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Planners focus on Route 2A rec path link Essex Alliance Church abandons development plans BY JASON STARR Observer staff Essex Alliance Church is abandoning plans to build a new church campus on 52 undeveloped acres it owns along Route 2A in Williston, but the town is moving forward with a recreation path connection on the property. The town’s public work’s department is working with Stantec engineering and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission to develop the best options for connecting Beaudry Lane with the sidewalks of Route 2A — a connection that would complete a dedicated bike/pedestrian link between Williston and Essex. The town invested about $1 million in 2016 in a bridge over the Allen Brook to facilitate the connection. But the hardest piece has been the church property, which begins at the south end of the bridge. In 2018, the church constructed a quarter-mile of paved path to extend the route to Beaudry Lane, a gravel road on the north end of its property. Essex Alliance Church is headquartered on Old Stage Road in Essex, but has had approved plans in Williston since the mid2000s for an 80-000-square-foot church, recreation fields, open space and residential condominiums. Constructing a path through the property into the heart of Taft Corners was part of the approvals. At a videoconferenced public meeting about the path connection last Wednesday, planners indicated that the church has reconsidered its move to Williston. “They put the project on the shelf and said ‘we’re done,’” Public Works Assistant Director Lisa see ROUTE 2A page 3
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Vermonters vaccinated Williston firefighter joins frontline workers in first group to receive shot
BY JASON STARR Observer staff Williston firefighter Dave Auriemma was among the first 15 people in Vermont to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at an event Tuesday at the UVM Medical Center in Burlington. He was there to represent first responders throughout the state as frontline workers who have remained on the job through the pandemic. Others to receive the first doses of the vaccine — created by Pfizer/BioNTech under the federal government’s “Warp Speed” initiative — on Tuesday included hospital doctors and nurses. “I was very excited to have the opportunity to do this,” Auriemma said. “I’m sure there are many other individuals in the fire and EMS services that would have stepped up to the plate and done it. We are on the front lines of this and it’s important for us to take care of ourselves so we can take care of our communities.” The vaccine requires a second dose 21 days after the first. Williston Fire Chief Aaron Collette said more of the department’s firefighters and EMS staff will be vaccinated in the coming weeks. “We want to move forward and get past this pandemic,” said Auriemma. “I want to see my daughters playing sports and outside with their friends, smiling and laughing. Right now it’s tough for everybody.” According to Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine, the state will receive about 6,000 doses weekly through the end of the year, and initial distribution will focus on high-risk health care workers, emergency first-responders and residents of long-term care facilities. UVM Medical Center administrators contacted the Williston Fire Department about having a
Williston firefighter Dave Auriemma receives one of the first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the University of Vermont Medical Center on Tuesday. About 15 people were the first to receive the vaccine in the state. PHOTOS COURTESY OF UVM HEALTH NETWORK
LEFT: The state is receiving about 6,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses per week, according to the Health Department. RIGHT: Nurse Cindy Wamsganz becomes the first person vaccinated in Vermont during an event Tuesday at the UVM Medical Center in Burlington.
local firefighter be among the first group, according to Chief Collette. Interviewed about two hours after he received the shot, Auriem-
ma said he was feeling no side effects. He received documentation at the vaccine event about potential side effects and said he would
monitor how he was feeling in the coming days. see VACCINE page 3
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Page 2 • Williston Observer • December 17, 2020
PROPERTY TRANSFERS OCTOBER The William W. MacMillan Jr. Estate sold a mobile home and a half-acre at 5190 Williston Rd. to WSW Investments c/o Don Weston Excavating for $230,000. Kathi Santis sold 1.45 acres at 797 Terrace Drive to Jonathan Wilfong for $799,000. Joan Cook sold a condominium at 256 Commons Rd. to Picklebits LLC for $350,000. The Elizabeth Tassie Living Trust sold a condominium at 104 Meadowrun Rd. to the Jewett Family Trust for $415,900.
Randy Abar sold a home at 2523 North Williston Rd. to Daniel Bolger for $201,000. Craig Piazza sold a home on 1.5 acres at 234 North Williston Rd. to Daniel Campbell for $556,600. Wesley Carr sold a condominium at 209 Cedar Lane to Amy Godiksen for $210,000. Leon Grobler sold a home at 436 Michael Lane to the Stone Revocable Living Trust for $500,000. Randall Senior sold a home on a half-acre at 91 Fairway Drive to Aaron Glosser for $710,000. Donald Gill Jr. sold a home on 13 acres at 275 Charles Rd. to Jordan Ship for $850,000.
Ann Klein sold a mobile home at 504 Gullybrook Rd. to Diane Williams for $179,000. The Donald and Madaline Myers Revocable Trust sold a home at 134 Meadowrun Rd. to Michael Lathey for $365,000. Matthew Parks sold a condominium at 436 Zephyr Rd. to Stephen Wiedler for $412,500. Matthew Rickloff sold a home on 3 acres at 127 O’Brien Court to Dave Hetal for $605,000. Lucas Jenson sold three mixed-use units at 143-145 Windridge Rd. to Deborah Maher for $510,000. Paschal Deblasio sold a home on a half-acre at 129 Tamarack Drive to Lynn Carew for $488,000.
Daniel Cooke and Kathie Cooke sold a home on 1 acre at 72 Gallop Drive to Stephanie Dion for $391,000. R.E.M. Development sold office buildings on 3.7 acres at 296 Avenue D (lots 5 and 6) to Meach LLC for $1.74 million. R.E.M. Development sold office buildings on 4.5 acres at 240 Avenue D (lot 7) to Meach LLC for $3.8 million. R.E.M. Development sold office buildings on 2 acres at 368 Avenue D (lot 8) to Meach LLC for $1.9 million. R.E.M Development sold office buildings on 2.5 acres at 400 Av-
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enue D (lots 9 and 10) to Meach LLC for $2.8 million. R.E.M Development sold office buildings on 3 acres at 446 Avenue D (lot 11) to Meach LLC for $2.1 million. R.E.M. Development sold office buildings on 3 acres at 301-461 Avenue D (lots 17 and 18) to Meach LLC for $4.2 million. R.E.M. Development sold office buildings on 1 acre at 552 Avenue D (lot 14) to Meach LLC for $1.2 million. R.E.M Development sold office buildings on 7 acres at 44-84 Miller Lane to Meach LLC for $5.2 million. Richard Hanson sold a home on a half-acre at 873 Essex Rd. to Shiva Rimal for $275,000. Liam Bisson sold a home on a half-acre at 638 Hanon Drive to Donald Gill Jr. for $570,000. Jon Muntowicz sold lot 5 on 1.3 acres at Fieldstone Drive to Dana Pontbriand for $155,000. William McCue sold a condominium at 27 Hideaway Lane to Jane Ragland for $252,000.
NOVEMBER Emily Cabral-Haag sold a condominium at 29 Hideaway Lane to William Posey for $260,250. DLL Properties/Michael Larock told a condominium at 468 Shunkpike Rd. to 468 Shunpike Rd. LLC for $225,000. Raymond Stewart Trustee sold a home at 2391 Oak Hill Rd. to Richard Kornicki Trustee for $459,900. Madeline Howard sold a home at 579 Brennan Woods Drive to Brett Williger for $555,000. James Bagdon sold a home on 1 acre at 3470 St. George Rd. to Kelton Bogasky for $425,000. Lawrence Houston sold a condominium at 444 Zephyr Rd. to Pitshou NDima for $435,000. Keith Curtis sold a home on 33 acres at 536 Beartown Lane to Amy Lafayette for $522,000. Blu Brown sold a home on a half-acre at 92 Goodrich Drive to James Bagrow for $530,000. Wanvadi Jotikasthira sold a home to Katarzyna Fodor at 80 Chelsea Place for $355,000.
Todd Smith sold a home on a halfacre at 1071 South Brownell Rd. to Duane Barlow for $360,000. Brandon Ackel sold a home at 531 Southridge Rd. to Daniel Wildermuth for $534,500. Brandy Peltier sold a home at 384 Northview Court to William Spence Sr. for $263,000. Tristan Brooks sold a home on 4 acres at 5124 St. George Rd. to Russell David Japikse for $424,838. The Estate of Steven M. Russell sold a condominium at 210 Cedar Lane to Trevor Greiner for $285,000. The Andree LeBoeuf Revocable Trust sold a condominium at 20 Ian Place to Elizabeth Phillips for $531,000. David Landers sold a condominium at 3 Forest Run Rd. to Craig Mitchell for $265,931.
December 17, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 3
V E R M O N T
Meat & Seafood M A R K E T
Order Your Holiday Feast Today! ABOVE: Fifteen frontline workers were the first people in Vermont to receive COVID-19 vaccines Tuesday at the UVM Medical Center in Burlington. BELOW: A nurse prepares a dose of the Pfizer/ BioNTech vaccine. BOTTOM: A hospital worker unloads boxes of vaccine doses as they arrive at the hospital. PHOTOS COURTESY OF UVM HEALTH NETWORK
Vaccine continued from page
1
“I’m confident that the folks responsible for doing the research and creating the vaccines are doing the right thing, so I personally felt confident that I didn’t really have anything to worry about other than the typical side effects that might come with any type of medication that you take,” he said. “I don’t foresee myself having any issues, just based on my past vaccinations.” Collette said he hopes all residents follow Auriemma’s lead and get vaccinated as doses become more widely available. In addition to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the state has pre-ordered about 20,000 doses of a vaccine from Moderna, pending its approval by the FDA, Levine said. Vaccine doses are being sent to hospitals around the state. After health care workers and emergency first-responders, the next priority group will be people over the age of 65 and people under 65 with chronic or immune-compromising conditions, Levine said. “For most Vermonters, it will likely be several months before the vaccine is widely available,” he said. “But when it is available to you, you will know, through our own communications and through our partners — the health care providers, pharmacies and others who will provide the vaccine across the state. “This is a truly pivotal moment in the pandemic, one that should give us hope for the future,” Levine continued. “But at the same time, we must remember this is just the start of a long process to receive and administer enough vaccine to bring COVID-19 under control.”
Route 2A continued from page
1
Schaeffler said Tuesday. “They are looking to sell the property.” Essex Alliance Church Pastor Scott Slocum did not return calls seeking comment. Reached Tuesday, church executive assistant Amy Peters confirmed the church’s plans to abandon its Williston campus. Several residents spoke about the benefits of completing the path connection last Wednesday. It would create an unbroken pe-
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Gov. Phil Scott added: “There is no better, safer or faster way to defeat this virus and work to rebuild our economy than a successful effort to make vaccines available to every single Vermonter. We are committed to working with our partners to get this done, so we can get through this and be stronger and more resilient than ever before.” destrian connection to Taft Corners as well as into Five Corners in Essex for hundreds of Williston residents who live in the neighborhoods off Route 2A. Pedestrians are currently forced onto the shoulder of Route 2A for the short stretch between Beaudry Lane and the Vermont State Employees Credit Union building, where a sidewalk begins. Schaeffler said the town will work with any new owner of the church property on a path easement along Beaudry Lane to Route 2A. The path would then take a turn south to connect to the sidewalk at the credit union.
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Page 4 • Williston Observer • December 17, 2020
Snow days saved, sort of
BY ELAINE PINCKNEY Special to the Observer I had the great fortune of observing early elementary students participating in an engaging and exhilarating physical education class last week, and it reminded me that an eventual snow day is just around the corner. There has been much discussion about whether or not we need to take snow days now that we have a fully remote option available to us. Some say, “save our snow days”; others say, “we’ve already lost enough student days.” In the end, there is more than just the ability to provide remote learning that comes into play when we make these decisions. Therefore, we will be using a combination of traditional snow days and remote learning days when faced with inclement weather. The timing of the weather event and the forecast will guide our decisions. If the severity of the weather event is not known until the wee hours of the morning, we will have a traditional snow day. This will be a snow day for all of our students — in
Wylie Tharp (left) works on his board technique, while George Francisco gets a little air during a snow day in 2018. OBSERVER FILE PHOTOS BY AL FREY
person, hybrid and completely virtual. If the severity of the weather event is
known to us by noon of the previous day, we will prepare for a remote learning day. This
will ensure that students have the materials and devices with them when they leave for the day. We will communicate about any weather event by phone and email notification, the district’s website and social media channels, and local media outlets. Starting this week, all of CVSD’s preK6 students will be in school, in person, four days a week. We can’t wait to have them all in. Our experience to date confirms what we all know — students are best served by in-person schooling. They thrive and so do their teachers. Our grades 7-12 students will continue in the hybrid model for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, we are unable to meet the social distancing requirements that would allow us to bring back these older students.
Elaine Pinckney is superintendent of the Champlain Valley School District. This article originally appeared on the district blog (www.cvsdstory.blogspot.com)
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December 17, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 5
Charlotte parents echo inequity concerns about virtual teaching BY ERIN GALLAGHER Community News Service Charlotte parents have raised concerns that their children are getting an inequitable amount of live instruction time compared to other schools in the Champlain Valley School District, echoing concerns Hinesburg parents previously raised to school officials. Both schools have been using a hybrid model the past few months. This means that students get two days in person in their schools and three days of online learning, which can be a blend of live meetings with teachers and individual activities. Though the situation at Hinesburg Community School has improved, it has not at Charlotte Central School, said Meghan Metzler, a parent of a CCS middle grade student. “We continue to be told that there are no problems,” she said. Since an October school board meeting at which Hinesburg parents confronted officials with claims of unequal instruction time, a breakdown of the number of minutes students spend live with a teacher (“synchronous” minutes) on remote days at each school in the district has been released by administrators. This breakdown was not seen as accurate by some CCS parents. “On no day do they have more than 90 minutes of synchronous learning, far short of the reported 180 minutes,” said Metzler. This discrepancy, wrote CVSD superintendent Elaine Pinckney in an email, is due to definitions of “synchronous” and “asynchronous.” “From our perspective, there are 60 minutes that we are calling synchronous because it is one of their teachers providing a lesson (science and digital citizenship) that students can access at their convenience,” she wrote. This means that 60 minutes of the students’ remote day is meant to be spent watching a pre-recorded lesson created by their teacher. At the beginning of the board’s Nov. 17 meeting, board chair Lynne Jaunich said that Superintendent Pinckney and the CCS administration have a meeting planned with parents, as well as a town hall at some point in the near future. Parents did not know this was planned, said Matt Weston, another CCS parent. Several parents said they agreed with Metzler’s statement, and that their students are not getting sufficient instruction time. “My impression is that the staffing is stretched to their max right now. I think the teachers are doing the very best they can and they need to be supported,” said
Charlotte Central School PHOTO BY ERIN GALLAGHER
Raina Donahue, a parent of a seventh-grader at CCS. Along with the parent meetings coming up, a few other changes are in progress, wrote CCS principal Jennifer Roth in an email. “Since the start of this year, we have continuously adapted our academic programming for students to address not only their academic needs but also their social/emotional and habits of learning in this challenging world of virtual learning,” Roth wrote. Recently, seventhand eighth-graders have begun to have advisory check-ins each morning, Roth wrote. “What I hope people take the time to recognize is the dedication and care each of our educators is
giving to their students (all while juggling many challenges of their own),” wrote Roth. Meanwhile, at Hinesburg Community School, improvement has been reported. After holding a grade 5-8 parent forum similar to that proposed for CCS, Hinesburg Community School was able to implement some changes to the hybrid model at the middle level, said HCS principal John Pontius. “The parent forum helped me to understand that we needed to provide academics on Wednesdays to help make up for what we were unable to provide on the other two remote days because of our structure,” Pontius said. Now on Wednesdays, students meet remotely with core academic
teachers until 11:45 a.m., then specific students receive specialized interventions, like counseling or additional academic support, he said. Wednesdays were initially focused on social/emotional learning, but HCS has shifted the focus to academics on those days. Clubs also recently started, he said. “Each student on their remote day will have an additional 40-minute class with our librarian or our school counselor or health teacher or teacher,” he said. Seventh- and eighth-graders, he said, will also get an additional 30-minute class each remote day in a subject related to the teacher’s core area. “For instance, my math teachers are going to teach finance,”
Pontius said. This was made possible because fifth- and sixth-graders returned to the building four days a week as of Nov. 16. A teacher is freed up to teach, said Pontius, while the fifth- and sixth-grade students are out at recess. “We have stretched our schedule and staffing to allow one core teacher and one (assistant) teacher to each offer a 30-minute class to remote students — adding an additional hour of live instruction,” wrote Tom Darling, a sixth-grade teacher, in an email. These changes took a while to implement because Pontius and his staff wanted the material being taught to be “meaningful.” “The communication has definitely improved as well,” said Kate Webster, an HCS parent. She said that last month’s school board meeting gained HCS parents a greater sense of understanding. These changes on the remote days would likely not have been possible had the fifth- and sixth-graders not returned four days a week, Webster said. “Because the live online class is also limited in both time and maneuverability, we are constantly reconsidering what quality instruction looks like,” Darling wrote. “There is no substitute for live, inschool classes five days a week.”
Erin Gallagher is a reporter with the Community News Service, a collaboration with the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.
Page 6 • Williston Observer • December 17, 2020
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GUEST COLUMN
How the Legislature works
This article was submitted by Williston representatives Terry Macaig and Jim McCullough and Representative-elect Erin Brady The Legislature will convene on Jan. 6 to elect a speaker of the House and president pro tem of the Senate. Due to the pandemic, the House will meet at the Barre Municipal Auditorium, where there is space for all members and guests, and the Senate will meet in shifts at the Statehouse. Both bodies will meet remotely after the first day for at least a month and will live stream their sessions and committee meetings. The President Pro Tem presides over the Senate when the lieutenant governor is not available. All 150 representatives, 30 senators and state officials — from the governor on down — will be sworn in and the hard work will begin. The speaker will assign each House member to one of 14 standing committees, and the Senate Committee on Committees will appoint each senator to at least two of the 11 standing committees. Half of the Senate committees meet in the morning, the other half in the afternoon. House members have more time to work on bills in detail as they spend all day in one committee. Senate members divide their time in both morning and afternoon committee sessions. A group of non-partisan inhouse attorneys, each with their specific expertise, is employed by
the state as Legislative Council. They draft bills as requested by the various representatives and senators. Often a constituent will ask to have a bill introduced. A bill is read for the first time and sent to the committee of jurisdiction in the House or Senate. Over 1,200 bills are introduced during a two-year cycle. The committee will hear from the legislative sponsor of the bill and decide whether or not to take it up for a full hearing. A bill is almost never voted out of committee in the same form it enters, as people from all sides of the issue have their say on it and may offer amendments. A Legislative Council attorney is always present for bill research in committee, giving legal advice and rewriting the bill as directed by the committee chair. Once a bill is thoroughly vetted by a committee and voted out, it is sent to the floor of the House or Senate for second reading and vote. If it passes second reading, it is read a third time and voted on. If the bill passes third reading, it is sent to the other body to go through the same process of readings and committee action. If both houses agree on the wording, it is sent to the governor for signature. If there is disagreement between the two houses, then the bill goes back to the committee that started the process. That committee can agree with the other body and send it to the floor for a vote, or it can disagree and ask for a Committee of Conference to be formed to work out the differ-
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ences. This committee is made up of six members, three each from the House and Senate. If they come to agreement, the bill is sent back to both chambers for an upor-down vote without amendment. If the bill passes both chambers, it is sent to the governor for signature. As you can see, this is a lengthy process and few bills make it through the full process each year. For the most part, polarization and partisan politics are most evident in the House and Senate chambers during debate. Lines in the sand may have been drawn according to political party core values. The “give and take of reasonable people” is more the norm in daily committee action as bills are being discussed. Compromise that Vermonters expect is the author of the final product prior to second reading. The two weeks before the end of each session are quite exciting. Bills that have not moved out of committee are often tacked on to “must pass” bills or other ones that have a good chance of passing. If they have not had hearings and been properly vetted, their chances of passage are slim. Representatives and senators are elected for two-year terms. They are paid a weekly salary with an allowance for transportation and meals with housing (if staying in Montpelier) only when the Legislature is in session, usually from January to mid-May. They are also paid on a daily basis if their committee or a special committee meets after the session ends. While they may know generally of all bills introduced, they specialize in the bills that their committee is working on. Do not hesitate to ask your legislator the status of a particular bill. They may not be aware immediately, but can check with the committee chair or Legislative Council on it. You can go to the legislative website www.leg.state.vt.us to view bills “as introduced,” as well as track their progress (if taken up) in committee by viewing the weekly agenda for the committee of jurisdiction for your issue. The public is always welcome to sit in on committee meetings and, in most instances, may testify if they request, in advance, to be on the agenda. There is a huge amount of information available on the website that is well worth becoming familiar with. Unfortunately, there will be no legislative page program this year.
December 17, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 7
Cyberattack cost UVM Medical Center $1.5 million a day BY KATIE JICKLING VTDigger A cyberattack in October cost the University of Vermont Medical Center $1.5 million a day in increased expenses and lost revenue, hospital president Stephen Leffler said during a press conference last week. That “back of the envelope” calculation is still growing and doesn’t include the cost of getting the system back up and running, he told reporters. The hospital is still grappling with the impacts of the attack six weeks after a hacker downed all of its online operations. Though many of the medical center’s systems have been restored, Leffler predicted a “multiweek process” to address a backlog of postponed appointments and the slew of handwritten records that must be entered into the online system. The medical health records system is operating again, as is the patient portal, but roughly 30 per-
Stephen Leffler. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO
cent of the hospital’s 600 applications are still not functional, he said last week. The hospital had yet to restart sleep studies, for instance. And though most of its radiology systems have been restored, the hospital does not yet have full capabilities for cancer treatment, or the ability to examine certain scans. The hospital chief said he continues to hear from patients who were affected by delayed medical care, canceled appointments or mixups due to lack of electronic access. “If you told me more than a month (after the Oct. 28 attack), we still would have functions that weren’t normal, I would have bet you that you’d be wrong,” Leffler said. “We really did not anticipate the scope or the impact the
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attack had on our system and how far-reaching it was.” Leffler apologized for the effects on patients, and vowed to do “everything in our power to make it right.” He also promised to provide more information on the cause of the attack. The hospital president had initially predicted it would take “days, not weeks” to restore the hospital systems. After the attack, the Federal Bureau of Investigation swooped in to investigate, as several other health systems around the country had fallen victim to similar attacks. Gov. Phil Scott deployed a National Guard unit to help clean and restore the hospital’s 5,000 workstations and laptops.
The hospital temporarily furloughed and reassigned more than 300 workers. The reboot process hasn’t always been smooth. Earlier this month, state officials announced that the UVM Medical Center had failed to report the results of 50 COVID tests to the health department. Leffler attributed the mistake to a glitch as the hospital restarted its electronic reporting programs. It has also been slowed by pandemic safety restrictions. “Normally, things you might do to really move things up quickly and get them done as quickly as possible” aren’t possible in the pandemic, Leffler said, referring to working through the backlog of
patients. “Social distancing guidelines and other things just add some complexity to that.” Leffler has refused to say whether the hospital was hit by ransomware. He has denied being asked for ransom, though he has also danced around the question. “Now that things are starting to settle down, very likely … we’ll be able to give some more detail,” he said. He has cited the FBI investigation as the reason for his reticence. Other hospitals that were hit by cyberattacks and were also part of a federal investigation said they were attacked by Ryuk, a Russian-based group. Some said they were asked for ransom.
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Page 8 • Williston Observer • December 17, 2020
Review of church orphanage finds misconduct, not murder BY KEVIN O’CONNOR VTDigger
A two-year investigation of past problems at Burlington’s shuttered St. Joseph’s Orphanage — sparked by a 2018 BuzzFeed News story headlined “We Saw Nuns Kill Children” — has confirmed a history of child abuse, but concluded with no criminal charges of murder. “It’s clear that abuse did occur at St. Joseph’s Orphanage, and that many children suffered,” Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan said Monday upon releasing a 286page report. “But we have found that there is no credible evidence to suggest that a murder occurred.” The Attorney General’s Office teamed with local and state police and prosecutors after reading BuzzFeed claims that not only recounted previously reported “unrelenting physical and psychological abuse of captive children,” but also revealed a few deadly
allegations not documented in a series of well-publicized lawsuits in the 1990s. Investigators spoke with many former residents who still remember being shouted at, slapped, shut in closets or sexually abused at the orphanage, which housed more than 13,000 children from its opening in 1854 to its closing in 1974. “Allegations were made by many survivors, but these allegations were never investigated when they should have been investigated at the time,” Donovan said. “That has been a failure of the state criminal justice system. As a result, for many of these cases, there is a lack of corroborating evidence.” In addition, authorities couldn’t confirm BuzzFeed’s claims by a now-deceased resident who said she saw a boy fall under the surface of Lake Champlain and not come up, a second who was accidentally electrocuted and a third who, according to her memory, was thrown out of a fourth-floor window to his death.
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Burlington’s former St. Joseph’s Orphanage was open from 1854 to 1974. PHOTO BY KEVIN O’CONNOR
“He kind of hit, and — ” the late Sally Dale was quoted by writer Christine Kenneally. “And then he laid still.” The BuzzFeed story pointed out some of the challenges present-day investigators have faced. Dale figured the window incident took place three-quarters of a century ago because she remembered moving to the “big girls” dormitory that day, which would have made her age 6 and the year 1944. She also recalled only two people there, herself and an unidentified nun who reportedly told Dale she had a vivid imagination. “As with any cold case, the more time that passes between a crime and its investigation, the more likely it is that evidence will get corrupted or lost, that details will blur, that witnesses will die,” Kenneally wrote in
the story. “In the end, I was not able to find any other witnesses or documents to confirm the story of the falling boy. It was the word of Sally Dale against the word of the church.” Although the state can’t press criminal charges, it’s supporting a new restorative justice effort to allow former orphanage residents to speak with religious and government leaders. “It is my hope that through a restorative process,” Donovan said, “we can bring peace, we can bring justice, we can bring reconciliation for so many of these survivors who still struggle today.”
‘Sins of the past’ Vermont authorities faced a torrent of questions about the BuzzFeed article once
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December 17, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 9 media outlets ranging from National Public Radio to USA Today began repeating its claims in the summer and fall of 2018. Within weeks, Donovan and other state and local authorities launched their investigation. Monday’s outcome didn’t surprise longtime observers of Vermont’s Catholic Church, which could share a roster of the children who lived at the orphanage but has no records for any workers, as the facility was managed by the Montreal-based Sisters of Providence. In a statement, the Sisters — who didn’t give requested documents to authorities — said although they “feel great sorrow as we read the report,” the review “seeks to impose a present-day legal framework, resources and disciplinary practices upon a very different era.” “The report focuses on those who allege hardship,” the Sisters continued. “It is mute on the important role of religious institutions in rearing and caring for orphaned children.” That said, the Sisters downplayed their role. “Primary responsibility for the operations and functioning of the orphanage fell to the priests and bishop of the Vermont Catholic Diocese,” the Sisters said in their statement. “Various State of Vermont and municipal regulators also had responsibility for ensuring the well-being of the children.” The church, for its part, expressed responsibility and regret. “The diocese continues to accept its full share of the blame for any sins of the past,” it said in a statement. “We apologize for all hurt caused and for the personal shortcomings of human beings that came before us.” The state’s largest religious denomination gave former Ver-
lawsuits against the diocese. “It is only claims for sexual abuse at the orphanage that might be viable at this point.”
‘Can never apologize enough’
Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan speaks at a podium in 2018 to announce an investigation of past child abuse by Vermont Catholic Church personnel. PHOTO BY KEVIN O’CONNOR
mont Attorney General William Sorrell clergy misconduct files in 2002 after The Boston Globe uncovered decades of unreported sexual abuse allegations against priests in the Massachusetts capital. The Globe won a Pulitzer Prize for its efforts. Sorrell, who made headlines 18 years ago by calling for a Vermont investigation similar to Donovan’s, never charged anyone criminally because claims found credible were too old to prosecute under the state’s statute of limitations at the time. Last year the Vermont Legislature repealed the deadline for introducing civil actions involving child sex abuse. But that change pertains only to molestation and not other misconduct. “The statute of limitations is almost certain to bar any claims for physical or emotional abuse,” said Burlington attorney Jerome O’Neill, who has represented nearly all of the people who have filed
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All accusers are free to file civil lawsuits or seek financial settlements. Back in the 1990s, the Vermont diocese offered orphanage residents $5,000 each to waive their right to further legal action. As many as 160 pursued the deal and more than 100 accepted payment, according to past news reports. In addition, 28 former residents took orphanage overseers to court in the 1990s. At least one settled for a “significant” undisclosed amount of money, but others dropped their cases when a judge ruled they couldn’t receive church letters documenting their abuse or band together in a consolidated trial. Former Vermont altar boys who filed a second string of clergy misconduct lawsuits in the 2000s have found more legal success. The diocese has paid $35 million in settlements for more than 50 Vermont accusers over the past quarter-century. To help fund that sum, the diocese sold its 32-acre Burlington headquarters on Lake Champlain, which included the orphanage building. O’Neill has settled four more lawsuits in the past year and has eight other cases pending, including one involving a former orphanage resident sexually abused by
the late priest Michael Madden, who was charged with a string of improprieties during a two-decade career in Burlington, Barton, Colchester, St. Johnsbury, Stowe and Waitsfield.
ing,” Vermont Catholic Bishop Christopher Coyne said upon release of the report. “The victims of these priests are still bearing the wounds of what happened to them.”
An outdoor bronze sculpture of two children with fishing poles sits outside Burlington’s former St. Joseph’s Orphanage. PHOTO BY KEVIN O’CONNOR
Vermont’s Catholic Church, in response, has introduced a series of reforms. The diocese released a lay committee’s report last year revealing it knew at least 40 Vermont priests — about 10 percent of all the state’s Catholic clergy since 1950 — faced accusations of sexually abusing children over the past seven decades but did nothing to alert the public or police. “While most of these allegations took place at least a generation ago, the numbers are still stagger-
Coyne has freed accusers from past nondisclosure agreements, created a “Promise to Protect” website and contracted with a mental health counselor to offer a conduit for survivors of child abuse by priests and other personnel. “We can never apologize enough to any survivors of abuse,” the diocese said in its statement Monday. “In the end, the best apology we can make is to do everything that we can to make sure this never happens to another child in the care of the church.”
Page 10 • Williston Observer • December 17, 2020
COVID case spike leveling off
BY ERIN PETENKO VTDigger The Department of Health reported 66 new cases of the coronavirus and one new death on Tuesday. Total cases in Vermont since the beginning of the pandemic now number 5,923, and total deaths number 100. Roughly half of the new cases reported Tuesday were in Chittenden County. As of Tuesday, 20 people were hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19, with four in intensive care. The number of people
hospitalized has remained fairly steady for the past two weeks, staying mostly between 20 and 30. On Monday, the state reported 104 new COVID cases. That is in line with the state daily average of 100 during the past week, according to Department of Health data. On Sunday, the health department reported 119 new cases, and 80 on Saturday. After weeks of increasing cases, new case numbers have leveled off — a sign that COVID’s period of explosive growth in the fall is subsiding.
Racial disparities persist Although the latest wave of the virus has drastically changed Vermont’s COVID numbers, one pattern remains in place from the summer: the racial disparity between white Vermonters and Vermonters of color. Black Vermonters have the highest rate of COVID among any racial group, with 281 per 10,000 black Vermonters contracting the disease. The ratio for white Vermonters is considerably lower, with 74 per 10,000 becoming infected, according to Department of Health data. Asian Vermonters also have a higher COVID rate, with 185 per 10,000 Asian Vermonters getting the disease. American Indian and Alaskan Native Vermonters, along with Vermonters classified as “other,” appear to have a lower rate than white Vermonters, but the sample size for both is so small that it’s likely not comparable to other groups. Hispanic Vermonters, classified as an ethnicity separate from
race, have a higher rate of COVID than non-Hispanic Vermonters, at 96 per 10,000 compared to 73 per 10,000. While remaining the most affected racial group, black Vermonters’ COVID cases have slowed a bit compared to other groups. Cases among black Vermonters rose roughly 42 percent from Oct. 1 to Dec. 15, while they rose more than 200 percent among white and Asian Vermonters. The Department of Health has cited several factors that could be behind the pandemic’s disparate impact on people of color, including the wide-reaching effects of systemic and structural racism. “People whose communities are underserved may have higher rates of underlying medical conditions,” along with working more at high-risk jobs and living in congregate living spaces, the health department said in a September report. Gov. Phil Scott created a Racial Equity Task Force in June that publishes a report on COVID racial inequities.
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Volunteer opportunities BLOOD DONORS NEEDED — The American Red Cross has an urgent need for blood. If you are healthy and eligible to donate, visit www.redcross.org for more information and to schedule an appointment at a drive near you. LOOKING FOR A GROUP VOLUNTEER PROJECT? ReSOURCE has various painting projects to complete throughout the store and warehouse. If you and a group of family, friends or coworkers want to help the community through ReSOURCE’s dual mission of less waste in our landfills and training to increase job opportunities for youth and adults, please email volunteer@ resourcevt.org. HELP AT FRANKLIN COUNTY BLOOD DRIVES Are you available to support upcoming blood drives in Franklin County? Provide excellent and enthusiastic customer service to enhance the blood donor experience. Engage with blood donors to promote blood donation and set the stage for long-term commitment to regular blood donations. Apply at www.redcross. org/volunteer DOES YOUR STUDENT NEED VOLUNTEER HOURS? Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity ReStores in Williston and Milton are looking for student support this fall and winter. Shifts are flexible (during the week, after school or on weekends) and no experience is necessary. Tasks include sorting clothing, unloading incoming donations at the back door, sorting and moving items onto the sales floor, pricing items, testing electronics and small appliances and keeping the store tidy and organized. Volunteers must be 16 years or older. Contact Allison DeVoe at volunteer@vermonthabitat.org. DELIVER MEALS TO HOMEBOUND NEIGHBORS Age Well Meals on Wheels program needs help now more than ever. Deliver nutritious meals to homebound elders in Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle and Addison counties. Drivers pick up food at a central location and deliver to residential locations on their route. Time commitment varies from one day per week to one day per month from approximately 10:30-11:45 a.m. Background, license and insurance check. Call 662-5249 or email volunteerservices@agewellvt.org to learn more. Provided by the United Way of Northwest Vermont
December 17, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 11
Four injured in wrong-way crash on I-91 BY ELLIE FRENCH VTDigger A Massachusetts man has been identified as the driver charged Sunday night with causing a series of collisions by driving the wrong way on Interstate 91 just north of Brattleboro. Bernard McDonald, 65, of Westboro, Mass., was scheduled to be arraigned early Monday afternoon on charges of gross negligent driving, excessive speed, leaving the scene of an accident and attempting to elude authorities, Vermont State Police said. McDonald appears to be a building contractor in Westboro.
It is unclear what he was doing in Vermont at the time of the incident. Police are continuing to investigate whether McDonald was impaired in some way at the time of the crashes. Police report that the incident began when McDonald, driving a pickup truck, headed south in the northbound lanes of I-91 near Dummerston. A state trooper responded to an emergency call at 5:41 p.m. and encountered the wrong-way driver on the highway; the pickup truck sideswiped the state police vehicle before colliding head-on with a van, injuring three people who were taken by ambulance to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. A
fourth person was airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in West Lebanon and is reported in stable condition. Two other vehicles went off the road during the wrong-way encounter. Vermont State Police temporarily closed off I-91 between Brattleboro, Exit 3, and Putney, Exit 4, while the injured were helped and the accident details were investigated. The highway reopened hours later. Anyone with information that can assist the wrong-way driving investigation is asked to call the Vermont State Police barracks in Westminster at 802722-4600.
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Page 12 • Williston Observer • December 17, 2020
Art on the ball
Former UVM hoops star plies central Vermont art scene BY SIDNEY BEWLAY Community News Service Living and painting off the beaten path on the side of Camel’s Hump, Erik Nelson easily draws inspiration for his paintings from nature. But it was only recently that this former UVM basketball star and art major, who has followed several career paths, started to share his art with the community in a serious way. An exhibition of his work last summer at Axel’s Gallery in Waterbury gave the Duxbury artist an opportunity to put his work before the public, even if it was in a limited, socially distant, 2020 pandemic manner. “Erik has been involved behind the scenes for many years on special projects. He has shown work that hung outdoors here, but always as an anonymous artist,” said Axel’s Gallery owner Whitney Aldrich. Nelson’s art is a passion project for him, despite having previously stepped away from creating to focus on his family and both playing and coaching basketball. As Nelson has rejoined the art world, he is now creating pieces
Erik Nelson at home in Duxbury where he makes art inspired by his surroundings.
both for himself and for shows. A native of Pittsburgh, the 6-foot 6-inch Nelson graduated in 1998 from the University of Vermont with a degree in English and
art and as a standout forward/center for the Catamounts. He eagerly pursued a professional basketball career, leaving the U.S. for about a decade in the Netherlands play-
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ing in international leagues. He retired from professional basketball to Vermont in 2009 with his wife, Priscilla, and their two daughters after a final season playing for Vermont’s American Basketball Association team, the Frost Heaves. That year, Nelson was inducted into UVM’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Eventually he and his family moved to Waterbury and have since settled in a quiet spot near Camel’s Hump. Nelson, 44, has stayed active with the game he loves by coaching basketball, and he spends summers and falls pressing cider at Owl’s Head Orchard in Waterbury Center, where he has worked for the past six years. Coaching definitely became more complicated this year with COVID and Nelson says he has returned to focusing on creating art. His colorful, bold pieces commanded attention for several weeks at Axel’s, fitting in with what Aldrich describes as part of the gallery’s mission: “Highlighting people in our community that we might know otherwise is a special treat. That was the case with Erik,” she said. Nelson said he believes that all paintings “communicate something beyond words,” and in his case, those messages are created with unique tools, not paintbrushes. “I don’t enjoy traditional brushes because I want to remove myself from the process of painting as much as possible,” Nelson said. “Traditional brushes create too much control.”
A good example, Nelson said, is his latest “paintbrush” roller that he built: a basketball with a wire strung through it that sits on the end of a goalie lacrosse stick. The results are bold patterns made with sweeping strokes. A unique ongoing collaboration is what Nelson calls “mail art.” He describes it as a kind of community project for him and other artists. As of late, he is working with fellow artist Alex Itin who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. They are currently mailing an old, Czech book back and forth, taking turns painting the pages. They plan to create a stop-motion film of the piece when they are done painting. Nelson says that this project is “way experimental and will take a while to complete.” Nelson said his friendship with Itin grew and continues through the internet and phone calls. Having never met in person, the two had seen each other’s work online and built a friendship from their mutual interest in each other’s art. Nelson said this type of creative relationship has served him well in his work, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Artist friends just send each other work to trade ideas and inspiration,” Nelson said. On another artistic tack, Nelson’s work takes him into digital media with video remixing and production. While individual projects take time and happen quietly, Aldrich noted that Nelson’s show drew a mix of people to Axel’s. Some were friends or people who knew Nelson outside of his art. Others were just passersby who spotted the paintings and were drawn in for a closer look. Aldrich noted that some of Nelson’s art was sold, too. She said she hopes Nelson will contribute to an upcoming exhibition timed with the holiday season. Nelson also has had work at Art in the Village in Warren and has taken part in Burlington’s South End Art Hop. Nelson says he plans to keep creating art for the time being, deciding as he goes what to make available to sell and which pieces he will hang onto for awhile. For example, a 6x6-foot painting of a Tootsie Pop that hangs in his studio will “never be for sale or will be traded,” he quipped. “I just want to live with it.”
Sidney Bewlay is a reporter with the Community News Service, a collaboration with the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program.
December 17, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 13
Action summit held to fuel Vt. creative economy ple of Vermont’s creative regions together.” The Jamboree concluded a series of action planning events this fall hosted by the Vermont Creative Network and attended by hundreds of creative sector members across the state, along with research by Mt. Auburn Associates quantifying the impact of Vermont’s creative sector and critical interventions needed to strengthen it. In 2021, the project will incorporate final feedback and will work with statewide partners to prioritize action and policy chang-
es needed to support creative enterprises and individuals and to increase their impact on Vermont’s economy and communities. For more information, contact Lockridge at jim@bigheavyworld. com or (802) 865-1140.
The Vermont Creative Network is a collective of organizations, businesses and individuals working to advance Vermont’s creative sector. Authorized by the Vermont Legislature in 2016, it is a program of the Vermont Arts Council.
Jon Berg of the Vermont punk rock band ‘The Path’ films a message of support for local music for the Big Heavy World’s Hear Vermont campaign. PHOTO BY LUKE AWTRY PHOTOGRAPHY
On Tuesday, the Vermont Creative Network hosted a day-long virtual “Jamboree” to help connect and empower creative people and their businesses, and to shine a light on the importance of creativity to Vermont’s future. An “Action Summit” anchored the day, in which the Vermont Creative Network shared results of its first statewide action plan and next steps from a series of planning events it held this fall. The network also presented its draft vision and framework for strengthening creativity in Vermont’s communities, sustainability for creative enterprises and individuals, and making arts and creativity “essential infrastructure” in Vermont.
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prise; Xusana Davis, Vermont’s first Director of Racial Equity; and Jon Copans of the Vermont Council on Rural Development. Throughout the day, participants joined informal “meet-up” sessions on Zoom to connect with other creatives in business, advocacy, community building, placemaking and more. James Lockridge, Executive Director of Big Heavy World and Vermont Creative Network agent to Chittenden County, said, “Creatives across Vermont have been working together to strengthen this sector and highlight how important creativity is to Vermont’s character and identity … Everyone is welcome as we work to bring the peo-
Wishing you a safe and joyous holiday season.
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The Jamboree event spotlighted five action areas identified by creative sector members and research efforts, while providing artists and members of the creative sector with resources for strengthening their businesses and communities. It also included a celebration of art and artists, with a musical performance and the official release of original artwork created to document the vision for Vermont’s creative sector, by the Brandon-based collective Juniper Creative Arts. Speakers included Amy Cunningham of the Vermont Arts Council; Gwen Pokalo and Monique Priestley of the Center for Women and Enter-
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Page 14 • Williston Observer • December 17, 2020
Electors cast Vermont’s votes for Biden/Harris
On Monday, Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announced the official results of the electoral college votes cast for United States President and Vice President by Vermont’s electors. The meeting of the electors was held at 10 a.m. in the House Chamber of the Vermont Statehouse. Vermont has three electors. The results of the vote were three votes cast for Joseph Biden for President, and three votes cast for Kamala Harris for Vice President. Vermont’s electors for 2020 were State Sen.-elect Kesha Ram, Terje Anderson and Linda Gravell. “The voting of Vermont’s electors starts the final chapter of what has truly been a historic election year,” Condos said. “From the largest effort ever undertaken in Vermont to ensure safe, secure voting options for Vermonters, to the record-shattering number of Vermonters who voted in the 2020 primary and general elections, we can be very proud of our civic process in the Green Mountain State.”
U.S. Dept. of Labor ends extended unemployment
The Vermont Department of Labor has been informed by the U.S. Department of Labor that Vermont has officially triggered off of the federally-funded unemployment insurance program known as “extended benefits.” The department received notification on Friday from the U.S. Department of Labor that, based on household survey data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, Vermont’s official unemployed population has
dropped below the threshold for the extended benefits program. The final benefit week of the program is scheduled for the week ending Saturday, Dec. 19. Vermont becomes one of more than two dozen states that have seen extended benefits end in the past few months. Based on the department’s most recent report, there were 885 individuals who filed in the extended benefits program for the week ending Dec. 5.
FCC clears merger of Vermont PBS and VPR
Last week, Vermont PBS and VPR received the regulatory approvals needed to proceed with their intended merger announced in September. The Federal Communications Commission has granted permission for a license transfer, and the IRS has granted tax-exempt status, clearing the way for a new organization to launch in July. “We are coming together to strengthen local media and better serve our community,” said Scott Finn, VPR’s CEO, who will serve as CEO of the integrated organization. “This regulatory approval is an important milestone, which allows us to roll up our sleeves and get to work.” Vermont PBS and VPR will continue to operate independently until July. Over the next several months, they will focus on organizational design and systems integration to stand up the new organization.
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As a result of the program ending, the maximum number of benefit weeks available to claimants has decreased from 52 to 39 weeks, further impacting claimants moving through the system. “We are extremely disappointed that the federal government has refused to recognize the real and distinct humanitarian crisis that this pandemic has created and instead is choosing to use outdated methodology resulting in benefits
being cut for struggling Vermonters,” said Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington. “Thousands of families are relying on these benefits to simply survive and the Scott Administration has been calling for the federal government and Congress to act to prevent this inevitability for weeks. We will continue to push for federal action and flexibility so states can continue providing the necessary support for families.”
Vt. annual firearm sales exceed 50,000 for first time BY GUY PAGE Special to the Observer
With a month left in the year, annual gun sales in Vermont appear to have exceeded 50,000 for the first time since the federal government began conducting firearms background checks in 1998. Through November, the federal government conducted 52,855 background checks for Vermont firearms purchases, according to the FBI National Criminal Instant Background Check (NCIS) system. These statistics represent the number of firearm background checks initiated through the NCIS. They do not precisely represent the number of firearms sold. A one-toone correlation cannot be made between a firearm background check and a firearm sale because some legal gun sales do not require a background check. The highest month of 2020 was March, with 7,023. Since March, the next highest month for Vermont background
‘Gun sellers across Vermont are reporting a spike in sales over the past few months.’ checks (so far) was October with 5,214. On Nov. 5, VTDigger reported that “gun sellers across Vermont are reporting a spike in sales over the past few months. In a year that was already hot for gun sales, a contentious election and worries that a civil war might break out in its wake have only fueled the boom in the gun industry.” In 2019, Vermont ranked 19th in the nation for gun sales per person.
Guy Page is the publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle, online at www.vermontdailychronicle.com.
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Hartford, Conn., a hub for Vermont illegal drugs BY GUY PAGE Special to the Observer On Dec. 8, Wilfredo Cerpa pleaded not guilty to possessing fentanyl with intent to sell. Newport Police say Donta Flowers was shot in the early morning of Nov. 30 in Newport City by Jaquan Flintroy while Cerpa and Michael Alamo looked on. According to police, all four men were in the same car. They all know each other. They are all residents of Hartford, Conn. Also on Dec. 8, a federal grand jury charged Ralph Mariani, Cedano Brownswell and Rashane Wedderburn for fentanyl and cocaine possession and/or intent to sell in Rutland. All three men live in Hartford, Conn. On Dec. 7, Jay Watkins was arrested by Hartford, Conn., police carrying 20 grams of cocaine and a loaded pistol reported as stolen from St. Johnsbury. Watkins is also from Hartford. Hartford is the Nutmeg State’s capital and most populous city, and an apparent drug crime exporter to Vermont. Here are just a few other notable cases, found in just 10 minutes of surfing the Web: — September, 2020: Chyquan Cupe of Hartford was sentenced to nine years for operating a violent drug ring in Brattleboro. — March 2019: Paul Gyambibi of Hartford was arrested in Winhall for intent to sell heroin in Manchester, Vt. — July 2020: Luis Luna and Edwin Martinez of Hartford and Samuel Fuller of Barton were sentenced in federal court for conspiracy to sell fentanyl. The latter case provides a tell-
Hartford is the Nutmeg State’s capital and most populous city, and an apparent drug crime exporter to Vermont. ing, succinct explanation by U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan: “As this case demonstrates, we are working hard to root out long time drug traffickers in Vermont and from source cities like Hartford, Conn.” Why are Hartford drug dealers targeting Vermont? A reading of police and media reports suggests at least three reasons: gangs, greed and guns.
Gangs working together From the 2019 National Drug Threat Assessment: “The gangs involved in drug trafficking often establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with other gangs. Among the nationally organized gangs, affiliates of the Bloods have been active in cities such as Hartford, Connecticut and Fitchburg, Massachusetts. In May 2018, 10 alleged members and associates of the Almighty Latin Kings Nation were indicted for the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine in Hartford, Connecticut.” “There’s so much money to be made off the drugs, that you’ll see gangs from out of state that typically won’t get along,” Vermont State
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Police Detective Sgt. Christopher Lora said in an August 2019 Keene Sentinel report. “… But in the State of Vermont, the profits are so lucrative that they actually kind of have an agreement where — ‘You take this town or you take this part of town, and we’re good, and everybody’s making money.’ ” Profits are so lucrative in Vermont because of two basic principles of economics: there’s less competition, which allows the sellers to charge more, and Vermont is at the end of the U.S. supply chain. “They can make more by selling it in areas with less supply generally,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Doyle said in the Keene Sentinel. Vermont is connected to Hartford and Springfield, Mass. (another large hub) by Interstate 91, making the Brattleboro area particularly vulnerable. It’s axiomatic that the customer at the end of a supply chain pays more because the product takes longer to reach them and goes through more “middle-men” — whether the product is heating oil or heroin. When the product is legal, government regulation may restrain supply chain overcharging and greed. But Vermont’s drug addicts are at the dubious mercy of the dealers.
for lucrative drug-trafficking territories.” Connecticut is a state where legal ownership requires a permit. Gangs avoid this by looking north to states without gun purchase permit laws — such as Vermont. Many media reports show southern Vermont gangs selling drugs in exchange for guns, which are then reported as “stolen.” In 2019, more illegally obtained guns in Connecticut were traced to Vermont (20) than any other New England state except Maine (23). Heavily populated gun-control states like Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York all had fewer. Another factor is that Vermont has in some ways become less aggressive in drug arrests and prosecutions. This July, Bennington police paid $30,000 to settle a racial profiling lawsuit brought by the ACLU in which Shamel Alexander was arrested for drug possession in 2013, after police stopped the cab in which he was riding. Drugs were
seized, the arrest was made, but the charges were later dropped in connection with the ACLU lawsuit. Also, Chittenden County prosecutor Sarah George announced in 2018 she will not prosecute some drug crimes. Bills to decriminalize possession of “hard drugs” have been introduced into the Vermont Legislature, and lawmakers and interest groups have been pushing to “decarcerate” inmates of color on grounds of systemic racial injustice. It’s one thing for police and media to point to a source of Vermont’s drug problem. It’s another for something to be done to stop it. Time will tell if the Vermont Legislature and law enforcement community take extra measures to stop out-of-state drug traffickers from doing business in the Green Mountain State.
Guy Page is the publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle, online at www.vermontdailychronicle.com.
Gangs in violent competition That’s where guns come in. The 2019 Drug Threat Assessment laconically highlights “gun violence caused by turf wars fought
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Page 16 • Williston Observer • December 17, 2020
Five gardens to visit virtually
BY ERIN HUNT Special to the Observer
wetlands, accessible by a one-hour loop walk, offering a diverse outdoor experience filled with plants and wildlife. The gardens, established in 1964, combine traditional perennial landscape design with boldly colored borders and include a number of plant species from the more familiar roses and clematis to bromeliads and other sub-tropical plants.
When planning a foreign adventure, adding a garden to the itinerary is an ideal way to be outside, avoid large crowds and leisurely explore on a budget. You’re able to see sweeping landscapes designed by architects, as well as exotic plants up close. And you will come away with ideas for your own WALLENSTEIN GARDEN, garden back home. Prague, Czech Republic Botanical gardens and their greenwww.go.uvm.edu/waldsteingarden houses not only provide insight into the local flora and fauna, but also the In sharp contrast to the rolling culture and history of the country you gardens and wetlands of Ayrlies, the are visiting. Although international Wallenstein Garden at the Wallenstein travel is limited now, we will be able Palace in the center of Prague conto use our passports again one day. sists of several Baroque-style period Until then, why not visit some of gardens with statuary, water features these gardens virtually? Here are some and an aviary. Flower beds scattered lesser-known gardens found across among the tidy and precise hedges of the globe that you can visit online and the four courtyards are planted with tumight want to add to your future travel Visitors to the Adachi Museum of Art in Yasugi, Japan, can explore its six outdoor gardens designed by museum lips and other colorful flowers. Bronze founder Adachi Zenko. PHOTO BY TANYA JONES list. replica Greek statues stand where the originals, stolen by the Swedes ADACHI MUSEUM OF ART, art also features six beautiful outdoor garA waterfall garden and a dry landscape in 1648 during the Thirty Years’ War, once Yasugi, Japan dens designed by museum founder Adachi garden, which needs little to no additional ir- stood. The original statues can be seen outwww.adachi-museum.or.jp/en Zenko, who said, “The garden is, so to speak, rigation, are among the museum’s 40 acres side the royal palace of Drottningholm near This museum housing modern Japanese a picture scroll.” of gardens. Stockholm. MAURITIUS NATIONAL BOTANICAL KILMACURRAGH GARDENS, GARDEN, Port Louis, Mauritius Wicklow, Ireland www.ssrbg.govmu.org www.botanicgardens.ie/kilmacurragh This botanical garden, formally known This 52-acre arboretum, now part of as Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botan- the National Botanic Gardens, was once ic Garden, originally was a private garden the home of a 7th-century monastery and created for the French governor of Mauritius later the estate of the Acton family. Many several centuries ago. It later was designated of the current gardens were established as the national botanical garden of Mauritius. during the Victorian era by Thomas Acton It features more than 650 plant species, in- and his sister Jane, world travelers and avid cluding 85 different varieties of palm trees plant collectors. Species that have failed from all over the world, plus many native at Kilmacurragh’s parent garden, Glasnevtropical plants. in in Dublin, an hour north, can be grown successfully here due to the milder climate AYRLIES GARDEN AND WETLANDS, and better soil conditions. The gardens are Auckland, New Zealand famous for their historic rhododendron and www.ayrlies.co.nz conifer collections.
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OBITUARY Donald Spencer Barber Donald Spencer Barber, 92 of Williston, Vermont died peacefully on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 at his residence. Don was born on June 22, 1928 to the late Kenneth W. Barber and Edith (Spencer) Barber of Windsor, Connecticut. He attended Amherst College and Tufts University School of Medicine before starting his internship at Maine General Hospital in Portland Maine in 1953. In June of 1952, he married his first wife, Alice (Tomkievich) King of Bloomfield, Connecticut and they had four children: Thomas Barber (deceased), Susan (Barber) Hackney, married to John Hackney of Montpelier, Vermont, Robert Barber of Jackson, Wyoming, and Penny Barber of Essex
Junction, Vermont. He was pre-deceased by his first wife, Alice, his second wife, Ida (Pike) Barber, his son, Thomas Spencer Barber of Johnson, Vermont, and his sister, Elizabeth Dougherty of Newington, Connecticut. He is survived by his brother, Robert Barber of Rockledge, Florida. Don was a Captain in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps for two years at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, MA and then completed his residency at Maine General Hospital in 1956. Upon completion of his residency, he started his general practice in Billerica, MA (1957 – 1964) and then moved to Johnson, Vermont and subsequently Morrisville, Vermont where he had a solo medical practice from 1964 -1986. What started as a general practice became obstetrics,
gynecology and pediatrics and he delivered many babies in Lamoille County. Ida Pike DeGoosh, his second wife, was his office nurse for all but one of those years. They married in October 1979 and were married for 36 years. He was an attending physician at Copley Hospi-
Age Well introduces board members Gamache, Ulrich
Lynda Ulrich, DMD Liz Gamache
Age Well, a nonprofit serving the senior population in northwestern Vermont, is introducing board members Liz Gamache and Lynda Ulrich. Gamache is a resident of St. Albans and operates her own consulting firm, Liz Gamache, LLC. “It is complicated and difficult to understand the issues older
Vermonters face,” she said. “When my parents’ needs began to change, Age Well helped our family to navigate very unfamiliar territory. It’s not an easy road to travel on; we’re grateful for Age Well’s compassionate support and advocacy that helped to make the road less bumpy.” Linda Ulrich resides in Fairfield and is co-director of Fiddlehead Dental, which she owns and
operates with her husband, Chuck Verderber. “I’m interested in how our notions of ‘aging well’ can be expanded by technology and the coming ‘gratitude economy’ that I have seen is emerging in our culture, this through my other work with www.EverWideningCircles. com,” Ulrich said. Age Well is grateful to have the experience and dedication that Gamache and Ulrich bring to the board. To learn more about the board of directors and leadership team, visit www.agewellvt.org. Founded in 1974, Age Well services Addison, Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties and is a member of Vermont’s Area Agencies on Aging. It provides services and support to allow older adults to stay independent and remain healthy at home. Age Well is the largest Meals on Wheels provider in Vermont.
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tal in Morrisville 1964–1986, when he retired. Don leaves his three children, two step-daughters Eileen (DeGoosh) Perkins, married to Bill Perkins of Johnson, Vermont, and Anita DeGoosh of New Haven Connecticut, and four grandchildren: Elizabeth, Owen, and Sophia Manley and Dustin Lamore. With a passion for genealogy, Don spent hours researching family lines and he has written three editions of a book titled, The Connecticut Barbers, a Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas Barber of Windsor, Connecticut. Don will be remembered for his love of music, studying and playing the violin for almost 50 years during which he played in the Portland Maine Symphony and the Vermont Philharmonic Orches-
tra. Later, he studied and played the cello and played in the Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cheshire CT Symphony Orchestra. He was part of various string quartets and other chamber ensembles through the years. Later in life, playing the piano and duets with friends Kaylie Collins and Jane Farrell and his daughter, Sue, gave him great pleasure. Due to COVID restrictions, there will be no celebration of life until next spring or summer (2021). Don’s burial will be in Windsor, Connecticut. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Vermont Land Trust (8 Bailey Avenue, Montpelier, Vermont), online at www.vlt.org. The family also invites you to share your memoires and condolences by visiting www. awrfh.com
Page 18 • Williston Observer • December 17, 2020
Surge facility reconstructed at Expo
The Vermont National Guard finished reconstruction of an alternate health care facility at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex on Nov. 22. The facility was first built in the spring during the beginning of the pandemic. It was deconstructed as cases decreased over the summer, but with a resurgence this fall, was rebuilt. It is designed to handle overflow capacity in the event local hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID patients. It has a total of 150 beds. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE VERMONT NATIONAL GUARD
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December 17, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 19
SENIORS
Noticing memory problems? What to do next Medical Center. This free test helps identify mild cognitive impairment and early dementia and can be taken at home in about 10-15 minutes. The SAGE test can be taken online at www.BrainTest.com.
Dear Savvy Senior, My mom, who’s 76, has become more forgetful lately and is worried she may be getting Alzheimer’s disease. What resources can you recommend to help us get a handle on this? Oldest Daughter
Dear Oldest, Many seniors worry about memory lapses as they get older, fearing it may be the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia. To get some insight on the seriousness of your mom’s problem, here are some key warning signs to be vigilant of and some resources you can turn to for help.
Warning signs As we grow older, some memory difficulties — such as trouble remembering names of people or places or forgetting where you put your glasses or car keys — are associated with normal aging. But the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are much more than simple memory lapses. Knowing the early warning signs is a good first step in recognizing the difference between typical age-related memory loss and a more serious problem. To help you evaluate your mom’s condition, here’s a checklist of some common early symptoms to watch for: • Asking the same questions repeatedly. • Getting lost in familiar areas.
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• Failing to recognize familiar people. • Having difficulty following directions. • Misplacing items in inappropriate places, for example putting her keys in the microwave. • Having difficulty completing familiar tasks like cooking a meal or paying a bill. • Having trouble remembering common words when speaking or mixing up words. For more information, see the Alzheimer’s Association list of 10 early signs and symptoms at www. 10signs.org. Another good tool to help you evaluate your mom is the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam (SAGE test) that was developed at The Ohio State University Wexner
help
If you would rather have professional assistance in evaluating your mom, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (see www. alzfdn.org) is another good resource you can turn to. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday it provides free, confidential memory screenings done via video chat in real time. Your mother will need a phone, tablet or computer with a webcam and internet capability to complete the screening. The screenings are given by healthcare professionals and take about 10-15 minutes to complete. Once the screening is complete, the screener will review the results with her and let her know if she should see a doctor for further evaluation. To set up a memory screening for your mom, call 866232-8484 and make an appointment. If you find that your mom does need further evaluation, make an appointment with her primary care doctor for a cognitive checkup and medical examination. Depending on what’s found, she may be referred to a geriatrician or neurologist who specializes in diagnosing and treating memory loss or Alzheimer’s disease.
Honor the memory of your beloved pet.
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It’s never easy to say goodbye to a beloved pet, but a well-chosen pet memorial can help soothe some of the pain and keep your pet’s memory alive. Let us help.
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Keep in mind that even if your mom is experiencing some memory problems, it doesn’t necessarily mean she has early-stage Alzheimer’s. Many memory problems are brought on by other factors like stress, depression, thyroid disease, side effects of medications, sleep disorders, vitamin deficiencies and other medical conditions. And by treating these conditions
she can reduce or eliminate the problem.
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.
Best wishes from the Paw Print team for a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year! 30 YEARS
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Page 20 • Williston Observer • December 17, 2020
Decorate with winter-inspired container gardens BY MELINDA MYERS Special to the Observer
Clear out your fall containers and make room for some winter greenery. These planters are sure to brighten those dreary winter days and add life to your landscape. Transform weatherproof summer and fall containers for winter.
Fiberglass, plastic, cement and wood will hold up to the cold, ice and snow. Don’t subject terra cotta and glazed pots to the harsh elements that can cause them to crack. Remove faded fall flowers and add a bit of potting mix to fill the container within 2 inches of the top. Or select a new weatherproof container and fill it with potting mix.
Vermont is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases. Vermonters must act now to slow the spread. • Do not get together or socialize with anyone you don’t live with. • Avoid non-essential travel, even in Vermont. • Anyone returning or traveling to Vermont must quarantine.
Thank you for doing your part to keep our businesses and schools open, and Vermonters working.
HealthVermont.gov/StaySafe
Winter container gardens brighten up the landscape all season long. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO BY MELINDA MYERS
Consider your overall landscape design and other outdoor winter decorations when creating or purchasing a holiday planter. Place a couple of winter planters on your front steps or dress up your patio, deck or balcony and enjoy the view from the comfort of your home. Don’t overlook those hanging baskets. Fill them with winter greenery to elevate your winter containers to a fun new level. Fresh-cut needled evergreens like spruce, white pine, fir and broadleaf evergreen boxwood and holly combine nicely to form the backbone of your container design. Make it easy by using spruce tips to create vertical interest in a container. You only need to set a few in the center of the pot to look like a pro. Surround these with graceful white pine boughs to anchor the arrangement to the container.
Add sprigs of other evergreens for additional texture and shades of green. Next, it’s time to put your creativity to work. For those who prefer a natural look, consider white birch branches and stems of red twig dogwood, corkscrew willow or contorted hazelnut. Add a bit more color with berry-laden winter holly branches and dried seed rudbeckias, allium and coneflower seed heads or hydrangea flowers. Finish off your arrangement with a few evergreen cones and a bow. Or add a bit of glitz with painted and glittered cones, twigs, ornaments or other holiday adornments. You can purchase these or create your own with a bit of paint and glitter. Just make sure your materials will hold up to the winter weather. Once your arrangement is
complete, water thoroughly. Moist soil helps keep greenery fresh and in place. Once the soil is frozen you can stop watering. The cold weather will help keep your greens looking good throughout the holidays and beyond. Extend the life of your greenery with an organic biodegradable antitranspirant. These materials help seal in moisture, delaying the browning of cut greens. Always read and follow label directions carefully. Most need to be applied to evergreen boughs outdoors and allowed to dry before bringing indoors or beginning your arrangement.
Melinda Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her website is www.melindamyers.com.
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LIBRARY The Dorothy Alling Memorial Library is open for contact-free pickup of materials Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. To place holds, request a bundle of materials or for help deciding what to read next, visit www.damlvt.org or call 878-4918. The website has options for downloading e-books, audiobooks, music and videos and up-to-date information on all of the library’s programs. The library will be closed Dec. 24-25 and Jan. 1, and will close at 3 p.m. on Dec. 31. YOUTH PROGRAMS • Kids meditation: Mindful Moments Wednesday, Dec. 30, 1:15-1:45 p.m. Join us via Zoom. Ages 8-14. Parents are welcome to take part. Email programs@ damlvt.org to register. • Zoom preschool music Tuesday, Jan. 12, 10-10:30 a.m. Dance, wiggle and sing along with Linda Bassick. Register at www.damlvt.org to receive a Zoom link. MULTI-AGE PROGRAMS • Library Giving Tree Consider supporting the library this holiday season. Sponsor a favorite program or purchase a book or DVD in someone’s honor. The Giving Tree display is available in our vestibule when the library is open. Simply take a tag, fill it out and return it to the outdoor book drop. Payments may be made online or included with your tag. • All ages winter reading challenge Jan. 1-31. Take the “Books Like Us” winter reading challenge, sponsored by Simon & Schuster. Open to Williston and St.
CROSSWORD • SOLUTION ON PAGE 22
George residents of all ages. Log up to 15 hours of reading and complete activities to earn badges and tickets for virtual raffles. Libraries and schools across the nation are participating in this challenge, and 10 winning schools or libraries will each receive 50 books from the “Books Like Us” collection and will be eligible to win virtual author visits.
Register online at www.damlvt. beanstack.org and help us reach our community-wide goal of reading 50,000 minutes for the month of January. Happy reading! PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS Online programs are via Zoom. Email programs@ damlvt.org or call 878-4918 for an invitation. • To-go craft kit: glass gem magnets Pick up a DIY project from the library to complete at home. Available while supplies last. • Guided meditation Friday, Dec. 18, 12-12:30 p.m. Maryellen Crangle leads a short meditation. • Brown bag book discussion Tuesday, Dec. 22, 12:30-1:30 p.m. “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” by Helen Simonson. Copies available. • Current events discussion Wednesday, Dec. 23, 10-11:30 a.m. Connect with others for informal conversation about newsworthy topics. • New perspectives book discussion Tuesday, Jan. 5, 12-1 p.m. “Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness” by Sharon Salzberg. Chapters 5-8. Copies available. • Brown bag book discussion Tuesday, Jan. 26, 12:30-1:30 p.m. “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee. Copies available.
ACROSS 1. Short skirt 5. Positive point 9. Unpaid amount 13. Conversant with 14. Dispatch 16. Hundred ____ Woods: Winniethe-Pooh’s home 17. Pac-Man’s lunch 18. Word with light or rock 19. Things owed 20. Train station 22. Bright, as in future 24. Welcome site 25. Fan-club focus 27. Jumped 29. Lincoln facial feature 32. Vinaigrette component 34. Appeared in print 35. Inclined to interrupt, say 36. Put an end to 37. Tabulating 40. Human limb 41. Sweet quick breads 43. Mercedes or BMW 44. Clicks and ticks 46. Destroy 47. Levelheaded 48. Bar-counter snack 49. Not go straight 50. Put off
51. Ending 53. Drag 55. Had a position as 56. “My Sweet ___” (1970 #1 hit for George Harrison) 58. Not on deck 61. Motor Trend focus 63. Passionate 65. Equalize 67. Had more than a hunch 68. Accounts 69. Like blue moons 70. British nobleman 71. Covers 72. Killed, in the Bible DOWN 1. Damp ground 2. Personal music source 3. Score unit 4. Give an emotional lift to 5. ID necessity, often 6. Pass, on the track 7. Unscrupulous person 8. Constitutional 9. Family man 10. Universal 11. Sandwich need 12. ____ drive 15. Moderate 21. Anomalous
23. Football field divisions 26. Bakery buy 28. Walk quietly 29. Boring breakfast 30. Madrid and Paris cash 31. Give, as a shot 33. Derive by reasoning 36. “Get on the __, forget about us” .... 37. Furthermore 38. Zola title 39. Westerns author Zane 41. No-no in a microwave 42. Move slowly 45. “Green” energy source 47. Inspector Clouseau’s portrayer 49. Rooftop fixture 50. Past __; late bill 51. Animals 52. Room at the top 54. Chasm 55. Path left behind 57. Lox server 59. Office of the U.S. president 60. Lived 62. Wise hooter 64. Traffic light 66. Recently produced for the first time
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Page 22 • Williston Observer • December 17, 2020
CLASSIFIEDS review on the Town’s website or by contacting Town Manager Erik Wells at ewells@willistonvt.org or 876-1168. Dated at the Town of Williston, Vermont this 10th day of December 2020.
LEGAL NOTICE Town of Williston - Notice of Public Hearing Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets
FOR SALE
Erik Wells Town Manager
January 5, 2021
The proposed Operating Budget provides for expenses of $ $11,589,065. This represents a 0.7% decrease over the current fiscal year. The funds are used to provide municipal services including, but not limited to: Police, Fire, Library, Recreation, and Highway maintenance. The purpose of the Capital Budget is to identify major physical improvements needed to serve the community for next fiscal year and for the subsequent five years. Projects include, but are not limited to: building, park, and road improvements and bike path extensions. Potential revenue sources include property taxes, host town fees, impact fees, and grants. For next fiscal year, the total proposed expenditure for capital projects and equipment funded from property taxes, host town fees, fund balance, and other revenue sources is $555,500. Copies of the proposed Operating and Capital Budgets are available for
SAFE – 28-gun safe $900, “short gun” safe $400. Call Mark in Williston 802-338-5442.
Public Hearing Access Information January 5, 2021 at 8 PM https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86464022571 Phone: 1-646-558-8656 Meeting ID: 864-6402-2571
Notice is hereby given that the Williston Selectboard will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 8:00 P.M. using the virtual meeting platform zoom to receive comments on the proposed Operating Budget for fiscal year 2022 and Capital Budget and Program for fiscal years 2022 to 2027. Meeting access information is at the bottom of this notice.
COVID-19 safety protocol including mask, gloves, etc. Call (802) 9892489 to schedule a cleaning.
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SERVICES PAINTING - Since 1977, Lafayette Painting has provided top quality painting services. Our experts will complete your job quickly and the finished work is guaranteed to look great. Learn more about us at www. LafayettePaintingInc.com or call 863-5397. HOUSE CLEANING: Experienced and meticulous house cleaner available to clean your home. Reasonable rates. Strict adherence to
FURNITURE - all items as priced, OBO. Dresser, great for kid’s room $25; Bar stools – 4 brand new, $25 for set; Recliner Sofa, 3-section, faux leather, good shape, $50; Director’s Chair, leather seat and back, $25; Sewing Machine, Singer (working) in cabinet, with original accessories, cabinet needs refinishing $25; Vacuum, Hoover upright, runs well, $25. Assorted rugs: runners, and one 8 ft. x 11 ft. - take ‘em away! Call 802-839-0294 to inquire - leave a message regarding “furniture.” TIRES: 4 Eldorado Tourmax GFT all season radials 195/65R15T. Used less than 5 months and have low mileage on them. We are selling these because we traded in the vehicle and they will not fit on our new one. $200. Call Tom at 802-318-3581. DOG RAMP - 61” x 15”, sturdy, folds, carpeted, used inside only once$50. Also 4 step dog stairs for smaller dog $15. Call 802-363-4611. SNOWBLOWER - Cub Cadet 3 stage 24 inch 277 ccOHV Electric start Snow Bloer. Excellent condition!!! Only used a few times. $650. Call 8780405 and leave message on answering machine with your name and phone # and Bill will call you back.
EMPLOYMENT Transportation Staff Needed! School Bus Drivers
Do you love working with children and have an excellent driving record? The Essex Westford School District is seeking two full-time bus driver to transport special needs students to and from school. This position will also assist with sanitization of vehicles. Position is approximately 35 to 40 hours/ week. Work schedule may include a split shifts beginning as early as 6:00 am and ending as late as 5:00 pm. Hours worked as a driver pay $20.00/hour. Excellent benefits package available including family medical and dental; life insurance; paid sick/family, personal and holiday leaves; and a retirement plan with up to 6% employer contribution after two years of service. Candidates with a CDL class B with Passenger and School Bus endorsements preferred, but we would consider candidates with no CDL who would be willing to drive a minivan while training towards CDL. Training towards CDL available.
Minivan Driver
Do you love working with children? Are you looking for part-time employment? The Essex Westford School District is seeking part-time minivan driver to transport special needs students to and from school, and to transport our high school students to the Burlington Technical Center. This position will have additional duties related to COVID-19 such as screening students, ensuring students are following COVID safety practices, and assisting with sanitization of vehicles. Work schedule may include a split shifts beginning as early as 6:00 am and ending as late as 5:00 pm. Position pays $18.00/hour. Candidates must have a VT driver’s license with an acceptable driving record. Individuals with a CDL class B with Passenger and School Bus endorsements desirable to serve as a backup school bus driver preferred. Training towards CDL available for interested applicants. For consideration, please apply through www.Schoolspring.com (job ID 3404935), contact Jamie Smith at (802) 857-7037 or jsmith2@ewsd.org, or mail cover letter and resume to: Essex Westford School District Attn: Maxine Breuer 51 Park Street Essex Jct., VT 05452
Copley Woodlands is looking for a
Sous Chef
Copley Woodlands, located in Stowe, VT, is seeking a temporary Sous Chef. We also have Per Diem openings available. Schedule may vary. This person prepares and cooks for residents. They assist the Executive Chef with all necessary tasks such as ordering/inventory/waste control/menus and the maintenance of equipment. They ensure compliance with all applicable State and Federal laws, regulations, and policies governing the provision of health care. If you have 3 to 4 years of restaurant or institutional cooking experience, we want to hear from you! Reach out to Shannen Dando at sdando@chsi.org or apply online at www.copleyvt.org/careers.
Exceptional Care. Community Focused. That’s Copley.
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
erver
0/week $936 December 17, 2020 • Williston Observer • Page 23
SERVICE DIRECTORY Do you have jewelry you don’t
BUILDING SERVICES
ANTIQUE SHOP JEWELRY REPAIR wear because it’s broken or out of style? ANTIQUE SHOP
BEAGLE BUILDERS, LLC Remodeling & Additions
ALL TYPES OF SIDING Vinyl/Wood/Composite
Windows & Doors • Decks & Porches
Kitchens & Bathrooms Sunrooms & Garages
Monkton, VT
beaglebuilders@gmavt.net
802-453-4340 CALL US!
CARPENTRY
A Multi Dealer Shop A Multi Dealer A Multi Dealer Shop Shop
Carpentry
Drywall, Siding, Finish Work, Pressure Washing
Matt Levee • HighStandards802@gmail.com
EMPLOYMENT
Hannaford Williston
Now Hiring
We are looking for FULL TIME and PART TIME deli and kitchen associates. Competitive pay and benefits package!
APPLY ONLINE: www.hannaford.com/careers Or Email Hiring Manager Becky Ashton Reashton@hannaford.com or call 802-878-0032
We will repair or redesign it so you can start enjoying it again Watch Repair, Battery Replacement
802.878.6167 802.878.6167 802.878.6167
Locally, Family Owned All Work Done On Site 97 Pearl St. • Essex Jct Shopping Ctr. Shannonsofvermont.com • 802-878-3774
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE
Michelle Desautels REALTOR®, PSA
(802) 846-9503 Michelle@DesautelsVT.com DesautelsVT.com
24/7 On Call – Free Estimates – Fully Insured
802-355-8193
Is your Jewelry Broken or Out of Style?
11 Maple Street, Street, Essex Junction, VT VT 11 Maple Essex Junction, 11Open Maple Street, Junction, VT Mon SatEssex 10-5 Sun 11-4 Open-Mon - Sat 10-5 Sun 11-4 Open Mon - Sat 10-5 Sun 11-4 5CornersAntiques.com 5CornersAntiques.com 5CornersAntiques.com
REAL ESTATE
High Standards, LLC Remodeling, Rot Repair, Decks, Windows, Doors
IVE CORNERS ORNERS FIVE CORNERS FFIVE C ANTIQUES NTIQUES ANTIQUES A
Guiding You Home
MINI EXCAVATOR
• TRACTOR SERVICES
— Snow Plowing —
Hydraulic Thumb Site Work Stump Removal
Free Estimates!
Lawn Care Custom Carpentry Driveway Grading
233-6938
yardjacks.com
BASEMENT SYSTEMS BASEMENT SYSTEMS
To place a classified or service directory ad, email marianne@ willistonobserver. com
Photos from the Williston Observer
available for purchase! Visit our website to see current and past photos of Williston events, school sports, nature shots and more! Digital and prints available. Very reasonably priced.
Frey AL
photography
AlFreyPhotography.com Place your order online or email afrey202@gmail.com
Visit www.willistonobserver.com
Page 24 • Williston Observer • December 17, 2020
Holiday Decorating Contest Winners
Traditional/Refined winner is 152 Maple Rd.
T
he Williston Recreation and Parks Committee judged 43 homes over the weekend in the town’s inaugural Holiday Decorating Contest. The winner in the Traditional/Refined category is 152 Maple Rd. The winner in the Fun/Festive category is 55 Southfield Drive. The winner in the Multi-Family Housing category is 311 Maple Tree Place. Each winning household will receive a gift basket and yard sign displaying that they won. Displays will remain in place through Dec. 30 for residents to view. The winner of the business category, judged by 155 citizens through an online form, was the North Williston Cattle Company at 238 Fay Lane. Contest sponsors included the Williston Observer, Polli Properties, Williston Coffee Shop, Healthy Living, Vermont Meat & Seafood and Hannaford.
Fun/Festive winner is 55 Southfield Drive.
The winner in the Multi-Family Housing category is 311 Maple Tree Place.
The winner of the business category, judged by 155 citizens through an online form, was the North Williston Cattle Company at 238 Fay Lane.
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