Williston Observer 3/9/2023

Razor thin margin spurs recount

Isham wins selectboard seat; Beckett requests recount

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

Three votes separated Mike Isham and Ellie Beckett in their Town Meeting Day contest for a seat on the Williston Selectboard.

In results confirmed by Town Clerk Sarah Mason on Wednesday morning, Isham received 772 votes to Beckett’s 769, winning the one remaining year on the board seat vacated in December by Gordon St. Hilaire.

Beckett promptly requested a recount.

“They are two really good people who are devoted to Williston,” Lynn McClintock said after casting her ballot Tuesday afternoon at the National Guard Armory next to

Town Hall. “They are both dedicated, but they each have a different approach.”

Mason did not have an estimate when the recount would be completed. Isham is confident the result will not change.

“I trust the system, I think the votes are 100 percent accurate,” he said. “It was a close race. My hat is off to Ellie. She is a bright young woman.

“It’s a real honor and a privilege,” Isham continued, “and I’m humbled to represent rural Williston and all of Williston. I’ve got a lot to learn. This is not something to go in and make a lot of big changes, I know. I’m going to do my best.”

In other results Tuesday, voters approved the town budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a bond to pay for a new ambulance and the purchase of solar panels atop the

Town Meeting Day results

TOWN BUDGET

Yes: 1,002; No: 450

SELECTBOARD SEAT Isham: 772; Beckett: 769

SOLAR PANEL PURCHASE

Yes: 1,128; No: 328

AMBULANCE BOND

Yes: 1,147; No: 315

SCHOOL BUDGET

Yes: 3,084; No: 1,673

town’s public works facility. Voters also returned a group of uncontested incumbents to their positions:

Terry Macaig (selectboard), Mason (town clerk), Linda Levitt (lister), Charity Clark (library trustee) and Liz Royer (Champlain Water District representative). Also elected was Jeanne Jensen, who ran uncontested for the selectboard seat relinquished by Jeff Fehrs after 25 years on the board.

Meanwhile, Erin Henderson won a seat on the Champlain Valley School Board with 1,282 votes, holding off a write-in campaign from Tim Allard, who received 105 votes.

Williston voters joined voters in Hinesburg, Charlotte, Shelburne and St. George in supporting the Champlain Valley School District annual budget and the purchase of three new school buses. Joining Henderson as new members of the school board are Meghan Siket (Charlotte), Cassandra Townshend (Hinesburg) and Dave Connery

(Shelburne).

In all, 1,588 Williston residents turned out to vote, with 460 voting early by mailed ballot and 1,128 voting in person Tuesday. There are about 8,700 registered voters in Williston.

“I always vote,” Rob McIlwaine said after casting his town and school ballots. “I’m a government teacher and I teach my students that it’s a civic privilege and a responsibility to vote and you should because you can — you have the right to and the freedom to.”

Fehrs was recognized for his quarter-century of service on the board with a presentation and applause on Monday night, when voters gathered at the Williston Central School auditorium for the town’s Annual Meeting — the first in-person Annual Meeting since 2020.

Candidates Erin Henderson, Tim Allard and Ellie Beckett campaign outside the National Guard Armory on Tuesday during Town Meeting Day.

A LOOK AT LADY LIBERTY WITH WHS

The Williston Historical Society invites the public to “Saving A Lady: behind the scenes of the restoration of The Statue of Liberty” on Sunday, March 12 at 3:30 p.m. at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library.

Maryann Feeney, who was human resources director of The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation during the statue’s restoration, will be the presenter. The program will include Ken Burns’ film about how The Statue of Liberty came to America.

DRB TO HEAR DOG RESCUE APPEAL

The Development Review Board meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 14 to hear an appeal of a zoning permit issued in January for Vermont English Bulldog Rescue to continue operating out of a home on Lamplite Lane. The appeal comes from neighbors, who have hired an attorney to repre -

sent them at the appeal hearing.

The appeal is the only item on the board’s agenda for that evening. The meeting is open to the public and will be viewable online via Zoom.

REC COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS DOG PARK

The Recreation and Parks Committee will meet Thursday, March 9 at 7 a.m. at the R.E.C. Zone space at 94 Harvest Lane. On the agenda is a discussion of a possible dog park or off-leash area in Williston. Also on the agenda are updates on the Catamount Community Forest and a community center feasibility study. The meeting is open to the public and will be viewable online via Zoom.

GLASER SPECIFIC PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE MULLS ‘PUBLIC BENEFIT’

An advisory committee set up to help the Williston Planning Commission with its consideration of a “Specific Plan” subdi-

• Kathryn Picariello bought a condominium on Westview Circle from Linda Preziose for $306,000.

• Vanessa Fortune bought a home on 2 acres on Whitney Hill Road from Paula LeBlanc for $775,000.

• Linda Bassey bought a home on Industrial Avenue from Robert Langevin for $328,250.

Editor’s Note: The majority of February’s property transactions were temporarily unavailable on the Vermont land records online database.

Property Transfers sponsored by

OBSERVER PHOTO BY PAUL APFELBAUM

Town Meeting

continued from page 1

“It has really been a true pleasure,” he said to the crowd of about 100. “I’ve learned so much about this town.”

He also praised the town’s staff.

“We are very fortunate with the quality (of staff) we get to work with,” he said.

Those in attendance Monday, by a unanimous voice vote, returned Tony Lamb to his longtime position of Town Meeting Day moderator. Town officials and school officials then presented details of the town and school budget proposals voters would consider the next day.

Unlike Monday’s sunny and mild weather, Tuesday was blustery and cold. Nonetheless, candidates Henderson, Beckett and Allard greeted voters outside the armory throughout the day alongside their campaign signs. Warm drinks and sympathy were offered by

voters entering and exiting the building.

“Hand-warmers and snowpants,” Henderson said when asked how she’s braving the cold.

In all, 1,588 Williston residents turned out to vote, with 460 voting early by mailed ballot and 1,128 voting in person Tuesday. There are about 8,700 registered voters in Williston.

“A couple people have stopped and asked about what I think are the main priorities (of the school district),” she added.

CLOCKWISE (l to r): Jeff Fehrs is recognized for his 25-year tenure on the Williston Selectboard. Fehrs stepped away from board service Monday. Rob McIlwaine receives a ballot Tuesday in the National Guard Armory. Cooper Stephens of Williston Boy Scout Troop 692 leads people in the Pledge of Allegiance to begin the meetings in the WCS auditorium. Heather Godin, followed by school superintendent Rene Sanchez, check in Monday night at the Williston Central School auditorium for the town’s Annual Meeting.

R.E.C. Zone open house

Williston Recreation and Parks Program Coordinator Alex Mihavics shows off the department’s new space at 94 Harvest Lane, welcoming the public to an open house last Saturday. Instructors for some of the programs that will be housed in the space were on hand. See Page 20 for a list of programs offered at the space and for registration information.

Window Shade Sale

All Hunter Douglas Shades On Sale

Around Town

continued from page 2

vision application on the Glaser property at the corner of Mountain View and Old Stage roads will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 9 at Town Hall.

On the agenda is a discussion about whether the open space conservation proposed in the plan will satisfy the “substantial public benefit” provision required of the Specific Plan process and allow the subdivision to bypass the town’s growth management limits on housing development. The committee will also respond to the planning commission’s question about how the subdivision would fare if it went through the traditional growth management process.

The meeting is open to the public and will be viewable online via Zoom.

WATER BILLS DUE BY END OF MONTH

The Town of Williston’s water/ sewer/stormwater bills have been mailed and payment is due to the town by March 31. Payments can be mailed, dropped off in person at Town Hall, put in the drop box behind the Town Clerk’s office or paid on-line at www.town.williston.vt.us.

Williston

RACK LOCATIONS

Williston

Adams Farm Market

Belle’s Café

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library

Fairfield Inn

Gardener’s Supply

Green Mountain Bagel

Hannaford

Healthy Living Williston

Home2Suites

Korner Kwik Stop

Marriott Courtyard

Men At Wok

People’s United Bank

Ramunto’s

Rehab Gym

Shell Gas Station (Essex Rd)

Simon’s Mobil Williston

Simply Divine Café

Sonesta

Sunoco Station

Town of Williston Offices

UPS Store

Williston Coffee Shop

Essex Junction

Essex Automotive

Five Corner Variety

Hannaford (Essex Shoppes)

Inn at Essex

Mac’s Market

Martone’s Deli

Price Chopper

Quality Bake Shop

River Road Beverage

Richmond

Cumberland Farms

Richmond Free Library

Richmond Market

Richmond Mobil Mart

As Casella aims to treat PFAS in leachate, what happens next with Vermont’s forever chemicals?

BY LOGAN SOLOMAN Community News Service

James Ehlers can’t help but say something any time he passes the Winooski River’s Salmon Hole and sees kids splashing around or anglers eyeing fish.

“Do you know what’s in that river?” Ehlers, a steadfast water activist who founded the nonprofit Lake Champlain International, sometimes yells to those he sees at the spot in downtown Winooski.

Forty miles upstream, on a daily basis, two tanker trucks that together carry 10,000 gallons of garbage water from Vermont’s only landfill arrive at Montpelier’s wastewater treatment plant. There, workers empty the tankers into a system designed to filter as many contaminants as possible. Some substances are removed from the liquids, or leachate, but one group of harmful chemicals is not.

Instead they’re discharged into the Winooski River, flowing through the famed fishing spot before hitting Lake Champlain.

The chemicals of concern are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — often known as PFAS — and they’ve garnered increasing public attention in recent years. Even at low exposure levels, PFAS in drinking water put human health at risk.

The chemicals are associated with infertility, reproductive cancers, hormone issues, vaccine immunity problems and kidney cancer. After the landfill in Coventry, run by Casella Waste Systems, started sending leachate to Montpelier in 2020, the fluid coming out of the capital city’s treatment plant contained “significantly higher” concentrations of PFAS than all but one facility tested in Vermont, the state said that year. No nearby treatment plant has had the technology to remove the chemicals.

Montpelier might have a solution with a new venture by Casella. The state issued the company a permit last December to develop a framework for a pilot system at the landfill that could reduce the amount of PFAS in leachate. By the end of this year, the company is required to have the new technology running and begin studying its effectiveness. The company has been working on the pilot system but is waiting on two additional permits before all the work needed can happen, including

one crucial permit approving Casella’s design for the system.

If both permits are approved, company leaders expect to start studying their system later this year, a process slated to end in 2024, said Samuel Nicolai, the company’s vice president of compliance and engineering, who oversees much of the project.

The project would be one of the first on-site PFAS treatment systems at a landfill in the country. If it is a success, the build could be a model for other landfills that, as public alarm surrounding the chemicals intensifies, look to limit PFAS in leachate.

But water quality activists are trying to stop the project in Coventry, where things are so contentious that the nearby treatment plant in Newport stopped accepting the landfill’s leachate in late 2019. In

Montpelier — one of two primary places now taking the leachate — city councilors say the plant will stop accepting the waste by July 1 this year unless it is treated ahead of time for PFAS. And the latest battle in Vermont’s wastewater world has raised new questions about officials’ tolerance of an emerging class of contaminants — and what can be done about them.

SENDING THE PROBLEM DOWNSTREAM

The liquid arriving in Montpelier is what you get when rainwater passes through landfill materials and draws out toxic substances such as PFAS. Casella’s landfill has a history of producing leachate with high concentrations of the toxic chemicals, according to consultants from the Waterbury engineering firm Weston and Sampson, which

studied the landfill in 2018 and 2019. That’s likely not surprising to company leaders — or to the waste industry as a whole — who have emphasized the ubiquity of PFAS in trash sent to the landfill. The chemicals are found in countless products, and nobody knows exactly what levels of PFAS are contained in the individual leachate loads ferried from Coventry to Montpelier.

Casella is evaluating a few methods for its new system to find a technology that removes as much as possible of the five compounds of PFAS

The Winooski River flows from Montpelier through Chittenden County and into Lake Champlain.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEEDPIX.COM see PFAS page 9

Smart housing growth as a climate solution

BY KATI GALLAGHER

How we use and develop land dictates where we can live, how much we drive and whether or not we protect our farm and forest lands.

Here in Vermont, we benefit from decades of community-driven land use planning that set our state apart for protecting natural resources while fostering our downtowns and village centers. Yet we’re also experiencing — along with the rest of the country — the impacts of land development that has been misguided or poorly planned through the connected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and housing affordability.

Many of our local land use laws — developed and implemented by towns through zoning — date back to the mid-twentieth century, a time when today’s issues were unimaginable, and

Williston

when institutional systems were crafted to exclude racial and socio-economic groups from certain neighborhoods. Mandating districts that only allow the development of single-family homes on large lot sizes with significant parking is one way that zoning has limited the supply of affordable housing and resulted in “zoning-enforced sprawl.”

The Vermont we know today continues to be shaped by this history and is inconsistent with a smart growth vision of dense, compact villages surrounded by a more rural landscape. As our land use laws continue to exacerbate deepening inequalities, our dependence on polluting vehicles and the fragmentation of our farms and forests, we must work together to pursue a Vermont that is welcoming, vibrant and socially and environmentally resilient.

This legislative session, we see GALLAGHER page 7

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On International Women’s Day, a celebration of sisterhood

BY KAREN STURTEVANT

As a twenty-first century woman living in the United States, I am fortunate, blessed. I don’t claim success on unraveling the mysteries of the whys and hows I came to be right here, right now. I just know how I value the hand I was dealt.

Our female warrior ancestors built the foundation for who we are able to be today. Not too long ago, we were not allowed to vote or secure a credit card or loan in our own name. The place for us was in the home; the workplace held exclusively for men. We were hushed. Thanks to the forward-thinking actions of yesteryear’s influential women, today we enjoy abundant opportunities. We are strong, independent, fierce. We are powerful.

On March 8, the global community comes together to celebrate International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to applaud social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and shout a rallying call for continued action. Envision a humanity where gender equality is not the exception, but the norm, where stereotypes don’t ex-

ist, where men and women earn the same pay for the same effort, where discrimination is unheard of.

Who is a pivotal woman in your life? A grandmother who always made you feel loved? An aunt who shared her secret chili recipe? Perhaps a teacher who took the extra time to assist you? On this day, we recognize prominent women while calling our sisterhood into action. We celebrate our united wins, fight for gender equality and move the world forward with our collaborative missions.

We recognize our courageous sisters across the street and around the globe who are protesting, fighting, teaching and pushing the equality needle a centimeter at a time for the betterment of all. As a collective, we have made progress. Pioneers Eleanor Roosevelt, Dolores Huerta, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Emmeline Pankhurst, with their steadfastness and initiatives, forged a better world for us.

We still have a long way to go to reach the summit of equality. Mothers are teaching their daughters the art of debate and to appreciate an oppositional point of view. We see

the injustices and no longer remain silent. One discussion at a time is changing the narrative and raising awareness.

One such conversation being shared is the important story of Mahsa Amini.

In September 2022, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old aspiring attorney living in Tehran, Iran, was arrested and taken into police custody by The Guidance Patrol (Iran’s morality police) for allegedly not wearing her hijab (headscarf) in accordance with the Iranian government. Eyewitness accounts report that Mahsa was beaten by authorities so severely that she later succumbed to her injuries. This young, vibrant woman’s life’s light was extinguished for a socalled violation. Her treatment was barbaric and spurred widespread protests.

For women living outside the confines of places such as Iran, Mahsa’s plight seems dystopian in nature. With our Western freedoms and protections, living in such a despotic environment is difficult to fathom. We, any one of us, could have been Mahsa.

see STURTEVANT page 8

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continued from page 6

have a unique opportunity to do just that.

By enabling housing development in our downtowns and village centers (where we’ve invested in public infrastructure like water services, sidewalks and transit), we can reduce zoning-enforced sprawl and support compact, walkable, mixed-use town centers with improved housing choice and more equitable communities.

Importantly, proposed legislation in the House (H.68) and Senate Omnibus Bill would ensure a minimum allowable density in municipally-defined water and sewer service areas; re-legalize small and multi-family housing units; and minimize parking requirements that add costs to housing, reduce walkability and increase impervious surfaces.

While state legislation will help to advance this goal, it is incumbent on all of us to consider how to incorporate these changes in such a way that strengthens our communities and environment. Of course, change is rarely easy; we must be curious about solutions and bold in the face of chal-

lenges.

Thoughtful development must be paired with environmental considerations, particularly in regard to Vermont’s aging infrastructure, stormwater management and the historic pattern of village centers located along river corridors. But if we are to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions (roughly 40 percent of which come from transportation in Vermont); protect our natural resources (the source of many Vermonters’ livelihoods and countless ecosystem services); and provide “missing middle” and affordable homes, we can no longer rely on chipping around the edges of the status quo.

Planning for the future is not simple, especially when the patterns of the past no longer hold, but we are at a critical inflection point. I hope we choose to plan boldly and creatively for the demographic, environmental and economic change we see coming, while working to simultaneously support more housing, a healthy environment and more equitable communities.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Corrections reforms, not prison construction

I urge lawmakers to reject the Gov. Phil Scott Administration’s $15.5 million down payment proposal on prison construction to replace and expand the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (CRCF). The administration’s initial price tag for the project is $71 million.

The proposal does not include any options for smaller, lower-cost, community-based programs, or account for further reductions to Vermont’s prison population through criminal justice reform, as we have advocated.

It’s a backwards approach to spend a decade and tens of millions of dollars to

build an enormous prison when we could better meet people’s needs much sooner if we consider alternatives — which we have been asking legislators to study and support for years.

Outcomes for incarcerated people and their families will not improve unless we invest in the communities they return to, including re-entry programs, job support and other services that help people rebuild their lives.

These are the services that people incarcerated at CRCF are asking for — and they deserved to be listened to.

Ashley Messier Executive Director

Women’s Justice and Freedom Initiative

4.95 5.15

Jennifer A Murphy Financial

Advisor

208 Cornerstone Dr Williston, VT 05495 802-878-7805

5.20

Kati Gallagher is the sustainable communities program director at the Vermont Natural Resources Council.

continued from page 6

When an incident such as Mahsa’s gets showcased, we sit up and take notice, if only for a second, before mindlessly scrolling to a cute kitty video or latest celebrity meme. The world can be a dark, woeful place. It can also be a place of healing and hope. I tend to lean to the latter and, in doing so, recently joined the local chapter of Amnesty International.

Amnesty International, with 10 million members and counting,

works to make our world a more equitable and just place. Thanks to actions taken individually, as well as from groups of like-minded people, unfair laws have been changed, innocent people released from imprisonment and human rights nourished. Amnesty International follows The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, as its beacon.

The Champlain Valley Amnesty International (champvalleyai@ gmail.com) group meets via Zoom the third Saturday of each month. Join us in sharing subjects, like

Mahsa, that are important to you. Participation makes a difference. Do your part in creating a kinder, more hospitable world. You’ll be glad you did.

In my office, I have a canvas that reads, “Real queens fix each others’ crowns.” Empowering every woman and girl to be their best causes positive ripple effects. What can you do today to validate and encourage a woman in your life?

On this 2023 International Women’s Day, we honor Mahsa Amini and our brave sisters for their spirit and courage.

Karen Sturtevant lives in Williston.

PFAs

continued from page 5

that Vermont currently regulates, said Nicolai.

One method would use air bubbles to remove PFAS, while another would employ chemical processes to break down the pollutants into carbon dioxide, according to a January article from Waste Dive, a digital news outlet covering the waste and recycling industry. Casella will likely use more than one method in the end, Waste Dive reported.

The project has found a familiar foe: The activist group Don’t Undermine Memphremagog’s Purity (DUMP), a collective of Vermont and Canadian citizens dedicated to protecting the waters of Lake Memphremagog, which has appealed Casella’s permit to the Vermont Judiciary’s Environmental Division.

“It’s irresponsibly located at the edge of extensive wetlands,” one of the group’s leaders, Henry Coe, said in a press release announcing the appeal.

Nicolai disputed Coe’s claim, saying that the wetlands are a “good distance” from where the leachate treatment system would be. The wetlands are downhill from the site.

“We are not proposing anything different than how the leachate is already being handled,” he said. “It’s just an opportunity to provide treatment.”

Casella used to transport the liquids to the Newport City water treatment facility, less than 4 miles away from the landfill, where it was discharged into Lake Memphremagog, the drinking water source for 175,000 Canadians. But the practice was halted in November 2019 as part of the resolution of an Act 250 dispute.

The Lake Memphremagog activist group, commonly known as DUMP, had sought to stop a planned landfill expansion via the courts before withdrawing its appeal after the company agreed to stop sending leachate to Newport until 2024. The group, along with the entire Quebec National Assembly, called for making the moratorium permanent in 2021, after Canadian officials found traces of PFAS in a drinking water intake area connected to the lake. Casella denied a connection between its landfill and the findings, and state testing found no link between the landfill and the small amounts of PFAS found. That summer the state extended the moratorium to 2026.

Since the moratorium in 2019, Casella has sent most of its leachate to Montpelier and Plattsburgh, N.Y., two places where, from 2020 to 2022, nearly 37 million gallons — almost 95 percent of the liquids that left the landfill — have arrived at wastewater treatment plants that discharge into rivers that flow into Lake Champlain, according to monthly permit reports from Casella. The Montpelier plant’s share represents nearly 3 out of every 5 of these gallons.

In May 2022, officials at the Montpelier plant stopped taking leachate for eight months after a bacterial contamination disabled a disinfection system at the plant, according to Montpelier Public Works Director Kurt Motyka.

Montpelier began accepting the liquids again this year at a smaller volume — to ensure there are no other issues with the disinfection system. That led to the plant only taking in about $8,500 of revenue for January, Motyka said, a far lower total than before the pause.

But if the system has no issues, the plant will return to full capacity, which Motyka estimates would lead to a roughly fourfold increase in monthly revenue — about $300,000 for the year.

Ehlers feels Montpelier officials have been prioritizing money by accepting leachate that the city’s plant can’t treat for PFAS. The

game of whack-a-mole.

“Every time you outlaw one or one gets criticized, (the manufacturer) just switches the molecules around a little bit and they are good to go,” Adelman said.

At minimum, she said legislators should amend Act 21, the law regulating PFAS in drinking and surface waters, to allow for no PFOA or PFOS, the most widely used and studied types of PFAS.

Adelman’s rationale is based on an update made last June to a federal Environmental Protection Agency lifetime drinking water health advisory. The advisory set a limit that is 3,000 times more stringent than the previous one. The concentrations involved are so small that certified lab technology cannot measure them, Adelman said.

This means that even if current PFAS drinking water testing technology registers no amount of the two compounds, there is still a chance concentrations may be above the level at which federal officials have deemed people would experience adverse health effects after a lifetime of exposure, which is considered 70 years of drinking the water.

criticism mirrored past critiques of officials in Coventry — where the town’s budget is supported almost entirely by payments from Casella.

“Montpelier really should be saying, ‘We don’t want it at all,’” Ehlers said. “But Montpelier doesn’t suffer the consequences. They get the money, and those of us downstream get the problem.”

He’s right that the leachate goes downstream. But it’s raising concerns in the capital too. In October 2021, a half-dozen Montpelier residents showed up to a public hearing in Newport — more than an hour north — to speak against the leachate being treated in their city, records show.

A few weeks later, in a public comment on Casella’s permit, the Montpelier City Council described resident opposition and said the municipal plant will no longer accept leachate by July 1 this year if it contains PFAS at levels that exceed the state’s PFAS drinking water standard. In effect, if Casella doesn’t start treating leachate for PFAS before that date, the city will stop accepting the waste.

REGULATORY WHACK-A-MOLE

There are more than 9,000 identified types of PFAS, but Vermont regulates only five.

Several types of PFAS have been found in several spots in the Winooski River, according to state testing in 2021. The five types regulated by Vermont were found at lower concentrations than the state’s limits for drinking water.

But some unregulated PFAS have been found at alarming levels, said Marguerite Adelman, coordinator of the Vermont PFAS/ Military Poisons Coalition, a project of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

Adelman, a Winooski resident like Ehlers, points to Vermont’s selective regulatory system as one reason that the state should ban all PFAS. She compared the current system of regulating each individual substance to a

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation website currently cites the older federal health advisory from 2016. The state’s regulatory standards will remain in place while officials work to understand how the updated advisory could change Vermont’s policies, said Stephanie Brackin, a spokesperson for the Agency of Natural Resources, which oversees the department.

The federal government last December also came out with a suite of recommended best practices for states dealing with PFAS discharges, as well as recommendations for more precise monitoring.

In recent interviews, activists said they hadn’t heard anything about the state adopting those December 2022 guidelines. They said they assumed the state hadn’t adopted them.

“Vermont DEC has not taken the actions recommended by the EPA, and Vermont Natural Resource Council recommends they do so,” said Jon Groveman, water policy program director for that nonprofit.

It seems Groveman and others might be right, but that may be changing soon. Brackin said the Agency of Natural Resources “will work closely with the EPA and covered entities to implement these guidelines.”

However, Brackin said, the state is already addressing PFAS contamination by monitoring public water systems, investigating how PFAS enters Vermont’s environment, banning the sale of certain PFAS-containing products and bringing lawsuits against PFAS manufacturers.

Adelman wants Vermont’s PFAS monitoring to go further, calling for more frequent tests of both public water systems and private wells.

“Until Vermont really starts testing its waters for PFAS and testing its fish (more frequently), we don’t really have a realistic sense about how much PFAS there is,” she said.

Donation hotline: 802-857-5296

“Montpelier doesn’t suffer the consequences. They get the money, and those of us downstream get the problem.”

James Ehlers

Lake Champlain International

Redhawks cap undefeated season with state title

PHOTOS BY PAUL LAMONTAGNE/VTSPORTSIMAGES.COM

Quarterfinal win

CLOCKWISE (from top left): CVU’s Tucker Tharpe gets into the paint for a layup during the Redhawks’ quarterfinal win over the Burlington Seahorses on Friday in Hinesburg. Sam Sweeney drains a 3-pointer. Russell Willoughby gets fouled by Chris Thompson on the way to the rack. Ethan Murphy drives to the hoop past Noel McDonald. Burlington’s defense closes in on Alex Provost. Kyle Eaton tries a drive to the hoop on Noah McDonald.

Summer Camps

Vermont Sports Hall of Fame announces

2023 inductees

Legends of the mountain in winter and summer, the hardwood, gridiron and soccer pitch, a speedy para-athlete, an award-winning sportswriter and a gymnastics pioneer make up the 12 newest inductees of the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. The Board of Directors has announced its 10th group of inductees — the class of 2023.

The inductees are: Olympic alpine skiers Suzi Chaffee of Rutland and Doug Lewis of Middlebury; three-time Olympic snowboard medalist Kelly Clark of West Dover; two-time Olympic mountain biker Lea Davison of Jericho; three-sport star and college football standout Jake Eaton of Rutland; legendary high school basketball coach David Fredrickson of Bennington; record-setting basketball players Jasmyn Huntington Fletcher of Bradford and Morgan Valley of Colchester; four-sport standout and high scoring soccer player John Koerner of Shelburne; and Bob Molinatti from Colchester, the hall’s first para-athlete.

State gymnastics pioneer Thomas Dunkley of South Burlington is this year’s David Hakins Inductee for excellence in promotion of sports and athletics throughout the state and sportswriter Andy Gardiner of South Burlington is the Mal Boright Media Inductee, named after the late Williston Observer writer.

The class will be formally inducted at the 2023 Vermont Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Celebration at the Delta Marriott Burlington Hotel on Williston Road in South Burlington on April 29.

Ticket information for the 2023 dinner will be available soon at www.vermontsportshall. com. Proceeds from the event go to Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, the designated charity of the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame.

The past dinners and other fundraisers have raised over $22,000 to support PCAV’s work state-wide. Myers Container Service Corp is the presenting sponsor for the annual event.

This year’s class, the 10th, brings the membership in the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame to 118 since its first class was inducted in 2012, representing 13 of the state’s 14 counties. The Class of 2023 was selected by three groups: the 15-member VSHOF board of directors, a statewide sports advisory panel and the previous inductees.

Besides honoring those making significant contributions to the state’s sports legacy, the Hall is designed to help promote and provide inspiration in sports and recreation to the youth of Vermont.

Below, are short bios of the inductees. Complete bios are available at http://www.vermontsportshall.com/2023class.html.

JOHN KOERNER, SHELBURNE, MULTI-SPORT/SOCCER

A standout soccer star who was the all-time leading scorer at Champlain Valley Union High and at the University of Vermont. He also ex-

celled in ice hockey, tennis, track and golf, playing five varsity sports at CVU, graduating in 1974. A three-time all-conference and all-New England soccer forward at UVM, he helped the Catamounts to its first two trips to the NCAA Men’s D-I Soccer Tournament in 1975 and 1977. A state and regional junior tennis champion, he also was an all-state hockey forward at CVU, scoring over 100 career goals, and was the state’s school scoring champion three straight years. He is now the owner of Folino’s restaurant.

SUZANNE ’SUZY’ CHAFFEE, RUTLAND, ALPINE SKIING

An Olympic and World Cup skier, she was a trend-setting and successful alpine and freestyle skier whose off-the-slopes activism dramatically helped change the amateur and Olympic landscape. She competed in the downhill and giant slalom at the 1968 Winter Olympics after great success in both events at the World Cup level. Chaffee helped develop the professional freestyle circuit in 1971, winning the first women’s division three straight years. She was the first woman on the USOC board of directors and was named to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness under four administrations.

KELLY CLARK, WEST DOVER, SNOWBOARDING

A five-time Olympian and a three-time medalist in snowboarding, she retired as one of the world’s most accomplished female competitors in the halfpipe. She competed in five straight Olympics starting in 2002, never finishing lower than fourth, and captured three halfpipe medals. She earned gold in 2002 in Salt Lake City and bronze medals in 2010 in Vancouver and 2014 in Sochi.

LEA DAVISON, JERICHO, MOUNTAIN BIKING

One of the world’s best in cross country mountain biking, she was a two-time Olympian, racing in the 2012 London games where she finished 11th and then seventh in 2016 in Rio. Davison competed for the U.S. in seven world championships, with her high a second-place finish in 2016. She also won a bronze in the worlds in 2014, was third overall in the 2015 World Cup series, and was an eight-time U.S. national champion and a two-time Elite Cross Country champion. She was an excellent athlete in track and alpine skiing at Mount Mansfield Union High School and at Middlebury College and finished 11th in downhill at the 2002 NCAA Championships.

JAKE EATON, RUTLAND, MULTI-SPORT/FOOTBALL

A multi-sport standout at Rutland High, and a tremendous all-around youth sports athlete, he went on to a very successful collegiate career at the UMaine, where he was a three-year starter at quarterback. The only two-time Vermont Gatorade Football Player of the Year, Eaton was also a standout in basketball and baseball at Rutland. In college he led the Black Bears to two conference titles while setting several school passing

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records. He also played professionally in arena football before returning to Vermont to embark on a successful high school coaching and administrative career at Proctor High.

DAVID FREDRICKSON, BENNINGTON/ARLINGTON, BASKETBALL COACH/ ADMINISTRATOR

During his 36-year basketball coaching career at both Arlington and Mount Anthony from 1963 to 1999, his teams won 505 games and 18 league titles with 17 Final Four appearances. He took Mount Anthony to the D-I championship game 10 times and captured eight state titles, his first coming in 1974, and had a Vermont record five-straight between 1988 and 1992. Since 1999, he has served as the executive director of the Vermont Basketball Coaches Association.

JASMYN HUNTINGTON FLETCHER, BRADFORD, BASKETBALL

A prolific scorer at Oxbow High who went on to play Division I bas-

ketball at Nevada-Reno in the Big West and North Carolina in the ACC. “Jazz” scored 2,079 points at Oxbow, the second-most points in Vermont history, and was the 1995 and 1996 Vermont Gatorade Player of the Year. She led Oxbow to three trips to the state championship game, capturing the 1993 D-II title and the 1995 D-III crown. Her first collegiate season, she led Nevada in scoring and was named to the Big West All-Rookie Team, and at North Carolina, she was a regular as the Tar Heels reached the 2000 ACC title game and advanced to the 2000 NCAA Sweet 16.

DOUG LEWIS, MIDDLEBURY, ALPINE SKIING

A two-time Olympic alpine skier and two-time national champion in downhill, he raced in the downhill for the U.S. in the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics and also competed in the 1988 Olympic Games before retiring that winter. He became the first American male to reach the podium in the World Championships down-

hill with a third-place finish in 1985 in Bormio, Italy. He won his first of two national downhill titles in 1986 and came in second in a 1986 World Cup race in Argentina. A graduate from the Green Mountain Valley School in Waitsfield and UVM, Lewis also is an alpine skiing color commentator on NBC and Universal Sports.

BOB MOLINATTI, COLCHESTER, PARA-ATHLETE

Molinatti, who attended school in Colchester and Essex, became a noteworthy para-athlete, winning major marathons after he sustained a spinal cord injury in an automobile accident in 1978. He won the Los Angeles Marathon in 1986 and 1988, and represented the U.S. at the 1988 Paralympic Games in Seoul, finishing fourth in the marathon, and the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics. During his 43 years in a wheelchair, Molinatti built careers as both an athlete and in sports broadcast journalism. He is the first para-athlete to be inducted into the Vermont Sports

Hall of Fame.

MORGAN VALLEY, COLCHESTER, BASKETBALL

A two-time Vermont Gatorade Player of the Year, she led Rice Memorial High School to back-to-back undefeated seasons in her junior and senior years, scoring a school-record 1,363 points. Highly recruited, she headed to perennial Division I power Connecticut where she was a reserve on three NCAA title-winning teams. Also an all-state soccer goalie at Rice, she has been an assistant or head coach at the NCAA D-I level since 2004, and is currently an assistant at UConn.

THOMAS DUNKLEY, SOUTH BURLINGTON, GYMNASTICS COACH/ADMINISTRATOR (DAVID HAKINS INDUCTEE)

Dunkley is the 2023 David Hakins inductee for exceptional promotion and development of sports and athletics in the Green Mountain State. Dubbed the “Father of Vermont Gymnastics,” he introduced the sport to the state at both the collegiate and high

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school level, starting the UVM gymnastics program in 1966, and in 1967, he initiated the Vermont high school state championships.

With his family, Dunkley started the state’s first full-time gymnastics club, and in 1973, he created Vermont’s first overnight gymnastics camp that is still running today.

ANDY GARDINER, SOUTH BURLINGTON, MEDIASPORTSWRITING (MAL BORIGHT INDUCTEE)

A talented sportswriter, he served Vermont for over 25 years along with close to two decades at the national level with USA Today. He gave the same quality coverage to whatever sport he covered at any level, local or national.

Gardiner was named Vermont Sportswriter of the Year four times and covered 10 Olympic Games with the USA Today team starting with the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. He also has been a contributor to Vermont Public Radio.

Renewed THC potency proposal stirs the pot in Senate

BY AUBREY WEAVER Community News Service

The Senate Judiciary Committee heard from familiar faces on a familiar policy last week: THC potency limits for cannabis concentrate products.

A bill in the committee, S.72, would remove the current statutory limit of 60 percent for concentrates sold in shops — products like hashish and oils and waxes that contain higher amounts of the chemical in cannabis that gets people high.

The same no-limit policy was introduced last session as part of the cannabis omnibus bill, S.188, which further fleshed out regulations in Vermont’s fledgling recreational pot industry. But legislators then made a last-minute decision to impose a 60 percent limit on concentrates before Gov. Phil Scott signed the bill. That’s what sponsor Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, wants to undo.

The renewed potency proposal has quickly stirred debate in a recent committee hearing.

In favor of the new bill was James Pepper, chair of the state Cannabis Control Board, who worked with Sears and others on both bills. Also testifying in favor recently was Geoffrey Pizzutillo, executive director and co-founder of the Vermont Growers’ Association. The two were joined in support of the

bill by Jessilyn Dolan, president of the American Nurses Association for Vermont and founder of the Vermont Cannabis Nurses Association.

Testifying against the bill was consultant Jill Sudhoff-Guerin, from Maidstone Public Relations, speaking on behalf of the Vermont Medical Society.

From an onlooker’s perspective, last Thursday’s testimony exhibited a host of contradictions between claims made by those in each camp, resulting in a morning of your-wordagainst-mine debate and clashing research.

Contradictions arose about the methods for making THC concentrates. Pepper said each method “will produce a final product that is cannabis-concentrate well above 60 percent THC potency.”

Yet the Vermont Medical Society claims this isn’t the case, citing an American Academy of Pediatrics study from 2019 that found extraction methods that yield concentrations with THC content percentages between 39 percent and 60 percent.

Sudhoff-Guerin made clear throughout her testimony that not only does the society oppose lifting the potency caps, but it would also favor prohibiting chemical extraction methods and oil-based cannabis products, except those previously authorized for medical use.

Other incongruities emerged

from discussions of how potency caps impact the illicit market for cannabis products.

Pepper argued that the “illicit market thrives on prohibition.” And he alluded to a control board presentation last year that said: “A prohibition on solid concentrates with THC percentage greater than 60 percent is likely to keep all solid concentrate sales in the illicit market.”

Sudhoff-Guerin directly disputed that claim using case study examples from Colorado and California, both of which stood up recreational markets much sooner than Vermont. Studies in those states, which have no potency limits, showed illegal markets for the products are still thriving, she said.

Sudhoff-Guerin also made claims about the potential public health impacts of lifting the potency limit.

“We’re seeing increased visits to the ER; we’re seeing people that have any sort of mental health diagnosis having that exacerbated by high potency cannabis use,” she said, “and we know that our state is struggling with psychiatric issues and capacity right now.

“Right now our mental health capacity is just not there. We are not meeting the needs of Vermonters,” she added.

Pizzutillo of the grower association refuted the medical argument.

“The availability of concentrates

A mature cannabis plant nears harvesting.

VTDIGGER FILE PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL

continued from page 14

on the market has little to no bearing on public health,” Pizzutillo said, attributing the claim to the same Cannabis Control Board report from last December, which included a section dedicated to the “incomplete data” on medical reports of cannabis potency. In the report, the board said the risks of prohibiting high-potency products outweigh the risks of consuming higher THC concentrations legally.

“Contaminants, additives and other impurities present in unregulated products could create health impacts that greatly outweigh any benefit resulting from a prohibition on high-potency concentrates,” the report says.

Even the metaphors used in testimonies spurred debate between witnesses.

At one point Sudhoff-Guerin said, “We know that we are speaking against an indus-

try, and this is a billion-dollar industry, and similar to big tobacco they’re huge and it’s very difficult for lawmakers to vote against them. It’s very difficult for people to not want that revenue.”

Dolan, from the nurses groups, later made a point to address that comparison directly: “Comparing this industry to the tobacco industry, I think, is a little disheartening,” she said. “We know that this industry does have medicinal support and use and research behind it”.

The initial hearing on S.72 suggests the debates are far from finished.

“We’re saying go slow,” said Sudhoff-Guerin. “There’s no reason for us to raise this potency limit right now. The market just came online in October, and everybody’s meeting their goals or surpassing their goals on sales, so there’s no reason that we need to have (higher potency) products in the market right now.”

Next Week: Autism Awareness Day

A Light Problem

Are you a stargazer? Whether you’re a beginning astronomer or just like to enjoy the twinkling stars, you’ve probably noticed that you can see more of them when you’re away from towns and cities.

Today, we let lights burn all night — streetlights, porch lights, office lights — even when we don’t need the illumination. Scientists call this light pollution.

Not all lights are pollution

Modern humans need artificial light. It allows us to work indoors and throughout the day and night. Imagine hospital workers trying to take care of sick people without artificial light.

What is light pollution?

The International Dark-Sky Association works to reduce light pollution. It defines light pollution as any negative effect of artificial light, including light that creates sky glow, glare, light trespass, light clutter, bad visibility at night and energy waste.

• Sky glow is the brightening of the night sky over cities.

• Light trespass is light falling where it’s not needed or wanted.

• Glare is too much brightness.

• Light clutter is bright and confusing groupings of lights.

Too much light

Mini Fact: This baby green sea turtle is making its way to the ocean. Sea turtles that become confused by artificial lights may be eaten by other animals or run over by cars.

In the evening, when it’s dark outside, we have bright lights on indoors. This artificial lighting confuses our bodies and their circadian (sir-KAY-dee-un) rhythms. These rhythms affect when people sleep, when they work and how they feel.

When these natural cycles become too unbalanced, it makes it difficult for people to fight off diseases and stay healthy.

Artificial lights can be particularly harmful to animals. Whether they’re active during the day (diurnal) or at night (nocturnal), all animals need a period of darkness.

Birds that migrate at night, for example, may be attracted to brightly lighted tall buildings and fly into them. Some birds will fly into a searchlight’s beam and become disoriented, continuing to swirl in the light until they die of exhaustion.

Wasting energy

Have adults ever reminded you to turn off the lights when you leave a room — and then left a porch light on all night? Some people feel safer when lights are on, but experts say evidence shows that bright outdoor lights don’t reduce crime.

One study showed that light trespass from U.S. streetlights alone wasted $2.2 billion in energy costs over a one-year period.

Changing the light

Cities are beginning to pass ordinances, or laws, about using lighting that shines only where it’s needed.

For example, in Toronto, Canada, city lights are dimmed during bird migration seasons. Many cities along Florida’s coast have laws against lighting that can be seen from the beach. Some areas also restrict bonfires and flashlights on the beach during sea turtle nesting season.

Technology is making it easier to conserve energy and light with motion sensors, which turn on the lights when someone enters the area. These types of lights are even available for parking lots and streetlights.

What can you do?

Families can start by looking at outdoor light fixtures at home. Does the light go where it’s supposed to? Is it too bright? Can lights be turned off when they’re not needed?

Write a letter to local leaders, such as the mayor, or to the editor of the newspaper about light pollution in your city.

Resources

On the Web:

• bit.ly/MPlight

At the library:

• “Dark Matters: Nature’s Reaction to Light Pollution” by Joan Marie Galat

• “Save the Sky” by Bethany Stahl

Researchers have observed that dolphins appear to overcome humanmade noise during echolocation and communications with other dolphins by what

The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication

Founded by Betty Debnam Issue 10, 2023

POLLUTION, STARS,

photo courtesy National Park Service

photo by Sergiu Dumitriu

This photo shows an example of glare. The bright spotlights on the top of this building shine right into the eyes of people outside.

Toronto at night.

brightness.

• Light clutter is bright and confusing groupings of lights.

Try ’n’ Find

One study showed that light trespass from U.S. streetlights alone wasted $2.2 billion in energy costs over a one-year period.

Words that remind us of light pollution are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:

Mini Jokes

Paul: How was Thomas Edison able to invent the lightbulb?

Petra: Because he was so bright!

Eco Note

Cook’s Corner

Strawberry Yogurt Parfait

You’ll need:

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 (6-ounce) containers of low-fat vanilla yogurt

What to do:

• 3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

• 1/4 cup granolas

1. Mix brown sugar and vanilla extract into vanilla yogurt. Stir well to blend flavors.

2. Divide half of strawberries among 4 dessert dishes. Spoon half of yogurt mixture over strawberries.

3. Layer again with strawberries and yogurt mixture.

4. Top with granola. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 4.

ARTIFICIAL, BEACH, BIRDS, CIRCADIAN, CLUTTER, DIURNAL, ENERGY, GLARE, GLOW, LIGHT, MIGRATE, NOCTURNAL, ORDINANCE, OUTDOOR, POLLUTION, STARS, TRESPASS, TURTLE. *

Researchers have observed that dolphins appear to overcome humanmade noise during echolocation and communications with other dolphins by what they describe as “shouting.” Noise pollution in the world’s oceans from such sources as shipping and construction has increased dramatically in recent years. Tests conducted at the Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys measured the communication skills between two of the marine mammals at different levels of noise from a submerged speaker.

For later: Look in your newspaper for articles about light and other types of pollution.

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

BY DAN THOMPSON

The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication

Getting paid as a family caregiver

Dear Savvy Senior, I have been taking care of my elderly father for over a year and it’s taking a toll on my finances because I can only work part-time. Are there any resources you know about that can help family caregivers get paid?

Seeking Support

Dear Seeking, Caring for an elder parent can be challenging in many ways, but it can be especially difficult financially if you have to miss work to provide care. Fortunately, there are a number of government programs and other tips that may be able to help you monetarily while you care for your dad. Here are some options to explore.

MEDICAID ASSISTANCE

All 50 states and the District of Columbia offer self-directed Medicaid services for long-term care. These programs let states grant waivers that allow income-qualified individuals to manage their own long-term home-care services. In some states, that can include hiring a family member to provide care.

Benefits, coverage, eligibility and rules differ from state to state. Program names also vary. What’s called “consumer directed care” in

By Jim Miller

one state, may be called “participant-directed services,” “in-home supportive services” or “cash and counseling” in another. Contact your state Medicaid program to ask about its options or to start the signup process.

VETERANS BENEFITS

If your dad is a military veteran, there are several different VA programs he may be eligible for that provide financial assistance to family caregivers, including:

Veteran-Directed Care: Available in most states, this program

provides a needs-based monthly budget for long-term care services. (www.VA.gov/geriatrics/pages/Veteran-Directed_Care.asp)

Aid & Attendance or Housebound Benefits: These programs provide a monthly payment to veterans and survivors who receive a VA pension and who either need assistance with activities of daily living (i.e., bathing, dressing, going to the bathroom), or are housebound. (www.VA.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound)

Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers: This provides a monthly stipend to family members who serve as caregivers for veterans who need assistance with daily living activities because of an injury or illness sustained in the line of duty. (www. Caregiver.va.gov/support/support_ benefits.asp)

OTHER OPTIONS

If your dad has some savings or other assets, discuss the possibility of him paying you for the care you provide, or talk to your siblings to see if they can chip in.

If they agree, consider drafting a short written contract that details the terms of your work and payment arrangements, so everyone involved knows what to expect. A contract will also help avoid potential problems should your dad ever need to apply for Medicaid for nursing home care.

Also, check to see if your dad has any long-term care insurance

that covers in-home care. If he does, in some cases those benefits may be used to pay you.

TAX BREAKS

There are also tax credits and deductions you may be eligible for as your dad’s caregiver that can help.

For example, if your dad lives with you and you’re paying at least half of his living expenses, and his gross income was less than $4,400 (in 2022) not counting his Social Security, you can claim him as a dependent on your taxes and get a $500 tax credit.

If you can’t claim him as a dependent, you may still be able to get a tax deduction if you’re paying more than half his living expenses including medical and long-term care costs, and they exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. You can include your own medical expenses in calculating the total. To see which medical expenses you can deduct, see IRS Publication 502 at www.IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf.

Or, if you’re paying for in-home care or adult day care for your dad so you can work, you might qualify for the Dependent Care Tax Credit which can be worth as much as $1,050. To claim this credit, you’ll need to fill out IRS Form 2441 (www.IRS.gov/ pub/irs-pdf/f2441.pdf) when you file your federal return.

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

CROSSWORD • SOLUTION ON PAGE 22

TODAY’S HISTORY:

• In 1847, the first large-scale amphibious assault in U.S. history was launched in the Mexican seaport of Veracruz.

• In 1945, 334 B-29 bombers began Operation Meetinghouse, a firebombing campaign of the city of Tokyo that was the deadliest air raid of World War II.

• In 1959, Mattel introduced the Barbie doll at the American Toy Fair in New York City.

• In 2004, a Virginia court sentenced the Washington, D.C.-area “Beltway Sniper” John Allen Muhammad to death.

• In 2011, the space shuttle Discovery completed its 39th and final flight.

TODAY’S FACT:

• The United States’ domestic toy market was estimated at $29.2 billion in 2022.

SOLUTION FOUND ON PAGE 22

Find the 7 words to match the 7 clues. The numbers in parentheses represent the number of letters in each solution. Each letter combination can be used only once, but all letter combinations will be necessary to complete the puzzle.

1 office processes, broadly (8)

2 passenger who snuck onboard (8)

3 tornado (9)

4 “fit to print,” to reporters (10)

5 vehicle seen after blizzards (8)

6 sufficient financial means (11)

7 clunky (7)

We’re proud of our smiles! We believe that our state-of-the-art, impeccable skills; cheerful, approachable attitudes and ability to handle all your dental needs under one roof means a visit with us will always leave you with a beautiful smile.

nswers:A 1. WORKFLOW 2. AYAWOWST 3. DWINWHIRL 4. THYNEWSWOR 5. SNOWPLOW 6. WHEREWITHAL 7. DARKWAW

© 2023 Blue Ox Family Games, Inc., Dist. by Andrews McMeel

The Williston Recreation and Parks Department is located at the Annex Building at 7878 Williston Rd. For online program registration, visit www.willistonrec.org. For department information, email recreation@willistonvt.org or call 876-1160.

AT “THE R.E.C. ZONE”

SENIOR STRENGTH

Age 50-plus. Senior Strength will work your upper and lower body strength as well as your balance and core. Modifications are shown and participants are encouraged to work within their abilities while socializing and having fun. Instructor: Toni Kunker

RETRO DANCE CARDIO & CORE

Get up and move to some of your favorite hits from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. All fitness levels welcome as there will be modifications for low impact and high energy. Geared toward adults 55-plus but open to everyone. Instructor: Jazmin Averbuck

JAZZERCISE CARDIO SCULPT

Age 18-plus. Low-impact classes incorporate dance cardio with strength training to sculpt and tone your muscles — whether you’re looking for physical results or a way to relieve stress and feel your best. Single, 5- and 10-class passes available. Instructor: Kit Sayers

GET FIT W/JAZZY

Age 18-plus. This high-energy dance and core sculpting class combines aerobic dance and core stability along with a curated playlist of Latin, house and rock style tunes. Everyone welcome! Impact levels can be modified. Instructor: Jazmin Averbuck

FULL BODY BANDS

Age 18-plus. Great for both new and experienced athletes exploring what resistance training can do for them. You can expect a full-body, strength-focused workout with some brief cardio intervals. No experience necessary. Instructor: Mary-Ellen

Longworth

KINSTRETCH

Age 18-plus. Kinstretch is a movement enhancement system that develops maximal body control, flexibility and usable ranges of motion. Complete with a self-assessment system allowing you the ability to monitor your own body.

Instructor: Antonio Federico

FELDENKRAIS

Age 18-plus. Most people haven’t heard of the Feldenkrais Method, but when they experience it, people tend to say it’s like magic. They feel more grounded, lighter and more connected. Instructors:

Gillian Franks

JUBO

Age 50-plus. Learn to play the four-hole Ocarina the easy way.

Jubo is a new music methodology for all who want to learn an instrument quickly. Jubo is a lightweight pendant whistle with four holes that allows one to master music quickly.

Instructor: Wayne Hankin

FAMILY

PROGRAMS

REHABGYM 1ST ANNUAL WILLISTON COMMUNITY 5K

Ages 12-plus. Saturday, May 13, 9:30 a.m. The goal for this event is to bring the community together, support local businesses and organizations and enjoy the spring weather. The course is accessible, and adaptive athletes are encouraged to participate. Registration is open at www.willistonrec.org.

DANGEROUS GIRLS

Ages 14-plus. This is a women-only cardio-kickboxing class that combines strength and conditioning with practical combat skills. Learn trips and throws, bounce to Beyoncé, hit hard, laugh a lot. Instructor: ONTA Studio

ACTIVE AGERS

CHAIR YOGA INTRO

Age 50-plus. This two-class intro is an opportunity to try out the program. If mobility, balance or confidence restrictions are a barrier for movement, a chair is an excellent tool to support therapeutic activity.

Instructor: Zach Wilson, Fyzical Williston

ADULT PROGRAMS

ALL LEVELS YOGA INTRO

Age 18-plus. This two-class in-

tro is an opportunity to try out the program. Yoga postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation are the focus, with emphasis on injury prevention and appropriate progression/modification. Instructor: Zach Wilson, Fyzical Williston

FYZICAL WILLISTON YOGA PASS

The rec department is partnering with Fyzical Williston on a four-visit punch pass offer to try their All Levels and Chair Yoga programs. Register for your pass at www.willistonrec.org and receive your pass at your first visit.

SANGHA STUDIO YOGA PASS

The rec department is collaborating with Sangha Yoga Studio to offer a five-class pass. Use the pass for one or multiple different types of programs within a 30-day period. Visit www.willistonrec.org for more information and to purchase a pass.

PRE-SCHOOL/ YOUTH/TEEN PROGRAMS

KINDERMUSIK

Ages 0-5. Classes provide a playful, supportive environment for children and their caregivers to play together with music, dancing, singing, exploring instruments and more. Different levels are offered for different age groups. Instructor: Rachel Smith

YOUTH LACROSSE

Grades K-8. Registration is now open. Early registration deadline is March 5. Lacrosse is a fast-paced sport that combines the power of football and hockey and the endurance of soccer and basketball. The kindergarten and grades 1-2 pro-

grams are coed, and the grades 3-8 programs offer separate boys and girls teams. Volunteer coaches are needed.

FUN WITH CIRCUS SKILLS

Grades 3-8. Join this fun-filled and exciting low-risk program focusing on circus skills: juggling (balls, clubs, rings and scarves), low stilt-walking, unicycling, flower sticks, diabolo, balance skills and more. Instructor: Rob Crites KNITTING

Grades 3-8. This program offers the basics for first-timers and provides early and intermediate knitters with specific how-to and help with projects. All materials are provided. Instructor: Christine Heavner, Owner Knitting Circle

NINJA KIDS INTRO

Age 4-8 or 7-11. This play-based curriculum increases strength and self-confidence, while moving meditation helps children manage their emotions and develop the connection between mental and physical well-being. Instructor: ONTA Studio NINJA TEENS INTRO

Age 9-15. This play-based curriculum increases strength and self-confidence, while moving meditation helps children manage their emotions and develop the connection between mental and physical well-being. Instructor: ONTA Studio

JIU-JITSU INTRO

Age 7-15. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a dynamic martial arts style. It helps kids with realistic bully-proofing and gives them self-defense skills they can use for the rest of their lives. Separate programs for ages 7-10 and 11-15. Instructor: Julio Fernandez

CLASSIFIEDS

LEGAL

TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA

Tuesday, March 14, 2023 – 7:00 PM

Town Hall Meeting Room (Town Hall, 7900 Williston Road, use rear entrance) or Zoom Meeting ID 846 5863 3532 on zoom.us/join or call 1-646-558-8656

DP 18-06.4 VT Hotel Group LLC requests a Master Sign Plan amendment for the hotel at 34 Blair Park Road in the Business Park Zoning District (BPZD).

APP 23-01 Mark Hall, Esq. on behalf of appellants, Kim Butterfield and Ron Bliss, files an appeal of AP 23-0121, an administrative permit issued to Dawna Pederzani for a dog rescue home business (Vermont

English Bulldog Rescue) at 170 Lamplite Lane in the Residential Zoning District (RZD).

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: 802-878-6704 or email planning@willistonvt.org

LEGAL

TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA

Tuesday, March 28, 2023 – 7:00 PM

Town Hall Meeting Room (Town Hall, 7900 Williston Road, use rear entrance) or

see CLASSIFIEDS page 22

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!

https://ccs-vt.org/current-openings/

Champlain Community Services, Inc.

Classifieds

continued from page 21

Zoom Meeting ID 846 5863 3532 on zoom. us/join or call 1-646-558-8656 Annual Growth Management Review and Allocation. All projects that successfully completed pre-application review in calendar year 2022 are eligible for allocation per Williston Unified Development Bylaw Chapter 11 Growth Management.

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: 802-878-6704 or email planning@willistonvt.org

To place a classified ad, email rick@williston observer.com or call 802-373-2136 Deadline for classifieds is Monday.

Conrad J. Bergeron, 99, of Williston, Vermont passed away on Friday, February 24, 2023 at the University of Vermont Medical Center. He was born in Underhill, Vermont on October 29, 1923, the son of Joseph and Flora (St Cyr) Bergeron. He attended Cathedral High School and graduated from Weaver High School in Hartford, CT.

He served with the Army Air Corps during World War II as a bilingual artillery instructor for French airmen. Upon completion of his military service, Conrad returned to Winooski, Vermont and obtained his undergraduate degree at St. Michael’s College in

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

1950.

Conrad J. Bergeron

Conrad married Marie Anne Dufresne on July 28, 1951 at St. Francis Xavier Church in Winooski, VT. He was a devoted husband and father and he and Marie Anne raised four daughters. Conrad was employed at the Burlington International Airport. He retired from US Air after 30 years as a customer service agent in March 1983. In their retirement years, Conrad and Marie Anne spent winter months in Florida and enjoyed the company of family and friends in Vermont during the remainder of the year.

He was predeceased by his devoted wife of 53 years, Ma-

Ebon E. Howard left his loving family and friends behind on February 18, 2023.

Ebon was a gift of nature, a kind, fun loving and gentle soul. He valued being oneself and honesty.

Ebon had three major loves. First and foremost was his family and friends, second was his toys, and third his tools of the trade whether it was in the kitchen or the woodshop. His love of his daughter, Eliza, knew no bounds. He was happiest play-

rie Anne, who passed away in 2004. He is survived by his four daughters: Pauline (Ron) of Essex, Anne of Williston, Claire (Dean)

Ebon E. Howard

of South Hero and Jane (Randy) of Wakefield, MA. In addition he leaves behind 8 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Williston at 11:00 am on Friday March 3, 2023. Burial will follow in Resurrection Park Cemetery, South Burlington. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Vermont Alzheimer’s Association, 75 Talcott Rd, Suite 40, Williston, VT 05495, website: www.alz.org. Arrangements are entrusted to the care of the Ready Funeral Home. To send condolences to the family, please visit www.readyfuneral.com.

guns, bows and hatchets, fishing poles, golf clubs, video games, cooking appliances, music and most of all his booty shaking original dance steps helped share his boundless energy and spirit with us all.

His craftsmanship, from wood boxes to coffered ceilings, always needed a new tool. His tools enhanced his creativity and we all benefited. His craft in creating exciting and flavorful foods was legendary. Hoorah, crawfish boils!

ing and snuggling with her. His parents, brother and sister, his Loves and many, many friends completed him. His toys were well used and appreciated. The tractor, his

Our world has lost another opportunity to enjoy true beauty. Rest with peace and play as hard as you ever did. Fly forever, Ebon. Services in the care of Corbin & Palmer Funeral Home.

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Does universal preschool bill go far enough?

ABBY CARROLL Community News Service

As lawmakers evaluate a bill focused on universal public preschool, they are also considering ways to strengthen Vermont’s fragile network of private child care providers. One proposed way is through a property tax exemption. While it’s a good start, some providers say, it wouldn’t do much to lower expenses for them or the families they serve.

The bill, S.56, would give tax breaks of up to $10,000 for property used by a child care provider. The two groups that would qualify for this are home-based child care providers, who are using their home to provide child care services, and those renting a space to a child care provider for them to provide those services.

That proposal came after concerns that the universal pre-K program would likely cut into the business of an already struggling industry. Child care centers have been plagued by staffing declines and shortages in recent years, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

When building the bill, senators thought, “What possible incentives can we provide for day care centers?” said Sen. Ginny Lyons (D-Chitteden) of Williston, one of the sponsors, in a Senate Committee on Health and Welfare meeting last month.

“The cost of running a childcare center is pretty huge. And the cost of paying for workforce is huge,” Lyons said later in an interview. “We want to increase that payment for the center and for the workers who are there.”

But providers, like Staci Otis, who runs a home-base child care and preschool program in Springfield, doubt the incentive will move the needle.

“When I think of property taxes that I would save, it doesn’t even equal out to one child’s tuition throughout the year,” she said.

For landlords to qualify for the tax break, they would need to set the rent at least 25 percent below the fair market value

for the property. So, seeing any benefit from the tax exemption depends on a provider’s landlord being willing to rent at a low rate.

“I don’t own my building,” said Trish Scharf, the owner and director of Children Unlimited in Williston. “So it would depend on whether or not our landlord would be willing to charge us a lesser lease rate.”

Lawmakers have continued to look at other ways the bill can help families and private providers. One of these provisions would be increasing eligibility for the state Department for Children and Families’ Child Care Financial Assistance Program, which gives families in need subsidies to pay for child care.

“The increased Child Care Family Assistance Program is a large part of our consideration,” Lyons said. “So looking at how can we increase the payment to families that then goes to the child care center.”

Otis said doing so would help providers, not just families. Increasing the number of families eligible for the program would allow more families to access child care, and private providers can be reimbursed for providing services to families in subsidy programs.

Scharf, the Williston provider, noted that any extra money — from lower rent or more families in the child care assistance program — would likely go toward paying her employees more.

“The quality of adults in the building equals the quality of the program … So you want to make sure that those people are educated and experienced and have the right temperament,” Scharf said. “And it’s hard to do that and to stay in this business when you’re getting very little compensation.”

Lyons said legislators will continue to look at the bill to make changes and improvements.

“I do think that if we can begin stabilizing our child care centers and families, we’ll be taking a huge step in a lot of different directions for kids for economic development and just for the health of our community and state,” Lyons said.

Lawmakers are working on ways to sustain Vermont’s preschool system, through tax breaks and other provisions in Senate Bill 56.

PHOTO BY PEXELS.COM