Williston Observer 03/14/2024

School board reduces budget proposal

Revote set for April 16

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

Champlain Valley School District administrators acted quickly last week to revise their budget for the upcoming fiscal year after voters rejected their original $106 million proposal on Town Meeting Day.

A split school board on Tuesday approved a $102 million budget proposal and set a date of April 16 for a revote in the five-town district. The board approved the proposal by a 7-4 vote with some members wanting to reduce the budget further before putting it back on the ballot.

The $102 million budget has a roughly $6 million increase in spending over the current year. But it is a reduction of $4 million from the budget that was defeated last week. The board also agreed to add in $1 million in reserve funds to soften the impact on taxpayers, leaving the district with $1.7 million remaining in reserves. Voters defeated the original proposal largely due to the projected 20 percent tax rate increase it would have resulted in.

“This is not where we wanted to be, but we need to react to the feedback from the community,” said Meghan Metzler, the Charlotte board member who took over Tuesday as board chair from Williston’s Angela Arsenault.

Within the $4 million reduction is the loss of 42 positions, including 16 teaching positions, nine administrative positions and 17 support staff positions that

were created with federal pandemic recovery grants. It also includes scaling back on school maintenance projects, according to the district’s chief operations officer, Gary Marckres.

He said the district could absorb the cuts without “major structural changes to schools.”

“Building administrators identified what they believe were the least impactful reductions,” Marckres said.

All educators in the district were notified last week that staff cuts are on the horizon.

“Please remember, there are humans behind these decisions,” CVU librarian Peter Langella told the board. “You are talking about people’s livelihoods, their vocation, their passions.”

Arsenault said the staff cuts will mean “a lot of moments that won’t happen, moments of connection. It represents giving up a lot … Every cut is a tiny loss.”

Allen Brook School teacher Cara Clopton said the district should consider offering retirement incentives to more tenured teachers with salaries over $100,000 to make room for upand-coming teachers who are paid less. As a whole, teachers in the district are due a 4.5 percent salary increase next fiscal year under their union contract with the board.

Marckres estimates that the new budget proposal will result in a 14 percent tax rate increase for Williston property owners over the current fiscal year. That would amount to an additional $723 on the annual property tax bill of the median-priced home ($300,000).

‘Planetarium Lady’ sees sky high interest

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

What a time to be the Planetarium Lady.

Carrie Cruz moved from Long Island, N.Y., in 2020 after retiring from public school teaching and working as an educator at a museum and planetarium. In Williston, she found a property for sale at the top of Snowdrift Lane that once housed a Vermont Astronomical Society observatory. That’s when the stars began to align on a post-retirement business idea. She would refurbish the observatory and teach about the moon, planets, sun and stars with her own portable planetarium. Cruz also was aware of a once-in-a-lifetime event that hadn’t dawned on

most people yet: next month’s total solar eclipse.

With the April 8 event now on the horizon, the Planetarium Lady, as her business is called, is

ECLIPSE PREVIEW

WHAT: Planetarium show

WHERE: Williston Central

WHEN: March 22

Register at www.damlvt.org

in serious demand. She will set up the planetarium at the Williston Central School gym March 22 in a Dorothy Alling Memorial Library event, inviting people in for a simulated preview of the eclipse

FARMHOUSE TAP & GRILL

EL CORTIJO TAQUERIA

as seen from space and a discussion about planetary science. The dome fits about 20 people at a time. Register for a time slot at www.damlvt.org.

“I’m able to move us through time and space and watch the interplay of the earth, the moon and the sun and how the sun casts the moon’s shadow down on North America,” Cruz explained. “When you see all of this dynamic motion and you see what’s really happening and understand the whole dynamic, it’s wonderful … Everybody who comes into the dome gets wowed.”

Cruz was going to launch the planetarium business, eclipse or no eclipse. But excitement about

PASCOLO RISTORANTE

GUILD TAVERN

The Planetarium Lady, aka Carrie Cruz, left, will bring her mobile planetarium, above, to the WCS gym March 22 to give students a preview of the April 8 solar eclipse. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTOS

Snow sends semi slipping sideways

A truck jackknifes midday Monday on southbound Interstate 89 near the Williston rest area, temporarily closing the road and backing up traffic.

Around Town

‘Red Scare in the Green Mountains’ — a Vermont Humanities presentation at DAML What happened in Vermont when anti-Communist fear known as the “Red Scare” swept the country? Quite a bit, as it turns

Join Rick Winston, author of the book “Red Scare in the Green Mountains: Vermont in the McCarthy Era,” as he explores some forgotten history and how a small, rural state with a historically libertarian streak handled the hysteria of the time. The program, sponsored by Vermont Humanities, starts at 6 p.m. March 20 at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library and ties into to the themes of Chinese-American paranoia in 1954 that are represented in the Vermont Reads book, “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” by Malinda Lo.

Winston will discuss several fascinating stories in the Green Mountains during that time, including a high-profile academic firing, a conservative senator who helped take down Joseph McCarthy, controversies involving left-leaning summer resi-

see AROUND TOWN page 3

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTOS BY MIKE DEAN

Around Town

continued from page 2

dents, and some veteran newspaper editors who spoke out against McCarthy’s tactics.

Winston will also discuss the role of the two Burlington newspapers, the Burlington Free Press and the Burlington Daily News, in the Henry Wallace presidential campaign of 1948 and the firing of UVM professor Alex Novikoff in 1953.

Easter Parade and Egg Hunt set for March 30

The Williston-Richmond Rotary club will hold its 24th annual Bill Mikell Easter Parade and Egg Hunt at Williston Central School on Saturday, March 30 for children 12 years old and younger. The parade begins promptly at 9 a.m. rain or shine.

Easter baskets with prizes will be awarded to children who find specially marked Easter eggs. Other prizes will be awarded to children wearing Easter costumes. Children are encouraged to bring their own Easter baskets.

For more information, contact Andy Mikell at (802) 343-2704 or email AndrewDMikell@gmail.com.

Girls on the Run registration opens

Girls on the Run Vermont’s registration for its spring program is now open statewide.

The Williston-based nonprofit is a physical activity, positive youth development program that inspires students in grades 3-8 to be joyful, healthy and confident. Volunteer coaches use a research-based curriculum over a 10-week season to engage teams of girls in interactive lessons that foster social, emotion -

al and physical wellbeing.

The spring season begins the week of March 18. There are dozens of teams statewide, including one at Williston Central School, that meet twice a week for 90 minutes. The program culminates with all teams participating in one of two noncompetitive 5K events in Essex at the Champlain Valley Expo (June 1) and Manchester at the Manchester Recreation Fields (June 8).

Register at www.gotrvt.org.

WCS students to host ‘garage sale’

Williston Central School’s Clover House is holding its annual indoor garage sale featuring household goods, clothing, accessories, sports equipment, toys, art, electronics and more. The sale begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 6 in the school’s cafeteria and wraps up at 2 p.m. Enter in the afterhours entrance in back of the west entrance parking lot.

All proceeds will go toward supporting the Clover House’s overnight field trip. Contact Ted Milks at Tmilks@cvsdvt.org with questions.

Williston Federated Church rummage sale

Come and shop for gently worn clothing for all ages, shoes, purses, linens and jewelry at the Williston Federated Church rummage sale March 22-23. The sale takes place 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 22 and 9 a.m. to noon on March 23 at the church’s Fellowship Hall, 22 North Williston Rd. On March 23, fill a 30-gallon trash bag for $5. Proceeds from the sale are used in support of mission outreach.

Donations of clothing and linens will be accepted Monday, March 18 to Thursday, March 21 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the church.

Hannaford to host Easter-themed festivities

On Saturday, March 23 Hannaford will host an Easter “Egg-Stravaganza” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its Williston store at 78 Marshall Ave. The event will feature activities for kids of all ages, including lollipop gardens, sack races, egg decorating and more. Bring a white shirt for some tie-dye fun.

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

Charges mount for former state trooper

Discovery made during January move out of Williston barracks

BY ALAN J. KEAYS VTDigger

A former Vermont State Police trooper already charged with allegedly stealing from the evidence room at the Williston barracks when he was still on the force is now facing more charges.

Giancarlo DiGenova, 45, of Essex, had already pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen criminal charges following an investigation that began more than a year ago into items that were missing from evidence storage in Williston.

In a Monday press release, state police stated that DiGenova has now been cited for two additional offenses: petty larceny and possession of stolen property. The additional charges stem from a discovery in late January as troopers were moving into their new barracks in Williston, according to the release.

As troopers were transferring personal

property items that had been seized during arrests, they discovered that a gold necklace and diamond-dust pendant, valued at about $375, was missing, the release stated.

A subsequent investigation revealed that DiGenova had sold the necklace in December 2022 on eBay for about $297, according to the release. The buyer, the release stated, was not aware the necklace had been stolen, and it has not been recovered.

DiGenova is set to be arraigned on the two new charges on March 21.

The earlier charges against him, which include grand larceny, petty larceny, neglect of duty and sale of stolen property, remain pending against him in Chittenden and Washington counties.

Police had previously estimated the total value of the items DiGenova allegedly stole at $40,000.

DiGenova was a trooper from 2009 until he resigned on Feb. 7, 2023. His assignments included the Williston, Middlesex and Bradford barracks, and the Narcotics Investigation Unit.

Robert Kaplan, an attorney for DiGenova, could not be reached Monday for comment.

At a court hearing last month, Kaplan told a judge that the parties in the case were close to reaching a plea agreement, according to court filings. The next hearing in that case is set for March 26.

It’s been the warmest winter on record

Burlington and other Vermont communities hit new highs

BY HABIB SABET VTDigger

Ordinarily, Matt Trombley takes his first customers out on the ice around Christmastime. This year, though, he didn’t lead his first Rutland County ice-fishing trip until February.

“I had people calling left and right in January,” Trombley said. “I told them we don’t have any ice — in the middle of January — and they were like, ‘Excuse me?’”

Trombley runs the Vergennes-based guide service 3rd Alarm Charters, which he said does most of its business during the warmer months but has led ice fishing trips in the region for years.

With warming winters and increasingly unreliable and unsafe ice conditions, however, Trombley said that guiding during ice-fishing season is no longer worth it. In the past two years, he said, 3rd Alarm Charters has done less than 25 percent of its normal winter business.

“It has been steadily tougher,” Trombley said. “To be honest with you, this is probably our last year doing it.”

The paltry ice conditions this year have been a result of what has been the warmest meteorological winter on record for large swaths of Vermont, a striking example of rising temperatures across the globe.

According to data from the National Weather Service, the Burlington area just concluded its warmest winter since at least the 1886-1887 season, when recording for the area first began.

Across the three months that comprise the meteorological winter — December, January, and February — Burlington saw a record-high average temperature of 30.7 degrees this season, breaking the previous record of 30.1 degrees. Burlington also saw its highest recorded minimum temperature of 3 degrees, making

this one of only a handful of winters on record that Burlington didn’t see temperatures at or below zero.

Burlington wasn’t the only area that set records this season. According to NWS data, St. Johnsbury and Woodstock both notched new high average winter temperatures. Montpelier and Bennington, meanwhile, each had their second-warmest seasons on record.

The mild winter came on the heels of a year that was, itself, the warmest on record in the Burlington area, during which Vermont faced various forms of extreme weather, including last summer’s historic flooding.

According to Robert Haynes, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Burlington, one of the contributing factors to the record temperatures was the lack of snowfall in much of the state. Between December and February this winter, the Burlington area had just 31.2 inches of total snowfall, which is the third-smallest amount since the 1980-1981 season.

“With as little snow as we’ve had … we have a lot more darker Earth that absorbs more sunlight,” said Haynes, who noted that more snow reflects sunlight and ultimately cools down the earth.

Haynes also attributed the record temperatures to an excess of cloud cover over parts of the state this year. According to the NWS, this January was the cloudiest on record in Burlington since 1951. Haynes said that the cloud cover has essentially insulated the Earth, trapping in heat.

“With the cloudy nights especially … we have not had temperatures radiate out as efficiently as they would if the skies are clear and open,” said Haynes.

Haynes said the warming trend likely isn’t going away.

“Given the fact that we’ve had warmer-than-average winters over the last several winters, statistically it’s a safe forecast to suggest that it’ll be likely a warmer-than-average year next year,” he said.

Giancarlo DiGenova

Planetarium

continued from page 1

the event has certainly raised her profile.

“I couldn’t have asked for better timing,” she said. “It’s been a very hot commodity. I’ve been traveling across northern Vermont for the last month … working six days a week.”

The Burlington area is the only sizable metropolitan area in New England to be within the eclipse’s

“Even if it’s cloudy, it will feel like nighttime in the middle of the day. (The eclipse) is still going to be an experience.”

Carrie Cruz

arcing path across North America. As such, the city is planning for an influx of 40,000 visitors. But the number of people who come on April 8 will likely hinge on the day’s weather forecast. If clouds are forecast during the roughly 2-4 p.m. time frame of the event, that will discourage day-trippers.

According to a report by

Wolfpack Wrestling Club

Grades 6-12 • Mondays & Wednesdays, 4-6 p.m.

High Hat Jiu Jitsu, 338 Dorset Street, South Burlington

Learn the competitive sport of wrestling through conditioning, techniques and drills in a welcoming and safe environment. Practices are fun and challenging! The decision to formally compete is an individual choice for each athlete and their family. All youth are welcome. Sign up on the town website.

• Head Coach: Jack Carney, a three-time Vermont State Champion

• Coach: Alex Zuchman, certified by SafeSport and USA Wrestling

NBC5 meteorologist Andrew Grautski, April 8 in Burlington over the past 70 years has been mostly sunny about 20 percent of the time. The first computer-generated forecasts for the eclipse day will be released on March 25. But meteorologist Marlon Verasamy of the National Weather Service (NWS) in Burlington said those 14-day or 10-day forecasts “can be very unreliable.”

The NWS will put out its forecast one week ahead of time — April 1 as it turns out (Verasamy said the NWS will resist the urge to put out a mock April Fools’ Day forecast).

“At seven days out, it comes into our forecast period,” he said. “That is when we will do an official forecast for the day of the eclipse.”

A cloudless sky would mean an unobstructed view of the moon’s shadow encroaching on, then totally obscuring, the sun. But even with thick clouds, the eclipse will still be memorable, Cruz said, with darkness falling in the middle of the afternoon, temperatures dropping and confusion in the animal kingdom.

“Even if it’s cloudy, it will feel like nighttime in the middle of the day,” she said. “It is still going to be an experience.”

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE

southburlingtonvt.gov/recreation

EASTER BRUNCH BUFFET

in the Beautiful Four-Story Atrium Restaurant and Veranda at the DoubleTree Hotel Burlington

SUNDAY, MARCH 31

TWO SEATINGS STARTING AT 11:00 AM (11:00-11:30 AM - 1:30-2:00 PM )

ADULTS $49.95 | AGES 5-12 $24.95 | UNDER 5 FREE

Prices do not include taxes and gratuity.

(18% gratuity will be added for parties with more than 6 people.)

Chef Carved Maple Glazed Ham

Prime Rib Au Jus

Egg and Omelet Station

— Muffins, Pastries and Croissants

Sliced Fruit Display

Yogurt Parfait

— Traditional Eggs Benedict

Breakfast Potatoes

Scrambled Eggs

Bacon

802-865-6600

Carrie Cruz renovated this former Vermont Astronomical Society observatory on Snowdrift Lane into the home for her mobile planetarium.

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

Another squandered opportunity for housing reform

BY REP. ASHLEY BARTLEY

In the infancy of the legislative session, I joined a tri-partisan coalition of legislators during a press conference hosted by Gov. Phil Scott to announce an all-encompassing housing reform bill. Speakers from all political parties spoke, highlighting why they supported reform efforts and a desire to provide a solution to our housing crisis. This tri-partisan housing bill came to be numbered H.719.

At the same time, legislation coined the “Be Home” bill was being drafted in the Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee, later numbered S.311. The proposed companion bills would enable both bodies the ability to work on similar bills concurrently. Housing reform — collaborative housing reform — was on the way for desperate Vermonters.

The momentum and excite -

ment I heard from constituents, agencies and housing activists about the House bill came with a harsh reality: Leadership would send the legislation to the House Committee on Environment and Energy, where any Act 250 jurisdictional reform has historically died. H.719 has “sat on the wall” in that committee since Jan. 10.

Hope was then put squarely on the shoulders of the Senate’s “Be Home” bill. While the bill didn’t contain all elements proposed in H.719, I was reassured to see the collaborative efforts made in drafting the legislation. I was excited to see it pass the Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee with unanimous support on Feb. 13 — more than a month before crossover.

The bill was then sent to the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee. But the committee has refused to hear any testimony on the “Be

Home” bill. How is that possible with so much time dedicated to this bill in the original committee?

Process. Apparently, it wasn’t sent out of the Senate Economic Development, Housing and Gen -

We cannot afford to grandstand or be semi-serious in our efforts on housing reform.

eral Affairs Committee “fast enough.”

What has the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee chosen to spend its time on instead of the housing bill? S.258 dominated one of its recent agendas — a bill that dilutes the governor’s authority over boards and commissions by pursuing a change to

a 14-member Fish and Wildlife Board appointed by the governor to a board mostly appointed by House and Senate leadership. This spells danger for Vermont’s deep-rooted traditions of fishing, hunting and trapping.

Later, S. 254, “an act relating to including rechargeable batteries and battery-containing products under the state battery stewardship program” took up a majority of the committee’s time.

I’ve been a broken record for the last two years: process matters. We cannot afford to grandstand or be semi-serious in our efforts on housing reform. We must act now. Act 250 reform has been called on for over 30 years by Vermonters, and the House majority leadership has failed to, and continues to fail to, act in earnest, placing more stock in political gamesmanship than implementing solutions.

Now, House leadership is aiming to tack S.311 onto H.687,

which is a disaster of a bill that will only strengthen and expand Act 250’s jurisdiction, creating more hurdles to solving our housing crisis. H.687 has been firmly opposed by housing advocates, municipalities and homebuilders.

Vermonters don’t care from where or whom solutions come, they just care that there is a solution. They also deserve to know why there isn’t a solution.

I’m at the table. Many of my colleagues, from all parties, are at the table. When will House and Senate leadership join us? When will committee chairs be given direction to work on the proposed meaningful, tri-partisan legislation rather than left to their own personal agendas?

Ashley Bartley represents Fairfax and Georgia in the Vermont House of Representatives. She is a member of the House Committee on General and Housing.

Politics where it doesn’t belong

It may be time for the changing views of Vermonters toward wildlife to be addressed, but bill S.258 will not accomplish it.

Currently and historically, the 14 members of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board have been appointed by the governor with input from the Legislature. One seat represents each county.

Under S.258, the governor would be stripped of the authority

to make the appointments. The appointments would be allocated like this: commissioner of the Fish and Wildlife Department (5), speaker of the House (5) and the Committee on Committees (5). Somehow, those 15 appointments will be divided across 14 county seats and one at-large seat. It’s a perfect set up for gerrymandering.

S.258 proposes to force a “balanced” mix of licensed and non-licensed (hunting/fishing/trapping) members, adding politics where it doesn’t belong.

The board would also be stripped

• Silva Tyler bought a home on 10 acres on Chaloux Lane from the Therese M. Carbino Trust for $450,000.

• Deborah Volk bought a condominium on Whitewater Circle from Allen Potter for $540,000. Jason Carriveau bought a home on Ledgewood Drive from Donald Gill Jr. for $1.02 million.

• Black Branch Terminals LLC bought industrial property on

of its current authority over Fish and Wildlife rules; the Department of Fish and Wildlife would have the authority. The current set up is in place because, a half century ago, the Legislature acknowledged its lack of expertise around wildlife management and wisely placed it with citizens. Why would we want to make the same mistake again?

Keep the power with the citizens, not the Legislature.

The anglers, hunters and trappers on the current Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board are Vermont’s most committed wildlife advocates

and conservationists. Don’t think for a second that because they fish, hunt and trap that they don’t have a deep love for all species and understand the challenges of conserving and protecting the people and wildlife of Vermont.

The starting point for change should be for special interest groups to work with their legislators and donors to find financing and new management structures for the wildlife management they seek, not re-allocate taxes mostly paid by anglers, boaters, shooters and hunters and replace a fish and wildlife manage-

PROPERTY TRANSFERS — FEBRUARY 2024

6 acres on Krupp Drive from YRC, Inc. for $4.2 million.

• James Anair bought a home on 2 acres on Rosewood Drive from Kim Quinlan for $205,000.

• Anna Gutwin bought a home on Williston Road from Melissa McNell for $62,378.

• Kelly Scannell bought a condominium on Meadowrun Road from Carol Tandy for $530,000.

• Roadside Properties LLC bought commercial property on 2 acres on Industrial Avenue from the Donald Brisson Trust for $1.78 million.

• Kishan Sinchuari bought a home on Raven Circle from Winny Nguyen for $845,000.

• Kimberly Smith bought a condominium on Southview Lane from the Estate of Debra Michelle for $192,111.

• Craig Sampson Jr. bought a home on 2 acres on Rosewood Drive from James Anair for $285,000.

• David Boyle bought a home on Creek’s Edge Drive from Amarendra Singh for $680,000.

• Storage Near Me LLC bought 8 acres of commercial land on Shunpike Road from James W. Robear for $1.25 million.

ment structure that has been successful for over 50 years.

The promoters of S.258 are determined, vocal and have resources. They are truly anti-hunting and trapping, despite their occasional claims about fair-chase. They should put their effort and money toward future programs that reduce development and vehicle traffic and increase regenerative land use.

That will do far more for wildlife in Vermont than S.258 could ever do.

John Gonter Williston

CORRECTION

An entry from the January 2024 Property Transfer list (Feb. 8 edition, page 3) misspelled the name of the buyer. The entry should read: The Hawgood Family Trust bought a home on Chloe Circle from Northridge-Williston LLC for $933,577.

SPORTS

Champions!

CLOCKWISE (l to r): CVU’s Elise Berger gets free for a layup during the Redhawks’ 38-33 D-l championship win over the St. Johnsbury Hilltoppers March 6 at UVM’s Patrick Gym. Players hoist their trophy in after-play celebration. Samara Ashooh contributes a three-point shot. The team happily poses with their shiny new hardware. Merrill Jacobs hustles the ball up court in the teams’ drive to win.

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

The following Williston and St. George residents, listed alphabetically, were honored for academic achievements at the collegiate level during the fall 2023 semester.

Nicholas Andrade was named to the President’s List at Vermont State University.

Nolan Avery was named to the Dean’s List at Vermont State University.

Chandra Becker was named to the Dean’s List at Vermont State University.

Jake Bialowoz was named to the Dean’s List at Roger Williams University.

Emma Brebion was named to the President’s List at Vermont State University

Devyn Cabral was named to the Dean’s List at Vermont State University.

Brittany Catella was named to the Dean’s List at Vermont State University.

ACADEMIC HONORS

Ally Clos was named to the Dean’s List at High Point University.

Riley Clos was named to the Dean’s List at High Point University.

Rebecca Cole was named to the Dean’s List at Southern New Hampshire University.

Sophia Cross was named to the Dean’s List at Clarkson University.

Natalie Curtis was named to the Dean’s List at Vermont State University.

Reagan Dufresne was named to the Dean’s List at St. Michael’s College.

Danny Tyler Forrest was named to the Dean’s List at Lehigh University.

Olivia G. Francisco was named to the Dean’s List at St. Michael’s College.

Shane Geraldez was named to the Dean’s List at St. Michael’s College.

Nathan Godbout was named to the Dean’s List at Saint Francis University.

Jessenia Gonzalez was named to the Dean’s List at Vermont State University.

McKenna Griswold was named to the Dean’s List at Vermont State University.

Hayden Hilgerdt was named to the Dean’s List at Vermont State University.

Caroline Hill was named to the Dean’s List at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Charlotte Hill was named to the Superintendent’s List at the United States Naval Academy.

Ada M. Jones was named to the Dean’s List at St. Michael’s College.

Braedon C. Jones was named to the Dean’s List at St. Michael’s College.

Lawton J. Jones was named to the Dean’s List at St. Michael’s College.

Danny Kabengele was named to the Dean’s List at Southern New Hampshire University.

Leigh Kerbaugh was named to the Dean’s List at Holy Cross University.

Noah LeCours was named to the Dean’s List at the University of Tampa.

Jared Leonard was named to the Dean’s List at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Margaret A. Martell was named to the Dean’s List at St. Michael’s College.

Carmella R. Martone was named to the Dean’s List at Clark University.

Ania Moreau was named to the President’s List at Vermont State University.

Lindsey Peryea was named to the President’s List at Husson University.

Madison Reagan was named to the Dean’s List at the University of Rhode Island.

Jack Richburg was named to the Dean’s List at Springfield College.

Christopher A. Robinson was named to the Dean’s List at St. Michael’s College.

Hugo Serinese was named to the Dean’s List at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Alexander Spitznagle was named to the Dean’s List at Bryant University.

Saode Somda was named to the President’s List at Vermont State University.

Taylor Sweeney was named to the Dean’s List at Vermont State University.

Sayehler Thamoo was named to the Dean’s List at Vermont State University.

Cayden Tucker was named to the Dean’s List at Vermont State University.

Zoe Zoller was named to the Dean’s List at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Olivia Zubarik was named to the Dean’s List at Hamilton College.

Reid ZuWallack was named to the President’s List at Plymouth State University.

BY HABIB SABET VTDigger

Vermont’s Medicaid billing system remains down after cyberattack

Vermont’s Medicaid claims system remains down and could still be weeks away from fully coming back online, according to the Department of Vermont Health Access.

Change Healthcare, which op -

erates the largest claims processing system in the country, experienced a cyberattack on Feb. 23, leading to the widespread shutdown of software that pharmacies and care providers across the country use.

In Vermont, which contracts with Change Healthcare to run the state’s Medicaid prescription

claims system, pharmacies and primary care providers have been left scrambling to circumvent the downed software. Roughly 200,000 Vermonters receive health insurance through Medicaid.

UnitedHealth Group, which owns Change Healthcare, announced in a March 7 press release that it had restored key parts of its pharmacy services system and expects to begin phasing in the remainder of the downed software this week. According to the company’s timeline, the system could be fully operational next week.

In Vermont, however, the health access department said that the Medicaid claims processing system could still be weeks away from getting fully back online.

“In the absence of any further information we don’t want

to make any firm promises on Vermont Medicaid,” said Alex McCracken, the department’s director of communications, in a meeting with legislators on Monday. “We are waiting for additional information to base our own estimates off of.”

In the meantime, the department has begun to remit weekly payments to pharmacies across the state roughly equal to the amount of money they receive in Medicaid claims during an average week, he said.

“We expect that at the end of this, when the billing system does come back up and we’re able to process these claims that way, that we’ll have a period of squaring that off, finding the balance between what we’ve remitted to the pharmacies and what they actually provided,” said McCracken.

McCracken said that the de -

partment has also been hosting weekly information sessions with pharmacies to help troubleshoot questions caused by the outage.

There has been no indication from Change Healthcare that the hack compromised any sensitive data of Vermonters, he said.

Earlier this month, Wired reported that a Bitcoin wallet address apparently connected to those responsible for the cyberattack received $22 million in cryptocurrency, stoking speculation that Change Healthcare had paid the hackers ransom money to end the system shutdown. The company declined to confirm whether they issued the payment, according to Wired.

Asked about the payment, McCracken said that he had “no information” and noted, “that would be something that Change Healthcare would be navigating, not the State of Vermont.”

Burlington advances plans for South End, Memorial Auditorium

BY HABIB SABET VTDigger

The Burlington City Council has unanimously approved pre-development agreements for two projects, one downtown and one in the South End, that could collectively bring about 1,300 new housing units to the city.

The first agreement could lay the groundwork for redeveloping Memorial Block, the downtown block between Main and College streets above South Winooski Avenue that contains the defunct Memorial Auditorium as well as the Central Fire Station.

The other agreement is for the South End Innovation District, a 13-acre patch of land in the South End where developers hope to eventually build around 1,100 new housing units.

The two agreements, which the council approved at a Monday night meeting, are not binding development plans but instead generally set the course for the potential projects. In both cases, the council would need to approve final development agreements.

The pre-development agreement for the Memorial Block establishes a pathway for the city and developers Eric Farrell and Joe Larkin

to create a mixed-use area that would include at least 200 housing units and 100 hotel rooms.

The agreement stipulates that the block include “a central public assembly and activity space” to replace Memorial Auditorium. The city-owned building, erected in 1927 as a memorial to World War I veterans, could either be partially or fully torn down for the project.

Redevelopment of the block would also require the relocation of the Central Fire Station, but not displace the College Street Congregational Church nor the Fletcher Free Library.

The agreement establishes that both the city and the developers will conduct a series of feasibility studies over the next nine months, making a determination about whether the project is viable by Dec. 31.

Speaking during the public comment section of Monday’s meeting, a handful of residents expressed their frustration about the bidding process and implored councilors to preserve the historic auditorium.

In 2022, the city issued a request for proposals for the redevelopment of the shuttered auditorium, garnering three proposals from private companies, none of which panned out. Later, in 2023, Mayor Miro Weinberger

Glenn Russell/VTDigger

signed a letter of intent with Farrell and Larkin, outlining goals for developing the full Memorial Block.

Responding to criticism from residents about the agreement, several councilors pushed back on the idea that they were giving Farrell and Larkin special treatment.

Councilor Melo Grant rejected the idea that the project was “a giveaway to the developers.”

“What’s there right now is not nice to look at,” said Grant. “It’s just something that needs to be dealt with so that we can move on in the community.”

The agreement for the South End establishes a broad framework for the development of the South End Innovation District.

The roughly 13 acres between Lakeside Avenue and Sears Lane is currently occupied by parking lots and industrial facilities. It comprises three parcels of land owned by the city, Champlain College and Ride Your Bike LLC — the private developer behind Hula, a coworking space and business incubator.

Under the agreement, the three parties would aim to create around 1,100 housing units, approximately 20 percent of which would be affordable. The agreement would also commit the parties to a series of mutual design goals, including walkability, accessibility and sustainability, with the aim of making the project a net zero emissions development.

The city signed a memorandum of understanding with the other landowners in January 2023, and last summer, the City Council rezoned the three parcels of land to create the innovation district and allow for more housing in the area.

Councilor Ben Traverse said. “This is an incredibly unique opportunity to develop what I think could be the most sustainable, walkable, bike-friendly, mixed-income neighborhood in the city.”

According to a memo presented to the City Council from the Community and Economic Development Office, the city and the developers expect to have a development agreement prepared by the end of 2024.

THE

Please join us!

Two participation options are available: In-person at Dealer.com or virtually by livestream. American Sign Language interpretation will be provided. Learn more and register for free by scanning the QR code or visiting our website. www.howardcenter.org 802-488-6912

Dr. Simha Ravven, Howard Center’s Chief Medical Officer, will offer insights and perspectives on mental health treatment and services within our community. Followed by Q&A.

March 27, 2024 | 6:30-8:00

SUBSTANCE USE AND OUR COMMUNITY

A panel discussion about substance use and how we can work together to create a safer, healthier community with Howard Center clinical staff: moderator Beth Holden, MS, LCMHC, LADC, and panelists John Brooklyn, MD; Dan Hall, LADC; Heidi Melbostad, PhD, and others. Followed by Q&A.

May 2, 2024 | 6:30-8:00

Memorial Auditorium in Burlington seen in this 2020 file photo.

Stemming sexual violence on college campuses

Clark: An opportunity to remove culture of silence

BY HOLLY SULLIVAN Community News Service

Senate lawmakers want to pass a bill to expand sexual misconduct prevention on college campuses, after shelving it last session amid scrutiny from schools and survivor advocates.

S.120 was introduced in 2023, but Senate committee members decided to put a pin in it and consult reps from universities, students and sexual violence prevention specialists this past summer. Lawmakers in the education

committee introduced a reworked version Feb. 23. The University of Vermont is expected to present a new draft for legislators to chew on this week.

Attorney General Charity Clark spoke to committee members Feb. 29 about her support for S.120 and her personal connection to the issue — running for Vermont attorney general as the first woman on the Democratic ticket.

Her stump speech included the following line, which she recounted to lawmakers: “No attorney general had known before what it’s like to walk to your car in a dark parking lot, holding your keys in that special way that all women know.”

Clark said her message demonstrated that sexual violence prevention is a statewide issue, regardless of gender.

“For men, it resonated because it was such a foreign concept,” she said. “And for women, because

they knew exactly what I was talking about.”

Clark, who lives in Williston, wants to make college campuses safer, and she appreciated state colleges’ willingness to work on the bill.

“I’m just really glad to see the work being done,” she said. “And I especially applaud the colleges who are coming with the spirit of collaboration and humility in spite of the fact that college campuses are the setting of these violent crimes.”

S.120 has garnered general support from sexual violence prevention advocates, but people are split on whether the bill should include a section requiring colleges to conduct campus climate surveys.

Emily McCarthy, a Title IX coordinator at the University of Vermont, urged committee mem-

Bears emerge early this spring

Reports of bears emerging from their winter dens have already begun to come into the offices of the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. This is earlier than in recent years, when reports across northern New England began in mid-March. Historically, the area didn’t see bears emerge until early April.

“Vermonters need to act to prevent bear conflicts now, even if they have never had a bear visit their property before,” said Jaclyn Comeau, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s bear biologist. “Do not wait to take down your birdfeeders and bearproof your yard until a bear comes to visit.”

Bear incidents have been on the rise as multiple generations of Vermont black bears have learned to associate people with food.

“Preventing bears from having access to human-related foods is key to successful coexistence with these long-lived and intelligent animals,” said Comeau.

The department asks Vermonters to take the following proactive

steps and report any bear activity online at www.vtfishandwildlife. com/learn-more/living-with-wildlife/living-with-black-bears.

• Take down birdfeeders between mid-March and December

• Store garbage in bear-resistant containers or structures. Trash cans alone are not enough

• Follow best practices for composting in bear country

• Use electric fences to keep chickens and honeybees safe

• Request a bear-resistant dumpster from your waste hauler

• Feed your pets indoors

• Never feed bears, deliberately or accidentally

Purposely feeding a bear is not just bad for the bear, it is also dangerous for you,” said Comeau. “It causes problems for your neighbors, and it is illegal. If bears are finding food on your property, it is your responsibility to remove that attractant … before the situation escalates.”

Charity Clark, Vermont Attorney General

Bird-feeders

VERMONT

An exploration of ‘strange’ New England

This summer, Shelburne Museum will present “New England Now: Strange States,” an exhibition showcasing the mysterious and ethereal dimensions of New England’s identity.

The exhibition features 12 multidisciplinary artists whose works delve deep into the inner realms of the psyche. “New England Now: Strange States” will be on view May 11 through Oct. 20.

Ghostly folklore, supernatural phenomena and eerie legends have long shaped New England’s cultural landscape, fostering an atmosphere where intellectual and creative liberation thrives. Strange States explores the region’s haunted landscapes, historical settings and the ongoing influence of luminaries like Shirley Jackson and Stephen King. New England’s spectral charm continues to be a wellspring for artists seeking boundless realms of creativity beyond the ordinary.

‘“New England Now: Strange States’ invites visitors to embark on a journey into the unknown, exploring the intricate tapestry of our collective imagination,” said curator Carolyn Bauer. “The artists weave

together a dreamscape that challenges preconceptions and invites us to reconsider the essence of our region and the broader world.”

The exhibition features recent and new artwork by prominent New England artists including Bianca Beck, Sarah Meyers Brent, Nicole Duennebier, Lauren Fensterstock, Arghavan Khosravi, Laura Kramer, Jennifer McCandless, Allison Maria Rodriguez, Farzaneh Safarani, Bahareh Safarani, Emilie Stark-Menneg and Tara Sellios. Additionally, the exhibition experience

expands outside the exhibition’s walls with sculptures by Bianca Beck on the museum’s campus.

This will be the third installment in the New England Now series, launched by the museum in 2018. The series aims to highlight artists challenging preconceptions and themes about the region. Previous exhibitions focused on the evolving landscape and diverse identities shaping New England communities.

For more information, visit www.shelburnemuseum.org.

Jennifer McCandless’ “Run Amok: Patriarchal Mishaps” ceramic, right, will be part of the ‘New England Now: Strange States’ display May 11-Oct. 20 at the Shelburne Museum. Bianca Beck’s fiberglass and steel sculptures, above, will be on display on the lawn.

Dorothy Alling Memorial Library hours:

• Monday and Wednesday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

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

• Saturday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Visit www.damlvt.org to apply for a library card and to register for programs that require registration. Need help? Call 878-4918 or email daml@damlvt.org.

SOLAR ECLIPSE GLASSES

Residents of Williston and St. George can pick up solar glasses at the library while supplies last. Limit of two pairs per family.

YOUTH PROGRAMS

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

GREEN MOUNTAIN HOMESCHOOL

ROBOTICS TEAM DEMO

Friday, March 15, 4-5 p.m. Learn about the challenge and see a demo from the robot the homeschool team is taking to nationals!

STORYTIME

Tuesdays, March 19 and 26, 10:30-11 a.m. Drop in for stories and fun.

BABY TIME

Wednesday, March 20, 10:30-11 a.m. Socialize and bond with gentle activities.

AFTER SCHOOL MOVIE

Wednesday, March 20, 2-4 p.m. PG. A hothead learns to go with the flow with a watery friend.

PRESCHOOL MUSIC AND PLAYTIME

Thursdays, March 21 and 28, 10:3011:30 a.m. Sing with Linda, then stay to play.

TEENS D&D

Friday, March 22, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12plus. Join our Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Monday, March 25, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12plus. Join our teen advisory board –you bring the thoughts, we bring the food.

AFTER SCHOOL CRAFT

Wednesday, March 27, 2-3 p.m. Use watercolor and pens to create a fun design.

LEGO TIME

Thursday, March 28, 3-4 p.m. Enjoy our LEGO collection.

MULTI-AGE PROGRAMS

VERMONT READS

Check out a copy of the Vermont Reads book “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” at the library or read the eBook on Libby (Overdrive). Watch for more events coming soon. Vermont Reads is sponsored by Vermont Humanities.

CRAFT CIRCLE

Monday, March 18, 5-6 p.m. Bring a project and enjoy the crafting company of others in our new, monthly, all-ages-welcome craft circle.

TRAVELLING PLANETARIUM

Friday, March 22. Get excited for the upcoming eclipse. Join us at the WCS front gym to step inside a traveling planetarium and learn about space. Adults may join their child in the planetarium if the child can sit on their lap. See www. damlvt.org to register.

ADULT PROGRAMS

For online programs or to join a book club, email daml@damlvt.org.

ADULT MEDITATION (ONLINE)

Fridays in March, 12-12:30 p.m. Join our online guided meditation.

MAH JONGG

Friday, March 15, 1-3 p.m. Drop in to play this fun tile game.

BOOK CLUB BUFFET (ONLINE)

Tuesday, March 19, 12:30-1:30 p.m. “This Tender Land” by William Kent Krueger COOK THE BOOK

Wednesday, March 20, 12-1 p.m. Featured cookbook is “Big Heart Little Stove” by Erin French. Stop by to copy a recipe to share at the potluck.

SPANISH CONVERSATION (ONLINE)

Wednesday, March 20, 5-6 p.m. Brush up on your Spanish. All abilities.

VERMONT HUMANITIES SPEAKER

Wednesday, March 20, 6-7:30 p.m. author Rick Winston presents “Red Scare in the Green Mountains: Vermont in the McCarthy Era.” Vermont and the anti-Communist fear known as the “Red Scare.” Explore some forgotten history. Sponsored by Vermont Humanities.

BROWN BAG BOOK CLUB

Tuesday, March 26, 12:30-1:30 p.m. “Becoming Mrs. Lewis” by Patti Callahan, a love story that started with a crisis of faith. Available from the library, as an eBook in Libby (Overdrive) and as an eAudiobook in hoopla.

CURRENT EVENTS

Wednesday, March 27, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Drop in to discuss topics of interest with other community members.

Feb. 25 at 2:22 a.m. — Following a traffic stop, a male was issued a citation to appear in court for suspicion of DUI.

Feb. 25 at 5:28 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Plato’s Closet. Female was identified and issued a warrant for her arrest.

Feb. 26 at 10:15 a.m. — Retail theft reported at Best Buy. Male was issued a citation to appear in court for retail theft.

Feb. 26 at 7:56 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Home Depot. Case is still under investigation.

Feb. 26 at 9:50 p.m. — Stolen vehicle from Middlebury was located in Williston. Pursuit took place and was terminated a short time later due to high speeds. Vehicle was located later that night in Starksboro and the female operator was taken into custody. She was lodged at the correctional facility.

Feb. 27 at 5:29 p.m. — Assisted Williston Fire Department with a male at Shaw’s. Male was transported to the hospital for evaluation.

Feb. 28 at 10:34 a.m. — La Quinta looking for welfare check on a couple guests. Guests were fine.

Feb. 28 at 2:55 p.m. — Report of a fight at Walmart. Male parties were separated and would not cooperate with officers. Males moved along.

Feb. 28 at 4:04 p.m. — Report of a stolen purse. Purse has not yet been recovered.

Feb. 29 at 12:51 p.m. — Report of an intoxicated female at Walmart. Female was

gone upon officer’s arrival.

Feb. 29 at 11:03 p.m. — Following a traffic stop, a male who was uncooperative with officers was issued a citation to appear in court for suspicion of DUI, resisting arrest, impeding public officers and disarming a law enforcement officer.

March 1 at 10:22 a.m. — Report of a fight between two males at Walmart. Parties were separated and one male was issued a citation to appear in court for simple assault.

March 1 at 5:06 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Male had an active arrest warrant was transported to the correctional facility.

March 2 at 1:33 a.m. — Following a traffic stop, a female was issued a citation to appear in court for suspicion of DUI.

March 2 at 7:55 p.m. — Report of a stolen trailer at Home Depot. Trailer has not yet been recovered.

March 3 at 9:45 a.m. — Retail theft reported at Walmart. Case is still under investigation.

March 3 at 3:23 p.m. — Report of an elderly female walking on the side of the road, caller was concerned. A male matching the description was located and was just out for a walk.

Officers conducted eight traffic stops and responded to 11 alarm activations and seven motor vehicle crashes during this time frame.

Violence

continued from page 12

bers to remove the section on Feb. 23. McCarthy, along with a college student, looked at examples of campus climate surveys and agreed the sample survey seemed harmful to victims.

“Some of those sample surveys felt really intimidating towards students based on (the) level of detail for the questions asked and the number of questions,” she said. “We really feared (the surveys) would be retraumatizing for a student, especially when given to them in a very cold way, not in a supportive environment.”

Student data from Jennifer Barquist, a public affairs vice president for the regional branch of Planned Parenthood, contradicts McCarthy’s claim.

“We know from talking with many students that they would really appreciate the opportunity to share their experiences with sexual harm to help ensure their experience is not repeated and to promote positive

changes on our campuses,” Barquist said during the same meeting.

She supports the provision as long as students can opt out at any time and that their privacy rights are made clear in the survey.

Despite provisional disagreements, all speakers seemed to support the majority of the bill — requiring colleges to address sexual violence on their campuses.

“Women 18 to 24 are four times more likely than other age groups to experience sexual violence,” Clark said during her testimony. “I think that we have this opportunity — all of us who are working on this bill — to honor (their) voices and make steps in a direction that removes this culture of silence from campuses,” she said.

The Community News Service is a program in which University of Vermont students work with professional editors to provide material for local news outlets at no cost.

The Observer first published this column written by Bill Skiff in the March 17, 2011 issue. Bill contributed a regular column, ‘The Places I’ve Played,’ to the Williston Observer from 2010 to 2013 in which he shared stories and reflections—ranging from the amusing to the poignant— from his childhood growing up on a farm through his life’s journey.

Not in the spring

BY BILL SKIFF

One afternoon in late March, I was standing in a barnyard on Pleasant Valley Road in Cambridge, talking with an old farmer friend. It was the kind of spring day that made you glad you’re alive: white clouds scattered the brilliant blue sky, patches of snow lingered on the ground, and the smell of mud thickened the air.

We were talking about spring and how wonderful it made us feel, how good it was to feel the sun again, to hear the birds singing, and to see steam drift up from local sugar houses.

At one point the farmer stopped talking. His eyes rose up toward Mt. Mansfield, then swept over his meadows, and back up to the barn where new lambs were nursing. Finally, his gaze rested on my face. He was quiet for a moment and then said, “Bill, I hope I don’t die in the spring.”

Every spring for years after that conversation, I have reflected on my friend’s wish. As I have grown older, his words have taken on a more complex meaning. This morning, as I witnessed another spring approaching, I realized that I, too, do not want to die in the spring.

My friend passed on 10 years ago this February – just before spring. Recently, I felt compelled to write the following poem:

“Not in The Spring”

I hope I don’t die in the spring, I want to taste Isham’s syrup and hear the first robin sing.

I want to hear Dad’s Farmall burst into life, I want to feel the sunshine warm my strife.

Let me wet a worm in a brook in Stowe.

You know, Lord. I just lived through six months of snow.

Now February, that’s a good time to explore.

But please Lord, in the spring, don’t come knocking on my door.

The grandchildren are coming to play on the farm, So Lord, in the spring, please don’t do me no harm. When it’s thirty below and my bones won’t go, Come on down and we’ll plan the show. But when the snows just melted and the ground smells sweet Lord, please stay up yonder and rest your feet.

‘Cause Lord, I’m sure of just one thing; I know I don’t want to die in the spring.

William Baldwin Skiff

Having lived a joy-filled life in which every opportunity to dance was taken and the smallest act of joy or kindness was consistently and readily given, William Baldwin Skiff, age 91, left us on Feb. 21 for his next great adventure.

A 7th generation Vermonter from Jeffersonville, Bill’s family history stretches from the first sheriff in the tiny hamlet of Hinesburg to a community-minded sponsor of the old Mary Fletcher Hospital, thus cementing his love of all things western and a lifelong commitment to personally and professionally making others’ lives better.

Bill attended Middlebury College, where selling homemade donuts and milk to the guys in the dorms helped ‘this old farm-boy’ settle in. With a master’s in physical education from Springfield College, he returned to Stowe to teach PE, mentoring future Olympic skier, Billy Kidd.

He devoted his professional life to helping others, serving as an Army psychiatric so -

OBITUARIES

cial worker, the administrator of wilderness camps for justice-involved youth in New York state, and as a high school guidance professional at Mount Mansfield Union High School.

One of his greatest joys, years after retiring from MMU, was to be joyfully greeted by a former student, now happy and with a family of their own, and hear the words “Hey, Mr. Skiff! You sure saved my a&$ in high school!”

Together with his wife Ruth, Bill raised four children, who agree their childhood was a blast. From towing them through snow covered neighborhood streets behind his Datsun pickup on an old toboggan, to organizing raucous western-themed barn dances complete with square dancing for their high school graduations, the memories are many.

With an irrepressible energy, Bill created occasions that brought people together, including the Williston 4th of July Frog Jumping Contest, the Williston/Richmond Rotary, the ‘old timer’ – a humorous character he’d portray at special events, and transformed his and Ruth’s farmhouse into a 1920’s speakeasy and a mobster den for parties.

Essentially a non-musician, he nevertheless played in a Dixieland band and was a standout at wash-tub bass at local “kitchen tunks” often organized by him to provide fellowship and highlight the talent of neighbors and friends.

Bill did not let the boundaries of family and work contain him. To the last he was a fully present and integral part of the Williston community, the Bolton Valley staff team, the

Butternut Road neighborhood family, and the Residence at Shelburne Bay; a spreader of joy and connection wherever he was.

Fortunate to have a caring team of professionals at Birchwood Terrace in the last weeks of his life, he directed the delivery of several Valentine’s flowers from his bed and made connections with staff in those short weeks close enough to garner tears upon his passing.

Bill joins his wife Ruth and beloved grandson Silas. He leaves behind a legion of friends and family to carry on his legacy of joy, compassion and service to others, including his children Robyn, Bill, Nan, Todd and their spouses; five grandchildren, his sister Carol Young, brother Robert, their spouses and children, and about a million daffodils he and Ruth spent years planting along Butternut Road, a perennial reminder of the hope and joy that is always there for the taking.

A celebration of Bill’s life will take place at 11 a.m. April 27, 2024 at the Williston Federated Church, 44 North Williston Road, Williston VT.

A private ceremony will take place at the Williston East Cemetery, where he will join Ruth at their family bench overlooking the trees.

Donations in Bill’s honor can be made to the Youth Leadership or Post-High School Trade School/College Scholarship funds at the Williston-Richmond Rotary Charities, PO Box 114, Williston, VT, 05495.

Arrangements are by Stephen C. Gregory and Son Cremation Service, South Burlington VT.

OBITUARIES

James Edward McGovern Sr.

James Edward McGovern, Sr., 86, of Essex Junction, passed away on Wednesday, March 7, 2024, at the McClure Miller Respite House after a brief illness with all six of his children by his side.

He was born in Burlington on December 2, 1937, the son of the late Martin and Mary (Mahoney) McGovern. James was raised in Richmond and served in the National Guard for three years after graduation. He later joined the McKenzie Meat Packing Company and had a successful career as a member of Teamsters Local 597.

On June 7, 1958, he married Maureen Mace at the Immaculate Mary Catholic Church in Williston.

James had an unwavering love for his family, friends, and a zest for life. He enjoyed shuffleboard, racing, an immaculately clean car, outdoor yard work, spending winters in Melbourne, Florida, and summers at the family camp on Colchester Point. James took great pride in his Irish heritage and cherished his trip to Ireland with Maureen.

He is survived by his six children and their spouses: Diane LeBlanc and husband Michael of Colchester, Linda Reickert and husband Frank of North Carolina,

Pam Mallow and husband Michael of Jericho, Carolyn Prior and husband David of Jericho, James E McGovern, Jr., and wife Jennifer of Essex Junction, and Kevin McGovern and wife Christy of South Hero. He also leaves behind nine grandchildren: Nacole Greenwood and husband Michael, Matthew and Michelle Boylan and husband Lance, Ryan Mallow and fiancé Chelsea, Jessica Place and husband Chad, Taylor O’Brien and husband Colin, DJ Prior and wife Rebekah, Nicholas McGovern, and Macey McGovern; as well as seven great-grandchildren with an 8th on the way: Cole and Kenley Greenwood, Camden and Kenzi Place, and Mason and Eleanor Boylan, and Chase O’Brien. James is also survived by his sister-in-law, Alice McGovern; one nephew Todd McGovern; and two nieces, Cathy McGovern and Kelli McGovern; and lifelong friend Kathy Adams and many friends and family. He was predeceased by his in-laws Howard and Lynn Mace, brothers Richard and Peter McGovern, and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the nurses and doctors for their exceptional care and kindness at McLure Miller Respite House.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, March 15, 2024, at 11 a.m. at St. Lawrence Church, Essex Junction. A private interment will take place at Holy Rosary Cemetery in Richmond in the spring. Visiting hours will be held March 14, 2024, from 4 pm to 7 pm at Gifford Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 22 Depot St. in Richmond, VT. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the McClure Miller Respite House, 3113 Roosevelt Hwy., Colchester, VT 05446 or charity of your choice. To send online condolences to his family, please visit www.vtfuneralhomes.com.

Celebrate the season with Easter flowers

BY DEBORAH J. BENOIT Special to the Observer

It’s no surprise that the Easter lily is the most popular floral gift for Easter giving, but did you know that, contrary to its name, it isn’t a spring-blooming flower?

When grown outdoors, Easter lilies bloom during the summer. Commercial growers go through a carefully timed process to coax them to bloom at the proper time each spring.

Easter lilies are commonly sold as a plant, but their white, trumpet-shaped flowers often take center stage in cut flower arrangements. They symbolize rebirth, new beginnings and hope.

After the holiday, potted Easter lilies can be planted in your garden after all danger of frost has passed. Be sure to introduce them to the outdoors over the course of several days by bringing them out for a while each day, gradually increasing the number of hours.

Choose a sunny location with soil that drains well. The leaves will eventually yellow and die back in the fall.

As beautiful as they are, be aware that every part of an Easter lily can cause stomach upset in dogs if eaten and is highly poi-

sonous to cats. That includes the yellow pollen that is easily shed. If you have pets, be sure to keep Easter lilies well out of their reach.

In addition, the pollen can permanently stain fabric. An easy way to prevent the spread of pollen is to simply remove the anthers (the yellow part of the flower that produces pollen).

Of course, Easter lilies aren’t the only flower popular for Easter gift giving.

Daffodils are one of the first flowers to emerge as winter ends and are true harbingers of spring. They appear in cut flower bouquets and as potted plants at florists around this time of year. Their bright yellow, trumpet-shaped blooms represent rebirth and are a popular gift for Easter.

While bulbs are traditionally planted in the fall, potted daffodils can be transferred to the garden after flowers have faded. Simply deadhead the flowers and allow the greenery to continue to grow until it dies off naturally. Remove from the pot and plant in the garden once temperatures have warmed and the ground is workable.

Like daffodils, tulips are a classic spring-blooming flower. They’re available in a rainbow of colors and can be found at florists

as cut flowers or potted plants. The egg-shaped flowers can represent rebirth and love.

Potted tulips can be transplanted in the garden in the same manner as daffodils. Like daffodils, they’re toxic to dogs and cats if eaten.

You may already be familiar with other holiday cacti — Thanksgiving cactus and Christmas Cactus — but have you heard of the Easter cactus? Its flowers come in shades of red, orange and pink. It’s easy to care for and generally considered pet friendly.

Like other holiday cacti, Easter cactus is actually a succulent. Treat it to bright, indirect sunlight and water when the soil feels dry. While it can spend warmer months outside (avoid hot, direct sunlight), be sure to bring it back indoors before there’s danger of frost.

Whether you receive Easter flowers as a bouquet, a potted plant or a mixed-bulb planting, they’re a wonderful way to celebrate and a sure sign of spring.

Deborah J. Benoit is a UVM Extension Master Gardener from North Adams, Mass., who is part of the Bennington County Chapter.

Tulips, left, a symbol of rebirth, are a classic spring-blooming flower, often gifted to someone special around Easter time.

PHOTO BY DEBORAH J. BENOIT

The ever-popular Easter lily, right, sold as a potted plant or cut flowers, symbolizes rebirth, new beginnings and hope.

PHOTO BY ASHLEE MARIE/PEXELS

The Vernal Equinox

There are many ways that we recognize the change of the seasons. In the spring, we notice plants emerging from the frozen earth, buds on trees and animals becoming more lively.

During the year, there are four signs of coming changes: the spring, or vernal, equinox, the summer solstice, the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice. The spring equinox happens around March 21 in the Northern Hemisphere.

This week, The Mini Page learns more about these events that affect our Earth.

What is an equinox?

An equinox is a time when both the Northern and Southern hemispheres have about equal amounts of daytime and nighttime.

Our Earth is tilted on an axis. But during the spring and autumnal equinoxes, the axis is not tilting toward or away from the sun. The sun’s rays are directly perpendicular to the equator at noon.

Try ’n’ Find

Founded by Betty Debnam

Mini Fact: The sun is directly perpendicular to the equator during the spring equinox.

What about solstices?

During the summer and winter solstices, the sun is at its most southern or northern position compared to our equator. Thus, during the summer solstice, people in the Northern Hemisphere experience the longest period of daylight (around June 21), and during the winter solstice (around Dec. 21), we have the shortest period of daylight.

Polar regions

At the North and South poles, people experience midnight sun and polar night. Midnight sun means that the sun never completely sets below the horizon. Polar night describes a time when the sun never rises above the horizon.

The seasons

We have seasons on Earth because the planet is tilted on its axis. Although the Earth moves around the sun and rotates on its axis, the axis is always pointed in the same direction. In the summer, the sun spends more time shining on the Northern Hemisphere, which gives us warmer temperatures.

Words that remind us of the vernal equinox are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:

PLANET, POLAR, ROTATE, SATELLITE, SEASON,

Next Week:

Solar eclipse

Equinox Fact-a-Roonies

• “Equinox” is from two Latin words: aequus, which means equal, and nox, which means night.

•During the equinoxes, no matter where you are on the planet, the sun rises at due east and sets at due west (unless you’re at the North or South pole).

•Sunrises and sunsets — how long it takes for the whole sun to rise or fall above the horizon are faster during the equinoxes than at any other time.

•As the sun seems to shift toward the north (in the Northern Hemisphere), you may notice birds migrating north.

• This year, the vernal equinox is at 10:07 p.m. Central time on March 19.

• Early Egyptians positioned the Great Pyramids so that they pointed toward the rising sun on the vernal equinox.

• During the equinoxes, people on Earth may experience the effects of “sun outages,” or times when satellites are disrupted. In the Northern Hemisphere, these occur in the days before the vernal equinox and the days after the autumnal equinox.

Resources

On the Web: •bit.ly/MPequinox

At the library:

•“The Wheel of the Year” by Fiona Cook

• “The Reasons for Seasons” by Gail Gibbons

Mini Jokes

Robby: What did summer say to spring?

Roseanne: “Help, I’m going to fall!”

Dreamstime

This time-lapse photo from the north of Russia shows the sun never quite setting — a midnight sun. image by NWS

image by Victor Gabyshev

image by Fabio Basagni

Arctic Circle

Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Capricorn Antarctic Circle

Equator

the spring and autumnal equinoxes, the axis is not tilting toward or away from the sun. The sun’s rays are directly perpendicular to the equator at noon.

Try ’n’ Find

axis, the axis is always pointed in the same direction. In the summer, the sun spends more time shining on the Northern Hemisphere, which gives us warmer temperatures.

Words that remind us of the vernal equinox are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:

AXIS, EARTH, EAST, EQUATOR, EQUINOX, HEMISPHERE, HORIZON, MIDNIGHT, OUTAGE, PERPENDICULAR, PLANET, POLAR, ROTATE, SATELLITE, SEASON, SOLSTICE, SPRING, SUN, VERNAL, WEST.

Cook’s Corner Spring Chicken Salad

You’ll need:

•2 cups diced cooked chicken

•2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

•1/4 cup slivered almonds

•2 tablespoons mayonnaise

•1 tablespoon mustard

What to do:

At the library:

•“The Wheel of the Year” by Fiona Cook

• “The Reasons for Seasons” by Gail Gibbons

A new study finds that

1.Combine all ingredients except mayonnaise and mustard in a medium bowl. Mix well.

2.Stir in mayonnaise and mustard. Mix well. 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 as good (5)

2.Australian star Irwin (5)

3.not paying attention (8)

4.getting closer (6)

5.mechanical device (7)

6.movie with Poppy and Branch (6)

7.crush into little pieces (5)

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

Africa’s large birds of prey are now facing a human-driven extinction crisis, even in protected areas. Researchers say the raptors have experienced widespread population collapses during recent decades. The declines were found to be the most extensive in western and central Africa, where the expansion of agriculture and underfunding of protected areas contributed to the losses. Threats to the birds include shooting, trapping, poisoning and electrocutions or collisions with power lines.

For later:

Look in your newspaper for items about spring coming.

Follow and interact with The Mini Page on Facebook!

By Jim Miller

Dear

How to tap underutilized burial benefits for veterans

served during the Vietnam War in the 1960s.

Planning Ahead

My 83-year-old father, who has Alzheimer’s disease,

Dear Planning,

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) National Cemetery Administration actually offers a variety of underutilized burial benefits to veterans, as well as their spouses and dependents.

Most U.S. veterans (both combat and non-combat) who didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge are eligible for burial benefits. To verify your dad’s discharge, you’ll need a copy of his DD Form 214 — “Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.” If you don’t have it, you can request it online at www.Archives.gov/veterans.

Here’s a rundown of some of the different benefits that are available to veterans who die a nonservice related death.

MILITARY CEMETERY BENEFITS

in the same manner as casketed remains.

But be aware that funeral or cremation arrangements and costs are not taken care of by the VA. They are the responsibility of the veteran’s family, but some of the veteran’s survivors may be eligible for burial allowances.

The VA also offers a memorial web page called the Veterans Legacy Memorial for any veteran buried in a national, state, territorial or tribal cemetery. This allows families to post pictures and stories of their loved one online as a way to remember and honor their service.

If you’re interested in this option, the VA has a pre-need burial eligibility determination program to help you plan ahead before your dad passes. See www.VA.gov/ burials-memorials/pre-need-eligibility, or call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800535-1117.

PRIVATE CEMETERY BENEFITS

MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS

Another popular benefit available to all eligible veterans buried in either a national or private cemetery is a military funeral honors ceremony. This includes an honor guard detail of at least two uniformed military persons, folding and presenting the U.S. burial flag to the veteran’s survivors, and the playing of Taps.

The funeral provider you choose will be able to assist you with all VA burial requests. Depending on what you want, certain forms may need to be completed, which are always better to be done in advance.

For a complete rundown of burial and memorial benefits, eligibility details and required forms, visit www.Cem.va.gov.

BURIAL ALLOWANCES

If your dad is eligible and would like to be buried in one of the 155 national or 119 state, territory or tribal-operated cemeteries (see www.VA.gov/find-locations), the VA provides a number of benefits at no cost to the family, including a gravesite; opening and closing of the grave and perpetual gravesite care; a government headstone or marker; a United States burial flag that can be used to drape the casket or accompany the urn; and a Presidential Memorial Certificate.

If your dad is cremated, his remains will be buried or inurned

The VA also provides benefits to veterans buried in private cemeteries. If your dad chooses this option, the VA benefits include a free government headstone or grave marker, or a medallion that can be affixed to an existing privately purchased headstone or marker; a burial flag; and a Presidential Memorial Certificate.

Funeral or cremation arrangements and costs are again the responsibility of the family, and there are no benefits offered to spouses and dependents that are buried in private cemeteries.

In addition to burial benefits, some veteran’s survivors may also qualify for a $948 burial allowance, or $948 for a plot to those who choose to be buried in a private cemetery. Also, $231 is provided for a headstone or grave marker allowance. To find out if your dad is eligible or to apply, see www. VA.gov/burials-memorials/veterans-burial-allowance.

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.

TODAY’S HISTORY:

• In 1794, inventor Eli Whitney received a patent for the cotton gin.

• In 1900, the Gold Standard Act was signed into law by President William McKinley.

• In 1950, the Federal Bureau of Investigation instituted the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list.

• In 1990, General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev was elected as the first (and last) president of the Soviet Union.

TODAY’S FACT:

• Of the 532 fugitives (as of November 2023) who have been on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list since its inception in 1950, only 11 have been women.

We’re proud of our smiles! We believe that our

always

skills;

Community Bankers

5 interviewing tips to land a new job

Community Bankers

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

Community Bankers

Community Bankers BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

There is no better time to join our Team!

There is no better time to join our Team!

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

Community Bankers

There is no better time to join our Team!

There is no better time to join our Team!

BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS®

There is no better time to join our Team!

North eld Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all.

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all.

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all

Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Taft Corners or Richmond location!

Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is the largest LOCAL BANK in Vermont. We are committed to providing a welcoming work environment for all.

Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Taft Corners or Richmond location!

Relevant Skills: Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!)

Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Taft Corners or Richmond location!

Consider joining our team as a Community Banker at our Taft Corners or Richmond location!

With so many job openings these days, you may think you’ll have an easy time sliding into a new role. Not so fast. Because of the huge number of options available and plenty of workers contemplating changes, you’re likely to encounter some competition to land the job you want. A solid interview can help you close the deal. Consider these five tips to help you make a great impression and land the job of your dreams.

Relevant Skills: Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!)

Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE

Relevant Skills: Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!)

Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

Relevant Skills: Customer Service, Cash Handling (we’ll train you!)

If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

Even better… if you have prior banking experience, we encourage you to apply!

If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

Opportunity for Growth

If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

Opportunity for Growth

If you are 18 or older and have a high school diploma, general education (GED) degree, or equivalent, consider joining the NSB Team!

Opportunity for Growth

Opportunity for Growth

NSB has training opportunities to engage employees and assist with professional development within our company.

NSB has training opportunities to engage employees and assist with professional development within our company. The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in an environment that promotes growth, join our team!

What NSB Can Offer You

Yes, there are a lot of job openings, but you’re likely to encounter some competition to land the job you want. A solid interview can help you close the deal.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEXELS.COM

CREATE YOUR OWN LIST OF QUESTIONS

NSB has training opportunities to engage employees and assist with professional development within our company.

What NSB Can Offer You

NSB has training opportunities to engage employees and assist with professional development within our company. The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in an environment that promotes growth, join our team!

The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in an environment that promotes growth, join our team!

What NSB Can Offer You

The average years of service for an NSB employee is 9! If you’re looking for a career in an environment that promotes growth, join our team!

What NSB Can Offer You

Competitive compensation based on experience. Wellrounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity. Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program. Commitment to professional development. Opportunities to volunteer and support our communities. Work -Life balance!

Competitive compensation based on experience. Wellrounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity. Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program. Commitment to professional development. Opportunities to volunteer and support our communities. Work -Life balance!

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com

Competitive compensation based on experience. Wellrounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity. Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program. Commitment to professional development. Opportunities to volunteer and support our communities. Work -Life balance!

Competitive compensation based on experience. Wellrounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing opportunity. Excellent 401(k) matching retirement program. Commitment to professional development. Opportunities to volunteer and support our communities. Work -Life balance!

Avoid thinking of the interview as your first step toward a new job. Once you set the appointment, it’s time to take a deeper dive to learn as much as you can about the company and position. Ideally, you did some of this legwork when you created a custom resume and cover letter, but for the interview, you need to know more. After arming yourself with all the information you can, practice answers to questions you expect the interviewer to ask.

DECIDE WHAT THE INTERVIEWER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU

An interview isn’t just about determining whether you’re a fit for a job; you also need to decide whether the job is a fit for you. Think about what you need to know in order to feel confident accepting an offer. You might organize your thoughts by considering what is essential in a new job and what aspects are “nice to have.”

Use good posture, a firm handshake and a clear, confident voice. Speak authoritatively but respectfully and try to make the interview a comfortable, conversational exchange.

LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION

PRESENT YOURSELF AS A WINNING CANDIDATE

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to:

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com

Careers@nsbvt.com

Please send an NSB Application & your resume in confidence to: Careers@nsbvt.com

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

Equal Opportunity Employer / Member FDIC

SUDOKU SOLUTION

Puzzle found on page 21

Using the job description as a guide, create a list of points you want to communicate to show how your experience and knowledge fit the role. During the interview, pay attention to opportunities for sharing these details about your skillset. Most interviewers will give you the opportunity to add information you haven’t covered; use this time to deliver a succinct summary of how you can succeed in the position.

Impressions are everything when it comes to interviews. Dress to impress with well-fitted clothing appropriate for the job and practice good grooming habits, including details like trimming your nails and minimizing distractions like pet hair. Arrive early enough that you’re not rushed or flustered when you check in for your appointment.

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Puzzle found on page 21

Before you end the interview, ask for clear insight on the next steps in the process. Within 24 hours, send follow-up messages to each person you met with. Thank them for their time and include references specific to your conversation, such as elaborating on a question or reiterating a key point. This shouldn’t be a copy-paste message, but rather a tailored one to each individual. Close by reiterating your interest and how your skills are a fit. Find more advice for handling personal and professional challenges at www.eLivingtoday.com.

— Family Features

what’s going on in Williston.

Farm

Friday. The Comeau Family Sugarhouse wasn’t boiling Friday but is ready to roll as soon as the weather cooperates. At Yandow’s Sugar Tree Maple Farm the “nearly syrup” boils to a golden color in the front (finishing) pan. Although nowadays a vast majority of the sap comes to Vermont’s sugarhouses through pipelines from the trees, you can still find a bucket here and there like these outside the Yandow’s Sugar Tree Maple Farm on Bradley Lane. The beginnings of the 2024 harvest is awaiting customers in pints, quarts and 1/2 gallons at the Isham Family Farm sugarhouse.

CLOCKWISE (l to r): Tony Robitaille stokes the fire at the Isham Family

sugarhouse on

OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY