Click on the map for a larger version. Map created by Williston Town Planner Jessica Andreoletti.

Williston might be known for the big box stores and bustle of Taft Corners, but 75 percent of the town is rural. A system of primitive trails for hikers, cross-country skiers and mountain bikers winds through the town’s forests and farm fields, offering stunning vistas and quiet nature exploration. See pages 14-15 of the May 23 issue of the Williston Observer for a full-size map of the town’s trails. Maps and more information about the trails are available at the Town Hall and the town website, www.town.williston.vt.us.

Below are descriptions of each trail.

FIVE TREE HILL COUNTRY PARK

Walkers and skiers

Five Tree Hill, named for five large sugar maples near the overlook, offers the best vista in town—a panorama of Lake Champlain and the Adirondaks. The overlook is 1.3 miles from the parking lot on Sunset Hill Road. Five Tree Hill’s 57 acres includes vernal pools, several types of forest and animal habitats. It also runs along part of the VAST trail.

MUD POND CONSERVATION AREA

Walkers and skiers

A half-mile route from the parking lot on Mud Pond Road (off South Road) leads to Mud Pond, surrounded by 158 acres of wetlands and forest. The trail also connects to Mud Pond Country Park. Mud Pond Conservation Area can also be reached from the Sunset Hill Road parking lot, across the street from the Five Tree Hill trail. It leads 1.5 miles to a newly built lookout over Mud Pon (pictured above), but does not yet connect to the trail on the eastern side of the pond. A trail all the way around the pond is slated to be built in 2014.

MUD POND COUNTRY PARK

Walkers, skiers and mountain bikers

This 79-acre natural area has a 2.3-mile round trip multiple-use trail open to mountain bikers. The trail system expands every year and is well maintained in partnership with mountain biking group the Fellowship of the Wheel. Parking is available on Mud Pond Road.

CROSSTOWN TRAIL

Walkers and skiers

Opening in July, a new trail will connect the newly formed Sucker Brook Hollow Country Park on Vermont 2A, Five Tree Hill Country Park and the Mud Pond Conservation Area—nearly 3.5 miles in all. From a new trailhead and parking lot on Vermont 2A, the trail lead across a 57-ft long footbridge over the Sucker Brook, past historic features and farmland and up to Five Tree Hill—about 1 mile. The trail then leads down to the new observation platform at Mud Pond. Hikers will not yet be able to connect to the east side of Mud Pond.

OAK VIEW HILL

Walkers and skiers

Oak View Hill offers a 1.3-mile outer loop and half a mile of inner loops on the Isham Family Farm, behind the sugarhouse. All the trails are named after Isham family members. Highlights include a pond, active sugar operation and wooded knoll with views of Bolton Valley, Mount Mansfield, Camel’s Hump, Shelburne Pond and the Adirondaks.

VILLAGE BIKE PATH

Multi-use

The Village Bike Path runs through the Williston Community Park—which offers a playground, athletic fields and courts and a skating rink/skateboard park—and connects to Allen Brook Park through the South Ridge neighborhood. It also makes a loop along Williston Road, North Williston Road, Mountain View Road and Old Stage Road.  Many other Williston roads include a bike path, including parts of Vermont 2 and 2A and Marshall Avenue.

ALLEN BROOK NATURE TRAIL 

Walkers and skiers

A half-mile loop with an additional half-mile section leading to Michael’s Lane offers a quiet spot to look for birds, beavers, different forest types and spring flowers. The trail connects to the Village Bike Path, starting with a footbridge over the Allen Brook. It is the most accessible primitive path from Williston Village, and is ideal for families.

COMMONS TRAIL 

Walkers and skiers

The Commons Trail offers a half-mile walk off the beaten path, accessed off Tower Lane and Pinecrest Village. The trail passes through common land, includes a boardwalk over a wetland and rock outcroppings perfect for a picnic.

LAKE IROQUOIS RECREATION AREA

Walkers and skiers

Along with the sand beach, playground and lake access, the Lake Iroquois Recreation area offers a 1.5-mile hiking trail loop on the northeast side of the lake. The trail passes through forest and includes access to scenic lake viewpoints.

By Michael S. Goldberger

Special to the Observer

Too bad the 1926, silent version of “The Great Gatsby,” filmed only a year after F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the book, is missing. Add that to the 1949 edition, the 1974 adaptation I consider the best, and this latest techno-charged remake directed by Baz Luhrmann, and we’d be dangerously armed for all sorts of didactic, comparative studies in filmmaking.

Instead, maybe like what Daisy Buchanan wished for her daughter, we should be pretty little fools, unfazed by all that rigor and fuss, and simply enjoy this latest offering for what it is: a big, boisterous, partially faithful incarnation, conceived and filmed for a new generation. Of course I can’t be that reckless, Old Sport. You see, I believe in Gatsby.

It’s too beautiful a story to sully or mess with, arguably, with all due respect to Mr. Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea,” our literature’s best short novel. Moreover, as it is, along with Dreiser’s “An American Tragedy,” one of the finest sociological reflections of The Roaring Twenties, any present mindedness is a contradiction in terms.

So hold onto your hat when I relate that, doubtlessly due to Jay-Z’s role as executive producer of the film, the soundtrack is suffused with so-called rap and hip-hop interpretations of the era’s Jazz Age sounds. Well, it’s their ball, but as far as my sensibilities are concerned, it flies badly afoul. Surely it’s not what Fitzgerald heard.

All of which opens a can of worms we should stay away from lest we get bogged down in a lengthy rumination on what a transformation from written page to the big screen should accomplish. Well, OK, let’s get bogged down just a little. Rule #1 for the adapting artist certainly must be, don’t gild the lily. It’s presumptuous and unfair to the muse.

Unfortunately, dabblers both good and mediocre, especially when working somewhat out of their medium, operate in the allusion that they are not merely interpreters of the objet d’art they’ve been entrusted with, but spiritually acknowledged collaborators. More realistic purveyors might argue that, commercially, the market demands a modernization.

In that respect, one can’t help feel director Luhrmann, whose “Moulin Rouge!” (2001) I’m still trying to assimilate, has a condescending need to spoon feed the story to his presumed audience. Hence, by both re-arranging the chronology of the tale and prematurely divulging the mystery that is Gatsby, he commits an unpardonable faux pas.

Like the curious throngs of flappers, cognoscenti and powerbrokers who flock weekly to the outrageous parties the elusive Jay Gatsby throws at his West Egg manse, we must be mystified. Maybe he did kill a man. Perhaps he is Kaiser Wilhelm’s nephew. But it is only though narrator Nick Carraway’s experience that we might really know, Old Sport.

Oh, it’s all still pretty glorious, wonderful, beautifully sad and hopelessly optimistic, thanks mostly to the great, originally sourced writing that, like a resolute oak making its way through the sidewalk cracks, won’t be denied its preeminence. Happily, the inherent magnificence isn’t lost on a predominantly good cast aware of its romantic responsibility.

Although Redford remains Gatsby to me, handsome yet still boyish Leonardo DiCaprio presents a durably acceptable persona whilst also incorporating some commendably empathic nuances within the title character. And while Carey Mulligan falls short of the wealth-imprisoned Daisy that Mia Farrow etched, her old college try gets the job done.

But here’s where I eat my hat. I didn’t think anyone could ever hold a candle to Sam Waterston’s Nick Carraway, one of belles-lettres’ most iconic examples of the narrator as philosophical observer. However, while not entirely relinquishing my prejudice, it bears noting that Tobey McGuire informs with notable aplomb why he is the star he is.

Unhappily, my open-minded inclination spreads to neither Joel Edgerton’s Tom Buchanan nor Elizabeth Debicki’s Jordan Baker. Bruce Dern’s 1974 portrayal managed a seething yet still far suitably subtle indignation toward Gatsby, whereas Lois Chiles’s tennis star/ best pal and less objective counterpart to Nick was more correctly ambiguous.

Far more egregious, however, is Amitabh Bachchan’s thespic miscalculation of Meyer Wolfsheim, Gatsby’s gangster-benefactor so wonderfully evoked by Howard Da Silva. You share Nick’s awe, but should believe it when Gatsby relates, “He’s the man who fixed the World Series back in 1919.” Da Silva’s Wolfsheim could, but not this guy.

Still, by my own definition, this effort adequately checks the dance card delineating what film adaptations of novels should achieve. Putting aside notions of contemporization and other liberties taken, by nonetheless conveying the story’s essence, odds are it’ll inspire one to re-read or, better yet, read for the first time why he is indeed “The Great Gatsby.”

…

“The Great Gatsby,” rated PG-13, is a Warner Bros. release directed by Baz Luhrmann and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey McGuire. Running time: 142 minutes

By Ginger Isham

Coffee ice cream with chocolate sauce is a favorite of mine. Maybe some of these recipes will become your favorites. Serve on a hot summer day and experiment with different kinds of ice cream.

Coffee Punch

1 quart of strong coffee

1 quart of milk

1 pint half and half

1 bottle chocolate syrup, 16 ounce size

1 8-ounce container Cool Whip

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, maybe

Blend all ingredients in punch bowl, adding scoops of ice cream last. Make your own substitutions for cool whip and ice cream. Makes 1 gallon.

Best Coffee Shake

1 cup strong coffee

1 3-ounce bar of milk chocolate, broken in bits

3 cups chocolate, coffee or vanilla ice cream

Put coffee and chocolate bits in blender and blend until chocolate bits are chopped fine. Add ice cream and blend all just until mixed. Makes 2 servings.

Strawberry or Raspberry Romanoff

2 cups vanilla ice cream (try French vanilla)

1 cup fresh strawberries or raspberries

1 tablespoon sugar

3 ounces of Grand Marnier

1/2 cup whipping cream (use all purpose or light)

Blend all ingredients until smooth and serve in large wine glasses. You can serve it over cubes of pound cake and add a fresh sprig of mint.

Strawberry Ice Cream Soda

1 1/2 cups milk

1 10-ounce package of frozen strawberries

1 pint of strawberry ice cream

1 16-ounce bottle club soda

Blend on high speed the milk and strawberries. Divide into six glasses. Add a scoop of strawberry ice cream to each glass and slowly fill glasses with club soda.

Ginger Isham lives with her husband on a fifth generation family farm on Oak Hill Road.

South Burlington next for softball

The Champlain Valley Union high school softball team is set to take on South Burlington on Thursday afternoon before playing Milton High at home on Saturday.

On May 18, the softball team snagged its third win of the season against North Country, beating it 6-3. Alanna Roy had three hits and was a vital part of a game-ending double play in the seventh inning. Claire Potter was the winning pitcher.

On May 21, the Redhawks lost on the road at Missisquoi, 3-18.

Girls lacrosse headed to Essex

The Champlain Valley Union High girls lacrosse team is set to head to Essex High on May 23 for one of its final three regular season games. On May 28, the team will take on Mount Mansfield at home.

On May 21, the team bowed to South Burlington 5-20. On Saturday, it played a close game against Burlington High, which ultimately defeated the Redhawks 18-14. Kate Raszka scored four goals and Brenna Gorman tallied three.

CVU to host girls basketball camp

Ute Otley, Champlain Valley Union High varsity girls basketball coach, will host a basketball camp for elementary and middle school players in June. The camp is intended to teach and develop the fundamentals of basketball.

The camp runs June 24-28 in two sessions: 9 a.m. to noon for girls entering fourth through sixth grades; and 1 to 4 p.m. for girls entering seventh through ninth grades. It costs $135 per player, with a $10 discount for campers who sign up before June 17. Sign-ups at the door are welcome.

The camp is a fundraiser for the CVU basketball team, and players volunteer as counselors.

Campers should wear proper clothing—t-shirts, shorts, socks and gym shoes.

Sign-up forms are available on the CVU website, www.cvuhs.org/summer-camps-at-cvu.  For more information, contact Otley at 425-6549 or ute_otley@hotmail.com.

Williston resident in world orienteering championship

Williston resident Ethan Childs, 19, has been named to the 2013 U.S. Junior World Orienteering Championship team. He is one of 12 young men and women age 20 and under selected to represent the USA this summer in the Czech Republic. The championship begins June 30, and the team will head to Europe to train in mid-June.

Childs, a University of Vermont freshman, has competed around the U.S., Canada, and Europe. This will be his third championship—he previously represented the U.S. in Poland and Slovakia, where he was the top-placing American competitor. He won the 2012 North American Championship for junior boys in the middle distance and a sweep of the sprint, middle and long distance races at the 2010 North Americans.

The Champlain Valley Union High undefeated girls tennis team begins the Vermont State Individual Tournament in Montpelier on Thursday, running through Sunday.

“We have a strong field of players entered in that tournament and if we play well should advance several rounds,” Coach Amy deGroot wrote in an email to the Observer.

Next week, team playoffs begin for the Redhawks, which scored the number one seed.

“We will continue to work hard and compete well through the playoffs,” deGroot wrote.

On Wednesday, after the Observer’s press deadline, the team played St. Johnsbury High in its last regular match of the season.

On May 20, the Redhawks beat Mount Mansfield Union High 7-0, with all seven seniors on the team—Andrea Joseph, Emily Polhemus, Evelyn Mitchell, doubles Claire Stoner and Paige Watson, Natalie Puma and Marissa Landry—winning their matches.

The 10-2 Champlain Valley Union High baseball team travels to strong South Burlington High on Thursday, one of just four games left in the regular season. On Saturday, the team takes on Milton High at home, then heads to BFA St. Albans on May 28.

A series of late rallies, and key hits by Davis Mikell, Will Potter and Kirk Fontana gave the Redhawks a 6-4 win at Missisquoi High on May 21. Pitcher Kyle Stanley  went six innings, striking out six. Fontana added an RBI on a pair of singles.

“This is a relentless group, they refuse to go down without a fight,” Coach Tim Albertson wrote in an email to the Observer. “Kyle Stanley battled all game and settled down well. Kirk Fontana and Will Potter came up big for us.”

On May 18, CVU beat North Country Union High 9-2 after an eight-run first inning. Dylan Ireland pitched a complete game, allowing two hits and striking out nine. Rayne Supple went one-for-two with his first career home run, finishing the day with three runs batted in. Joel Lamarche went three innings, giving up five runs on six hits, and walked eight.

“Dylan Ireland pitched a great game,” Albertson wrote. “He hit his spots and changed speeds really well to keep them off guard.”

CVU racked up another win on May 16, when key hits by Mikell and Supple propelled CVU to a 5-3 win over Vergennes High. Supple who started for CVU, went four innings, giving up two hits. Supple, also went four-for-four with two singles, two triples and an RBI. Stanley earned the save throwing three innings. Michael Danyow went six innings, allowing two earned runs on eleven hits.

Alberton wrote. “Rayne Supple had a great day for us at the plate. It’s great to see production for our entire line up.”

Senior Redhawk defender Mike Ford outplays his Middlebury defenders during a May 17 game at Champlain Valley Union. The Redhawks won 6-0.
(Observer photo by Jayson Argento)

Champlain Valley Union High School boys lacrosse goalie Owen Hudson racked up 11 saves in the Redhawks May 17 battle with Middlebury Union High, securing CVU’s second shutout of the season.

CVU beat Middlebury 6-0, with five Redhawks—Nevin DiParlo, Hoyt McCuin, Alex Bulla, Elliot Mitchell and Steele Dubrul—contributing goals. The win brought the Redhawks’ record up to 9-3.

CVU also shut out Spaulding High on May 11, 13-0.

After a Wednesday afternoon game against Burlington High, the Redhawks have just three games left in the regular season.

On Saturday, they play BFA St. Albans, a team they beat 14-1 earlier in the spring. The final two games—South Burlington High on May 28 and tough Essex High on May 31—will be played at home.

—Stephanie Choate, Observer staff

State Police, in conjunction with other Chittenden County law enforcement agencies, will be conducting traffic details to include sobriety check points in the Chittenden County area over the Memorial Day holiday period. It is the goal of the law enforcement to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes by increasing patrols and details in the area. With the anticipated increase in traffic over the holiday, police would like to encourage motorists to slow down, be patient, wear your seat belt, and “Don’t Drink and Drive.”

Felony Check Fraud

On May 14, police received a report of a man who attempted to cash a stolen check at Key Bank in Williston. Prior to police arriving, the man left the bank. Shortly after, police received a report of a man attempting to break into cars in Maple Tree Place. He was located and identified as Patrick Blodgett, 25, of Orange—the same man who attempted to cash the stolen check, according to police reports. Further investigation indicated that Blodgett had allegedly cashed or attempted to cash approximately $7,788 worth of checks over that past few weeks. He also had two checks which he had forged the signatures on, according to police reports. He was lodged at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, and received four federal citations to appear in court. On May 15, Blodgett was released after being arraigned in court. Later in the day, police received a report from AnyTime Towing, advising that Blodgett had removed his vehicle from its facility without paying for their services, according to police reports. The investigation is ongoing.

Multiple charges

Christopher Coffen, 27, was cited on charges of driving under the influence, careless and negligent driving, false information to a police officer and resisting arrest on May 17 after being stopped while driving on St. George Road in Williston, according to police reports. While speaking with an officer, Coffen “became extremely agitated,” and fled the scene in his vehicle, according to the report. After being pursued for 2.5 miles, Coffen experienced a problem with his vehicle and pulled over, according to the report. He was subsequently “arrested, processed and lodged,” the report notes. No other information was released.

Driving under the influence

Kevin F. Chambers, Jr., 40, of Stowe was cited on a charge of driving under the influence on May 6, according to police reports. His blood alcohol concentration was .105, the report notes. The legal limit for driving in Vermont is .08. He was cited to appear in court.

Kayla L. Dallier, 25, of Colchester was cited on a charge of driving under the influence on May 11, according to police reports. Her blood alcohol concentration was .098, the report notes. She was cited to appear in court.

Marijuana

FedEx on Marshall Avenue reported to police on May 16 that an employee had discovered a package containing marijuana, according to police reports. Police confiscated the package. No other information was released.

Police notes are written based on information provided by the Williston Police Department and the Vermont State Police. Please note that all parties are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Vandalism/Theft

–A window was “smashed” and property valued at $500 was stolen from a vehicle parked at a business on Boyer Circle on May 13, according to police reports. The investigation is ongoing.

–Two vehicles parked at a business on Krupp Drive had their windows “smashed” and property stolen on May 13, according to police reports. The investigation is ongoing.

–Two trucks from Vermont Energy Contracting were vandalized and equipment was stolen on May 13, according to police reports. Police are investigating.

Driving with license suspended

–Christine M. Ramos, 35, of Essex was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license on April 30, according to police reports. She was cited to appear in court on May 21.

–Paul J. Washburn, 41, of South Burlington was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license on May 2, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court.

–Benjamin H. Hayes, 39, of St. George was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license on May 3, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court.

–Rachel E. Washington, 29, of Winooski was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license on May 4, according to police reports. She was cited to appear in court.

–Steven T. McLeod, 44, of Waterbury was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license on May 8, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court.

–Seth Slayton, 48, of Bristol was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license on May 9, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court.

–Eric S. Martin, 26, of Burlington was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license on May 9, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court.

–John C. Sylva, 37, of Richford was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license on May 11, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court.

–Scott J. Tyler, 24, of Essex was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license on May 14, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court.

–Dennis Bouchard, 34, of Colchester was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license on May 17, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court on June 18.

–Christopher Lafreniere, age, of town was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license on May 17, according to police reports.

–Douglas Brockington, 39, of Colchester was cited on a charge of driving with a suspended license on May 17, according to police reports. He was cited to appear in court.
–On May 10, a blue 1989 Honda Civic operated by Jon Cabral, 24, of Williston was stopped on Skunk Hollow Road in Jericho for a vehicle inspection violation. A check with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles revealed Cabral’s license was criminally suspended. Cabral was processed and cited for driving with a suspended license. He was also issued traffic tickets for vehicle inspection violations and a traffic ticket for operating a vehicle without liability insurance.

Police notes are written based on information provided by the Williston Police Department and the Vermont State Police. Please note that all parties are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.