Reporter THE
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ESSEX
MAY 21, 2015
Vol. 35, No. 20
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‘Utter chaos’
Local EMT shares her up-close view of Nepal devastation Katherine Furland, 19, of Essex Junction traveled to Nepal to help with medical relief after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck on April 25. She is an EMT and is volunteering in the Kathmandu Orthopedic Hospital — changing bandages and splinting broken bones alongside American relief doctors and Nepali nurses. The hospital has many tents set up, including an emergency room tent. She was working in the hospital when the 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck on May 12. Furland will be a junior at Clarkson University in the fall. After graduation, she plans to school to become a physician’s assistant. When she is home, she serves on Essex Rescue and as a ski patroller at Smuggler’s Notch. Here is a recent dispatch that Furland sent home to Vermont:
“I
was outside in a tent at the time… I was about to plaster someone’s leg and all of a sudden people were screaming and running. Wasn’t sure what happened, because commotion like that could have just been an injury coming in. I felt the earth move, and realized
there was an aftershock happening. I stepped outside the tent and heard all the birds start screeching and they all flew off at once. People were freaking out. I had never been in an earthquake before…. The trees were swaying pretty hard and the entire front of the hospital
was swaying. That was actually pretty scary. The worst part was the screams of the people who don’t flinch at physical pain, but they are so affected and terrified at the possibility of a second earthquake.
– See FURLAND on page 2a
OPEN STUDIO WEEKEND This weekend, artists will open their studios to the public as part of the statewide Spring Open Studio Weekend. To find out more about local artists who are participating, turn to page 3b.
“Great Uncle Albert” is a watercolor by Ginny Joyner.
Counselor pleads not guilty to child porn charges By JASON STARR The Essex Reporter
Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigators allegedly found sexual pictures of naked young boys on a laptop belonging to a former Essex Junction after school and camp counselor in April. Last week, Anthony Giroux, 21, of Essex pleaded not guilty to three counts of possessing child pornography. Each offense carries a penalty of up to two years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine. Giroux resigned from his position with Essex Junction Recreation and Parks the same day investigators questioned him at his home on Tyler Drive, according to a sworn statement from lead investigator Detective Sarah Superneau of the South Burlington Police Department. The police also seized 14 electronic devices from Giroux’s home. According to police, Giroux used two email addresses to send himself two videos of young boys performing sexual acts. Grioux denied seeing the videos but acknowledged having downloaded “a tiny bit” of child pornography, according to Superneau. Giroux was arraigned and released last Thursday on conditions that include a mandate that he remain in Chittenden County unless granted court permission to leave. He is prohibited from having contact with people under the age of 16, and he is not allowed to access the Internet or to use Internet-enabled devices. He is also banned from schools and parks. Investigators were tipped off to alleged illegal activities on email addresses that Giroux used, Superneau said. The tip came through a cyber tipline operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that allows Internet service providers to alert the center to illegal pornography being moved on their networks. The center then alerts investigators in the states where the accounts being used are registered. Superneau stated she received a tip of emailed child pornographic videos in January and contacted Comcast to trace one of the email accounts to Giroux’s home. In March, Superneau received a search warrant to monitor one of the email accounts. On April 15, she received a search warrant for Giroux’s home. She and another investigator knocked on the door at Tyler Drive at 6 a.m. on April 17 and interviewed Giroux. According to Superneau’s sworn statement, Giroux began shaking when investigators asked him about his email address. Giroux said he had deleted any photos depicting children. Investigators said they found the images in a “backup/mobile sync” folder on Giroux’s laptop.
Colchester artist Ginny Joyner works in her studio, which will be open to the public this weekend. PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
Five years of Five Corners market By JASON STARR The Essex Reporter The Five Corners Farmers’ Market enters its fifth season next Friday with a seasonopening evening on Lincoln Place. It’s a significant milestone, says market board of directors President Lori Houghton, a testament to the sustained effort of a group of community volunteers who launched the weekly series as part of a larger downtown revitalization effort. The market is on solid fiscal footing, Houghton said, and it has partnered this offseason with the Heart and Soul of Essex citizens group on financial management. As a result, a Friends of the Market entity has been established to accept donations for the
Essex Junction resident and EMT Katherine Furland is volunteering to aid earthquake victims in Nepal. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
“We really want to keep it a farmers’ market and not just a dinner market.” Lori Houghton Five Corners Farmers’ Market board president
market’s educational events and lost some balance between service to low-income shoppers. agricultural items and prepared foods as patrons But its survival is not a given. In recent years, Houghton said, the market has – See MARKET on page 2a
Essex remembers
Essex does Memorial Day right, with a pre-parade ceremony Friday, May 22, starting at 7:30 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction. The 30th annual Essex Memorial Day Parade will take place on Saturday, May 23 at 10 a.m. This year’s theme is “30 Years of Remembrance.” For more information on the Memorial Day festivities — including profiles of this year’s Grand Marshals — please see our Memorial Day 2015 Tribute special section inside.
2015
Memorial Day T R I B U T E