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April 18, 2020
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Porter accepting donations, masks
Police report impostor incident Impostor posing as plain-clothes trooper
Hospital establishes COVID-19 Response Fund
By Lou Varricchio EDITOR
MIDDLEBURY | Middlebury Police Chief & Local Emergency Management Director Tom Hanley told the Eagle that area authorities are investigating a police impostor in the Middlebury area. “We’ve heard reports that individuals in other areas are posing as law enforcement people, stopping cars, approaching people and telling them they are in violation of the Governor’s orders,” he said. “The other night, a Middlebury woman was pulled over while driving home from work by a male who identified himself as a ‘trooper’ and told her she was out after the governor’s curfew and demanded to see her papers and wanted to know the reason she was out.” Hanley told the Eagle that the incident occurred within the town limits of Middlebury. “We are jointly investigating this with the Vermont State Police since the person identified himself as being with the State Police. We have no reason to believe that this person is a police officer or trooper but an impostor,” Hanley said. Hanley noted that the police aren’t going to stop motorists as the incident indicated. “There is no ‘Governor’s Curfew’ and the police aren’t going to stop you and tell you that you are in violation of the governor’s orders,” he added. “Middlebury officers and Vermont State Police troopers are in uniform and drive clearly marked police cars. Officers work in uniform. If you are stopped at all it will be for a significant traffic violation, not a governor’s order violation. If you experience this, please call the police immediately. If you are on such a stop, call police dispatch at the time if you can for verification. You will not be stopped by police dressed in plain clothes or an unmarked car.” Hanley stressed that both the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the FBI encourage the reporting of fraud. “I strongly encourage anyone who comes across something suspicious to report it to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov or to the Vermont Attorney General,” Hanley said. ■
From News & Staff Reports THE EAGLE
UVM Porter Medical Center in Middlebury is collecting specialized N95 respirator masks for local medical workers. Photo provided
MIDDLEBURY | Philanthropy continues to play a key role in bolstering UVM Porter Medical Center’s (PMC) position of strength, according to the hospital’s officials and medical staff. The hospital remains on the front lines of combating the devastating local impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Many community members have asked how they can contribute financially, so we’ve established the PMC COVID-19 Response Fund,” according to the hospital website. Donations to this fund will have an immediate impact on COVID-19-related needs of PMC patients, families and staff. See DONATIONS » pg. 4
Coronavirus: Police interested in violations State has online reporting system By Lou Varricchio EDITOR
MIDDLEBURY | In addition to holding the title of Middlebury Chief of Police, Tom Hanley is also the town’s local emergency management director. Hanley has been busy overseeing the town’s response to the current COVID-19 viral health crisis. In one of his weekly e-mailed public bulletins about the pandemic, Hanley broached the topic of what to do when you see violations of the Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order. As the Vermont Department of Public Safety (DPS) keeps track of compliance with the Governor Scott’s order, state and local police are involved even though compliance to the order remains voluntary at the moment. In his April 6 bulletin to residents, Hanley noted that DPS is primarily concerned with businesses and places of lodging. “DPS has established a uniform reporting system, on-line,” he noted. “The form can be found at dps.vermont.gov scroll down to
“Executive Order Reporting Tool”, click on the green bar and follow the prompts. You may also call the police at 388-3191 to report violations.” Hanley added that Scott has not provided an enforcement mechanism for his executive order: “(He) is seeking voluntary compliance and is trying to evaluate the scope of compliance.” However, Scott’s current “voluntary” stance on the matter does not exclude enforcement measures being put in place sometime in the future, especially if the pandemic continues beyond the what health experts anticipate. Hanley lauded residents for “innumerable acts of kindness and consideration. A sense of community spirit -- pulling together to get through the difficult times ahead.” Yet, the recent bulletin also called attention to unidentified “predators and privateers among us.” Hanley’s recent bulletin cautions locals to be wary of pitches for protective equipment such as masks as well as predatory telephone calls appealing to vulnerable citizens. And there were a few more words of caution from the chief during the ongoing pandemic: “Take basic precautions to protect yourself and your family; keep your vehicle doors locked when unattended, watch over your neighbors, and call the police if you see something out of place. Middlebury Police are on the road 24/ 7. If you think it’s suspicious, it probably is.” ■
STAY-AT-HOME ORDER EXTENDED
Scott extends “lock down” until May 15 By Staff & News Reports THE EAGLE
Sturgeon surgeon
University of Vermont researcher Lisa Izzo tags a lake sturgeon, one of the methods used by scientists to track fish populations in Lake Champlain (this photo taken before the current pandemic). LCSG, the Lake Champlain Sea Grant program, recently launched four research projects to benefit the Lake Champlain Basin, thanks to federal funding. This brings the number to 10, the most concurrently funded research projects in the institutes’s 21-year history.
MONTPELIER | Last week, Gov. Phil Scott extended the Vermont State of Emergency order through May 15, which also extends the expiration date of all corresponding orders and directives issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The original State of Emergency, issued on March 13, was set to expire on April 15, as were the subsequent mitigation measures. As a result of this extension, all measures, including the Governor’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order, are now in effect until midnight on May 15 (note, schools remain dismissed for in-person instruction through the end of the school year). “These are incredibly difficult times,
and I know this extension is disappointing news for many. But the fact is, Vermonters are literally saving hundreds of lives by staying home,” said Scott. “We are making big sacrifices to save lives, but we cannot let our foot off the gas just yet. “We will continue to watch the trends, and as soon as the data shows a downward trend, we can open the spigot, a quarter turn at a time, to get folks back to work in a way that’s responsible and safe...,” Scott added. Modeling shows that the mitigation measures have slowed the expected spread of this contagious disease but that the state has not yet hit its peak number of cases. As a result, Scott, in consultation with Health Commissioner Mark Levine, M.D., extended the order and all associated social-distancing measures. Since declaring the Vermont State of Emergency in mid-March, Scott has directed a number of strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19. ■
Photo by LCSG
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