WINOOSKI — Like a lot of local music fans, I was dismayed at the news last month that this year’s Waking Windows festival would be the last That three-day bash circulating around the rotary in downtown Winooski is the auditory version of flowers bursting out in all their spectacular color high-energy maelstrom of people and sound signaling that spring has finally arrived in all its splendor in northern Vermont Then on May 1, the day before the final Waking Windows began, Rough Francis announced (somewhat vaguely) on social media that their festival-closing performance May 4 would be “our last time playing these songs with you all as we step into a new era.” The Burlington area’s best music festival is ending after a wonderful decade and a half is also ending after a wonderful decade and a half It’s too much for a local music fan to stand The four remaining co-founders of Waking Windows – Ali and Brian Nagle Paddy Reagan and Nick Mavodones – decided to end the festival this year new jobs and the general evolution of life made running a sweet little indie fest just for fun a little too challenging stepped aside from Waking Windows a couple of years ago for just those reasons.) The festival has been tapering in size the past three years with fewer bands and venues translating to a more subdued but still compelling vibe The decision to end it wasn’t a huge surprise it’s crushing to those of us who looked forward to the next Waking Windows the moment the latest one ended Waking Windows not only celebrated local music giving us music-obsessed Vermonters the chance to see favorites every year and some band or other who would instantly become a new favorite How are we supposed to mark the start of spring now Stare at the grass and watch it turn green I tried to be philosophical but was having a hard time doing that we counted on it for our happiness every spring and then all of a sudden it’s pulled out from under us As I get older I crave community more and more It feels like in this era of takeout dinners at home watching movies at home and working from home that community is getting harder to find This Waking Windows community was a special one Lily Seabird, Maryse Smith and the festival’s endI could go on and on and on (and have many times) about what made Waking Windows special Many of the musicians I heard this past weekend said it better “This is one of the all-time great festivals,” Laura Heaberlin said as her local folk duo Cricket Blue played at Standing Stone Wines “It’s been a huge part of my life for many years now,” said Sean Hood of Eastern Mountain Time at his local group’s show at Standing Stone Lily Seabird, playing tunes in Rotary Park from new Burlington-inspired album “Trash Mountain,” summed up the conflicting emotions of the weekend that represented one final celebratory gathering one of the rock-solid foundations of the festival like Rough Francis grew emotional during her commanding set at The Monkey House when talking about how much she cares for the festival’s organizers “It’s the only festival that I really love.” Reagan, who led the Rotary Park performance of his band, Paper Castles summed up in one succinct sentence why it’s time to end Waking Windows “It’s been an honor and a privilege and a total headache to put this on every year,” he told the crowd All those sets and more (I think I saw 30-plus performances over the weekend) led to the final live music of the final Waking Windows festival Rough Francis played Sunday to a packed room at The Monkey House explained what the band meant three days earlier by announcing that this would be “our last time playing these songs with you all as we step into a new era.” He and brothers Julian Hackney on guitar and Urian Hackney on drums “We just want to try something different,” Bobby said playing the songs of the Hackney brothers’ father and uncles from the band Death a hard-rock outfit founded in the 1970s and forgotten until a revival in the first decade of the 2000s not unlike those proto-punk tunes created a generation before by Death Rough Francis played its own songs on this night, including mosh-pit favorite “Not a Nice Guy.” They covered Death with the tune “Freakin’ Out.” They ended the boisterous party with “I Got a Right” by Iggy and the Stooges. That choice honored the rising star that is Urian Hackney whose high-profile gigs of the past few years include drumming for rock legend Iggy Pop “It’s a bittersweet moment,” Bobby said in introducing that final song because I’m so grateful this all happened for so long.” the festival and the happiness that filled the room Bobby Hackney’s perspective on not just what we all lost but what we all had helped my own outlook I walked out of The Monkey House and crossed the churning Winooski River to my parking spot just on the other side in Burlington all I heard now was the rush of the waterfall below and the trickle of traffic on the bridge I heard something else: the echoes of so many amazing bands and people from so many exciting first weekends in May that flowed by in a rush before they inevitably ran their course Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com This story is just one of many upcoming articles slated to be published before Town Meeting Day showcasing the gross earnings of public school district town and city employees – whose income is funded by taxpayers – in Chittenden County for fiscal year 2024 The Burlington Free Press received the following data towns and cities themselves via public record request The Winooski School District had 345 employees with a payroll total of $15,102,327.77 in FY24 The gross earning figures presented include base salary miscellaneous stipends such as coaching and health stipends and more topped the list in the Winooski School District with gross earnings of $150,096 in fiscal year 2024 Kennedy Elementary Principal Sara Raabe was the second-highest earner in FY24 For an analysis of the top earners, please see our related story Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com A woman was the highest earner on the City of Winooski’s payroll in fiscal year 2024 topped the list of the city’s highest-paid employees with a salary of $174,426.92 in FY24 over 40% ($69,999.60) of which came from overtime pay The city had 163 employees with a budget of almost $5 million in FY24 not including employees of the Winooski School District Dispatcher Michael Schmoll was the second-highest earner in FY24 Winooski City Manager Elaine Wang placed third on the list earning $132,068.80 in FY24 without any overtime pay Wang would have outearned first place Patenaude and second place Schmoll by almost $30,000 and over $41,000 fifth and sixth place on the list of highest-paid employees in FY24 went to police officers David Nease followed by Learned with $117,086.43 and Willingham with $116,619.54 All three officers’ salaries were boosted thanks to overtime pay Learned and Willingham taking home an extra $26,639.25 Public Works Director Jonathan Rauscher was the seventh highest paid city employee taking home a base salary of $116,124.40 in FY24 The last three spots on the top 10 list went to Winooski Police Chief Justin Huizenga who was promoted from lieutenant to chief in January 2024 almost 19% ($21,797.84) of which came from overtime pay The City of Winooski had 163 employees who earned a total of $4,979,324.62 in fiscal year 2024 This does not include the Winooski School District The salary figures presented include employees' base salary was the city’s highest-paid employee with a salary of $174,426.92 in FY24 For an analysis of the top earners, please see our related story If you're looking for "I Spys," dating or LTRs The original print version of this article was headlined "Small World Big Table | At Community College of Vermont's International Food Festival Tags: , , , , Tags: , , , SEE THE TOWN MEETING PAGE FOR TOWN MEETING STORIES 2025 | By Lisa Scagliotti The body of an Essex man who went missing in December turned up this week in the Winooski River in Duxbury on Wednesday by someone walking along the river near the Bolton Falls dam The Waterbury Fire Department assisted troopers with the recovery and the body was taken to the Vermont Chief Medical Examinter’s office in Burlington An autopsy on Friday so far identified the deceased as John Gaye Information on the cause and manner of his death are still pending but this death is not considered suspicious described by police as from Essex Junction and Graham 18 joined Essex Police in the investigation that led them to Waterbury where investigators believed he had entered the Winooski River Police located Gaye’s vehicle parked at Parro’s Gun Shop and Indoor Range on U.S The Vermont State Police Underwater Recovery Team searches on the Winooski River on Thursday On Dec. 19 and 20, state police Underwater Recovery Team members searched along a stretch of the river west of downtown Waterbury in the vicinity of the Waterbury wastewater treatment plant and downstream past the Vermont Railway bridge and Parro’s failed to turn up any evidence of Gaye’s whereabouts In Friday’s report of the discovery of the body state police did not specify whether the location was above or below the dam No further details were available as of late Friday.  Waterbury Roundabout is an online news site launched in May 2020 Our mission is to provide readers with news about local government work and play in and around the Waterbury region.Thank you for reading About Contact Parking, traffic and construction changes are expected in Winooski, as part of the Main Street Revitalization project The project saw extensive road closure in 2024 and while Main Street has been almost fully operation the past few months with estimated project completion being summer 2026 new closures are expected as construction and utility crews work in the area The goal of the Winooski Main Street Revitalization project is to reconfigure the road layout to accommodate all users while upgrading outdated street infrastructure The project is adding crosswalks and bike lanes as well as expanding sidewalks It is upgrading traffic signals along with streetlights and landscaping New stormwater systems will be added along with upgraded sewer and water systems Existing power and communication lines will be moved underground When will roads near Main Street be closed in WinooskiFrom Monday Green Mountain Power will complete utility work on East Spring Street requiring short-term lane closures also managed by crews the northbound lane on Main Street near Normand Street will have intermittent closures for construction equipment and delivery Crews will be managing alternation one-way traffic There may also be temporary traffic control signs throughout the area Green Mountain Power will be installing new utility poles GMP will notify and coordinate directly with affected properties Most on-street parking will be available except in active work zones Keep an eye out for the temporary No Parking signs More information can be found at winooskivt.gov/mainstreet Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com Winooski residents have an abundance of ballot items to consider this Town Meeting Day March 4 whether to approve their city and school budgets which are expected to increase a modest 2.8% and 4.13% from last year Residents will also vote on five other ballot items most notably articles that would forbid evicting residential tenants without "just cause" and adopt a Pro-Palestinian and anti-apartheid city pledge that criticizes Israel's actions in the area Voters will also choose the victors of four elections for public office including one city council race and three school board races Meeting: Monday at Winooski School District Performing Arts Center Voting: Tuesday an 2.8% increase from last year’s budget of $10,981,086.07 Who’s running for city council: Incumbent Bryn Oakleaf will face off against Charles Judge for a two-year seat School district informational meeting: Same date and time as regular meeting Proposed school district budget: $33,289,732 a 4.13% increase from last year’s budget of $31,970,907 Who’s running for school board: Incumbent and Board President Robert Millar is running for a three-year seat; Emily Bowers and Kate Statell are vying for a two-year seat; and Alyssa Ravelin is running for the remainder of a three-year term Saja Almogalli did not feel comfortable approaching police Almogalli arrived in Burlington as a refugee from Iraq by way of Turkey She taught herself and her siblings English and came to establish a life in Vermont graduating from Burlington High School and the University of Vermont before eventually pursuing a career in law enforcement Almogalli became the district liaison officer for Winooski schools Winooski School District is one of Vermont's most diverse Over half of students identify as a person of color and one-third of students receive multilingual services Part of what drew Almogalli to her new role was the opportunity to help that student body feel more comfortable around law enforcement in contrast to her own experience growing up Vermont Public's Jenn Jarecki popped by Winooski's JFK Elementary School which is attached to the middle and high school Jarecki asked if Almogalli felt welcome when she and her family first got to Vermont We highly recommend listening to the audio which has been edited for length and clarity because I feel like I have to pay back the community that welcomed my family because it's hard to move from one place to another but also adding all that that you have to now worry about — your food and your place all of that would have just made it harder for us Jenn Jarecki: Can you talk about your relationship to law enforcement growing up we don't have an amazing relationship with law enforcement or authority in general I can speak about my whole family — never had a good interaction my mom really couldn't voice or say anything or do anything Jenn Jarecki: What were your interactions with law enforcement like in America before joining the Burlington Police Department Saja Almogalli: We had a school resource officer when I was in high school I've had amazing interactions with police officers It's a running club and we meet at the Burlington Police Department I continued and that made the connection with law enforcement stronger and stronger and stronger and I don't really need to tell you what happened that year — everybody knows "What's law enforcement?" and "Why this is happening here?" When I'm not seeing All I'm seeing is just amazing people that I work with Jenn Jarecki: How do you try to approach your job in a more inclusive way while still providing space to acknowledge that many people have faced discrimination and may not want to have further interactions with the police Saja Almogalli: When I wanted to become a police officer I wanted people to understand that someone like me I have my own understanding of what racism is There's always someone that's going to say something about you and to take that and understand that and also provide that safe space for them because I know how it feels to not be able to trust or talk to a police officer Jenn Jarecki: How does that approach play out in your day to day Saja Almogalli: I come in with a uniform as much as I can You don't have to be in trouble to talk to me." I spend my last block in art class — favorite class — and I just do art with the kids just so they know that I'm just a normal person like them — just wear a uniform Saja Almogalli: I try to get here before or around the time everybody gets off the bus Most kids see me and will ask for stickers so I go hang out with her sometimes — I say "hi." Can you come sit with me?" And I wish I could sit with every kid Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message Enter your email to sign up for The Frequency See more newsletters Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message Editor’s Note: This story was reported for The Winooski News Caitlin McLeod-Bluver is a Moretown resident and an advocate for public education in Vermont who has added her voice to the discussion around the future of education in the Harwood district recently Photo courtesy Winooski School District  “Would anyone like to share any piece of their writing?” Caitlin McLeod-Bluver inquired as her 10th grade American Literature students put pencils to paper a word from any of your writing?” the teacher continued “That makes me want to read your whole poem!” McLeod-Bluver responded.  The writing exercise earlier this spring prepared students to present in Winooski High School’s poetry showcase in April for National Poetry Month It also demonstrated the kind of enthusiasm and connection to students that helped McLeod-Bluver win the title of Vermont Teacher of the Year.  McLeod-Bluver isn’t the only person at Winooski High School to receive an award recently won the state championship in the Poetry Out Loud national recitation contest The win came with a cash prize for herself and the school.  It was really good,”  Selemani said to the class.  Mapenzi,” McLeod-Bluver responded.   MacLeod-Bluver didn’t always know she was going to be a teacher but knew she appreciated them.   and I felt like I knew the power of really strong educators early on,” she said.  She attended Wesleyan University in Connecticut and received her degree through the College of Social Studies with an interdisciplinary major blending history MacLeod-Bluver participated in the Breakthrough Collaborative in Boston program teaching at a middle school for the summer This program introduced her to the Boston Teacher Residency a 13-month graduate program where aspiring educators work in schools while taking master’s degree classes.  “I didn’t know what exactly I wanted to do but I had such a strong experience (that) summer well I’ll try this on and see how it goes,’ and I’ve never looked back,” MacLeod-Bluver said.  She started teaching in Boston public schools instructing mostly immigrant and refugee students including at the Boston International Newcomers Academy After a brief hiatus and living and teaching in Alaska for a year McLeod-Bluver returned to the East Coast in 2019 She applied to work at Winooski High School and has been teaching there for 14 years Although she doesn’t have a favorite subject to teach she believes history plays a pivotal role in helping students understand society.  “I adore using history classes as a way for us to develop the skills we need to be citizens in our world,” she said.  As an English teacher and reading specialist McLeod-Bluver enjoys instructing narrative writing and leading text-based discussions based on novels Her favorite novel to teach is “The Poet X” by Elizabeth Acevedo.  With Winooski’s diverse student population and many students coming from different language backgrounds But this is no obstacle for “Miss Caitlin,” as her students call her “It’s so powerful to teach reading to kids who are often struggling with it but to teach them in a way that’s empowering and gives them agency,” she said McLeod-Bluver stresses the significance of recognizing and valuing each student’s unique identity inside and outside of the classroom.  “I think it’s super important no matter what you do to affirm students’ full identities and to really show students that you truly care about them to find ways to bring those experiences and those voices into the classroom and elevate it,” she said.  McLeod-Bluver received an Outstanding Educator award from the Winooski school district This award recognizes the accomplishments of educators in the state and grants awardees eligibility to compete for the Vermont Teacher of the Year award.  the Winooski High School teacher learned she had won in September and I feel like this was truly three of the best days I’ve ever had of professional learning,” she said about the conference.  According to Winooski Superintendent of Schools Wilmer Chavarria McLeod-Bluver exemplifies the type of work that teachers in Winooski bring to their community.  “The fact that Miss Caitlin won that award gives her voice and her approach that much more legitimacy,” he said Chavarria was proud but not shocked by McLeod-Bluver’s win it was only a matter of time before people with that level of commitment to their students get recognition in that way,” he said Since returning home from the Teacher of the Year conference McLeod-Bluver has reflected on her role as a teacher.  In an age when structures of education are changing and being a teacher can be challenging she faces adversity with determination.  “One thing that has always remained constant is despite all of the noise of everything else I walk into my room every day filled with immense purpose and immense hope,” she said “I know a lot of people may feel disempowered or overwhelmed by the state of the world I don’t because I have to show up for kids every single day.”  McLeod-Bluver sees herself as an advocate and problem solver who hopes to give her students a fuller understanding of themselves and the world around them.  “I want kids to leave my classroom as critical thinkers able to decipher our complex world to make their own opinion based off of evidence and then express their opinion and then use their voice to advocate for a more just world,” she said The University of Vermont’s Community News Service is an internship program that contributes reporting for Vermont news outlets Administrators comprise most of the highest paid employees on the Winooski School District’s payroll in fiscal year 2024 The district had 345 employees with a payroll total of $15,102,327.77 in FY24 Gross earnings may comprise more than base salary Winooski Middle and High School Co-Principals Jean Berthiaume and Katherine Grodin-Doherty were tied for third place fifth and sixth place on the list of highest-paid employees in FY24 went to school psychologist Mary Ann Donnelly-Debay director of curriculum and instruction Michael Eppolito and director of support services Katherine Blair followed by Eppolito with $110,096 and Blair with $108,076.80 Finance manager Sarah Haven was the seventh highest paid school employee taking home $108,000 in gross earnings in FY24 The last three spots on the top 10 list went to the following employees: JFK and Winooski Middle School math coach Stefanie Hamble district literacy coordinator Karen O’Brien and director of early education Maybeline Lopez followed by O’Brien with $100,712.59 and Lopez with $99,000 Both Hamble and O'Brien's gross earnings were boosted with non-salary pay with Hamble receiving $10,878.49 from summer hours and other payments and O'Brien receiving over $20,000 from after school pay additional day pay and other program stipends Some artists took the forced layoff during the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 to write songs and create new music Paddy Reagan didn’t do that. The leader of Burlington-area band Paper Castles was still busy Reagan honed his proficiency at playing piano and singing simultaneously “That was what I really sank my teeth into,” he said The Jericho resident who has run sound at music venues such as The Monkey House in Winooski took what he called “a cool job” as technical director at the University of Vermont Lane Series and is completing the jazz-studies degree he began at UVM two decades ago One thing Reagan hasn’t done much since the pandemic is create new material He finished three songs to add to a handful he wrote previously then worked with bandmates Brennan Mangan (drums) Wren Kitz (guitar) and Emily Tompkins (bass) to complete the first Paper Castles album in seven years but didn’t record a fourth album until working with producer Benny Yurco in Burlington in September of 2023 Reagan finished writing the final two songs The oldest song on “I’m Sad as Hell …” is “Modern Myth,” which Reagan wrote in 2016 indicting the “Access Hollywood” tapes in which then-presidential candidate Donald Trump made sexist remarks Reagan said all artists experience a growth arc When he began Paper Castles a decade and a half ago Reagan said he was being exposed to artists such as Bill Callahan who were being written up in that era’s proliferation of music blogs “I was trying to eat up all those ideas,” he said and made music in the vein of the artists he liked Reagan began raising the levels of his vocals in the recording mix and the songs have grown progressively poppier That doesn’t mean Paper Castles’ tunes – which slide into that alternative-Americana-rock channel Wilco travels through with similar diversions into wobbly dissonance – are arena-show ready Reagan describes himself as straddling the line between normal and weird on “I’m Sad as Hell …” “My songwriting got to a place where I think it stands on its own,” Reagan said adding that he’s proud of the work he and his bandmates accomplished on the new album “It feels like the most comfortable realization of what the band can be.” The album title echoes the line from the 1976 movie “Network” when Peter Finch’s news anchor shouts “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!” That has an aggressive tone “Anger is really just unprocessed grief,” he said “I’m Sad as Hell and I’m Not Going to Fake It Anymore” doesn’t mean the grief has been processed but just that it’s a step toward trying to heal The title has an element of humor in it as well Reagan doesn’t want listeners to think it’s a “woe is me” confession but recognition that grief is part of the human experience Reagan hopes “I’m Sad as Hell …” helps the band get a few more Northeast tour dates and slots opening for bigger bands (Paper Castles has previously supported acts including The Wallflowers “I think creating art for the sake of creating art is great,” Reagan said WHAT: Paper Castles at the Waking Windows festival INFORMATION: $55-$67.78 for all shows Saturday, free for ages 12 and under. Admission varies for shows on Friday and Sunday. www.wakingwindows.com The long-awaited Winooski Bridge Project is finally gaining traction as the Burlington Department of Public Works asks for City Council approval on the finalized plans for construction and completion The city has to sign a letter of approval for the Winooski Bridge project to move forward Department of Public Works Director Chapin Spencer presented the ideas for the project regarding lanes walking paths and other technical aspects during the City Council meeting on Nov The bridge has been in service for almost 100 years and is reaching a level of deterioration that need to be addressed Its narrow width also no longer meets the needs of the community the project will include intersection improvements immediately south of the bridge Mill and Barrett streets as well as Colchester Avenue The improvements will generally consist of roadway reconstruction and traffic signal modifications with the goal of improving safety and mobility for all users The existing three-way intersection will be reconfigured to better suit cars Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027 The project is anticipated to be complete in 2030 The bridge project has received a federal RAISE Grant that will cover a portion of the project construction The $60 million bridge project costs will be split as follows: 80% federal 5% City of Burlington and 5% City of Winooski Construction of the intersection immediately south of the bridge is 100% Federally funded What the project will look like when completed: Vermont State Police have identified a body discovered in the Winooski River near the Bolton Falls Power Dam as John Gaye The body was found on April 9 by a passerby walking along the river Authorities responded to the scene with assistance from the Waterbury Fire Department The body was subsequently transported to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy officials confirmed the identity of the deceased as Gaye While the cause and manner of death are still pending police have stated that the death is not considered suspicious Vermont State Police had aided the Essex Police Department in a search for Gaye who was believed to have entered the Winooski River in Waterbury No further information is available at this time we still live in so-called “towns.” Then there are counties and states The contours and characteristics of the land around us create a shared experience and much of it has to do with the water we can see (streams lakes) and the water we can’t because it’s underground but no less a part of the aquatic environment that sustains us We’re joined at the hip to our watershed neighbors which is never more obvious than when pollution or floods create a common catastrophe and remind us we’d better clean up our act the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District helps us do that It works on the broad scale and the narrow The former includes overseeing “Lake Wise Assessment” surveys (two were recently concluded at Sabin Pond in Woodbury and Nelson Pond in Calais) to evaluate the water’s condition and identify sources of present or possible contamination The latter (smaller scale) might simply be helping a farmer apply for a grant from the U.S Department of Agriculture to drill a well for his livestock or to calculate the nutrient loads permissible under state law for the amount of acreage she has Last year the conservation district completed a project it had started in 2019 a deteriorating structure nearly 100 years old on a section of the Jail Branch but this one held back some 500,000 cubic feet of water officials with the Vermont Dam Safety Program warned The town of Washington owned the dam and wanted it removed or the resources to take on that kind of work.” So the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District stepped in to help “We agreed to apply for the money on the town’s behalf to take on the responsibility for managing the money “It’s an example of a very complicated technical project the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) It just went on and on with the number of organizations and agencies we had to coordinate with.” But it underlined the urgency of completing the project and restoring nearby floodplain to provide safe recourse for the next incident along the Jail Branch The conservation district wrapped up the work in 2024 he points out projects like this allow for more watershed-conservation work once the dam is out of the way “You go upstream and there’s an opportunity to deal with culvert replacement improving connectivity for aquatic organisms; there’s riparian work opportunities” — rehabilitating and stabilizing shorelines — “there’s storm water mitigation there’s working with agricultural landowners on a variety of agricultural runoff topics.” Expand this vision to include not just Washington County and three nearby towns in Orange County (Washington where development threatens the natural environment and you have the operational domain of the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District but the Winooski District is the largest by area and easily the most populous Yet it’s a district with just four employees led by a supervisory board of five and a panel of volunteer associate supervisors district manager Dan Koenemann would call that tally an exaggeration “We have three and a half employees,” he notes ”We have one full-time ag person (Phoebe Judge) and one half-time ag person (Kara Winslow) general conservation specialist who does mostly water-related issues.” Then there’s Koenemann: three-and-a-half Koenemann is a Montpelier native with a Ph.D He returned home last July from a professorship in South Carolina and took the leadership position at the Winooski NRCD.  “I knew nothing about conservation districts.” States — particularly states like Vermont with a keen environmental ethic — are  teeming with governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations whose acronyms can blur into a haze We might assume they were all born of the environmental consciousness that blossomed in the 1960s and ‘70s when the cumulative impact of our thoughtless tread upon the earth began revealing itself were created during the New Deal era of the 1930s when it was determined the Dust Bowl was not just a result of drought but of negligent and assistance relevant to land usage of every variety these natural resource conservation districts are designated as “special units of state government.” “We don’t have the authority to levy taxes or anything like that,” Koenemann says “but we’re technically classified as municipalities We’re even members of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.” the members of their boards of supervisors are The opportunity is there each fall for interested parties to secure a petition and seek election the board refills its own ranks by appointing supervisors to five-year terms Hopkins retired after almost 30 years in the Water Quality Division of Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation and his resume is typical not only of the board members but of the associate supervisors volunteers who cannot vote on the District’s decisions but provide their input and sometimes assist in projects had a memorable experience with a Conservation District in Florida some years ago; upon learning that a similar organization existed in central Vermont he joined up as an associate supervisor in December.) The Winooski NRCD may be a unit of government but it’s a vastly underfunded one “which shakes out to about $30,000-ish each which is not enough to support even a single staff position,” Koenemann says.  “We write a lot of grants,” Koenemann says “and that’s basically how we fund ourselves.” Which is reminiscent of how Hopkins explained the district’s role in the Hands Mill Dam project: “We agreed to apply for the money on the town’s behalf to take on the responsibility for managing the money …” of the three types of conservation activities it pursues — agriculture and resilient watersheds — the least active Koenemann and Hopkins agree that it’s because there’s just not a comparable network of forestry-related agencies and nonprofits to tap into the conservation district’s “conservation specialist,” came on board last November “I got thrown right into a bunch of projects,” he says A 2023 UVM graduate in environmental studies with a resume stressing shoreline-restoration efforts in Vermont and California he works out of the district’s Williston office (Koenemann’s office is in Berlin) and is particularly engaged in similar programs here: Rethink Runoff “Trees for Streams is a kind of historic conservation-district program that helps landowners identify eroded buffers on stream banks,” Goldfluss says “We go out and facilitate these projects and get the trees planted for in his view we’re all residents of a watershed and “everyone is integral to the mission” of protecting it ‘I was driving on [Interstate] 89 and there’s this severely eroded stream bank that maybe you haven’t seen yet.’ Or a lot of the time it’s the Vermont Land Trust that comes to us and we’ll partner with them Or smaller conservation or environmental groups will say ‘We don’t have the means to do this project; can you help us?’ We serve as a liaison to help put them in touch with the resources that are out there.” ”Whether it be with the state or private foundations … It’s constant research to find that funding But in the clean water realm there’s definitely money out there for projects Do you know of something going on we should cover Tags: , , , The Winooski City Council unanimously passed a resolution asking Vermont's congressional delegation to make an inquiry to the secretary of the Air Force about changing the Vermont Air National Guard's mission to something that causes less harm to surrounding neighborhoods Chittenden County residents have been raising concerns about noise pollution since the Air National Guard's F-35 jets took to Vermont skies in 2019 For those who live or spend time in areas in line with the runways the rumbling of the jets is hard to ignore This Winooski vote comes a few weeks after the Burlington City Council passed a similar resolution creating a committee to follow up with Vermont’s congressional delegation on the F-35s basing at Burlington International Airport The resolution also calls on Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak to meet with the airport and the Guard to discuss the ongoing noise mitigation efforts Developed by Lockheed Martin, F-35s are single-seat, single-engine, stealth combat aircrafts designed for strike or attack missions. The fighter jet has electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, according to the Lockheed Martin website The F-35 is loud due to its high thrust-to-weight ratio and powerful engines which were based at the Burlington airport before the arrival of the new jets Other projects in the works to mitigate F-35 impactsF-35 opponents have been trying to enact a change in different ways. Construction kicked off last year by Burlington International Airport to initiate a voluntary Residential Sound Insulation Program to mitigate the effects of aircraft noise for properties surrounding the airport This involved up to 2,500 housing units near the airport − many in Winooski and South Burlington − getting updated insulation Funded in part by the Federal Aviation Administration completing the updates is expected to take years More: What to know about the Vermont Air National Guard's F-35s, including how often they fly A study from the program highlights noise exposure maps It’s broken into what’s called the day-night average sound level that ranges from 65 to 75 decibels the latter of which can be harmful for prolonged periods The Burlington City Council voted in 2023 to extend the Vermont Air National Guard’s lease at Burlington International Airport by 25 years While the Guard will likely remain there for the duration of the lease 12 City Council meeting lasted over an hour with dozens of speakers asking the council to vote unanimously in support of the resolution it has a tall ladder to climb before any change can happen The Vermont Congressional Delegation will now have to contact the secretary of the Air Force and request that the Air Force replace the current F-35 mission with another one "less harmful" to the surrounding neighborhoods 2024 | By Waterbury RoundaboutUpdate 4 p.m. The Vermont State Police Underwater Recovery Team was not seen along U.S Route 2 in Waterbury on Friday anywhere in the vicinity of where it had worked the day before in search of 45-year-old John Gaye of Essex Junction state police spokesman Adam Silverman confirmed that there was no additional activity on search in Waterbury on Friday He said there were no further details to share in the case or information regarding if and whether the river search would resume.  Anyone with information that could assist investigators in this case is asked to call the Vermont State Police barracks in Berlin at 802-229-9191. Anonymous tips may also be submitted online using the website: vsp.vermont.gov/prevention/tipsubmit Vermont State Police ended their search efforts for a missing man believed to have entered the Winooski River in Waterbury Additional targeted searching is expected to resume on Friday Police released a photo and identified the man they are searching for as John Gaye There is “no evidence to indicate his disappearance is suspicious but there are concerns for his welfare,” police said.  Search operations were based near the Waterbury wastewater treatment plant on Thursday — a spot upstream from where Gaye’s vehicle was located but the most accessible for the search team to enter the water with an airboat and their equipment Matthew Daley who heads up the state Underwater Recovery Team explained that the first steps involved scanning the river by boat using equipment to identify locations for divers to examine This story will be updated as new information becomes available Vermont State Police issued a bulletin that there is a search in progress at the Winooski River in Waterbury for a missing person A Vermont State Police team scans the Winooski River west of the railroad bridge along U.S the state police said they were contacted by Essex Police on Wednesday around 2:45 p.m for assistance with a missing persons investigation Troopers located the missing man’s vehicle “behind a local establishment at 601 U.S The location is near Parro’s Gun Shop and Indoor Range “Evidence discovered in the area of the vehicle indicated the male party may have entered the Winooski River He is still missing,” the news release states The public will see an increased police presence in the Waterbury area due to the search The Vermont State Police Underwater Recovery Team is working at the Winooski River on this case Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInAutoplayNews A Hinesburg restaurant is about to change hands as the owners consolidate with another eatery they operate in Winooski The Dumb Luck Pub & Grill in Hinesburg will shut down Saturday, March 29, according to an email to the Burlington Free Press from Ed Boldwin, who in January 2023 bought the business with his wife He said the couple will now focus solely on the Dumb Luck Pub & Grill they opened Nov 1 on Main Street north of downtown Winooski Boldwin said the couple did not hold a grand-opening celebration after they started the Winooski space because “we were waiting to wind down Hinesburg.” He said the Winooski grand-opening celebration will now take place April 4 The Hinesburg location won’t be dormant for long “Sydney Sloan and her partner Jack Barron will be opening up the Moon Dog Tavern the following week we close,” Boldwin wrote in his email “Sydney was our bar manager in Hinesburg for two years and a small partner in Winooski we have dissolved that partnership and she is no longer involved with The Dumb Luck Pub and Grill We wish Syd and Jack the best and look forward to their success in a great place we loved.” WINOOSKI ― A longtime hangout in Winooski has announced it will shut down after business on Saturday McKee’s Pub & Grill holds a prominent spot at the top of the traffic rotary in Winooski’s compact downtown. The owners revealed Aug. 8 on social media that the bar/eatery known for serving burgers new and additional taxes and the biggest factor the ongoing and continuing construction issues affecting sales we can no longer continue to operate at a loss,” according to the social-media post “Our last day of operation will be 8/17/24,” the post reads “Please join us in the coming days to say goodbye and raise a glass to one of the best things that ever happened in our beloved one square mile on the banks of the onion river ...” The construction the post alludes to is a $26 million Main Street revitalization project. A post on the city of Winooski website notes that the project which will continue through the summer of 2026 will include pedestrian and bicycle facilities improvements to sewer and water utilities and the relocation of power and telecommunications lines underground “We are down nearly 70% in sales,” the McKee’s social-media post reads shutting down for lunches that were not producing We had great success with Trivia and Karaoke But those two sales days a week are not enough to pay the bills and we have slipped further and further into a hole that we do not see us capable of crawling out of.” “The industry has changed,” the post continues comradery and the social aspect of places like ours as much as we did.” McKee’s clarified that its two other properties Papa McKee’s Pub & Pizza in Richmond and McKee’s Island Pub & Pizza in South Hero The fledgling village was named Winooski in 1853 after an Algonquin word for wild onion The village was situated south of Plymouth along the Onion River which helped the businesses thrive during those pioneer days The village would be one of many areas in Sheboygan County that had similar settlements that became ghost towns Early settlers arrived in 1846 with James and Lucinda Stone of Winooski, Vermont, taking up residence, followed by Survarnard Jewett, Fred Joerns and John Hobbs, and later in 1851 abolitionist Capt. Jonathan K. Walker, according to information from the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center In the 19th century, maple syrup was the main form of sugar people in America consumed. Survarnard Jewett found hardwood maple forests near Winooski to be perfect for maple syrup production and started the family tradition of maple syrup for their own consumption that continues today on a larger commercial basis by Drewry Farms Maple Syrup Pioneer David Bemrose Drewry married Eveline Jewett he was already known for his anti-slavery activities He was 15 when he worked on ships bringing slaves to America he despised the chains and shackles below deck where slaves were housed he took a bold step in an attempt to help the slaves Walker tried to free seven slaves in 1844 by sailing them from Pensacola Walker's ship made it as far as the tip of Florida when they were captured in the Florida Keys The escaped slaves were returned to bondage and Walker was arrested Walker also had his hand branded with an SS on his hand people in anti-slavery states said it meant "Slave Saver." More history: Burl Ives, who narrated 'Rudolph,' cut his chops in this Sheboygan County village A special branding iron was created for the punishment Several blacksmiths refused to create the special branding iron a blacksmith agreed to make the branding iron and the punishment was served to Walker Marshal Ebenezer Door held the red-hot iron against the base of Walker's hand for 15 to 20 seconds It was the only known case of branding in America by federal order talking about abolition to anyone who would listen The highlight of his speeches came when he would raise his branded right hand in making a point about the practice He became well known as "The Man with the Branded Hand." When he moved to Winooski in 1851, his farm was reportedly part of the Underground Railroad just north of the Onion River at the base of Ohde’s Hill on Highway E was believed to be a path to freedom for slaves headed to Canada It was Sheboygan County's contribution during the American Civil War era More history: Sheboygan has always embraced Christmas decorations, especially when helping those in need After the American Civil War in 1866, Walker and his wife retired to Muskegon, Michigan, where he lived until his death in 1878 When the railroad line didn't go through Winooski the settlement didn't last much beyond the early 20th century Elkhart Lake and Random Lake — would thrive because of rail lines Winooski Road seems to be the only remnant of what was at one time a vibrant small community by KRISTINA WATROBSKI | Crisis in the Classroom (CITC) — A Vermont school board is considering a "sanctuary" policy which would restrict federal immigration authorities' access to district property the policy would prohibit "unauthorized" staff members from working with federal immigration authorities The policy would also require the district to "lawfully" restrict such authorities' access to schools the Winooski School District would be tasked under the policy with "limiting" what student and family information it shares with people who are "not authorized to have access to such information," which can include federal immigration authorities and particularly of separation and deportation against students and their families create severe emotional psychological and physical barriers to learning and education that can and should be allayed or reduced through support systems," the proposed policy reads The policy notes the Winooski School District is not required by any written state or local mandates to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with federal immigration enforcement It also says the presence of ICE in the district would be a "severe disruption" to learning environments State educators and advocacy groups helped develop elements of the policy The Winooski school board's next meeting is scheduled for Feb The president of the Winooski School Board of Trustees did not respond to a request for comment The consideration of the policy comes as the Trump administration is expected to crack down on illegal immigration to the U.S. President Donald Trump shortly after being inaugurated Monday signed several executive orders targeting immigration including declaring a national emergency at the southern border Board member Anna Campos acknowledged while approving the resolution that some students and families were concerned about "what the future holds." "We understand that the fear is uncertain especially concerning the political deportations of family members can significantly impact our students' well-being their attendance and their ability to learn," Campos said at the time Have something for the Crisis in the Classroom team to investigate Call or text the national tip line at 202-417-7273 A Winooski organization is receiving a $115,000 grant to make physical improvements to their space. Fight for Kids Foundation was awarded the grant by Lowe's as part of their Hometown Impact Program intended to improve and revitalize communities across the country Fight for Kids was started by "King" James McMillian in 2009 who became invested in underrepresented youth and their safety according to foundation volunteer Julie Lappin homework help and various physical fitness programs Lappin's son has been participating in boxing at For for Kids for a while and McMillian has been a "great mentor" for him Enough so that Lappin nominated the organization to receive the award After a few rounds of eliminations and a formal proposal Fight For Kids was selected as one out of 100 organizations in the country to receive a portion of the $100 million initiative from Lowe's Fight for Kids Foundation was granted nonprofit status in 2021, with the goal of being able to establish a larger and permanent space to accommodate a higher number of youth and offer more youth-centered programming Fight for Kids began work on purchasing that new space They found themselves outgrowing their current facility and wanted a place to expand their programs to better serve the needs of the community they have been raising money to buy and remodel old Winooski buildings into a youth center The grant was exactly what they needed to take on that expansion The money will be utilized to build a homework and computer lab space and expand the usable space for programming The renovations will also allow the Youth Center to create the structure necessary for food and hygiene pantries for the community at large Lappin said that local Lowe's employees are helping with the renovations and have really made this nationwide program seem very community-driven Community is a driving force behind the foundation. They welcome volunteers for all types of programs, along with keeping doors open for new programs if any educators have an idea they believe could be of service to the community. More information can be found on the website, vtfightforkids.org