Last year in this space we offered some predictions and prognostications for 2024. We got some of it wrong and some of it right.
Faced with two devastating 100- or 500-year floods in 2023 we expressed hope that it wouldn’t happen in 2024. But it did. In July, a year to the day after 2023 flooding, our towns were hit by extreme weather that caused an incredible amount of damage to local back roads, Fayston and Duxbury in particular.
Yup. Another devasting flood. More lost bridges. Dowsville Brook in particular destroyed multiple roads and at least three bridges. The damage in Duxbury is extensive and some roads may not be recoverable.
We predicted that Sugarbush would break ground on at least one of its two planned employee housing projects. We were wrong. These are backlogged in permitting. Stay tuned for updates.
We anticipated that Waitsfield voters would approve a bond vote for $15 million that will qualify the town for significant state and federal funds to build a municipal wastewater system, but we sure didn’t guess that voters would pass it by a three-to-one landslide.
File under ‘three.’ That’s how many votes it took to pass a school budget this year. We didn’t predict that, but it wasn’t surprising due to the sticker shock local taxpayers faced with the original budget. Things might be better this year due to the state tinkering with the Common Levels of Appraisal for all Vermont towns. That will result in slightly reduced taxes for all Valley towns except for Fayston which will see significant increases again. Stay tuned for details.
We knew the April total eclipse would be a big deal in Vermont and in our community – it was! But what many of us (this editor included) never anticipated was just how stunning and impactful a total eclipse, viewed from one’s own porch, could possibly be.
What will 2025 bring? A great ski season and the fruition of some housing projects we hope. And although it may be tilting at windmills, how about some significant changes to the state’s education funding formula, please. And we want to see our amazing local health care center remain open regardless of what it takes.
Happy New Year!
