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Obituary: Kaleb Bates-Wolcott, 1982-2024

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2 years ago

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Obituary: Kaleb Bates-Wolcott, 1982-2024


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  • Courtesy
  • Kaleb Bates-Wolcott

This
obituary is written in honor of Kaleb’s life and memory.

Kaleb
Asher Bates-Wolcott was born at home in Elmore, Vt., on June 17.
1982. He died peacefully in the early morning on April 18, 2024, at
Central Vermont Medical Center in Barre, Vt., at the age of 41. He
had bravely, as the warrior he was, coped with muscular dystrophy
throughout his lifetime. Kaleb was an amazing human being. He was
strong-willed, intelligent, kind and generous, with a great sense of
humor — a good listener who patiently listened to the worried well
at his bedside.

Kaleb
lost his ability to walk at age 12 and creatively and fiercely
adapted to his life in an electric wheelchair. His top priority was
his social life. In Wauwatosa, Wis., he learned early that to meet
people he had to reach out to them, first by ignoring their fears and
biases of the disabled, and then disarming them with his wit and
humor. He quickly got a paper route with a friend who rode on the
back of his chair at top speed, while pitching papers onto lawns. In
high school, he began to watch cooking shows with a friend after
school, which developed into 15-20 teens regularly testing new
recipes in the kitchen into the early hours of the morning. Kaleb
prided himself on directing and inspiring his friends on how to
appreciate and cook good food. (His mother bought the groceries.
“Really, you NEED Chilean sea bass?”) Kaleb also had an eclectic
taste in music, ranging from Frank Sinatra to Wu-Tang Clan, obscure
local hip-hop to Coldplay and classical to jazz. While attending
Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin, he began, on
his own, to investigate the music scene in Milwaukee. Security guards
at each venue soon realized he wasn’t safe in the raucous crowds,
so he watched from backstage and met many famous musicians along the
way.

He
took in the world through conversations, food, art, music and film.
These hours of study resulted in critical and categorical knowledge
of just about everything, including the existence of bigfoot and
ancient aliens. He entertained all ages at his bedside by figuring
out what people’s tastes were and introducing them all to new
movies or the latest series or video game. Kaleb was supported, loved
and cared for by a large group of extended family, friends and
caregivers whom he cared for deeply.

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Kaleb’s
immediate family members include his parents, James G. Wolcott, of
Jeffersonville, Vt., and Barbara A. Bates, of Westmoreland, N.H.; his
siblings, Eliza Bates-Wolcott, of Fayston, Vt., and Ezra Bates
-Wolcott, of Traverse City, Mich.; his nephews, Elijah Wolcott, of
Descanso, Calif., and Jackson Craig, of Fayston, Vt.; his niece,
Lilliana Hoy, of Sandy, Utah, and his maternal grandmother, Janet
Mckallor Beck, of Westmoreland, N.H.

A
Viking celebration of life will be held at a later date, with close
friends and family.

In
memory of Kaleb, consider donating to the charity of your choice.
“Pay it forward!”

He
would like that.



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Vermont

Vermont state employees’ union files labor complaint over Gov. Phil Scott’s return-to-office plan — and sues – VTDigger

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14 hours ago

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November 21, 2025

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Vermont state employees’ union files labor complaint over Gov. Phil Scott’s return-to-office plan — and sues – VTDigger


State employees enter the state office complex in Waterbury as the Vermont State Employees Association opposes Gov. Phil Scott’s return to work mandate on Oct. 23, 2025. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

The union representing Vermont state employees is turning to two legal venues to challenge Gov. Phil Scott’s order that many of its members return to the office in person.

On Nov. 10, the Vermont State Employees’ Association filed a charge with the state’s Labor Relations Board alleging the Scott administration skirted a union demand to enter formal bargaining over the return-to-work plan, in violation of labor protection laws. The plan will require many employees to come into the office at least three days a week. 

The union also filed a separate grievance with the Labor Relations Board arguing that parts of the plan violated the collective bargaining agreement it has in place with the state. 

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Then, on Nov. 12, the union filed a lawsuit in Washington County Superior civil court asking a judge to bar the Scott administration from implementing its workplace plan — set to take effect Dec. 1 — until the labor board adjudicates the union’s complaints. 

The union wrote in its lawsuit that “neither the unfair labor practice charge nor the grievance is capable of being decided” by the labor board before Dec. 1. The suit seeks a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction that allows state employees to continue working remotely.

Steve Howard, the union’s executive director, said in an interview Wednesday that he hoped the suit would at least slow the implementation of the governor’s directive. He said he thought a hearing could be held on the lawsuit as soon as next week. 

The legal challenges mark a significant escalation in the monthslong fight between the union and the administration over the plan to have state workers, with some exceptions, return to the office. The union contends that the hybrid work mandate will cause experienced employees to quit, decreasing the quality of state departments’ work. 

At the same time, administration officials say that the order will improve government services by boosting collaboration and helping to preserve institutional knowledge. They’ve argued Vermonters want government workers to be present in-person.

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In a statement Thursday, Amanda Wheeler, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said the union’s legal challenges had no impact on Scott’s support for the plan. 

“The Administration’s decision to implement this standard is well within our authority,” Wheeler wrote. “The Governor’s position on returning to a hybrid work standard has not changed, he continues to believe human connection is an important part of employee engagement, as well as team building and learning from each other.” 

According to court filings, after the administration formally announced its return-to-work plans in late August, it wrote to the union in September requesting a meeting to discuss the plans and hear the union’s concerns. In that letter, which is attached to the lawsuit, John Berard, the state’s director of labor relations, said the plan did not need to be the subject of formal bargaining. That’s because the planned hybrid work requirement was permissible under an existing teleworking policy for state employees, he said.

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by Shaun Robinson


But the union doesn’t see it that way. In court filings, the union contends state leaders agreed to remote working arrangements for their employees, starting at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, that did not fall under the stipulations of the teleworking policy. Those arrangements “have become an established condition of employment which the State is not free to change” without entering formal bargaining, the union wrote in an Oct. 24 letter to the state. It demanded, in that letter, that bargaining take place. 

Berard then wrote the union back Nov. 10 saying the state’s position had remained unchanged, according to court filings. That’s the same day the union filed its challenges with the state Labor Relations Board.

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The legal challenges are set to play out as the state has expanded its workspace ahead of the planned return to office for many employees. On Monday, it signed leases for three new office spaces in the privately owned Pilgrim Park complex in Waterbury, which records show would be used by workers at the state Agency of Human Services.

That agency has been facing a shortage of office space at the nearby Waterbury State Office Complex, where much of its operations are based. The shortage could delay the restart of in-person work for some employees past Dec. 1, officials said previously.

The state is set to pay about $2.3 million to lease the new office space over the next five years, according to the leases.





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This Vermont company was ranked 24th ‘most ethical’ in the US

Published

1 day ago

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November 20, 2025

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This Vermont company was ranked 24th ‘most ethical’ in the US


Job tips: How to prepare for a virtual job interview

From lighting to sound, here are 5 tips to prepare for a virtual job interview.

ProblemSolved, USA TODAY

One Vermont company was deemed among the “most ethical” in the United States by the financial media company MarketBeat.

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MarketBeat said it surveyed more than 3,000 people from different demographics last month to determine which companies they feel best align with their personal ethics and values. The results were then adjusted to reflect national population benchmarks.

The survey found that people value businesses that remain close to their founding towns, prioritize employee ownership and focus on sustainability.

The financial media company pulled together a list of 118 businesses considered to be the “most ethical” across the nation.

See how the Vermont company ranks and how it stacks up against other New England businesses.

MarketBeat’s ‘most ethical’ Vermont company

Here is the Vermont company that made MarketBeat’s “most ethical” list:

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King Arthur Baking Company in Norwich, which sells flours, mixes, and baking tools, was ranked #24 in the country.

The baking company lists four environmental commitments on its website – regenerative agriculture, emissions reduction, zero waste and sustainable packaging.

King Arthur is employee-owned and is focused on “fostering an inclusive and welcoming baking community, taking meaningful steps to ensure all bakers feel they belong,” it said.

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How other New England companies stack up

Here are the New England companies that made MarketBeat’s top 118 list:

  1. Ocean Spray – Lakeville, Massachusetts (#4 nationally)
  2. CVS Health – Woonsocket, Rhode Island (#5 nationally)
  3. L.L. Bean – Freeport, Maine (#12 nationally)
  4. King Arthur Baking Company – Norwich, Vermont (#24 nationally)
  5. Timberland – Stratham, New Hampshire (#30 nationally)
  6. Stonyfield Organic – Londonderry, New Hampshire (#34 nationally)
  7. Taza Chocolate – Somerville, Massachusetts (#56 nationally)
  8. New Morning Market – Woodbury, Connecticut (#65 nationally)
  9. Narragansett Beer – Providence, Rhode Island (#86 nationally)
  10. ReVision Energy – South Portland, Maine (#89 nationally)
  11. Allagash Brewing Company – Portland, Maine (#109 nationally)
  12. Cape Air – Hyannis, Massachusetts (#110 nationally)

Top 20 ‘most ethical’ companies in the US

Here are the top 20 “most ethical” companies in the U.S., from a list of 118, according to MarketBeat:

  1. Hershey Company – Hershey, Pennsylvania
  2. The Campbell’s Company – Camden, New Jersey
  3. Burt’s Bees – Durham, North Carolina
  4. Ocean Spray – Lakeville, Massachusetts
  5. CVS Health – Woonsocket, Rhode Island
  6. Publix Super Markets – Lakeland, Florida
  7. McCormick & Company – Hunt Valley, Maryland
  8. Hallmark Cards – Kansas City, Kansas
  9. Tillamook Creamery – Tillamook, Oregon
  10. Buc-ee’s – Lake Jackson, Texas
  11. Jack Daniel’s Distillery – Lynchburg, Tennessee
  12. L.L. Bean – Freeport, Maine
  13. Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  14. Community Coffee Company – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  15. Zapp’s Potato Chips – Gramercy, Louisiana
  16. Ozark Natural Foods – Fayetteville, Arkansas
  17. Clif Bar Baking Company – Twin Falls, Idaho
  18. Peace Coffee – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  19. Honolulu Coffee Company – Honolulu, Hawaii
  20. Milo’s Tea Company – Bessemer, Alabama



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Vt., NH SNAP recipients targeted in phishing scam

Published

2 days ago

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November 19, 2025

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Vt., NH SNAP recipients targeted in phishing scam


MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – State officials in Vermont and New Hampshire are warning SNAP recipients about phishing scams involving fraudulent phone calls, text messages, and emails.

Officials say scammers are calling and sending messages fraudulently claiming that the client’s EBT card has been “locked” and instructing them to call back to verify their eligibility.

Officials advise recipients not to share personal information with the sender and never give EBT card numbers to an unknown caller.

In Vermont, the scam should be reported to the Consumer Assistance Program at 800-649-2424.

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