Williston Observer

Sex offender released

The Vermont Department of Corrections is providing public notice that an untreated high-risk sex offender from the Northwest State Correctional Facility was released on Oct. 16. Calbraith Jesse MacLeod, aka Earl Howard Tatro, was released to an unknown address, according to a press release. The Vermont Sex Offender Registry indicates he is living in South Burlington.

He is required to register with the Department of Public Safety and is on the state’s sex offender registry, according to VDC. According to VDC he is 56, white, grey hair, blue eyes, 5 ft. 11 in., weighs 210 pounds and was born in Hanover, N.H. He has multiple convictions for sexual assault and refused treatment during incarceration. His likely victims if he were to reoffend would be adult females.

Multiple charges

Steven David Laclair, 44, of Williston was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant and cited on charges of resisting arrest and violation of conditions of release on Oct. 15, according to police reports. He was taken to court, where Chittenden County sheriffs “took custody of him,” according to the report.

Marijuana possession

• Jessie M. Holmes, 33, of South Burlington was cited on a charge of marijuana possession on Oct. 16, according to police reports. She was taken to Act 1 for detoxification, the report notes.
• Jordan N. Parent, 22, of Charlotte was cited on a charge of possession of 9.8 grams of marijuana on Oct. 16, according to police reports. No other information was released.

Fraud

A Wal-Mart employee called police on Oct. 20 to report a fake $100 bill, according to police reports. Police turned the bill over to the Secret Service, the report notes.

Vandalism

A Hillside Drive resident called police to report that her mailbox had “been tampered with” on Oct. 20, according to police reports. The investigation is ongoing.

Driving with suspended license

• Mark E. Liston, 25, of Shelburne was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license-criminal on Oct. 19, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court on Dec. 3.
• Brian Barbour, 58, of Richford was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license-criminal on Oct. 20, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court on Dec. 10.
• Kevin G. Royea, 21, of Richford was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license-criminal on Oct. 20, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court.
• John L. Johnson, 51, of Richford was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license-criminal on Oct. 20, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court.

The Champlain Valley Union High School soccer teams each nabbed the number two seed in playoff rankings after strong performances all season.

Playoff games began on Tuesday, and each team is slated to play again this weekend.

On the boys side, a 12-1-1 record brought them just under Middlebury Union High School’s 12-1-0 season. The Redhawks’ only loss was a surprise defeat by Harwood Union High School on Sept. 21, and the lone tie came early in the season against Burlington. The Redhawks have beaten both teams in other matches.

In its last regular season game, the CVU boys team beat South Burlington 7-0—its ninth shutout of the season.

On Tuesday, the Redhawks played 15th-seeded North Country on the home CVU field, and earned another shutout with a 6-0 victory.  On Friday at 3 p.m. the team is set to play seventh-seeded Mount Mansfield Union High School. If the Redhawks win that game, the will play in the semi-final round on Tuesday (3 p.m.) against the winner of the Colchester High (third seed) and Essex High (11th seed) game.

The CVU girls also earned the second seed with their 12-1-1 record. The Redhawks were edged out by Essex High School for the top slot, which holds a 13-0-1 record. CVU’s loss and tie both came against Essex, the first in overtime on Sept. 19 and the second on Oct. 5.

On Oct. 17, the Redhawks defeated South Burlington 1-0. In their last regular season game, they beat Burlington High School 3-1.

The CVU girls team played its first playoff game against 15th-seeded Brattleboro Union High School on Wednesday, after the Observer’s press deadline. Barring a major upset, the girls team will play again on Saturday at 1 p.m. against the winner of Wednesday’s Burr & Burton Academy (seventh seed) vs. South Burlington High School (10th seed) game. The semi-final match is set for Oct. 31 at 3 p.m.

For more sports pairings, visit www.vpaonline.org.

—Stephanie Choate,
Observer staff

Field hockey in quarterfinals Friday

The Champlain Valley Union High School field hockey team will face off against second-seeded Essex High School on Friday at 3:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, the Redhawks—seeded at number seven with a 6-6-2 record—won their first playoff game against 10th-seeded Colchester High School.

If the Redhakws win Friday’s gam—set for 3:30 p.m. at Essex—they will head to the semifinal match on Tuesday.

On Oct. 18, CVU narrowly lost its last regular season game against Burlington 0-1.

—Observer staff report

Football heads to BFA-St. Albans

The Champlain Valley Union High School football team will head to Bellows Free Academy-St. Albans on Friday night for its first round of playoff games.

The last time the two teams met, BFA defeated the Redhawks 14-28, though many of CVU’s key players sat that game out due to injuries.

On Oct. 19, the Middlebury High School defeated the CVU 7-35 in the last game of the regular season. The Redhawks finished with a record of 5-3.

—Observer staff report

By Stephanie Choate

Observer staff

Champlain Valley Union High School’s dissection policy came into the limelight during the board’s Oct. 10 meeting.

Shelburne resident Sharon MacNair, president of Green Mountain Animal Defenders, a nonprofit dedicated to animal welfare, said her volunteer efforts with students working on animal treatment issues for their CVU graduation challenges—including the school’s dissection policy—spurred her involvement.

“They really do open up to me about a lot of these issues,” she said.

While teachers have always allowed students to opt out of dissections, many still feel pressure to participate, MacNair added.

Vermont Law School student Michelle Sinnott said Green Mountain Animal Defender’s goal is to see CVU establish a policy of using digital alternatives, including free programs that allow students to virtually dissect animals.

“I think we can all agree that using alternatives is more humane, and we can all agree that the cost benefits are there,” she said, adding that the only question is whether the alternatives compare to traditional method of dissection.

“These models can accomplish (the school’s) goals just as effectively and a lot of the time more effectively than a traditional dissection lab,” Sinnott said.

Principal Sean McMannon said CVU follows the model policy provided by the state, which allows educators to decide whether to include dissections in the curriculum, and gives students the ability to opt out and use virtual tools. In the past, students at CVU have dissected frogs, cats and earthworms.

McMannon noted that there is no consensus among the science department or students on the value of dissections. Some students are opposed, while others have said it was the best learning experience they’ve had.

“At this point, I guess the position from the administrative side and from the science department would be that we are satisfied with the policy we have in front of us,” McMannon said. “Administratively, I feel comfortable with the science teachers making that decision within the policy.”

Although the board did not make a decision and will discuss the policy again when it hears a report from the school’s science department in February, board member Jeanne Jensen weighed in on the issue.

“With the level of computer graphics nowadays, I’m finding it hard to believe you actually need to dissect a cat,” Jensen said.

“If not specifically (required), I’m having trouble thinking why I would put kids through that … I can’t see how it’s really adding to their body of knowledge, it’s just how we’ve always done it.”

Casey Lee and Jennifer Russ

Mr. and Mrs. William Russ of Williston are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer to Casey Lee, son of Shanon and Karen Lee of Hinesburg. Jennifer and Casey are both 2007 graduates of CVU and 2011 graduates of SUNY Plattsburgh. Jennifer is working at Revision Military in Essex and Casey is working at Parisi Speed School in Williston. An early 2014 wedding is planned.

Births

Danial and Anna (Luksza) Ardesh welcomed twin sons Bejamin Danial and Samuel Danial on Sept. 22, 2012.