Williston Observer

Campaign letdowns

Aug. 28, 2008
By Steve Mount

I feel let down by Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

To be fair, though, I also feel let down by the Democrats on two points, so let me get those out of the way.

First, I signed up to be “one of the first” to know about Barack Obama’s choice for a vice presidential candidate, the message to arrive on my cell phone before even the cable news networks were told.

I got the message, but at 3:29 a.m. last Saturday morning; before I checked my inbox, I saw the morning news telling me about Joe Biden. So much for being one of the first.

Second, I was disappointed that the Democratic National Committee decided to let Florida and Michigan off the hook for their disobedient behavior during the primary season. Having held primaries earlier than the rules allowed, they were stripped of their convention delegates.

After negotiations between the Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns, the states were granted half their delegates, and now, this past weekend, the DNC decided to seat both states’ full delegations. As any parent will agree, you have to follow through on your punishments or they mean nothing.

These letdowns, though, are minuscule compared to those of McCain.

I had a lot of respect for McCain, but daily it’s being chipped away. I will always respect his times of service, both in the military and in the Senate, but his run for the presidency has rubbed off the gloss.

For example, McCain’s stuttering confession that he was unsure about how many houses he owns certainly was not endearing: “I’ll have my staff get back to you,” he told reporters. To have so many that you lose count does not make me feel like he and I have the same concerns. The count, by the way, turns out to be eight.

I’ll get back to McCain himself in a moment. His staff, however, deserves mention here. They seem to forget that the way things work is that the principal spokesperson for a presidential campaign is the candidate himself.

When McCain details some of his economic plans on the campaign trail, his budget policies end up nearly $3 trillion out of line with his published plans. McCain’s chief economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, was questioned about the discrepancy by online magazine Slate. Reported Slate blogger Christopher Beam, “‘This is parsing words out of campaign appearances to an unreasonable degree,’ Holtz-Eakin said. ‘He has certainly I’m sure said things in town halls’ that don’t jibe perfectly with his written plan. But that doesn’t mean it’s official.”

This has widely, and not inaccurately, been paraphrased as “John McCain does not speak for the McCain campaign.”

And it happened again, a week later. In an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, McCain said that in discussions about saving Social Security, “nothing is off the table,” specifically including payroll tax increases.

The next day, one of McCain’s spokesmen corrected the candidate, saying that a payroll tax increase was “absolutely out of the question.” Again, McCain does not speak for the McCain campaign. Troubling.

Back to McCain himself: In a speech before the Veterans of Foreign Wars, McCain criticized Obama’s positions on Iraq, saying that they called into question the judgment he would need as commander in chief: “Behind all of these … positions by Senator Obama lies the ambition to be president.”

Maybe it is fair to criticize a presidential candidate for having ambition to be president, maybe not. But McCain should be careful of throwing stones. In 2002, McCain wrote a book about his 2000 run for the presidency, noting that he hadn’t run for president to solve any particular problems.

“I wanted to be president,” he wrote, “because it had been my ambition to be president.”

Look, we all misspeak. But in this day and age, when the lies told by “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” are perceived as truth, one must be especially careful about what one says. Failure to do so is, in itself, a black mark against you.

I leave you this week with a McCain gaffe that I found amusing but which may have made McCain’s home life a bit awkward for a few days.

At the beginning of August, when McCain and his wife, Cindy, were attending a motorcycle rally in South Dakota, McCain told the crowd that he had encouraged Cindy to enter the “Miss Buffalo Chip” contest held at the rally.

Perhaps he did not know (or, worse, perhaps he did) that the contestants for the Miss Buffalo Chip contest dress scantily, if at all, and dance lewdly in front of the hooting audience. For John’s sake, let’s hope Cindy has a good sense of humor.

Steve Mount has been a Williston resident since 1996. He is a software engineer at GE Healthcare and is devoted to his family, his country and his Constitution. You can reach Steve at [email protected] or read his blog at http://saltyrain.com/ls.

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^{Aug. 28, 2008
By Mike Benevento}

^{You can make a difference — consider yourself asked}

^{Everyone loves a champion, and that is what Williston’s 11- and 12-year-old Little League All-Stars are. Coached by Jeff Smith and Will Mikell, and led by Vermont’s July Male Athlete of the Month Davis Mikell, the team came within two wins of making the Little League World Series. Like many community organizations, unsung volunteers help make the Williston Little League program a success.}

^{From President Tim O’Brien and Vice President Greg Bolger all the way down to Bill Small, Dennis Lalancette, Rick Reed and other umpires, volunteers fuel the league’s success. Even people with roles not directly involved in the game, like concessions coordinator Mary Beth Bergkvist, Joel Klein, Paul Reiss, Treasurer Gene McCue and player agent Todd Norton, make an impact. Without these and many other volunteers, many Williston girls and boys would not have played softball or baseball this past summer.}

^{President John F. Kennedy said during his 1961 Inaugural Address, “And so, my fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” If you are not already a volunteer, now is the time for you to start doing for your country by becoming one.}

^{Consider the changes you want to see in this world. Support these ideas not just by donating your money, but by giving your time and energy to various causes. Set a good example for the younger generation. If possible, empower the young by involving your family when you volunteer. Doing so will multiply the amount of goodwill in our local community.}

^{Do you remember how immediately after Sept. 11 people changed their lives and devoted more time to their family, friends, and community? Following the terrorist attacks, people went out of their way to help others. We need to get that giving spirit back into our community — and sustain it.}

^{For example, following the attacks, Americans donated so much blood that the Red Cross appeared to be awash in it. However, the blood supply quickly dwindled and was not replenished. People forgot the need for giving blood was year round, not just the months following the attacks.}

^{Only 5 percent of eligible donors give blood each year. As the Red Cross states, “Many people say they have never given blood because they haven’t been asked. Please, consider yourself asked. The need is real. The need is now.”}

^{On a different type of giving, one of my most exciting summers was when I volunteered on Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie’s 2004 reelection campaign. My job was to interview the leadership of more than 30 Vermont associations. After we discussed their concerns, I then presented my findings to Dubie so he could better help them out. Although Brian and I have known each other since our youth, you can volunteer and help Republicans even if you haven’t personally met them.}

^{With the political season nearing its peak, all levels of the Republican Party need your support. In Williston, good people you may know like Brennan Duffy and Shelley Palmer are running for state representative. Please contact them or Williston’s Republican Party chairman Chris Roy for information on how to help.}

^{At the state level, Dubie and Gov. Jim Douglas are up for reelection (www.vtgop.org). Finally, at the national level, John McCain needs our help to win in the pivotal presidential race against Barack Obama (www.rnc.org).}

^{Non-political organizations looking for assistance include Make-A-Wish Foundation (864-9393), Vermont ALS Association (846-7386), Salvation Army (864-6991) and Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf (658-7939). Former military members interested in assisting National Guard personnel and their families should consider joining the Vermont State Guard (338-3045).}

^{Many businesses get involved with charity work. Williston’s UPS is a big United Way supporter. Oftentimes, companies give employees paid time off to assist charities. When I worked at Vertek, we served monthly meals for the Salvation Army’s Kitchen Feeding Program. My current employer, EPS, gives employees time off to work for Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross and other charities. Check with your employer to see if you can do the same.}

^{Remember, the need for volunteers is year round, not just during the holidays. While my column highlighted some volunteer organizations, it is far from an exhaustive list. There are many organizations in need of your support. Pick some that align with your interests and get involved. How often would you have done something had you known they needed your help?}

^{Like the Red Cross says, “Consider yourself asked.”}

^{Michael Benevento is a former Air Force fighter jet weapon systems officer. He has a bachelor’s degree in Military History and a master’s in International Relations. Mike resides in Williston with his wife Kristine and their two sons, Matthew and Calvin.}

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Aug. 28, 2008

Chicken Little dodges rabies

Some residents of Wildflower Circle walking outside on Wednesday morning noticed little pellets dropping from the sky. But the sky wasn’t falling —  the pellets contained rabies vaccines.

The Vermont Department of Health’s Rabies Bait Drop began Monday, and the office plans to drop, by way of plane, upwards of 500,000 fishmeal baits along remote valleys near the Canadian border and Chittenden County. The bait drop, now in its 12th year, is an effort to curb the spread of rabies in wild animals. So far this year, there have been 51 confirmed cases of rabies in animals in Vermont.

Health officials said the pellets are not harmful if touched and pose no threat to children and pets. Officials have said if a pellet is found in a driveway to use gloves to move the pellet to a grassy area and wash hands after doing so.

For more information contact the state’s Rabies Hotline at 800-472-2437.

Clerk’s hours

The Williston Town Clerk’s Office has returned to a five-day schedule but will remain open an extra hour each day.

The office, which is responsible for much of the public’s interaction with municipal government, had earlier this summer moved to a four-day week while maintaining longer hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. when it was open.

Now the office will no longer be closed on Mondays. The schedule each weekday will be 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., an hour later than other municipal offices.

Town Clerk Deb Beckett said staying open an hour later was popular with the public so she decided to maintain that part of the schedule.

Golf against autism

The New England Autism Center is having its first annual fundraising golf outing on Saturday, Sept. 13. An 18-hole tournament with four-person teams will take place at The Links at Lang Farm golf course in Essex. The entry fee is $75 per person. Special events will also include longest drive and putting contests.

For more information or to sign up, contact Linda Luxenberg at 802-999-8024 or [email protected]

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Aug. 28, 2008
By Greg Elias
Observer staff

Crooks are an opportunistic bunch. So to reduce burglaries, experts say, eliminate easy avenues for thieves to enter your home.

Lock your doors and windows. Keep valuables out of sight. Consider installing an alarm system or starting a neighborhood watch.

Detective Mike Lavoie of the Williston Police Department said living in a rural state offers no sanctuary from crime.

“In my opinion, what people used to say, that this is Vermont, so I can leave my windows open and doors unlocked, has kind of gone out the window,” Lavoie said.

Thefts are among the most common crimes in Williston and elsewhere, although residential break-ins here are infrequent and tend to come in sporadic outbreaks.

One recent spate involved four burglaries of homes on Old Stage Road, Spruce Lane and along U.S. 2 near the Richmond line. All occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 6.

The circumstances surrounding the break-ins bolster Lavoie’s advice to keep entries locked and prevent easy opportunities for criminals. In each case, entry was made through an unsecured door or window.

In one of the burglaries, the thief or thieves entered an unlocked garage, checked a vehicle parked inside and found a purse containing a “large amount” of cash, Lavoie said. He declined to say exactly how much was taken or where the home was located because the crime is still under investigation.

The Web site www.homesecurity.com also emphasizes commonsense measures homeowners can take to protect belongings.

“When people think of protecting their homes, they often think of fancy, expensive security systems with lots of bells and whistles,” the site says. “That is certainly an option, but there are measures you can take that won’t break the bank, too.”

The site advises homeowners to avoid common security mistakes: failing to repair broken locks, leaving security systems off while you run a quick errand and hiding a house key near the door.

“Many homeowners, afraid they will lose their keys and lock themselves out, choose to hide a key somewhere on the property,” the site says. “They think they are being sneaky by placing the key under a rock, under a doormat, in a potted plant, or above the door. Burglars absolutely know about all these commonly used hiding places.”

Lavoie said another pitfall to avoid is leaving valuable items where they can be seen through a window. In one of the recent break-ins, a laptop computer sitting in plain sight inside the home was stolen.

Home security systems and neighborhood watch programs can also deter thieves. Lavoie said he prefers security systems, and he has one at his own home.

They can cost anywhere from $100 for the least expensive, do-it-yourself kit to thousands of dollars for professionally installed systems. Types offered by large national companies such as ADP also require remote monitoring for a monthly fee.

Vigilance also can help prevent thefts. Lavoie encouraged residents who see anything suspicious to immediately call police.

He said homeowners should not worry if the tip turns out to be a false alarm. After all, it helps no one to tell police days after the crime that you saw a stranger in your neighborhood on the night of the break-in.

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Aug. 28, 2008
By Tim Simard
Observer staff

WING committees have been hard at work developing new ideas for the future of Williston, and now the public can be kept up to date on all the progress through the Williston town Web site.

Town Environmental Planner Jessica Andreoletti, who has been working with the WING Steering Committee and attending its meetings, has updated the Web site to include summaries, reports and meeting news, as well as provide links to each WING group’s personal Web sites.

Andreoletti said the updates are designed to make it easier for the public to know what’s going on and to become more engaged in the WING process.

“The Web site will be really good for improving communication,” she said.

The site is accessible by going to the town’s Web site, www.town.williston.vt.us, and clicking on the link for WING under the “Latest News” section in the right hand sidebar.

The Williston into the Next Generation event, better known as WING, was a gathering in April of more than 100 community members to discuss the future of Williston. Five committees were formed to continue the work started at the initial weekend meeting: a community potluck group, which aims to celebrate Williston’s heritage through community events; a group centered around forming a community center; a public transportation and recreation paths group; an environmental, or “green,” initiatives group; and a representative town meeting group.

Some of these five committees have been meeting regularly at town offices or private homes.

Last month, Andreoletti created online sites for each group by using the CollectiveX Web program. Group members can post news, comments and information for other members and the public. For instance, visitors to the Community Potluck Web site will be able to see what different members are talking about, and stay updated through meeting minutes and future meeting times.

Andreoletti also created a CollectiveX site for the WING Steering Committee. She said she learned about the site from members of the Green Initiatives committee, which had been using CollectiveX.

“This is good for the public to see what’s going on and good for the WING members to join and use,” Andreoletti said.

Anybody can view information on the six CollectiveX sites. Users join as members, for free, to post information and communicate with other members. Once signed up, people can blog ideas or post articles and news pertaining to certain topics, Andreoletti said. Having the individual Web sites will allow the groups to become self-sufficient and be on the same page in terms of communication.

Andreoletti said while the CollectiveX Web site sounds complicated, it’s easy to navigate and use. She said she’s already received good feedback from various group members and hopes the public will utilize the site to take a more active role in WING.

Other WING updates

Summer has proven to be a quiet few months for WING committee meetings, but group members have still been generating ideas, even with limited participation numbers, said Marcie Kass, WING Steering Committee member.

“We’re at a critical point where we need to keep it going to be successful,” Kass said.

Kass said the Steering Committee met in July and discussed what other groups had been doing. She said the Community Center group brainstormed different ideas and possibilities of where a center could exist in Williston. The Transportation and Paths group been updated by town workers about work on recreational paths, she added. That group’s next meeting is Sept. 4 at the Town Hall.

The Representative Town Meeting group has not met yet, but plans to next month, Kass said.

Les Hankins, a member of the Green Initiatives group, said members have met several times and are looking to bring their thoughts to the public. They’ve discussed several different ideas, including doing energy audits of different neighborhoods and homes in an effort to lower Williston’s carbon footprint. Hankins said the group meets again Sept. 9.

Kass said the Community Potluck group has been already scheduled its next community-wide event in conjunction with the beginning of the Old Brick Church Music Series. The group has even given itself a name — PING, or Potlucks Into the Next Generation. The potluck and concert, featuring the swing band Lewis Franco and the Missing Cats, will take place on Friday, Oct. 17.

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