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Permit #15 Williston,VT 05495 POSTAL CUSTOMER
MARCH 4, 2021
WILLISTON’S NEWSPAPER SINCE 1985
Voters say ‘yes’ across the board
WWW.WILLISTONOBSERVER.COM
Rover rolls on Old Stage Road
Town, school budgets pass; incumbents returned to boards
Voters approved all questions presented to them Tuesday at Town Meeting Day. A total of 1,313 people voted in Williston out of roughly 8,500 registered voters. A majority of ballots were cast by mail — about 800, according to Williston Town Clerk Sarah Mason. Approximately 500 voters cast ballots at the polls at the Vermont National Guard Armory next to Town Hall on an especially cold day. An $11.5 million town budget for the upcoming fiscal year was passed by a tally of 994 to 292. The budget will decrease town spending by about $100,000 compared to the current fiscal year. Williston voters also contributed to the passage of the Champlain Valley School District budget of $85.2 million. When combined with vote tallies throughout the district — including Charlotte, Shelburne, St. George and Hinesburg — the budget passed by a tally of
MIke Spasyk casts his ballot on Tuesday morning at the National Guard Armory in Williston. OBSERVER PHOTO BY AL FREY
3,701 to 1,446. School district voters also approved the use of $2 million in reserve funds to reduce the property tax impact of $2.8 million in yearover-year increased spending. District administrators estimate school property taxes will decrease slightly see VOTERS page 7
About 2 p.m. Saturday, a 1995 Land Rover rolled on its side after the driver attempted a turn on Old Stage Road. Williston Police responded to the scene and arrested the driver on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. No one was injured in the incident. OBSERVER COURTESY PHOTOS
Whitney Hill renovations to temporarily displace seniors Volunteers sought to help residents with the move BY EVA BENWAY Observer staff Whitney Hill Homestead, a senior living facility off Williston Road, will undergo extensive renovations this year requiring the temporary relocation of residents. Starting in April, groups of residents, some of whom are over 100 years old, will be relocated to local motel rooms for up to six weeks while their units are upgraded. The upgrades will happen in phases and continue into early next year. Beth Alpert, Whitney Hill’s SASH (Support And Services at Home) coordinator, said residents are very excited at the prospect of improvements in the building, including new appliances, sprinkler systems and siding. However, she also said that there is some anxiety about
the move. Many residents find the prospect of packing up their lives daunting. To help residents feel less overwhelmed, Alpert is looking for volunteers to help residents pack and move their belongings out, then back into, their apartments. Volunteers will be needed through the beginning of next year. Contact Alpert at Alpert@ cathedralsquare.org to sign up to help. Whitney Hill is nearly 30 years old, and the upgrades will increase safety and energy efficiency, said Cindy Reid, director of housing development for Cathedral Square, the non-profit owner of the building. Plans for the renovation have been in the works for over a year, but the process was complicated by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it harder for contractors to conduct onsite inspections. For much of the planning process, it was un-
The Whitney Hill Homestead is a Cathedral Square senior living facility off Williston Road. OBSERVER PHOTO BY EVA BENWAY
clear when a vaccine would be created or available to the pub-
lic. With the availability of the new vaccines, Reid said that res-
idents will be fully vaccinated before they begin their move.