Williston Observer

Aug. 27, 2009

By Tim Simard

Observer staff

The week before the school year begins, Williston administrators and school nurses are preparing for what may be a busy flu season. But this season could be different from past flu seasons. State and federal health officials believe the novel H1N1 virus, better known as swine flu, may rapidly spread through schools and communities.

District Principal Walter Nardelli said the schools are taking a proactive stance in combating the possible spread of swine flu. The goal is to keep the schools running throughout the year and avoid having to shut down, as Williston did in June during a swine flu outbreak.

“The only reason that occurred that time is because we had two days of school left to go,” Nardelli said. “We didn’t want it to spread like crazy in Williston, and it didn’t.”

The state is also taking the swine flu threat seriously. Patsy Kelso, the state’s epidemiologist with the Vermont Department of Health, said Vermont is looking into setting up clinics in schools to inoculate students once a vaccine is ready.

The H1N1 virus originated in Mexico early this year and spread across the globe. Worldwide, more than 1,400 people have died from swine flu. There have been no deaths reported from the swine flu in Vermont, but there have been 65 confirmed cases and potentially many more within the state since last spring, Kelso said. The World Health Organization has already labeled the H1N1 virus a global pandemic.

A report released this week by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology said a swine flu outbreak this fall could kill between 30,000 and 90,000 people; approximately 40,000 people die each year in the United States from the seasonal flu.

While the flu virus causes symptoms similar to the common seasonal flu, there is one potentially dangerous difference: “Since it’s a new virus, there’s no immunity to it yet,” Kelso said.

Currently, the federal government is preparing an H1N1 vaccination that will be available to individuals deemed most at risk from the flu, including school-aged children, pregnant women and senior citizens. Kelso said the vaccine is expected to be ready by mid-October, which might be too late to stop the spread of the flu.

A vaccine for the common seasonal flu is ready and school-aged students should see about getting a flu shot before school starts, Kelso said.

She said it’s possible swine flu could spread quickly when students return to school next week.

“The virus didn’t completely go away in the summer like the (seasonal) flu usually does,” Kelso said.

In June, swine flu caused problems within the Williston School District. A student at Allen Brook School contracted the virus after visiting friends out of state. Back in Williston, the student fell ill, as did many of his classmates. Within a week, swine flu had spread throughout Allen Brook and Williston Central schools. The administration decided to close the schools two days before the end of the 2008-2009 school year.

Nardelli said Williston will follow recommendations released last week by the Vermont Department of Health and Department of Education. The joint report suggests school nurses should wear masks when evaluating potentially infected children and students should be urged to stay home with any flu-like symptoms. School awards for perfect attendance should also be suspended for the year to discourage sick children from attending school, the report noted.

Nardelli said he liked the ideas in the report.

School nurses are expected to meet with every class in Williston within the first few weeks of school, Nardelli said. The nurses will review with students proper hygiene tips that help slow the spread of the flu, like washing hands after sneezing and covering one’s mouth when coughing.

“The usual precautions definitely will apply,” Nardelli said.

As for shutting schools down during a swine flu outbreak, the state recommends not doing so unless it’s a severe enough outbreak to impede the student body’s daily activities. Nardelli said he’ll meet with school officials to determine at what point administrators should consider closing the school in the face of a major outbreak.

“We certainly don’t want it to happen again,” he said.

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Aug. 27, 2009

Shots fired

On Aug. 14, police received a report of shots being fired at Lake Iroquois. Upon investigation, police found BB gun holes in the window of the “guard shack” at Lake Iroquois Beach, according to police reports. Police are increasing patrols in the area.

Marijuana possession

Following a motor vehicle stop on Aug. 23, Robert L. Parker, 19, of Essex Junction was cited on a charge of possession of marijuana, according to police reports. Parker was also given a “motor vehicle warning,” the report notes. He was cited to appear in court.

Illegal dumping

Police have received three reports of illegal dumping of trash near a home on Bradley Lane, the most recent on Aug. 19, according to police reports. The investigation is ongoing.

Driving under the influence

Gerald R. Daniel, 50, of Underhill was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence on Aug. 21, according to police reports. His blood alcohol test registered .313, according to the report. The legal limit for driving in Vermont is .08. He was “processed” and later released and cited to appear in court.

Attempted break-in

Police received a report of an attempted break-in at the Lake Iroquois Beach “snack shack” on Aug. 22, according to police reports. No entry was gained, according to the report.

Theft

• Tracey Martel, 29, of Burlington was cited on a charge of theft for allegedly stealing a wallet from a customer’s purse on Aug. 13 at Ponderosa, according to police reports. Martel was cited to appear in court.

• Sadvahassov Ansagan, 20, and Nurtas Kambarov, 20, both of Cambridge were cited on charges of retail theft after allegedly stealing $577.90 worth of merchandise from Hannaford on Aug. 13, according to police reports. They were cited to appear in court.

• Tire rims valued at $1,000 and tires worth approximately $1,000 were stolen from a locked storage shed at Nate’s Auto on Dorset Lane on Aug. 18, according to police reports. Anyone with information is asked to call Williston Police at 878-6611.

• Police received a report on Aug. 18 of a picnic table having been stolen from Lake Iroquois Beach the previous day, according to police reports. Anyone with information is asked to call Williston Police at 878-6611.

• A portable DVD player and a cell phone were reported stolen from two different vehicles parked at Wal-Mart on Aug. 20, according to police reports. No other information was released.

• Timothy L. Montani, 31, of South Hero was cited on a charge of retail theft from Wal-Mart on Aug. 23 after allegedly stealing more than $182 worth of merchandise, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court.

Driving with a suspended license

• Following a motor vehicle stop on Aug. 16, Carrie A. Robbins, 26, of Burlington was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license, according to police reports. She was cited to appear in court.

• Following a motor vehicle stop on Aug. 20, Heidi L. Ritchie, 28, of St. Albans was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license, according to police reports. She was cited to appear in court.

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Aug. 27, 2009

The cheese whiz

By Kim Dannies

I spent last weekend cheesing my way to a potential heart attack. First, I saw the delightful movie “Julie & Julia,” a must-see that is enhanced by smuggling in a wedge of ripe Brie. After the movie, I sated my lust for French food at a local café: Buttery escargots, paté de champagne, fromage de chèvre grille and fresh sardines did the trick.

Still breathing, my next event was a super cheese-studded party to celebrate Vermont Butter and Cheese Company’s 25 years in business. There were kudos and cheese curds flying around this festive reunion as slices of baguette, smeared with hand crafted Bonne Bouche, Coupole and Bijou chèvres, paraded on trays just begging me to pick them off, which I happily did. The Vermont Butter and Cheese Company is largely credited for creating the specialty cheese industry in Vermont and has won hundreds of blue ribbons in international competitions.

I spent the next day cheesing it up at the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farms. Dozens of Vermont artisanal cheese makers shared more than 100 varieties of handmade cow and sheep milk cheeses; my favorite of the day was a Cabot Clothbound Cheddar from Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro. I enjoyed a demonstration of cheese making and tasting by French native Marc Druart and cheese writer Max McCalman of New York City’s Artisanal restaurants. Another session was a sensory pairing of five cheeses with bacon and chocolate; pumpkin and caraway; salt, oil and honey; cranberry compote and pickled beets; dilly green beans and tomato; and cider butter with maple crunch popcorn. Try it sometime — crazy fun on the plate and on the palate. I was too cheesed out to handle the wine and beer pairings, but they sure looked appealing.

The festival was held in partnership with the University of Vermont’s cheese education program, the Vermont Institute for Artisanal Cheese (google “VIAC”), which provides weeklong classes in cheese techniques for anyone interested in cheese making as a hobby or possible business. The guest instructors are experts from all over the world.

This week I’ll be jogging around town munching rolls of Tums and rabbit food from my local farmers’ market. I can handle this regime as long as there is still a smidgeon of Chocolate Apple Mascarpone Cheesecake leftover in my fridge to bridge the gap. The recipe is available at butterandcheese.net.

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston with her husband, Jeff; they have three college-aged daughters who come and go. For archived Everyday Gourmet columns go to kimdannies.com.

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Aug. 27, 2009

No place like Skals

By Katherine Bielawa Stamper

Skal’s Lounge sat on the corner of Central and Walnut streets in my hometown on Boston’s North Shore. It was a few doors down from the “package store,” local parlance for a liquor store. Close proximity and somewhat complementary hours insured easy access to booze despite Massachusetts’ Puritan-rooted Blue Laws limiting alcohol sales.

I lived on Central Street and remember distinctly the sights and smells I passed as I walked downtown to the Peabody Institute Library. Inebriated men sat in the doorway of a long-closed cobbler shop with dirty windows, unshaven and aromatic. The occasional whiff of urine reinforced a “booze is bad” view of my world. Looking back, I’m struck by the number of alcohol establishments tucked in between churches, schools, houses and convenience stores.

Tiny bottles of Seagrams and other high octane spirits littered the sidewalk at certain points. I remember stepping over them gingerly when wearing summer sandals. These “nips,” as they were called, perched near registers in liquor stores, satisfied those aching for a swig but lacking funds for a full-blown drunken haze. Alcohol-infused elixirs offered a quick fix, something to take the edge off a less-than-ideal existence.

Skal’s Lounge, with its smoke-stained curtains, held a sort of macabre fascination for me. I would never ever venture inside, although I always peeked in as I passed by. If the door opened in winter, the smell of alcohol blended with cigar and cigarette smoke spilled out. In summer, the door left open onto the sidewalk revealed dim silhouettes of men leaning over the bar. The aroma, simultaneously pungent and sweet, can still be conjured in my olfactory memory. I’ve never experienced that unique infusion of flavors anywhere but outside Skal’s stoop.

My high school history teacher, Mr. Metropolis, worked the Dead Man’s Shift — 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. — at a Peabody leather factory while in college. He spoke of the 2 a.m. “coffee break,” during which workers from nearby Walnut Street would traipse over to Skal’s to swig vodka with a raw egg suspended in the glass. The egg, I suppose, was for protein for the hard physical labor required of their shift.

My dad worked in the leather shops on Walnut Street when he first came to America. His straight-laced, church-on-Sunday persona makes me think he wasn’t one to frequent the bars near the factories. He certainly didn’t do that when I was a kid. My dad wasn’t a big drinker. Maybe that’s why he moonlighted as a bartender. He could handle being literally surrounded by the stuff for hours, without temptation.

My sisters and I would pass a different bar on the way to school. Violet’s Lounge was seemingly more upscale. It had to be — it was right around the corner from our church. The proprietors, the Sobocinski family, were the ones who picked up my father from a pier in Boston when he arrived on a refugee ship in 1949. As I child, I understood we had a special connection to them.

We’d pass Violet’s Lounge on our walks to school, to church and on our annual trek on Halloween to Gardner Street, a row of fancy houses. Gardner Street was the hub of Halloween activity in our part of town — kind of like South Ridge here in Williston.

One year, I was perhaps 6 or 7, I insisted we step into the bar to get some Halloween candy. My father relented and let us walk in wearing plastic masks and satiny costumes bought at Kresge’s Five and Dime. We spouted out with youthful vigor, “Trick or treat!” No response.

We must have looked bizarre — four little girls with trick or treat bags in a bar. The bartender stared at us, flummoxed. Finally, an older man seated on a stool, wearing a longish coat, reached into his pocket and threw some quarters on the counter. He handed each of us a small package of peanuts, the super salty ones I loved as a kid. We offered up high-pitch thank yous and proceeded to Gardner Street to load up on Sugar Babies, Snickers and Red Hots. I’d learned my lesson and didn’t ask to stop in the bar the following Halloween.

Skal’s, Tanners’ Cafe, Violet’s and the Courthouse Pub are just a few of the bars I remember from childhood. With a limited number of liquor licenses to go around, I wonder why they seemed so plentiful.

Skal’s is now a Brazilian steakhouse. Violet’s is long gone. Tanners’ Café recently closed, its liquor licensed bequeathed to yet another “package” store in town. Even in adulthood, I’m not drawn to bars. I guess I have good old Skal’s to thank for that.

Katherine Bielawa Stamper lives in Williston. Reader comments are welcome at [email protected] or [email protected]

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Aug. 27, 2009

Solve the mystery

This is to let all Williston residents who like a challenge know that if you have not already become a history detective, there is still time to participate in the Chittenden County “History Mystery.” Completed riddle brochures are not due until Sept. 1. You can pick one up at Dorothy Alling Memorial Library and start right in your hometown to solve the 18 riddles. If you have any questions, local resident Ginger Isham will be most helpful.

As co-coordinator of the event, I would like to publicly thank Ginger for all her enthusiasm and support, and the Williston Historical Society for their participation and use of their Vermont Room for “History Mystery” Committee meetings. Also, the Williston Observer for being the first newspaper to publish a story about it (“Historical Society calls all history detectives,” July 30).

Thanks, too, to the “History Mystery” Committee, comprised of representatives from each of the historical societies in Chittenden County. They gave their time, talents and treasure to create an interesting and fun event in commemoration of the Quadricentennial.

Ann Arms, Burlington

Ja, wir können! (Yes, we can!)

The pace of change is breathtaking. There have been appointments of many new czars who derive their powers from presidential appointments. They have been doing little things like firing the president and board of directors of GM to gobbling up the largest banks and insurance companies.

A czar is an autocratic leader or ruler. There is no constitutional authority for us to be governed this way, yet by the number of bumper stickers of politicians I see who wholeheartedly embrace our new national socialism, they must be very popular.

If current trends continue, more than 50 percent of all business in the United States will be conducted under the direct authority of state or federal entities within a year or so. The same thing happened in 1933 after the credit markets “froze up.” Universal government health care was put in place, environmental policies were adopted, massive infrastructure work projects were undertaken, energy production and distribution were nationalized and emergency powers were given to the executive to transform society into the vision of the majority party.

The fellow who accomplished that sweeping ändern, or change, in the ’30s was named Adolf.

Shelley Palmer, Williston

Reform wisely

Dear Obama and health care reformers,


I like the fact that you are willing to tackle tough subjects. They are tough because there are so many competing priorities. This tells me you should think about what we are really asking for in health care reform in a realistic way. We want a long-term solution, as opposed to you gaining a notch in your belt.

This is not a quick fix. You’ve got what is left of the four-year term. Use it. Having said that, consider that not everyone needs the fix — only those that aren’t insured or can’t afford what they are paying. These folks are desperately in need of an interim quick fix. Sometimes, stepping stones get us where we need to be even faster.

I want you take your time, be thorough, discuss, envision, take the pieces that look good, move forward, and do it all over again. In your last six months, when you have exhausted every possibility, come back and tell us what you have, so we can think about it and vote on it.

It’s not all about affordability. I believe it is about wholeness; wellness of body, mind and spirit. The reforms being generated in Washington right now are far short of what we need, but they have opened up the dialogue that will advance us on the road toward real reform.

Please take your time to investigate, run models, list the pros and cons, talk with representatives of every faction of health care. I really appreciate a visionary. You help us see what can be.

A reminder to those helping you with this vision: It is not always the hare that wins when racing against the tortoise. Think about the real definition of win here.

Kris Benevento, Williston

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