Williston Observer

July 31, 2008
By Tim Simard
Observer staff

A new harvest is coming to Harvest Lane in Williston.

Harvest Equipment, a tractor and power equipment dealer with four locations in Vermont, is opening a new location at 64 Harvest Lane at the former spot occupied by the Gardener's Supply Company outlet store. The outlet store moved earlier this month to its new location at the Four Season's Garden Center on Marshall Avenue.

Harvest Equipment will move its Shelburne Road location in Shelburne to Williston sometime in the middle of August, according to Doug Seyler, vice president and general manager of the company. He said the company is currently installing new displays in the store and giving the space a brand new look.

Harvest Equipment has recently signed a new contract with John Deere equipment to make the Williston store a premier retailer in the area for the national company. The closest John Deere exclusive dealer is at Yandow Sales and Service in North Ferrisburgh.

Harvest will now exclusively carry John Deere heavy machinery, as well as retail-oriented products including shirts, hats and toys, Seyler said. He added Harvest would continue to carry Husqvarna power equipment.

“Basically we needed more space than our Shelburne Road store provided,” Seyler said.

The Williston location has 9,600 square feet of space for retail and a repair facility, and Seyler said Harvest Equipment plans to utilize the outside grounds for people to peruse different John Deere machines. Seyler said the company was granted a discretionary permit by Williston's Development Review Board in June to display the equipment near Harvest's parking lot.

Harvest Equipment does have some heavy equipment for rent, but Seyler said it's not the main focus of the company. He said he did expect to get more requests for rentals in Williston now that Hertz Rental Equipment left its Harvest Lane location in recent months.

Harvest Equipment has locations in Newport and Swanton, as well as Montpelier, where the company is constructing a new building for its store. Seyler said having multiple locations has been good for business and he's excited about opening the Williston store soon.

As for having Harvest Equipment on Harvest Lane?

“We couldn't have planned that better,” Seyler said, laughing. “It's a perfect match.”

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Correction

Last week’s edition of Police Notes contained an incorrect location for a report of property damage. The damage from an attempted break-in occurred to the shed on the east side of the main beach house at Lake Iroquois.

Around Town

Water rate rises

The town of Williston has boosted the water rate by 4.5 percent while leaving sewer charges unchanged.

Last week, the Selectboard approved a rate of $2.25 per 1,000 gallons for water and $3.10 per 1,000 gallons for sewer. The new water rate, effective Aug. 1, represents a 10-cent increase over the current rate.

The rate hike was needed in order to cover a 6 percent increase in wholesale prices charged by the Champlain Water District, according to Williston Public Works Director Neil Boyden. The district provides water to municipalities throughout Chittenden County.

“This rate increase will be necessary to keep our level of service consistent with current levels,” Boyden wrote in a memo to the Selectboard.

Zoning changes OK'd

The Selectboard has approved the latest batch of zoning changes, part of a comprehensive rewrite of Williston's land-use rules.

The interim rules, which alter regulations while the unified development bylaw is being completed, cover three chapters of the new code. The ordinances include rules governing outdoor lighting, the zoning map and the mixed-use residential district on the eastern edge of Taft Corners.

The board, at its meeting last week, heard a presentation on the interim ordinances from outgoing Town Planner Lee Nellis. The board discussed lighting provisions before adopting the new rules.

The board will consider another round of interim revisions in coming weeks before adopting the new bylaws as a whole.

Live cooking at Williston Farmers' Market

Student chefs from the New England Culinary Institute will be demonstrating their cooking prowess at upcoming Williston Farmers' Markets. On Aug. 2, 9, 16 and 23, the market will host Shop Fresh with NECI Students. Students will be cooking at the market and offering free samples using fresh produce and products. Recipes will be available so customers can purchase the ingredients from the market and recreate them at home.

The students are taking part in a Service Learning Course designed to encourage students to think critically about the world in which they live, explore social issues, get involved in the broader community, and experience new ways to make a positive impact during their professional lives.

[Read more...]

July 31, 2008
Greg Elias
Observer staff 

Work on South Road in Williston will delay traffic for the next few weeks.

The project involves realigning the intersection with East Hill Road and making drainage improvements. The $80,500 project will be largely funded through a grant administered by the Champlain Water District, with the town contributing about $22,000, said Williston Public Works Director Neil Boyden.

The work will also include replacing a culvert, which will eliminate flooding of a nearby manure pit, Boyden said. Water from the area drains into Allen Brook.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane during the work, which Boyden said will take about a month. Motorists can expect minor delays.
South Road is located off Oak Hill Road, a short distance from U.S. 2 in Williston Village.

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July 31, 2008
By Tim Simard
Observer staff

“Care.”

Along North Williston Road, this simple word has been spelled out with more than 4,100 yellow and purple flags — each planted in the ground to symbolize every soldier who has been killed fighting in the war in Iraq. Located at Pat Brown and Amy Huntington's home, the war memorial has attracted numerous passing motorists to thank the couple for honoring those who have fallen in service to the United States.

Brown said he's been placing the flags on his property since November 2006 as a way to remember the sacrifices of the war. This summer, he decided to do something different with the memorial. He formed the markers at first into the word “think,” and then “feel” and now “care.” Brown changes the word every couple of weeks, when he has to temporarily remove the flags to mow the grass.

“I did it as a way for people to see, remember and stay informed,” Brown said. “This catches their attention more.”

Brown said it's not uncommon for motorists to stop along the road and thank him for the memorial. He even had a family of four stop at his house one day and offer to help plant the markers one afternoon when Brown was working.

The memorial has been emotionally trying at times for Brown, none more so than the time a man from Underhill stopped at the house to thank Brown for his work and see the site up close.

“He said to me, ‘That flag is my son,'” Brown said. “What do you say to that? It hits you hard.”

Removing the markers for lawn mowing and then replacing them can be a full afternoon project, and he welcomes the help he's received from area residents. Last year, Rep. Jim McCullough, D-Williston called on residents to help with the memorial, which then sparked community dialogue.

Overall, Brown said he has received support and positive feedback for the site. He said he doesn't want the flags to become a divisive topic, but instead wants them to remain a symbol of the bravery of the fighting forces.

“I've not said I'm anti-war and I've not said I'm pro-war, and I won't,” Brown said. “I just want people to think.”

Brown said he will update the number of flags once again this weekend. As of Tuesday, 4,124 soldiers had been killed fighting in Iraq, according to icasualties.org, a Web site that monitors the numbers of soldiers killed in action in Iraq.

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 Expectations low for more bus service

July 31, 2008
By Greg Elias
Observer staff 

Williston was represented for the first time when the Chittenden County Transit Authority's governing board met Wednesday afternoon. But with CCTA coping with a budget crunch due to rising fuel costs, board membership may not bring better bus service to town.

In theory, having two seats on the 14-member Board of Commissioners increases Williston's chances for additional service beyond the one route that serves Taft Corners and Vermont 2A.

New members Jim McCullough and Al Turgeon, however, don't expect to win immediate service improvements. They are well aware of the agency's recent decision to cut service and increase fares.

“Any of us who walk in with all sorts of great ideas will probably find that it's not easy to do anything,” Turgeon said.

Milton is also gaining a pair of board seats, which are given to communities who become members of CCTA and commit to funding service. The town of Williston spent $188,000 for bus service during the last fiscal year.

When they were appointed by the Williston Selectboard this spring, Turgeon and McCullough said they wanted to add another route in Williston. McCullough said service was needed to the town's senior housing developments; Turgeon suggested a line that would have stops along U.S. 2 as well as North Williston and Mountain View roads.

But CCTA's budget has been hit by rising fuel prices. The transit authority announced last week that it was reducing service along two Burlington routes and raising fares for the Middlebury shuttle. More route reductions or fare hikes could be in the offing if the state does not provide additional funding to offset rising fuel prices, said Chris Cole, CCTA's general manager.

Fuel spending is projected to increase 85 percent in fiscal year 2008-09 while unrestricted state funding for the same period rises by just 1 percent, Cole said.

“So you can see there is a rather large gap in the revenue coming in and the expenses going out,” he said. “If the gap doesn't close, we won't have any options.”

After being appointed to the CCTA board in May, both McCullough and Turgeon solicited Williston residents' opinions about public transportation. Unsurprisingly, people wanted more bus service.

McCullough said some seconded his suggestion of improved service for seniors, particular to those living in Williston Woods on the northeast side of town. He's also heard that the existing bus would be more attractive if it didn't take riders so long to reach their destinations.

The Williston route forces riders to transfer at the University Mall in South Burlington to reach downtown Burlington. The route also runs the other direction toward Essex Junction, but again requires a transfer for further travel.

After talking to neighbors, family and friends, Turgeon concluded that it will be tough to get people out of their vehicles and into buses and other forms of alternative transportation.

“A rural setting doesn't lend itself to easy solutions,” he said. “No matter what you come up with, replacing the automobile isn't that easy.”

CCTA gets 49 percent of its funding from the state and federal government, Cole said. The remaining revenue comes from member towns and fares paid by passengers.

There appears to be no inexpensive way to improve service in Williston.

Adding stops on the existing Williston route is problematic. Cole said buses operate on 30-minute cycles, so additional stops would throw off a schedule geared toward buses converging around the same time at the terminal on Cherry Street in Burlington.

An entirely new route costs about $450,000, Cole said, and would require additional state or federal funding.

There is some hope for improved service in Williston, albeit indirectly. CCTA is applying for a state grant that will fund an additional route in South Burlington. Cole said the Williston route could then run straight down U.S. 2 so riders no longer have to transfer at the University Mall.

McCullough, a Democrat running for re-election to the Vermont House of Representatives, said residents should practice self-reliance rather than depend on Williston's new board members to single-handedly fix transportation problems. He said people can organize carpools, buy more fuel-efficient vehicles or simply live closer to their jobs.

“The answer is you have got to do things for yourself a lot,” he said. “I'm right there with a lot of conservative people in saying that government isn't going to do everything for you.”

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