the 2012-16 survey and the 2017-21 survey, from 28 percent to 32 percent.

He said that could indicate that Vermont’s rising wealth was concentrated more toward the top of the income ladder, although there are pockets of higher income in the lower end of the scale, too.

It’s too early to say for sure, but Nelson said the change could be connected to Vermont’s inflow of residents during the Covid-19 pandemic. The state gained 4,800 people through migration in the pandemic’s first year, according to earlier Census Bureau data.

Vermonters also got a boost in 2020 and 2021 from federal Covid aid, according to data from the Public Assets Institute’s annual State of Working Vermont report. Unemployment support, stimulus payments and child tax credits increased the total personal income of Vermonters in those years.

The percentage of people living below the poverty level in Vermont fell in the first two years of the pan-

demic when Covid-related government payments were taken into account, according to the report. But many of those programs have since ended.

Nelson said the state’s rising incomes should also be measured against the rising cost of major expenses, such as housing. And Census data suggests that many Vermonters have struggled to afford their housing expenses.

Federal estimates label renters as “cost-burdened” if they spend more than a third of their income on housing. From 2017 to 2021, about half of Vermonters fell into that category, roughly the same as in previous years, despite the state’s rising incomes.

Homeowners were less likely than renters to be cost-burdened, but many still are: About a third of homeowners with mortgages spent more than a third of their income on housing costs, according to the Census.

“The struggle may not be simply just because people are earning less,” Nelson said. “The struggle is that it costs more to live.”

The latest Census data show

that, like in previous years, the state had significant income disparities by gender, race and geography.

Chittenden and Grand Isle counties in the northwest had the highest incomes in the state, and both reported a rise in median income after inflation. The Northeast Kingdom’s Essex County, by comparison, had a median household income almost half of Grand Isle’s. But Chittenden County also had the highest median rent costs and the highest percentage of cost-burdened renters, suggesting that many county residents are still struggling with affordability.

Among full-time, year-round workers, male Vermonters earned 13 percent more than female Vermonters in the last five years, down from 18 percent in the previous five years, according to the Census.

White Vermont workers had higher average earnings than any other racial or ethnic group tracked by the Census, a longstanding disparity even as the state becomes more diverse overall.

Black-Plumeau pointed out that it may still be “hard to see the impact of the pandemic” because the estimates don’t yet include 2022.

881-0553 www.synergyfitnessvt.net

Sports

Race across the snow

Ice work

ABOVE: CVU’s Matt Servin leads the pack at the start of the boys race during the Burlington High School relays Dec. 28 at Sleepy Hollow in Huntington.

BELOW (l to r): CVU’s Patterson Frazier tags off to race partner Luke Buehler during the boys race. Lilyanna Mittelstadt skates across a flat and Kate Sayre crosses the finish line during the girls race. Jack Crum climbs a short rise in the course during the boys race.

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

LEFT to right: CVU’s goalie, Grace Ferguson makes a save during the Cougarhawks’ 1-0 loss to the Kingdom Blades Dec. 28 at Cairns Arena in South Burlington. Clark Clark gets by the Kingdom Blades’ Kennedy Perrigo. Megan Rivard and Kingdom Blade’s Gabrielle Griffith battle for possession.

There may be opportunities for your investments to be working harder for you. Let's work together to make sure your financial strategy is optimized. Contact us today for a complimentary review.

Sports

Hoop hope

LEFT: CVU’s Sam Sweeney defends against Brattleboro’s Jordy Allembert during the Redhawks’ game vs. the Colonels on Dec. 22 in Hinesburg.

BELOW: Tucker Tharpe drives into the paint on Brattleboro’s Paul McGillion.

RIGHT: Logan Vaughan leaps up for the onehanded jam and Alex Provost puts up a jumpshot from behind the arc.

PHOTOS BY AL FREY

Jennifer

OBSERVER

Next Week: Martin Luther King Jr.

Founded by Betty Debnam

Mini Fact: There will be two solar and two lunar eclipses in 2023.

Disney at 100

The Walt Disney Co. turns 100 years old in 2023! Walt and his brother, Roy, founded the company on Oct. 16, 1923, as Disney Brothers Studio, where they created animated short films. Five years later, Mickey Mouse appeared in “Steamboat Willie.” What’s your favorite Disney film?

BY DAN THOMPSON

A checklist of what to do when a loved one dies

Dear Savvy Senior, What steps need to be taken after a loved one dies? My 71-year-old uncle, who’s divorced with no children, has terminal cancer. He’s asked me to take care of his affairs, so I would like to find out what I need to do after he passes away.

Unsure Nephew

Dear Unsure, I’m very sorry to hear about your uncle. The death of a loved can often bring about a host of different tasks and responsibilities. Here’s a list of some things you can do now, and after his death, that can help keep a sad event from becoming even more difficult.

BEFORE DEATH OCCURS

There are several tasks you can do now while your uncle is still living that will make things easier for you after he dies.

For starters, find out where he keeps all his important papers like his trust and/or will (also make sure it’s updated), birth certificate, Social Security information,

life-insurance policies, military discharge papers, financial documents, key or combination to a safe deposit box or a home safe. Also make a list of his digital assets (including usernames and passwords) like his email account, online banking accounts, social media accounts, etc.

If your uncle doesn’t have an advanced directive, help him make one (see www.CaringInfo. org for free state-specific forms and instructions). An advanced directive includes a living will that specifies his end-of-life medical treatments and appoints a healthcare proxy to make medical decisions if he becomes incapacitated. In addition, you should also make a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order. Your uncle’s doctor can help you with this.

You should also pre-arrange his funeral, memorial service and burial or cremation.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEATH

Once your uncle dies, you’ll need to get a legal pronouncement of death. If no doctor is present,

By Jim Miller

you’ll need to contact someone to do this.

If he dies at home under hospice care, call the hospice nurse, who can declare his death and help facilitate the transport of the body.

If he dies at home without hospice care, call your uncle’s doctor. You’ll then need to call the funeral home, mortuary or crematorium to pick up the body. If your uncle

is an organ or tissue donor, contact the funeral home or the county coroner immediately.

WITHIN A FEW DAYS

If funeral plans were not pre-arranged, you’ll need to make arrangements and prepare an obituary. If your uncle was in the military or belonged to a fraternal or religious group, you should contact those organizations too, because they may have burial benefits or conduct funeral services.

You should also notify family members, close friends and his employer if he was still working, and make sure his home is secured.

UP TO 10 DAYS AFTER DEATH

To wind down your uncle’s financial affairs, you’ll need to get multiple copies of his death certificate, which are typically ordered by the funeral home.

If you’re the executor of your uncle’s estate, take his will to the appropriate county or city office to have it accepted for probate. And open a bank account for your

uncle’s estate to pay bills, including taxes, funeral costs, etc.

You also need to contact your uncle’s estate attorney if he has one; tax preparer to see if estate or final income taxes should be filed; financial advisor for information on financial holdings; life insurance agent to get claim forms; his bank to locate and close accounts; Social Security; and the VA (if he’s a veteran) and other agencies that provided benefits in order to stop payments.

You should also cancel his credit cards, delete or memorialize his social media accounts and, if relevant, stop household services like utilities, mail, etc. His home and personal belongings will also need to be dealt with in the coming weeks.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

If you’re noticing changes, it could be Alzheimer’s. Talk about visiting a doctor together.

ALZ.org/TimeToTalk

TODAY’S HISTORY:

• In 1781, British naval forces led by Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold captured and burned Richmond, Virginia.

• In 1914, Ford Motor Co. raised basic wages from $2.40 for a ninehour day to $5 for an eight-hour day.

• In 1933, construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco Bay.

• In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced that the U.S. would intervene militarily and economically at the request of any Middle Eastern nation in response to the spread of communism.

• In 2005, the dwarf planet Eris was discovered.

TODAY’S FACT:

• The safety razor was one of the first disposable products ever made.

Sheila Ann Hartnett

Bundle up for savings

God has called home one of his most devoted servants. Sheila Ann (O’Brien) Hartnett died in the fashion in which she lived her life; with grace and humility. She was with her family at the time of her death.

Sheila was born in 1928 to Alice Jane Berry and Gordon Louis O’Brien. She grew up in her beloved Richmond where she attended elementary school and high school and then pursued a career in nursing. She graduated from The Bishop DeGoesbriand School of Nursing as a registered nurse. It was during a stint at the Veterans Hospital in White River Junction that she met the only man she ever loved. Sheila married John J. Hartnett in 1956 at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Richmond. Sheila and John soon began the family they always wanted. Over the next nine years, Sheila would give birth to eight children; seven sons and finally a daughter.

One could say that Sheila’s life was defined by her vocation. She was a nurse, and made a life of caring for those in need. She cared for veterans from the war, her brother in law “Uncle Steve” (whom she took into her home for over twenty years), her husband during a protracted illness, and later her own mother, Alice. Her devotion to John was never more evident than when he became ill in 1973 and eventually died in 1978. Her love for her children was never more apparent than when she raised all eight as a single parent after John’s initial illness and subsequent death. She was the living definition of selflessness.

Sheila (and John) were humble members of The Greatest Generation. They lived through the Great Depression, World War II, more than contributed to the baby boom, and pursued the great American dream of owning a home and creating a wonderful life. They started with little, worked hard, loved their children, and gave to their church and community. Both John and Sheila held many civic and religious posts. Sheila was a dedicated member of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception church and cried the night it burned in 1972.

Sheila will be remembered for being the most amazing daughter, sister, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother, neighbor, and friend imaginable. Her inner strength and faith transcended all measures. Her door at 75 Brookes Avenue was always open, literally! She fed, clothed and hosted extended family, friends, as

well as strangers from all walks of life. Many affectionately referred to her as Saint Sheila. She embraced her faith and Irish heritage proudly. Saint Patrick’s Day was a momentous day for her. She was legendary for sending birthday cards to anyone and everyone. Sheila was an avid New York Yankee fan until the end. We estimate that Sheila consumed over 60,000 cups of Red Rose tea in her lifetime! She remained lucid, grateful, and witty nearly to her last couple of days on earth.

Sheila is survived by her eight children; Daniel (Samaporn) of Salt Lake City, Utah, Timothy of Colchester, Michael (Veronica) of West Hartford, Connecticut, John Patrick (Dr. Laura Bellstrom) of Franklin County, James of South Burlington, David (Lisa) of Burlington, Stephen of Burlington and Mary of Williston. Her grandchildren John Zachary and Connor, both of Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Katherine Grace of Burlington; and grandchildren Cristian and Veronica, both of West Hartford, Connecticut; Chalalai of Denver, Colorado, Rosita, and great grandson, Maki Ray of Salt Lake City, Utah. She is also survived by sisters-in-law Pauline O’Brien and Lois O’Brien, and many, many nieces and nephews. She relished her role as grandmother and unapologetically spoiled her grandchildren. Stories are still emerging from her grandchildren about what went on at Grandma’s house that the “parents did not need to know about” such as watching television late into the

Nothing squirrelly here!

Autumn’s Halloween decoration is still providing a trick-or-treat surprise for this little guy as it’s morphed into a winter take-out happy meal.

Hartnett

from page 20

night, all kinds of treats including soda, and having “good” cereal in the morning.

Sheila was predeceased by her husband, John; her father and mother, Gordon and Alice O’Brien; inlaws Stephen and Mary Hartnett; her brother-in-law Stephen Jr.; her siblings Mark (Helen) O’Brien, Gordon O’Brien, Phillip (Helen) O’Brien, Peter O’Brien, and her only sister, Jane St. Hilaire (Roger).

Sheila’s family would like to acknowledge the lifelong love and support of the St. Hilaire family (Roger, Jane and children Cindy, Roger, Michelle, Gordon); the late Katherine Kilpeck of Richmond for her remarkable eighty five (!!!) years of friendship with Sheila; the compassionate and reliable service of her personal care attendant Julie; and the wonderful medical attention provided by Dr. Frank Landry (and wife Justine).

Sheila’s seven sons offer their eternal thanks and gratitude to Mary for her decades of devotion and caring for Mom. Mary was Sheila’s only daughter, and we recognize that Mary has not only lost her mother, but her best friend as well.

In keeping with Sheila’s wishes a mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Francis Xavier Catholic

Church in Winooski. Interment followed at Resurrection Park Catholic Cemetery in South Burlington.

In lieu of flowers, Sheila’s family requests that donations be made to the Mater Christi School’s: John Hartnett Award, at 50 Mansfield Av-

enue, Burlington, Vermont. 05401 or the Vermont Chapter of the American Red Cross, 32 North Prospect Street, Burlington, Vermont 05401.

Arrangements are in care of Gifford Funeral Home, 22 Depot Street, Richmond, VT 05477

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

PUZZLE FOUND ON PAGE 19

OBSERVER PHOTO BY SUSAN COTE

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Why not have a job you love?

Positions include a sign on bonus, strong benefits package and the opportunity to work at one of the “Best Places to Work in Vermont”.

Service Coordinator: Continue your career in human services in a supportive environment by providing case management for individuals either for our Adult Family Care program or our Developmental Services program. The ideal candidate will have strong clinical, organizational & leadership skills and enjoy working in a team-oriented position. $47,000 annual salary, $1,500 sign on bonus.

Residential Program Manager: Coordinate staffed residential and community supports for an individual in their home. The ideal candidate will enjoy working in a team-oriented position, have strong clinical skills, and demonstrated leadership. $45,900 annual salary, $1,500 sign on bonus.

Direct Support Professional: Provide 1:1 supports to help individuals reach their goals in a variety of settings. This is a great position to start or continue your career in human services. Full and part time positions available starting at $19/hr, $1,000 sign on bonus.

Residential Direct Support Professional: Provide supports to an individual in their home and in the community in 24h shifts including asleep overnights in a private, furnished bedroom. You can work two days, receive full benefits and have five days off each week! Other flexible schedules available, starting wage is $20/hr, $1,000 sign on bonus.

Shared Living Provider: Move into someone’s home or have someone live with you to provide residential supports. There are a variety of opportunities available that could be the perfect match for you and your household. Salary varies dependent on individual care requirements. $1,000 sign on bonus.

Join our dedicated team and together we’ll build a community where everyone participates and belongs https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/

Make a career making a difference and join our team today!

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Champlain Community Services, Inc.

2022 Growth Management allocation (16 DUe) as Phase 2 on the phasing plan and change the overall dwelling unit type and mix (122 DUe as 138 dwellings increasing to 123 DUe as 139 dwellings) at Summer Field subdivision (fka Catamount Country Club) on a 30± parcel located at 1400 Mountain View Rd. in the RZD.

DP 23-12 Pre-App U-Haul Moving & Storage c/o Jeffery Vaine requests pre-

CLASSIFIEDS

application review for their proposed 17,780 SF warehouse facility and associated parking at Robear Lot 2 on the South side of Williston Rd. in the IZDW.

Project details and site plans are available on the website, town. williston.vt.us, under “Public Records and Documents”, then “Agendas & Minutes”, and “Development Review Board”. Contact Planning & Zoning Office for more information: 802-8786704 or email planning@willistonvt.org

LEGAL

TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA

Tuesday, January 10, 2023 – 7:00 PM

Police Station Meeting Room (7928 Williston Road) or Zoom Meeting ID 846 5863 3532 on zoom.us/join or call 1-646-558-8656

DP 23-10 Nautilus Holdings, LLC c/o James Unsworth request a discretionary permit for a Master Sign Plan for 115 Wellness Dr. in

the IZDW.

DP 23-11 Jared Enterprises c/o Robert Lake request a discretionary permit for a 1,200 SF limited service eating place as an accessory use to the existing Island Homemade Ice Cream manufacturing facility at 21 Commerce St. in the IZDW.

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

Lake Iroquois achieves ‘Gold Lake Wise’ status

Homeowners recognized for shoreline management

The Lakes and Ponds Program of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has awarded Lake Iroquois with its Gold Lake Wise award to recognize efforts of shoreline property owners in managing their properties for lake health.

The lake — located in Williston, Hinesburg, Richmond and St. George — joins Echo Lake in Charleston and Seymour Lake in Morgan in reaching the accomplishment.

“It is clear that the Lake Iroquois community is committed to preserving the health of the lake and promoting sound shoreland management practices,” said DEC Commissioner John Beling.

The Gold Lake Wise Award is granted to homeowners associations where 15 percent of the properties surrounding a lake have received an individual Lake Wise Award for

participation in the voluntary Lake Wise program. The program promotes stormwater management and erosion prevention on lakeshore properties. Properties must meet a series of criteria that indicate the property is managed using shoreland best management practices and is maintained to care for the lake.

“We are so thrilled that Lake Iroquois has achieved this milestone,” said Lake Iroquois Association President Shannon Kelly. “This was a goal of mine when I took over as president 18 months ago, and it is so exciting to attain that goal.”

The award was achieved just as the Lake Iroquois Association, in conjunction with the Winooski Natural Resource Conservation District, started its Lake Watershed Action Plan — an assessment and planning tool used to identify the greatest threats to a lake ecosystem from the land uses within the watershed, including impacts on water quality and wildlife habitat.

Homeowners around Lake Iroquois were recognized by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation in December for their shoreline management practices.

OBSERVER FILE PHOTO BY JASON STARR

“It is clear that the Lake Iroquois community is committed to preserving the health of the lake and promoting sound shoreland management practices,”

John Beling Commissioner Vermont Dept. of Environmental Conservation