Town Hall parking lot question placed on ballot
Board approves bonding question ahead of November election
BY JASON STARR Observer staff
The Williston Selectboard on Tuesday unanimously approved a question to voters for borrowing authority of up to $400,000 for improvements to the parking lot behind Town Hall.
The question will appear on the General Election ballots mailed by the Vermont Secretary of State’s office to every registered town voter ahead of the Nov. 5 election. This follows voter rejection of a similar proposal during the Town Meeting Day election in March. That question asked for up to $700,000.
Since then, the town has received a $200,000 state grant for the project, committed $200,000 in funds it received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and scaled back the lighting plan to reduce costs.
“This number is a big departure from the bonding amount we were asking for at Town Meeting Day,” selectboard member Greta
D’Agostino said.
The total project cost is estimated at $860,000. Plans include adding roughly 30 spaces to the lot, improving drainage to reduce puddling and icing, adding lighting, repaving and installing conduits for future electric vehicle charging.
“Our parking lot needs to be safe,” D’Agostino said. “I do think this is imperative.”
The town faced a deadline of this week to get the question on the ballot, where it will appear alongside choices for U.S. president and Congress as well as local representation in the Vermont Legislature. Town Manager Erik Wells plans to hold a public informational meeting the night before election day, Nov. 4 in the Williston Central School auditorium, to explain the project to voters. That meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Before approving the bond question Tuesday, the board approved a “necessity resolution” that states, in part: “The Selectboard … has concluded and determined that the public interest and necessity demand that the Town undertake a capital improvement project to expand and improve the municipal parking lot.”
Back in the swing
Fall sports are ramping up at CVU with the Redhawks volleyball team hosting tryouts this week. For more from tryouts, see Page 14.
WVPD nears deal on new public park in Williston
29-acre town-owned parcel fronts the Winooski River
BY JASON STARR Observer staff
Plans for a new riverside park in Williston are progressing on a 29-acre parcel that was donated to the town in 2019.
Known as the Jacob parcel, the land fronts the Winooski River across from GlobalFoundries’ campus in Essex Junction. It was gifted to the public by Peter Jacob, a retired Chittenden County land developer and one of the founders of the Champlain Water District.
Shortly after the town acquired the land,
Winooski Valley Parks District (WVPD) leaders presented the idea of adding it to the district’s portfolio of 18 local parks and natural areas that it manages to “provide residents the opportunity to experience the natural environment with minimal human disturbance,” the wvpd.org website states.
Creating a parking area and trail to access the parcel has been a primary hurdle. But recent talks between the district and GlobalFoundries about a land transfer for a parking lot off Mountain View Road and an easement for a gravel trail that would lead to the parcel have picked up pace, according to WVPD Parks Superintendent Tim Larned. GlobalFoundries owns land on both the Essex and Williston sides of the river.
“Our conversations are progressing with GlobalFoundries on our ability to have a parking lot,” Larned told Williston Conservation Commission members during a Wednesday morning meeting. “It seems promising. It’s progressed more than it ever has.”
The proposed parking lot site is located between Paya’s Auto dealership and Mama’s Farm — a chicken, goat and vegetable grower. The Jacob parcel is about a half-mile from the parking lot and has existing trails, Larned said.
Acquiring the parking area is “the first domino to fall” in welcoming the public to the park, Larned said. Other necessities are receiving an easement from GlobalFoundries
see PARK page 3
OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY
The red dot marks the location of the Jacob parcel.
Around
Town
First-year music, camping fest planned for Williston’s Red Barn Gardens
A new music festival called “A Day in the Sun — Spirit of Vermont Festival” is scheduled to take place Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Red Barn Gardens on Route 2 near the Williston-Richmond town line. The festival is billed as “an expression of all things bountiful and joyous; a release of musical inhibition. Beautiful flowers and immersive sounds.”
On the bill are Burlington-area bands Guerilla Toss, Robber Robber and Greaseface. According to an Aug. 7 report in Seven Days, the festival will feature overnight camping and music Sunday morning.
Event organizers are expecting 250 people to attend, according to an event permit application with the Town of Williston.
Williston schools Four Winds Program seeks volunteers
The Four Winds program at Williston’s public schools is looking for volunteers to support nature lessons for students in and around Williston Central and Allen Brook schools. The theme is “patterns in nature.” Volunteers will present an hour long lesson about insects, leaves, conifers, snowflakes and animal tracks. A monthly training to teach volunteers the hands-on activities is included.
The program is created by the Four Winds Nature Institute (www.fwni.org). Email wsdfourwinds@cvsdvt.org with interest.
CVSD board kicks off meetings for new school year
The first Champlain Valley School Board meeting of the 202425 academic year will be Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. in Room 160 at CVU High School in Hinesburg. School board meetings can be attended in person or via Zoom. They are also streamed live by the Media Factory at www.mediafactory.org/cvsd.
The school board meets regularly on the third Tuesday of each month. Agendas and Zoom links are posted online at www.cvsdvt. org/Page/604. The agenda for Aug. 27 is not yet posted.
Williston resident to step down after exemplary lake stewardship career
Lori Fisher of Williston has announced her retirement at the end of this year as the longtime executive director of the Lake Champlain Committee of Vermont, New York and Quebec.
In this role for more than 30 years, Fisher has worked to protect and restore the health of Lake Champlain and support lake-protection legislation in the Vermont Statehouse
“Lori was a great help to me when I wrote the original Lake Champlain Special Designation Act in the early 1990’s and has been a lynchpin to the successful implementation of the act ever since,” Patrick Leahy, former Vermont Senator, said in a news release.
The Lake Champlain Committee board is seeking Fisher’s successor. Job details can be found at www.lakechamplaincommittee. org.
“I am deeply honored to have had this wonderful job and to work on lake protection with such a steadfast board and dedicated community of staff, members, volunteers and partners,” Fisher said. “I look forward to continuing to play a role in LCC’s mission after my retirement but in a different way and to trading time in meetings for more time on the water.”
Route 2A road and traffic signal work continues
The Vermont Agency of Transportation and Engineers Construction Inc. will be replacing a culvert underneath Route 2A near Maple Tree Place starting this week, causing overnight lane closures between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. The project will also include roadway reconstruction and paving of the replacement area. The project is expected to be completed by the end of October.
A half-mile to the north, also on Route 2A, VTrans is installing a new traffic signal and turning
lane at Alpine Drive, where the new Annex neighborhood is under construction. Drivers can expect daytime alternating one-way traffic in the coming weeks.
Industrial Ave. pedestrian bridge closed indefinitely
A pedestrian bridge that parallels Industrial Avenue over the Allen Brook has been closed indefinitely due to structural concerns.
A recent inspection of the bridge revealed rusting, according to Williston Town Manager Erik Wells, and town staff decided to close it until further notice. Replacement cost is estimated at $500,000, Wells said, adding “it may take multiple years for a replacement to occur.”
Fire department, town staff departures announced
Williston Fire Department Captain Prescott Nadeau has accepted a position as chief of the Hinesburg Fire Department. Nadeau served with the Williston Fire Department for 14 years as a firefighter and the department’s public information officer. In other town staff news, Recreation Program Coordinator Alex Mihavics is leaving the town Recreation Department after roughly 14 months.
National Guard unveils new logo
The Vermont National Guard unveiled a new logo earlier this month. The logo features an armed minuteman posed in front of Camel’s Hump. The green mountains combined with the blue sky and white stars on the logo represent the Vermont battle flag.
The year 1770 at the bottom of the logo is the year of establishment of the Green Mountain Boys. The logo also features the state slogan, “Freedom and Unity.”
The Vermont National Guard credits Julie Paroline and Marcus Tracy with the logo design.
Lori Fisher
for public access to the trail that leads from the lot to the parcel, receiving a permit from the Williston Development Review Board and getting selectboard approval for the town to transfer ownership of the park land to the district.
The conservation commission proposes inviting residents on guided walks and cleanup days to familiarize people with the land.
The park will also need a name.
“That could be a fun way to get the town engaged, a naming contest,” conservation commission chair David Westman said.
The commission plans to continue discussions with WVPD staff about the park at its September meeting.
Williston’s Maple Tree Place Concert Series delivered the “soul-stirring rythms, captivating melodies and poignant lyrics” of Thea Wren, above, on Thursday. Thea Wren is made up of, left to right, lead singer for the group, Burlington native Cynthia Braren, bassist Jeremy Mendicino, Ezra Oklan manning the drums and Lauren DeRoller of the Montreal Symphony on violin.
Burlington cuts ribbon on Champlain Parkway
BY COREY MCDONALD VTDigger
Burlington’s Champlain Parkway is finally open. Part of it, at least.
On Tuesday, officials from Burlington and the state and federal governments cut the ribbon on the middle segment of the Champlain Parkway project, a roadway design decades in the making and first envisioned for the area in 1965.
The two-lane, 25 mph street connects Home and Lakeside avenues and features shared-use pedestrian paths, thousands of feet of new water and sewer lines for the area, and a stormwater detention pond that officials say will absorb sediment being discharged into Lake Champlain.
Before cutting the ribbon — and flipping the switch for traffic lights at the Flynn Avenue and Champlain Parkway intersection — officials touted the project as key to furthering housing and business development in the city’s South End and along the Pine Street corridor, while alleviating truck traffic near Champlain Elementary School.
The parkway, once fully built out, will direct cars from Interstate 189 in South Burlington through the city’s South End, helping alleviate traffic flows northbound on Pine Street, Shelburne Road and St. Paul Street.
The route briefly joins Lakeside Avenue before connecting northbound on Pine Street toward the city’s downtown area.
Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak called the Champlain Parkway a “generational” project, one that was “first envisioned before many of us were even born.” Burlington’s City Council President, Ben Traverse, said that the completion of the middle section — the first of two phases of construction for the full roadway
— represents a “huge leap forward in finally living up to the parkway promise to former, current and future Burlingtonians.”
“For many years, this project has taken up significant bandwidth from our hardworking engineering staff, and as we near its completion, we will see more capacity to pursue new and forward-looking projects for our community,” Mulvaney-Stanak said. “We will take the lessons learned from this project to improve community engagement and advance infrastructure projects that make Burlington a walkable, bikeable and climate-resilient community.”
The project was initially envisioned 58 years ago as a four-lane highway called the “Burlington Beltline.” That project would have taken Interstate 189 traffic along the city’s waterfront and past downtown.
But that plan was eventually scrapped, and in recent years, the project was “rightsized” to be more pedestrian friendly and decrease the volume of traffic to move away from a “reliance on carbon-based, single-user car transportation,” Mulvaney-Stanak said.
While the project’s advancement was celebrated, city officials acknowledged that the project as a whole still has a ways to go.
Roadway and pedestrian improvements are still underway north of the completed tract on Pine Street, near the intersections of Howard and Kilburn streets and Marble Avenue. That work is expected to be completed in the fall.
The second phase of the project will complete the parkway’s southern portion by connecting Interstate 189 to Home Avenue — a section of the highway that was partly built in 1981 but has since sat dormant — while also making pedestrian and roadway improvements to Pine Street between Kilburn and Main streets.
The construction contract for the second and final phase was approved by the city council during their meeting last week. Work is expected to begin in late September
or early October and is projected to be completed by 2026, Mulvaney-Stanak said.
Despite the project’s remaining work, the completion of the roadway’s middle section represents a milestone for a project that for years was mired by legal challenges.
A federal court case was resolved in May of 2023, when a judge granted summary judgment to the Federal Highway Administration, the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the City of Burlington while denying the same to the Friends of Pine Street.
Parts of that lawsuit centered on arguments that the parkway would disproportionately impact the Maple/King streets neighborhood, which is a racially diverse area of the city.
A separate project, the Railyard Enterprise Project, would add a new bypass road over a railyard to connect Pine and Battery streets. City officials have said previously that the railyard project will move traffic away from the neighborhood around Maple and King streets.
Chapin Spencer, the city’s Department of Public Works director, said that the railyard project is in its preliminary engineering phase and will be for the next six to nine months. He estimated that the project is three
The project was initially envisioned 58 years ago as a four-lane highway called the “Burlington Beltline.”
years away from construction, depending on how the project’s right-of-way phase goes.
For now, the completion of the Champlain Parkway project’s first phase will open the doors to new potential business and housing development in the city’s South End, officials said.
Cheray MacFarland, the director of community and marketing for City Market, said the co-op “took a big risk” in moving to their second location on Flynn Avenue “with the promise in the background from the city that they would commit to this decades-long promise of the new corridor.”
“So, we’re so excited to see it finally happen,” she said.
Michele Boomhower, the director of policy, planning and intermodal development with VTrans, said that this was “building off the recent successes” of the Shelburne Street roundabout and the Amtrak to Burlington.
“There are already proposed developments adjacent to the parkway, and the needs of the vibrant South End will shift over time,” she said. “VTrans will work to support and adapt to these transportation system needs so the city can add more housing and businesses and increase the vitality along this corridor.”
City, state and federal officials cut the ribbon on the first leg of the Champlain Parkway project.
PHOTO BY COREY MCDONALD/VTDIGGER
Burlington mayor appoints community safety advisor
BY EMMA MALINAK VTDigger
Ingrid Jonas, a former Vermont State Police commander, will serve as the Burlington mayor’s first senior advisor on community safety, according to a press release.
Jonas was the first woman to attain the ranks of captain and major at the state police agency, serving for more than 20 years in various detective and leadership roles. She led the agency’s Office of Fair & Impartial Policing and Community Affairs and also became the first woman to lead its internal investigations unit.
Her experience “will be invaluable as the city creates an efficient, effective, and responsive community safety system,” Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak
said in the press release.
Public safety was a central theme throughout the mayoral campaign, and upon taking office in April, Mulvaney-Stanak pledged to make the issue her top priority. Since then, she has convened a group of community leaders to provide input on the city’s approach to public safety, according to a May press release. The city has also budgeted for the recruitment and retention of more police officers and hosted weekly “hot spots” meetings to identify areas with the highest safety concerns, according to a memorandum submitted by the mayor to the Burlington City Council on Aug. 9.
Jonas will provide guidance for those efforts and the city departments that run them, according to a job description in -
cluded in Monday’s council agenda. She’ll be responsible for leading regular meetings with city staff, collaborating with the police and fire departments to track public safety trends, fielding concerns from Burlington residents, and more, according to the job description.
Jonas will bring experience with restorative justice to the role as well. Since retiring from the Vermont State Police in 2021, she has served as a consultant for many projects, including the design and implementation of restorative justice training for police and prosecutors for Burlington’s Community Justice Center.
Jonas’s hiring comes nearly a year after the City Council declared a public health and safety crisis in Burlington in the face of unprecedented overdoses, an
increase in crime and high rates of homelessness.
Her guidance is needed now more than ever, Mulvaney-Stanak said in the memo to the council.
“As you know, Burlington’s health and safety challenges are complex and multi-faceted, and like you, my team and I hear daily from constituents with their pleas for a safer Burlington, about their concerns for those who are suffering, and with ideas for addressing our shared concerns,” Mulvaney-Stanak wrote.
Former Vermont State Police commander Ingrid Jonas will take over as the City of Burlington’s first community safety advisor.
Predicting the unpredictable: budgeting for flooding and climate change
BY KATRINA MENARD
As Vermont recovers from yet another summer of flooding, it may come as no surprise that our state is ranked seventh in the nation for the most federal disaster declarations due to extreme weather since 2011.
Some parts of the state are harder hit than others: Washington County is tied for the second most disaster-prone county in the country, while Lamoille, Chittenden, Orange, Orleans and Essex are all tied for fourth.
In addition to the very real emotional toll these disasters take on people, they also cost the state money. Damage estimates from last summer’s flooding exceed $600 million — and over $90 million of that fell on state and local government. In other words, disasters are expensive, and the state needs to start accounting for these unanticipated costs.
While the hope is that the federal government continues to pick up most of the
tab, the current funding structure of federal programs and increasingly localized flooding can leave communities stranded. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance program, which helps to rebuild public infrastructure, is one of the country’s largest emergency relief programs, but these dollars are not guaranteed.
To access Public Assistance money, the state and each recovering county must hit a per-capita damage threshold set by FEMA. If the county does not hit the threshold, it cannot — except in limited circumstances — access FEMA dollars for disaster recovery. Likewise, if a county hits the threshold but the state does not, FEMA can choose not to provide federal recovery dollars.
Even with access to Public Assistance dollars, there are still costs that must be carried by state or local governments. Larger projects are funded on a reimbursement basis, so the state or town must have
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SUBMISSIONS & LETTERS
Deadline is Monday noon for Thursday issue. News/ story tips are welcomed. Letters to the Editor should be 300 words or fewer and include your name, address and a daytime phone number so that we can verify the letter’s author.
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funding on hand to receive federal dollars later. FEMA typically covers 75 percent of the funding for a project, leaving state and local funding to pick up a quarter of the tab, which can add up quickly.
Other resources can be brought to bear in the recovery — insurance payouts, private donations and property owners’ pockets. But these are not dependable sources of relief available to all flood victims.
For renters and homeowners, flood insurance typically covers more costs than the government. However, less than 1 percent of Vermont households have flood insurance, despite the fact that many communities sit along rivers. Private donations and volunteering are another important source of assistance following flooding around the state, but they are typically just a fraction of what the government can provide. And these sources may dwindle as disasters in -
crease in frequency and donors experience “flood fatigue.”
Climate change and its immediate effects are clear and present in the state, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars last year alone. These are new problems that the state didn’t face 10, 20 or 30 years ago, and they require new resources.
Vermont needs to budget for the damage caused by more frequent extreme weather events and for mitigation projects to protect Vermonters, their homes and other critical infrastructure. Even when a disaster is bad enough to warrant federal assistance, the state will face new, unanticipated costs.
If the last two summers have taught us anything, it’s that we need to be prepared for the unpredictable.
Katrina Menard of Stafford is a state policy fellow at Public Assets Institute, online at www.publicassets.org.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Ballot box benefit
Thank you, Williston voters, for the 281 boxes of Cereal, and $230 in monetary contributions that you donated to the Williston Community Food Shelf at the polls during last Tuesday’s Primary Election. The 350 families we see each month will go through those 281 boxes of cereal in less than two weeks!
Because of the success of this drive, we have decided to collect cereal at each of the town elections going forward. Shop the cereal sales and be prepared for the November election.
Thank you again for your generosity.
Ginger Morton President Williston Community Food Shelf
Reflections on Primary Day
Primary day in Vermont was a long one for many. Poll workers, town clerks, candidates and supporters put in many hours so that voters could engage and vote. I am grateful to all who worked and voted. I was able to visit all 11 towns in the Chittenden
Southeast Senate district including Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, St. George and Williston.
It was a long day with lots of miles and smiles, lots of conversations and concerns.
There was the lifelong Bolton resident afraid she was going to have to sell her home and leave Vermont as taxes and utility prices continue to rise. There was a young voter in Shelburne struggling to see a path to staying in Vermont and owning a home. There were the many citizens who just wanted to thank me for running and offering a choice. I was humbled they took the time to share with me and my supporters their concerns and priorities.
I ran across the district all day, voting location to voting location, on a beautiful Vermont summer day. I was hot and tired and ready to be home. We all know the feeling. But to my surprise, home came to me!
I ended the day in a camp chair underneath a shade tree with a slight breeze, during the last few hours of primary voting at the Guard Armory in my hometown of Williston. I was sitting next to my beautiful and supportive wife of 20-plus years, joking
Seasonal Favorites at Vermont’s Finest Plant Nursery
with the town clerk as she started to shut down operations, and thanking one of the last voters who exclaimed “I’m glad I made it in time, I came here to vote for you!”
The moment was perfect. The day wasn’t quite over, but I truly was home. I was balanced and content, cherishing small town Vermont life under a quiet shade tree. There was no place I would have rather been.
All Vermonters deserve this kind of moment.
Bruce
Roy
Williston
EDITOR’S NOTE: Roy won the Republican nomination for one of the Chittenden Southeast Senate District seats in Tuesday’s Primary Election.
Letter Policy
A few ground rules: We ask that letters run no longer than 300 words. We edit for length, clarity, style, spelling and grammar. Include your name, town/city where you live and a phone number (which we won’t print) so we can verify you wrote the letter.
The deadline is Monday at noon for letters to be printed in Thursday’s paper.
Email: editor@willistonobserver.com or mail to Williston Observer, P.O Box 1401, Williston, Vt. 05495
Recreation & Parks WILLISTON
FALL/WINTER PROGRAM GUIDE
The Fall/Winter Program Guide has been mailed to Williston homes. Be sure to check out the website (www.willistonrec.org) for days, dates, times and fees for all programs listed in the guide.
ADULT PROGRAMS
SENIOR STRENGTH AND FUNCTIONAL MOBILITY
Ages 50-plus. Join this fitness
program just for seniors. The program will concentrate on developing upper and lower body strength, improving balance and strengthening your core. In this dementia-friendly class, participants are encouraged to work within their abilities. Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:45-10:45 a.m., $5 per visit. The R.E.C. Zone, 94 Harvest Lane.
JAZZERCISE CARDIO SCULPT PROGRAMS
Ages 50-plus. Programs are low impact with different levels of intensity. Instructors will
show you how to take it high or low. Class passes of 1, 5 and 10 visits available to purchase. Cardio Sculpt Low is Tuesdays and Fridays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. and Mondays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Cardio Sculpt Low/ High is Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4:45-5:45 p.m. and Sundays, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
TAI CHI INTRODUCTION
Ages 50-plus. The ancient art of Tai Chi has become increasingly popular as people find that it improves balance, increases mindfulness and relaxes the mind and body. This class will present sequences of movements derived from the Sun style, which is slow, smooth and upright in posture. Wednesdays, 12:15-1:15 p.m. Free. The R.E.C. Zone, 94 Harvest Lane.
FALL REC SOCCER
The deadline to register for any of the Fall Rec Soccer programs is Sunday, Aug. 25. Referees and coaches are needed. Paid and volunteer positions available. Email recreation@willistonvt.org if interested.
AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS
YOUTH TENNIS
Grades K-2 and 3-5. Tennis programs are taught by certified tennis professionals who are trained to instruct kids of all ages. Players learn basic stroke techniques. Instructors: The Edge tennis staff
KNITTING
Grades 3-8. Does your child love to knit or do they want to learn? If so, this program will teach them how to improve their knitting skills. The program offers the basics for first-timers, as well as provides early and intermediate knitters with specific how-to and help with projects. All materials are provided. Instructor: Christine Heavner, owner of Knitting Circle
SPEECH AND DEBATE
Grades 5-8. This program will introduce middle school students to speech and debate through fun public speaking activities. Competitions are optional and take place during the winter season. Instructor: Kathryn Kernoff, CVU speech/debate coach
HORSEBACK RIDING INTRO
PLLC
Ages 8-14. The Livery Horse Farm in Hinesburg is offering introductory riding programs. The focus is on English riding. Horses provide a variety of skill levels for children to learn. Instructor: Kim Johansen, owner of Livery Farm
YOUTH/TEEN PROGRAMS
DRIVERS EDUCATION
Ages 15-17. Orientation night and all group classes are in person. Attendance in all scheduled class sessions is required for successful course completion. Do not register if there are dates you cannot attend. Behind-the-wheel lessons will be scheduled individually. Must have a valid Vermont learners permit. Instructor: Epic Driving LLC
NINJA KIDS INTRO
over 30 years,
Ages 4-8 and 7-11. This playbased curriculum increases strength and self-confidence while moving meditation helps children manage their emotions and develop the connection between mental and physical well-being. Instructor: ONTA Studio Staff
NINJA TEENS INTRO
Ages 9-15. This play-based curriculum increases strength and self-confidence while moving meditation helps children manage their emotions and develop the connection between mental and physical well-being. Instructor: ONTA Studio Staff.
GREEN
THINKING SUSTAINABLY • ACTING RESPONSIBLY
Working together toward a sustainable energy future
BY MICHAEL LAZORCHAK Williston Energy Committee
As we near the start of fall colors and harvest festivals, the Williston Energy Committee takes a moment to reflect on our progress toward meeting the ambitious targets in Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act.
The law requires reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. To help meet these goals, Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard created a mechanism for Vermont utilities to offer rebates to incentivize installation of electrification projects to reduce emissions. Efficiency Vermont continues to provide incentives and technical support for weatherization, energy efficiency and electrification projects.
The goal behind Vermont’s clean energy statutory scheme is that, as Vermont’s electricity becomes increasingly sourced from renewable and carbon-free resources, rebates on electrification products help Vermonters transition from carbon-based fuels to electric and battery powered technologies.
In the summer of 2022, the Williston Energy Committee published a two-part series to help demystify programs offered by Efficiency Vermont, Green Mountain Power and Vermont Electric Cooperative. The articles encouraged Vermonters to focus on their in-
dividual actions, like replacing older model internal combustion engine vehicles with electric vehicles, to support statewide decarbonization goals. Since the articles were published, partnerships between towns, community action groups, Efficiency Vermont and utilities have resulted in significant growth in heat pump installations and electric vehicle registrations.
In 2023, Green Mountain Power and Vermont Electric Cooperative provided rebates within their coverage areas for a combined total of more than 10,350 heat pumps and 2,520 electric vehicles. While these electrification projects are not all installed in Williston, they help reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the benefit of our human health and environmental quality.
The Inflation Reduction Act, now in its second year, provides rebates and direct pay tax credits to further incentivize decarbonization and support low- and moderate-income households. In 2024, the Vermont Legislature increased the targets for utilities to procure electricity from renewable sources. The Affordable Heat Act created another regulatory layer, and the pending Clean Heat Standard will offer additional incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from building heating and cooling systems.
We know there is more to do.
By 2025, Vermont needs approximately 27,000 plug-in electric vehicles and approximately 92,000 heat pumps to meet sector targets.
Sustainable back-to-school shopping
The Chittenden Solid Waste District offers the following tips to make your back-to-school shopping more sustainable.
USE WHAT YOU HAVE
Check out the art supply cabinet at home and begin a new family custom; have kids decorate leftover notebooks to look brand new and personalized. Use all the paper from old notebooks. Tear out the used pages and, voila, it’s a new notebook!
Grab the duct tape
Binders can be repaired, redecorated and reused year after year.
THRIFT IT
Shop for gently used notebooks, binders, backpacks and more at reuse stores like Williston’s ReStore, ReSource or Goodwill.
SWAP AND SHARE
Check with neighbors, friends and family members for extra school supplies they may have on hand from a recent graduate.
Start a swap event in your neighborhood where kids can swap school supplies and clothing. OPT FOR LOW-WASTE ALTERNATIVES
Use a reusable mechanical pencil instead of a disposable pencil. Buy school supplies made from recycled or sustainable materials.
Source: Chittenden Solid Waste District
This hurdle is huge: There were around 11,000 registered electric vehicles in Vermont and 63,000 residential and commercial heat pump systems installed as of the beginning of 2024. Vermonters continue to be challenged to upgrade their heating and cooling systems as many are still recovering from Winter Storm Elliot and the July 2023 and July 2024 floods. We know Vermont’s older housing stock needs electrical panel and wiring upgrades to enable installation of heat pumps and significant weatherization treatments. Our utilities are working to design a least-cost, safe and reliable plan to modernize our distribution and transmission systems to accommodate electrification and distributed energy resources. We did not expect a paradigm shift to be fast and easy, but at times the complex web of regulations, supply chains and incentives can be daunting to the average Vermonter.
Fortunately, new programs, including Act 151’s Low Income Fuel Switch Program, offer
new pathways for income-qualifying households to install heat pumps. Vermont’s Affordable Community Renewable Energy and Solar for All programs offer low- and moderate-income households and communities an opportunity to benefit from new renewable energy projects.
Incentives from our utilities, the State of Vermont and the federal Inflation Reduction Act will reduce the overall costs of new electrification projects, and program enrollment has simplified since 2022 with online rebate forms, on-bill financing and on-bill credits.
The Williston Energy Committee holds public meetings on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month and wants to hear your concerns. Keep an eye out for Energy Committee updates and news in the Observer and on Front Porch Forum. Save the date of Sept. 28 to attend Williston’s Energy Fair.
Shelburne farm hosts fundraiser to help Latin America farmers
BY BUSY ANDERSON Community News Service
Food4Farmers, a Vermont-based nonprofit, wants to relieve Latin American food insecurity with gourmet burgers, hotdogs and salads.
The third annual Food4Farmers Harvest Picnic is returning to Shelburne’s Bread and Butter Farm on Aug. 28 at 5 p.m. The dinner, prepared by Blank Page Café owner Mike Proia and his team, is a fundraiser for smallscale, rural farmers producing coffee consumed, in part, by Vermonters.
“It’s really important to be involved in a movement that’s trying to help better the conditions for the farmers that are at the origin of some of the products that we use in our businesses,” said Proia, a former board member of
the nonprofit for seven years.
Tickets are $60 for adults, $50 for kids. Half of each purchase will be donated to Food4Farmers projects.
The family friendly event includes live music from The Meatpackers, a silent auction, and sponsors like Vermont Bean Crafters, Ben & Jerry’s and Foam Brewers.
“We see a lot of people who appreciate the role that coffee plays in their lives and understand that there are people behind those beans,” Food4Farmers board member Laura Peterson said.
The nonprofit works specifically with coffee farmers in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Colombia whose incomes do not provide for sufficient and nutritious food.
“It’s really important to be involved in a movement that’s trying to help better the conditions for the farmers that are at the origin of some of the products that we use in our businesses.”
Mike Proia Blank Page Café
beekeeping, according to the nonprofit. The group’s leaders see the longevity, resiliency and sustainability of farmland in Latin America as key to easing times of financial hardship.
“We tell the coffee growers, ‘Keep producing your coffee but invest a little bit of your land to either diversify for income … or produce more food for your consumption so you can save the money,’” Food4Farmers director and cofounder Marcela Pino said.
spirational for me,” Pino said. “We are not separate. We are one food system.”
Organizers hope to see around 100 guests at the picnic this year and raise between $20,000 and $25,000.
“That amount of money makes a huge difference for the coffee-farming families that we work with,” Peterson said.
“Los Meses Flacos,” Spanish for “the thin months,” describes the season in Latin America, usually between April and September, when many coffee farmers struggle to put food on the table, Peterson said.
Pino is originally from Costa Rica and acutely familiar with what little income farmers make from exporting coffee that sells at low prices.
Another way to help keep coffee-farming families well fed is introducing them to trades like
During her 30 years in the U.S., Pino has been struck by Vermonters’ awareness of the relationship between producers, consumers and the environment.
“Vermont has been very in-
Lindsey Bolger, a Food4Farmers board member, said farmers in Vermont and those in Latin America face many of the same challenges. Events like the picnic help make that connection for people here, 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.
GREEN State begins Climate Superfund implementation
Costing out the clean heat standard
While misinformation and early estimates abound, Vermonters still don’t know how much a clean heat standard would cost
BY EMMA COTTON VTDigger
For years, lawmakers, state officials, fuel dealers and members of the public have wondered, and worried, about the cost of Vermont’s proposed clean heat standard, a regulatory standard designed to reduce climate emissions that come from heating homes and businesses.
The policy had largely faded from public
discussion after May 2023, when state lawmakers overrode Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of S.5, a bill that set up, but did not implement, a clean heat standard.
Instead, that bill, which is now Act 18, directed the state’s Public Utility Commission and two appointed advisory groups to flesh out the program’s details. In the next legislative session, lawmakers plan to look closely at the commission’s plan and decide whether to
see HEAT page 12
Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak and Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore have issued a “Request for Information” (RFI) to spur implementation of Act 122, the Climate Superfund Act. The law authorizes the state to recover financial damages from fossil fuel companies for the impacts of climate change to Vermont.
“Our office stands ready to start implementing the Climate Superfund Act, to ensure the costs of climate change are shouldered by the polluters responsible, not Vermonters.”
Mike Pieciak
Vermont State Treasurer
Funds recovered would support climate adaption projects.
The RFI seeks expert opinions and advice to inform which fossil fuel companies must be held accountable under Act 122, including how to determine their relative share of cli-
mate-related loss and damage that Vermont has experienced over the past 30 years. Officials also seek input on approaches for calculating the overall cost to the state of greenhouse gas emissions, considering factors like public health, economic development and impacts to natural resources.
“To support the health, safety and prosperity of our communities, we must ensure Vermont is equipped financially to address the impacts of climate change,” Pieciak said. “This work is even more important as our state recovers from a second straight year of widespread flooding, with the impact falling hardest on low-income Vermonters and our most vulnerable communities. Our office stands ready to start implementing the Climate Superfund Act, to ensure the costs of climate change are shouldered by the polluters responsible, not Vermonters.”
Responses to the RFI are due Sept. 30 and will be evaluated by the Agency of Natural Resources and the treasurer’s office.
“Vermont has seen firsthand the significant impacts that climate change is having on our environment and our economy,” Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore said. “As we advance this important legislation, we are committed to learning from academics, experts and consultants who have laid the groundwork for states to be able to hold fossil fuel companies accountable.”
Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, presides over the House during a veto override session at the Statehouse in Montpelier on June 17. PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER
implement it, change it or abandon the clean heat standard altogether.
As that consequential decision approaches, discussion about the policy — particularly its price tag — have resurfaced.
Those conversations have appeared in two forms. First, Americans For Prosperity, a super PAC founded by billionaires Charles and David Koch, announced in late May a “major five part mail and digital campaign” set to run throughout the summer that urges lawmakers to oppose the clean heat standard. Some of the organization’s mailed materials contain incorrect information about the proposed policy.
Second, the Technical Advisory Group, which is working to craft the details of the clean heat standard, has received new, preliminary information about the economy-wide cost and benefits of the proposed program. Those preliminary numbers are already expected to change in substantial ways in response to feedback from the public.
Supporters of the policy, which its authors named the “Affordable Heat Act,” say it would soften a transition that’s already underway to cheaper heating systems that pollute less. Doing nothing, they say, poses a greater threat of leaving vulnerable Vermonters behind.
“The energy transition is happening, whether we like it or not,” Rep. Laura Sibilia, I-Dover, who has championed the policy in the Legislature, told VTDigger. “We in Vermont will be affected by the changes that that transition is having on markets.”
The clean heat standard is “a way of putting some government regulation into the transition of the fossil fuel heating market in Vermont,” she said.
Opponents of the policy, including Gov. Phil Scott, say it could drive up prices for people who choose not to switch from fossil fuel heat to less-polluting systems.
At a press conference in July, Scott was asked about the campaign by Americans for Prosperity. While he said he hadn’t seen the group’s mailed material, he said he believes “heating costs will rise as a result of this action.”
Most experts agree that implementing a clean heat standard in Vermont would significantly reduce
emissions that come from heating buildings, which accounts for about a third of Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions. That’s important, because Vermont passed a law in 2020 called the Global Warming Solutions Act that legally requires the state to reduce climate emissions in 2025, 2030 and 2050 or face potential lawsuits.
But the policy’s complexity and political controversy have made it harder for Vermonters to gain a clear understanding of how the program could impact them.
A CLEAN HEAT STANDARD: THE BASICS
The clean heat standard would require businesses that bring heating-related fossil fuels into Vermont (including fuel oil, propane, kerosene, coal and natural gas) to help finance the transition to new heating systems that pollute less, called “clean heat measures.”
The program would operate through a credit market. Every year, businesses regulated under the law would owe a certain number of credits to offset the emissions footprint associated with fossil fuels they imported into the state.
At the same time, fuel dealers could earn credits by implementing clean heat measures. Those include installing cold-climate electric heat pumps, insulating a building or sealing windows, installing advanced wood heat or solar hot water systems, using some biofuels, and other activities.
The system would likely allow fuel dealers to fulfill their credit obligation in two ways: by implementing clean heat measures, or by paying a fee. Money collected from those fees would be funneled toward clean heat measures, lowering their cost and incentivizing people to adopt them. Act 18 requires 16 percent of that money to be designated for people with low incomes, and an additional 16 percent to be designated for people with low or moderate incomes.
The financial impact of the clean heat standard would vary significantly for different people, depending on their specific heating system, income and the efficiency of their building, among other factors.
MISINFORMATION
Throughout the summer, the super PAC Americans For Prosper-
GREEN
ity has been sending Vermonters mailed postcards, urging them to tell lawmakers to oppose Act 18 in the 2025 legislative session.
Postcards have included slogans such as, “Vermont was the land of
credits, the dealer may choose to raise prices for the consumer, but is not required to. Unlike a tax, the price increase could vary based on the business and its obligations.
The clean heat standard would not require individuals, businesses or industries to install any particular clean heat measure, including heat pumps. Rather, it’s designed to incentivize people and businesses to transition to heat systems that pollute less, because fuel dealers can earn credits by offering people financial incentives for installing qualified clean heat measures.
Americans for Prosperity’s campaign prompted a response from Vermont House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington. On July 24, she issued a statement calling the campaign “misinformation and the influence of dark money that aims to promote confusion and fear.”
that Americans for Prosperity sent to her husband at their shared address, said she understands that Vermonters are feeling economic pain right now.
“The solutions to the challenges that we are facing are not easy. They’re really hard, and they are multiple,” she said.
She has “less and less patience,” she said, for “pointing the finger and saying we can’t do anything because it’s not affordable, and not coming in and saying, ‘we’ve got to figure out how to fix this and how to create affordability.’”
“Doing nothing is not affordable,” she said. “Doing nothing is going to increase our costs in the future. We have to get in, we have to fix, we have to support, we have to try and adapt.”
PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER
the free; but now it’s freedom with a price tag. Stop top-down mandates and higher costs by telling your lawmakers to oppose Act 18!”
Another reads: “Utility bills in Vermont are expensive! Can you afford your energy bills to Skyrocket? Tell your lawmakers to OPPOSE Act 18 to lower costs for Vermonters!”
While most of the postcards include general claims that energy bills will rise, at least one postcard described the program incorrectly. That postcard incorrectly claimed that the program “forces severe restrictions on natural gas,” “imposes tax on home heating oil,” and “mandates heat pump installations.”
Act 18 does not propose different regulations for natural gas than other fossil fuels used for heating. It notes that, in order for renewable natural gas — which might come from a landfill or manure digester on a farm — to be considered a clean heat measure, the regulated business must show that it can physically deliver the product to its customers.
While fuel dealers who sell heating oil would be regulated by the clean heat standard, the policy would not impose a tax on heating oil. If that fuel dealer owed the state
“The goal of the Affordable Heat Act is to help insulate Vermonters from fossil-fuel price swings, and to make it easier and more affordable for them to transition — if they want to — to more sustainable renewable energy sources,” she said.
Ross Connolly, Northeast region director for Americans for Prosperity, issued a statement in response to Krowinski’s statement on July 25.
“The real misinformation here is the legislative leadership’s belief that addressing energy solutions requires punishing its citizens with a program that is simply unaffordable, extremely burdensome to Vermonters, and financially impossible to implement,” he said in the statement. “We reject the idea that a clean environment can only be achieved with economic pain — to the contrary, a clean environment and energy abundance and affordability go hand-in-hand.”
“Our grassroots organization remains committed to educating Vermonters about the negative consequences of this bad policy and will continue to hold lawmakers accountable for their lack of transparency,” he said.
Americans for Prosperity declined VTDigger’s request for a phone interview with Connolly, instead instructing a reporter to send questions via email. The organization did not respond to the emailed questions.
‘A DISTRACTION’
Sibilia, who has seen postcards
Matt Cota, who sits on the clean heat standard Technical Advisory Group and represents fuel sellers, said he was “annoyed” by the postcards.
“It just sort of didn’t have anything to do with what we were doing,” he said. “There are factual errors in it, and number two, it was a distraction.” It drew attention away from small fuel dealers, he said, many of whom are likely to be regulated by the policy.
Cota said, as part of the advisory group, he’s working to “develop the best possible policy, and let it stand on its merits, or not.” Still, he’s worried that the policy is being driven by Vermont’s legal climate deadlines, rather than what’s in Vermonters’ best interest.
“We aren’t, in fact, designing a program to succeed regardless of whether it meets the mandate,” he said. “We are designing a program to meet the mandate, and that’s where the real friction is.”
COST ESTIMATES
To date, Vermont’s Department of Public Service has hired two consulting firms to assess the cost of reducing emissions related to heating systems.
In November 2023, the Hinesburg-based Energy Futures Group published a 94-page report on the subject, which estimated that fuel prices would increase by an average of 1 to 2 cents per gallon per year from the date the program takes effect until 2030. It also estimated that the program could save thousands
Rep. Laura Sibilia, I-Dover, speaks in favor of overturning Gov. Scott’s veto of the clean heat standard bill at the Statehouse in Montpelier on May 11, 2023.
Learn the science and art of composting
Most Vermonters know that composting is an essential part of household waste management.
Vermont state law banned food scraps from the trash back in 2020. But composting is more than just landfill diversion. It is a way to recycle nutrients at your home, saving you money by providing a free resource to feed the soils of your garden, lawn and other plants. Done correctly, composting will not attract bears, rats or other wildlife.
To learn how to compost at home or in your community, the University of Vermont Extension Community Horticulture Program is offering its annual Vermont Master Composter course, beginning on Aug. 30.
The online course runs for eight weeks and covers how to make and use compost, compost ecology, community composting and relevant Vermont policies. There is also a special session for those interested in becoming a Vermont Master Composter volunteer.
The fee is $50 for Vermonters and $150 for non-residents and covers instruction and all materials. Registration is due no later than Aug. 23. To learn more and to register, go to https://go.uvm.edu/vtcompost.
Course instructors include Composting Association of Vermont Director Natasha Duarte, soil scientist Dr. Wendy Sue Harper, UVM Extension Community Horticulture Programs Manager Deb Heleba and Emma Stuhl of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.
For questions about the course, email Heleba at debra.heleba@uvm.edu.
continued from page 12
of dollars in total for low-income families that switched from propane or fuel oil to heat pumps, but that the transition could be less cost-effective for low-income families who used natural gas to heat their homes.
More recently, the department hired the Florida-based consulting firm NV5 to assign an economy-wide price tag to the clean heat standard program. At a meeting on July 25, the firm presented its draft findings for review by the technical advisory group: The clean heat standard would cost roughly $17.3 billion from the time it’s implemented until 2050. The same analysis estimated the clean heat standard would come with $20.9 billion in total societal benefits, or $3.6 billion in net benefits.
Brian Cotterill, energy program specialist for the Department of Public Service, said in an email the $17.3 billion estimate is “certain to change.”
It represents a total figure, or the gross cost, to meet the deadlines of the Global Warming Solutions Act for residential, commercial and industrial heating, he said, not the “net cost” of the clean heat standard.
“For example, the gross cost does not subtract existing state programs and federal funds currently available to support programs in the thermal sector,” he said in an email.
The Department of Public Service has confirmed that NV5 plans to change the assessment based on feedback from Jared Duval, executive director of the Energy Action Network, which analyzes data related to Vermont’s climate emissions.
Duval submitted comments to the depart-
ment in his capacity as a member of the Vermont Climate Council, a group charged with proposing ways to meet the Global Warming Solutions Act deadlines.
Duval pointed to two main problems with the analysis. First, NV5 was using 1990 data as a reference for determining how much the state needs to reduce emissions in the heating sector when it should have been using 2018 data, per a decision from the Vermont Climate Council, he said. Second, the model did not use updated and accurate emissions data, in which some emissions that had previously been attributed to the heating sector were moved to the transportation sector.
Taken together, “NV5 modeled a scale of greenhouse gas emissions reduction from the thermal sector that is nearly twice what is actually required by January 1, 2030,” Duval told VTDigger. That could significantly change both the $17.3 billion figure and the estimated societal benefits, he said.
On the other hand, feedback from other parties could prompt NV5 to alter the model in ways that could increase the program’s cost, Cotterill said in the email.
“While costs will ultimately change in the final version, we can’t say yet whether the impact will be a reduction in the cost figure,” he said. “Some comments suggest cost estimates be added for things like electric panel upgrades, workforce development, program non-incentive and administrative costs, which would increase the total costs.”
The department expects to publish the firm’s final results on Aug. 30, according to Cotterill.
Meetings, documents and overviews related to the clean heat standard are available to the public on the Public Utility Commission’s and Department of Public Service’s websites.
Weekday Bus Departures from Williston
Commuter Link
Williston to Burlington (Interstate Route)
Departures out of Williston Park and Ride at Exit 12 Monday through Friday
Williston to Montpelier
Departures out of Williston Park and Ride at Exit 12 Monday through Friday
Route 2A to Essex Junction & Essex Center
Serve, set, dig
CVU Fall sports started in earnest last week as preseason meetings and practices began. The girls volleyball team had a “one and done” rotating intrasquad scrimmage last Friday. The boys team worked on fundamentals.
SPORTS
Armadillos’ dig out a win
CLOCKWISE (l to r): Williston’s Eli Roque fields the ball at short during the Armadillos’ 7-3 win over Mad River Valley on Sunday. Williston’s Jason Tremblay faces down the batter in the box in relief of Ken Freeman. Brent Tremblay measures up the incoming pitch in one of his visits to the batter’s box. Ken Freeman, the Armadillos’ starting pitcher, takes his turn at the receiving side of the throw. Out in left field, Dan Peck gauges the incoming pop-up to make the catch.
OBSERVER PHOTOS
‘Smile on your brothers and sisters…’
CVU’s Class of 1969 celebrates 55 years
BY MELANIE STULTZ-BACKUS
in collaboration with the CVU Class of 1969
August 10, 2024 dawned clear and shining after the heavy gusts and rainy floods of the night before as Hurricane Debby’s final lashings swept New England. The Champlain Valley Union High School Class of 1969 had planned a much-anticipated reunion generously hosted by our classmate, Anne Russell Donegan, at her home in Hinesburg.
But all over Chittenden County there were multiple power outages, including at Anne’s place.
Should we cancel and postpone the day’s happening? The committee of organizers took stock; we would go ahead. Necessity dictated coolers, ice, buckets of pond water for the lavatories, and a generally gleeful collaborative spirit won the day. Off the grid and on to the festivities — what need of the power companies when the power of our connections electrified our gathering?
“There’ll be trains of trust, trains of golden dust … Come along and surry on down to a stoned soul picnic”
We met up in the Donegan’s lovely yard in early evening, lighted by shafts of gold and green and the renewal of old acquaintance -
ships and enduring friendships.
We had graduated in early June of 1969, readying ourselves for a grand entry into the wider world by summer’s end.
That spring, U.S. combat deaths in Vietnam exceeded the 33,629 killed in the Korean War; in July, it was the technological triumph of the “great leap for mankind”; in August, three days of peace and love in Woodstock, N.Y. A momentous summer, marked by paradox with the uprising of joyously youthful ideals contrasting with the grim violence of war. We all felt the urgency of change in spheres both personal and universal.
After 55 years, we had made our lives. The reunion picnic in 2024 would be a fleeting reclamation of our youthful souls, an accordion-like sensation where the long intervening years, with their many shapes and visions, loves, griefs and journeys, would be folded in and obscured while the essence of our adolescent selves sounded, just as the chord the musician plays is magnified as the instrument is compressed.
“If you smile at me I will understand ‘cause that is something everybody everywhere does in the same language…”
When the towns of Hinesburg, Williston, Charlotte and Shelburne came together in the early 1960s to create a union school district, the movement toward unifying districts was new and suspect.
It was a golden August evening in a garden, with the power of people speaking without guise or guile, a get-together to remember, revere and renew over and over again.
All the storied little high schools and academies in rural Vermont towns had been cherished and lauded by their citizens. Imagining a more homogeneous, larger 9-12 school challenged prejudices and loyalties.
Yet, in a short few years between the first graduates of CVU and our class of 1969, our names in the senior pages were no longer accompanied by each student’s town of residence, a testament to a sense of unity and oneness among students that belied the initial town-by-town distinctions. Our parents and community members, with progressive insight, had realized how expanding opportunities in our high school years would open our worldview to far-reaching connections. Even the smallest cultural “languages” of discrete townships crossed the seas and encircled the whole earth.
“…Well, maybe it is just the time of year, Or maybe it’s the time of man I don’t know who I am, But you know life is for learning We are stardust, We are golden And we’ve got to get ourselves Back to the garden…”
The reunion picnic took place in Anne’s beautiful garden, lovingly tended, suffused with harmonious color and a great variety of flora — the epitome of perennial care for the soil. Though our group of 70-somethings live in diverse settings, still many of us are fused to the land, the garden and to a heritage of ecological awareness.
Whether a backyard garden, a dairy, goat, sheep or horse farm, a truck garden, a sugar bush, a forest management project, or as practitioners of an art or craft that has its basis in natural materials, the consciousness of earth and its beauties defines us. The “Back to the Land Movement” of our youth was not a foreign idea, it held an innately primary place in our upbringing. We continue to learn, and continue to uphold our tradition of Edenic loveliness. How wonderful to meet each other on this common ground.
“We got to live together, I am no better and neither are you We’re all the same, whatever we do You love me, you hate me, You know me and then You can’t figure out the bag I’m in I am everyday people”
1969 was a long while ago, with world events and innovations tumbling across the decades in profuse and confusing multiplicity. Do we now hold the wisdom of the elders? Current political and social trends contradict the presence of a tempered wisdom. But in the humble present of a summer’s evening picnic in a small New England community, the hopes for a true democracy, fueled by an educational system that cares for and respects everyday people, felt tangible and precious as we conversed.
When we left CVU in June of 1969, we didn’t hear a valedictory speech, but rather, a talk from one of us who we nominated and voted for as honored speaker. Some of what Mary Whitcher von Alt said that day presses home the points of connection that empower our ideals, today as in 1969: “We assume roles to guard our opinions and values from outside challenges. It is the role — the protective shell — that hampers communication. Let us in a spirit of love and honesty, walk together, talk together.”
It was a golden August evening in a garden, with the power of people speaking without guise or guile, a get-together to remember, revere and renew over and over again.
“Come on people now, smile on your brothers and sisters, everybody get together right now.”
The CVU High School Class of 1969 gathered for its 55th-year reunion on Aug. 10. Observer courtesy photo
Green Burials SAVVY SENIOR
The practice of natural or “green” burials dates back thousands of years. The principle behind this practice is to follow the natural cycle of life. Green burials provide a reduced environmental impact, as well as the benefits of land preservation and affordability. To learn more, contact us today.
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How to choose a walk-in bathtub
Dear Savvy Senior,
Because of my back pain and mobility problems, I’m interested in getting a walkin bathtub that’s safe and easy to get in and out of. What can you tell me about walk-in tubs, and can you recommend some top options?
Old and Achy
Dear Old,
For mobility challenged seniors, a walk-in bathtub can be a terrific option to consider because they’re much easier to get into and out of than a standard tub, which also helps prevent falls. Here’s what you should know, along with a reliable resource to help you choose one.
AGE-FRIENDLY
TUBS
Walk-in bathtubs are uniquely designed tubs that have a watertight, hinged door built into the side of the tub that provides a much lower threshold to step over (usually 3-7 inches) versus a standard tub that’s around 15 inches.
haven
care and
Maple
Memory Care. Our dedicated team provides personalized attention, engaging activities, and a warm, welcoming environment to enhance the lives of individuals with memory challenges. Experience peace of mind knowing your loved one is in capable hands at Maple Ridge.
Most walk-in tubs have high sidewalls, usually between 3-4 feet high, and are between 28-32 inches wide, but they fit into the same 60-inch-long space as your standard tub without having to reconfigure the room.
minute), and many higher-end models offer therapeutic spalike features that are great for seniors with arthritis and other ailments.
The best kind of tub for you will depend on your needs, pref-
By Jim Miller
erences and budget, and the size and layout of your bathroom. But be aware that walk-in bathtubs are not cheap. Prices range anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 or more for the tub and installation.
INSURANCE AND AID
Because walk-in tubs are not considered durable medical equipment, original Medicare does not typically cover them, nor do Medicare supplemental (Medigap) policies, but some Medicare Advantage plans may help pay.
tact your Area Aging Agency (800-677-1116) or nearby center for independent living (see www.ilru.org).
If, however, you can’t locate any financial assistance and you can’t afford to pay upfront for a walk-in tub, most manufacturers offer financing so you can make monthly payments. You should also know that if you’re using a walk-in tub for a specific medical condition, you may also be able to deduct the costs of the tub from your taxes as a medical expense (see irs.gov/pub/irspdf/p502.pdf).
BEST WALK-IN BATHTUBS
To help you choose a walk-in bathtub, the National Council on Aging, which is a national nonprofit organization that advocates for older Americans, put together a review team to research the different companies and tubs. Their list of best walkin bathtubs of 2024 includes:
- Best overall: Ella Ultimate Walk-In Tub
Best tub with shower: Kohler Walk-In Tub with Shower Package
• Most affordable: Ariel Walkin 3052 Soaker
• Best soaking tub: American Standard Gelcoat Entry Series
• Best wheelchair-Accessible Tub: Ella Transfer
• Best for small spaces: AmeriGlide Sanctuary 2646 WIT
In addition to the low threshold, most walkin tubs also have a built-in seat, grab bars, anti-slip floors and anti-scald valves. Some tubs also come with handheld showerheads and quick drains (that drain the tub in under a
If you’re receiving Medicaid, many states have “Home and Community Based Services” that may provide some assistance. Or, if you’re a disabled veteran, the VA has some home modification grants that may help pay.
There are also grants and loans available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture that help elderly low-income residents of rural areas make home modifications, which may be used to pay for a walk-in bathtub. And, depending on where you live, there may be local programs that can help, like Habitat for Humanity or Rebuilding Together.
To find out if these options are available in your area, con -
See www.NCOA.org/adviser/walk-in-tubs/best-walk-intubs for detailed reviews and product links.
To get started, you should contact a few walk-in bathtub retailers who can send a professional to your home to assess your bathroom and give you product options and estimates. Lowe’s and Home Depot also offer free evaluations and a wide range of walk-in tub options.
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.
Donald Andrew Kluga
Donald Andrew Kluga (Don), 73 years old, of Williston, Vermont, passed away peacefully on May 26 surrounded by his family and best friend.
Don was born in Niagara Falls, New York, the son of the late Edwin and Winifred (Hornsby) Kluga. He graduated with honors from Tonawanda High School in 1969. He attended Syracuse University where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1973, and his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1983.
In 1973 Don began his exemplary 42year career by joining IBM in Kingston,
OBITUARIES
New York. He later worked for IBM in Poughkeepsie. In 1994 he transferred to IBM in Burlington, Vermont where he worked until he retired in 2015. Don was considered a chip design engineer’s engineer. His contributions were highly valued by colleagues and management alike. IBM customers sought him out to obtain his analysis to ensure their chip design would meet their objectives.
Don continued working in Burlington, Vermont, for Global Foundries (a former IBM company) until his second retirement in 2018.
He was involved in many activities throughout his life. As a young boy, he joined the Boy Scout program where he enjoyed camping and hiking, and earned the prodigious rank of Eagle Scout. In high school he played the baritone in the marching band, competed on the varsity tennis team and performed the lead role (Harold Hill) in the musical, The Music Man.
Don was always a highly competitive athlete. He enjoyed downhill skiing and hiking and competed in marathon running, trail running, tennis, pedal road bike racing, and cross-country skiing. In his later years, Don kept active with gym workouts, cross-country skiing, and pickleball.
Every winter he spent a week in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, for cross-country skiing and playing his beloved Black Jack. Every
summer he spent a week on Cape Cod for biking and kayaking. Don spent his holidays with his family in Tonawanda, NY, Chelmsford, MA, Woodstock, VT and Shrub Oak, NY. He spent his spare time reading books on investing, on sports and watching movies.
Don was known to be very frugal and a staunch Republican. He delighted in political discussions and teaching his sporting skills to others.
He is survived by his two brothers, Charles (Ann) Kluga of Chelmsford, MA, Robert (Valerie) Kluga of Llanfair Caereinion, Wales, UK, his two nieces, Emily (Tom Glickman) Kluga, Laura (John Kaczmar) Kluga, one great niece, Linden Kluga-Glickman and three great nephews, Felix Kluga-Glickman, Milo Joseph Kaczmar, and John Ethan Kaczmar.
The family will have a “celebration of life” for Don later this autumn in Williston, VT. As requested, Don was cremated. His ashes will be buried next to his mother and father at the Holy Trinity Cemetery in Lewiston, NY.
We are so grateful to Care Dimensions for their excellent palliative care in Don’s final days. Donations can be made in Don’s memory to Care Dimensions Hospice House, 125 Winter St, Lincoln, MA (https:// giving.caredimensions.org/).
Williston
Adams Farm Market
Chef’s Corner
Dorothy Alling Memorial Library
Fairfield Inn
Gardener’s Supply
Green Mountain Bagel
Hannaford
Healthy Living Williston
Home2Suites
Island Homemade Ice Cream
Korner Kwik Stop
Marriott Courtyard
Men At Wok
M&T Bank
Ramunto’s
Rehab Gym
Shell Gas Station (Essex Rd)
Simon’s Mobil Williston
Simply Divine Café
Sonesta
Sunoco Station
Town of Williston Offices
UPS Store
Vermont Meat & Seafood
Williston Coffee Shop
Martone’s Deli
Homework Heroes
Most students head back to school in August or September. During the summer vacation, your study skills may have become a bit rusty.
This week, The Mini Page offers some tips to help you with your homework.
Why is there homework?
Teachers assign homework in order to:
• reinforce what you are taught in school so that the knowledge stays in your mind.
• exercise the brain.
• teach responsibility.
• review things you have already learned so that your skills stay fresh.
Next Week: Our states: Mississippi
Mini Fact: Study buddies can help if you get stuck on a homework problem.
it is hard to begin your homework.
• Set up a study pattern that works for you, then stick to it.
• Gather everything you need before you start. Have all your paper, pencils, books and other supplies together at the start.
• Find a comfortable place to study. Some students like to work in the same place each day. Be sure you are not too hot or too cold, and find a place with good lighting. Choose a comfortable place to sit, or lie on the floor or on your bed.
• Turn off the TV. For most kids, television is a big distraction. Don’t watch it until your homework is finished.
• If you have a cellphone, put it away. It can distract you while you’re trying to study. Texts, emails and social media pull your attention away from your work and make it hard to focus.
Get organized
Learning to be organized will help you have the tools you need to do your homework well and on time.
• Use a planner. This can be a special book that your teacher gives you or just a spiral notebook. For each subject, write down the details of your homework for the day, including:
1. Textbook page numbers and problem numbers that are assigned;
2. Tools you’ll need at home, such as art or math tools or textbooks;
3. When the assignment is due;
4. Special details, such as if the assignment is to be typed or put in a folder.
• Do the most difficult homework first. If math is your hardest subject, tackle the homework while your mind is fresh. Then move on to your easier subjects.
• Pack your backpack in the evening, after homework. Don’t leave this task until morning, when you may be in a rush.
• Keep your school subjects organized in folders or sections of a binder.
Founded by Betty Debnam Issue 34, 2024
photo by © Berniephillips Dreamstime.com
Homework is usually related to what you’ve
homework as rewarding as possible.
• Take a short break after school. Get a snack and relax a bit. But do not let yourself get so interested in doing other activities that work is done, you can reward yourself by checking your phone!
Try ’n’ Find
Words that remind us of homework help are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:
ASSIGN, BINDER, BREAK, DIFFICULT, DISTRACTION, FOCUS, HELP, HOMEWORK, LIGHTING, PLANNER, REINFORCE, REVIEW, SCHOOL, SKILLS, SNACK, STUDENT, STUDY, SUPPLIES, TEACHER.
Cook’s Corner
Spicy Baked Potato
You’ll need:
• 1 medium-size potato
• 2 teaspoons margarine or butter
• 1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning
• 2 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
What to do:
• 1 tablespoon low-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chunky salsa
Mini Jokes
Harry: Why did the boy eat his homework?
Helen: His teacher said it was a piece of cake!
Eco Note
• 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1. Wash and dry potato. Poke holes in it with a fork. Cook potato in microwave for 6 to 7 minutes on high.
2. Cut potato in half lengthwise; allow to cool slightly. Scoop potato pulp into a medium-size bowl. Mix and mash in butter, taco seasoning, cheese, sour cream and salsa.
3. Place mixture back in potato shell; microwave for 45 to 50 seconds.
4. Top with black beans. Serves 1.
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. make cloth from thread (5)
2. take for a little while (6)
3. try to win (7)
4. small house (7)
5. warning (5)
6. ability (5)
7. below this floor (10)
You’ll need an adult’s help with this recipe.
weave, borrow, compete, cottage, alert, skill, downstairs.
Orbiting objects, especially those in the vast and growing constellation of Starlink satellites, could damage Earth’s protective ozone layer when they disintegrate upon reentry. A new study finds the spacecraft spew large amounts of ozone-killing aluminum oxide when they burn up in the atmosphere, which could deplete the ozone layer. Even small satellites produce about 65 pounds of the alumina when they burn up. It is estimated that nearly 19 tons of the chemical compound were created by falling human-made objects during 2022 alone.
For later:
Look in your newspaper for articles about good back-to-school habits.
Teachers: Follow and interact with The Mini Page on Facebook!
TODAY’S HISTORY:
• In 1851, the American yacht America won the first America’s Cup.
• In 1864, the first Geneva Convention, which, among other protocols, established protections for those wounded and sick in active warfare, was signed by 12 European nations.
• In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act — a major welfare reform bill — into law.
TODAY’S FACT:
• The Comics Journal named George Herriman’s “Krazy Kat” the best American comic strip of the 20th century in 1999.
1 give 2 weeks’ notice (4)
2 it has a “rule of 3” (6)
3 “5 o’clock” facial growth (6)
4 the 7 dwarfs’ workplace (4)
5 claiming chapter 11 (8)
6 “Apollo 13” director Ron (6)
7 its atomic number is 17 (8)
UVM names Patricia Prelock as interim president
We’re proud to be Community Bankers!
Northfield Savings Bank, founded in 1867, is honored to be one of the largest local banks in Vermont We are committed to providing a work environment where all individuals feel welcomed and appreciated. You belong at NSB!
Join the Commercial Banking team in our Chittenden County Region as a Commercial Banking Administrator !
For the BUILDERS | MAKERS | DOERS® out there –make your final career move to NSB!
On average, NSB employees have over nine years of service!
When you join the NSB Team, you become part of an energetic and talented group that strives to strengthen the communities we serve every day.
Summary & Requirements
BY EMMA MALINAK AND
HABIB SABET VTDigger
The University of Vermont’s board of trustees appointed current provost Patricia Prelock to be the university’s interim president at a special meeting on Monday.
The board discussed the appointment in an hourlong executive session before voting unanimously to name Prelock to the position. Prelock is expected to step into the role at the end of September, when current president Suresh Garimella plans to leave his post to lead the University of Arizona.
The decision to appoint Prelock was not announced publicly during the board of trustees’ meeting but was disclosed in a press release issued by the university later on Monday evening.
“I am certain that we will maintain the positive momentum of recent years as we navigate together toward a presidential leadership transition,” Prelock said in the release. “UVM’s students are always my highest priority, and I look forward to leading continued collaboration with my valued colleagues across the university to ensure their success.”
Prelock has worked for UVM for over 30 years and has served as the university’s provost and senior vice president since 2019. Formerly, she had been dean of the College of Nursing and Health Science for 10 years and had been a department chair and professor of communications sciences and disorders, according to her biography on the university website.
Prelock’s appointment comes
Support the lending teams by performing a variety of administrative functions. Build strong customer relationships and support the execution of commercial loans.
High School Diploma, General Education Degree (GED) or equivalent and one to two years’ related experience is required. Why NSB?
We provide a supportive and diverse work environment where employee contributions are recognized and valued. Compensation packages are competitive based on experience. We provide a well-rounded benefits package. Profit-Sharing! Excellent retirement 401(k) & ROTH employer match program. Volunteerism, Community Events, and Employee Engagement! Apply today!
NSB is actively seeking to create a more diversified workforce because we believe our team is stronger with different perspectives and experiences. We welcome and encourage applications from a wide range of candidates.
Send an NSB Application & Resume in confidence to: careers@NSBVT.com
Controller/Accounting Lead
Concept2, the market-leading manufacturer of stationary fitness ergometers and composite racing oars has an opening for a Controller/Accounting Lead to join our Global Finance organization in our Morrisville, VT headquarters.
Primary Responsibilities
• Provide day-to-day support for operational accounting, treasury, and tax reporting requirements of the Company.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and drive documentation and narratives to ensure consistent performance of the department’s duties.
• Prepare financial statements in accordance with US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and ensure timely completion of month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close functions.
• Facilitate monthly P&L reviews to identify trends and opportunities for the business.
• Assist in the development and implementation of forecasting and analytics processes, including preparation of management reports capturing key performance indicators.
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, with 8+ years of progressive accounting experience in public accounting or a similar work environment, including 3+ years of leadership experience.
• Master’s degree and CPA preferred.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and automation skills.
• Detail-oriented with good organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to cross-train and develop team members.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Excel.
Successful Concept2 employees combine self-sufficiency and personal accountability with strong teamwork skills. Concept2 has an informal setting, flexible work schedule, and excellent compensation and benefits, including fully paid medical, dental, and vision benefits for employees and their families.
To apply, submit a resume and cover letter online at: https://concept2.bamboohr.com/jobs
-Equal Opportunity Employer-
Patricia Prelock has worked for UVM for over 30 years and has served as the university’s provost and senior vice president since 2019.
PHOTO BY ANDY DUBACK, COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
continued from page 21
shortly after Garimella was tapped to serve as the president of the University of Arizona, where he was named the sole finalist for the role earlier this month.
Garimella joined UVM as its 27th president in 2019. Since then, he has been recognized for overseeing significant growth in the university’s endowment and enrollment. But Garimella has also weathered criticism from faculty, staff and students during his tenure, including protests relating to the university’s handling of sexual assault allegations in 2022 and response to violence in Gaza this spring.
The university did not include Prelock’s expected salary for her new role. Garimella’s base salary at UVM was $509,331, as of November, according to university documents.
Chloe Jad contributed reporting
To place a classified ad, email rick@willistonobserver.com or call 802-373-2136
Deadline for classifieds is Monday.
CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL
TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA
Tuesday, August 27, 2024 – 7:00 PM
Town Hall Meeting Room (Town Hall, 7900 Williston Road, use rear entrance) or Zoom Meeting ID 846 5863 3532 on zoom.us/ join or call 1-646-558-8656
DP 24-17 Scott Allaire requests discretionary permit review of proposed duplex on a 0.55-ac lot at 3157 St. George Rd in the Agricultural/Rural Residential Zoning District (ARZD).
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
Hiring?
Reach potential employees in Williston, South Burlington, Stowe, Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg, Waitsfield and more…
Contact Rick
802-373-2136 or email | Rick@ willistonobserver.com
The Town of Hinesburg, Vermont seeks qualified applicants for the following positions:
Highway Foreperson
This is a supervisory position that is responsible for overseeing and participating in the maintenance of the town’s highway infrastructure. A valid VT issued CDL Class B license is required. Required skills include proficient operation of a road grader, excavator, front-end loader, backhoe, and tandem plow truck. Starting pay is $34.00 - $40.00 an hour depending upon qualifications.
Highway Maintainer
This is a semi-skilled position of moderate complexity in highway maintenance and equipment operation. A Highway Maintainer performs a wide variety of manual and automotive equipment operation tasks involved in municipal road maintenance. Work extends to responsibility for maintenance and servicing of assigned automotive equipment, requiring strong mechanical and trouble shooting skills. A valid Vermont issued Class B CDL is required. Starting pay is $25.00 - $28.00 an hour depending upon qualifications.
Both positions provide health, dental, vision and disability insurance; paid time off; pension plan; and 13 paid holidays. Detailed information and an application form can be found at www.hinesburg.org under the employment tab. Applications can be mailed or delivered to Todd Odit, Town Manager, 10632 Route 116 or emailed to todit@hinesburg.org.
The Town of Hinesburg offers a comprehensive benefits package and very competitive pay. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Applications will be reviewed as received and accepted until the position is filled.
SUDOKU SOLUTION Puzzle found on page 20
CROSSWORD SOLUTION Puzzle found on
USPS fails to meet promises to Montpelier
The Postal Service promised retail services and a grand opening before summer. Neither of those have happened.
BY JUAN VEGA DE SOTO VTDigger
If you live in Vermont’s state capital, you still cannot buy stamps or ship a package with the U.S. Postal Service.
Despite the agency’s promises of a fully-functional Montpelier post office “before the summer months,” and a lease on a large retail space that started more than four months ago, the temporary office that finally opened in late July is a wide, unstaffed, mostly empty room with a row of P.O. boxes on the far wall.
Thirteen months after floodwaters devastated the city’s federal building at 87 State St., postal customers in Montpelier still have to drive to surrounding towns to access any USPS retail services.
“It’s incredibly disappointing. Honestly, it’s pathetic,” said Ben Doyle, the chairman of the Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience.
The commission is an independent body set up shortly after the July 2023 floods to lead city renewal projects. Recovering a working post office for Montpelier has been one of its main objectives. It has been a long, torturous saga, according to Doyle, that continues to this day.
Postal Service employees worked out of postal trucks last year until Nov. 17. Since then, Vermont’s congressional delegation has repeatedly asked and even rallied for the return of a post office to the state capital. This January, some Montpelier residents were left without mail delivery, a situation made far worse without a physical location to pick up
medicine or bills.
The one constant throughout, according to Doyle, has been the near-total lack of communication from the Postal Service.
“They’ve been completely unresponsive. These people have a responsibility to the taxpayer,” said Doyle.
In early spring, the Postal Service delivered a rare piece of good news. In an email dated March 29, USPS spokesperson Stephen Doherty wrote to Doyle’s commission announcing that he was “happy to report” that the agency had signed a lease for space inside 89 Main St., where they would open a replacement post office “providing full retail and Post Office Box service.”
The Postal Service’s occupancy began April 1, according to Doherty’s email, and the agency would begin work to install a “retail counter, safe, security features and IT infrastructure,” as well as P.O. boxes. The goal was to have a grand opening before summer, Doherty added, but he would update the commission “once we are far enough along to project a completion date.”
Neither of those things happened, according to Doyle. Instead, he said, “one day the door was just open,” with no heads-up to Montpelier’s commission.
“It’s a bunch of boxes. It’s not a full retail postal service, which was what they promised and what we’re entitled to,” Doyle said.
When a VTDigger reporter visited in early August, a radio in a corner of the room blasted Beatles songs over the wide, empty floor space. A few customers shuffled in to retrieve mail from the P.O. Box wall at the far end. At
PHOTO BY JUAN VEGA
the door, a printed announcement told customers to pick up large packages or excess mail at the Berlin mall.
“We are still unable to provide any retail services. We will let you know when that has been put in,” the announcement read. “You may do any retail transactions at any other surrounding offices until then.”
The situation makes Doyle wonder what the Postal Service has been doing for the past four months.
“They’ve been paying the lease on that since April and it’s basically empty,” he said.
Reached by email, Doherty limited him-
self to confirming that the Postal Service had “relocated [their] PO Box customers, who have been picking up their mail in Barre, to the new 89 Main Street location.”
He continued: “We are still working on the required buildout to open the retail counter at that location and resume full service operations in downtown Montpelier.”
Doherty said he did not have “a definite timeline” for when that work would be completed, nor did he offer any explanation as for why retail services had been delayed far beyond the agency’s original projection.
“There’s been no community engagement at all. They need to be providing information,” said Doyle, referring to a federal law that dictates that the permanent closure of a post office involves a community process, which includes a 60-day notice of a proposed action, so neighbors can provide comments.
Meanwhile, more than a year after floodwaters gutted it, the federal building on 87 State St. remains in a state of disrepair, with still no date set for its reopening.
The General Services Administration, which owns the building, said it continues to “identify additional issues and determine the extent of necessary repairs,” according to Paul Hughes, a spokesperson for the federal agency. Some of those repairs have included catch basins, civil work and HVAC work, he said. The early July floods and heavy rains this summer have not caused any additional damage, he added.
“The building sump pumps continue to pump water out of the sump pits after these weather events,” said Hughes.
A sign at Montpelier’s temporary post office at 89 Main St., seen on Aug. 8.
DE SOTO/VTDIGGER