Duke high-tails it to Richmond
Williston loses police comfort dog with officer’s departure
BY JASON STARR Observer staff
Williston lost more than just an officer when Matt Cohen resigned from the police department in June. Along with him went beloved labrador retriever Duke, the first police comfort dog in Vermont.
Duke came to town as a puppy in 2020 and trained with Cohen to become part of the police force. For four years, he offered comfort to crime victims, witnesses and first-responders in emergency situations and was a key part of the department’s community outreach efforts, appearing at schools and special events.
Last month, Cohen accepted a job at the Richmond Police Department, advancing to the rank of corporal and bringing Duke to the neighboring town.
“We hate to see them both go,” Williston Town Manager Erik
Wells said. “It has really been a great success in community policing and relations.”
Richmond Town Manager Josh Arneson said he found out about Duke during Cohen’s job interview; the town was not looking to start a police comfort dog program. The Richmond Selectboard agreed to seize the opportunity
and create the program during a June 3 meeting, taking ownership of Duke in the process.
The next night, Williston’s selectboard met and voted to grant $2,000 to Richmond to jumpstart its program, leaving about $8,000 in Williston’s comfort dog fund — raised primarily through donations over the past four years — that the police department plans to use for continued community outreach. But reinstating a comfort dog program is not in Williston’s immediate future, according to Police Chief Patrick Foley. With the departure of Cohen, the police department has four officer vacancies and is attempting to stand up a detective unit and bring on a social worker.
“Being four positions down, it’s hard to justify it,” Foley said. “We have a lot of growth that is planned here over the years, and that will be a program we will look to re-institute once we get back up to full strength.”
Meanwhile, Cohen has become the only police officer in
Selectboard considers final ARPA grants
Board has $1.4 million in federal funds to spend locally
BY INDIRA BUSH AND JASON STARR
Williston has about $1.4 million dollars left to spend from the original $3 million given in federal spending money from the American Rescue Plan Act — a 2021 pandemic recovery law known as ARPA.
This summer, the Williston Selectboard is whittling a wide-ranging list of potential
infrastructure upgrades, studies, repairs and maintenance to determine the best use of the funds. The U.S. Treasury gave small towns like Williston wide leeway on how to spend the funds, but it did set a deadline of 2026 to spend them. Through an accounting move earlier this year, where the funds were transferred to a “Community Projects Fund,” the board has freed itself from any deadline to spend the money.
During a meeting Tuesday, board members agreed to take what is now a list of roughly 60 potential projects — some suggested by town administrators, others by citizens — and shorten it to 10 priorities.
Each board member plans to present their list of 10 at the board’s July 16 meeting.
“We’ve had this money for quite a while, and I would like us to allocate it sooner rather than later,” selectboard member Greta D’Agostino said.
Some of the bigger-ticket items on the list include a fire suppression system at the Old Brick Church, which voters rejected taking on debt for during Town Meeting Day in March; design work for a library addition on the Town Green; a feasibility and location study for a community-recreation center; Town Hall parking lot improvements, including drainage, electric vehicle
charging stations, additional parking spaces and improved lighting (this project was also rejected by voters at Town Meeting); various water, sewer and stormwater projects; a radio communications tower on Old Creamery Road for emergency response; and repairing the Allen Brook bridge at Village Community Park damaged in December flooding (the bridge remains closed).
Projects recommended by community members include donations to the Williston Community Food Shelf; support for upgrades at Allen Brook Memory Care; property tax relief; and pickleball courts, among others.
Newborn Duke was donated to the Town of Williston in 2020 by Boonefield Labradors in New Hampshire as a comfort dog for the Williston Police Department.
Duke, a Labrador retriever and Vermont’s first police comfort dog, was transferred from Williston to the Richmond Police Department in June when his handler, Officer Matt Cohen, took a new job in Richmond.
Isham Barn brings storytellers, filmmakers to Williston
The Isham Barn Theater on the Isham Family Farm is hosting a live storytelling event, “Barn Yarns,” on July 11.
Billed as “an evening of Vermont’s finest storytellers,” the event will bring Bill Shubart, Mark Redmond, Bill Torrey, Britt Flynn, Dennis McSorley and others to the stage.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are available in advance at www.sevendaystickets. com for $15 and at the door for $20.
Later in July, the barn will host the “Williston Film Festival.” The two-day film festival is set for July 19-20 and will bring together filmmakers Elaine McMillion Sheldon, Curren Sheldon, Matteo Moretti, Ryan Boera, Macaulay Lerman, Thea Wren, Molly Born, George Woodward, Jackie Heltz, Seirra Urich and James Heltz.
The evening of Friday, July 19 will feature a meet-andgreet with the filmmakers and a showing of 5-10 minute short films. Saturday, July 20 is the festival’s main event, with a series of feature films and discussions with the filmmakers. The lineup includes “Lake Effect” by Jackie Heltz; “The Farm Boy” by George Woodard; “Joonam” by Seirra Urich; and “King Coal” by Elaine McMillion Sheldon.
Tickets are available at www.sevendaystickets.com for $35 for both days or $20 for one of the two days.
School’s ‘in’ for summer
First graders and second graders work on craft projects Tuesday at the Williston Recreation and Parks Department’s summer camp that takes place at Williston Central School. Fifth and sixth grade campers play soccer in the sunshine. A fourth grade camper gets out excess energy on the school playground’s monkey bars.
A locally owned gift shop
TOP TO BOTTOM:
OBSERVER
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Richmond. The town has four police department positions, but they were all vacant until Cohen’s hiring, Arneson said. The town continues to contract with the Hinesburg Police Department and the Vermont State Police to provide law enforcement coverage for Richmond residents.
“(Hiring Cohen) is our first step toward building back the department,” said Arneson. “Along with Matt came the canine, and we’re happy to have them both.”
Cohen said he has long been drawn to Richmond’s charm. He was married at the town’s landmark Round Church and enjoys
“Departments are just beginning to see the benefits that come with prioritizing the mental health of victims and firstresponders.”
Matt Cohen Richmond Police
paddling the Winooski River there and teaching his kids to ski at Cochran’s ski area.
“When the opportunity to work in town presented itself I took it,” he said.
He had worked in Williston for nearly 14 years.
Cohen plans to continue to deploy Duke for emergency response and community outreach and provide a model for other law enforcement agencies around the state to follow.
“Comfort dogs are new to policing,” Cohen said. “Many agencies view them as a luxury, as they have been policing without them for decades. Departments are just beginning to see the benefits that come with prioritizing the mental health of victims and first-responders. I believe, in time, when agencies are able to fill vacancies, more departments will be able to start their own comfort dog programs.”
Lambs
Officer Matt Cohen trained retriever Duke to be Vermont’s first police comfort dog working alongside Williston police officers. Cohen has accepted a position with the Richmond Police, bringing Duke to the neigbhoring town.
Nurse strike looms as hospital preps backup plan
BY GRAHAM KREWINGHAUS VTDigger
Nurses at the University of Vermont Medical Center plan to strike next week if they’re unable to reach a deal on a new con-
tract with hospital administration, union representatives announced Tuesday.
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Topsoil and Mulch
*Closed Thursday, July 4
The strike would last five days — beginning July 12 — barring an agreement reached before then. Hospital officials said Tuesday morning they are putting a contingency plan in place, including hiring a strike company to provide temporary nurses.
It would be the second strike in recent years at Vermont’s largest hospital, following a two-day one in 2018.
The Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals represents nearly 2,000 nurses at UVM Medical Center. For the past three months, they have been in contract negotiations with the hospital, asking for significant pay increases. The hospital has countered with raise offers the union says are “far away” from where they need to be and has not been willing to move enough on them during bargaining sessions, said union President Deb Snell.
Annie Mackin, chief spokesperson for the UVM Health Network, which includes the UVM Medical Center and two other Vermont hospitals, detailed some of the hospital’s contingency plans in a press release Tuesday morning.
“UVM Medical Center has put in motion
plans to bring in professional external staff, and if needed, reschedule certain elective procedures. Patients will be contacted by their provider if they will be impacted,” she wrote, adding that all emergency services will remain operational and the hospital will have in place a “24/7 incident command structure.”
The two sides could still agree on a contract in their two remaining bargaining sessions on Wednesday and Monday. The current contract expires on July 9. However, the union’s announcement fulfills the federal requirement of 10 days advance notice before any nursing strike.
Last week, the union said it was asking for 40 percent raises, while the hospital was offering an 11 percent increase. The hospital, on the other hand, said those numbers were 46 percent and 17 percent, respectively — figures that include three 2 percent annual raises already promised to most nurses.
continued from page 4
Mackin said in the Tuesday release that, as of Monday’s bargaining session, both sides had moved toward the middle. The hospital is now offering a 20 percent raise over three years, while the union is proposing 31 percent, she wrote, including the 6 percent from the annual raises.
“We have put forward a proposal that is competitive, serious and designed to continue the progress we’ve been making on recruitment and retention, and we have adjusted that proposal as we work to reach an agreement,” UVM Medical Center President Stephen Leffler wrote in the release.
However, Snell said at a Tuesday press conference that the hospital’s adjustments thus far have been inadequate, noting that the union’s team reduced its offer by more than the hospital increased its offer.
“We have definitely made concessions to our proposal,” Snell said. “Some of our members were not happy about it, but we knew to be in good faith bargaining, we needed to make some movement. We did. And we’re not seeing the same kind of movement from UVMMC.”
In a press conference later Tuesday afternoon, Leffler said that their 20 percent offer is limited as the top end of what they are able to fit into their overall budget for next year. The hospital submits its budget to the Green Mountain Care Board later
this week, he said.
“What we have on the table right now is what we can manage within the budget,” Leffler said. “Anything beyond what we’re submitting would either require increased commercial rates or decreases in services and programs at the medical center. The expense would have to come from something else.”
The union has said that nurses need significant raises to be able to afford to live in the Burlington area and that those in turn could help the hospital’s recruitment and retention, allowing them to reduce its reliance on traveling nurses.
Leffler said last week that the union and the hospital have the same goal in that respect, but they don’t have the money to pay for raises in the 40 percent range. He estimated the union’s ask would cost $300 million over the next three years and would require an increase in charges to commercial insurers.
The hospital’s offer last week included a 2 percent bonus upon ratification if the contract was agreed upon by Friday, money that Mackin said is now being used to pay to a strike company and is off the bargaining table.
“UVM Medical Center has contracted with a nursing staffing agency to bring in contingency nurses to join teams throughout the hospital — both in its inpatient and outpatient settings,” Mackin wrote. “Now that the hospital has been served with a 10-day strike notice, the hospital must begin significantly increasing payments to this firm.”
GUEST COLUMN
Little hope for Afghan refugees in Vermont
BY VERMONT AFGHAN ALLIANCE
June 20 was World Refugee Day, dedicated to honoring the resilience and courage of refugees worldwide. The theme for this year is “Hope Away from Home,” which unfortunately rings hollow for many of the more than 500 Afghans now resettled in Vermont. These individuals, who courageously served alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan, face significant challenges and unmet promises.
These Afghans risked their lives and the safety of their families to support U.S. missions. In return for their invaluable service, the U.S. government promised them relocation to the United States and the opportunity to reunite with their families. Unfortunately, almost three years later, many of these promises remain unfulfilled.
Since their arrival, many Afghans, mostly men on their own, have encountered numerous challenges, including extensive immigration processing delays, sep -
Without family reunification, these Afghans are left in limbo, caught between a place they cannot return to and a new home with little hope or future ... Without confirmation as to when, or if, wives and children will ever be evacuated and resettled in Vermont, they are tormented emotionally and unable to fully invest in a new life in this country.
aration from their families, and substantial economic hardships. Many are working long hours, often exceeding 60 hours per week, to send money back to their families who are still in Afghanistan. Many of their families face constant threats of extortion or death by the Taliban. As a result, children are growing up without their fathers, and wives are enduring prolonged separations from their husbands.
sustainable, it’s inhumane. With out family reunification, these Afghans are left in limbo, caught
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between a place they cannot return to and a new home with little hope or future. What is more, without confirmation as to when, or if, wives and children will ever be evacuated and resettled in Vermont, they are tormented emotionally and unable to fully invest in a new life in this country.
Not a day goes by that we do
not witness the agony of these individuals, whom we work to support through essential services. We serve as their interpreters, case workers, driving instructors and employment advisors. More than that, we serve as a welcoming space and we lend an ear for their struggles here in Vermont, for their loneliness and isolation and their learning to navigate a new culture. We offer hot tea, dried fruit and a welcome home at our office. We host cultural celebrations to ease, to the extent possible, the pain of being far away from family. The strength of those we serve is unparalleled, but we are deeply concerned for their wellbeing.
On World Refugee Day, we urge the U.S. government to honor commitments to these individuals who sacrificed so much for this country. We urge the U.S. government to recog-
nize the inhumanity of the present existence of these Afghans and to take urgent, tangible steps to bring their families to safety in Vermont.
The United States has a moral obligation to uphold promises made and to provide refuge to those who have stood by this country in times of need. On World Refugee Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to these Afghan allies and take concrete steps to ensure their families are safe, have dignity, and have a future in the United States.
This commentary was submitted by the staff of the Vermont Afghan Alliance — Molly Gray, Anne Miller, Hamed Noorzai, Drukhshan Farhad and Yassin Hashimi. The Vermont Afghan Alliance is a non-profit organization working to serve the growing Afghan community in Vermont.
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.
YOUTH PROGRAMS
Children in fourth grade and younger must be supervised by someone over 16 years of age.
SATURDAY STORYTIME
Saturday, July 6, 10:30-11 a.m. Start your weekend off with Cindy’s storytime.
STORYTIME
Tuesday, July 9, 10:30-11 a.m. Drop in for stories on the Town Green.
MUSIC AND PLAYTIME
Thursdays, July 11 and 18, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Sing with Linda then stay to play on the Town Green.
LYRIC THEATRE: “THE RAINBOW FISH” MUSICAL
Saturday, July 13, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Drop in on the Town Green for one of Lyric Theatre’s performances of “The Rainbow Fish.” Registration through www.lyrictheatrevt.org is encouraged to reserve a seat for the rain location (Williston Central School gym).
FRENCH STORYTIME
Saturday, July 13, 10:1510:45 a.m. Enjoy stories read aloud in French.
VERY MERRY THEATRE: “FINDING NEMO JR.”
Tuesday, July 16, 12-1 p.m.
Come enjoy Very Merry Theatre’s youth performance of “Finding Nemo Jr.” On the Town Green. (Rain location: Williston Central School).
BABY TIME
Wednesday, July 17, 10:30-11 a.m. Enjoy gentle bonding and so-
cializing activities with your baby.
TEEN NIGHT: FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Thursday, July 18, 5-6 p.m. Ages 12-plus. Join our teen advisory board. You bring the thoughts, we bring the food.
MULTI-AGE PROGRAMS
READ TO A DOG (ROCKO)
Monday, July 8, 1-2 p.m. Sign up for a 10-minute session to read to Rocko the therapy dog.
CRAFT CIRCLE
Monday, July 15, 5-6 p.m. All ages. Bring your current project and work on it in the company of other crafters.
SUMMER READING: ADVENTURE BEGINS AT YOUR LIBRARY
Williston and St. George residents can participate in the Summer Reading Challenge. Youth and adults are invited to join the challenge to earn rewards and enter raffles for prizes. Tracking takes place June 15-Aug. 11. Visit www.damlvt.org for registration details.
ADULT PROGRAMS
For online programs or to join a book club, email daml@damlvt.org.
JULY SPICE CLUB: NIGELLA SEEDS
Stop in for a sample of the month’s highlighted spice along with information about the spice’s profile, uses and recipes to try. Email us a picture of your creation or a review of your recipe.
ADULT PUZZLE SWAP
All month. Bring in your gently used puzzles (300-plus pieces) and swap them for something new to you.
ADULT MEDITATION (ONLINE)
Fridays in July, 12-12:30 p.m. Get
in touch with your peaceful breath.
MAH JONGG
Fridays, July 5, 12 and 19. Drop in to play this popular tile game with community members. All abilities.
LIFE STORIES (ONLINE)
Wednesday, July 10, 2-3:30 p.m. This month’s topic: Who are you and where do you come from? Tell us a little bit about your hometown and growing up.
ADULT CRAFTERNOON: Shell Trinket Dishes see LIBRARY
OBITUARIES
Bill Haddock
Bill Haddock passed away peacefully surrounded by family and dear friends on June 5, 2024. Although the last five years were filled with the many challenges that Alzheimer’s Disease brings, Bill held onto his sense of humor and would often bring a smile to people’s faces. He would still delight at watching children play, much as he had when his sons Haynes, Luke and Matt were kids. The quintessential extravert, he would happily join a conversation in his own unique warm style.
Music was a great passion and he continued to sing whether it was with the Richmond Senior group, a special Dementia singing gathering or with family and
friends. His beautiful voice was even able to belt out “You are my Sunshine” until close to the end. He truly found his home in Richmond and continued to enjoy his walks on his beloved Snipe Ireland Road, often accompanied by friends and his loyal dog Luna.
Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Bill was proud of his southern roots. He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and attended the University of Georgia which transformed him
into a lifelong Bulldog fan. Years later he received an MA in Counseling Psychology from Antioch, New England.
Summers were spent up at Blackrock, a family home in the north Georgia mountains, where Bill had so many happy memories. Bill’s passion for music was nurtured at an early age when he was chosen through a competitive selection process to be a member of the Appollo Boys Choir, a nationally-renowned choir, based in Palm Beach, Florida. Modeled after the Vienna Boys Choir, the group toured throughout the country and was instrumental in developing Bill’s love of classical music.
After college, he spent several years in NYC where he worked as a social worker with minority groups. In 1969 he moved to Vermont where he would spend the next 55 years continuing to help people in various positions including as a social service consultant for the state of Vermont and later through his own business called Lifetypes, providing personal and vocational counseling to individuals and couples. He also held positions as an adjunct faculty member at UVM, NECI and Burlington College teaching courses in personality theory and learning styles.
During his retirement years he enjoyed
substitute teaching and loved to bring history to life for his students by talking about his experience meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a student at the University of Georgia. He also spent many years writing the Business Beat column for the Times Ink, Richmond’s local newspaper.
In his leisure time Bill loved anything outdoors: camping, fly-fishing, canoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing, astronomy and, of course, Georgia football. He instilled these passions for nature in his three sons.
Bill leaves, Gina, his beloved wife of 34 years; sons, Haynes (Dana) of Bowling Green, Kentucky; Luke (Emily); Matt (Hope); grandchildren Anna and Daniel; his niece, Ashley LeConte Campbell and nephews Scott Campbell, Stewart and Karl Haddock of Atlanta, Georgia along with many dear friends who have been just like family.
A celebration of Bill’s life will take place at the Richmond Congregational Church on Wednesday, July 10 at 1 pm. To celebrate Bill’s life, please consider doing a random act of kindness or hug someone you love. If you wish to make a donation, gifts can be made to the Richmond Congregational Church or the Alzheimer’s Association.
Library
continued from page 7
Thursday, July 11, 2-3 p.m. Turn something shellfish into a sweet place to keep your rings. Preregister.
ADULT RPG: WHITE BOX
Thursday, July 11, 5:30-8 p.m. Join our two-hour fantasy role-playing game for adults. Register online for details.
FRENCH CONVERSATION
Saturday, July 13, 10:45-11:45 a.m. Practice your French. All levels welcome.
BOOK CLUB BUFFET (ONLINE)
Tuesday July 16, 12:30-1:30. “Learning to Swim” by Sara J. Henry.
COOK THE BOOK
Wednesday July 17, 12-1 p.m.
Picnic on the patio as we play culinary bingo and try appetizers from “America’s Test Kitchen Boards.” Stop by the library to copy a recipe, or read the eBook in Libby (Overdrive).
June 6 at 3:53 p.m. — Suspicious male and female in Dick’s Sporting Goods. They were moved along.
June 6 at 4:04 p.m. — Report of a stolen wallet at Sandri. Case is still under investigation.
June 7 at 8:36 a.m. — Assisted Williston Rescue with an unresponsive male. Male was transported to the hospital.
June 7 at 12:51 p.m. — Suspicious vehicle parked in Maple Tree Place. Male and female were moved along.
June 7 at 11:09 p.m. — Male attempting to load a grill into his car at Home Depot without paying. Management was able to stop the male and he took off. Officers unable to locate the male.
June 8 at 3:42 a.m. — Traffic stop conducted. Vehicle was a stolen vehicle. Male operator had an ac-
tive arrest warrant and was cited to appear in court for operation without consent and false information to a police officer.
June 8 at 10:28 a.m. — Multiple vehicles broken into on Madison Drive.
June 8 at 2:22 p.m. — Report of a female who had been kidnapped. Call was a scam. No one had been kidnapped.
June 8 at 4:44 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Home Depot. Female suspect was issued a citation to appear in court for retail theft.
June 9 at 2:18 a.m. — Report of someone laying on the side of the interstate. It was a deceased deer.
June 9 at 9:39 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Walmart. Female suspect was located and issued a citation to appear in court for retail theft.
June 10 at 12:16 p.m. — Report of two females trying to take merchandise at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Management got property back. Officers issued a notice of trespass to both females.
June 10 at 6:01 p.m. — Assisted Williston Rescue with male having a mental health crisis. Male was transported to the hospital for evaluation.
June 11 at 2:05 p.m. — Assisted Rick’s Towing while recovering a vehicle that went off the road.
June 11 at 9:57 p.m. — Report of a stolen purse on Walnut Street. Case is still under investigation.
June 12 at 1:26 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Ulta Beauty. Female suspect was identified and an arrest warrant was issued.
June 12 at 3:06 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Marshalls. Male suspect was located, items were returned and male was issued a notice of trespass.
June 13 at 2:08 a.m. — Attempted traffic stop resulted in car fleeing from officers. Officers were unable to locate the vehicle.
June 13 at 9:04 p.m. — Retail theft reported at Marshalls. Male suspect was located and issued a citation to appear in court for retail theft.
Time for Republicans
A political party holds a national meeting called a convention before a presidential election. At that meeting, representatives from each state, called delegates, announce which candidate they have chosen to run for president.
The candidate also may announce his or her choice for a running mate, who would be vice president.
At the convention, members of the party also discuss the party’s platform, or its ideas and goals about different issues facing the country.
This year, the Republican National Convention takes place July 15 through 18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at the Fiserv Forum, a large arena. It is expected that the party’s nominee for president will be former President Donald J. Trump.
Trump became president in 2016. In 2020, Joseph R. Biden was elected. He is expected to be the Democratic nominee in 2024.
Past conventions
The first national political conventions were held about 185 years ago, in the 1830s. At one time in our history, no one knew who the nominee would be until after the convention. Delegates voted for whichever candidate they wanted. In fact, in 1968,
Next Week: The world goes to Paris
Mini Fact: Delegates at the convention listen to speeches and vote on party issues.
Democratic delegates chose a candidate who had won no primary elections!
This will be Milwaukee’s first time hosting the convention.
Meet Milwaukee
Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin, a north-central state. About 600,000 people live there. The city lies on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Indigenous peoples have lived in the area for many thousands of years, including Ojibwe and Potawatomi tribes. Later, French explorers settled in the area. Many German immigrants came to the region in the mid1800s looking for inexpensive farmland. Milwaukee still celebrates a German Fest and Oktoberfest each year.
The Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks play major league baseball and basketball in the city. Residents enjoy the Milwaukee River, many parks, forests and nature centers.
has
humid
with
Founded by Betty Debnam
photo by Isaac Rowlett
Donald J. Trump
Try ’n’ Find
Words that remind us of the Republican National Convention are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:
CANDIDATE, CONVENTION, DELEGATE, FARMLAND, GERMAN, ISSUE, MICHIGAN, MILWAUKEE, NOMINEE, PARTY, PLATFORM, POLITICAL, PRESIDENT, REPUBLICAN, SPEECH, TRUMP, VOTE, WISCONSIN.
Mini Spy Classics
Spy and her friends are listening to a speech at the Republican convention. See
* Does not include alternate delegates.
Resources
On the Web:
• bit.ly/MPRepublicans
At the library:
sock
number 2
number 3
letter B
letter
• “Political Parties: A Kid’s Guide” by Cari Meister
For later:
Find your state in the list above. How does it compare in number of delegates to other states you’ve been to? Which state has the most delegates? Which state has the fewest?
Teachers: Follow and interact with The Mini Page on Facebook!
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
My wife and I had our estate plan — including a will, power of attorney and advance directive — drawn up about 10 years ago but have recently read that our plan should include a digital will
SAVVY SENIOR
too. What can you tell us about this?
Almost 80
Dear Almost,
If you or your wife spend much time online, adding a separate digital will document to your estate plan that provides a list of your digital assets would be extremely helpful to your loved ones when you die, not to mention it will help protect your privacy. Here’s what you should know.
DO YOU HAVE ‘DIGITAL ASSETS’?
The term “digital assets” refers to personal information that is stored electronically on either a computer or an online cloud server account that belongs to an individual. Anyone who uses email, has a cell phone, makes online purchases, or pays bills online has digital assets.
Digital assets generally require a username and a password or personal identification number (PIN) to access, and can be difficult if not impossible to retrieve if someone is incapacitated or passes away.
Creating a digital will (also known as a digital estate plan) will help your loved ones access your electronic devices and online accounts more easily so they can
manage your electronic affairs, according to your wishes, after you’re gone. This in turn will also protect your digital assets from hackers or fraud, which can happen to dormant accounts after you die.
HOW TO WRITE A DIGITAL WILL
Your first step in creating a digital will is to make an inventory list of your digital assets, which includes everything from hardware to email accounts. Here are a few categories to help kick-start your list:
— Electronic devices (computer, smartphone, tablet, external hard drive)
— Digital files (for photos, videos or documents)
Financial accounts (like bank and brokerage accounts, credit cards and cryptocurrency)
— Bill paying accounts (utilities, mortgage accounts)
— Social media accounts (like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn)
Email accounts (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc.)
— Cloud-storage accounts (like Google Cloud, iCloud, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive)
Movie or music streaming services (like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Apple Music)
Online purchasing accounts
(like Venmo or PayPal)
Subscription services (magazines, newspapers, Amazon Prime, etc.)
Reward programs (travel, stores, etc.)
— Membership organizations (AARP, AAA, etc.)
When making your list, you’ll need to include usernames, passwords, PINS, account numbers and security questions for accessing each account. And provide instructions on how you want your assets managed after your death. For example: Do you want certain accounts closed, archived or transferred? Do you want specific files or photos to be deleted or shared with loved ones? Do you want your social media profiles memorialized or deleted? Be clear and specific about your wishes. You’ll also need to appoint a digital executor that you trust to execute your wishes after you die. From a legal perspective, you should know that most states have enacted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA), which legally recognizes digital estates. This law gives your personal representative or executor legally protected access to your online accounts.
Once your digital will is writsee SAVVY page 14
TODAY’S HISTORY: I
• In 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
• In 1826, founding fathers John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
• In 1960, the modern version of the American flag (with 50 stars) debuted at a ceremony in Philadelphia.
• In 1997, NASA’s Pathfinder space probe landed on Mars.
• In 2012, the discovery of Higgs boson-like particles through experiments at the Large Hadron Collider was announced at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
TODAY’S FACT:
• Renowned advice columnists Eppie Lederer and Pauline Phillips, known as Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren (“Dear Abby”) respectively, were twin sisters, born on this day in 1918.
1 acacia eater (7)
2 Pisa’s is leaning (5)
3 climber ’s conquest (8)
4 maritime beacon (10)
5 stack of stories (10)
6 giant conifer (7)
7 Angel or Yosemite (9)
CLASSIFIEDS
TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA
Tuesday, July 9, 2024 – 7:00 PM
Town Hall Meeting Room (Town Hall, 7900 Williston Rd, use rear entrance) or Zoom Meeting ID 846 5863 3532 on zoom. us/join or call 1-646-558-8656
Join our team.
We are excited to be expanding our headquarters in Burlington, Vermont and are looking for talented individuals to join our team.
DP 09-01.27 Rieley Properties, LLC & The Snyder FC Commercial Properties, LLC request a discretionary permit for a 2 lot subdivision of 3.08-ac to separate 27 Market St (0.83-ac, future building pad site) and 69 Market St (2.25-ac, L.L.Bean building) in the TCZD and TBFBC Overlay District.
DP 24-15 Engineers Construction, Inc. requests discretionary permit review of the proposed ±2,855 SF addition and
associated site work for the existing ±7,080 SF building at 99 Engineers Dr in the IZDW.
DP 24-21 Mochi Investments requests discretionary permit review of proposed site modifications at 151 Ave C in the IZDW.
Project details and site plans are available on the website, town.williston.vt.us, under “Public Records and Documents”, then “Agendas & Minutes”, and “Development Review Board”. Contact Planning & Zoning Office for more information: 802-878-6704 or email planning@willistonvt.org. FOR SALE
CAST IRON—Set of 3 cast iron fry pans. 6”, 8” 10”. Made in the USA. Call (802) 305-9433.
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ten, store it with your other estate to it. Also remember to keep your digital will updated regularly
have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of those have been raccoons.
RABIES BAIT
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unvaccinated pets and livestock can also get rabies. The virus is spread through the bite of an infected animal or contact with its
tive
Rabies
its
According to wildlife officials, rabid animals often show a change in their normal behavior, but you cannot tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it. People should not touch or pick up wild animals or strays – even baby animals.
saliva. If left untreated, rabies is almost always fatal in humans and animals. However, treatment with the rabies vaccine is nearly 100 percent effective when given soon after a person is bitten by a rabid animal.
So far this year, 23 animals in Vermont have tested positive for rabies, and 14 of those have been raccoons.
According to wildlife officials, rabid animals often show a change in their normal behavior, but you cannot tell whether an animal has rabies simply by looking at it. People should not touch or pick up wild animals or strays – even baby animals.
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SHELBURNE continued
Shelburne display
SHELBURNE
Dramatic win buoys plans for a new women’s soccer team
BY SHAUN ROBINSON VTDigger
Vermont Green FC’s women’s soccer team ended its first-ever match last weekend in what was, probably, the most dramatic way possible.
After leading their opponent — FC Laval of Quebec — 1-0 for much of the second half, Vermont Green conceded a goal just minutes before the final whistle. That sent the game to a tie-breaking set of penalty kicks, which the Green went on to win, 5-4.
“We’ve kind of not stopped talking about it,” said Patrick Infurna, one of the club’s founders, as co-founder Matt Wolff sat nearby nodding his head. “I think it just ignited something really important in the entire organization.”
The June 22 game was a friendly competition — it didn’t count for league standings or for tournament seeds. But to Infurna, the result was, in some ways, beside the point. He said the game was really meant to showcase the state’s appetite for organized women’s soccer, as Vermont Green builds up a permanent women’s team in the coming years.
The Burlington-based club is in its third year fielding a men’s team, which competes in a summertime semi-professional league mainly against other teams from the Northeast.
Close to 3,000 people attended Saturday’s game at the University of Vermont’s Virtue Field, according to the club’s website — a sellout crowd, and then some.
Hundreds more were watching a livestream online. In fact, club leaders said, the game was the most-watched, men’s or women’s, in team history.
The match also got a boost from a big name: Sam Mewis, who won the 2019 World Cup with the U.S. women’s national soccer team and whom Vermont Green recruited to coach, and help train, its women’s team. Mewis, who is
31, moved to Vermont earlier this year after retiring from her professional soccer career in the U.S. and the U.K.
Infurna said he expects Mewis to stay involved with the club, though he isn’t sure yet exactly in what capacity.
“I cared about that game literally more than I have cared about anything in so long,” Mewis said in a statement provided by the club after Saturday’s game. “That was so awesome. I am so proud of the team.”
In some ways, fans might have come to expect a win from Vermont Green’s women’s team —
and not just because of its A-list coach. The men’s side has found breakout success over the past three years, consistently finishing near the top of its division and, earlier this year, even making a foray into a major national soccer tournament.
Currently, there are no active professional or semi-professional women’s soccer teams in the state, according to Infurna. Vermont Fusion, a soccer club in Manchester, has fielded a team in the national Women’s Premier Soccer League in the past but is not doing so this year.
Like the men’s team, most of the women Vermont Green fielded last weekend play for college soccer teams during the academic year.
“It was surreal, I have never played in front (of) a crowd that size and with that much electricity,” said Olivia White, a UVM women’s soccer player who also captained the Vermont Green side last week. “It was very exciting. All of the girls were really excited, and it’s a feeling that I will never forget.”
Infurna said that Vermont Green does not have the capacity, right now, to field a permanent women’s team alongside its men’s team. The club is still a small, grassroots organization, he said, with few staff and limited financial resources.
But he noted that having both teams — in addition to a dedicated program for kids — was always part of his and Wolff’s vision, going back to when they and others first started planning to launch the organization in 2020. He said the club is moving as quickly as it can.
“We want people to hold us accountable. We want them to say, ‘Let’s get that women’s team.’ We want that positive pressure from fans,” Infurna said.
Vermont Green aims to have at least one exhibition game with a women’s team next summer, Infurna said — and ideally two or three.
Vermont Green FC women’s team coach Sam Mewis, center, celebrates with fans after the team won its first-ever match in Burlington on Saturday.
PHOTO COURTESY OF VERMONT GREEN FC.