Williston Observer 08/10/2023

Fleet of ambulances increases to three

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

The Williston Fire Department bumped its fleet of ambulances from two to three this summer.

A new Ford model was purchased with $280,000 in borrowing that voters approved at Town Meeting Day in 2022. It arrived, months-delayed by supply chain slowdowns, this June.

Rather than replace the fire department’s 2014 year ambulance, the new vehicle will be added to the fleet to create a stable of three, along with a 2019 model. The oldest of the three will only come into service when one of the other two is out for repairs or routine maintenance, said Lt.

‘You can imagine the fatigue’

Williston fire chief recalls flood rescue operations

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

Williston emerged from the July 10-11 Vermont floods relatively unscathed compared to the disastrous damage experienced in other parts of the state.

But the town’s firefighters were still essential in the immediate response to the event.

Williston Fire Chief Aaron Collette was deployed to lead an urban search and rescue squad that sped around the state conducting evacuations and rescues of people and pets as the floodwaters crested. He described his experiences in a presentation to the Williston-Richmond Rotary Club last Thursday morning.

For two intense days, the team moved more than a dozen people who were trapped by water to higher ground, evacuated others, conducted a missing per-

son search and lost the service of two swiftwater rescue boats all while going mostly without sleep.

“You can imagine the fatigue level,” Collette said.

Tony Simanskas. The department doesn’t have the personnel to staff three ambulances simultaneously.

“These ambulances put a lot of miles on responding to calls, so there are mechanical issues that happen to them, like any vehicle — maybe more just because of the amount that they are travelling down the road. So in the event that does happen, we have a means to put an ambulance in its place while it gets fixed,” Simanskas said.

Service on an ambulance often takes longer than a typical vehicle because of the specialized parts it carries, he added.

Fire department leadership decided having a spare ambulance has more value to the department than trying to sell the older one or

trade it in, Simanskas said.

The new ambulance is the department’s first extended cab model, which means more cargo space behind the driver. Williston’s ambulances are equipped for fire calls, emergency medical situations, active threats and hazardous material response.

“All that gear has to be put in the vehicle so this allows us to gain some more space to store it all,” said Simanskas.

The extended cab does, however, result in reduced compartment space in the patient area by just under 1 foot, “which is minimal,” Simanskas said.

The new ambulance also has better suspension “which will make transports a lot smoother for our patients,” Simanskas said,

as well as a built-in ultraviolet light for disinfecting after transports.

The layout is fundamentally the same as the 2019 model, “so if we cross-staff the two ambulances or move them around, each

The Williston Fire Department is trained as a unit in car crash rescue, rescue from industrial machinery and ice rescue. It has members that have additional training in swiftwater rescue and urban search and rescue. Collette showed the Rotarians a photo of a rubble pile at the Vermont

provider knows where everything is,” Simanskas said.

“So far this truck has treated our community really well,” he added. “All of our members are very happy with how it’s laid out and how it drives.”

Williston Fire Department’s new extended cab ambulance went into service this summer.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLISTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

The scene of a swiftwater rescue conducted in Londonderry on July 10.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLISTON FIRE CHIEF AARON COLLETTE see FLOOD page 14

“We were caught unprepared in Irene. We don’t want to be in that position again.”

Aaron Collette Williston Fire Chief

Around Town

Town seeks spending ideas for federal funds

Town officials are all ears on determining the best way to spend the remaining $1.8 million on Williston’s $3 million allocation from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

So far, the town has spent the money on capital plan projects,

augmenting the town’s general fund and conducting a feasibility study to assess future spaces for the library and community/ recreation center.

The selectboard is required to determine how to spend the rest of the funds by the end of 2024, and the funds must be spent by the end of 2026.

How should the town use the

Community meetings discussing ARPA spending

• Thursday, Aug. 10 Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, 12-1 p.m.

• Tuesday, Aug. 15 Truckin’ Tuesdays at Adams Farm Market, 5-6 p.m. (rain location, Williston Town Hall)

remaining ARPA funds? Town Manager Erik Wells has set up drop-in listening sessions to share ideas. (See box.) Comments can also be emailed to Wells at ewells@wil -

• Friday, Aug. 18 Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, 12-1 p.m.

• Thursday, Aug. 24 Zoom: 5-6 p.m. (email ewells@willistonvt.org to request Zoom link).

listonvt.org or called in at (802) 876-1168. Wells also welcomes invitations to speak on the topic to groups or neighborhoods.

The selectboard will consider the public input when discussing

PROPERTY TRANSFERS — JULY 2023

• The Whalen-Dailey Family Revocable Trust bought a condominium on Westview Circle from Terrie Borthfeld for $350,000.

• Jerome Allen bought a home on Madison Drive from Ronald Bomer for $455,000.

• Roger Griffin bought a condominium on Zephyr Road from the Doran G. Anderson Revoca-

ble Trust for $530,000.

• Ryan Carlson bought a home on Stirrup Circle from Todd Trono for $608,000.

• Norzin Choedon bought a home on Shady Lane from the Estate of Leona Gutwin for $495,000.

• Arlington Hazen bought a condominium on Westview Circle from Karlee LaFountain for

$350,000.

• Melinda Casey bought a home on Overlake View from Steven Koinis for $1.2 million.

• Peter Prairie bought a condominium on Meadowrun Road from Pauline Bergeron for $405,000.

• The Kesell Family Revocable Trust of 2022 bought a home on 4 acres on North Williston Road

from Terry Potvin for $535,000.

• Sean Liebscher bought a home on Chamberlin Lane from Brian Weinstein for $634,900.

• Queen City Dry Goods bought commercial property on Shunpike Road from LJCT Brown Properties LLC for $335,000.

• The Susan M. Hill Living Trust bought a condominium on Maidstone Lane from Mar-

• Tuesday, Aug. 29 Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, 12-1 p.m.

• Wednesday, Aug. 30 Champion Comics and Coffee, 31 Cottonwood Drive, Suite 106, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

ARPA spending options later this year, including holding a public hearing on the topic in September. To view the town’s capital projects for ideas, visit https://www.town. williston.vt.us/budget.

ion Fonville for $599,000.

• Daniel Staples bought a condominium on Timothy Way from Adlai Waxman for $305,000.

Property Transfers sponsored by

‘The Plotters’ are staging a comedy

The Addison Radio Players, above, rehearse for their Aug. 10 “Golden Age of Radio” show. The Thursday evening performance will be adaptations from three NBC Radio City Playhouse broadcasts from the 1950s combined into a night of nostalgia, suspense and laughs. The production is part of the Isham Family Farm Summer Series. From left to right: Kevin Commons, Peter Kristoph, Theron Matthews, Ted Assur, KariAnn Assur, Sarah Hester Stone and Foleyartist Tim Grafton.

Top right, Theron Mathews, left, as the announcer introduces the story and moves the plot along. Sound effectsthe squeak of a hinge or the rush of a waterfall - will be provided live by Foley- artist Tim Gratton, far right/top. In the production of the comedy “The Plotters,” bottom right, Theron Mathews at center stage, introduces the story of Porter and Thurston, voiced by Kevin Commons (l) and Peter Kristoph, standing stage right, who start out waxing nostalgic over memories of being young and single but whose reveries evolve into plotting the murder of their wives. OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

Suburban bear sightings cause wildlife experts to worry

BY PAIGE FISHER VTDigger

Bear activity in South Burlington this year has reached a new high, prompting state wildlife officials to emphasize the need to prevent bear conflicts in densely populated areas.

As of July 31, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department had received 14 bear incident reports in South Burlington this year, compared to just three for all of 2022, according to the department’s black bear project leader, Jaclyn Comeau.

“Folks in South Burlington in the past have not, rightfully so, thought of themselves as being in bear country,” Comeau said. “And at the moment, it’s

looking like we need to change that mindset.”

Researchers believe most of the recorded incidents in the area involve two yearling bears and their mother passing between Shelburne and Williston, Comeau said, adding that the bears have likely become accustomed to finding easy meals of birdseed and unsecured garbage. As of last week, the most recent report of bears in the area came from Williston on July 27, preceded by one in Shelburne on July 17 and one in South Burlington on June 29.

Recent years have seen a rise in bear-related incidents statewide, and increasingly in densely populated communities such

page 5

One of Vermont’s roughly 5,000 black bears.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VERMONT FISH & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT

see BEARS

Bears

be used to coexisting safely with bears.”

as Rutland, Montpelier, Barre and more populated parts of Chittenden County.

“Over the past five to 10 years, we’ve been seeing kind of this little creep of the population … into the upper Champlain Valley and into some of our more urban residential areas,” Comeau said.

Based on the data the department has collected since 2011, the top five towns with the most bear reports are Stowe, Killington, Hartford, Wilmington and Warren.

But officials are particularly concerned about the unusual uptick in sightings in the South Burlington area.

Bears often take time traveling around before settling down in one area, so state officials haven’t been historically worried about bears passing through densely populated areas, Comeau said. But the continued presence of the juvenile bears in the South Burlington area indicates that these bears were born in and have now made a home in these unlikely areas.

In a press release last month calling attention to the bear sightings, Comeau called it “a dangerous situation for these bears and for people,” noting that, “many residents may not

continued from page 4 www.WillistonObserver.com

Bears are native to Vermont and were widely distributed across the region before colonial settlers arrived, according to Comeau. Subsequent agricultural land use, habitat loss and

try and are responsible for taking proactive steps to prevent conflicts with bears.”

According to Fish & Wildlife, the leading cause of bear conflicts are unsecured food sources such as trash containers or bird feeders, which teach

Fish & Wildlife said residents can discourage bears from seeking out food in developed areas by securing garbage until collection day morning, protecting backyard chicken flocks with electric fencing, composting properly and removing bird feeders until there is snow on the ground.

Purposely feeding bears is illegal.

unregulated hunting decreased black bear populations, and black bear sightings were relatively uncommon outside remote parts of the Green Mountains and Northeast Kingdom until the 1970s.

Today, the species is found statewide except in the Champlain Islands, and a stable population hovering between 4,000 and 6,000 bears has persisted over most of the last decade, according to Fish & Wildlife.

“Black bears in Vermont are a conservation success, and our surveys show most Vermonters want a healthy bear population in our state,” Comeau said. “But that means that if you live in Vermont, you live in bear coun -

bears to associate people with easy access to food.

During bear encounters, Fish & Wildlife generally advises people to remain calm, ensure the bear has an escape route, and back away when possible. If Vermonters notice bears seeking food in their yards or in public places like campgrounds, Fish & Wildlife advises that they should report the incident.

“Folks in South Burlington in the past have not, rightfully so, thought of themselves as being in bear country. And at the moment, it’s looking like we need to change that mindset.”

Jaclyn Comeau Black

BY STEVEN BERBECO

Youth mental health has been a priority of our state government and many organizations. During the pandemic, when so many social structures became unsteady, Vermont prioritized child care and school-aged youth through generous financial assistance programs and significant and swift regulatory changes. As a result, we were able to keep many of our youngest Vermonters in some semblance of normalcy during the chaos of world-wide disruptions.

There are many hard-fought lessons from the Covid pandemic about the importance of early childhood education, after school programs and of course our public and private schools. Yet, there haven’t been the sweeping, systems-wide changes to youth mental health that many anticipated in response to the elevated appreciation of youth-focused programs, organizations and professionals. As we recover now from anoth-

The kids are not all right

er natural disaster, the stakes are even higher.

Legislative testimony this past session lifted up several worrying trends among our youth: violent outbursts, sexualized behaviors, threats of harm to self or others, and more. As schools responded by hiring mental health professionals as full-time employees, there were several unintended consequences for community mental health “designated agencies” like Howard Center and NCSS, including exacerbating the workforce shortage and potentially reducing designated agencies’ access to Medicaid dollars.

The news from the Vermont Department of Health’s monthly suicide report is also alarming. Tracking suicidal ideation and self-directed violence, the rate of Emergency Department visits for 15- to 24-year-olds is higher than any other age group. Worse yet, the rate of suicide deaths for this age group has nearly doubled when compared to a three-year average. We are clearly heading

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in the wrong direction.

The mental health support that our youth need and deserve is more than what the roughly 1,300 private therapists in Vermont can offer, and long wait times at designated agencies mean that many children can’t access the services they need, when they need them. The change that we need to undertake is across the mental health system of care, a shift in our thinking about our responsibility as neighbors, friends, colleagues and family members.

The Mental Health Initiative, a

program of United Way of Northwest Vermont, is leveraging the collective impact of more than 100 volunteer participants to promote meaningful interventions that we can all have a hand in. We are increasing access to mental health first aid and amplifying support for new mental health positions that can provide more of the sub-acute and pre-crisis care we need, like mental health peer support specialists and behavioral technician specialists. More upstream care can mean fewer visits to the emergency department. We are also working closely with community partners to support the purchase and use of “therapy pods” in schools. Many schools lack a quiet and private place for mental health professionals to meet with a student. By introducing a stand-alone pod in a school, students can better access the services they need, and providers don’t have to scramble to find an empty classroom, auditorium or hallway.

Our volunteer participants are

developing tools for schools and other youth organizations to access suicide prevention resources. Vermont has many great training workshops for staff and students, and we are aiming to make it easier to access relevant services. We are also strengthening support for graduating high school students, so that they can have continuity of mental health services when moving on to college, trade school, professional life or other post-secondary plans.

Our efforts are shaped, supported and moved forward by Vermonters like you, who care deeply about the next generation in our communities. Come join our conversations and roll up your sleeves to make Vermont a better, healthier and safer state for all of us.

Steven Berbeco is the director of United Way of Northwest Vermont’s Mental Health Initiative launched in 2022. He lives in Winooski and serves on the Winooski School Board.

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We are working closely with community partners to support the purchase and use of ‘therapy pods’ in schools.

Historical society starts Flood of ’23 archive

The Vermont Historical Society has launched an initiative to preserve images and documents pertaining to the floods that impacted the state in July. Members of the public are invited to submit their photographs, audio and video recordings, written memories, and other relevant documents to the Flood of 2023 archive at http:// floodof2023.digitalvermont.org to preserve them for future residents and scholars.

The archive will be similar to the historical society’s records of past floods, including images and video from the Flood of 1927, the Montpelier flood of 1992, and of Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. The records are used by researchers, journalists and residents to recall and understand those events.

The group organized a similar project during the Covid pandemic that can be found at https://covid-19. digitalvermont.org.

“This flood will drastically change the landscape of Vermont in ways we do not yet know,” said Vermont Historical Society Librarian Kate Phillips. “It is essential that we document the experiences of individuals and small businesses, as well as new directions in conversations about climate change and housing. We hope that careful documentation of this moment can help inform future decision making, as well as contribute to our collective processing of this monumental event.”

For more information, email info@vermonthistory. org or call (802) 828-1414.

Academic Honors

The following Williston students were recognized for academic achievements at the collegiate level.

Kristyn LaFrance was named to the President’s List for the spring semester at Northern Vermont University.

Oliver Martin was named to the Dean’s List for the winter term at the University of Michigan.

Lily Michalak was named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester at Bradley University.

Olivia Varricchione was named to the Dean’s List for the spring semester at St. Lawrence University.

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The deadline is Monday at noon for letters to be printed in Thursday’s paper. Send to: editor@willistonobserver.com

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The Winooski River flows over the Green Mountain Power hydro-dam in Williston on July 12.

OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY

Flooded out Vermonters find housing through friends, family

Emergency shelters see only sporadic use

BY PATRICK CROWLEY VTDigger

About 300 Vermonters were at least temporarily displaced by last month’s flooding, according to preliminary estimates by the state. But many of them never availed themselves of emergency shelters.

So where did they go? Anecdotal reports collected by VTDigger indicate that many crashed with friends and family, stayed in hotels or simply started over. Some have returned home, while others face a long road to rebuild.

These are the stories of some Vermonters displaced by the floods.

JOE

All New Special Occasion Dresses from

Joe Grabon was fortunate. He didn’t lose any personal property when the basement of his Jeffersonville apartment building filled with water on July 10 and 11. The nearby Lamoille River rose all the way up to the bottom of his first-floor bedroom window and filled the basement to its ceiling, but the apartment itself was untouched.

Grabon remained in his apartment until July 12, three days after the rain started. The trouble came when members of the fire department arrived to pump out the basement. They said the water had been contaminated with heating oil and was considered a hazardous waste spill.

The building wasn’t safe to live in, they said.

Grabon and the other two residents of the apartment building had to leave. Before he could even realize that he needed housing, his employer, Vermont Oxford Network, paid to put him up in a hotel in Stowe. In the “whirlwind,” he never reported anything to the state, he said.

“I never, ever would have imagined the feeling of trauma that comes from just being displaced,” Grabon said in an interview last week. “I was a zombie for the first few days just trying to process but also just trying to live my life.”

In the small hotel room, Grabon had to continue to work, take care of his two cats and keep up with the latest news on his apartment building.

Grabon had lived in his Jeffersonville apartment for five years and in the immediate neighborhood even longer. Being knocked out of his routine took a toll on his mental health, he said, despite the generosity of his employer. Meanwhile, in the days after the flooding, meteorologists forecast additional rain and he continued to worry about his belongings.

Eventually, the hazardous waste cleaning crew finished pumping the basement of Grabon’s building. It was safe, but still without power. He moved back anyway, using an extension cord from a neighbor to keep essentials such as phones and computers running.

“I didn’t have to return when I did,”

see FLOODED page 9

Diane Von Furstenberg Shoshanna Alice & Olivia Shona Joy Trina turk Halston Hutch Julie Vos Monique L huillier Toccin Mac Duggal Ted Baker Joseph ribkoff soia & kyo

Joe Grabon was flooded out of his apartment in Jeffersonville during the July floods. He is seen here outside his apartment last week.

PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER

Flooded

Grabon said. “But for the sake of my own mental wellbeing, I really felt like I had to get home.”

DANIELA

Despite losing a basement full of belongings and being forced from her house, Daniela Wonson still finds ways to be positive. She considers herself fortunate that her chickens made it through the flood unharmed, she said.

Like Grabon, the basement of Wonson’s home was filled with a dangerous mixture of water and heating oil.

When Ludlow flooded on July 10, Wonson and her husband were actually away from their home, which they had purchased in September 2022. They tried to go home later that night but couldn’t even get into town. The next day they tried again. They parked away from the house and walked through the woods and across running water to get to the home, which was still surrounded by flood waters from the nearby Williams River.

Wonson shared photos of the flood’s aftermath with VTDigger. Two of their cars were flooded and damaged. One car sat against a wall of uprooted trees and looked as if it had been in a collision, its windshield smashed and the front end dented. The basement of the house was filled with muck and appliances were toppled over. An oil tank was turned onto its side.

It was clear to Wonson that

they couldn’t remain there. They left and stayed that first night in a hotel, then moved to a relative’s house in Keene, N.H., for several days. Eventually, they managed to find a small cabin to rent in Ludlow so that Wonson could be closer to her job as a nurse practitioner in Springfield.

offers of help were immediate. Colleagues volunteered places to stay and vehicles to use, the Town of Ludlow brought supplies and a family member gave them shelter. Wonson said that throughout the recovery process she’s encountered kindness.

“So that’s made the whole ordeal a little bit better,” she said.

BRITTANY AND DAN

Before the floods hit Barre City, Brittany Raper and her boyfriend Dan Normandeau had been planning to move out of their apartment on Third Street in Barre.

“Definitely not like this,” she said.

In the days leading up to the July storm, neighbors said the last time the area flooded, their street was barely touched. The neighbors predicted “it won’t be that bad,” Raper recalled in an interview.

Wonson and her husband have been getting rental assistance from FEMA, but they’re not sure when they can move back into the house. The oil and water in the basement are gone, but no utilities are working yet. It’s still a challenge to get to the house. The road, while passable, is still in rough shape, she said.

Managing the cleanup can feel like a second job, Wonson said. She’s still going to work while returning to the house and trying to find contractors.

But one silver lining is that

Those neighbors turned out to be wrong. Raper and Normandeau evacuated the night of July 10. They slept in Normandeau’s car on higher ground in a graveyard parking lot. The following day, they returned and parked as close as they could, but the water was up to knee level inside their apartment. Normandeau found a kayak nearby and used that to help get all their pets out safely.

Inside the apartment, anything that wasn’t wet smelled like mud or gasoline, Raper said. It was clear that their apartment was a loss — and much of the couple’s belongings along with it.

see FLOODED page 10

“I never, ever would have imagined the feeling of trauma that comes from just being displaced. I was a zombie for the first few days just trying to process but also just trying to live my life.”

Joe Grabon Jeffersonville

Flooded

continued from page 9

Luckily a friend had an empty room where they could stay. But their pets — one dog and two cats — had to stay elsewhere, and are currently in the care of an emergency pet shelter at the ice rink in Barre. The couple drives up to visit their pets twice a day.

While Raper had a few days off from her job at National Life Group, she returned to work after that and said all the upheaval had been “hectic.” She described a day last week when she returned to the flooded apartment to look for their dog crate, but it was ruined. She was supposed to return to work after the visit but found herself getting emotional. She took a personal day.

The couple has been looking for a new apartment so that they can simply start over with whatever they have left — but they worry they’ll end up in an equally vulnerable location. One apartment they viewed appeared to be in a flood zone.

“I don’t know if I want to live anywhere near there,” she said. “Because we just lost pretty much all of our stuff.”

MARK AND ALI

The Weston home of Mark Weigand and Ali Ulrich is now stripped to its studs and unoccupied.

Weigand said he doesn’t know how long it will have to stay in that state, since the work to rebuild will be extensive. In the meantime, the couple and their two dogs will have to find another place to live.

VTDigger first spoke with

on their porch while residents in nearby buildings were still taking stock of the damage. Weigand finished a conference call with his employer, Okemo Mountain Resort, which was trying to help the couple find a place to stay, but it was difficult to find something suitable for their two dogs.

The first floor of the old farmhouse had been underwater. The couple gave a tour of the damage and pointed out the line of dirt to mark the height of the water. Their vehicles were totaled, as well.

They gathered up their pets and what belongings they could and temporarily moved in with a friend who lived nearby in Weston.

Three weeks later, the couple remains with their friend, trying to sort through the insurance situation for their ruined home. In an interview, Weigand said he appreciates that where they are staying is only about three minutes away from his damaged home because most days include making frequent trips to the house to meet with FEMA representatives, insurance adjusters, contractors, surveyors, structural engineers and others.

Weigand and Ulrich from their Weston home on July 11. They sat

Since their vehicles were ruined, they are now borrowing a car from a family member, as well as renting another so they can both get to work. Soon they will be moving up to a vacation house in Grafton that is in Ulrich’s family. Weigand said he appreciates the generosity of the friends in Weston that they’ve been staying with, but the couple needs space for their dogs and some privacy. Their Weston house has now been gutted, thanks in large part to a crew of volunteers who showed up and cleared out the house over two days. Weigand said the basement keeps getting wet every time it rains, and he worries the house might have structural problems.

FEMA can’t help much, Weigand said, because the couple actually had flood insurance. But the insurance process will be a long one and with the amount of damage, Weigand worries about how much time it will take to rebuild. He knows a contractor who was scheduling about a year out before the floods.

“Now he’s like, ‘I can’t even tell you maybe two-and-a-half to three years before I could even take on a project of this magnitude,’” Weigand said.

Brittany Raper was flooded out of her apartment in Barre during the July floods. She is seen here at her apartment last Tuesday.

PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER

Burlington has exceeded last year’s overdose totals

BY PATRICK CROWLEY VTDigger

Reported overdoses in Burlington have reached “unprecedented heights” and have already surpassed last year’s total, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger announced Friday.

According to a presentation that Weinberger’s office gave to a meeting of Community Stat, a monthly forum focused on substance use, there were 265 reported overdose incidents as of July 23. For all of 2022, that number was 252.

“Our officers and firefighters now respond to overdoses every single day,” Weinberger said in a press release. “When confronting these numbers and the heartbreak behind them, it is easy to feel lost and overwhelmed by the magnitude of this issue.”

Weinberger went on to suggest that the “tactics” used to treat substance use disorder in prior years are no longer as effective, given the dominance of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

According to data from the Vermont Department of Health, there were 80 fatal overdoses among Vermont residents from January through April this year. Of those, 78 drug samples tested positive for fentanyl and only three tested positive for heroin.

Scott Pavek, Burlington’s substance use policy analyst, said in the press release that the drug market is “rapidly changing” and becoming more dangerous.

“Adulteration of illicit drug supplies with increasingly potent opioids and novel psychoactive substances have eroded the efficacy of treatment programs and harm reduction services tailored to address the misuse of heroin or common prescription opioids,” Pavek said.

Dan Hall, director of outpatient services for the Howard Center, said fentanyl is “a different drug.” Compared to heroin, fentanyl acts faster but also wears off faster, so users often require more doses. That is a major factor in why reports of discarded needles have risen so sharply in Burlington recently.

According to the Community Stat presentation, in 2022 there were nearly 800 reports of found needles on SeeClickFix, a website used to track municipal repair requests. So far, 2023 is on pace to match that.

Hall said in order to address Burlington’s substance use problem, the opioid crisis needs to be placed “back at the forefront,” and the state needs to rethink the “hub and spoke” model of substance use treatment. That model, adopted about a decade ago, means that treatment is initiated at a “hub,” where more intensive services such as rehabilitation take place and often involve medications like buprenorphine or methadone. From there, those receiving treatment transfer out to the “spokes” — usually office-based and less intensive — for ongoing care.

“I think we do need to look at it and really

“Our officers and firefighters now respond to overdoses every single day … It is easy to feel lost and overwhelmed by the magnitude of this issue.”

Miro Weinberger

Burlington mayor

be creative, innovative and match interventions to what we’re seeing now versus to what worked five years ago,” Hall said.

Since overdoses first spiked in Burlington last year, Weinberger and other city leaders have pushed for state action. In March, the City Council passed a resolution calling for overdose prevention sites, where people can use drugs that they’ve already obtained, but in a supervised setting where trained staff can intervene in the event of an overdose. Such sites would need state approval.

Weinberger said other solutions his administration is exploring include a policy that would allow easier access to medications such as buprenorphine or methadone.

Kim Mercer, marketing and development director at the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County, a substance use recovery organization in downtown Burlington, said the staff at Turning Point have seen and experienced the rise in overdoses.

“We at the Turning Point Center are armed with and equipped with (Narcan) and many of our staff people are more experienced than they want to be with overdose reversal,” Mercer said. “But it’s not really our business model.”

Mercer also stressed that people recover from substance use disorder all the time. She said that 80 percent of people who get a visit from a Turning Point recovery coach in the emergency department at the University of Vermont Medical Center end up following up for services.

But another troubling trend that Weinberger cited was the number of people who are not transported to the hospital following an overdose reversal. According to the Community Stat presentation, the Burlington Fire Department responds to one-third of all overdoses in Chittenden County, and those incidents increasingly do not result in hospital transport. So far in 2023, of the 221 overdose incidents in which the fire department responded, 53 of those involved did not go to the hospital.

Mercer acknowledged that there might not be a “magic bullet” with a substance as deadly as fentanyl.

“You have to be alive to be in recovery,” she said.

Protecting plants from powdery mildew disease

BY ANN HAZELRIGG Special to the Observer

Gardeners may sometimes notice a white coating on the leaves of their cucurbit plants, phlox, roses and lilacs. This indicates a common fungal disease called powdery mildew that appears this time of year on several different hosts.

The whitish gray “powder” seen on both sides of leaves, stems and flowers are the spores of the fungal pathogen. These spores are lightweight and carried on air currents to other susceptible crops throughout the growing season.

Although powdery mildew looks like it is spreading from crop to crop, the pathogen is very host-specific, so the powdery mildew pathogens attacking vine crops, for example, are different than the rose powdery mildew pathogen.

The reason that it looks like the disease

is spreading from crop to crop is because the powdery mildew group of pathogens all like the same conditions: warm weather with high humidity. Unlike many other fungal pathogens, powdery mildew pathogens do not require free moisture to grow.

The good news is that the disease is rarely fatal to the plant although it can reduce vigor. In dense plantings of vine crops, powdery mildew can spread rapidly and can result in loss of leaves and reduced yields.

Although the pathogen does not attack the fruit, commercial pumpkin growers often use fungicides to control the disease because it can weaken the handles on carving pumpkins — necessary for every good Halloween pumpkin. If weather conditions change to cooler temperatures with low humidity, the pathogen will not spread as rapidly.

There are several good practices you can follow to help avoid the disease in the future. Start by choosing powdery mildew-resistant

The Dog Days

cultivars. Several cultivars of pumpkins, phlox, roses and lilacs are available that are resistant to powdery mildew.

Be sure to plant in sunny areas and use good plant spacing in the garden and landscape to provide lots of air circulation among plants. Woody ornamentals, such as lilacs, also can be pruned to allow for good air flow through the plant. A final resort is the use of a fungicide to manage the disease.

Fortunately, good organic options for gardeners exist, including the use of horticultural

oils such as neem oil and potassium bicarbonate-based fungicides. These fungicides would need to be applied at the first appearance of the disease and would need to be reapplied according to label directions. The products will not “cure” the disease that is already on the plant but will protect new growing tissues from the disease.

Dr. Ann Hazelrigg is the University of Vermont Extension plant pathologist and director of the UVM Plant Diagnostic Clinic.

Pumpkins are highly susceptible to powdery mildew. COURTESY PHOTO BY KENNY SEEBOLD

Tomato troubles rear their heads

BY ANN HAZELRIGG Special to the Observer

As you harvest the first tomatoes of the season, you may notice that some of the fruit is not perfect. Blossom end rot, a physiologic disorder, results in dry, sunken, brown areas on the blossom end or bottom of the fruit.

Blossom end rot also can occur on peppers but often is on the sides of the fruits rather than the bottom. The cause of this unsightly rot is due to the insufficient calcium in the fruit despite having sufficient calcium in the soil, stems or leaves. The disorder is linked to fluctuating soil moisture causing poor movement of calcium into the fruit.

It often occurs early in the season because the plants are growing rapidly, and the roots can’t always keep up with the plant’s needs.Anything that affects the roots adversely could result in blossom end rot, such as drought, cultivating too close to the plant or waterlogged soils.

Certain cultivars may be more susceptible to blossom end rot than others. Levels of calcium may be low in the soil, but this can only be determined by a soil test. You can get your soil tested throughthe University of Vermont Extension Agricultural and Environmental Testing Lab (https://go.uvm.edu/soiltest).

To avoid this disorder in the future, try to maintain a consistent supply of soil moisture. Tomatoes typically need about an inch of water per week either through drip irrigation or rainfall when they are rapidly growing.

Mulching tomatoes once the soil warms up with either straw or plastic will help even out fluctuating soil moisture. Damaged fruit should be picked and discarded so the tomato plant can put energy into the next tomatoes, which will hopefully be free of blossom end rot.

Another tomato problem rearing its ugly head in Vermont gardens now is the tomato or tobacco hornworm.These colorful green caterpillars are larvae of

the five-spotted hawk moth and Carolina sphinx moth, respectively.

The tomato hornworm has a black horn on the last abdominal segment and has eight white, V-shaped marks on each side of its body. The tobacco hornworm looks similar but hasseven diagonal white stripes with black margins along its body and an orange-red tail spine or horn.

They bothstart out small, but eat like a teenager, growing very fast and are fully grown in three to four weeks at 4 inches in length. They are often well camouflaged and difficult to see, but if you notice a lot of tomato foliage missing, and you see little green grenade-like frass or droppings on the foliage, you know a hornworm pest is nearby.

The white marks on the caterpillars glow in the dark under black lights. In fact, many high tunnel tomato growers search for the pest at night using a black light flashlight and destroy them as they find them hidden in plants.

After feeding for three to four weeks, the caterpillar drops to the soil near the base of the plant and burrows 4-6 inches into the soil and pupates until next spring. The best control for these pests is to hand pick and drop them into soapy water.

There is a beneficial wasp that is an important natural enemy of hornworms. The braconid wasp lays an egg inside the caterpillar, and the larvae feed inside until they emerge and attach themselves to the caterpillar body. There they pupate in white cocoons that are easily seen with the naked eye.

This process ultimately kills the hornworm. However, if you find a parasitized hornworm with the white pupae, it is best to leave it alone, so the wasp can continue its lifecycle and continue to parasitize hornworms in the future.

Dr. Ann Hazelrigg is the University of Vermont Extension plant pathologist and director of the UVM Plant Diagnostic Clinic.

End rot appears as dry, sunken, brown areas on the blossom end or bottom of a fruit. It can occur in tomatoes when fluctuating soil moisture early in the season causes insufficient calcium intake by the plant.

COURTESY PHOTO BY AJAY NAIR

Flood

continued from page 1

National Guard’s headquarters at Camp Johnson in Colchester where firefighters and rescue dogs train in urban search and rescue scenarios.

“I’m not sure that a lot of folks are aware that we have that capability,” he said.

After the flooding of Hurricane Irene in 2011, the state worked with funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to ramp up its swiftwater rescue capabilities, Collette said, bringing on rescue boats and conducting training that were essential to operations on July 10-11.

“We were caught unprepared in Irene,” Collette said. “We don’t want to be in that position

THANK YOU THANK YOU

again.”

By July 7, the National Weather Service was in contact with Vermont first-responders about the foreboding forecast. “’It looks really bad,’” forecasters warned, according to Collette. “‘This could be worse than Irene.’”

The state deployed 12 swiftwater rescue teams and enlisted help from out-of-state crews. By 6 a.m. on July 10, Collette’s team was staged in Manchester. It later went to Londonderry to help people evacuate their homes. There they rescued a driver whose truck was stuck in rising water. They were then deployed to Barre, being rerouted from Route 7 because Otter Creek flooding had made it impassable. They worked in Barre through the overnight hours, catching just two hours of sleep in the Barre Elementary School gym before waking early the morning of July 11 for more rescues.

In Berlin, they rescued a woman who had spent the night on her kitchen counter amid rising water, Collette recalled.

Collette’s team was one of several doing similar first-responder work simultaneously throughout the state. The teams are preparing detailed reports of their experiences for a statewide review, Collette said.

“We want to hear all the stories and hear all the lessons learned to see what we can do better next time,” he said.

He also thanked town officials, some of whom are in the Rotary club, for their continued investment in the Williston Fire Department.

Aaron Collette

In print and online: we’re your neighbors, committed to keeping you informed on what’s going on in Williston.

State seeks public/municipal input on telecommunications infrastructure siting

The Vermont Department of Public Service and the Public Utility Commission are seeking input for a new study on the siting process for telecommunications facilities in Vermont. The goal of the study is to ensure the siting process is transparent, fair and responsive to the needs of local communities while also allowing for the development and expansion of telecommunications infrastructure.

public and municipal engagement in the siting process. Input is sought from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, utility companies, residents and any other interested par-

ties. The aim is to strike a balance between technological advancements and community concerns.

For more information and to participate, visit https://publicservice.vermont.gov.

and

are seeking input for a new study on the siting process for telecommunications facilities in Vermont.

The Public Service Department will present the resulting report to the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Environment and Energy as input for future siting legislation. The focus of the report will be on ways to facilitate

Discover

farmhouse on a stunning 10 acre property situated in the quieter east end of Williston’s historic village. The owners have lovingly brought this long-standing house back to its original glory, with great attention to detail. This extraordinary residence reveals hidden treasures at every turn, from the original wide plank floors that whisper stories of the past, to modern updates, including high efficiency Marvin windows, a window-filled sunroom overlooking the gardens, a primary suite with a bathroom and generously sized walk-in closet and a cathedral ceiling office with a rolling ladder that gives access to a wall of bookshelves and the loft above. In addition to the house itself, you will be wowed by the landscaping when you first step thru the breezeway door between the home and the oversized 2-car garage. The grounds feature extensive perennial gardens, mature trees, stone walls, walking paths, a bluestone patio, a sunken garden on the footprint of the property’s original barn and a greenhouse/garden shed surrounded by raised vegetable beds. Located just minutes from the amenities of Williston & Burlington and yet a world apart. The antique back porch glider and the copper pig weathervane that adorns the magnificent slate roof, along with the family bibles and tool chest of Hiram Phelps, a blacksmith, inventor, and stone dealer who built the house in 1841, are included in the sale.

Listed for $1,025,000 | MLS#4963561

SHOP•EAT SPEND•ENJOY

The Vermont Department of Public Service

the Public Utility Commission

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEXELS.COM

Give Your Back a Break

How’s your back been feeling lately?

If you’ve noticed a new ache, it could be because of your heavy backpack. School Backpack Awareness Day is Wednesday, Sept. 20. The American Occupational Therapy Association wants kids to know how to choose, pack and wear their backpacks to avoid back injury or pain.

Back pain is no joke

It might sound odd to some to think of young kids having back pain. But experts say the heavy loads kids carry can cause injuries that can last into adulthood. In fact, thousands of kids are treated in emergency rooms every year for injuries caused by heavy backpacks.

Experts recommend that a loaded backpack weigh no more than 1/10th of the child’s weight.

Choosing a backpack

70 pounds x 10% = 7 pounds

If you’re still shopping for a school pack, keep in mind these rules.

1. Make sure the pack is the right height.

Try ’n’ Find

Mini Fact: About 55% of kids carry a backpack that is too heavy for them.

It should go from 2 inches below the shoulder blades to the waist or slightly above the waist.

2. A backpack should have well-padded shoulder straps and should be worn on both shoulders.

3. Backpacks that have a hip or chest strap cause less strain on neck and shoulder muscles and improve your balance.

Pack it up

The way you pack your bag makes a difference, too. Use the different pockets to distribute the weight throughout the pack. Adjust the chest and hip straps to help ease the weight on your back.

Put heavier items (dark red) toward the back and center of the backpack. Lighter items (pink) go in front. Keep sharp items away from your back.

Pick up your loaded backpack by bending and lifting with the knees, not from your waist.

Next Week: Our pet dogs

What’s in your pack?

You can make school mornings easier by loading your backpack the night before. Keep your papers and other supplies organized so you don’t have to dig for what you need.

How many of these things can you leave at school so they don’t weigh down your backpack?

• books

• glue

• crayons

• paints

• scissors

• extra paper

• clothes for P.E.

• jacket, hat or gloves

• equipment for after-school sports

Safety first

Be careful when getting on or off the school bus. Make sure your backpack straps don’t get caught in a handrail or door hinge.

If your shoulder straps have more than 3 inches of extra strap dangling, secure them with a twist tie or have a parent cut off the extra length.

Resources

On the Web:

• bit.ly/MPbackpack

• bit.ly/2aGIQ5W

Your backpack should rest snugly against your back.

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

BACKPACK, BALANCE, CARRY, CHEST, DISTRIBUTE, HEAVY, HEIGHT, HIP, LOAD, PAIN, POCKETS, POUNDS, SAFETY, SCHOOL, SHOULDERS, STRAIN, STRAPS, SUPPLIES.

At the library:

• “Stanley the Dog: The First Day of School” by Bobby Bones

Mini Jokes

Sami: Which school supply is king of the classroom?

Sebastian: A ruler!

Eco Note

above cities and their suburbs than in surrounding rural landscapes, especially at

The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication

Founded by Betty Debnam Issue 32, 2023

keep in mind these rules.

1. Make sure the pack is the right height.

Try ’n’ Find

rest snugly against your back.

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

BACKPACK, BALANCE, CARRY, CHEST, DISTRIBUTE, HEAVY, HEIGHT, HIP, LOAD, PAIN, POCKETS, POUNDS, SAFETY, SCHOOL, SHOULDERS, STRAIN, STRAPS, SUPPLIES.

Cook’s Corner

Reuben Chicken

You’ll need:

• 4 chicken breasts

• 1 (16-ounce) can sauerkraut, drained

• 4 slices Swiss cheese

What to do:

• 1 cup Thousand Island salad dressing

1. Place chicken in a greased 8-by-8-inch square baking pan.

2. Cover with sauerkraut.

3. Place Swiss cheese evenly on top.

4. Pour salad dressing over cheese.

5. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 325-degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Serves 4.

7 Little Words for Kids

Use the letters in the boxes to make a word with the same meaning as the clue. The numbers in parentheses represent the number of letters in the solution. Each letter combination can be used only once, but all letter combinations will be necessary to complete the puzzle.

1. not in danger (4)

2. try to catch (5)

3. educational website (8)

4. once a year (6)

5. little yellow character (6)

6. like a distant noise (5)

7. occur (6)

At the library:

• “Stanley the Dog: The First Day of School” by Bobby Bones

Mini Jokes

Sami: Which school supply is king of the classroom? Sebastian: A ruler!

Eco Note

New analysis of satellite data reveals that clouds form more often above cities and their suburbs than in surrounding rural landscapes, especially at night and during summer. Researchers say they found that skies above urban areas, regardless of their size, saw 3% to 6% more cloud cover than in the countryside. They believe that since summer nights and temperatures, in general, are warmer in cities due to the urban heat island effect, warmth pulls up moisture from the landscape, creating the clouds.

For later: Look in your newspaper for advertisements for back-to-school supplies.

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

Answers: safe, chase, Brainpop, annual, Minion, faint, happen.

BY DAN THOMPSON

The Mini Page® © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication

How does Medicare cover preventive health services?

Dear Savvy Senior, How does Medicare cover preventive health screenings? I’m due to get a physical and a colonoscopy this year, but I want to find out what I’ll have to pay for before I go in.

Just Turned 65

Dear Just Turned, You’ll be happy to know that Medicare covers a wide array of preventive and screening services to help you stay healthy, but not all services are completely covered. Here’s what you should know.

FREE PREVENTIVE BENEFITS

Most of Medicare’s preventive services are available to all beneficiaries (through Part B) completely free with no copays or deductibles, as long as you meet basic eligibility standards. Mammograms; colonoscopies; shots against flu, pneumonia, Covid-19 and hepatitis B; screenings for diabetes, depression, osteoporosis, HIV, various cancers and cardiovascular disease; and counseling to combat obesity, alcohol abuse and smoking are just some of Medicare’s lengthy list of covered services.

But to get these services for free, you need to go to a doctor who accepts Medicare “on assignment,” which means he or she has agreed to accept the Medicare approved rate as full payment.

Also, the tests are free only if they’re used at specified intervals: for example, cardiovascular screening blood tests once every five years; or colonoscopy, once every 10 years, or every two years if you’re at high risk.

Medicare also offers a free “Welcome to Medicare” exam with your

doctor in your first year, along with annual “Wellness” visits thereafter. But don’t confuse these with full

coverage/preventive-screening-ser-

vices.

If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan, your plan is also required to cover the same preventive services as original Medicare as long as you see in-network providers.

HIDDEN COSTS

By Jim Miller

physical examinations. These are prevention-focused visits that provide only an overview of your health and medical risk factors and serve as a baseline for future care.

COST

SHARING SERVICES

There are, however, a few Medicare preventive services that do require some out-of-pocket cost sharing. With these tests, you’ll have to pay 20 percent of the cost of the service after you’ve met your $226 Part B yearly deductible. The services that fall under this category include glaucoma tests, diabetes self-management trainings, barium enemas to detect colon cancer and digital rectal exams to detect prostate cancer.

For a complete list of services along with their eligibility requirements, visit www.Medicare.gov/

You also need to know that while most of the previously listed Medicare services are free, you can be charged for certain diagnostic services or additional tests or procedures related to the preventive service. For example, if your doctor finds and removes a polyp during your preventive care colonoscopy screening, you will pay 15 percent of the doctor’s service fee. Or, if during your annual wellness visit, your doctor needs to investigate or treat a new or existing problem, you will probably be charged here too.

You may also have to pay a facility fee depending on where you receive the service. Certain hospitals, for example, will often charge separate facilities fees when you are receiving a preventive service. And you can also be charged for a doctor’s visit if you meet with a physician before or after the service.

To eliminate billing surprises, talk to your doctor before any preventive service procedure to find out if you may be subject to a charge and what it would be.

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.

SHOP•EAT SPEND•ENJOY

Williston

ANDREWS MCMEEL Almanac

TODAY’S HISTORY:

• In 1821, Missouri was admitted as the 24th U.S. state.

• In 1949, President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act Amendments of 1949, which established a consolidated Department of Defense.

• In 1977, postal employee David Berkowitz of Yonkers, New York, was arrested for the “Son of Sam” killings that left six dead.

• In 2006, British authorities arrested 24 people suspected of plotting attacks on airplanes with liquid bombs smuggled in shampoo and water bottles.

TODAY’S FACT:

• The Smithsonian Institution, officially chartered by Congress on this day in 1846, estimates that about 99% of its collection is in storage rather than on display.

SOLUTION FOUND ON PAGE 22

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.

THE R.E.C. ZONE

GET FIT W/JAZZY

18-plus. Wednesdays, 6-6:45 p.m., $10 per class. Instructor: Jazmin Averbuck

RETRO DANCE CARDIO & CORE

Age 50-plus. Mondays, 4:305:30 p.m., $5 per class. Instructor: Jazmin Averbuck

JAZZERCISE CARDIO SCULPT

Age 50-plus. Mondays and/ or Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. $25 per class. Discounted class passes are available. Instructor: Kit Sayers

SENIOR FITNESS

Age 50-plus. Tuesdays or Thursdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. $5 per class. Instructor: Toni Kunker

VOCAL PERCUSSION & IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP

Ages 13-plus. Saturday, Aug. 12, 1-3 p.m. Instructors- Root 7

DAY CAMP

There is one week left of the Rec Camp (for kids entering grades 1-6) — Aug. 14-18. Full days, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. $190.

FALL REC. SOCCER

Registration is now open SOCCER SHORTS

Ages 3-4. Child/parent program. This program teaches the fundamentals of soccer using a fun and energetic curriculum. Each class is held in a fun and positive environment where children are encouraged to learn and play with a parent and each other. Instructors: Rec. Staff KINDERREC SOCCER

Ages 5-6, Coed. This program is designed to teach the fundamentals of the game. Youngsters will be provided with the opportunity to learn, practice and develop their skills. Saturday practices and scrimmages.

male, age 23, was issued a citation to appear in court.

July 30 at 8:59 a.m. — Report of a tent set up in the Bed Bath and Beyond parking lot. Parties were moved along and trespassed from the property.

Parents and volunteers are needed to coach teams.

GRADE 1-2 SOCCER (COED)

This league provides the opportunity for youngsters to learn the game, improve their skills, and enjoy playing. The program meets twice a week — a weekday practice and Saturday games.

Parents and volunteers are needed to coach teams.

GRADE 3-5 SOCCER

Separate boys’ and girls’ leagues are offered if numbers allow. The program meets twice a week — a weekday practice and Saturday games. Teams will have the opportunity to play other rec department teams.

Parents and volunteers are needed to coach teams.

ADULT PROGRAMS

DOG TRAINING PROGRAMS

Age 18-plus. Dog Training Basics and Dog Training Beyond Basics. Programs start Aug. 28. Instructor: Deb Helfrich, Gold Star owner. Register at www.willistonrec.org.

FAMILY PROGRAMS

VOCAL PERCUSSION & IMPROV WORKSHOP WITH ROOT7

Ages 13-plus. Vermont’s contemporary a cappella group will host a free workshop introducing participants to vocal percussion, vocal improvisation and creating collaborative songs. For beginner and intermediate vocalist. Saturday, Aug. 12, 1-3 p.m.

July 28 at 11:32 a.m. — Male refusing to leave Walmart. Male was trespassed and moved along.

July 28 at 5:33 p.m. — Suspicious male at Marshalls. A male, age 41, had an active arrest warrant. He was transported to the correctional facility.

July 28 at 6:37 p.m. — Report of a retail theft at Dicks Sporting Goods. Male was issued a citation to appear in court.

July 28 at 10:23 p.m. — Report of a male and female arguing on Harvest Lane. The male, age 34, had an active arrest warrant. He was issued a citation to appear in court.

July 29 at 2:37 p.m. — Assisted rescue with female having a mental health crisis. She was transported to the hospital for evaluation.

July 29 at 6:20 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Home Depot. A

July 30 at 12:58 p.m. — Report of a retail theft at Hannaford. Male was referred to the community justice center.

July 30 at 7:03 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Walmart. A male, age 24, was issued a citation to appear in court.

July 31 at 7:03 a.m. — Report of a stolen vehicle from Maple Tree Place. Vehicle was recovered the next day in Burlington. Case is

still under investigation.

July 31 at 9:22 a.m. — Several cars broken into on Krupp Drive. Case is still under investigation.

Aug. 1 at 5:39 a.m. — Stolen vehicle reported on Shunpike Road. Vehicle has not been located at this time.

Aug. 1 at 5:49 a.m. — Attempted break-in at Morway’s Moving. Case is still under investigation.

Aug. 1 at 10:18 p.m. — Female in Walmart refusing to leave. A female, age 26, was issued a citation to appear in court for possession of heroin.

Aug. 2 at 4:18 p.m. — Retail theft at Walmart. A male, age 48, was issued a citation to appear in court.

Aug. 3 at 9:47 a.m. — Report of a suspicious male in the Home Depot parking lot. Male was moved along.

Aug. 3 at 1:19 p.m. — Report of a hit-and-run on St. George Road. Vehicle was located later in Berlin. A male, age 39, was issued a citation to appear in court for leaving the scene of an accident.

Aug. 3 at 6:38 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Best Buy. Case is still under investigation.

Officers from the Williston Police Department also conducted nine traffic stops and responded to six alarm activations and 14 motor vehicle crashes during this time frame.

OBITUARIES

Anne Christine Averyt

nine-year contributor to the Commentary series on Vermont Public Radio.

While she spent more than four decades living in Vermont, Anne was also an avid traveler, having lived in Berlin and Brussels and ventured widely around Europe, including on many occasions to her favorite city, Paris. An enthusiastic — if at times disgruntled — fan of the Phillies, Anne loved sports and excitedly supported her local and hometown teams.

We regretfully announce the passing of Anne Christine Averyt, who passed away surrounded by family on July 17, 2023 at age 77 in Colchester, Vermont.

Anne was born in Altoona, PA, on June 21, 1946 as the second child to parents Frederick and Gladys Yetter. She attended Cheltenham High School and graduated from The George Washington University with a B.A. in English Language and Literature before beginning a long career of writing and reporting.

The author of two non-fiction books, several poetry chapbooks, and most recently, a book of essays, Vermont Perspectives. Anne was a talented storyteller who loved to share her gift for poetry and keen observations with the world. Her ponderings were a well-known feature in her adopted state of Vermont, where she was a

She always gave of herself, including as a volunteer cook at Howard Mental Health Center’s Assist program and made many cherished friends leading writers’ groups and while helping others. A loving and dedicated mother to twin sons and doting grandmother to three granddaughters, Anne loved spending time with her family more than anything.

Anne is survived by son Alan, his wife Mollie, and their daughters Eliza and Lainey; son Kevin, his wife Katelynn, and their daughter Marcella; and former husband and close friend William Averyt and his partner, Eric Nichols. She also is survived by her brother Fred Yetter and sisters Karen Yetter, Jane Smith, and Linda Auchinleck. She will be missed deeply by everyone who knew her.

A memorial service will be

Come make a difference at the Williston Schools!

There are now openings for…

• Intensive 1:1 Paraprofessional

• Non-Intensive (General Para/Team Para)

• Daily Building-based Substitute Teacher

Intensive Para: $21.51-$23.33/hr

Non-Intensive Para: $18.51-$20.33/hr

Join our team and make a difference!

Contact Lauren Goracy lgoracy@cvsdvt.org and/or Cindy Morin cmorin@cvsdvt.org for more information.

SHELBURNE

Join Shelburne’s Highway Department as a Mechanic/Truck Driver

Shelburne’s Highway Department has an immediate opening for a full-time Mechanic/Truck Driver. This position is responsible for the maintenance of all Town vehicles and other machinery and equipment. The successful candidate will also operate trucks and other equipment, in addition to plowing snow.

A high school diploma or equivalent and five years of experience; CDL or the ability to obtain a CDL; Vermont State Vehicle Inspection License; and background check are required. A full job description is available at http://www.shelburnevt.org/237/Human-Resources. Salary range $28-$30/hr., generous benefit package, vacation and sick time, and paid holidays.

Submit resume or application to: Susan Cannizzaro at scannizzaro@shelburnevt.org. Equal Opportunity Employer

STAFF WRITER

Come work where you play! The Valley Reporter, a local, weekly newspaper serving the Mad River Valley as well as Sugarbush and Mad River Glen, is looking for a staff writer.

The ideal candidate will possess a curious mind, exceptional writing skills and an appreciation for small-town life. While a background in journalism is not required, the ability to write concisely and accurately is. This person will report on the people, places and events of the Mad River Valley, including local politics, education, sports, recreation, agriculture, business, craft beer, the environment and more. Must be detail and deadline oriented.

A flexible schedule is required; the individual will attend public meetings on some nights and weekends. Photography and social media skills required.

Send a cover letter, resume and two to three w ritin g samples to lisa@valleyreporter.com

please.

For more information, email: katerina@stowereporter.com

Photographer Al Frey captures some picturesque moments from last Tuesday evening at the Isham’s Farmers’ Market. The Dead Creek Reeds, bottom left, from Addison County provide music for the evening. OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY