Robert J. Jean

VBRA lost a valued member this month.  Many of you will know Robert Jean of C.J.'s Home Improvements from his long term presence at our Home and Garden Expo.  Robert however was also committed to the VBRA legislative activities.  Most memorable was his participation in our fight to protect Independent Contractors for their right to live a life self directed, as he did- to start and run businesses.  

I am not going to reiterate what was so aptly expressed in Robert's obituary which I will post below.  Rather I'm going to share the immense impact Robert had on so many peoples' lives.  If you had the opportunity to participate in his Memorial Service this past Sunday you know of what I am speaking.  Robert's humor - his love of life - his total commitment to family; and everyone he knew and loved was 'family' to Robert. His willingness to drop everything to help someone in need, driving hours to rescue a friend of a friend from the side of road who then became a personal friend of his as well.  Clearly, Robert would give you the shirt off his back if you were in need.

So many wonderful, loving and humorous stories were shared, too many to share here. My favorites were the ones that showcased his penchant for pranking his friends, like when he  flew his Cessna over his camping friends and air dropped KFC on them so they'd spend hours trying to locate it in our National Forest.  Or how he'd take his friends for a ride in his plane and then scare them half out of their minds. 

Had you ever met Robert you would never have guessed (and I only just learned) that he had been non-verbal for the first 3 years of his life.  As many of you know, he certainly made up for lost time.  

The packed attendance at Robert's memorial is just a small testament to his life well lived - Happy Birthday in Heaven Robert Jean - you will be sorely missed.

OFFICIAL OBITUARY :

Colchester - Robert J. Jean, 51, died unexpectedly Saturday September 7, 2019 following a heart attack while driving. Robert was born on September 26, 1967 in Newport, the son of Leonide and Fernande (Viens) Jean.

He was self-employed for over 25 years, owning C.J.'s Home Improvements. He was a huge Fox News fan, and loved Ford trucks and Donald Trump. He also held his pilot's license and loved to fly whenever he could.

He is survived by his children, Christine Babcock and her husband Andrew Koval of Colchester, Tara Maloney of VA and Jimmy Jean and his friend Sammy Jean of Bristol, his grandchildren, Andrew Koval Jr. and Abigail Jean. Bob is also survived by his former wife, Deneen Jean of So. Burlington, his father, Leo of FL and his sisters, Lucille Jean and her husband Paul, Diane Russell and her husband Malcolm and Theresa Jean; several nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his mother, Fern in 2018.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family in c/o Christine Babcock. Visiting hours will be held on Sunday September 22nd from 11 AM to 2 PM in the Minor Funeral and Cremation Center in Milton. A Funeral Service will follow at 2 PM in the funeral home.

For those who wish, online condolences may be made to www.minorfh.com

The Craig Hervey Housewright Construction Team Wild Riders cycled in the 38^th Annual Prouty fundraising event on Friday, July 12^th and Saturday, July 13th. The Prouty is a two-day athletic event that raises funds to benefit the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC), one of 49 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country, and the only one in northern New England.  Nearly 90 cents of every dollar raised stays at NCCC to fund cancer research seeking better ways to diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer. Research conducted here makes a difference in the lives of cancer patients all over the world.  Money raised also funds local patient supportive services that help ease the way for patients and families struggling with cancer.

This year’s Team Wild Riders – Housewright employee Jodi Ovens and fellow cyclist, Nick Schmid – participated in the Prouty Ulti-Mate, in which bikers rode for a total of 200 miles through the Vermont and New Hampshire countryside. 2019 marked the 11^th year that the Wild Riders have taken part in the Prouty and this year they raised a total of $5,775 for NCCC. When asked why this ride is so important to her, Ovens said, “You never know whose life in the Upper Valley, might be improved because of the funds that we all raise together for this event.  Whether the funds are used to create new life saving treatments or whether they are used to offset financial burdens for local families, then HooYah!! Two days of riding, saddle soreness and a goofy bike tan are well worth it!”

Team Wild Riders would like to thank the following local businesses for their generous donations: Brown’s Masonry of Perkinsville, VT; Emily Herzig Floral Consulting, LLC of Littleton, NH; Green Mountain Monogram of Wells River, VT; Hill & Thompson, PC, of Manchester Center, VT;  Housewright Construction, Inc. of Newbury, VT;Kingdom Kitchen Design, LLC of St. Johnsbury Center, VT;  Mount Cleveland Construction, LLC of Bethlehem, NH; NFP Insurance of St. Johnsbury, VT; Newbury Village Store of Newbury, VT; Oakes Brothers of Bradford, VT; and Valley Floors of Bradford, VT. 

Charlotte - Richard Yandow of Charlotte, Vermont passed away this week in the arms of his loving wife Patricia Yandow. Richard, the son of Harris and Elizabeth Yandow, brother of Joyce Donnelly and father of children Timothy (wife-Gail), Mark and Beth (Husband-Dan) Yandow and his 4 grandchildren, Jacklyn, David, Skylar and Morgan.

Richard is survived by his sister, Joyce Donnelly; sister-in-laws, Kath Blake (Christopher Morrill) and Suzanne (John Krol), his mother-in-law Elaine Blake and numerous nieces and nephews. 

Fondly remembered by all for his outgoing nature, his large sense of humor and above all his kind, generous and loving heart. Richard was a friend to everyone he met. 

A successful entrepreneur and business owner of Yandow Sales & Service, a fourth generation family John Deere Dealership, where he worked along side his wife, Patricia, his son Timothy and his grandson, David. 

Richard had a true passion for the outdoors and some of his fondest memories were of his annual trips to the island of Anticosti and his yearly trips to deer camp with his closest friends. 

Over the years Richard has had many lifelong passions and hobbies. He was a world traveler, avid hunter, a pilot and business owner in the field of radio control airplanes, a lover of RV-ing, a boater, an animal lover and many other things.

Richard was predeceased by his parents Harris and Elizabeth, his brother Dr. Harris Yandow, his son Richard Yandow, his father in law Frederic Blake, and brother in law Benjamin Donnelly and sister in law Dr. Valery Yandow. 

Richard is going to be missed beyond measure by his soul mate and loving wife, Patricia, his children, grandchildren, his family, friends and customers.

Richard was a lifelong devout Catholic and a communicant of Christ the King Church. 

His family sends there sincerest thanks and gratitude for the compassionate care he received from Doctor Paul Unger, Margaret, Stephanie, and the entire staff at CVO. In addition, thanks go out to all the medical professionals on Shepherdson 4 at UVM Medical Center.

There will be no calling hours. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Wednesday July 18, 2018 at 10:00 AM at Christ the King Catholic Church on Locust St in Burlington, Burial followed at North Ferrisburgh Cemetery. 

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations can be made to Charlotte Rescue Squad or the Chittenden County Humane Society.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Ready Funeral Home South Chapel 26 Shelburne Rd. Burlington, VT 05401 Please visit www.readyfuneral.com to place on-line condolences.

MANCHESTER CENTER, VT – rk MILES is pleased to announce that Manchester Estimator, Tim Robinson, has been selected as the “Best of the Best” by Trus Joist (a Weyerhaeuser Company).

Robinson was nominated by Trus Joist Territory Manager Brian Wright for going above and beyond to help builders, specifiers, and rk MILES’ lumberyard in specifying Trus Joist products.

 

(Trus Joist Territory manager Brian Wright (Left) Presents Tim Robinson with the Best of the Best Award at rk MILE’s Annual Vermont Contractors’ Golf Tournament in Manchester last month.)

“Tim is one of the best designers, he will look at a project and make sure all aspects of the project are completed before it is released.  He consistently goes above and beyond to make sure things are done appropriately and timely,” Wright said. “Having him at the helm of the design group is comforting and I know is a winning solution for both rk MILES and Trus Joist,” he added.

Robinson was presented with the award at rk MILES’ Annual Vermont Contractors’ Golf tournament on June 15^th.

This award is given annually to a designer whom Trus Joist believes contributes the most to the success of their company and the lumber dealer.

About rk MILES  
rk MILES is a third-generation family business founded in Manchester, VT in 1940. The company supplies lumber, building materials and home goods to communities in Vermont and Western Massachusetts. In 2005 rk MILES expanded their operations in 2005 with the purchase of our Middlebury Vermont and Williamstown Massachusetts (formerly Taconic Lumber) locations, and the purchase of our West Hatfield Massachusetts location in 2008. More recently, rk MILES expanded to North-central Vermont with the purchase of two more locations in Morrisville and Stowe (formerly Morrisville Lumber) in 2017.

Late last fall, Newbury Elementary School teacher Jeff Goodell approached Housewright Construction, Inc for assistance with a project that combined educational and community service opportunities for his 5th /6th grade class. His class, aka “The Otters,” was studying the Eastern Bluebird. Learning that this bird’s population struggles with a lack of suitable nesting spaces, the students were curious about ways they could provide assistance within Newbury. They decided to build bluebird houses. After researching topics such as habitat, nesting needs, range, and breeding habits, the Otters approached the local community asking for volunteers to “house” nesting boxes. They located six suitable habitat sites within walking distance of the school and measured each to determine how many boxes could be on a property. They concluded they would need 25 boxes – and that’s where Housewright could help them.   Click the link below for the rest of the story

https://vermontbiz.com/news/2018/may/24/otters-helping-bluebirds?utm_source=VBM+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=95d0f42790-EENEWS_2018_05_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b5e56b36a4-95d0f42790-286701733

FlipGive is an alternative to traditional fundraising – it’s an online cash back program for Associations like ours to offer added benefit to their membership and sponsors.   

Each purchase you make will benefit the Home Builders and Remodelers Association and the programs we can offer you.  The HBRA will receive a % on every purchase you make.  The HBRA has created an account on www.flipgive.com, and we invite you to join our Team (HBRANV) to shop for the things you need anyway - equipment, flight and hotel bookings, restaurant gift cards and much more. Sign up today! 

Do your everyday shopping with hundreds of great brands and earn cash back for our team with every purchase!  Take advantage of contests and promotions throughout the year. Enjoy special offers from brands, exclusively for FlipGive teams.

There are no extra costs or hidden fees and it’s FREE to use! Every dollar and penny earned from your online purchases belong to the HBRA only.

You can make on-line and gift card purchases at any of the retailers on the website.  Gift cards can be used in-store or on line making it super simple.  AND – BONUS - If the retailer has a sale, you get the sale price. Cool, right?

Feeling generous??  The HBRA will get a percentage of any donation you make (less a 6% admin processing fee for PayPal donations) to a worthy cause listed on the Flipgive website.  Win-win!

JOIN NOW and help make the HBRA strong and vital!

Please check the flipgive.com website for an exclusions or qualifications prior to purchase.

Today the Supreme Court of the State of Vermont decided that the State DoL was overreaching their mandate by overstating the Workers Compensation & Unemployment Insurance...