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Residents debate Pleasant View Cemetery use for seniors' walking program; board asks organizers to consult and takes no action
Summary
Central Vermont Council on Aging asked to use Pleasant View Cemetery for a six‑week walking class; longtime cemetery volunteer Dennis Smith urged caution citing cemetery rules that call it a "sacred place." Board members asked staff to consult with the Council before taking action and raised precedent concerns.
The Central Vermont Council on Aging asked the Select Board for permission to use Pleasant View Cemetery as a meeting and walking location for a six‑week "Walk With Ease" program, describing two safe loops and a nearby bench for resting. Leah, a volunteer instructor, said the class would have up to nine participants and would meet once per week.
Dennis Smith, who identified himself as a longtime Morristown Cemetery Association volunteer and assistant sexton, told the board that the cemetery's rules "refer to its cemeteries as a sacred place" and warned that organized groups might set a precedent that would be difficult to reverse. Board members suggested alternative sites (rail trail, high school track) and agreed staff should relay cemetery concerns to the Council; the board took no formal action and left the matter open for follow‑up.
