Williston Observer

June 25, 2009

Health care in retirement

The New England Federal Credit Union hosts “Understanding Retirement Healthcare Expenses” on June 25. Janet Cooper and Roger Webster, registered representatives of Baystate, will speak at the free event.

The presentation takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at New England Federal Credit Union, 141 Harvest Lane in Williston. Seating is limited. To register, call 879-8790 or visit www.nefcu.com.

Williston remodeler joins building committees

Remodeler Mike Gervais, president of Williston-based Prime Renovation Group and DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen of Northern Vermont, has been appointed to the State and Local Government Affairs Committee and the Environmental Issues Committee of the National Association of Home Builders.

The State and Local Government Affairs Committee works closely with NAHB’s 800 affiliated state and local homebuilder associations to advocate for the residential construction industry. The committee oversees NAHB’s efforts to give state and local government officials the building industry’s perspective on regulatory issues related to land development, insurance, taxes, fees and other concerns.

The Environmental Issues Committee monitors and analyzes environmental issues affecting the home building industry.

Prime Renovation Group, is a remodeling and renovation company.

Consultants get together

The Vermont Consultants Network will have its monthly meeting at 8 a.m. on Thursday, July 9 at Network Performance Inc. in South Burlington. Richard Munkelwitz of Chittenden Ventures will speak on “Planning in a Tsunami Economy.”

First time visitors can attend for free. For more information, contact Steve Silverman at 862-9488.

Vermont objects to GM bankruptcy provisions

Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell is joining with attorneys general from nine other states to object to some provisions of General Motors’ bankruptcy plan.

Sorrell says the state opposes a provision that would relieve GM of liability for prior manufacturing problems, he told the Barre Montpelier Times Argus.

It also opposes a provision that would allow the post-bankruptcy GM to modify or terminate contracts with franchise owners, forcing them to take on new cars they don’t want and barring them from carrying other makes.

On Friday, Vermont and the other states filed the objections in a U.S. bankruptcy court, which plans a hearing at the end of the month on the proposed sale of GM to a new firm backed mostly by the U.S. Treasury.

— The Associated Press

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June 25, 2009

Since last fall, the Brennan Woods Street Tree Pruning Crew has volunteered to maintain the health and beauty of trees on local streets as part of the Pruning Initiative for Neighborhood Trees, or PINT. A recently released final grant report based on the Brennan Woods Crew indicates that the project was a success and is ready to move forward in other neighborhoods without further grant money.

With grant funding from Trees for Local Communities, which is part of the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program, Williston conducted an inventory in 2005 finding that 96 percent of public trees would benefit from pruning. Since Public Works could not tackle the task alone, PINT was created in 2007 as a Community Forestry Plan calling upon local volunteers.

PINT meets for two days a year in the spring and fall and provides pruning equipment and a free training workshop.

The Brennan Woods Crew consists of 11 neighborhood volunteers and five professional volunteers, and has pruned 95 trees over 139 hours during last fall and this spring. The crew still has 344 more trees to prune.

To volunteer this fall, contact Town Planner Jessica Andreoletti at 878-6704.

— Ben Portnoy, Observer correspondent

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June 25, 2009

By Tim Simard

Observer staff

Fans of two Burlington-based bands, one of which features a Williston musician, will converge Friday at South Burlington’s Higher Ground, all for a good cause.

The event on June 26, the first ever “Lundapalooza,” will benefit Burlington’s Lund Family Center, a nonprofit aid organization for women, children and families. Formed in 1890, it is also Vermont’s oldest and largest adoption agency.

Performing at the concert will be the bands Funkwagon and WAGAN, as well as musician DJ Question. WAGAN is fronted by Williston-based keyboardist and vocalist Zach Rhoads. Funkwagon includes vocalist and harmonica player Collin Cope, a Lund teacher. Lundapalooza is his brain child.

Cope organized the Lundapalooza event because he wanted to create a different kind of fundraiser. As an educator with the family center, he said his love of the job led him to form the event.

“I was really wanting to do something to make a difference,” Cope said.

Staff members at Lund are also pleased with Cope’s effort and dedication.

“Collin and his band have worked with Lund staff to create a blueprint for an unconventional fundraising effort with great music,” Jen Woolf, the center’s chief development officer, said in a press release. “The approach is exciting, fresh and inspired.”

Cope said he wanted to find a way to combine his work and his music. With the help of his fellow band members, the idea of a benefit concert came to be.

“It’s kind of like my band and my work colliding together,” Cope said.

Funkwagon, a four-man group, also includes front man Aaron Burroughs, who plays keyboard and sings. Rounding out the group with Cope and Burroughs are Jacque Perron on bass and Rob Jones on drums. The band plays funk and blues music, mostly singing original material written by Burroughs and Perron. In the past year, Funkwagon has become a staple of Burlington’s lively night scene, routinely playing shows at Nectar’s and Red Square.

Cope has worked at Lund for about a year, teaching toddlers between the ages of 1 and 2. The family center has even paid for his classes to earn his associate’s degree in Child Development, he said.

Cope, a 2005 graduate of Champlain Valley Union High School, went to school with members of the band WAGAN, including Rhoads. Both groups have a love of rock and funk, with WAGAN a more blues-driven band, according to Rhoads. He said both bands find it funny they have similar names and interests, although it’s an unintentional resemblance. The groups have performed together on several occasions, most frequently at Nectar’s.

Rhoads said he discovered his love of music thanks to former Williston Central School — and now Charlotte Central School — music teacher Andy Smith. After graduating from CVU, he came together with a group of friends to start a band.

“At first, we just started by playing parties,” Rhoads said.

WAGAN includes Rhoads on keyboards and lead vocals, Chris Myers on drums, Sam Johnson on guitar, Chris Kunitz on bass and Justin Small on lead guitar. The group covers many popular rock and blues songs, with original songs written mainly by Rhoads.

WAGAN’s name came about in an interesting way, Rhoads said. He said the group didn’t have a name until someone asked at a show, and Small responded to the crowd, “We ain’t got a name.” The band was amused with the response and turned Small’s off-the-cuff remark into an acronym.

Like Funkwagon, WAGAN has played many Burlington bars and clubs. The band is now looking to book Boston and New York venues, and is also working on a studio demo recording, Rhoads said.

Rhoads said the band members of WAGAN are looking forward to helping their friends in Funkwagon put on a great Lundapalooza show. And Cope said he’s been anticipating the event all week. Both bands are hoping for a chance to play together as well.

“We want to offer some surprises,” Cope said. “It’ll definitely be different.”

Lundapalooza tickets cost $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m. on June 26, with the concert starting at 7:30 p.m. in Higher Ground’s Showcase Ballroom. There will also be a raffle. Items include a Burton snowboard, an iPod Nano and gift certificates for massages and oil changes. All proceeds from the concert will go toward the Lund Family Center.

Music samples from both bands are available on their Web sites, www.myspace.com/funkwagonmusic and www.myspace.com/waganband.

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Neil Boyden to retire

June 25, 2009

By Greg Elias

Observer staff

When Neil Boyden started working for the town of Williston, there were no big box stores or 100-home subdivisions. The sewer system was still under construction. And the building that now houses Town Hall was an abandoned structure where Grange meetings used to be held.

Boyden, the public works director, is stepping down after 24 years with the town. He plans to stay on until October, long enough to train his replacement.

“I guess from a purely selfish standpoint, I’m very, very sorry to see him go because he’s just been such an important part of town government for so long,” said Town Manager Rick McGuire. “Part of it is his institutional memory is tremendous. Part of it is he’s the kind of person that gets things done.”

“It’s time to move on to next phase of my life,” Boyden wrote in his resignation letter.

He acknowledged in an interview that eligibility for pension, having reached age 55 with more than 30 total years of government service, played a role in his decision.

The public works director is one of the key positions in Williston’s town government. Boyden heads a department that has more than a dozen employees and a $3.5 million annual budget. The department provides many of the town’s nuts-and-bolts services, including road maintenance, snowplowing and water and sewer infrastructure.

Boyden grew up in Waterbury and Richmond. He attended Norwich University and the University of Vermont.

Boyden worked in the Water and Sewer Department in Richmond for 13 years before being hired by the town of Williston in 1985.

He initially served as Williston’s water and sewer superintendent. Over the next few years, Boyden said he helped oversee completion of the town’s sewer system and form what would become the Public Works Department.

Boyden’s time in Williston has been marked by sweeping changes, as the town was transformed from a rural community to a bustling suburb and commercial center. Over his past two-plus decades with the town, the big-box stores were built, the town’s largest subdivisions were constructed and the building now housing Town Hall was renovated.

Boyden measured the changes in terms of water and sewer connections. He said there were at most 300 residents and businesses on the system when he started; now there are more than 3,000.

Boyden is second on the town’s seniority list. The honor for the longest-serving employee goes to his wife, Kathy, an assistant town clerk who has worked for the town for 37 years.

McGuire said Boyden months ago raised the possibility of retirement but struggled to make a final decision. Boyden said it was an emotional process, which was apparent from the catch in his voice as he described his affection for co-workers and the job itself.

“It was a tough decision,” he said. “I love this job. I live and breathe it.”

McGuire said he is in the beginning stages of the search for someone to fill Boyden’s position. The town will seek candidates from around the nation, although McGuire did not rule out hiring an existing town employee.

Boyden said after he steps down this fall he’ll have more time to spend with family and to pursue favorite pastimes, such as fishing. He said he may eventually find another job, perhaps a part-time position with considerably less overtime and responsibility.

“I’m going on to something different,” Boyden said. “I just don’t know what it is yet.”

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Kolibas arraigned in Burlington

June 25, 2009

By Tim Simard

Observer staff

A Williston man accused of drugging and molesting a 13-year-old girl was arraigned Monday on three charges.

Robert Kolibas pleaded not guilty in Vermont District Court in Burlington to the felony charges of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, second degree unlawful restraint and giving a drug to a minor.

Kolibas returned to Vermont over the weekend after having fled the state on May 31 before he could be arrested by police on the charges. He was apprehended on an arrest warrant in Maine on June 1 less than 25 miles from the Canadian border. Chittenden County prosecutors believe he may have been trying to flee the country.

Judge Ben Joseph ordered Kolibas held without bail after the charges were read. Kolibas appeared before the judge in shackles. Upon hearing he would be held without bail he looked down at the table in front of him and shook his head.

Kolibas is accused of molesting a friend of his daughter during a sleepover at his home on the early morning hours of May 30. According to a police affidavit, Kolibas allegedly drugged the girl, and possibly his daughter, when he gave each girl a “smoothie” drink the Friday night shortly before the alleged incident occurred. The alleged victim tested positive for the sedative benzodiazepine after a urine test was administered.

Police seized five computers and four cameras from the Kolibas home on the afternoon of the alleged incident. The alleged victim told police she saw flashes of light, possibly from a camera, while Kolibas allegedly molested her.

Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan said the investigation is ongoing and would not reveal the contents of the computers and cameras. He said other similar incidents may have occurred at the Kolibas residence and he urged anyone with more information to contact police.

“We want no stone left unturned in this case,” Donovan said after the arraignment. “This case involves kids in our communities, kids in our schools doing something as innocuous as having a sleepover, something kids do every weekend.”

Kolibas is registered as a sex offender in Florida but, according to Donovan, the charges did not require him to register in Vermont. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Web site, Kolibas registered for the offense of providing obscene material to a minor.

Donovan said the Florida charges, which were brought against Kolibas in 1994 and 1995, started out as felonies but were reduced to misdemeanors. Therefore, Kolibas did not have to register as an offender in Vermont when he and his family moved to the state five years ago, Donovan added.

Donovan also said he was unsure if the old charges would require Kolibas to register in Vermont after a new sex offender law takes effect on July 1.

Donovan said all Florida charges would be considered as part of the ongoing investigation.

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