Hearing set for new Williston Village land use rules
BY JASON STARR Observer staff
Town planners have rewritten land use regulations for Williston Village in an effort to spur home improvements and economic activity in the historic center of town. The planning commission has set a public hearing on the new rules for 7 p.m., Jan. 21 at Town Hall.
Planning and zoning department staff have been working with the planning commission since 2022 on rewriting regulations for the district, which runs from just east of Williston Federated Church to near the Williston Fire Department, and is bordered North-South by the Allen Brook and Interstate 89.
In December, the planning commission approved a finalized version to present at the public hearing. To take effect, any changes would require subsequent selectboard approval.
The Village’s standing as a National Register Historic District under the National Parks Service compels the town to strike a balance between preserving the village’s 19th century character and giving property owners some flexibility in how they can build, remodel and add to their properties.
The town has historically required property owners to apply for a “Certificate of
Appropriateness” (COA) as part of any remodel or redevelopment. The new rules allow some properties — those built within the last 50 years, for example, that don’t contribute to the historic character of the area — to bypass the COA application. They also prescribe detailed design criteria related to building materials, footprint size, landscaping and street frontage, echoing elements of the “form-based code” that was approved for the Taft Corners area in 2022.
The Williston Historic and Design Advisory Committee threw its support behind the changes in a December memo to the planning commission.
“It is our hope that … greater opportunity emerges for the adaptive reuse and long-term upkeep of individual structures” in the village, it wrote.
The first step for any village property owner seeking to build or remodel will be to obtain a determination letter from the zoning office that rules whether the property “contributes to the district’s historic significance or character.” Those that do — buildings built in the mid-1800s, for example — will still require a COA to be modified. More modern buildings deemed “non-contributing” won’t need a
Students, superintendent centered in new flag policy
Requests for BLM and Pride Progress flags due by Jan. 17
BY JASON STARR Observer staff
Some of the more heated school board meeting debates this decade have centered on what gets approved to fly on the flagpoles outside school.
Why fly anything other than the American and Vermont state flags? Is Black Lives Matter a saying or a political organization? How long does a flag approval last? Is raising a flag taking the place of doing more tangible equity work?
These are the questions members of the public and the school board have wrestled with when the board has fielded flag display requests or attempted to set flag display policy.
The first such request came in 2020, when the Champlain Valley School Board approved the flying of the Black Lives Matter flag. More recently, the Pride Progress flag was raised outside local schools.
Now, under a new flag policy the board adopted at its Dec. 17 meeting, these discussions will be taken out of the public forum of school board meetings and be worked out between students and the district superintendent. The policy replaces a flag policy the board approved in 2022, stripping it of the board’s
guidelines for making requests and affirming the superintendent’s decision-making authority on flag display matters.
“It allows the procedures to be modified as needed as administrators see fit without needing board action,” school board member Angela Arsenault said. “It gives some much-needed agency to the district leaders who are actually implementing the policy.”
The new procedures for the superintendent to follow state that requests can only come from “officially recognized student groups” and must explain how the flag supports the district’s vision and mission. Requests must
Williston Senior Planner and Deputy Zoning Administrator Emily Heymann leads a walk of Williston Village in 2022 to kick off a rezoning effort for the Village Zoning District. The resulting new regulations are up for a public hearing Jan. 21.
Continued display of the Pride Progress Flag and the Black Lives Matter flag at local schools will require new requests from students by Jan. 17 under a flag policy adopted by the school board on Dec. 17. OBSERVER FILE PHOTO
Village
continued from page 1
COA, but they will be subject to the new formbased code design standards.
“We still want it to look like it fits in the village, but you will have a lot more flexibility … with renovations, additional architectural styles or demolition,” said Williston Senior Planner and Deputy Zoning Administrator Emily Heymann, who has offered one-on-one consultations with Village property owners to prepare them for the new regulations.
Another distinction the new regulations make is for properties with frontage on Williston, Old Stage, North Williston and Oak Hill roads within the Village Zoning District. Properties with such frontage have
continued from page 1
be limited in time frame to no more than one calendar year, with the opportunity to renew. Religious symbols and other symbols prohibited from government speech won’t be considered. Also, an educational component “to draw the connection between the symbolism of the flag and why it is being raised” will be required.
“The Champlain Valley School District and its Board of School Directors recognize that flags are one way to share the district’s
more opportunity for commercial activities, including allowances for outdoor sales and displays, outdoor storage and outdoor work areas. However, through design standards related to building materials, roof shape and window requirements, planners hope to preclude a cookie-cutter national chain store from moving into the Village.
“We love to use the Dollar General example,” Heymann said. “The standards would make it very challenging” for one to open in the Village.
“We’re looking for a structure that looks more like a single family home than a square box,” she said. “Theoretically you could have a Dollar General that would want to do that, but it would be very hard, and it would not look like their (standard) model.”
commitment to equity and its vision of growth and belonging for all,” the policy states. “When paired with relevant curriculum and activities, this messaging can promote the district’s efforts to create and maintain a community that respects and celebrates all people and helps to uplift all of our students and families.”
No end date has so far been attached to the flying of the Black Lives Matter and Pride Progress flags. But the new procedures require a new request for the continued display of those flags be made to the superintendent by students no later than Jan. 17.
Around Town
$600 from second graders
The second grade Trailblazers Team at Allen Brook School recently raised money and bought items for donation to the Williston Community Food Shelf. Selling items they made, such as snowflakes, bookmarks, bracelets and duct tape wallets, they raised nearly $600.
To cap off the initiative, former Allen Brook School kindergarten teacher Carmen LaFlamme, a food shelf volunteer, visited the students to discuss the food shelf and answer questions.
Rotary announces January speaker calendar
The Williston-Richmond Rotary Club invites community members to join its Thursday breakfast meetings in January when the group hosts the following speakers:
• Jan. 9: Ginger Morton, president of the Williston Community Food Shelf
• Jan. 23: Lisa Bilowith, school director of the Jean Garvin School in Williston
• Jan. 30: Mary Joy Patchett, director of the Richmond Food Shelf & Thrift Store
Optional breakfast is served at 7:15 a.m. and meetings commence at 7:30 a.m. If interested in joining in person or via Zoom, RSVP to RotaryClubofWillistonVT@gmail.com.
To learn more about the club, visit www. portal.clubrunner.ca/1453/.
Sustainable Williston hosts monthly discussions
Everyone is welcome at Sustainable Williston’s social gathering taking place on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 9-10 a.m. at Twisted Halo Café & Comics.
The group meets every second Saturday of the month for coffee, donuts and discussion on topics related to climate change, the town’s energy plan, home sustainability projects, electrification, transportation, housing, gardening, books/podcasts/movies and more.
Fun & Funky January 20%
Furniture
OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTO
End of an era in Vermont journalism
The state’s AP bureau loses last reporter
BY SHAUN ROBINSON VTDigger
The sole remaining Associated Press reporter focused on Vermont will leave her job this week, marking the end of an era for what was long one of the state’s leading news organizations with, at its peak, a staff of a dozen people working in Montpelier.
Lisa Rathke wrote in an email to colleagues in local media and politics that she was “taking voluntary early retirement” from the AP, effective Jan. 3. She said she isn’t retiring for good, but rather, taking “a few months to figure out what’s next.”
“I’ve enjoyed my career immensely and working with all of you over the last quarter century,” wrote Rathke, who has worked at the global news service since 1998.
Rathke declined to speak further about her decision, instead referring VTDigger to an AP spokesperson, who did not respond to a request for comment.
The news cooperative — which shares coverage with member publications around the world — announced last month that it was starting to offer buyouts to some employees and lay off others as part of a plan to reduce its staff by about 8 percent. The cuts would help “accelerate a transition to a digital-first organization,” the outlet said.
Rathke wrote that the AP is hiring for a new job in Vermont, though it is not a permanent replacement for her role. Instead, according to a company job description, it’s a temporary, one-year video journalist job based either in Montpelier or Burlington.
The video journalist will report to a regional New England editor, the job posting states, and assist with covering national breaking news for the AP as needed.
Close observers of Vermont media have been watching the AP’s presence in the state dwindle for years.
Chris Graff, the longtime former chief of the state’s AP bureau, said it peaked at nine reporters, two photographers and one other staffer in the 1990s and early 2000s but had been slowly shedding personnel since then.
“It’s very sad,” he said, adding that it had been multiple years since the news service had a physical office in the capital. For many years, the outlet was housed above the former Thrush Tavern — just steps from the Pavilion building — though it also occupied other offices around the city prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The AP had six employees in its Montpelier bureau in 2007, then downsized to four through attrition by 2013, Seven Days reported at the time. Veteran photographer Toby Talbot retired that year, too, bringing the bureau to three.
In 2016, the AP cut another position in the bureau, leading to veteran reporter Dave Gram’s departure. Then, longtime correspondent Wilson Ring’s retirement in 2023 left Rathke as the AP’s only Vermont reporter.
In recent years, Graff said, he’s also noticed a shift in the AP’s coverage away from many local Vermont stories. While the outlet has long supplied local newspapers around the state with its own statewide coverage — and, in turn, benefited from the local content those papers shared with it — Graff said the AP has recently turned its focus outward, often producing stories about Vermont for readers who live in other states.
To be sure, he noted, that shift is driven in part by the hollowing out of many of those local newspapers, too. A May study from the University of Vermont found that the state has 75 percent fewer working journalists today than it did two decades ago.
“It’s very unlikely the AP would write a story now that would be of only interest to Vermont,” Graff said on Thursday. “It would have to be of interest to New England, or the Northeast — or nationally.”
Municipalities navigate EV learning curve
Approaches to charging fees differ among Vermont towns
BY GRETA SOLSAA VTDigger
For two years, the only spots in Brandon with a parking meter racking up fees were the electric vehicle charging spaces. That seemed “fundamentally unfair” to Tim Guiles, a town selectboard member and EV owner.
At a Brandon selectboard meeting earlier this month where members agreed to set the electric vehicle charging fee to be commensurate with electricity cost, Guiles rekindled the conversation about this lingering grievance about the additional parking fee.
Brian Coolidge, another selectboard member, said in an interview that the parking fee was implemented to cover maintenance costs and ensure that the EV chargers do not burden taxpayers.
Other municipalities in Vermont are also grappling with the question of who should bear the lion’s share of the EV energy and maintenance costs and how those funds should be collected, especially weighing the wider benefits of EV usage.
The charging and parking fee structure in Brandon has covered the cost of the chargers “plus a little bit of margin,” said Town Manager Seth Hopkins, adding that the downtown charges have been an economic development tool and an asset for the town.
“That’s a high use spot for us,” said Hopkins. “The main benefit to the town is that people coming through will charge their car and then walk around town and visit shops, patronize restaurants, and go to cultural events.”
Bronywn Cooke serves as the planning
and policy manager for the Department of Housing and Community Development, which funded Brandon’s chargers in 2019 through the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment grant, along with over 100 other charging stations around the state since 2014. Brandon’s walkable downtown made it a prime location, said Cooke.
“At the time our funding was focused on investing in EVs in the public realm,” Cooke said. “We were really looking for areas where people could safely walk to other things to do while they were waiting for their vehicle to charge.”
Brandon’s selectboard came to a compromise at the recent meeting and amended the $1.25 hourly fee for parking so it kicks in after two hours. Hopkins said two hours is around the time it takes a level two electric charger to finish charging, according to data collected by Charge Point, Brandon’s EV charger service provider.
Further north, Barre City has taken a different approach to the EV chargers installed there in 2014 through the same state grant program. Nicolas Storellicastro, Barre’s city manager, said the city canceled its contract with ChargePoint a few years ago and eliminated charging fees. The city found it could save more money paying for EV owners’ electricity compared to maintaining the contract with Charge Point, according to Storellicastro.
But, in July of this year, Barre implemented a fee of $2 per hour to use the parking spot, which is reserved for electric vehicles. Storellicastro said Barre charges for parking for all other spots downtown and people were lingering in the EV parking spaces too long. The city has not fielded any complaints from residents so far about the new charge, he said.
“We solved the issue by encouraging and incentivizing people not to be parked
there all day,” said Storellicastro. “By doing that we’re freeing it up for whoever needs to use it on a somewhat regular, limited basis.”
The town of Bennington is also reconsidering its EV charging fee model. Bennington’s chargers have been free to use since they were installed in 2014 through the same grant Brandon and Barre received, said Paul Dansereau, the director of Bennington’s Facilities, Buildings, and Grounds Department.
But, as EV owners increasingly use the chargers, the town’s electricity costs have surged. Charging data provided by Charge Point showed that on Dec. 16, Bennington’s electricity cost in the previous 30 days amounted to $642, in addition to the overhead cost of Charge Point’s service,
Dansereau said.
Dansereau and Mark Sawyer, Bennington’s assistant director of facilities, buildings, and grounds, are preparing a proposal for the selectboard to amend the town’s charging system. Dansereau said the proposal would set a fee structure to create a “self-sustaining fund” for “operation, maintenance and to continue to expand the program” by installing chargers in other areas of Bennington.
There is no timeline for the presentation of the proposal, but Dansereau said Bennington residents would be able to offer public comments when that time comes.
Cooke, with the Department of Housing and Community Development, said as long as fee structures are properly communicated
An electric vehicle recharges on Main Street in Burlington.
FILE PHOTO BY GLENN RUSSELL/VTDIGGER
to the public, municipalities can add fees on top of charging costs and still meet best practices established by the state. The differing approaches to EV charger fees are reflective of the “learning curve” of Vermont municipalities as more people in the state begin to shift toward structuring life around EV usage, Cooke said.
“Part of the challenge is treating parking differently than we have before,” said Cooke. “The infrastructure is changing, so the way we think about parking has to change.”
Patrick Murphy, state policy director for the Vermont Agency of Transportation, said parking fees would be more accurately characterized as a “hold-over charge” in the electric vehicle industry.
“It is less about the value of the parking space itself but more about incurring turnover and so that folks don’t over use the public resource, and in that way facilitates the sharing of it,” said Murphy.
Guiles, the Brandon selectboard member, said he understands the need to charge electric vehicle owners in line with the cost burden of municipalities and the state. He noted that, on the state level, starting in 2025, EV owners will contribute to the fund for road maintenance through an annual fee, which was previously only funded by a gas tax.
But, Guiles said municipalities and the state should consider the economic and environmental benefits of electric vehicles when creating local and statewide fee structures in order to avoid creating additional barriers for access to EVs.
“The nuance that I’m trying to get across is, at the same time that electric cars should be paying a tax for using the roads, we should also be finding a way to incentivize electric cars so more people use them,” said Guiles.
Jeremy Gildren, an energy
“Everybody
who has an electric car wants to charge at home. But, if you rent, you can’t necessarily put in a car charger because you don’t own the property, and you might have a property owner that does not allow that, so that’s where public charging infrastructure becomes really important.”
Jeremy Gildren Rutland Regional Planning Commission
planner for the Rutland Regional Planning Commission, said public access to affordable EV charging is particularly crucial for renters because of “split incentives” for renters and property owners that create additional cost barriers.
“Everybody who has an electric car wants to charge at home,” said Gildren. “But, if you rent, you can’t necessarily put in a car charger because you don’t own the property, and you might have a property owner that does not allow that, so that’s where public charging infrastructure becomes really important.”
The Drive Electric Vermont program uses state funds to incentivize the purchase and use of EV vehicles and improve access to public charging, workplace charging and multi-family charging.
Dave Roberts, the program’s coordinator, said people prefer to charge at home because of convenience and low costs, so a crucial part of the program has been offsetting the cost of installing EV chargers for
those who rent or own multi-unit dwellings.
Murphy said the state transportation agency has been working to improve EV charging infrastructure adjacent to exits of highways through the National Electric Vehicle Incentives Program. He said the agency has considered socioeconomic factors and the needs of areas when determining the location of EV charging grants so infrastructure is built out strategically.
Investments in EV chargers around the state offer an opportunity to avoid the downsides of the traditional model of a gas station serving as a pit stop, Murphy said. He hopes publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure developments will bring people to village centers, boost local economies and build stronger communities.
“I think that the important difference that comes up when thinking about these stations more holistically is how they could provide more benefit, not just to the driving public, but also to the communities in which they’re located,” said Murphy.
Bernie Carr, executive director of the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce and a merchant downtown, said that even if EV owners don’t purchase from local businesses while waiting for their vehicle to charge, the town’s charging infrastructure helps put Brandon’s vibrant downtown on the map.
“If nothing else, it’s going to give you someone who knows the downtown and then says, ‘I got to come back,’” said Carr.
1 dead in Christmas house fire in Colchester
BY AUDITI GUHA VTDigger
A person was found dead last Wednesday following an early morning fire in Colchester, according to authorities.
At about 3:45 a.m., emergency crews responded to a 911 call about a house fire on Malletts Bay Club Road with a person possibly trapped inside, according to a press release issued by the Colchester Police Department.
Firefighters from Colchester and neighboring communities responded to find the two-story house engulfed in flames and battled the fire for hours. The house sustained significant damage.
Just after noon, the crews located a body inside the home and transported it to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. A dog also died in the fire, according to the release. Authorities did not immediately identify the person who died.
The fire was being investigated but was not considered suspicious, according to Colchester police.
BY BEN KINSLEY
As a property taxpayer, I was relieved to see that the Dec. 1 letter from the Tax Commissioner did not warn of another double-digit tax increase. However, as a public policy advocate, that relief dissipated as I dug into the details.
While education spending is not projected to increase as steeply as it did last year, there is still $115 million in new education spending predicted from school districts. On top of that, there is $69 million in one-time funds that the Legislature used last year that will fall to property taxpayers this year. In total, that means $184 million in new pressure on taxes. When compared to last year’s increase of $182 million in new spending, we realize there is no meaningful change. Yes, new spending is down this year, but the total increased liability for taxpayers is indistinguishable. So, if the increase in total tax liability is the same, why are property taxes not up double digits again? Well, there are a couple factors, but it mostly has to do
No victory on property taxes
with economic drivers.
First, there is a $33 million surplus that is projected from fiscal year 2025 (revenues from current taxes are higher than expected). The second reason is that projected consumption tax revenues are
were not a factor last year, again, artificially decreasing pressure on property taxes despite the appetite for spending.
While it is tempting to consider, in the context of last year, a 5.9 percent increase in Vermonters’
We have consistently seen annual increases in education spending in the double digits over the last five years … Federal funds and the growth in sales taxes have largely masked this skyrocketing spending, but it’s now catching up with us in the form of higher property taxes.
up $21.9 million for fiscal year 2026. Finally, a hefty 14.7 percent increase in property values that are not evenly distributed around the state will also help mitigate the increased tax burden on some households (unless you are one of the unlucky ones at the high end of increasing grand list values).
Additionally, new tax sources like the short-term rental surcharge and the cloud tax are part of the calculation this year that
property tax bills a victory, when we reframe the context around what that actually means for the household budgets of our friends and neighbors, the story changes. The U.S. inflation rate for Quarter 4 of this year was 2.3 percent,
and looking ahead to Quarter 3 of 2025 (when the fiscal year 2026 property taxes would go into effect), it is projected to be the same. This means that the increased tax burden is 2.6 times higher than inflation — a strong indicator that incomes will not keep pace with this tax increase.
The average property tax bill in Vermont is $4,697 annually, which translates to another $277 that taxpayers can expect to shell out for the 2025/26 school year. That is more than a full week’s worth of groceries for a typical Vermont family. It’s also more than two months’ worth of electricity. For a family that is not income-sensitized, the increase is even more pronounced.
On a $500,000 home in South Burlington, for example, a family paying based on their property value instead of income could expect to see a $534 increase in their property tax bill next year.
As pointed out by Tom Pelham earlier this year, the reason we are in this mess to begin with is that we have consistently seen annual increases in education spending (school budgets) in the double digits over the last five years — a total spending increase of 30 percent. Federal funds and the growth in sales taxes have largely masked this skyrocketing spending, but it’s now catching up with us in the form of higher property taxes.
Fixing this propensity for spending requires structural reform that introduces more accountability and transparency into our education funding system. We spend the second most per student out of any state in the country, yet our results are far from second best.
What we have is a distribution of resources problem. The resources we have are not making it to the right places to improve (or
Friday at 5 p.m. for the next Thursday issue rick@willistonobserver.com, 802-373-2136
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Member:
see KINSLEY page 7
Kinsley
continued from page 6
even maintain) outcomes for students. Educators, administrators and policymakers have been constantly distracted by new shiny objects.
The good news is that this is fixable if policymakers set a laser-focus on the common outcomes we all want (improved test scores, post-secondary readiness, college placement, etc.) and create the incentives to hit them and empower folks on the ground to strive for greatness.
Today, too many of the incentives are misplaced, leading to disproportionately high spending and declining outcomes. I hope legislators are up to the task.
Ben Kinsley is the interim executive director for Campaign for Vermont, a non-partisan advocacy group seeking to grow the state’s middle class.
Protecting the neighborhood
This is in response to the Dec. 12 article regarding the Vermont Supreme Court decision in favor of the Vermont English Bulldog Rescue (“Supreme Court rules in favor of dog rescue”).
The Supreme Court ruled on just one aspect of the permit.
In the article, the owner of the rescue characterized the situation as one of a case of “David and Goliath;” the reality is far more nuanced. The facts of the case, when examined objectively, tell a very different story.
This is about Williston’s ordinance and the town
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
denying the rescue’s permit application twice. The Williston Development Review Board (DRB) denied a home business permit twice, the second time overturning a permit issued by the zoning administrator. The Vermont Environmental Court denied the rescue’s appeal of the DRB’s second denial.
The neighbors are exercising their rights to participate in the process. They have legitimate concerns about the impacts of the rescue operating in a family neighborhood. Concerns include increased traffic from workers and adopters, noise disturbances and unknown dogs being walked in the neighborhood. These
Comprehensive Dentistry
concerns are valid in any established neighborhood.
At both DRB hearings, a board member suggested that the business may have outgrown itself as a home business.
Throughout this process, the neighbors have been subjected to unwarranted and untrue accusations and harassment, not the other way, as has been portrayed in other public forums. Their efforts to protect their neighborhood from the disruptive impacts
Emergencies seen promptly.
now contract with all major dental insurances.
should not be mischaracterized as opposition to animal welfare.
This is not a David vs. Goliath scenario. It’s about the rescue not respecting the neighborhood and seeking carte blanche to operate as it wishes.
The Supreme Court returned the matter to the Environmental Court to consider the remaining issues.
Mike Kanfer Williston
Hittin’ the hoops
The Redhawks’ were hitting hot from the floor on Friday in Hinesburg with a 44-27 win over the Colchester Lakers. Jacob Armstong, left, gets free in the paint for a bucket. Jackson DuBois, center, battles for the offensive rebound. And Adrian Paliling, right, lets fly with a fast break layup.
Below, aggressive play like Owen Scott, left, making a fast break down the court and Armstrong’s dive for a loose ball, right, contributed to the win.
OBSERVER PHOTOS BY AL FREY
Giving your Christmas tree a second life
BY DEBRA HELEBA Special to the Observer
If your holiday includes a live, cut Christmas tree, you may be wondering what to do with it after the festivities are over. Many towns, civic clubs and solid waste districts across Vermont now have disposal programs in place. Most offer curbside pick-up of spent trees so long as all decorations, including tinsel, have been removed. This is a convenient way for you to recycle your tree.
But if you are not yet ready to give up your tree or are looking for other ways to use it, there are several options to consider.
— Create a respite for birds. Move your tree outdoors and decorate it with edible “ornaments” that birds and other wildlife can enjoy. You can hang suet in the tree, out of reach of dogs, and make homemade “decorations” of peanut butter-covered pinecones. An outdoor tree feeder can be enjoyable for birds and birdwatchers alike.
— Remove branches and use them to cover tender perennials. Branches can help protect your overwintering plants from snow and ice, providing them with a bit of cover and helping to maintain consistent winter temperatures.
— Rent a chipper (on your own or with neighbors). Chipped mulch is a valuable carbon source for your compost pile. Remember that composting works best when you use about a three-to-one ratio recipe, with three
parts “browns” (carbon sources like chipped mulch) to one part “greens” (like food scraps). Balancing your compost pile with enough carbon will also help keep down odors that may attract unwanted wildlife.
— Use as fill for new raised beds. Referred to as hügelkultur, this method has been used in Europe for centuries and is an old-fashioned take on the popular lasagna-style gardening practice. Here, logs form the base of the bed, then branches, twigs and leaves are layered on top. These are topped with compost and/or garden soils. The logs and other debris decompose over time, replicating a forest ecosystem, providing rich garden soils for your bed. It can take a full year before the bed is ready to plant using this method, but it is an affordable and ecological option to consider.
— Speaking of the environment, if you have the outdoor space and interest, simply letting your tree decompose naturally can provide habitat for all types of creatures — from mammals like rabbits to bees and other beneficial insects — while returning the tree’s nutrients back to the soil.
Whichever option you choose, your Christmas tree can be a gift that keeps on giving back to nature and your gardens long after the holidays are over.
Debra Heleba is the UVM Extension Community Horticulture Program director.
After the holidays are over, there are many environmentally friendly ways to recycle a Christmas tree, from placing it outdoors as a haven for birds to chipping it up into mulch for the compost pile or for fill for raised beds.
A Kid’s 2025 Calendar
Mini Fact: Presidentelect Donald Trump was inaugurated for his first term on Jan. 20, 2017.
Black Hole Week
Next Week: Inauguration Day
Have you ever wanted to drop into a black hole? Maybe not. But NASA knows how fascinating these space objects can be. NASA’s Black Hole Week, May 5-9, will feature scientists sharing news, videos and social media posts about black holes.
Founded by Betty Debnam
What big events are happening in your family, school or city this year? Make a note of them here:
7 Little Words for Kids
Use the letters in the boxes to make a word with the same meaning as the clue. The numbers in parentheses represent the number of letters in the solution. Each letter combination can be used only once, but all letter combinations will be necessary to complete the puzzle.
Dale Dubois, of Williston, passed away Dec. 25, 2024, at the age of 65.
Dale’s life was filled with hobbies, projects, and adventures. He was a fabulous artist and craftsman. He added distinction to his home and family camp with uniquely created leather compositions, carved wooden trim and refinished furniture. He would fish in any body of water — from the river to the lake to the ocean — and always enjoyed the experience. He had many delicious and inventive fish recipes and dishes to share, (even when Kelly had to pick up the fish at Shaw’s).
He was a Red Sox fan and preferred to listen to the games on the radio. Attending a game against the Yankees at Fenway, with his daughter, was a stand out moment for Dale. He enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson
motorcycles. His favorite was the older 1948 model with the hand shift on the side.
Dale enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, with the last few decades putting him in Florida, Arizona, Maine, Ohio, South Dakota, Utah, and beyond. He experienced the highlights of many different regions of the country, seeing the sights, sampling the food, enjoying the attractions or visiting a casino.
Dale was so generous in his willingness to help others. He was quick to deliver something with his truck, arrive with his chainsaw to remove a fallen tree or rescue a loved one. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends and will be missed.
He was a loving life-long companion and best friend to Kelly Bean and generous, caring father to Danielle Dubois. Although Dale is gone, he will continue to live on in the hearts of many.
He is survived by his mother Elaine Dubois, his sister Linda Jillson and husband Kenny, his sister Kristine Liberty, brother Jeff, his aunt Darla and Uncle Gary McGrath and many wonderful in-laws, nieces, nephews and cousins. He is preceded in death by his brother Kevin.
There will be a celebration of life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Bradley D. Nadeau Scholarship Fund, Essex High School, 2 Educational Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.
SAVVY SENIOR
long to keep tax records and other financial documents
Dear Savvy Senior, Is there a rule of thumb on how long someone should keep their old financial paperwork? I have file cabinets full of old receipts, bank and brokerage statements, tax returns and more that I would like to toss.
Recently Retired
Dear Recently,
It’s a great question. As we get older and our financial life gets more complicated, it’s difficult to know how long to keep old financial records and paperwork and when it’s safe to get rid of them. Some things you’ll need to hold onto for your whole life and others for just a month or so. Here’s a checklist to help you determine what to save and what you can throw away.
KEEP ONE MONTH
ATM receipts and bank-deposit slips, as soon as you match them up with your monthly statement.
Credit card receipts after you get your statement, unless you might return the item or need proof of purchase for a warranty.
Credit card statements that do not have a tax-related expense on them.
Utility bills when the following month’s bill arrives showing that your prior payment was received. If you wish to track utility usage over time, you may want to keep them for a year, or if you deduct a home office
By Jim Miller
on your taxes keep them for seven years.
To avoid identity theft, be sure you shred anything you throw away that contains your personal or financial information.
KEEP
ONE YEAR
Paycheck stubs until you get your W-2 in January to check its accuracy.
Bank statements (savings and checking account) to confirm your 1099s.
Brokerage, 401(k), IRA and other investment statements until you get your annual summary (keep longer for tax purposes if they show a gain or loss).
Receipts for health care bills in case you qualify for a medical deduction.
KEEP SEVEN YEARS
Supporting documents for your taxes, including W-2s, 1099s, and receipts or canceled checks that substantiate deductions. The IRS usually has up to three years after you file to audit you but may look back up to six years if it suspects you substantially underreported income or committed fraud.
KEEP INDEFINITELY
Tax returns with proof of filing and payment. You should keep these for at least seven years, but many people keep them forever because they provide a record of your financial history.
IRS forms that you filed when making nondeductible contributions to a traditional IRA or a Roth conversion.
Retirement and brokerage account annual statements as long as you hold those investments.
Defined-benefit pension plan documents.
Savings bonds until redeemed. Loan documents until the loan is paid off.
Vehicle titles and registration information as long as you own the car, boat, truck or other vehicle.
Insurance policies as long as you have them.
Warranties or receipts for big-ticket purchases for as long as you own the item, to support warranty and insurance claims.
KEEP FOREVER
Personal and family records like birth certificates, marriage license, divorce papers, Social Security cards, military discharge papers and estate-planning documents including a power of attorney, will, trust and advanced directive. Keep these in a fireproof safe or safe-deposit box.
REDUCE YOUR PAPER
To reduce your paper clutter, consider digitizing your documents by scanning them and converting them into PDF files so you can store them on your computer and back them up onto a cloud like Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud or iDrive. You can also switch to electronic statements and records whenever possible.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.
TODAY’S HISTORY:
• In 1492, the Moors were driven out of Spain as Granada fell to the forces of Ferdinand and Isabella.
• In 1967, Ronald Reagan was sworn in as governor of California.
• In 1974, President Richard Nixon signed legislation instituting a 55-mph highway speed limit in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo.
• In 2006, a methane gas explosion in a Sago, West Virginia, coal mine trapped 13 miners. Only one survived.
TODAY’S FACT:
• Castilian Spanish is the official language of Spain, but Catalan, Galician, Basque and Aranese are all official regional languages.
LEGAL NOTICE
Town of Williston Notice of Public Hearing
Town of Williston Notice of Public Hearing
Draft Operating and Capital Budgets
Draft Operating and Capital Budgets
January 7, 2025
January 7, 2025
Notice is hereby given that the Williston Selectboard will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 7:30 P.M. in the Beckett/McGuire Meeting Room at Williston Town Hall to receive comments on the draft operating budget for Fiscal Year 2026 and draft Capital Budget and program for Fiscal Years 2026 to 2031
A remote option to participate using the online platform zoom is available using the following web address: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88058647782 The zoom meeting can also be accessed by calling 1-646-558-8656 and entering the meeting ID 880-5864-7782
The transmitted draft Fiscal Year 2026 operating budget from the Town Manager provides for expenses of $15.9 million. This represents a 5.9% increase over the current fiscal year The funds are used to deliver municipal services including, but not limited to: Police, Fire/EMS, Highway, Library, Recreation & Parks, Planning & Zoning and General Administration.
The purpose of the capital budget is to identify major physical improvements needed to serve the community for next fiscal year and for the subsequent five years. Projects include, but are not limited to: Building, park, and road improvements and equipment purchase and replacement Potential revenue sources include property taxes, impact fees, fund balance, ARPA funds and debt. For Fiscal Year 2026 the total proposed expenditure for capital projects and equipment funded is $1.04 million
Copies of the draft operating and capital budgets transmitted are available for review at the Town Hall and on the Town’s website by visiting https://town.williston.vt.us/budget
Following the budget public hearing the Williston Selectboard will begin deliberations to finalize the operating budget proposal. The final budget to submit for voter consideration at Town Meeting on March 4, 2025 will be determined by the end of January
Dated at the Town of Williston, Vermont this 10th day of December 2024
Erik Wells Town Manager
SERVICE DIRECTORY
Forestry Mulching Services for private and commercial projects
Visit our website for more information www.vtlandmaintenance@gmail.com
Visit our website for more information: www.vtlandmaintenance.com
Brian Washburn 802-434-4533 • 802-373-1755 (cell)
Email: vtlandmaintenance@gmail.com
Brian Washburn: 802-434-5533 • 802-373-1755 (cell)
Key Dates: RFP Release: January 3, 2025
Site Visit: January 14, 2025, at 10:00 AM
Questions Deadline: January 17, 2025
Proposal Submission Deadline: January 31, 2025, at 4:00 PM
Submission Details: Proposals must be submitted via email to Sarah Muskin, CCRPC Planner, at smuskin@ccrpcvt. org by 4:00 PM on January 31, 2025. Late submissions will not be accepted.
The full RFP, including detailed scope of work, evaluation criteria, and submission requirements, is available on the Town of St. George’s website. For questions, contact Sarah Muskin at smuskin@ccrpcvt.org.≠
LEGAL NOTICE
Town of St. George, Vermont Winter Plowing Contract RFP – 1-year Contract (2024-2025)
Publication Date: December 27, 2024. Deadline: ASAP – open until filled
Summary: The Town of St. George will be accepting bids for a 1-year Winter Plowing contract, with the option to renew, for the 2024/2025 Winter for all municipal plowing and winter maintenance needs, including plowing, sanding, salting, and/or shoveling Town Highways, Parking Lots, and Walkways.
The Town of St. George has round trip totals of .74 miles of Class 2 Roads and 1.74 miles of Class 3 Roads, equaling a total of 2.48 miles of Town Highway to be maintained year-round, and an additional 1.44 miles of Class 4 Roads, to be maintained as described in the full RFP. The Town of St. George is environmentally conscious and prefers minimal use of salt and chloride, while also prioritizing the safety of the Town.
Bid Process and Deadline: Bids can be mailed or delivered in person to 21 Barber Road, St. George, Vermont, 05495 or emailed to boards@stgeorgevt.com Bids
CLASSIFIEDS
will be opened at a Selectboard Meeting once received. Proof of insurance must accompany the bid. Please write “Attn: Winter Plowing Contract Bid” on the front of the envelope or in the email subject line.
Contact Information: For more information, please contact Justin Mason, Assistant to the Town Boards, at (802) 673 6669 or boards@stgeorgevt.com. The full RFP can be found at www.stgeorgevt.com
Disclaimer: The Town of St. George reserves the right to accept or reject all bids.
Dated: December 27, 2024
LEGAL NOTICE
Notice of Public Hearing TOWN OF WILLISTON
January 21, 2025, 7:00 PM - Town Hall Annex Meeting Room
To participate remotely: zoom.us/join or call (646) 558-8656 Zoom Meeting ID 873 0175 0819
The Williston Planning Commission will hold public hearings to consider amendments to the Williston Unified Development Bylaw on January 21, 2025, at 7:00 PM in the Town Hall Annex Meeting Room in the Town Hall Annex at 7878 Williston Road. The public hearings may also be attended virtually on Zoom. Public comment at these hearings is welcomed and encouraged.
Hearing 1: proposed amendments to the town’s Unified Development Bylaw related to residential density, parking and loading, and compliance with new provisions of 24 V.S.A. 4412, 4413 and 4414 adopted under Act 181 (the BE HOME Act) in 2024.
• Amend accessory onfarm business definition to align with State law.
• Add 1) accessibility modifications and 2) hotels/motels converted to affordable housing to the list of partially exempted development.
• Multi-unit dwellings with 4 or fewer units require only an administrative permit.
• State-required stormwater treatment practices > ¼ acre require an administrative permit only, not a discretionary permit
• DRB hearing must be warned within 120 days of a complete application.
• Amend appeal requirements, including “character of the area” appeals, to be consistent with State statute.
• Align parking regulations with State statute.
• Amend density calculation method; wetlands and steep slopes no longer excluded.
• Multi-unit dwellings of 4 or fewer units are treated like single-household units in areas with municipal water/sewer.
• Increase Gateway Zoning District West density from 5 to 10 du/acre, with bonuses for affordable housing.
• Amend height bonuses in Mixed-Use Commercial District to align with State statute.
• Merge and rename various Zoning Districts for clarity purposes.
• Delete School Impact Fee chapter.
Hearing 2: proposed amendments to the Town’s Unified Development Bylaw related to the Village Zoning District and applicable design standards in other chapters of the bylaw.
Eliminate Appendix H and adopt changes to Chapters 4, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 30, and 46 for cohesion with the revised Chapter 42:
• Process for determining contributing or non-contributing structures in the historic village to guide design, redevelopment, and demolition.
• Standards for demolition and demolition by neglect.
• Residential density, dimensional standards, setbacks, parking, and private open areas.
• List of prohibited uses, with nonresidential (commercial) uses allowed based on a two-tiered system: major uses along major roads and minor uses throughout the district.
• Standards for new development, including massing, scale, window placement, and roofing design.
• Adopt standards for materials, design, and modifications for structures in the National Register Historic District and contributing structures in the VZD.
• Replacement standards for windows, roofing, siding, and architectural details.
• Screening, buffers, and standards for mechanical equipment, utilities, and on-site energy generation.
The proposed bylaw amendments and amended zoning map may be viewed at the Williston Planning Office, 7878 Williston Road or online at this link: https://bit.ly/ willistonbylaw2025
Contact Matt Boulanger at the Williston Planning Office at (802) 878-6704 or mboulanger@willistonvt.org for additional information.
Dorothy Alling Memorial Library hours:
• Monday and Wednesday: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit www.damlvt.org to apply for a library card and to register for programs. Need help? Call 878-4918 or email daml@ damlvt.org.
Annual Giving Tree
Through the end of Jan., donate to the library by picking an ornament from the Giving Tree. Donate in person or online using the link at www.damlvt.org. Thank you for your support!
YOUTH PROGRAMS
Children in fourth grade and younger must be supervised by someone over 16 years of age.
SATURDAY STORYTIME
Saturday, Jan. 4, 10:30-11 a.m.
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
Tuesdays, Jan. 7 and 14, 10:3011 a.m.
AFTER SCHOOL BOARD GAMES
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2-3 p.m.
MUSIC AND PLAYTIME
Thursdays, Jan. 9 and 16, 10:3011:30 a.m. Join for music with Linda Bassick, then stay to play.
LEGO TIME
Thursday, Jan. 9, 3-4 p.m. Have fun with our LEGO collection.
TEENS D&D
Friday, Jan. 10, 4:30-6 p.m. Ages 12-plus. Campaigns are currently full.
FRENCH STORYTIME
Saturday, Jan. 11, 10:15-10:45 a.m. Drop in for stories read aloud by a native French speaker.
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN
Monday, Jan. 13, 4-5 p.m.
Take ramen to the next level with Registered Dietician Joanne Heidkamp. Cook from the comfort of your own kitchen. Register for ingredients list and Zoom link.
STEM ADVENTURE
Monday, Jan. 13, 5-6 p.m. Ages 6-plus. Enjoy hands-on experiments. Sponsored by the WillistonRichmond Rotary Club.
BABY TIME
Wednesday, Jan. 15, 10:30-11 a.m. Suggested age 0-18 months.
Monday, Jan. 6, 5-6 p.m. All ages. Bring a project to work on in the company of other crafters.
ROBOTICS TEAM DEMO
Tuesday, Jan. 7, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Learn about a local youth robotics team and their upcoming challenge.
READ TO A DOG (LOLA)
Thursday, Jan. 16, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Call to sign up for a 10-minute session to read to (or hang out with) Lola the Therapy Dog.
ADULT PROGRAMS
For online programs or to join a book club, email daml@damlvt.org.
JANUARY SPICE CLUB: BAY LAUREL
Pick up January’s spice sample with tasting notes and recipes to try.
ADULT WINTER READING BOOK BINGO
Thursday, Jan. 2-Saturday, Feb. 22. Pick up a Bingo Challenge Card
or print one online at www.damlvt. org. Email or drop off your completed card to enter prize drawings.
ADULT MEDITATION (ONLINE)
Fridays, Jan. 3 and 10, 1212:30 p.m.
MAH JONGG
Fridays, Jan. 3 and 10, 1-3 p.m. All levels welcome.
ADULT CRAFTERNOON: WATERCOLOR EXPLORATION
Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2-3 p.m. Supplies and light instruction provided.
LIFE STORIES (ONLINE)
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2-3:30 p.m. Share a story.
SPANISH CONVERSATION (ONLINE)
Wednesdays, Jan. 8 and 15, 5-6 p.m. All abilities.
FRENCH CONVERSATION
Saturday, Jan. 11, 10:45-11:45 a.m. All abilities.
COOK THE BOOK: CHEESE AND KITCHEN GADGET SWAP
Wednesday, Jan. 15, 12-1 p.m. Bring a sample of cheese to share and discuss. Need inspiration? Copy a recipe from “A Field Guide to Cheese” by Tristan Sicard at the front desk. Bring duplicate or never-used kitchen items for A Gadget Swap.
BOOK CLUB BUFFET (ONLINE)
Tuesday, Jan. 21, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Iona Iverson’s “Rules for Commuting” by Clare Pooley. Available in Libby (Overdrive) or in print.
PARENTING BOOK CLUB
Monday, Jan. 27, 5:30-6:30 p.m. “Hunt, Gather, Parent” by Dr. Doucleff. Come even if you’ve only read one page! Available in Libby (Overdrive) or in print. Program sponsored by the Winnie Belle Learned Fund Grant.
READER’S ROUNDTABLE BOOK CLUB
Tuesday, Jan. 28, 12:30-1:30 p.m. “Dr. No” by Percival Everett. Available in Libby (Overdrive) or in print.
