Williston Observer

By DiAnne Crown

Creators.com

A messy, dirty appearance can prevent your house from selling.Clean sells. Really clean sells even better. And don’t forget to keep the home as clean every day as the day you went on the market.This includes the yards, porch, entryway and every part of the interior. (Photo by Creators.com)

In any economy, homeowners have to decide when and why to make improvements to their property. In this down economy, widely described as a buyer’s market, those decisions are even more critical. Realtor Fritz Pfister shares suggestions for low- and no-cost home improvements that will help your house sell.

1.  Make a good first impression. “Clean sells,” says Pfister, who specializes in residential listings, hosts a weekly real estate radio program and offers two home-selling seminars throughout the year. “Really clean sells even better. And don’t forget to keep the home as clean every day as the day you went on the market.” This includes the yards, porch, entryway and every part of the interior. Hire a cleaning team if necessary to be sure the home is spotless for every visitor.
2.  Make your home’s maintenance look effortless. Put away all yard tools. Clear out clutter from the garage and basement. “Walk through the house. If something causes you to stop and ask yourself, ‘Should I do this?’ I would,” says Pfister. “If you pause, so will prospective buyers.”
3.  Make closets feel spacious and organized. “Closet redesign is relatively inexpensive should you have older or inefficient shelving and hanging systems. In today’s society, you don’t need more than three feet for long hanging clothing. Double racking maximizes space.” Also, Pfister continues, “you must be able to see 75 percent of all closet floors. If you haven’t worn something in six weeks, you’re not going to wear it in the next six weeks, so pack it, sell it or donate it to charity.”
4.  Make the color scheme of your house neutral. Walls should be whites, eggshell, light taupe or some other nondescript color. Anything that reflects a strong theme should be removed. Plain colors allow prospective buyers to imagine their own colors and decorating style.
5.  Edward Tandy, owner of Tandy Handy handyman service, often sees houses that need more than a little sprucing up. Tandy provides general repairs, painting, tile, flooring, cleaning and more, and he specializes in getting houses ready for sale from the ground up.
6.  Tandy recommends tidying up unruly shrubbery, fixing front doorknobs that don’t work, fixing chips and freshening front door paint, replacing dark and dull hardware, straightening crooked shutters, fixing loose bathroom tiles, and more. He also provides needed repairs, such as broken stairway spindles, and addresses such safety issues as broken steps and soft subflooring.
7.  “As you walk through the house,” says Tandy, “anything that’s not cosmetically appealing or anything that might cause the potential buyer to be alarmed needs to be addressed—even really small things, such as a light switch that doesn’t work properly. Some buyers will think, ‘Oh, man, this place has wiring problems,’ turn around and walk out.”
8.  When it comes to paint colors, Tandy agrees with Pfister. “No wild, crazy contemporary colors or any decorating style that is out of the mainstream.”
9.  Many of these suggestions can be done by the homeowners, but some, especially the custom repairs, call for the help of a handyman. In that case, advises Tandy, look for someone with broad experience, references, liability insurance, and a professional and trustworthy appearance. “You’ll get a gut feeling,” says Tandy. “Ask yourself, ‘Can this person be trusted in my home, maybe even with a key?’ Make sure you are comfortable with this person.” And, Tandy adds, be sure to get a written estimate for any larger work to be done.
10.  Finally, says Pfister, “Be proactive and have your home inspected by a professional home inspector. Any item that is reported to be a safety issue or defect repair prior to placing the home on the market. When you are proactive, you eliminate surprises and control the person who performs the work and the cost to make repairs.”

For other ideas, search “home improvements that pay off” or “home improvements to increase value” at http://realsimple.com, http://realestate.msn.com and other websites.

By Stephanie Choate

Observer staff

Mal Boright

Mal Boright, the Observer’s sports contributor, can add another distinction to his lengthy sports journalism career.

Boright was inducted into the Vermont Principals’ Association Hall of Fame earlier this month. He was one of 13 Vermont standouts to be honored, including athletes, coaches and officials, in the May 4 ceremony.

“We are thrilled that Mal has received this recognition. We are so happy to have his contributions to our paper every week, and local parents just love to see his stories about their kids,” said Marianne Apfelbaum, executive editor of the Williston Observer. “One of the greatest things about Mal is that he has retained a youthful curiosity and enthusiasm for what he does that is contagious.”

Boright has been involved in sports journalism for more than 40 years, covering Vermont and New Hampshire events for print, television and radio outlets. His creative and colorful coverage of high school sports have appeared in the Williston Observer since 2004.

VPA Hall of Fame nominees are judged on whether they have made a significant and lasting contribution to schools, the community and the state.

“Mal is someone who’s been there and done that for a long time, and done it really, really well,” said Dave Cobb, VPA director of development, who is on the committee that selects inductees.

Cobb said the committee especially noticed Boright’s focus on the positive and athlete’s achievements, rather than shortcomings.

“He’s very well-respected throughout the media outlets,” Cobb said. “He’s a heck of a guy, and we’re just pleased to be able to recognize him for what he’s done, and done very well, for so long.”

After playing baseball and basketball at Newport High School, Boright served as a medic in the U.S. Air Force from 1953 to 1957. He studied at the University of Maryland, the U.S. Armed Forces Institute and Nathaniel Hawthorne College.

After returning home to Vermont in 1958, he became the sports editor at the Newport Express. From there, he has been involved in sports coverage for the Rutland Herald, Burlington Free Press, Valley News in Lebanon, N.H. and Channel 22, the local ABC affiliate.

For the past 25 years, Boright has voiced morning sports commentary on radio station WDEV as “The Swami.”

He has also coached at Sacred Heart High School and Colchester High School, officiated basketball and played in three out of the last four U.S. Senior Basketball Olympics.

Boright has been honored several times for his sports journalism by the Vermont Press Association. The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association named him the Vermont Sportswriter of the Year in 1967.

By Luke Baynes

Observer staff

Sterling House fifth and sixth graders at Williston Central School recently completed an interdisciplinary unit on renewable energy. A community service piece of the unit was to solicit proposal from solar companies to install solar panels at the school. At the May 9 school board meeting the students presented their information to the school board. Pictured above are Sterling House teachers and students (left to right, back row) Jared Baily, Amy Durant, Mia O’Farrell, Maddie Huber, Nathan VanBuren, Tommy Zych, Mindy Conry and Joy Peterson. Front row (left to right): Joe Warren and Cris Milks. Not shown: Jared Avery. (Courtesy photo)

A sterling idea for solar power prompted six Williston Central School students to present an energy plan to the Williston School Board on May 9.

“All of Sterling House went outside and gathered solar exposure and tracked the wind,” said WCS sixth-grader Joe Warren. “After we got all the data, we analyzed that data and found out that we could use some solar panels.”

Sixth-grader Tommy Zych elaborated on Warren’s statements.

“The findings we got from the solar readings and the wind readings showed us that we would be a good solar site,” Zych said. “All of the solar sites (on the WCS roof) that we have in this proposal are all facing south, which since we are north of the equator, the sun will be south of us, and therefore we will be getting more sun.”

Mia O’Farrell, also in sixth grade, presented the environmental benefits of the proposal.

“We chose solar power because solar panels are silent and they won’t distract any of the classrooms in WCS,” O’Farrell said. “By using solar power, there’s no air pollution because we are getting energy from the sun.”

The energy plan presented for the board’s consideration assumes a 12-year lease for fixed solar panels from Real Goods Solar. Energy grants in the first year would result in no cost to the school district. In years 2 to 12, the district would be responsible for annual payments of approximately $21,000, with an option to purchase the panels for $1 in year 13. While a $60,000 payment would be required in year 17 for a new solar inverter, energy savings in year 16 are estimated at $106,000.

Board member Giovanna Boggero spoke favorably of the project, but said the board needs time to objectively analyze the data.

“From my perspective, it seems like a no-brainer,” Boggero said. “I just would like to have a little more time to understand the numbers, because ultimately we have a fiscal responsibility for our town.”

Jared Bailey, the Sterling House teacher who is serving as the point person for the project, noted that the longer the board waits, the lesser the likelihood is that grant monies will be available.

“The grants are there until they’re claimed by the projects, so they could be there if we wait, but there’s no guarantee,” said Bailey.

Williston District Principal Walter Nardelli closed the discussion by saying he will ask Chittenden South Supervisory Union Chief Operations Officer Bob Mason to crunch the numbers and review any legal issues related to the proposal.

CVU’S 10 PERCENT CHALLENGE

At the same time the Williston School Board was listening to the solar proposal in Room 160 of Champlain Valley Union High School, the CVU High School Board was just down the hall in Room 140, hearing an energy pitch from the CVU Environmental Action Club (EnACT).

Last fall, EnACT enacted a “10 percent challenge,” with the goal of reducing CVU’s energy consumption by 10 percent for the school year. While senior Rachel Dunphy said the school is currently “hovering around 9 percent,” with 124,910 kilowatt hours of energy and $13,000 saved, junior Emma Hamilton put the accomplishment in perspective.

“We have saved enough energy to power a typical Vermont home for 18 years,” said Hamilton. “The energy we’ve saved is equivalent to 22 solar trackers working for a year.”

While many of the energy saving tactics advocated by EnACT are intuitive behavioral changes, such as turning off lights or powering down computers monitors when not in use, the group is also researching programmable demand limiting systems, which would allow the school to automatically shut off certain energy systems during periods of low energy demand.

“It has been really eye-opening to see that we can make a difference in our school environment, and how just this year it’s mainly been behavioral changes and we’ve saved 9 percent,” said senior Kathryn Maitland.

CVU Principal Sean McMannon praised the efforts of EnACT and the entire CVU community.

“I think this year—of the years that I’ve been here—is the most impressive with groups of students that have done things to improve their own school and the communities around us,” said McMannon. “I haven’t seen it to this level before and it’s really, really impressive.”

4.5 percent salary increase in 2012-2013

By Luke Baynes

Observer staff

Attorney Scott Cameron signs a collective bargaining agreement on behalf of the Chittenden South Supervisory Union on May 10. (Observer photo by Luke Baynes)

At 10:36 p.m. on May 10, after more than five and a half hours of negotiations, representatives from the Chittenden South Education Association and board members of the Chittenden South Supervisory Union reached an accord on a collective bargaining agreement.

The agreement came after a five-month deadlock, during which time the two sides hired John Cochran—a Newton, Mass.-based arbitrator—as an impartial fact finder for the purpose of establishing a common bargaining ground.

Chittenden South Supervisory Union, or CSSU, is the state educational district that encompasses the towns of Williston, St. George, Hinesburg, Charlotte and Shelburne.

Chittenden South Education Association, or the “Association,” is the collective bargaining group for certain support staff—including paraprofessionals, office staff, cafeteria workers, custodians and bus drivers—in schools under CSSU’s purview.

While the two parties agreed with Cochran’s recommendations on board rights, seniority and severance issues, the two key sticking points in the negotiations revolved around wages and length of the work year.

At the last bargaining session prior to hiring Cochran as fact finder, the CSSU board proposed reducing the minimum work year for support staff from 183 to 178 days—a concept strongly opposed by the Association.

Despite the fact finder supporting the status quo of 183 work days, Scott Cameron, attorney for the CSSU board, was adamant regarding the board’s request at the May 10 meeting.

“We really don’t need all the paraprofessionals for 183 days. We wouldn’t need bus drivers for that long. So we want to go down to the minimum of 178,” Cameron said. “We simply don’t have the work, and we think it’s a management right and certainly we shouldn’t be forced to keep people on extra days if we don’t have something for them to do.”

The Association, represented by Vermont National Education Association UniServ Director David Boulanger, objected to the CSSU board’s claim that dollar-based increases of 40 cents in 2011-2012 and 45 cents in years 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 would prevent salary gaps from increasing between the highest and lowest paid workers on the pay scale. Instead, the Association argued that such wage increases wouldn’t be commensurate with the projected cost of living index, and proposed percentage-based increases of 4 percent in 2011-2012, 4.25 percent in 2012-2013 and 4.5 percent in 2013-2014.

The wages and length of work year issues became intertwined as Cameron and Boulanger sparred in between private caucus sessions, like boxers trading jabs before returning to their respective corners.

In the end it was a split decision, with compromises reached on both counts.

For the length of the work year, it was agreed that bus drivers and kitchen staff will be assigned to work regular student days (specific to their school of employment) plus one additional day, while paraprofessionals will be assigned to work student days plus three additional days.

At Champlain Valley Union High School, which has 10 half days for teacher development within the scheduled school year, paraprofessionals will be assigned to work their regular work schedule on at least three of the student half days, and will be assigned to work at least 4.5 hours on the remaining student half days, unless their regular scheduled work day is shorter.

The wage increase dispute was resolved by abandoning the fact finder’s recommendation of a three-year collective bargaining agreement and settling on a four-year deal with a 3 percent salary increase for existing employees in 2011-2012; a 2 percent increase for new hires in 2011-2012; a 4.5 percent increase across the board in 2012-2013; a 3 percent increase in 2013-2014; and a 3 percent increase in 2014-2015.

The 2011-2012 wage increases are retroactive to July 1, 2011—the day after the previous collective bargaining agreement expired.

It was also agreed that portions of the collective bargaining agreement specific to bus drivers—the most recent category of support staff to be represented by the Association—will be negotiated at a future date.

Association member Fran Brennan offered a summation of the long and occasionally contentious bargaining process that produced a mutually satisfactory agreement.

“On behalf of all of us here, we thank you very much for working with us through this process,” Brennan said. “It’s definitely been a learning experience—and at that, a very long learning experience—but we appreciate your time here at the meetings and we look forward to another four wonderful years under this contract, and in another three we’ll see you again.”

By Luke Baynes

Observer staff

Jonathan Hendricksen

A Williston School District special education para-educator and former YMCA swim instructor has been accused of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child after an alleged incident in the shower of the YMCA in Burlington.

Jonathan Hendricksen, 28, of Winooski pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court on May 10 to charges that he sexually molested a 7-year-old boy while the boy was showering after a swimming lesson.

Hendricksen was terminated from his swim instructor position after the YMCA learned of the allegation, according to Mary Burns, president and CEO of the Greater Burlington YMCA.

Williston District Principal Walter Nardelli said Hendricksen was placed on paid administrative leave after the school district was notified of the allegation on April 9 by the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations.

In an email to parents dated May 11, Nardelli wrote: “We permitted CUSI to interview the employee. At the conclusion of that meeting, we took steps to place the employee on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. The safety of the children of Williston is always our top priority. We also did an internal investigation with students he worked with and notified the parents of those students. Nothing was discovered as a result of our investigation.”

CUSI was alerted about the allegation on April 6, after the boy’s aunt filed a report with the Burlington Police Department. Detective Morgan Lawton interviewed the boy, who said he was inappropriately touched by Hendricksen while showering, according to an affidavit filed by Lawton.

Lawton and Detective Pete Chapman subsequently interviewed Hendricksen in a conference room at Allen Brook School on April 9. Lawton’s affidavit notes that Hendricksen denied the allegation that he inappropriately touched the boy, but he admitted putting soap on the boy’s shoulder and helping him dry off. Lawton wrote that “his statement changed multiple times” during the course of the interview.

In a May 16 email to the Observer, defense attorney Douglas Kallen stated: “Mr. Hendricksen never acted inappropriately with any child at any time. We intend to vigorously fight this allegation in Court.”

According to Burns, Hendricksen worked as a swim instructor at the YMCA “on and off since 2003.” He was also a camp counselor for two summers at Camp Abnaki, a resident summer camp for boys in North Hero.

“We sent about 200 letters out to the parents of children that he would have come into direct contact with,” said Burns.

Burns said Hendricksen’s employment was terminated after the YMCA received information from CUSI regarding Hendricksen’s interview with CUSI investigators.

“We terminated his employment because we have child maltreatment policies that are very specific to what staff can and cannot do with children, and those were broken, so we had grounds for dismissal,” Burns said.

She added that the YMCA conducts annual training sessions that deal specifically with types of inappropriate behavior.

“We care for a lot of children every single day,” said Burns. “Their safety and well-being is of our utmost concern.”

Nardelli told the Observer on Friday that now that Hendricksen has been formally charged, the school district will review his employment status with legal counsel.

“We’re looking at our options,” Nardelli said.

Hendricksen was released from the Northwest State Correctional Facility in Swanton on May 12 after $15,000 bail was posted. As part of his conditions of release, he is prohibited from contacting the boy or his family and is barred from the premises of the YMCA and any schools. He is also required to wear a GPS device that will alert authorities if he does not remain within a 15-mile radius of his Winooski residence.

A pretrial status conference is scheduled for June 21.

If found guilty, Hendricksen faces a maximum of 15 years imprisonment.