Williston Observer 2/18/2021

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Black Lives Matter flag to fly at Town Hall

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

The Black Lives Matter flag will fly above Town Hall in Williston.

The selectboard voted 3-2 Tuesday to raise the symbol starting March 1 and ending June 21, approving a motion from board member Ted Kenney that followed a request from a group of citizens.

The request was originally submitted in October and the board deliberated on it at three separate meetings, collecting about 140 written and verbal public comments that revealed strong opinions among residents both for and

BY JASON STARR Observer staff

against the idea.

The flag already flies at local public schools, approved in 2020 by the Champlain Valley School Board.

In making the motion to fly the flag for four months, Kenney said he separates the sentiment “black lives matter” from the organization of the same name. Residents who spoke against the proposal Tuesday called the organization an extremist political group.

Board member Joy Limoge, who said she received “hate mail” as a result of her previously stated opposition to the request, voted with Gordon St. Hilaire to oppose the motion. Jeff Fehrs and Terry

Macaig voted with Kenney to approve.

“Black Lives Matter is a political organization … with a radical agenda,” said Limoge.

She believes the board overstepped its bounds with the approval.

“This is not what our function is,” she said.

St. Hilaire objected because he hoped to put the question to town voters.

After the vote, Macaig directed town administrators to acquire the flag and raise it on March 1. At a meeting in June, the board plans to consider whether to extend the display.

Several residents spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, some urging the board to approve the proposal and others urging the board to reject it.

“It would make me feel incredibly proud that Williston was able to use its voice to talk about a more just and equitable society,” said resident Jerry Greenfield, noting the country’s history of slavery and unequal treatment of black people. “To address the inequality in our history, you have to be willing to speak out about things that aren’t right.”

Resident Cindy Provost asked the board what the flag display will accomplish and said it will deface

the town’s historic village.

“Will it really improve how people act or think,” she asked.

“I personally feel it will be something that will divide the town more, rather than bring it together.

I don’t feel like we have to have a banner to make people think we will include everybody in our town.”

Fehrs said the flag display is a first step toward addressing racial inequality in Williston.

“I believe we are a just and caring community, but we need to do better,” he said. “It takes courage to admit racism does exist in our community and we want to address that.”

Business expansion plans rest on rare zoning trick

New England Chimney Supply’s expansion plans at the corner of Commerce Street and Williston Road require a complex, seldom-used process to change the Williston Town Plan and zoning map.

If town planners don’t approve the plan, the company says it will leave town and consolidate operations at its sister facility in Virginia. New England Chimney Supply opened the Williston facility in 2016 and manufactures chimney products there.

“This fast growing company has outgrown this location,” the company’s filings with the planning department say. “The goal of this project is to expand the existing footprint of the industrial building and provide additional parking for new and existing employees to give New England Chimney Supply the room they need to stay comfortably in Williston.”

To expand, WSW Investments LLC has purchased two adjoining residential lots on behalf of the company. The lots are behind homes on Kirby Lane. Taken together, the business’ existing lot and the two newly acquired lots straddle three different zoning districts — industrial, residential and gateway.

The nature of the proposal is

New England Chimney Supply is applying to change the zoning of nearby land to expand its operations at the corner of Williston Road and Commerce Street. OBSERVER PHOTO BY EVA BENWAY

to create a specific plan to unify the three parcels under industrial zoning.

“The specific plan avoids claims of ‘spot’ zoning because it is not a ‘deal’ between a community and an individual landowner,” Planning Director Matt Boulanger wrote in filings with the planning commission. “… While it will serve private interests, it will also provide substantial public benefits.”

Neil Hogan, vice president of operations at New England Chimney Supply, did not return calls seeking comment.

The planning commission gave preliminary approval to the

proposal on Feb. 2. The approval triggers a requirement for a public meeting and the potential to create a neighborhood advisory committee to consult on the zoning change.

If the planning commission issues a final approval, it would then consider formal adoption of the zoning change. The Williston Selectboard would have to ratify the zoning change. Only then could the business submit a site plan for expansion to the Development Review Board.

The planning commission’s preliminary approval was based on the idea that the zoning change would benefit both the company and the community. In addition to

the potential to bring new jobs to Williston, the proposal includes the construction of a bus pulloff and concrete pad for a future bus stop shelter on the eastbound side of Williston Road. Currently only a bus stop exists there.

The pulloff will improve traffic and pedestrian safety, the company states in filings with the planning commission. Green Mountain Transit (GMT) General Manager Josh Moore offered his support for the idea in a letter to the planning commission.

“The proposed improvements will benefit GMT and the community through improved access to transit for New England Chimney

Supply employees and neighbors as well as reduced traffic congestion along Williston Road,” he wrote. “GMT is fully supportive of these improvements.”

However, Boulanger noted that the bus pulloff would not be controlled by the Town of Williston.

“Though Williston employees and residents benefit from services provided by GMT, it is ultimately a public service beyond the jurisdiction of Williston,” he wrote. “GMT could abandon this bus route. Though that outcome is unlikely, it is a possibility and a decision beyond the selectboard’s control.”

Page 2 • Williston Observer • February 18, 2021

WILLISTON: BUSINESS HUB OF VERMONT

Williston architecture firm promotes pandemic-safe design

BY CAMILLE SWEET Special to the Observer Williston-based Environments for Health, an architecture firm specializing in health care projects, has found itself thrust into a national discussion around how to best design safe healthcare spaces amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Experts at the company propose using ultraviolet light technology for contactless cleaning and infection control, creating patient rooms that are more flexible and making telehealth a more widely used option for getting patients in front of a healthcare professional, particularly for underserved populations.

Jennifer Arbuckle, a partner at

Environments for Health, has been at the firm for more than 25 years.

She moved to Vermont after graduating from Syracuse University.

She smiles as she calls Vermont her home and the place she wants to live her life.

“I decided in sixth grade that I wanted to be an architect and I really never changed my mind,” Arbuckle said.

Environments for Health recently finished a renovation on the main hospital campus at the University of Vermont Medical Center.

“There was a lot of design, thought and effort,” Arbuckle said of the UVM project.

With the new renovation, more multi-purpose patient rooms were added to give more flexibility.

“We try to design around flexibility, so making sure that the space we design for (hospitals) can be repurposed quickly with what they need,” Arbuckle said.

With limits on staff and patient movement, there is less chance of spreading a virus or disease like COVID-19. Technologies like ultraviolet light create an opportunity to design buildings that can passively minimize infections.

“UV light has not been used for cleaning on a small scale previously because it is expensive and takes time,” Arbuckle said, adding that direct exposure can be harmful to humans. “Is there a way to build in a safe amount of UV light that continuously cleans?”

Building in a safe amount of UV light would limit wasted materials such as wipes and disinfectant spray while also limiting human contact with infected surfaces, Arbuckle said.

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Jennifer Arbuckle works in her office at Environments for Health in Williston.

The architecture firm specializes in health care building design, and has found itself a key voice in the discussion over how to design pandemic-safe buildings. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

ties. People without transportation or time to travel are now able to virtually meet with their healthcare provider. Arbuckle predicts telehealth will remain popular after the pandemic is over.

“There is a whole host of underserved people who will have better healthcare as a result of some of these changes,” Arbuckle said. “Boston Children’s Hospital predicted 40 telehealth visits a month. As of May, they were at 2,000. That’s a big change.”

Arbuckle’s clients include Elizabethtown Community Hospital and Blythedale Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, N.Y. She feels an especially strong connection with the Blythedale Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital, an organization

she has been working with since 2003. Environments for Health has overseen major upgrades to the hospital, including a bed replacement project and a pediatric long term care plan.

“The mission of the hospital creates some deep things as you think about the design and trying to create the right place for patients and families there,” she said.

Environments for Health has eight offices in the eastern and southern U.S. The company is looking to expand West.

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February 18, 2021 • Williston Observer • Page 3

Williston’s Weaver named 2020 Realtor of the Year

Hub HAPPENINGS THE WHO, THE WHAT & THE WHEN

Pain clinic opens at Blair Park An outpatient medical practice focusing on the treatment of pain has opened at 277 Blair Park Road.

Interventional Spine of Vermont specializes in spine care, as well as muscle and joint pain.

The practice has two providers: Dr. Esther Caballero-Manrique, who is board-certified in pain medicine and anesthesiology and Dr. Clarence Ivie, a pain medicine fellow at the University of Vermont Medical Center.

Call (802) 404-2004 or visit www.interventionalspinevt.com for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Community Bank branch opens at Cottonwood Crossing The newly constructed branch of Community Bank opened in January. It is the first completed building of the commercial and residential Cottonwood Crossing development on Route 2 in Williston.

The branch offers four teller stations, a 24-hour ATM, two drivethrough lanes, a night depository and safe deposit boxes. It is the newest of about 235 Community Bank branches across Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

Carolyn Weaver of the Weaver Team at KW Vermont has been named the Northwestern Board of Realtors 2020 Realtor of the year.

A resident of Williston, Weaver has been selling real estate since 1996 in Vermont. She taught history and sociology classes at Community College of Vermont before her foray into real estate. With her husband, Joe, she owns Red Barn Gardens, an event venue and small garden center.

“Carolyn has been an asset to both the community and industry and all that she does,” said KW Vermont CEO and Team Leader Brian Armstrong. “Having had the opportunity to work with her now for many years, I can see the choice the panel made was an easy one to make. Carolyn is a true consummate professional, the Realtor who sets the bar for all others.”

Workers’ compensation insurance rates continue decline Vermont businesses will see the fifth straight year of a rate decrease in workers’ compensation insurance in 2021. When combined with decreases from 2017-2020, Vermont employers will pay an average of 36 percent less in workers’ compensation premiums than they did in 2016.

Year-over-year rates will decrease by an average of between 4.65.5 percent. Rate changes will vary by industry. Vermont’s logging industry will see rate reductions of up to 12 percent, the skiing industry will see rate reductions up to 7 percent and the dairy farming industry will see rate relief of up to 12 percent.

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VT Business Roundtable president to retire Vermont Business Roundtable president Lisa Ventriss will retire at the end of the year, the organization announced earlier this month.

A selection committee is working with an executive search company to find a successor to Ventriss, who has led the organization for 19 years.

The nonprofit roundtable consists of about 100 Vermont chief executive officers and is focused

on improving Vermont as a place to live and do business.

“It has been one of my greatest professional privileges to serve as president of the roundtable and work together with such a distinguished and respected group of business and nonprofit leaders from across the state and region,” Ventriss said. “After almost two decades as president, and at the beginning of a new decade, it is now time for the roundtable to bring in the next generation of leader.”

Locals launch Iron Wolf Wines Williston residents Tammy and Tony O’Rourke have launched Iron Wolf Wines, with four initial varieties available at wine shops, specialty food stores and restaurants in Vermont.

“Our wines are sourced from respected family farms in the Pacific Northwest that employ responsible agricultural practices with a

OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

reverence for the soil, water and air,” Tony O’Rourke said.

The company’s initial offerings are a 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, a 2019 Chardonnay, a 2018 Syrah and a 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon.

“We are incredibly grateful for the amazing reception our wines have received here in Vermont and are proud to be part of the hospitality industry recovery effort,” O’Rourke said.

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“A major expense for Vermont businesses has been workers’ compensation insurance, so I’m proud that we’ve been able to reduce these costs annually, without reducing benefits for workers,” said Gov. Phil Scott. “These savings will help Vermont employers of all sizes hire more workers, increase salaries and expand their operations in our state.”

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Page 4 • Williston Observer • February 18, 2021

Vermonters age 70 and over rush to register for COVID vaccines

BY ERIN PETENKO AND KATIE JICKLING VTDigger A flood of COVID vaccine signups by Vermonters 70 and older has caused long wait times and glitches in the state’s website.

Registration opened at 8:15 Tuesday morning. Within 15 minutes, the Vermont Department of Health received 7,000 calls to sign up. About 11,000 Vermonters, nearly a third of eligible people in that age group, had signed up for an appointment by 11 a.m.

The health department warned of long wait times “as the call center works full bore to schedule appointments.”

“I urge you to remain patient,” said Mike Smith, secretary of the Agency of Human Services, noting that average caller wait times hovered around five minutes, though the wait was somewhat longer when the system was jammed.

The state has offered three ways to sign up: through the Department of Health, Walgreens and Kinney Drugs. By

noon, Kinney Drugs was schedulOn Tuesday, the University of ing appointments more than five Vermont Medical Center canceled weeks out. its vaccination clinic at the ChamSome Vermonters reported plain Valley Exposition because of technical glitches in online sign- bad weather. State officials vowed ups; health department spokesper- that those appointments would be son Ben Truman said the state’s IT rescheduled within a week. All staff was working on the “compli- other Vermont vaccine sites remain cations.” open.

“Everyone Gov. Phil will get schedScott said Veruled, and there mont’s federal are enough apallocation of pointments for vaccine doses all,” Health will continue to Commissioner rise in the comMark Levine asing weeks. sured people.

The federal So far, about government will Dr. Harry Chen prepares a dose 78,000 Vermont- of COVID-19 vaccine at a Vermont also increase the ers have received Department of Health clinic in number of dosthe vaccine, and Winooski on Feb. 2. PHOTO BY GLENN es it provides about half of RUSSELL/VTDIGGER to pharmacies, them have rethough some ceived both doses, Smith said. Half governors have expressed conof Vermonters 75 and older have cern that the arrangement prevents received at least the first dose of the states from managing the distribuvaccine, including 850 homebound tion process.

Vermonters who are vaccinated “The pharmacies are out of through home health agencies and our control in some respects,” emergency medical services.

Scott said.

Cases sink among older Vermonters While the number of overall cases has stagnated or slowly declined in recent weeks, the number of cases among Vermonters 75 and older has dropped significantly, which could be the reason the state is reporting a large drop in deaths, said Mike Pieciak, commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation.

The state reported 814 cases in the past week, compared to 956 the week before, Pieciak said — an encouraging decline in cases, but not as dramatic as the falling number of cases regionally and nationally.

Throughout the country, cases have fallen below 100,000 a day, and regional cases are down from their latest peak, he said.

“Every state and Quebec has seen improvement compared to last week,” Pieciak said. “This is the first time since November that our regional cases are fewer than 100,000 on a weekly basis. And you can see that we’re also reporting fewer cases than we did back

To register for a vaccine appointment, visit www. healthvermont.gov/ MyVaccine or call 855-722-7878. You will be asked to provide your name, date of birth, address, email (if available), phone number and health insurance information (if available, but not required). during the spring peak as well.”

In all, regional cases are down 57 percent from their latest peak, while Vermont cases are down only 34 percent, according to Pieciak’s presentation.

Bennington and Rutland counties continue to recover from their latest surge, while cases are rising this week in Essex and Franklin counties, Pieciak said.

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Email editor@willistonobserver.com

Republicans introduce bill to fund school officers

Proposal contrasts with Democrat bill to ban SROs

BY GUY PAGE Special to the Observer

Seven Republican Vermont senators have introduced a bill to expand funding for school resource officers (SROs), which are armed police officers assigned to local schools.

The bill, S.76 was introduced a week after four Democratic and Progressive senators introduced S.63 to ban school resource officers in the state. Both bills are in the Senate Education committee.

Gov. Phil Scott opposes a statewide ban.

“I believe this is a local decision,” he said.

He approves the state’s practice of offering funding to school districts, but not requiring resource officers. The Champlain Valley School District last week decided to cut ties with its SRO after a three-year stint.

S.76 was announced at a Rutland press conference held by Mayor David Allaire

COVID continued from page

4

be vigilant and take the public health guidelines seriously,” he said. “But certainly, these four counties where cases are more elevated and the rest of the state should certainly be following the guidance very closely.”

Levine said there have been some school-related outbreaks in Franklin County, including one in Enosburg, but most cases were tied to community transmission.

“Outbreaks have not been a major feature of this case growth, and very few schools are involved,” he said. “However, one of the

February 18, 2021 • Williston Observer • Page 5

State proposes simplified fishing regulations

and Rutland senators and co-sponsors Josh Terenzini and Brian Collamore. Members of the Rutland City, Rutland Town, Castleton, Fair Haven, Middlebury and Killington police departments attended.

S.76 allocates $1 million for school districts to apply for $50,000 grants, sets up a framework for hiring SROs and prevents the state from prohibiting school districts to hire them.

“The rural nature of Vermont’s communities could result in relatively slow response times for law enforcement when responding to life threatening incidents in schools,” the bill states. “During a life-threatening incident in a school, the safety of children and staff is imperative and schools without a school resource officer on-site are at a severe disadvantage in responding in a timely manner.”

The bill cites two out-of-state examples of SRO intervention preventing potentially catastrophic school shootings: • On April 18, 2019, an SRO in Kentucky arrested an 18-year-old male student who was allegedly walking toward the school while armed with a loaded revolver in his front pocket and a full, 50-round box

of ammunition.

• On April 4, 2019, a 17-year-old male student allegedly made verbal threats in the presence of an SRO in St. Louis. A gun was reportedly found in the student’s backpack.

“A first layer of defense in a school is added when an SRO is onsite during a serious incident,” the bill states.

Other co-sponsors of the bill are Sens.

Joe Benning (Caledonia), Randy Brock (Franklin), Russ Ingalls (Essex-Orleans), Corey Parent (Franklin) and Bobby Starr (Essex-Orleans).

In contrast to S.76, S.63 would eliminate SROs in Vermont. Their presence leads to arrests — particularly of minorities — and feeds a “school-to-prison pipeline,” the bill states. It is sponsored by Sens. Alison Clarkson (D-Windsor), Ruth Hardy (D-Addison), Chris Pearson (D/P Chittenden) and Anthony Pollina (P-Washington).

Guy Page is the publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle, online at www. vermontdailychronicle.com.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has initiated a process of simplifying its fishing regulations.

Fishing regulations have become increasingly complex over time as amendments have been added, making the rules more difficult for anglers to understand and challenging for the department to administer and enforce.

“We want to make fishing rules easier to understand while continuing to protect Vermont’s abundant fisheries resources,” said Vermont Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Louis Porter. “Our fisheries’ biologists and wardens have proposed changes to our primary fishing regulation that will simplify and standardize the rules, rather than having them be slightly different depending on what lake or stream section you are on.”

The proposed changes can be seen at www.vtfishandwildlife.com by searching for Board Rules in the top right hand corner of the home page. Public comments are accepted by email to ANR.fwpubliccomment@vermont.gov. Virtual public hearings will be announced in March.

school outbreaks may have spawned two secondary small outbreaks on farms.”

other participant in the race is the vaccine.”

Pieciak said the number of cases among Vermonters 75 and older has dropped from about 11 cases per day a month ago to about three per day now, coinciding with the beginning of the vaccination of that age group.

The number of deaths per week has also

fallen, from a high of 20 in a single week in mid-December to three in the past week.

The state hopes to issue more guidance as soon as Friday in light of the increasing vaccination rate and new CDC guidelines that loosen quarantine rules for vaccinated people, Scott said.

‘We are now in a race’ The state reported 53 new Covid cases and one new death on Tuesday, bringing the total number of deaths to 191, Levine said. The state has 37 people currently hospitalized with the virus.

“It’s clear that we are now in a race, a race to continue to suppress the virus by adhering even more strictly to public health guidance,” he said. “The

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Page 6 • Williston Observer • February 18, 2021

GUEST COLUMN

Notes from the Legislature

BY REP. ERIN BRADY I am often asked, “what is a day like in the Legislature?” While every day is different, there is a rhythm to the legislative weeks.

On Tuesdays and Fridays, the full House of Representatives con-

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venes on the “floor” (all on Zoom together for now), then we adjourn to our committees (all on Zoom as well) for meetings and work. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, we start the day in our committees, meet for the “floor” in the early afternoon and then go back to comSUBMISSIONS/LETTERS SEND TO editor@willistonobserver.com • News/story tips welcomed • Letters must be 300 words or fewer • Deadline is Monday at noon Include your name, address and a daytime phone number (so we can verify the letter’s author, phone numbers and street addresses will be kept confidential) Letters may be edited for clarity and brevity.

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mittees to continue working. In the early morning, over the lunch hour and almost every night of the week, there are any number of meetings that a legislator could attend, including issue caucuses, political caucuses, advocacy organization meetings and informational sessions on a huge range of policy topics.

At this point in the session, we are on the floor for fairly brief periods and the vast majority of our time is spent in committee meetings. Committees tend to spend the first few weeks of the session hearing from a broad range of interests related to that committee’s work about their priorities and concerns, and receiving updates on existing programs. Committees also take time to review the proposed budgets for state agencies and initiatives in order to prepare the budget bill. As committees begin to pass bills out and send them to the full body for passage, our floor sessions will become longer and more complex.

I was appointed to the Education Committee. The biggest issues before our committee include regular updates on the impact of COVID on our schools, increased support for best practices in literacy instruction, beginning to deal with a huge backlog of deferred maintenance in many schools in Vermont, the future of the Vermont State Colleges, continued discussion of school funding formulas and considering the recommendations of the Ethnic and Social Equity Standards Advisory Working Group.

It has been tremendously helpful for me to have experience

as a classroom teacher, an adjunct instructor at Saint Michael’s College, a school board member and a parent. (My seatmate, Rep. Jim McCullough, serves as the vice chair of the Committee on Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife.)

The Legislature continues to focus on our pandemic response, including investment in testing, vaccines, PPE, telehealth and providing relief and recovery to Vermonters most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Housing continues to be an important priority as 2,200 adults and 400 children are still being housed in over 70 hotels across the state.

Since I last shared an update, the Vermont House approved a mid-year technical adjustment to keep the state’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget in balance. H.138 passed with strong support and also included investments to support the Legislature’s continuing response to the pandemic. Some funding highlights include: • Coronavirus Relief Funds for emergency food, hotel housing for the homeless and rental assistance • Support to the Vermont State Colleges for additional expenses related to COVID-19 • Continuation of the Everyone Eats program through June 2021, providing healthy meals prepared by restaurants to food-insecure Vermonters • Funding for technical assistance to implement the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2020 • Completion of broadband extension projects

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• Partial relocation costs for Burlington High School, which has remained closed due to chemical contamination When I met with some of the fifth- and sixth-grade classes at Williston Central School after the election, they asked about what traits I thought would be important to my success. I told them being a lifelong learner would be critical and that is certainly proving to be true! The amount of complex information coming before me on a daily basis is enormous. I spend many hours each week reading research and background briefings.

I am finding a couple of bodies of work that the Legislature commissioned previously to be particularly important and thought-provoking: the Tax Structure Commission final report and the reports from the Select Committee on the Future of Public Higher Education in Vermont (the final report is due in April). For those interested in learning more, these reports and many of the supporting documents, as well as links to recorded meetings, can be found on the Vermont Legislative Joint Fiscal Office website. If I can help direct anyone to particular documents or meetings on particular issues of interest or concern, please just contact me.

I want to take this opportunity to remind our community of important health updates this week.

Vermonters who are aged 70 and up are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Going online to www. healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine is the fastest way to make an appointment, and there are enough slots at sites throughout Vermont for everyone who is eligible.

Once at the MyVaccine website, people are asked to create an account. Let’s help our community members navigate the registration so they can be vaccinated.

As of this past Tuesday, the State of Vermont will offer a COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period for Vermonters to enroll in a qualified health plan and receive premium and cost-sharing assistance, if eligible. Apply by calling the state’s Customer Support Center at 855899-9600. Vermonters declared ineligible in the past are welcome to apply again.

I am honored to represent Williston during these challenging times and I strive to be accessible and responsive. Please email me at ebrady@leg.state.vt.us with your questions, concerns or ideas anytime.

Erin Brady represents Williston in the Vermont House of Representatives.

February 18, 2021 • Williston Observer • Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR In support of Black Lives Matter I feel compelled to respond to several opinion pieces that have appeared in the Observer since the Nov. 19 article “Board delays Black Lives Matter decision.” I have hesitated to contribute to this discussion, but our community needs more people to speak out, and this is an issue worth defending.

Why does the phrase “Black Lives Matter” incite such defensiveness from certain individuals?

BLM does not mean your white life doesn’t matter. There is not a need to feel threatened. BLM means that, until now, black lives have NOT mattered. There are numerous credible, well-designed studies that prove this.

The phrase “all lives matter” derails the conversation and has itself been associated with racism and white supremacy. You cannot declare that “all lives matter” until black lives matter. And the sad truth of our society is that they have not mattered.

You may think you are above these issues. It is easy in our second-whitest-state-in-the-U.S. to turn a blind eye. But nobody is above these issues. There is a lot of white privilege here, by definition.

Most of us have lived our whole lives with it. It is our responsibility to acknowledge it and try to make things better. It can be uncomfortable. Everyone has implicit biases. But we can all be aware of our shortcomings and be a little more understanding to the injustices in our country.

Some argue that BLM is too political. In July, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel stated specifically that using BLM terminology is “not inherently political” and cleared the way for even federal employees to engage in BLM activity in the workplace. The Black Lives Matter Global Network, too, has been ruled issue-based and “not a partisan political group.”

Don’t let people make racism a partisan political issue. The government is exactly where support for this issue belongs. It is, in fact, where many discriminatory policies have been perpetuated. Town, state and federal support for BLM sends a clear message acknowledging the existence of systemic racism and is the first step toward change. Washington, D.C., and Montpelier have already done so.

It is not too late for Williston, but the hesitancy is disturbing.

What’s the holdup, Williston? It seems very simple. BLM is about humanity. Good humans want equity and social justice for all humans. Good humans should care about BLM. Williston should care about BLM. The town should have loudly and clearly endorsed BLM in 2020.

Silence on this issue is racism.

Let’s be anti-racist, Williston. We will all be better for it.

Katherine Devitt Williston

BLM digs deeper than individual experience We write in response to John Marcotte’s letter (“Black Lives Matter flag works against unity” Feb. 11), and others arguing that the Black Lives Matter flag should not be flown, and the Black Lives Matter movement should not be supported by, as Mr. Marcotte put it, “the town or anyone who seeks unity and equality.”

The argument seems to be that, because Black Lives Matter focuses specifically on the pervasive and ongoing violence, discrimination and inequality meted out to black people and other people of color in this country and state by a system that, at the same time, actively benefits white people like us, to support Black Lives Matter is to oppose unity and equality.

We are confused by this argument. We want equality and unity and don’t see any other way to get it than to work to dismantle the system that churns out racially disparate outcomes — unequal outcomes and dis-unifying outcomes — every minute of every day. Raising the Black Lives Matter flag is an acknowledgment that systemically, by any measure, white lives have been the mattering lives in this country and state, and now we are ready to face this fact.

Mr. Marcotte wrote of his admirable struggle to overcome personal racial discomfort. The level at which we must work if we really want unity and equality is the level of systems and policies and practices. Every white person in Williston could have

five close friends of color, and that, by itself, would make zero difference in the structures that create pervasive inequality.

What if people in Williston united around all different kinds of people actually being safe and welcome in our town, and we

white people got to work putting a stop to racially unequal outcomes that endanger people’s lives, liberties and happiness?

Anore Horton and Felicia Kornbluh Williston

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Page 8 • Williston Observer • February 18, 2021

SPORTS

The Champlain Valley Union High School girls basketball team opened up the season showing off its defensive skills, holding both early season opponents to just 19 points.

The Redhawks downed St. Johnsbury on Monday, 47-19, with Madison Reagan leading the way with 11 points and seven rebounds. Last Friday, CVU beat South Burlington 54-19 to open the season with a win.

Shelby Companion added eight points and six steals against St. Johnsbury, while Catherine Gilwee chipped in with seven points and seven assists.

Gilwee paced the team in last Friday’s win with 12 points and seven assists.

Meanwhile, the Redhawk boys beat Mount Mansfield 3734 on Saturday, using a 12-6 run in the fourth quarter to earn a comeback win in their first game of the season.

Logan Vaughn (eight points) went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the fourth to help the Redhawks pull into the lead with just over a minute remaining.

Devin Rogers led CVU with 12 points, while Alex Provost chipped in with seven points.

— Lauren Read

Hoops teams start hot

Clockwise from top left: Devin Rogers flies in for a layup during CVU’s game vs. MMU on Saturday; CVU’s Madison Reagan gets the opening tip of the girls season against South Burlington last Friday; Redhawk Shelby Companion drives up the court; Alex Provost dribbles up court; Josie Pecor makes a steal; and Oliver Pudvar starts a fast break. OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY

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Together again — museum acquisition reunites Revolution-era portraits

Shelburne Museum has acquired a portrait by John Singleton Copley entitled “Mrs. John Scollay,” a companion painting to a portrait in the museum’s permanent collection, “Mr. John Scollay,” reuniting the long-separated portraits of wife and husband.

John Scollay was a chairman of the Boston Board of Selectmen in the mid-1700s and member of the Sons of Liberty. He commissioned Copley (1738-1815), a preeminent portraiture artist in the American colonies, for a portrait of his wife as a companion to his own portrait. It was completed in 1763.

Shelburne Museum purchased it with funds from Judith and James Pizzagalli, Marna and Charles Davis, Christine and Robert Stiller, Heidi Drymer and Peter Graham.

Museum founder Electra Havemeyer Webb assembled the Portrait of Mrs. John Scollay (1763) by John Singleton Copley.

American paintings collection with the intention of juxtaposing well-known artists such as Copley with lesser-known folk painters. She purchased the portrait of John Scollay from Harry Shaw Newman at the Old Print Shop in New York City in 1959. The museum’s collection of American paintings tells a story about how the fine arts developed in the United States, and the reunion of the Scollay portraits furthers the narrative.

The museum held a webinar this Wednesday about how the long-separated paintings were reunited. Founded in 1947, Shelburne Museum sits on a 45-acre campus in Shelburne and is the largest art and history museum in northern Shelburne Museum founder Electra Havemeyer Webb with a portrait of John Scollay by John Singleton Copley.

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February 18, 2021 • Williston Observer • Page 9

History of Mansfield’s famous ski trail explored

Since 1934, Mt. Mansfield’s Nose Dive trail, with its snaking narrow turns and an elevation drop of 2,080, has become legendary, testing the abilities of racers and recreational skiers alike.

Next Thursday, as part of The Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum’s Virtual Red Bench Speaker Series, curator Meredith Scott and a panel of historians and Olympians will dive into the history and people behind the design and building Nose Dive on Mt. Mansfield was the site of international ski races in the 1950s. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE VERMONT SKI AND of the trail.

SNOWBOARD MUSEUM With historical anecdotes, maps and photos, Scott will facilitate a discusThe event will also explore how Stowe’s sion with Mt. Mansfield Ski Club historian Mike development compared to other ski areas.

Leach and Stowe Mountain Resort historian Bri- Robin Morning — skiing Olympian, historian an Lindner. They’ll discuss how this famed trail and author — will join the discussion to add contributed to earning Stowe the nickname “Ski the parallel story of Mammoth Mountain’s Capital of the East” by luring weekend warriors rise in popularity and fame. and international competitors.

Stowe and Mammoth shared visions for The American International Races held creating world-class resorts with a focus on on Nose Dive in 1952, 1955, 1957 and 1960 racing, interesting and varied trails and youth brought some of the best known European training programs. racers, including Jean-Claude Killy, as well as Reserve a free ticket at www.vtssm.org/ U.S. Ski Team members Billy Kidd, Buddy events to receive a Zoom invite. The event beWerner and Penny Pitou, among many others. gins at 7 p.m.

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Page 10 • Williston Observer • February 18, 2021

Donovan joins Age Well board

LIBRARY

Age Well, the nonprofit leaders on aging in northwestern Vermont, has announced the addition of Johanna Leddy Donovan to its board of directors.

Born in Burlington, Donovan represented Montpelier in the Vermont House of Representatives for 20 years, retiring after the 2019 legislative session. She comes from a politically accomplished family. Johanna Leddy Donovan Her father, Bernard Leddy, was a judge in the U.S. to ensure that older Vermonters District Court in Vermont from continue to play a vital role in their 1966 to 1972. Her brother, James communities. They have experiLeddy, served Chittenden Coun- ence and talents that can be benety as a state senator from 1998 to ficial for us all.”

2006. In 2016, her son, T.J. DonAge Well has served Addison, ovan, was elected attorney general Chittenden, Franklin and Grand after serving as state’s attorney for Isle counties since 1974 as a memChittenden County. ber of Vermont’s Area Agencies on On making the decision to join Aging. It is the largest Meals on Age Well, Donovan said: “I want Wheels provider in Vermont.

The Dorothy Alling Memorial Library is open for contact-free porch pickup of materials 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. 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, audio books, music and video as well as up-to-date information on all program offerings.

YOUTH PROGRAMS • Meditation for kids Wednesdays, Feb. 24 and March 3, 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.

• Kitchen science for kids Wednesday, Feb. 24, 3-3:30 p.m. Join registered dietician Joanne Heidkamp for a weekly series of hands-on science in the kitchen. Grades K-4 with an adult. Register at www.damlvt. org to receive a Zoom link.

• Preschool to-go craft: paper bag crowns Use jewels, feathers, shapes and crayons to decorate a royal crown. Kits available for pickup in the vestibule starting Monday, March 1. While supplies last.

• Preschool story time: colors of the rainbow

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Tuesday, March 2, 9 a.m. Join us for colorful stories, songs and movement. Register at www. damlvt.org to receive a Zoom link. Geared to preschoolers, but all are welcome.

• Kids in the Kitchen Wednesdays, March 3-31, 3-3:45 p.m. Make a different recipe each week with dietitian Joanne Heidkamp. Grades K-5 with an adult. Sign up for any or all sessions. Register at www. damlvt.org to receive the Zoom link and a weekly ingredients list.

• Girls Who Code Club Mondays, March 8-May 17, 4-5 p.m. Use computer science to change the world. Meet weekly via Zoom with a group of supportive peers to solve real-world problems through code. Grades 6-8. All skill levels welcome, but experience coding in Scratch is preferred. Girls Who Code welcomes any member who wishes to join regardless of gender identity. Register at www.damlvt.org to receive the Zoom link.

MULTI-AGE PROGRAMS • Spanish conversation & meetup Wednesday, March 3, 4-5 p.m.

Join us online for conversation en Español. For beginners or fluent speakers, teen to adult.

Email programs@damlvt.org for a Zoom link.

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS Online programs are held via Zoom. Email programs@damlvt. org or call 878-4918 for an invitation, unless otherwise specified.

• To-go craft kit: paper cranes & book paper lanterns Our winter challenge to create 1,000 paper cranes continues.

Pick up a kit from the library

vestibule. Now also available for pickup from the vestibule: book paper lantern craft.

• Guided meditation Fridays, Feb. 19 and 26, from 12:30-1 p.m. Maryellen Crangle leads a short meditation online.

• Brown bag book discussion Tuesday, Feb. 23, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Join us for a discussion of Susan Cain’s “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking.” Copies available.

• Current events Wednesday, Feb. 24, 10-11:30 a.m. Our popular discussion group continues during these interesting times. Connect with others for informal conversation about newsworthy topics.

• Virtual chair yoga Thursday, Feb. 25, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Join yoga instructor Carol Bokan for a gentle yoga class.

For beginners and seasoned students alike.

• Film discussion: Ken Burns’ “Empire Of The Air: The Men Who Made Radio” Thursday, Feb. 25, 2 p.m. Watch the movie at home and then join us for an online discussion.

Access the film through the library’s Hoopla database or contact the library to request a DVD copy. Register at www. damlvt.org.

• March New Perspectives book discussion Tuesday, March 2, 12-1 p.m.

Join us to discuss chapters 5-6 of “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande.

• From the Collection Need a break? Check out a board game. DAML loans out games for kids, teens and adults.

To explore all the games available for borrowing, search the online catalog at www.damlvt. org.

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February 18, 2021 • Williston Observer • Page 11

SENIORS

How to choose a hospice care program

Savvy Senior

BY JIM MILLER Dear Savvy Senior, Where can I turn to find a good Medicare-covered hospice provider? My husband’s mother has a terminal condition and wants to die at home if possible, so I’m helping out where I can.

Sad Sandy Dear Sandy, Hospice is a wonderful option in the last months of life because it offers a variety of services, not only to those who are dying, but also to those left behind. Here’s what you should know about hospice care, along with some tips to help you choose one.

Understanding Hospice Hospice care is a unique service that provides medical care, pain management and emotional

and spiritual support to people who are in the last stages of a terminal illness. It does not speed up or slow down the process of dying. Hospice’s goal is to simply keep the patient as comfortable and pain-free as possible, with loved ones nearby until death.

The various services provided by a hospice program comes from a team of professionals that works together to accommodate all the patients’ end-of-life needs.

The team typically includes hospice doctors who will work with the primary physician and family members to draft up a care plan; nurses who dispense medication for pain control; home care aids who attend to personal needs like eating and bathing; social workers who help the patient and the family prepare for end-of-life; clergy members who provide spiritual counseling, if desired; and volunteers who fill a variety of niches, from sitting with the patient to helping clean and maintain their property.

Some hospices even offer massage or music therapy, and nearly all provide bereavement services for relatives and short-term inpatient respite care to give family caregivers a break.

Most hospice patients receive care in their own home. However, hospice will go wherever the patient is — hospital, nursing home or assisted living residence. Some even have their own facility to use as an option.

To receive hospice, your mother-in-law must get a referral

from her physician stating that her life expectancy is six months or less.

It’s also important to know that home-based hospice care does not mean that a hospice nurse or volunteer is in the home 24 hours a day.

Services are based on need and/ or what you request. Hospice care can also be stopped at any time if your mother-inlaw’s health improves or if she decides to re-enter cure-oriented treatments.

have several options from which to choose.

To locate a good hospice in your area, ask your mother-inlaw’s doctor or the discharge planner at your local hospital for a referral, or you can search online at www.Medicare.gov/care-compare, which provides lists and ratings of hospice providers in your area.

How to Choose

When choosing, look for an established hospice that has been operating for a few years and one that is certified by Medicare. To help you select one, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization offers a worksheet of questions to ask www.CaringInfo. org. see HOSPICE page 13

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Page 12 • Williston Observer • February 18, 2021

Planning and designing a productive vegetable garden

BY MELINDA MYERS Special to the Observer Whether planning your first, second or tenth vegetable garden, it can be overwhelming. There are so many tasty vegetables and never enough space and time to grow them all.

Start with a plan. Locate your garden in a sunny location with moist, well-drained soil.

Save those partially sunny areas for greens like lettuce, chard and kale, as well as root crops like radishes and beets. These prefer full sun, but will tolerate more shade than tomatoes, peppers, squash and broccoli.

Review your favorite recipes and make a list of family favorites and those vegetables most often used. Then check the list to see which vegetables are suited to your climate and growing conditions and those that make the most economic sense to include in your garden.

Tomatoes and peppers produce lots of fruit from one plant and are common ingredients in many recipes. Sweet corn is fun to grow, but needs lots of space for a relatively small harvest. If space is limited, consider buying

your sweet corn at the farmers’ market and use that space to grow other edibles.

Every gardener struggles with determining how many of each type of vegetable to grow.

This depends upon the productivity of the variety selected, your family’s eating habits and of course the impact of weather on the harvest. It is always better to start small, build on your successes and expand the garden in the future. Track your planting and harvesting results to help when planning future gardens.

You will need to plant more if you plan to preserve or donate a portion of your harvest. Purchasing vegetables from your local farmers’ market is a way to ensure you have sufficient fresh produce when you are ready to can, freeze and ferment.

Maximize the available space by growing vertically. Train pole beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers and even squash and melons up trellises. Growing vertically not only saves space, but also increases disease resistance by increasing light and airflow through the plants. And picking beans at waist height is much easier than harvesting from low-growing,

bushy plants.

Increase space with containers. Consider growing some of your frequently used herbs and vegetables in pots on the patio, balcony or deck for convenience. You can quickly grab what you need when creating your favorite meal.

Grow multiple plantings in each row. Start the season with cool season veggies like lettuce, peas and radishes. Once the temperatures climb and these plants are harvested and enjoyed, replace them with warm weather vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, squash and melons. Finish off the season by filling any vacant rows with fall crops like greens, beets and radishes.

Take some time to plan a garden that will provide you and your family with fresh produce you can enjoy all season long. Involving everyone in the planning process just might get them to show up and help weed.

Melinda Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

Incorporate trellises into garden plans so beans, peas, tomatoes and squash can be trained to grow vertically.

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Send your story ideas and photos to editor@willistonobserver.com

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February 18, 2021 • Williston Observer • Page 13

VOLUNTEERING SEEKING ADULTS TO MENTOR YOUTH This is a fun, rewarding way to support kids in the community. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vermont is looking for adults to spend 2-4 hours per month mentoring a youth age 6-17. Community-based, sitebased and online options available.

Volunteers are provided with training and ongoing staff support for the duration of the match. Background check required. To apply, visit www. bbbsvt.org.

COME ON BOARD

Steps to End Domestic Violence needs a few talented and conscientious volunteers to join its board of directors. Looking for community members with a passion for the mission of ending domestic violence and addressing the needs of those affected by violence in Chittenden County. Applicants should also have a familiarity with nonprofits and enjoy fundraising. If interested in exploring this opportunity, email steps@stepsvt.org.

SOCIAL MEDIA LIAISON & WEBSITE DEVELOPER Betty’s Bikes is a nonprofit

Hospice continued from page

11

Medicare Coverage Medicare covers all aspects of hospice care and services for its beneficiaries. There is no deductible for hospice services although there may be a very small co-payment — such as $5 for each prescription drug for pain and symptom control, or a 5 percent share for inpatient respite care. Medicaid also covers hospice in most states,

CROSSWORD • SOLUTION ON PAGE 15

bike shop that hopes to fill the gap between affordability and safe, eco-friendly transportation for Vermonters. The organization needs a social media content developer to help create an online media presence, and a website developer who can help keep offerings current and the website working well. Contact Julie Williams at bettysbikes@ gmail.com or call (802) 322-3889.

VT WOMEN’S MENTORING PROGRAM Looking to make a difference in this time of uncertainty? Train to become a mentor in the Vermont Women’s Mentoring Program. Mercy Connection partners with the Vermont Department of Corrections and others to match volunteer mentors with incarcerated and court-involved women to coach them while making the transition to restorative and sustainable lives across Vermont. To become a mentor, participate in the upcoming five-week training, Wednesdays, March 3-24 and Monday, March 29. Each session is from 5:30-7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Joanne Nelson at jnelson@mercyconnections.org or (802) 846-7164. as do most private health insurance plans.

For more information, see the “Medicare Hospice Benefits” online booklet at www.Medicare.gov/ pubs/pdf/02154-medicare-hospice-benefits.pdf.

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.

Photos from the Williston Observer

ACROSS 1. Specialty 5. Bureaucratic red stuff 9. Do a traditional Monday chore 13. Government take over 14. Indian ___ 16. Joint problem 17. Canvas cover 18. Earlier style back in fashion 19. Leave a mark 20. They support traffic 22. Deceive 24. “Paradise Lost” character 25. Carrot, e.g.

27. Let 29. Favorite’s defeat 32. Append 34. Kinship 35. Hit perfectly 36. A pint, maybe 37. Contrite feeling 40. Home in bed, say 41. Inventor 43. “Give it __!”

44. Weekend wear 46. Cover 47. Superimposed on 48. “___ moment, please” 49. Apply 50. Prepare, as a turkey

51. Extras in western films 53. Mix up 55. Informal wear 56. Not yet a marquis 58. Cobbler’s stock 61. Not deceived by 63. Make fun of 65. Dumped 67. Greek salad ingredient 68. Goalkeeping successes 69. Part of a grove 70. Exploiter 71. Tardy 72. Like quilts DOWN 1. Operate 2. Din 3. Tender in France 4. Jacket and tie, e.g.

5. Many a sculpture 6. First-class 7. Family dogs and cats 8. Took in 9. Verb for a historian 10. Speed up 11. Shear the beard 12. “____, there and everywhere” - the Beatles 15. When two hands come together

21. Part of a pointillist’s painting 23. It covers most of the earth 26. Imaginary narrative 28. Mammoth 29. The U of “Law & Order: SVU” 30. Chums 31. Darkened outline 33. Wheels’ partner 36. Fauvism, Surrealism, etc 37. Fishing pole 38. Things that may become bruised 39. Maximally 41. ____ de menthe 42. Connections 45. Provider of accommodations 47. Rap sheet entries 49. Imaginary 50. “Only the Good ___ Young” 51. Heredity units 52. Grub 54. In ___ parts 55. Good source of protein 57. Dangerous outpouring 59. Scholar’s acquisition 60. A whole bunch 62. Sculler’s tool 64. Salon service 66. Scout leader, __ Mother

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75 Talcott Rd., Ste 20, Williston • 662-5966 • DRGOOSEVT.COM

Page 14 • Williston Observer • February 18, 2021

EMPLOYMENT

CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL NOTICE VCDP Progress Report 2018 Organization: Town of Williston PR-2018-3-Williston-00086 Final Public Hearing VCDP Implementation Grant 2018

JOB OPENINGS Groundskeeper/Custodian • Champlain Valley Union High School • Full time, day shift.

Contact Tom Mongeon, tmongeon@cvsdvt.org Custodians - Immediate openings • Second Shift (multiple positions) - District wide • Hourly rate commensurate with experience and full benefits included.

• Shift hours: 3pm. - 11:30 pm.

Contact Chris Giard, cgiard@cvsdvt.org

The Town of Williston received $150,000 from the State of Vermont for a grant under the Vermont Community Development Program. A public hearing will be held at https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/83368723563 on 3/16/2021 at 8:00 PM to obtain the views of citizens on community development, to furnish information concerning the range of community development activities that have been undertaken under this program, and to give affected citizens the opportunity to examine a statement of the use of these funds. The VCDP Funds received have been used to accomplish the following activities: ReSOURCE completed the acquisition of 329 Harvest Lane on 1/9/2020. To date, despite the COVID crisis, ReSOURCE has enrolled 206 trainees exceeding the 200 beneficiary target of disadvantaged trainees.

The acquisition of this property represents the culmination of a six- year effort to secure a new headquarters for ReSOURCE and solves long-standing problems related to access for individuals with disabilities, improves operational efficiency, and has allowed the Williston site to provide storage and repair functions for the three other sites.

Information on this project may be obtained from and viewed during the hours of 9 AM - 5 PM at 329 Harvest Lane, Suite 200 on 3/9/2021. Should you require any special accommodations please contact Tom Longstreth at 802-857-4344 to ensure appropriate accommodations are made. For the hearing impaired please call (TTY) #1-800-253-0191.

Legislative Body for the Town of Williston

Williston Racial Equity Partnership Seeks Steering Committee Members The Williston Racial Equity Partnership aims to identify, address and make repair for the ways in which racism has and continues to impact those who live, work and recreate in Williston. The Partnership Steering Committee is seeking individuals to join in this effort. The team is in the beginning stages of formation and requires a dedicated, diverse group of Williston residents who have a strong desire to be a part of a shared community effort, a willingness to learn, work and grow among others, and to have an active role in addressing and dismantling racism. This will be a time-intensive start up project, with the goal of establishing and solidifying our mission, vision, and strategic plan for the work ahead.

We are seeking to receive applications from a variety of interest areas, expertise, and fields of endeavor (see list below). All individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identification, sexual orientation, ability, level of education, past experiences or backgrounds, political interest, or religious affiliations are encouraged to apply.

• BIPOC Youth and Young Adults • BIPOC Parents • Social Justice Advocates or Partners • Faith Communities • Aging Adults • Child Care / Pre-K Educators • Housing Advocates / Property Management / Developers • Recreation / Prosocial Connections / Clubs • Medical / Dental / Healthcare • Business and Banking • Public Safety (Police, Fire, Emergency Services) • General Interest / Other The Williston Racial Equity Partnership already includes representation from the BIPOC Community, the Williston Community Justice Center, the Williston Federated Church, Vermont Interfaith Action, Town Management, Library Services, Williston-Richmond Rotary Club, and Public Education.

To apply: • Fill out the Google Form online: http://bit.ly/WillistonREPapp • A printable version of the application is available on the town website: town. williston.vt.us. Complete the application and mail to Town Hall at 7900 Williston Road or leave in the dropbox behind Town Hall.

• Contact the Williston Community Justice Center at 503-2320 to set up an appointment to have your application completed over the phone.

Applications are due by by 5 pm on Friday, March 5th. You will be contacted for follow-up within two weeks after that date (by March 19).

LEGAL NOTICE TOWN OF SAINT GEORGE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The Development Review Board will convene a public hearing at 7:00p.m. on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 in accordance with the provisions of §6.02 of the Town’s Land Use Regulations and 24 V.S.A. §4460(e)(5) to consider a preliminary application from Philip Belliveau for review and approval of a proposed nine-lot Planned Unit Development of the property on Acadia Lane (tax map #02-20-11.100).

Due to restrictions in place for COVID-19, and in accordance to Act 92, this training session will be held online and conference call only. You do not need a computer to attend this meeting. You may use the “Join By Phone” number to call from a cell phone or landline. When prompted, enter the meeting ID provided below to join by phone. For additional information and accommodations to improve the accessibility of this meeting contact Regina Mahony at rmahony@ccrpcvt.org or 802861-0116.

Meeting access information: Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81365229035 OR Join by Phone: (929) 205-6099; Meeting ID: 813 6522 9035 The application is available for inspection at the Town Clerk’s office by appointment (contact Town Clerk, April Pillsbury at stgeorgevtclerk@comcast.net or 802482-5272); or a copy of the application can be provided via email (contact Acting Zoning Administrator, Regina Mahony at rmahony@ccrpcvt.org).

Participation in the hearing is necessary to establish status as an ‘interested person’ and the right to appeal a decision rendered in that hearing, according to the provisions of 24 V.S.A. 117 §§4465(b) and 4471(a).

Participation consists of offering, through oral or written testimony, evidence or a statement of concern directly related to the subject of the hearing.

Respectfully submitted, Regina Mahony Acting Zoning Administrator

LEGAL NOTICE WARNING The legal voters of the Town of Richmond Vermont and the legal voters of the Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District residing in Richmond are hereby notified that in person Town Meeting has been cancelled for 2021 due to restrictions in place for COVID-19. The Richmond Selectboard has moved items traditionally voted by voice vote to Australian ballot.

Two informational meetings will be held virtually via Zoom on FEBRUARY 8, 2021 and MARCH 1, 2021 BOTH AT 7PM. The voters are further warned to meet at Camels Hump Middle School, in said Town, on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 where the polls will be open at 7:00 am in the forenoon and close at 7:00 pm in the afternoon to vote the following by Australian ballot: Article 8 Shall general obligation bonds or notes of the Town of Richmond in an amount not to exceed Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($400,000), subject to reduction from the receipt of available state and federal grants-in-aid, be issued for the purpose of replacing and relocating 800 feet of waterline on Bridge Street, the estimated cost of such improvements being Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($400,000)?

Adopted and approved at a regular meeting of the Selectboard of the Town of Richmond duly called, noticed and held on January 19, 2021. Received for record and recorded in the records of the Town of Richmond on January 21, 2021.

LEGAL NOTICE Advertisement for Bids Town of Williston STP BP17(12) The Town of Williston is requesting bids for the Blair Park sidewalk project as described in the contract documents and plans for Williston STP BP17(12). Work to be performed under this project includes: Construction of two separate sections of 5-foot wide concrete sidewalk, new raised crosswalk, adding raised crosswalks to existing crosswalks, and related items.

Sealed bids from pre-qualified contractors shall be accepted until 10:00 am, prevailing time on March 3, 2021 at the Town of Williston Town Offices, 7900 Williston Road, Williston, VT. A nonmandatory pre-bid conference will be held for the project on February 16, 2021 at 10:00am via virtual meeting.

Plans may be obtained electronically from the Town of Williston, 7900 Williston Road, Town of Williston, VT 05495. Phone: 802735-3852. Email: lschaeffler@willistonvt.org.

All questions shall be directed to Lisa Schaeffler, Local Project Manager, lschaeffler@willistonvt.org or 802-735-3852.

Bidders shall call the phone number on the rear entrance to the Town office building, upon arrival at the Town office building, to hand the bid package directly to a Town employee. The Town offices will accept bid drop-offs between the hours of 8:00am and 4:30pm Monday through Friday. The Town offices will not be open for bid drop offs on March 2, 2021.

LEGAL NOTICE TOWN OF WILLISTON DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD AGENDA Tuesday, March 9, 2021 – 7:00 PM Zoom Meeting ID 823 369 798 on zoom.us/join or call 1-646558-8656 DP 21-10 Nedde Real Estate requests a discretionary permit to construct a 9,632 SF addition to the existing 13,990 SF building to improve operations and product storage for FleetPride at 60 Krupp Drive in the Industrial Zoning District West (IZDW).

Communication: New England Chimney Supply Specific Plan – FYI & Process Project details and site plans are available online, go to www. bit.ly/DRBagendas. Contact Planning & Zoning Office for more information: 802-878-6704

To place a classified or service directory ad, email marianne@ willistonobserver.com

February 18, 2021 • Williston Observer • Page 15

CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL NOTICE

A pre-bid conference will be held at 10:00 a.m. local time on March 1, 2021 remotely. Participation information is as follows:

TOWN OF WILLISTON, VERMONT LAMPLITE ACRES WATERLINE CONTRACT NO. 1 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Call in Phone Number: 1-802-490-5324

The Project consists of constructing approximately 7,000 linear feet of new 8” waterline along Pine Lane, White Birch Lane, Aspen Lane, and Lamplite Lane. The new waterline will tie into the existing 8” AC waterline on North Brownell Road (intersection with Aspen Lane, White Birch Lane, and Pine Lane).

New water services are included with this improvement to the edge of rightof-way. Fire hydrants and gate valves will be provided at regular intervals.

There are seven water services that have the potential to freeze in the winter due to shallow burial depth, these services will be replaced on private property up to the house foundation.

Phone Conference ID#: 834604203 The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is: Blueprints, Etc, 20 Farrell Street, South Burlington, VT 05403, (802) 656-4503. Prospective Bidders may examine and/or obtain the Bidding Documents at the Issuing Office.

Bidding Documents may also be examined at Works in Progress, Inc, 20 Farrell Street, Suite 103, South Burlington, VT 05403; Aldrich + Elliott, PC, Online Viewing only at AEengineers.com. Please note the above meeting and view room locations are subject to change via addendum dependent on the Governor’s and local COVID-19 response.

Bids will be received for a single prime Contract. Bids shall be on a unit price basis as indicated in the Bid Form.

Bids shall be sent electronically by 1:00 P.M. March 16, 2021 to all of the following addresses:

Owner: By: Title: Date:

jbooth@aeengineers.com bhoar@willistonvt.org Cynthia.Parks@vermont.gov

Town of Williston Bruce Hoar Public Works Director February 15, 2021

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Church Office Administrator - Williston Federated Church. Applicant must have extensive computer skills and office experience. Hourly 10-20 hrs/week. $15/hr.

Please direct inquiries to: 802-878-8998.

OFFICE CLEANING ISLAND CLEANING SERVICES has openings for commercial / office cleaning services. Reliable and quality service. Please contact us for a quote at islandscleaning@yahoo.com 802825-7124.

WANTED WANTED TO BUY: Vermont collector will pay cash for all wooden bird carvings, goose, duck, and shorebird decoys. 802-238-1465.

FOR SALE SAFE – 28-gun safe $900, “short gun” safe $400. Call Mark in Williston 802-338-5442.

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.

SNOWBLOWER: Cub Cadet 3-stage, 2-inch, 277 ccOHV electric start. Excellent condition - used a few times. $600. Call 878-0405 and leave message with your name and phone number and Bill will call you back.

SERVICES

Send your story ideas to editor@ williston observer.com CROSSWORD SOLUTION

PAINTING - Need a fresh start to 2021? Let Lafayette Painting give your home a beautiful new look. Our painters can do a lot in a day. LafayettePaintingInc.com or call 863-5397 to hear about our winter discount.

HOUSE CLEANING: Experienced and meticulous house cleaner available to clean your home. Reasonable rates.

Strict adherence to COVID-19 safety protocol including mask, gloves, etc. Call (802) 989-2489 to schedule a cleaning.

SERVICE DIRECTORY PROPERTY PROPERTY MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE

REAL ESTATE

BASEMENT SYSTEMS BASEMENT SYSTEMS

Your Williston Neighbor MINI EXCAVATOR • TRACTOR SERVICES

— Snow Plowing —

Hydraulic Thumb Site Work Stump Removal

Free Estimates!

Lawn Care Custom Carpentry Driveway Grading

REALTOR®, PSA (802) 846-9503

233-6938

yardjacks.com

CARPENTRY

High Standards, LLC Remodeling, Rot Repair, Decks, Windows, Doors

Michelle Desautels

Carpentry

Drywall, Siding, Finish Work, Pressure Washing

24/7 On Call – Free Estimates – Fully Insured

802-355-8193

Matt Levee • HighStandards802@gmail.com

FLOORING ARE YOUR FLOORS UGLY? Craftsman Stephen Le can help!

• Sales & Custom Hardwood Installations • Deep Cleaning of Your Hardwood Floors • Bona-certified Dust-Less Sanding/Refinishing • Staining -Low & Non-VOC Finishes

ANTIQUE SHOP ANTIQUE SHOP

LOCAL MEATS

IVE CORNERS ORNERS FIVE CORNERS FFIVE C ANTIQUES NTIQUES ANTIQUES A

10/08/2019Pastured Pork 17 kinds of pork sausage Organic BeefWilliston (reg. burger $7lb, lean $5lb) 3.25 xCertified 2 AD for Observer Pastured Lamb • Pastured Chicken, Duck

A Multi Dealer Shop A Multi Dealer A Multi Dealer Shop Shop

52HEIRLOOM ConsecutivePORK WeeksSHOP $18.00/week $936

802.878.6167 802.878.6167 802.878.6167

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

1547 Hardwick St. E. Hardwick (802) 472-5557 leblancfamilyfarm@emypeople.net

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ANTIQUES WANTED

BEAGLE BUILDERS, LLC Remodeling & Additions

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We can help you discover, learn about and sell:

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We can field questions, review photos and coordinate estate work.

Residential and Commercial (802) 316-1396 EcowoodfloorsLLC@gmail.com www.Ecowoodfloorusa.com

Contact Brian Bittner 802-272-7527 bittnerantiques@gmail.com

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beaglebuilders@gmavt.net

802-453-4340 CALL US!

Page 16 • Williston Observer • February 18, 2021

Stern Center founder celebrated upon retirement

On Sunday, roughly 200 people celebrated the accomplishments of the Stern Center for Language and Learning’s founder Blanche Podhajski in a virtual retirement party. Podhajski retired after a 50-year career in the field of education and 38 years at the helm of the Williston-based nonprofit.

“Thank you all so much to all who spoke so eloquently reminiscing about the past 38 years,” she said. “You truly are the most extraordinary group of people. I shall cherish your friendship always as I follow your fabulous future.”

Podhajski came to Vermont after college to attend graduate school at UVM. The next year, she accepted her first job at the Center for Disorders of Communication (CDC) at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont. Within three years, she was named director of the CDC and a faculty member in the Department of Neurology at UVM’s College of Medicine. She then completed her doctoral work at Northwestern University and returned to Vermont in 1981.

Podhajski applied to the Bernice and Milton Stern Foundation to establish Blanche Podhajski. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO

a center where students, their families and teachers could benefit from scientifically proven best practices in addressing learning differences for future success. With a $50,000 grant, the Center for Language and Cerebral Function was born in 1983. It would later become the Stern Center for Language and Learning.

The center has a threefold mission: direct services through evaluations and instruction, professional learning and research. It is an educational resource for Vermont and beyond.

Gov. Phil Scott wrote of Podhajski’s accomplishments, “Under your leadership the Stern Center has thrived into a nationally recognized leader in literacy and learning. You have made a tremendous impact in the lives of many students and educators. I appreciate the impact your work has had, especially here in Vermont. You have made the Stern Center a great asset to our state.”

Laurie Quinn has been chosen as incoming president to succeed Podhajski in leading the organization.

Lyric Theatre calls out for show ideas Lyric Theatre Company is looking for new productions/events to put on this year.

In 2020, it put on an outdoor concert series, a streamed musical and an original streamed Christmas film, all while keeping staff and volunteers safe through the pandemic.

Now, the South Burlington-based group is looking to produce another season of shows and is looking to partner with other organizations. Ideas include: • A drive-in movie musical weekend • An outdoor concert series at various venues • A single or series of either hands-on or virtual workshops sharing a skill • A streamed small musical • A live or streamed one-act festival Lyric Theatre Company has an existing volunteer force plus rehearsal, workshop and small performing spaces to use. New members with new ideas are welcome, as are collaborations with other arts organizations.

Contact either Executive Director Erin Evarts at erin@lyrictheatrevt.org or Production Selection Chairman Jane Harissis at vitsivan@aol.com.

MAKE THIS SUMMER COUNT. The numbers are in: 500+ courses, 5 learning formats, 3 start dates, flexible meeting patterns, and a discount of 30% off the standard tuition rate. At Summer University, this all adds up to an incredible opportunity for students to earn transferable credits, and achieve their academic and graduation goals.

Registration opens February 18th.

Let’s make this summer count.

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