The Essex Reporter: July 4, 2019

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Thursday, July 4, 2019

By any other name?

Selectboard, trustees unsure what to call governance work

By COLIN FLANDERS

L

ong has the word remained dormant, as if the mere mention could awaken the political volcano that has shaped local government here for decades.

But while merger – or “the M word,” as some have taken to calling it – experiences a resurgence atop a new wave of collaboration, discussion at a recent joint meeting reminded elected officials that their work to shape the future is inextricable from the past.

What’s followed is a crash course in semantics, one that will force them to decide whether they should confront the noun’s complicated history or forgo it altogether. And so the question remains: If it looks like a merger, swims like a merger and quacks like a merger, should you call it a merger?

For some, the answer is firmly no.

“I would invite us to think of a different phrase,” said village president Andrew Brown at a June 25 joint meeting featuring several merger-related discussions.

Brown’s position, based on “the things we have heard about the word merger [and] what that may invoke for some,” came as officials discussed an “elevator speech” to explain their rationale for exploring changes to the status quo.

See MERGER, page 16

Essex High School hosts naturalization ceremony

EPD raffles off video camera doorbells Ring giveaway highlights tensions between privacy and public safety

By COLIN FLANDERS

PHOTO BY COLIN FLANDERS

Joe Wiah becomes an official U.S. citizen during a naturalization ceremony at Essex High School last week. See the story on page 3.

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The Essex Police Department recently partnered with Ring to raffle off two smart doorbells, making it one of the latest local law enforcement agencies to join forces with the Amazon-owned company.

But even as the giveaways have led to concerns among civil liberty advocates, who fear the tech giant and its police partners are creating an unrivaled private surveillance network, law enforcement agencies say the giveaways benefit the public by allowing their officers to solve more crimes.

Local police officials agree.

“The more people that are on it, the better,” said Cpt. Ron Hoague.

Hoague oversaw EPD’s giveaway earlier this month, a contest open to Essex residents who downloaded Ring’s Neighbors app and followed EPD on Facebook.

A Ring spokesman declined to share a current tally of its collaborations. Nor would he identify what other Vermont agencies have participated, citing a company policy that prohibits the disclosure of “specific numbers” related to the app’s users, device owners or community partners.

But technology media outlet CNet See RING, page 5

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Vol. 18 No. 27

2 • THE ESSEX REPORTER

Thursday, July 4, 2019

UPBEAT NEWS Spring 2019 Academic Honors

Students are from Essex unless otherwise noted.

Julie Boutin was named to the President’s List at Castleton University.

Makenna Thorne was named to the President’s List at Castleton University.

Derek Barnes was named to the Dean’s List at Endicott College.

Olivia Dunan was named to the Dean’s List at Endicott College.

Cody Greene was named to the Dean’s List at Endicott College.

Bailey Halliday, of Westford, was named to the Dean’s List at Endicott College.

Elise Carney was named to the President’s List at Florida State University.

Cole Picard was named to the Dean’s List at the Western Connecticut State University.

Stefani Franklin was named to the Dean’s List at Emmanuel College.

Molly Kenny was named to the Dean’s List at Quinnipac University.

Kelly Lyon was named to the Dean’s List at Quinnipac University.

Amanda Pendergrass was named to the Dean’s List at Quinnipac University.

Caitria Sands was named to the Dean’s List at Quinnipac University.

Thomas Bergeron was named to the Dean’s List at the University of Hartford.

Braeden Hughes was named to the Dean’s List at the University of New Hampshire, earning Highest Honors.

Amanda Reardon was named to the Dean’s List at the University of New Hampshire, earning High Honors.

Bryan Storck was named to the Dean’s List at the University of New Hampshire, earning Honors.

Sarah Dramstad was named to the Dean’s List at the University of New Hampshire, earning Highest Honors.

Ian C. Ballou was named to the Dean’s List at Boston University.

Abigail Malle was named to the Dean’s List at the University of Delaware.

Anna Singer was named to the Dean’s List at the University of Delaware.

Macall Lucy Meslin was named to the Dean’s List at Norwich University.

Nadeem Joseph Shedyak was named to the Dean’s List at Norwich University.

Kevin James Svarczkopf was named to the Dean’s List at Norwich University.

Ethan J. Bartlett was named to the

President’s List at Norwich University.

Jonathan Michael Cullen was named to the President’s List at Norwich University.

Abigail M. Evans was named to the Dean’s List at St. Lawrence University.

Hannah Couture was named to the both the Dean’s List and President’s List at Bryant University.

Louden Yandow was named to the Dean’s List at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Brian Sandon was named to the Dean’s List at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Chris Abajian was named to the Dean’s List at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Omkar Borse was named to the Dean’s List at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Reid Kamhi was named to the Dean’s List at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Erin Egan, a politics and communication double major at Saint Anslem College was inducted into the New Hampshire Beta chapter of Pi Gamma Mu, an international honor society for social sciences, for the 2018-2019 academic year.

Vermont technical college honors Dean’s List recognizing students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher Caleb Brown, of Westford, pursuing their Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology Samuel Velasquez, pursuing their Associate of Science in Computer Software Engineering Ann-Marie Marvin, of Westford, pursuing their Associate of Science in Nursing Erik Nyhagen of Essex Jct (05452), pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Technology Tapan Nepal, pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering Adam Yandow, pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Construction Management Sarah Ferland, pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Computer Software Engineering Diwas Sharma, pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Computer Software Engineering Emily Bulger, pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Diversified Agriculture Chandler Prue, pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Electrical

Engineering Technology Alex Hill, of Westford, pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Electromechanical Engineering Technology Noah Ranallo, pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Professional Pilot Technology Katherine Lewis, pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Undeclared President’s List -- students with a GPA of 4.0 or higher Peter Roy, pursuing Associate of Engineering in Electrical Engineering Technology Dip Sharma, pursuing BS in Computer Engineering Technology (BS) Kevin Kunker, pursuing BS in Computer Engineering Technology (BS)

college and UniVersity gradUations Elise Carney graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in biology.

Sarah Diesing graduated from Harding University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication sciences and disorders.

Megan Currier, of Westford, graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, PrePhysical Therapy from Widener’s

College of Arts & Sciences.

Madeleine Hatoum graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Management and Design .

Matthew Olsen, of Westford, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in applied physics from Saint Anslem’s College.

commUnity college of Vermont honors Student Honor’s List recognizing part-time students with 4.0 GPA • Justin Baker • Cynthia Chittenden • Lillian Hubbard • Erin Jeffery • Randi-Lynn Katon • Mukti Subedi President’s List recognizing fulltime students with a GPA of 4.0 • Jack Evans • Manu Shrestha • Emily Smith • Dominique Sweat Dean’s List recognizing full-time students with a GPA between 3.5 and 3.99: • Lauren Watson • Duygu Cetin • Jennifer Kelmar • Emily Senecal

Phoenix Books hosts superheros

COURTESY PHOTOS

Phoenix Books Essex was visited by a Legion of superheroes on June 15th, and about 60 people (including around 40 kids) stopped by to meet favorite characters. The Guardian Legion is a Vermont based cosplay and charity group. Celebratory snacks (including Wonder Woman’s Lassos and superpower-inducing veggies) and activities completed the event.

THE ESSEX REPORTER • 3

Thursday, July 4, 2019

PHOTO BY COLIN FLANDERS

Joe Wiah becomes an official U.S. citizen during a naturalization ceremony at Essex High School last week.

U.S. welcomes new citizens

By COLIN FLANDERS Journeys originating in countries far and wide converged on Essex High School last week as the United States minted 34 new citizens.

Hosted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the June 26 ceremony saw candidates from 20 different countries achieve citizenship through a process known as naturalization, a monthslong process that includes interviews, background checks and a civics test.

“It’s like lifting a 100-pound weight off your shoulders,” Joe Wiah, who arrived in Brattleboro seven years ago from Liberia to pursue his master’s degree, said after the ceremony. “It feels good.”

The same relief was felt by JeanCharles Thouin, who moved to the United States from Canada after marrying his wife in 2015. “There’s always a next step,” Thouin said of the naturalization process. “But now there’s no more next steps.”

According to the USCIS, more than 7.4 million have taken the oath of allegiance in the last decade. Much like those at last week’s ceremony, candidates range in ages and backgrounds.

Some arrive through work visas or green cards, living in the U.S. for years – or decades – before becoming citizens. Others arrive seeking safety from the dangers of their home countries, or in hopes of providing better opportunities for their children.

It’s this part of America’s history that Vt. Attorney General TJ Donovan focused his ceremonial remarks. He described his own family’s origin, tracing back to his grandparents, who fled war and poverty to become U.S. citizens at a naturalization ceremony many years ago.

“To think that years later, their grandson would be given the opportunity to offer remarks at this ceremony is a uniquely American story, which I believe is the promise of this country,” Donovan said. “That through hard work, through perseverance, through a commitment to providing an opportunity not only for yourselves, but for your children, is what this country is about and is what the American dream is about.”

Susan Sussman, a caseworker for Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt) who specializes in immigration issues, also spoke about her grandparents, whom she said fled persecution in Europe.

Sussman said she’s proud to be an American, and proud of those who would become Americans on this day.

But her remarks then took a more political turn, criticizing Americans who make her not so proud: Those who “demonize and dehumanize” immigrants and refugees and who “try to instill fear based on religion, ethnicity, race or culture,” she said.

“I am particularly not proud of Americans who issue inexcusable orders to separate children from their parents or other family members, then cause the mistreatment of those children, but who fail to take responsibility and solve the mistreatment,” Sussman said. “We can and must all be better than that.”

Eliciting loud applause from the crowd, the remarks underscored the longstanding tensions of American immigration policies, which can feel inseparable from event’s like last week’s.

But soon the auditorium was again filled with glee as the new citizens bounded off the stage to embrace friends and family, show off their See CITIZENS, page 6

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4 • THE ESSEX REPORTER

Thursday, July 4, 2019

PHOTO BY COLIN FLANDERS

Lydia Kenney testifies before the selectboard Monday night about being bitten by a dog at the Essex Dog Park in May, causing her to seek treatment at the hospital.

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Selectboard orders dog muzzled after bite incidents

By COLIN FLANDERS The Essex Selectboard has ordered a local dog be leashed and muzzled whenever its in public following a trio of biting incidents, including one that sent a woman to the hospital.

Acting in a quasi-judicial role during an emergency meeting Monday night, the selectboard heard testimony from two local dog owners about a May incident at the Essex Dog Park.

Lydia Kenney told board members she and her sister were sitting on a bench at the park when another dog named Jeffrey began to circle them, bare its teeth and growl, causing her own dog to become fearful and hide beneath the bench.

Jeffrey, a terrier mix, then attacked Kenney’s dog, she said, and when she tried to separate them, Jeffrey bit her hand. Photographs included in the board packet show a bloody gouge on the top of her hand and scratches along her forearms. “It was unprovoked,� Kenney said of the attack.

Kenney’s sister brought her to the hospital, where she was treated for her injuries. She said she’s since had to attend additional follow-up appointments, causing her to miss work, and her hand is not fully-functioning at this point.

Kenney said she wasn’t aware of who owned the dog until it was too late. “We wish there had been more involvement,� she said of the dog’s owner, Nicole Schlenter.

Schlenter, who testified after Kenney, didn’t deny that her dog bit the woman but did say she recalled the confrontation differently, claiming it only escalated because of Kenney’s

reaction to the initial incident between the dogs. “[She] was yelling at me, and my dog does suffer from a lot of anxiety, and I think that triggered him,�

Schlenter said, later adding, “It could have been less worse if it had been handled in a better way.�

Kenney didn’t agree with the assessment. “That wasn’t anxiety, that was aggression,� she said.

The May incident is just one of three reported dog bites involving Jeffrey, according to Essex Police Chief Rick Garey, who told the selectboard that his animal control officer advised Nicole not to bring her dog back to the dog park.

The first incident, which occurred in October 2018, saw Jeffrey attack a dog at the Autumn Pond dog park before biting the dog’s owner as he tried to separate the animals.

And police records show Jeffrey was involved in another incident last month, weeks after biting Kenney, when Schlenter again brought him to the Autumn Pond dog park. According to the police narrative, Schlenter was bit herself as she tried to break the dogs apart.

Schlenter said she thought Jeffrey was initially ready to visit the Essex Dog Park after many positive interactions with other dogs. “Obviously, he wasn’t, unfortunately, and I feel really bad about that,� she said, adding if she could “turn back time,� she would.

State law allows municipalities to order offending dogs be muzzled, chained, confined or euthanized if an unprovoked attack occurs off the owners’ property and requires medical See DOG BITE, page 6

THE ESSEX REPORTER • 5

Thursday, July 4, 2019 RING from page 1 reports that more than 50 other local PDs have performed such raffles within the last two years.

Ring’s doorbells and app are useful tools in the fight against crime for local agencies like EPD that patrol mainly suburban neighborhoods.

Unlike densely populated city streets or strips of businesses, these areas don’t normally have cameras aimed at the streets, making it difficult to investigate crimes like car break-ins and vandalisms that usually occur under the cover of darkness, without witnesses.

And for homeowners who already had security systems in place, police agencies needed to send detectives on a door-to-door mission to see if anyone had footage of a crime. Now, with the Ring app, officers can fire off a digital flare and hope users from the area respond.

The shortcuts align well with EPD’s “work smarter, not harder” attitude adopted in the face of staffing shortages, said Hoague, who hopes the app becomes more popular around town.

“It benefits everybody,” he said.

Everybody doesn’t see it that way, however.

CNet recently detailed how privacy advocates are raising red flags over the idea of government agencies, like police departments, and private companies, like Amazon, partnering to create a data pool that could be used to analyze the movements of citizens.

And similar issues were at the forefront of a new report from the American Civil Liberties Union – titled “The Dawn of Robot Surveillance” – that argues advancements in analytic and camera technology could leave a chilling effect on everyday life, especially when deployed by governmental agencies.

“Think about what it feels like when we’re driving down the highway and we see a police cruiser driving behind us,” reads the report. “Do we want to feel that way at all times?”

Ring has done little to quell these fears. The company recently came under fire for floating the idea of facial recognition technology in its doorbells, and some participating police agencies were reportedly requiring giveaway recipients to turn over footage when asked – against Ring’s guidelines.

Ring backed down on the facial recognition idea and said it would crack down on strings-attached agreements.

And Hoague stressed Essex’s officers can only obtain footage from residents willing to share.

“It’s all at the user’s discretion,” he said. (That is, unless the PD subpoenas Ring).

While users can also opt out of receiving law enforcement requests, some local residents have already chosen to share their footage voluntarily.

COURTESY PHOTO

The Essex Police recently raffled off two Ring doorbells, joining a growing number of law enforcement agencies to partner with the Amazon-owned company.

In one case earlier this year, a homeowner’s doorbell camera captured video of a passing car sought in connection to a hit-and-run incident.

The video, still visible on the neighborhood app, has been viewed more than 1,100 times.

Police were unable to locate the suspect using the video, instead tracking them down through old-fashioned police tactics. But Hoague said the footage gave officers a visual of the vehicle they never would have had otherwise.

The app has been slow to catch on here, with only a handful of posts within the last year. But the PD’s recent push succeeded in encouraging new users: More than 100 people commented on the department’s Facebook page saying they had downloaded the app.

Incidents reported on the app vary in seriousness. One video uploaded last weekend asks for help identifying two boys ringing a doorbell before sprinting away – a prank commonly known as “ding dong ditch.” Another video from several years ago informs neighbors that solar company representatives were making rounds.

Other posts detail actual crimes.

“With a baby on the way, I wish we felt safer where we purchased a home,” reads a post about recent car breakins, written by a user who says they didn’t have footage of the incident because they don’t have a smart doorbell.

“Buying a Ring today,” the user wrote.

Local Ring owners are in good company; the ACLU report notes an industry study from 2014 found that the U.S. had more surveillance cameras per capita than any other nation – one camera per every eight people, or about 40 million cameras. That number has likely risen over the last five years thanks to companies like Ring, which have made surveillance systems more accessible to the general population.

The ACLU report says the proliferation of cameras has yet to drastically change the way we live because most people assume that videos in which they appear are unlikely to be scrutinized or monitored “unless something dramatic occurs.”

That could change as it becomes easier – and cheaper – to parse through large pools of video data, the ACLU says, noting the deployment of these analytical technologies has

already begun: Amazon received widespread criticism last year by offering facial recognition to clients, including police departments, through its cloud services.

“Any small police department or corner store can now bring the substantial analytics expertise of a company like Amazon to bear on its local camera feeds,” the report says.

Hoague, the EPD captain, believes these are valid concerns. But he felt local residents should not be worried about their own police department abusing any such technology because not only is the department committed to people’s privacy – it’s also just not realistic, he said.

“All of the cameras that are out there aren’t controlled by the police,” he said. “We would have to have access to all of those cameras all of the time in order to be able to keep an eye out on people.”

And while privacy advocates questioned what happens after Ring users turn over their footage, Hoague said any request would be backed up by documentation.

“It wouldn’t be any kind of fishing expedition,” he said. He added though EPD has no official surveillance policy, footage obtained through Ring would be treated no differently than that gathered the old-fashioned way.

“We can still go out and ask any citizen for videos or photos or anything they might have,” he said. “All this does is changes the ease of access.”

6 • THE ESSEX REPORTER

Thursday, July 4, 2019

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When asked how she hoped the selectboard would decide, Kenney pointed to these previous incidents and said she has repeatedly thought about how the incident involving her could have been worse.

“What if it had bitten my face?

What if it was a child?” she asked. “If there aren’t a lot of precautions taken with the dog… this will probably happen again.”

Still, she didn’t feel Jeffrey needed to be put down as long as the board stipulated safety precautions to prevent further incidents. She asked members to mandate the muzzling, leashing and behavioral classes.

The board concurred and added a requirement that Schlenter not bring Jeffrey to any public parks or areas where dogs are permitted to be off-

leash.

Schlenter will now need to provide verification to the Essex police that Jeffrey completed training within the next six months. She said she’s already started muzzle training and had planned to call a behavioral specialist prior to Monday’s hearing.

Selectwoman Annie Cooper commended the two dog owners for their respectful and thoughtful testimony.

And chairwoman Elaine Haney thanked Schlenter for participating in the hearing.

But Haney then emphasized the seriousness of the incident and said she’s hopeful the requirements will put the behavior to an end.

“If we hear within the next six months, or after he completes his training, that there’s been another [incident], we are going to have to start considering more serious consequences, and we’re going to have to think about euthanizing your dog,” Haney said.

THE ESSEX REPORTER • 7

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Perspective

VSC cannot continue to exist as-is

By EMERSON LYNN The Vermont State College system this week released a white paper that put forth its past, its present and its hoped-for future. The 23-page paper is a tutorial in the intersecting challenges we face as a state.

Credit goes to Jeb Spaulding, VSC chancellor, and his board of trustees for taking the initiative to explain the perils the state college system faces.

Most Vermonters don’t understand the state college system and its value.

Most Vermonters don’t understand the numbers affecting us, nor do they understand the disruption that has flooded higher education’s landscape.

Almost nothing is as it used to be, but unless that’s understood and accepted, figuring out how to respond is impossible. That is the purpose of the VSC’s white paper: to make clear the profound challenges the state college system faces.

If the paper were reduced to a single declarative sentence, it would read: The Vermont State College System cannot continue to exist as is.

Consider these few paragraphs drawn from the study: • “The number of Vermont high school graduates has decreased by 25 percent over the past ten years and, given record-low birthrates, this trend is expected to continue indefinitely…

This very likely means that the system’s capacity, physical footprint, and cost of operations already likely is, or soon likely will be ‘over-built’ relative

to future demand.”

• “Despite all our efforts and modest recent successes, pinning the System’s future on consistent and meaningful increases in State funding would be imprudent.”

• “…it is increasingly common to hear from Vermont families that it is less expensive for their children to go to college out of state, at private or public institutions.”

• “In the 2018-19 academic year, there were approximately 540 empty beds throughout the Vermont State Colleges System, representing about a 20 percent vacancy rate.”

• “Our ability to maintain and improve our physical infrastructure is questionable and our risks of systems failures are increasing. The total system-wide deferred maintenance level for the last several years has hovered at approximately $55 million.”

• “‘Confidence in higher education in the US has decreased significantly since 2015, more than any other U.S. institution that Gallup measures.’

(Marken, “A crisis of confidence in higher education,” Gallup 2019). One third of Americans no longer believe a four-year degree prepares graduates to succeed in a job (Pew Research Center, 2017, The State of American Jobs).

Increasingly, companies are rethinking whether a degree is mandatory in the employee selection process. Many large companies in the tech sector are no longer requiring applicants to have a college degree.”

Wrapped up in this white paper is

the call to innovate, to figure out how to take something that is essential - education at all its various levels and to make it indispensable to the state’s cultural and economic fabric.

Answering that question will, in turn, help us address the issues we face as a highly rural state.

It’s not just a question of how, it’s an understanding that what we face is as potentially transformative as anything the state has faced in generations.

We’re staring at a 25 percent decline in the number of births since 1990.

The number of 15- to 19-year-olds will be 21.8 percent less from 2010 to 2030.

Beginning in 2026 demographers say we will witness a 15 percent decline in college age students by 2031. The VSC system was built to service a student population set at 1990 levels; today we have 540 empty beds.

At the same time, as the paper notes, there are “1,000 more degree granting colleges and universities in 2015 than there were in 1996.” Employers are also recruiting workers out of high school with part of the draw being their willingness to pay for the new employee’s education - which will be an education delivered online, not in a traditional setting. As the white paper noted: “The days when our colleges could rely on increasing enrollment, tuition, and fees are over.” How we deliver our educational services will need to change, how we interact with preK-12 will need to evolve.

The point was made that state support of higher education has fallen

she had her cell phone on the floor with her. However, there was NO CELL SERVICE outside her unit.

The policeman worked at the front door carefully and managed to open the lock. The woman was ok, upset that her recliner misfired, and instead of helping her rise from a sitting to standing position, had gone almost to a vertical position and thrown her onto the floor.

At that point two Essex Rescue crews arrived. It couldn’t have been more than 20 minutes from my call to their arrival. Knowing she was now in good hands, I told her I put her food in the refrigerator and left to deliver the rest of the meals.

I regret I didn’t get the policeman’s name, as he was efficient and calm and smart to be able to open her door. So, kudos to them all.

Liz Schick

Emerson Lynn is former co-publisher of the Essex Reporter. the essex

RepoRteR 281 North Main St. St. Albans, Vt. 05478 (802)524-9771 Jim O’Rourke Publisher jorourke@samessenger.com Michelle Monroe Executive Editor michelle@miltonindependent.com

Letters to the editor Praise for emergency responders Kudos to the Essex Police and Essex Rescue last Thursday for their prompt, helpful and caring response.

I was delivering Meals on Wheels to a client in Brickyard, but the always unlocked door was locked and when I looked in I could see her lying in the living room, unable to get up. So I called 911 and they notified Essex Rescue while I was on the phone. Then I returned to the door and saw that she was alert and ok, speaking to me, but unable to rise. Her walker was out of reach.

Within five minutes the first police car arrived. The policeman tried the door, went around to the back to try the slider, which was also locked. When I returned to my car (and cellphone) I called both Age Well, the organization that organizes Meals on Wheels, and they notified her emergency contact. I also tried to call her, as I saw

off the cliff. In 1998, we ranked third nationally in our support of higher education. Today, we rank 49th.

There is more than enough blame to go around for today’s abysmal support levels, but the answer isn’t to pour good money after bad. It’s too late to make up for past sins. Future needs will require more money than what is currently being allocated, but those needs will be vastly different than what we’ve funded in the past.

In closing, Mr. Spaulding explains that the white paper was intended as a wake up call for Vermont. He asked a series of future-oriented questions as a way to take the conversation to the next step. His success, and that of the VSC system, will depend on harnessing the guiding talent that understands how change and survival are equivalents and cannot be separated.

The collateral value of that mission will be unveiling how the rest of rural Vermont can be helped.

Thank you for food donations The Heavenly Food Pantry would like to express its heart-felt appreciation to the US Postal Workers Union and the citizens of Essex for the recent very generous donation of food. With summer approaching, food donations often dwindle, putting at risk those in our community who do not have enough to eat, especially the children.

School programs such as subsidized breakfast and lunch programs are not available once school lets out, but there is a welcome program at the recreation department that offers free breakfast and lunch throughout the summer. The food donated through the postal drive will allow us to fill the need to feed all those who come to us for nourishment and a more secure future. Thank you to all who gave so generously.

Rev. Mark Mendes, Senior pastor

Colin Flanders Reporter colin@essexreporter.com COMiNg eVeNtS, letteRS, NewS: news@samessenger.com ObituARieS obituaries@samessenger.com (802)524-9771 x. 109 ClASSiFiedS ANd legAlS Ben Letourneau ben.letourneau@samessenger.com (802)524-9771 x. 122 AdVeRtiSiNg George Berno george@samessenger.com deAdliNeS ARe tueSdAYS 8 A.M. PubliShed thuRSdAYS Circulation: 8.800 The Essex Reporter is owned by the O’Rourke Media Group

8 • THE ESSEX REPORTER

TRUSTEES

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Working towards a greater Essex

SELECTBOARD

Consolidation process enters public participation stage President Andrew Brown

Vice president George Tyler

Dan Kerin

Raj Chawla

Amber Thibeault

By ElainE HanEy & andrEw Brown The Town of Essex Selectboard and the Village of Essex Junction Board of Trustees have been meeting jointly for the last several months, preparing for a dialogue with the Essex community regarding our consolidation efforts going forward.

In June 2018 both boards created a joint governance subcommittee tasked with researching potential new governance structures. In December, after researching and vetting over a dozen possibilities, the subcommittee recommended two options to consider: a single municipality with one charter, and a single municipality with one charter that includes up to two special districts. Another option is the current governance structure we have now: two separate municipalities with separate charters, sharing some municipal services under contract.

In order to narrow down the choices, the subcommittee considered how each governance model answered a particular set of questions, among them: Does this model reduce the number of times residents have to vote? Does this model reduce or eliminate duplicate services? Does this model allow for better integrated planning? Asking these questions helped the subcommittee identify potential governance structures that would best suit our community’s needs.

There are many additional decisions to be made alongside the choice of governance structure. How will municipal departments be organized? How many people should be on the new governing board and how should they be elected? How will we address capital budgeting? How can we ensure appropriate levels of taxation across the entire community? Both the Selectboard and Trustees have ideas about the answers to these questions, but we need community input to ensure we are on the right track. We need to know what is important to community members from every corner of the Town and Village, and what they want to see in their local government.

This is where you come in.

Recently the boards hired market research firm Kelliher Samets Volk (KSV) of Burlington to help us collect your opinions, concerns, and aspirations for your local government. The joint governance subcommittee, along with Town and Village staff, will be working with KSV on a robust outreach program to collect this information. This process will start

this first week of July and end in October.

KSV will also review the results of several recent Town-wide efforts, including the reports of the Heart & Soul, Essex Governance Group (EGG), and Thoughtful Growth in Action (TGIA) initiatives.

The first step is a community-wide qualitative survey, which has been released this week (look for a link to the survey on Front Porch Forum and the Town and Village websites). This survey will ask questions related to residents’ awareness of and interest in merging Town and Village government services. It will ask about what residents consider to be our most pressing issues, and the perceived benefits and challenges of merging, and will offer an opportunity to provide comments. The survey will be distributed widely through email, municipal websites, Front Porch Forum, and social media. Printed copies will be available at the libraries, municipal offices, and the senior center. We hope that you will fill out the survey, and share it with your neighbors—it is essential that folks provide their input into the future of our community.

Following the survey, there will be six focus groups, and another, different survey.

We will write more about these opportunities for input over the next few weeks. We are raising your awareness now so that you can keep an eye out for the survey and participate from the start.

The Selectboard and the Trustees are looking forward to hearing from residents all over the Town and Village. We want to hear your concerns, your expectations, and your questions. When the survey comes your way, please be sure to fill it out and also share it with your neighbors and friends.

We’d like to thank The Essex Reporter for providing us with this column space to communicate with Essex residents on a regular basis about our consolidation initiative. Stay tuned for future updates, and if you have any questions, please reach out to us at ehaney@essex.org and abrown@ essexjunction.org. You can also reach out to our municipal manager, Evan Teich, at eteich@essex.org.

Elaine Haney is the Town of Essex Selectboard Chair. Andrew Brown is the Village of Essex Jct. Board of Trustees President.

Editor’s note: The Reporter is providing the trustees and selectboard a regular space to discuss consolidation-related issues. Want to respond to something in the column? Send a letter to news@essexreporter.com.

Chair Elaine Haney

Vice chair Max Levy

Andy Watts

Patrick Murray

Annie Cooper

THE ESSEX REPORTER • 9

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Suit alleges children, teens mistreated Complaints pile up against Woodside Juvenile Rehab Center

By AvAlon Ashley On June 21, Disability Rights Vermont (DRVT) filed a new lawsuit against the Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center on behalf of children with disabilities, citing “dangerous conditions that are physically and emotionally harmful.”

When a child at the facility covered his cell window with his hands, staff charged into the room with riot shields, cut off his clothes, and physically restrained him, according to the lawsuit. The child was left in his cell, shirtless and isolated, with no mattress, and a broken, overflowing toilet.

The Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center is Vermont’s only locked juvenile detention facility.

The facility is run by the Department for Children and Families (DCF) and claims to provide in-patient psychiatric, mental health, and substance abuse services to youth ages 10 to 17 in DCF custody or who have gone through the justice system. The facility accepts all residents, no matter their risk level or degree of mental health.

In addition to Woodside, defendants also include Ken Schatz, DCF Commissioner, and Jay Simons, director of Woodside.

This is the second suit filed against Woodside just this year, and is another in a long list of grievances and reports that highlight dangerous conditions and prison-like practices.

In April earlier this year, the Office of the Juvenile Defender sued the facility on behalf of one child with disabilities regarding inhumane use of pain compliance restraints, according to the docket report. The case was dismissed, however, when the child was discharged from the facility.

According to testimony from the dismissed case, the child recounted not being able to breathe after staff shoved him across the room, restrained him face down, “with his arms hyperextended and twisted behind his back, his legs crossed and pushed hard into his back.”

Simons said that if a child can say the words, “You’re choking me,” that means he can breath so there is no cause for concern.

The most recent case cites “unconstitutional and unlawful conditions,” as well as outlines a corrupt grievance filing system that allegedly sees staff

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retaliate against residents who file or talk about grievances.

The case also describes a staffing pattern that damages employees’ ability to best treat the children. According to the report, the staffing differs from other residential psychiatric treatment facilities and “deprives staff of the ability to rest and recuperate, resulting in more aggression and less patience when interacting with residents.”

Isolation is often used in lieu of adequate staffing and in response to patients in danger of self-harm.

One child was left in isolation after a suicide attempt, where staff “forcibly removed her pants, and left her naked from the waist down in her cell for more than two days,” according to the docket report.

Amid questions concerning Woodside’s future, the facility lost its federal funding last fall due to a report that children were treated more like “inmates” rather than patients.

Another child described in the case was “physically restrained and carried while shackled in handcuffs and leg irons for refusing to return to her room.” Staff used a pain compliance technique where their knees are forced into the child’s back while restrained in the prone position—a technique that has been known to result in asphyxiation and death.

While a proposal to fund a new facility was floated in front of the House in January of this year, no new funding has been allotted. But even if the new building were to be approved and funding allotted, improvements would still be years away.

The DCF’s own Residential Licensing and Special Investigations Unit (RLSI) conducted a comprehensive report in October 2018, which is at the heart of the case, but Woodside has still denied all wrongdoing.

A statement DCF issued to VPR in late June says that they are in the process of reviewing the lawsuit.

“Woodside has been working in collaboration with interested stakeholders, including Disability Rights Vermont, on an ongoing basis to review its practices and improve them when appropriate. This includes consulting with an expert to assess de-escalation and restraint practices. We expect the expert’s report and recommendations in the next few weeks,” the statement reads.

Taylor Walters, 524-9771 ext. 105 taylor.walters@samessenger.com

PHOTO BY AVALON ASHLEY

The Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center, Vermont’s only locked juvenile detention facility, is facing a slew of complaints alleging mistreatment against children and teens who live there.

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By JOE GONILLO It’s July! Happy 4th of July to all.

Get those BBQ’s ready for the 4th.

Enjoy the day, the fireworks, beaches, lakes, food, and pools. Do it responsibly. Some high school all-star games below. Still a few this month. MLB in London.

Congrats to our VT boys’ hockey squad on their 6-1 win over NH Saturday. The Green Mt’ers erupted for 4 big goals in the 3rd period for the win in the always-exciting, annual Make-A-Wish Hockey Classic at UVM’s Gutterson Fieldhouse. The win marks VT’s longest winning streak – 3 – as NH still owns a 17-9-1 advantage. Hornet Sam Foster made seven saves in net, and MMU’s Patrick Burke scored….. showing another reason why he was named The BFP Athlete of the Year.

Congrats to him and to dad!

In the girls’ game VT fell 4-2 shaving the deficit to 1 goal late in the 3rd on a goal by our very own Olivia MillerJohnson. Line mate Maddy Young played a great game as well. Bet it was fun for the both of them Jamie Morin played in the North – South Softball Challenge 3-game, 2-day contest at Castleton University last Friday and Saturday. North coaches included Jay Hartman MVU, Rich McVicker MVU, Mike Sullivan CVU, Bill Sheets MVU, Connie Sheets CHS, old friend Randy Wells Enosburg, and Matt Lumsden SB. Besides the talented Hornet C, area players were Bridget Hamel, Faith Orton BFAF; Riley Canty, Shayla Lawrence CVU; Kate Likhite, MMU; and Cody Hyldburg, Milton.

Congratulations to graduated senior Brennan Moreau. He and Cougar Matt Rahaim were among 12 talented golfers presented with $1000 scholarships a year for up to four years by the Vermont Golf Association Scholarship Fund. Brennan is headed to Clarkson; Rahaim to Castleton. FORE! Session II of SHP swimming lessons began this week. Lessons are M-F 9:15 – 12 noon and M+W 5 – 7:30pm.

Saturday morning lessons are 1 session for 8 weeks.

Women’s Summer Soccer standings: W-L-T Two Sisters 6–0-0 Bag Balm 3–1-0 Shenanigans 2–2-0 VT Energy Legs 2 – 2 - 0 802 Cross-Fit 2–3-0

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League Pts 18 9 6 3 3

Coral 0–3–0 0 NEK Warriors 0 – 4 – 0 0 Commissioner Bill Duval continues to do a fine job running the league.

GREAT NYY – SOX series in London over the weekend! Yes, the Yanks swept the Sox (no Sale or Price) but what an exciting set of games. 30 runs in Saturday’s 17-13 Yankee win. Almost a 5 hour game. HR’s like crazy: 3 in 1st inning Sunday for Sox as their fans celebrated (waaaaaaaaay too early).

Yanks exploded for 9 runs Sunday in the 7th inning to batter the Bosox bullpen and win 12-8. Huge Hold for Yanks’ pen in the 8th too. Right at the halfway point of the season. All-Star Game next week. HR Derby Monday evening.

NBA Free Agency changing the landscape of the league.

Fantastic All-Class EHS Reunion Friday evening. Irene Steiner’s planning was incredible. Thanks to her, Gina Halpin Barrett, and to Alex Kourebanas who hosted the event at his Catamount Golf CC. Saw a ton of ex-athletes and students from the early 80’s; 84-89 TF and soccer standouts. 90’s classes and many 2000 and 2010’s as well. Girls’ freshman basketball players and guys’ frosh soccer players; hurdlers, sprinters, jumpers, distance runners, and bikers. Great and fun conversations with kids, now adults (many with kids); quick but enjoyable catch-ups with those in and out of VT: CT, MA, NC, SC, NH, FLA, NY, PA, MI, and more. Saw a few 70’s tags as well as some representation from the 60’s (when the hs was at ADL). My wife Tina ’67, her sister Carol ’65, and husband Don ’66 were among the earliest attendees. Les (and Nancy) Johnson, Sandy Cahill represented the staff. I had so much fun, I might volunteer to help organize next year!

Happy Birthday nieces Jenna Gonillo Davis and Marlowe Davis’ #1, golfers Mike Baker and Ira Isham, Carrie Harvey McAdoo, Brigham Young, Jaime Young, Linda L’Esperance, Eileen Pavlovich, Pat Zeno, Corey Barrows, Erica Elmer, Katie White, Sara Slattery. Congrats to Thomas Dvorak and Lauren Foderman who will be married this weekend as well as buddy Dave Coggio and Darlene Durett who are 2 of the most talented chefs/caterers in the state. Anniversary wishes to Kathy and David Converse. Thinking of my mother-in-law, Terry Bechtel, as her birthday was July 8.

Taylor Walters, 524-9771 ext. 105 taylor.walters@samessenger.com

THE ESSEX REPORTER • 11

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Community Calendar

4 Thursday

Food shelF 9 - 11 a.m. Thursdays and Saturdays, 6 - 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Aunt Dot’s Place, 51 Center Rd. Essex Jct. Serving the communities of Essex, Westford, Jericho and Underhill.

Visit auntdotsplace.com for more information.

Town and village oFFices, essex area senior cenTer, essex Free library and brownell library closed in observance oF independence day

5 Friday essex area senior cenTer closed Music wiTh raph 9:30 - 10:15 a.m., Brownell Library. Come sing & play with Raph. No registration required.

Musical sTory TiMe 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Essex Free Library.

Teen Movie nighT: guardians oF The galaxy 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Brownell Library. Walt Disney Studios 2014, 121min. Rated PG-13. Free popcorn & drinks! essex eaTs ouT 5:30 - 7 p.m., First Congregational Church, Essex Jct. Free community dinners for all! If you need a ride, please email essexeatsout@gmail.com

6 saTurday weekend sTory TiMe 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Essex Free Library. Start off your weekend with books, rhymes and songs! spanish/english inTercaMbio Noon - 2 p.m., Essex Free Library. For the first hour of every session we will speak exclusively in Spanish and for the second hour we will speak exclusively in English.

Come join the conversation!

7 sunday harrieT FarnsworTh powell hisTorical MuseuM 1 - 4 p.m., Corner of Route 128 and Route 15, Essex Jct. Seasonal exhibits this year focus on individuals that helped to shape Essex.

8 Monday sTory TiMe wiTh eMily 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Essex Free Library. Drop in for stories, songs and a craft.

Tech help wiTh cliF Noon - 1 p.m., Brownell Library. Offering oneon-one technology help.

Reservation required.

Please call 878-6955 at least 24 hours in advance.

rockeT launch willisTon 4:30 - 7:30 p.m., Dorothy Alling Memorial Library.

Blast off with us as we make and launch model rockets together with the Dorothy Alling Library.

Pre-registration is required.

saxon hill ForesT walk 5:30 p.m., Thompson Dr. Parking Lot. n informal, facilitated site tour of Saxon Hill to ensure community members are familiar with the site and to help explore ideas and concerns on-the-ground.

MusT read Mondays 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., Brownell Library. This month discuss “March” by John Lewis, Andrew Ayden and Nate Powell. vT asTronoMical socieTy 7:30 - 9:30 p.m., Brownell Library. “Houston, Tranquility Base here.

The Eagle has landed.” by Steve Quigley. Fifty years ago on July 20, the Apollo 11 crew fulfilled President Kennedy’s challenge by successfully landing on the Moon, and returning safely to Earth. All the Apollo manned missions will be covered.

9 Tuesday sTory TiMe 10 - 10:30 a.m., Brownell Library. bingo 12:30 - 3:30 p.m., Essex Area Senior Ctr. Every card costs a penny, so if you play 10 cards, each game costs a dime. big blue Trunk 1 -3 p.m., Essex Free Library. Get ready for more games, challenges, and fun on the library lawn! All ages.

Maker Tuesdays: archiTecT and design day 3 - 4:30 p.m., Brownell Library. Today is a team-building day and problem-solving, which is essential in STEM. Explore, be creative and enjoy building challenges! ronald Mcdonald bingo 4 p.m., doors, 6:30 p.m., start, CV Expo. Benefits the Ronald McDonald House. yoga wiTh Jonah 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., First Congregational Church,1 Church St., Essex Jct. Donations welcome, but not required. drop-in kniTTing 6:30 - 8 p.m., Essex Free Library. wriTer’s group 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., Essex Free Library. All levels and genres welcome as we come together to share our work and offer support to one another.

10 wednesday

Tech TiMe 10 - 11 a.m., Essex Free Library. Drop in with your device and questions!

Tech help wiTh cliF Noon - 1 p.m., Brownell Library. (See Monday, July 8) roTary club oF essex Noon - 1:15 p.m., The Essex, 70 Essex Way, Essex Jct. blood drive 1 p.m., Essex Shoppes wacky wednesday Juggling club 1 - 2 p.m., Essex Free Library. Defy gravity!

Make your own juggling balls and learn to juggle! edward phelps and The ”lay oF The losT Traveler” 7 p.m., Memorial Hall.

A humorous review of a famous but virtually unknown Vermonter who caused an ongoing stir in Essex Junction with a sarcastic poem penned after missing the train to Boston in 1881.

Tedx: space is The Final FronTier 7 - 8:30 p.m., Brownell Library. TED Talk videos around the theme of the Universe will be viewed and reflected on, this is a great opportunity to connect with others!

11 Thursday celebraTe your FarMer social 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., De La Bruere Organic Dairy. Join us for farm-fresh pizza and a tour of the farm.. wooF! whaT’s The dog saying 6 - 7 p.m., Essex Free Library. This multi-media extravaganza of fun helps us understand what dogs say with their bodies.

(This is for humans only... dogs must be left at home!)

LOCAL MEETINGS Mon., July 8

5:30 p.m., Town board of civil authority, Town offices, 81 Main St.

Tue., July 9

6:30 p.m., village Trustees, Lincoln Hall, 2 Lincoln St. 6:30 p.m., Town conservation and Trails committee, Town offices, 81 Main St.

Thu., July 11

6:30 p.m., Town planning commission, Town offices, 81 Main St.

CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH - 61 Main St., Essex Jct., 878-8341.

James Gangwer, pastor. Sunday School: 10 a.m., Worship Service: 11 a.m., Sunday evening worship: 6 p.m., Wednesday evening youth groups, Adult Bible study and prayer: 7 p.m.; Fundamental-Independent.

CHRIST MEMORIAL CHURCH - Route 2A, Williston, just north of Industrial Ave. 878-7107. Wes Pastor, Senior Pastor.

Summer Worship Service Times (June-September): Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Nursery is provided for infant-K. Also check out our other summer offerings: Wednesday Gatherings, Ultimate Frisbee, Play Dates in the Park, Summer Bible Camp, and more! www.cmcvermont.org; also on Facebook & Instagram.

COVENANT COMMUNITY CHURCH - 1 Whitcomb Meadows Lane, Essex Jct. 879-4313. Rev. Jeannette Conver, pastor. Adult bible class: 9 a.m., Sunday service: 10 a.m. with fellowship following. Infant through pre-K childcare provided, cccpastorjeannette@gmail.com; Facebook page: bit.ly/2rDz4NE DAYBREAK COMMUNITY CHURCH - 67 Creek Farm Plaza, Colchester. 338-9118. Jesse Mark, lead pastor. Sunday service: 10:30 a.m., www.daybreakvermont.org; brentdaybreak@gmail.com ESSEX ALLIANCE CHURCH - 37 Old Stage Road, Essex Jct. 878-8213. Sunday services: 8:00am, 9:30am & 11:00am, www.essexalliance.org.

ESSEX CENTER UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - 119 Center Rd (Route 15), Essex. 878-8304. Rev. Mitchell Hay, pastor. Service 10:00 am with Sunday School and childcare provided. We offer a variety of small groups for prayer, Bible study, hands-on ministry, and studying contemporary faith issues. Please join us for worship that combines the best of traditional and contemporary music and spirituality. We are a safe and welcoming space for all people to celebrate, worship, ask questions and plant spiritual roots.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF ESSEX JUNCTION - UCC, an Open and Affirming Congregation, embracing diversity and affirming the dignity and worth of every person, because we are all created by a loving God. 1 Church Street, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Telephone (802) 878-5745; Website: www.fccej.org Email: welcome@fccej.org Senior Pastor, Rev. Mark Mendes, Assoc. Pastor, Rev. Josh Simon. Sunday Worship Services: 8:30 and 10:15 am. Communion: first Sunday of every month. Faith Formation meets weekly at 10:15 am. Jr. & High School Youth Groups on Sundays. Heavenly Food Pantry – second Monday, 5:30-7:30pm; fourth Thursday, 2-6pm, except for Nov & Dec when it is the third Thursday. Essex Eats Out Community Dinner – 1st Friday of the month, 5:30 – 7pm. Music includes Sanctuary Choir, Finally @ First Band, Joyful Noise, Cherub Music, Handbell Choir, Men’s Acapella and Ladies’ Acapella groups.

GRACE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - 130 Maple Street, Essex Jct., 1 mile south of the Five Corners on Maple Street / Route 117. 8788071. Worship Sundays: 9:30 a.m., with concurrent church school pre-K to grade 6. Handicapped-accessible facility. Adult choir, praise band, women’s fellowship, missionally active. Korean U.M.C. worship Sundays: 12 p.m., come explore what God might be offering you!

HOLY FAMILY - ST. LAWRENCE PARISH - St. Lawrence: 158 West St., Essex Jct. 878.5331. Saturday Vigil: 4:00 p.m.; Sunday Morning: 8:00 a.m. Holy Family: 36 Lincoln St., Essex Jct., Sundays: 11 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. For more information visit www.hfslvt.org.

MT. MANSFIELD UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP - 195 Vermont Route 15, Jericho, the red barn across from Packard Road.

899-2558. Services are held 9:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Sunday of each month from September through June. Visit www.mmuuf.org.

ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH - 4 St. James Place, Essex Jct., off Rt. 2A at the Fairgrounds Gate F. 878-4014. Rev. Kim Hardy. Holy Eucharist, Sundays: 10 a.m. Visit www.stjamesvt.org; office@stjamesvt. com.

ST. PIUS X CHURCH - 20 Jericho Road, Essex.

878-5997. Rev. Charles Ranges, pastor. Masses: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. & Sunday, 9:30 a.m. Confessions: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. or please call 878-5331 for an appointment.

12 • THE ESSEX REPORTER

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Classifieds

SOMETIMES ERRORS OCCUR. After placing an ad, it is your responsibility to check your ad on the first day of

Your Ad Here

publication for any errors. Refunds are not issued for classified ads, but if notification is given to our department

Contact us to get a free quote or place an ad!

802.524.9771 x117 or 122

classifieds@samessenger.com www.samessenger.com fax: 802.527.1948 281 North Main Street, St. Albans VT 05478

NEED SOME HELP WRITING YOUR CLASSIFIED?

after the first day of publication, we will run your corrected

CALL US AND WE WILL HELP WRITE YOUR AD &

ad for one extra day. We will not be responsible for more

DESIGN IT FOR FREE

than one incorrect publication of each ad.

1. Amendments to Agenda (if applicable) 2. Public Comments 3. DISCUSSION: FULL DRAFT OF ETC|NEXT TOWN CENTER MASTER PLAN & REVIEW OF ARTICLE 3 ETC|NEXT DRAFT ZONING REGULATIONS 4. Minutes: July 11, 2019 5. Other Business Note: Please visit our website at ​www.essex.org​ to view agendas, application materials, and minutes or stop in at our office, 81 Main St., 2​nd​ Floor (7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.). This meeting will be recorded by Channel 17 and live streamed (YouTube).

VILLAGE OF ESSEX JUNCTION PLANNING COMMISSION JULY 18, 2019 PUBLIC MEETING 6:00 P.M. Election of Officers Conceptual Plan to remove existing buildings and construction of 4-story mixed-use building with 9,000 s.f. commercial on 1st floor with 50 studio apartments on the upper floors at 9 & 11 Park Street in the VC District by 11 Park Street, LLC, owners.

This DRAFT agenda may be amended.

This meeting will be held in the conference room of the Essex Junction municipal building at 2 Lincoln St., Essex Junction, VT.

802-524-9771 Ext. 117/122

Legal ad for 07/04/19, Essex Reporter Any questions re: above please call Robin Pierce or Terry Hass – 878-6950

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE 2019 update of the Village of Essex Junction Comprehensive Plan Adoption of the proposed Essex Community Enhanced Energy Plan

Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. §4385 and §444, notice is hereby given of a public hearing by the Essex Junction Board of Trustees to hear comments on proposed amendments to and re‐adoption of the Village of Essex Junction’s Comprehensive Plan.

Pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 4302(c)(7), notice is hereby given of a public hearing by the Essex Junction Board of Trustess to hear comments on the proposed Essex Community Enhanced Energy Plan.

The public hearing will take place on Tuesday July 23, 2019 at 6:30 pm at 2 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction.

Statement of Purpose 2019 Comprehensive Plan

The Village of Essex Junction’s Comprehensive Plan is an official public document adopted by the local government to guide decisions about the physical development or redevelopment of the community. The comprehensive plan outlines how the Village wishes to develop in the next eight years. The plan intends to manage growth and represents the community’s goals and aspirations for the future and provides justifications for avoiding or preventing certain outcomes and to accommodate what the community expects to happen. Therefore, the Plan is the foundation for additional plans, zoning regulation changes, and a basis for public and private investment need to achieve the goals of the community. The Plan also incorporates the Essex Community Enhanced Energy plan by reference.

The purpose of the 2019 update is to refresh maps and data tables with current information related to demographics, housing, economic development, natural resources, and transportation; and ensure that it references other relevant plans and projects. These include the Design Five Corners study, the draft Town of Essex and Village of Essex Junction Housing Needs Assessment and Action Plan, the 2015 Town of Essex and Village of Essex Junction Bicycle Pedestrian Plan, the draft 2019 Parking Study, and Green Mountain Transit’s NextGEN Plan. Additionally, the 2019 proposed plan is brought into full compliance with state flood resilience, neighborhood development area designation and forest integrity requirements.

Essex Community Enhanced Energy Plan The proposed Energy Plan is a vision for the Essex Community to advance the State of Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan and to align energy planning with local land use policies.

This plan will be considered for adoption by Essex Junction during the hearing process for the 2019 Comprehensive Plan and will be incorporated by reference in the 2019 Essex Junction Comprehensive Plan. This plan was developed according to the Department of Public Service’s energy planning standards for municipal plans. When this plan is given a determination of energy compliance from the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission it will have substantial deference in the Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) review of whether an energy project meets the orderly development criterion in the Section 248 process. The Energy Plan is consistent with all policies of the 2019 Comprehensive Plan, as discussed in the planning commission report.

Geographic Areas Affected The proposed 2019 Comprehensive Plan is applicable to all areas within the Village. The proposed Essex Community Enhanced Energy Plan is applicable to all areas within the Village.

Sections Affected The 2019 update is a comprehensive update of all sections of the plan. The update refreshes content to some degree in all chapters, appendices, maps, and references. The energy section is replaced by the proposed energy plan and references it accordingly.

Table of Contents Chapter 1. General Planning Background Chapter 2. Community Vision and Strategies Chapter 3. History with an Eye Toward the Future Chapter 4. Comprehensive Plan Elements Chapter 5. Implementation Chapter 6. Appendices

The full text of the proposed 2019 Comprehensive Plan, the proposed Essex Community Enhanced Energy Plan, and the planning commission report is available for review at the Village Office at 2 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or on the Village’s website at https://www.essexjunction.org/departments/planning/compplan/.

Looking for a new Looking place to for a new live?to place

live?

Check out the Rental Check out theand Rental Realand Estate section!

Real Estate section!

Looking for a new place to live?

Since 1977, Lafayette Painting has provided top quality interior painting services. Our experts will complete your job quickly and the finished work is guaranteed. Learn more about us at lafayettepaintinginc.com or call 863-5397

TOWN OF ESSEX PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA July 25, 2019 -6:30 P.M. MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE ROOM, 81 MAIN ST., ESSEX JCT., VT

Check out the Rental and Real Estate section!

Legals

Friday & Saturday ........Noon Thursday For display ads or ads requiring a proof please allow us extra time.

Legals

Employment GLOBALFOUNDRIES, an advanced semiconductor manufacturing & technology company, is seeking the following positions in Essex Junction, Vermont: Senior Engineer Design Enablement #19002379: Responsible for extracting models for fully-depleted planar devices for 22FDX technology using BSIM-IMG. Senior Staff Engineer Customer Engineering #19002560: Enable all aspects of customer programs from the initial design win to the final delivery. To apply go to http://www. globalfoundries.com/, US Careers, & search by requisition #.

DEADLINES Monday ...............................Noon Friday Tuesday ..........................Noon Monday Wednesday ................... Noon Tuesday Thursday .................. Noon Wednesday

THE ESSEX REPORTER • 13

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Production/Machine Operators

AUCTION

$13.50 Per Hour Starting Wage

EMAILED ADVERTISEMENT

Sisters of Mercy

ADVERTISING ORDER WeINSERTION are looking for reliable Production Personnel to be part

of our Manufacturing Team. Primary responsibilities include

Simulcast: Thurs., July 9 @ 10AM 100 Mansfield Ave., Burlington, VT

Thomas Hirchak Company machine tools to produce precision metal parts, From: Terra operating Keene Phone: 800-634-7653 taking accurate measurements, and making adjustments advertising2@THCAuction.com when needed. Applicants must be reliable, punctual,

Items from the closed Sisters of Mercy Mount St. Mary Convent, including: • Extensive lineup of sparkly clean commercial kitchen equipment • Antique and modern furnishings • Tools and equipment Bid on site or online!

attentive to detail and able to read a ruler.

To: Kim Conner Company: Essex Reporter 1C=1.155; 2C=2.39; 3C=3.62; 4C=4.85

Phone: 802-524-9771 ext. 117 class or 103 TODAY’S DATE: 06/27/19 NAME OF FILE: SOM_ER Arrowhead Industrial Park , Georgia, VT DATE(S) TO RUN: 07/04/19 SIZE OF AD: 2x4 or email us at: hr@yankeereamer.com

Thomas Hirchak Company THCAuction.com • 800-634-7653

For Sale Appliances DEHUMIDIFIER, HAIER, GOOD condition.

Asking $20. Call 352396-3883 REFRIGERATOR, GE, WHITE, top freezer, 21.8 cu ft., white, 69” high x 32” wide x 31” deep, excellent condition. Asking $150. Call 802-868-6140 SEARS UPRIGHT FREEZER. excellent condition, overall dimensions, 59Hx28Wx26D. Must pick up. Asking $200. Call 802-752-6394 Boating Equipment/ Supplies LIFE JACKETS, ASSORTED, 2 adult, 1 youth, and 1 child, never been used, brand new. Asking $7 each.

802-524-5070 Building Materials CARPET, LIGHT BROWN, 13x15, low pile, edges are bound, fair condition. Asking $25. Call 802-524-7580 METAL DOOR, WHITE, fits up to 54” long, 38” high. Asking $75. Call 802-527-7891 METAL DOORS, COMBINATION, (2) aluminum storm doors, 31x80. Asking $55/

each. Call 802-5277891 Children’s Items & Toys CHINESE DOLLS, (2), good condition. Asking $10/each. Call 352396-3883

EMAILED TO: kconner@samessenger.com; classifieds@samessenger.com

Need to findSECTION: Class Auction a “Handyman” ?

Take a look at our Business & Service Directory.

You’ll find just what you’re looking for.

PLAYPEN , GRECO, PINK, green and blue, good condition. Asking lbs, (6) 2.5 lbs., extra $70. Call 802-527-7891 parts, cable & foam pads. Asking $100 TRAINSET, NORTH OBO. Call 802-848POLE Express, battery 3336 operated. Asking $20.

Firewood/Lumber/ Call 802-527-7891 Fencing Dishes/Pans/Cups/ S E A S ONED/DRY Etc. FIREWOOD,, all hardCANNING JARS, wood, cut for two years, QUART size with cov2 1/2 cord loads. Call ers, (44), used once. for price in your area.

Asking $20 for all. Call 802-309-4363 802-848-3336 Electronics/CamFurniture eras/Etc. ANTIQUE DRESSER TV, 12” MAGNAVOX WITH mirror and 3 good condition. Asking drawers, excellent con$10. Call 352-396-3883 dition. Asking $75. Call TV, 13” TUBE, good 352-396-3883 condition. Asking $5.

CAMP COUCH PULL Call 802-848-7818 out bed for your pickup, TV, PHILIPS COLOR, very good shape. Free.

Magnavox, good con- Call 802-373-1173 dition. Asking $10. Call CHAIR, PLASTIC 352-396-3883 WITH iron legs, good Exercise/Sporting condition. Asking $10.

Equipment Call 802-848-7818 WORKOUT BENCH, CHAIR, WOODEN WEIDER, Pro 305, reARMS, with cushions clining seat, leg develfor living room. Asking oper, lat tower with but$10. Call 802-848-7818 terfly bar, weights (2) 25 lbs., (6) 10 lbs., (4) 5

CLOTHES LOCKER, METAL, with attached mirror. Was $20, now asking $10. Call 352396-3883 DAYBED, GIRLS, MISS Kitty, pink & green with mattress, good condition. Asking $70. Call 802-527-7891 NIGHT STAND, GOOD condition. Asking $10.

Call 352-396-3883

QUEEN SIZE BED wrought iron, converts to a canopy bed, pieces included.

Delivery available in St. Albans.

Asking $75. Call 802527-1213

Continued On Next Page

→

Recreation Customer Service Specialist - to warmly and respectfully greet our customers, providing them with a positive experience and good first impression. This person will be the face and voice of our two organizations, will listen, answer questions, and provide information that is appropriate and accurate to external and internal customers. You will resolve customer challenges and guide them to solutions, resulting in a positive brand experience. This person will be friendly and outgoing in nature. We seek an individual who is people-oriented, gives attention to detail, is adaptable, has the ability to work under pressure, and exercises good judgment. These skills will require patience, a positive attitude, a smile, a love for parks and recreation, and a genuine care for community.

Our new team member must have proven customer support experience, excellent communication skills (verbal and written), and the ability to multi-task, prioritize, and manage time effectively. In order to serve walk-in, over the phone, and online customers you must be computer savvy, and able to learn a new software program.

This position requires an Associate’s degree in a relevant degree field and two years of experience in an Administrative support position, Recreation programming or a related activity.

This full-time position starts at $17.44 per hour, with excellent health, dental, and retirement benefits, tuition reimbursement, and paid leave.

Recreation Communications Coordinator - to effectively plan, organize, administer, and implement a comprehensive communications and marketing strategy for parks and recreation in Essex. This person will develop a marketing plan and create the brand for our two departments.

You will use cutting edge technology and strategies to effectively communicate to the public. Internally you will collaborate with staff and develop systems to gather and disseminate information. A successful candidate will be organized, creative, and savvy with a variety of social media applications, have strong writing and editing skills, and can capture participant experiences via photo, video, interviews and stories by attending programs and events. The individual shall give attention to detail, make timely posts and updates, and be able to independently exercise judgment of appropriate content and messaging. This part-time position will maintain some regular office hours but will have great flexibility to work from the office or home.

This part-time position is 20-hours per week and pays $20-$25 per hour. It is only eligible for pro-rated leave accruals.

Applications are being accepted until July 7.

To apply, visit essex.org

14 • THE ESSEX REPORTER Furniture VANITY TABLE WITH mirror, 4 drawers and stool. Asking $45. Call 352-396-3883 Furnishings

Selling Your Home On Your Own?

DESK LAMPS, (2), with adjustable necks, good condition. Asking $10/each. Call 352396-3883 Lawn/Garden TRIMMER MOWER, SWISHER, high wheel, good condition. Asking $150. Call 802-5277891

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Showcase of Homes To advertise your listings contact your ad rep today!

802-524-9771

Outdoor Furnishings

Taylor Walters x 105 taylor.walters@essexreporter.com

ROTISSERIE BBQ GRILL, electric, good condition. Asking $50.

Call 802-527-7891 Office Supplies OFFICE CHAIRS, (4), good condition. Asking $10/each. Call 352396-3883 Pet Supplies CAT CARRIER, MEDIUM size, good condition. Asking $10. Call 802-848-7818 DOG CAGE, METAL, for a medium size dog, good condition. Asking $40. Call 802-527-7891 DOG MATTRESSES, (2), 27x35, good condition. Asking $20/each.

Call 802-527-7891 Vacuum/Carpet Cleaners RUG SHAMPOOER, BRAND new, used once. Asking $120. Call 802-848-7818 Wanted to Buy BUYING ANTIQUES Estate Merchandise, Collections. +45 Years Buying!

Call Ed Lambert 802-528-5651 or 802-782-1223 St. Albans Fair Prices Paid

THE

HOMEOWNER’S MARKETPLACE

An advertising package for people selling their home without the assistance of a realtor.

Includes an ad run in the Messenger for 30 days with a photo of your home AND a large color display in the Saturday paper for those 30 days.

ESSEX HOME Tucked away from the road on 5.34 acres, this custom built Colonial with owner solar panels offers 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a sunny eat-in kitchen with center island, large living room, screened porch and 2-car garage.

Enjoy beautiful mountain and pastoral views plus plenty of yard.

Offered at $429,500.

The Lipkin Audette Team, 802-846-8800, www.lipkinaudette.com team@lipkinaudette.com

CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION: 802-524-9771 ext. 117 or 122 or email: classifieds@samessenger.com

www.essexreporter.com

Commercial Roofers& Laborers

Need to place a rental ad?

Call 802-524-9771 Ext. 117 or 122 Or email: classifieds@samessenger.com

Year round, full time positions. Good wages & benefits. $16.50 per hour minimum; pay negotiable with experience EOE/M/F/VET/Disability Employer Apply in person at: A.C. Hathorne Co. 252 Avenue C Williston, VT 802-862-6473

THE ESSEX REPORTER • 15

Thursday, July 4, 2019 AUTO SERVICES

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16 • THE ESSEX REPORTER MERGER from page 1 Brown reminded his colleagues that they agreed last year on a shared vision for Essex Jct. and Essex: a single municipality. But they never technically said a merger was how they planned to get there, he argued, so there’s no reason to let the word define their work now. “[Let’s] not talk about why we merge, but rather why do we want a new community, why do we want a new board,” he said.

The sentiment was well received by some. Selectwoman Annie Cooper said the word merger is “unnecessary.” Resident John Sheppard suggested they call it a “unification,” and “use that other word as infrequently as possible.” And selectboard chairwoman Elaine Haney agreed the boards should find a “common language” about their goals.

“I think we’re going to find ourselves tripping over our tongues a little bit trying to dance around the M word,” Haney said. “I don’t want to call it the M word because it just sort of makes it sound like an evil horrible thing that we shouldn’t be talking about.”

The unwillingness to give the word “merger” a new life comes with an

implicit understanding of its history, which is as long and complicated as the present work entails. For many, merger invokes past failures, including the most recent vote in 2006, which fell as a result of a contentious and stark divide between two factions – those in the village, and those outside it.

Much has changed since then. The elected boards have met on a regular basis in a show of unity that was all but nonexistent a decade ago. And their respective governments are increasingly intertwined through the shared services initiative, a bottom-up approach that aims to make consolidations more palatable to the public.

The response has been generally positive as voters have authorized consolidations by approving municipal budgets each year. But officials know they’ll be asking for much more come 2020 if they decide to pursue a single charter, as recommended by their governance subcommittee.

Still, as much as some hope to avoid the landmine posed by the word, others think it’s a mistake to ban it altogether.

“If we avoid saying merger all the time and then we go to a vote in 2020, that vote has to be in legal language,” village vice president George Tyler said. “It’s going to have to say merger, and all of a sudden [voters] are going to go, ‘Wait a second. We weren’t talk-

Thursday, July 4, 2019 ing about merger all along, and now you guys are asking us to merge.’”

“It may be painful or troubling or difficult,” Tyler continued. “But the word is going to have to be introduced into the discussion at some point.”

There remain questions over whether “merger” would legally have to appear on 2020 ballots; former selectwoman Irene Wrenner suggested the boards explore other ways to unify, betting an attorney “paid enough” could find ways to avoid using “the M word.”

But if “merger” must be included, trustee Raj Chawla said the boards must explain why this is different than last time. Even then, he said, there’s only so much elected officials can do.

“Rightly or wrongly, [voters] take it the way they take it. We can’t control that,” he said.

Though the discussion began as a linguistic thought exercise, it proved to have real-world implications, as shown later in the meeting, when officials debated what to name an informational website about the governance change.

The subcommittee had already offered a few recommendations, including essexmerger2020.org, but Chawla wondered if the boards should reconsider. Tyler said he didn’t have an issue with it, and selectman Andy Watts agreed, saying the board should “rip the Band-Aid off.”

They were in the minority. Both

Brown and Haney, leaders of the two boards, preferred to remove the word from the equation, and officials eventually decided to name their website “greateressex.org.” And as for the elevator speech, officials tasked their subcommittee to explain why the municipalities would “unify.”

To be sure, officials have surrounded their recent verbalism with more substantive work that looks to draw on lessons learned. They recently hosted a daylong work session featuring testimony from department heads and finalized a now-live survey, which they say will help them navigate some of the biggest sticking points – tax impacts, representation and identity – of previous merger attempts.

At the same time, last week’s discussion all but confirmed that “merger” will remain a second-class synonym.

While it’s too early to tell how that may impact a vote come 2020, for some residents, words are the least of their concerns.

“If I’m in the elevator with you … I want you to tell me how becoming one entity is going to benefit me or affect me,” resident Mary Lou Hurley told the boards.

“As I’m listening to you folks struggle with the term and what’s it going to look like,” she continued, “I’m thinking, ‘What about us?’”

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