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OCTOBER 4, 2018
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
Why stop now? Commuters struggle to adjust to new four-way stop By Jason Starr Observer staff
OBSERVER PHOTO BY JASON STARR
Drivers are adjusting to the new four-way stop sign where North Williston Road intersects with Mountain View and Governor Chittenden roads.
“Untenable” … “ridiculous” … “insane” These are a few of the terms that annoyed drivers used to describe the new four-way stop sign at the intersection of Mountain View Road and North Williston Road in the days after it was installed Sept. 24.
The intersection was formerly a one-way stop for east-west travelers on Mountain View and Governor Chittenden roads. North-South travelers on North Williston Road had been accustomed to breezing unencumbered through the intersection. The new stop signs make it easier for vehicles to make left turns, adding gaps in north-south traffic. But, during morning commuting hours, they have caused bumperto-bumper traffic for about three quarters of a mile on North Williston Road, adding an estimated 15
Point taken
CVU contracts with Shelburne Police for officer By Jason Starr Observer staff
The Champlain Valley School District is negotiating the terms of a three-year contract with the Shelburne Police Department to station an armed officer inside Champlain Valley Union High School. The role of CVU’s “school resource officer” will be to provide protection in and around the building and serve as a mentor and educational resource for students, according to a job description principal Adam Bunting developed over the summer. Bunting began lobbying the school board to create the position last spring, after a school shooting in Florida and an alleged attempted school shooting in Fair Haven, Vt. Bunting worked with a school resource officer at his former job as principal of Montpelier High School. Shelburne Police Chief Aaron Noble has not yet advertised the position, but has had informal discussions with interested officers. “There is interest from inside the
‘He will be identifiable as a police officer, but won’t have the full uniform that we are used to seeing on the street.’ –Adam Bunting CVU principal
department, as well as outside the department,” he said. Bunting has stressed the importance of hiring the right person for the job and has outlined a hiring process that includes interviews with a committee of officers, students, community members and school administrators. Finalists would interview with both the principal and police chief, with
each having veto power. School administrators first approached the Hinesburg Police Department about partnering on the position, but could not reach an agreement with the Hinesburg Selectboard. Administrators also had discussions with the Williston Police Department and the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Office. Noble said the position is tricky to manage because it follows the school calendar, rather than that of a typical full-time officer. School officers are also under the direction of two entities, taking orders from principals and the chief of police. “It’s a new position, so it’s a scenario we are working through,” Noble said. The district plans to fund the position at $85,000 annually, according to Chief Operations Officer Jeanne Jensen. The officer will not wear a traditional police uniform at CVU. “We decided that a full uniform would not feel right,” Bunting said. “He will be identifiable as a police see CVU page 2
minutes to commute times. About a dozen complaints were lodged via email and phone to the Town of Williston’s administrative and public works offices in the first three days after the stop signs were installed. One complaint described a near collision where a driver turning northbound from Mountain View was almost hit by a car on North Williston Road that didn’t stop at the new sign. But the main thrust of complaints focuses on traffic backups see STOP page 2
OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY
The steeple atop the Williston Federated Church is removed Wednesday morning after 150 years overlooking Williston village. A new, coppersheathed steeple is set to be placed atop the church Oct. 15.
A school hearing test may not be enough. Some forms of hearing loss can only be detected by the specialized equipment of an audiologist.
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