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The Cabot Chronicle

May 2009 · Issue Record

← From the Cabot Chronicle

The community record for this issue of the Cabot Chronicle, extracted from the original pages. Reprinted with permission from the Cabot Chronicle.

Original issue: Download the May 2009 pages (PDF)

Automated extraction, spot-checked. Advertisements, the business directory, and puzzles are omitted; obituaries appear as individual entries.

In This Issue

Gulka’s 20 Years

(Continued from Page 1) stage for the town’s zoning regulations); facilities, utilities and services; transportation; housing, energy, natural resources, and recreation. For these areas we also set goals to address areas in the town that might need improvement. For example, in the last town plan we identified the need for the Select Board to conduct an evaluation to relocate the town garage with town community members. Unfortunately, this recommendation was never carried out and we’ve made little progress on a critically important town service. Another primary function is to draft and recommend zoning regulations for the town. The Planning Commission held a hearing on draft zoning regulations last year after many years of work and held one public hearing. Unfortunately, the town plan had reached its five-year expiration date - meaning that under state law, no zoning regulations could be passed until the town plan is revised and updated. This meant that the Planning Commission had to drop this effort and re-focus on the town plan revision.

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Over the years of your service, has

the workload of the commission enlarged? How would you describe the changes in responsibility that have developed? I wouldn’t say that the workload has enlarged. We embarked on two major projects over the last ten years – to totally revamp the town plan which was in place since the early 1980s and to totally revamp the zoning regulations which were largely intact since the 1970s. We completed the revamping of the town plan (although it is now due for its fiveyear update). The zoning regulations have at least been re-drafted, although

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Article 2.

Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot require that any group or organization requesting funding from the Town include in the Town Report a description of the organization and summary of its activities including how funding will be used, and that any Cabot-based group or or-

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Advertisement Sales: Tom Hood

Webmaster: Seth O’Brien Pagination: Todd Jones Columnists: Bonnie Dannenberg & Peter Dannenberg not adopted. I had hoped to leave the Planning Commission with both tasks completed, but unfortunately, I see this as a couple of years away. We had a major diversion that lasted close to two years when we saw the need to develop zoning regulations for telecommunications towers and facilities.

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What part of the commission’s work

did you enjoy the most? What part did you find difficult? I think that the planning part was the most enjoyable for me. I think we did an excellent job re-developing the town plan and setting some important goals to help improve the quality of life in town. I think that developing zoning regulations has been the most difficult task. There is so much regulatory detail to deal with in state statute and even federal regulations like development in the flood plain. What do you see as the major work that has to be done by the commission in the near future? As I said, the town plan needs to be updated and adopted, and then work can then continue on adopting zoning regulations.

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You have continued on as chair of

the conservation committee. Why did you decide to remain on this board? The environment and sustainable use of natural resources are what I am most passionate about. I advocated for the Conservation Committee back in 1994, so I feel some ownership here and lots of unfinished work. Conservation Commissions are authorized under state statute to assist the town in inventorying natural resources, to assist the town boards in planning for natural resource use and protection and planning, and to help

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Article 4.

To adjourn. Dated this 15 th day of April, 2009, Attest: Tara Rogerson, Town Clerk Caleb Pitkin, Larry Gochey, Ted DomeyBoard of Selectpersons Adopted and approved at a meeting of the Cabot Select Board held on April 15, 2009. Received for record and recorded in the records of the Cabot Town Office, Cabot Vermont, on Thursday, April 15, 2009.

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What projects has the committee

accomplished recently? We assisted the Planning Commission in writing the Natural Resources section of the town plan. We are actively involved in improving water quality and the habitat of the Winooski River. We have received grants to study and evaluate stream bank stability and erosion and have developed a river corridor management plan that identifies priorities to protect and enhance the river for improved water quality and recreation. For the last two years we have done water quality sampling of the Winooski and its tributaries. We are part of the Winooski Headwaters Community Project that involves Cabot, Marshfield, and Plainfield that conducts joint studies on protecting and enhancing the river and its tributaries. This work continues. We have done tree planting projects on private properties to help stabilize stream banks and provide for better fish and wildlife habitat. We also coordinated Green Up Day activities every year.

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What projects is it working on

presently? We are currently working with the town on a significant donation of private land in the village that borders the river. We hope to help the town manage this property for recreational purposes. What projects do you see in the near future? We will be helping the Planning Commission with the Natural Resources section in the update to the Town Plan and any new projects or goals that come out of this effort. Our plate is pretty full with the other ongoing projects.

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Article 1.

NOW COME the undersigned legal voters of the Cabot School District and petition under 17 VSA 2661 (a&b), requesting the rescission of Article 5 (school budget question #2) voted on at the 2009 school district meeting election on March 3, 2009. Article 5 (budget question #2) If question #1 is approved , shall the Voters of the School District also approve additional education spending of $50,999?

of the month and is provided

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hronicle

expertise to answer this question since I’m not a conservation biologist. And conservation status compared to what? We pretty much have a working landscape in town and not a lot of public lands managed for natural resource functions. So we will have wildlife that thrives in this mix of open land and fragmented forests. The rivers and bodies of water in town are certainly degraded by land uses that take away vegetated buffers that provide for erosion protection and wildlife habitat. There is a lot that can be done to educate landowners.

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Do you think greater public involve-

ment with the conservation committee would allow it to do more? Or work more effectively? We would certainly like to have more interest and more members on the Conservation Committee and we encourage that. Many towns are getting interested in energy committees to help conserve energy and to develop renewable energy sources. This is a natural extension of the Conservation Committee. We all need to live more locally and sustainably. An expanded Conservation Committee could become more involved in promoting sustainable lifestyles – whether we are talking about food and agriculture or energy. If you had to pick one major goal for the committee, what would it be? I guess it would be more public involvement and public education on our natural resources and their sustainable use and enhancement. It really comes down to individual landowner decisions along with those of adjacent landowners to manage their lands in consideration of wildlife and other natural resource values – most of which ignore property boundaries.

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Article 5.

To adjourn. Warning approved by the Cabot School Board on April 13, 2009, Chris Tormey, Linda Gabrielson, Niall McCallum, Roman J. Kokodyniak, Ann Cookson

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Beattie-Toll

As I write this, the Legislature is in its final weeks of the 2009 session. Vermont has received Federal stimulus money and many projects are underway. There is some good news for farmers; $8 million has been made available to farmers for spring planting projects through stimulus money. Farmers can now apply for low interest loans and grants from the Vermont Agricultural Credit Corp (VACC). Please contact me or the Agency of Ag-

tion. The Transportation Bill, H.438, passed the House with bi-partisan support and is currently being reviewed in the Senate. Highlights of the bill include approximately $125 million of stimulus money to start shovel-ready transportation infrastructure projects. Also included in the bill is $120 million of additional critical projects to be addressed through the purchase of revenue bonds. There are over $1 billion in transportation repairs needed throughout the state. To address the large number of projects in Vermont on roads, bridges and transportation system improvements, the House introduced a 5 cent assessment on motor fuels. All money raised from the motor fuels assessment will be directed to the transportation fund and remain in this fund to help pay for much needed repairs. I realize it is never a good time to make such an increase; however, I did support the legislation because the money raised must be used for transportation and cannot be used for other state expenditures. Additionally, all people using our roads, not just Vermonters, will participate in the costs to repair and maintain them. A schedule of transportation projects can be found at www.aot.state.vt.us. Some Rte 2 projects are underway; a round-about and paving project has started at the junction of Rte 2 and 302. The repairs on Rte 2 in Cabot and Danville were not funded this year as wetland mitigation has not yet been fully resolved. The Capital Bill, H.445, passed the House in April with significant support and is now in the Senate Institutions Committee. This bill provides the funds for new construction and repairs to state-owned properties. Of interest to our volunteer firefighters in Cabot, Peacham and Danville is the full funding of the Training Center Burn Building at Vermont Technical College, the Dry Hydrant Program and Fire Service Training Equipment in Pittsford. On April 15, the House passed the Miscellaneous Tax Bill, H.442, and the bill is now in the Senate Finance Committee. This bill specifically addresses a $24 million gap in the 2010 budget. The Legislature was presented with the tough decision to either cut some important services to Vermonters or to find revenues to pay for these services. Some of the services that would have been considered for cuts are VPHARM which provides benefits for prescription drugs for senior citizens; long-term care choices for the elderly and disabled; early education and childcare programs for working families; supervision for paroled offenders; fish hatcheries; Interstate rest areas; and further reduction in court house hours. To raise the revenues to save the services, the Legisla-

assessment that would end after 3 years. Two examples of the 22 income levels and their corresponding 2009 assessments would mean a $1.00 per year for incomes between $10,000 $14,999 and $55.00 per year for incomes between $100,000 - $124,999. I believe that the assessment is proportionately appropriate to all income levels and a wise investment in our state. Again, it is a difficult choice to add any increase to tax payers, but I believe losing the services would be a greater burden and potentially more costly. Also considered by the House and passed was H.147, an act relating to the operation of a motor vehicle by junior operators and primary seat belt enforcement. This bill also received bipartisan support. The bill prohibits an operator with a junior operator’s license from operating a motor vehicle between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. with exceptions such as traveling on a direct route between work and home or traveling for a school-related activity. A person operating a motor vehicle with a learner’s permit or junior operator’s license is prohibited from using any wireless telephone or handheld electronic device. A person with an operator’s license is limited to using a hands-free telephone or hands-free electronic communication device. These restrictions do not apply if it is necessary to place an emergency 911 call. Operators of emergency vehicles and law enforcement officers and others are exempt. The bill also changes Vermont from secondary seatbelt enforcement to primary seatbelt enforcement. These are extraordinary times. I have carefully weighed the impact of each vote and have taken into account the welfare of Vermonters when making decisions. Obviously, some decisions will benefit more than others. It is important to remember that $67 million in cuts have already been made in the 2009 budget. In April, over 300 state employees received RIF (reduction in force) notices. There is great concern for the fate of the Correctional Center in St. Johnsbury. If this facility were to close the negative impact in our part of the state would be significant. Our towns, our families, our farms and our senior citizens are my focus. We cannot afford any more business closings or any more job losses. Over the next 2 ½ years the Legislature is committed to taking a hard look at the cost of services and the quality of life for Vermonters. Our goal is to make the changes necessary for Vermont to be an affordable and healthy place to live. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Kitty Toll

Danville, VT 05828 kittytoll@live.com

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KNOWLTON - NELSON

Roger and Lori Knowlton of Cabot, Vt., are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Chelsea E. Knowlton to D. Kirk Nelson, son of Dwight and Karen Nelson who reside in Berrien Springs, MI. The future bride is a graduate of Central Vermont Academy in Berlin, Vt. and will complete her Master’s in Social Work from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI, this May. The future groom is also a student at Andrews University and will com-

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Dear Editor;

Once again Vermont can add another first to its lists of firsts in the nation. The state that was the first to outlaw slavery in its constitution back in 1777, then broke tradition with the first ever civil unions law, added still another first with the legislative override of Governor Douglas's veto of the gay and lesbian marriage bill. As The Times-Argus, quoting the New York Times, said it makes “Vermont the only state to achieve that progress through legislative action rather than a court ruling.” In this spirit Vermont can add another first. This is health care reform. It is long past time to sever health insurance from employment and make it accessible to all Vermonters irregardless of economic or employment status. So many Vermonters, whether in the public or private sectors, business (small and large) or labor, are struggling with or going bankrupt from health care expenses while the health insurance companies can lavish millions in retirement packages for their top executives. Some 60,000 Vermonters currently lack health insurance, a number that is probably growing (Governor Douglas probably enjoys ample health coverage through state programs even as he trying to gut the state government) with the thousands of local jobs lost to this newest Great Depression. On Friday May 1 st thousands of Vermonters from all across the state will be gathering at the statehouse to protest that policymakers make affordable health care a human right instead of a commodity for profit. The rally, sponsored by the Vermont Workers Center in Burlington, and sponsored by over 70 different organizations, is to demand that health care be considered a human right for everyone and not a commodity just for profit. Our health care system is detrimental to our health. We need to change it to include all Vermonters and not just the privileged few. Sincerely, Walter Carpenter

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How to raise a library appropria-

tion from 10 thousand dollars to 54 thousand dollars in 10 years. Cabot taxpayers have been very generous to our public library over the past decade. These are the facts and the facts are undisputed. Source: Cabot Town Reports. In 1998, the Cabot Public Library appropriation was $10,470. In 1999, it was $11,500, an increase of $1,030, or 9.84 percent. In 2000, it was $11, 920, an increase of $420, or 3.65 percent. In 2001, it was $13,215.50, an increase of $1,295.50, or 10.87 percent. In 2002, it was $14,995, an increase of $1,779.50, or 13.47 percent. In 2003, it was $20,815, an increase of $5,820, or 38.81 percent. In 2004, it was $$29,673, an increase of $8,858, or 42.56 percent. In 2005, it was $35,612, an increase of $5,939, or 20.01 percent. In 2006, it was $38,348, an increase of $2,736, or 7.68 percent. In 2007, it was $49,571, an increase of $11,223, or 29.27 percent. In 2008, it was $46,802.53, a decrease of $2,768.47, or 5.58 percent less. In 2009, the appropriation request was for $53,668.32, an increase of $6,865.79, or 14.67 percent. It was defeated at Town Meeting. That is how to raise a public library appropriation by more than 40 thousand dollars in 10 years. The average yearly increase in our library appropriation, since 1998, was $3,927.12, or 16.84 percent. Since 2002, the average yearly increase was $5,524.76, or 21.06 percent. TWENTY-ONE PERCENT! NO other Cabot appropriation request asks taxpayers for a yearly increase of 21 percent. In the April issue of the Cabot Chronicle, Ben Hewitt's letter to the editor mentions the ". . . free programs Connie regularly schedules," as a reason he supports the library appropriation. That's a bit misleading. Page 46 of the 2008 Town Report shows taxpayers actually spend roughly $1,500 a year for "free programs." Was middle-eastern bellydancing really a program of benefit to the entire community? At Town Meeting, I said this appropriation request, in this economy, is irresponsible. It's time to put the brakes on these huge yearly increases. Voters agreed. Level funding this year is more appropriate than a request for more. Forty-nine or fifty thousand dollars to operate our small town library is more than reasonable. Bonnie S. Dannenberg , Cabot

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Earns

Four members of Vermont Tech’s Civil Club took fifth place in the 25 annual Troitsky Bridge Building Competition held this month at Condordia College in Montreal, Quebec. The annual event draws competitors from colleges throughout New England and Canada who design and build popsicle-stick bridges, then weight-test them against one another to determine whose is the strongest. In this year’s competition, four freshmen students beat out 25 other teams to take the fifth place trophy. Team members included John Curtis from Canaan, Vt.; Josh Maxfield from Cabot, Vt.; Nick Newland from

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By Will Walters

Daniel Siddiqui is a native of Los Altos, California, a town in the southern San Fransisco Bay area. At age 26, after graduating college, he began a journey to visit all 50 states and to hold a job for one week in each one. On March 29, Siddiqui arrived in Cabot. He wanted to try maple sugaring. He chose Cabot after searching the web for maple sugarmakers and came across Cabot Hills Maple owned by Marcia Maynard and Ken Denton. After flying into Burlington he started his six days of sugaring in Cabot. It was his first time in Vermont. It was his first experience with maple syrup. To Siddiqui, it “smelled great. It tasted great. The work included everything about sugaring; collecting sap, repairing leaks, re-tapping some trees and bottling.” He worked from six to 10 hours a day. To Siddequi Cabot seemed “very small” compared to Los Altos the village is “not

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The Cabot Chronicle is creating a

issue to recognize graduates from Cabot If someone special to you is graduating you’d like to congratulate the entire class in writing. (Classifieds cannot be accepted before May 15, 2009 . Classified ads for graduates must be paid first 20 words, and 10¢ per word after exceed 50 words. Yes, please send my regards to Cabot’s My name: Phone #: Greeting to read:

Number of words: Send your greeting to:

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Trophy

Newark, Vt.; and Travis Gingras from Highgate, Vt. According to the club members, the competitors and their bridges are judged in four separate categories, including strength, design efficiency, presentation and originality. This year’s entry from Vermont Tech was able to hold 1,200 pounds – more than half a ton. (The winning entry from the College of Chicoutimi (Canada) held more than 2,000 pounds.) Curtis, Maxfield, Newland and Gingras plan to return to the competition next year, where they promise to take first place.

even a street corner.” He felt very lonely here, he said. He had no cell phone coverage to get birthday greetings when he turned 27 here, but he did go to Montpelier for dinner to celebrate. He was very impressed with the Capitol where he got to sit in the governor’s chair, something that doesn’t happen in many other states. He was amazed by the number of church spires that he saw. His opinion of Montpelier and Cabot is he “hasn’t seen anything like it. It seemed like a foreign country.” It reminded him of when he was in the Swiss Alps. While he enjoyed his stay in Cabot he said he felt he hasn’t seen the best of Cabot, but he doesn’t think he will be back. He has 20 more states to visit, mostly along the East Coast.

To track Daniel Siddiqui’s travels and see his cross country pictures, please visit www.livingthemap.com

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High School and Eighth Grade.

from high school or eighth grade or of 2009 or 2013, send your greeting by phone) along with payment in advance. The charge is $2 for the that up to 50 words ($5). Ads may not graduates:

Amount Enclosed: Building, Cabot, VT 05647 To

Cabot resident, Josh Maxfield, is pictured of Carrie Clement.

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By Cecelia Gulka

The Cabot Girl Scouts would like to thank the community once again for helping to make their annual Girl Scout Cookie sale a huge success. sold A total of 2,249 boxes were in Cabot. This means that $1,124 will stay in Cabot to support local Girl Scout activities. For example, the Daisies are planning to attend "The Land of Fairy Magic" in Thetford, on May 30th. The Brownie & Junior troops are still trying to decide where to go for their end of the year trips. In addition, a profit of $4,498 went to the approximately Vermont Council office to provide

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By Will Walters

Marshfield again boasts two stores with the opening of Dollys Country Store last month. The store is across from Rainbow Sweets, in the storefront that formerly housed the tack shop Whimsey’s Echo. Dollys, owned and operated by Dolly Dimick, known locally from her work at Derek’s Quick Stop. Dimick was interested in reopening the Marshfield Village store but found the current location more feasible. Dollys opened with a limited supply of product; bread, ice cream, frozen treats, soda and plenty of fresh coffee. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.. Construction is continuing

Faith in Action sponsored a food drop at the food were given away. Here, Todd Jones the giveaway. Photo courtesy of Will Walters

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second from the left. Photo courtesy

events, within programs the state. and camping

The Cabot Girl Scouts also participated in two cookie community service projects. They collected orders for "Cookie Share" and "Troop to Troop" cookies. The Brownie troop handed out 46 "Cookie Share" boxes at the Faith in Action Food Giveaway on April 4th. Another ten boxes were delivered to senior citizens at Cabot Commons on April 9th. The junior girls participated in the "Troop to Troop" program sending eight boxes overseas to the service men & women in Iraq.

and a fuller product line will be offered when the work is done. Dimick opened because she wanted people to get used to the new store as soon as possible. Dollys intends to have a broader selection of items than the usual quick stop, more like a local general store. Dimick hopes a deli will be the main attraction. This will have to wait until plumbing modifications are finished and necessary licenses are issued. Dimick said that state inspections have caused some delays but noted she found town and village officials particularly helpful and encouraging.

fire station last month. Nearly 6,500 lbs of of the Chronicle looks energized to assist in

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By Bonnie Stevens Dannenberg

“ RANCID WHEY to the person or persons who continue to vandalize the Rec. Shelter, destroying picnic tables, breaking into the storage closets and really making a mess." The above wording is as it was submitted to me. Similar sentiments were submitted by several folks. Someone out there knows who is responsible for this vandalism! This is not cool. It's not funny. It's inexcusable. If you know who is responsible it's time to tell someone. Go to a member of the Rec. committee, tell a teacher, a parent or tell the police, but tell someone. The Rec. committee works hard so we can all have a nice place in town to enjoy. They don't deserve this. None of us deserve this. CURDS from the Maple Fest committee to Allison Joyal for her hard work on the 2009 Cabot Chronicle Maple Festival. CURDS to the Maple Fest committee for a great event. WHEY to dog owners who walk their dogs and don't clean up after them. CURDS to the Cabot Varsity Softball Team and the volunteers working to improve the softball field. WHEY to dog/cat owners who don't confine their pets to their own property.

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By Allison Joyal

The month of May has always been one of my favorites. The earth finally awakens from its frozen slumber, energy abounds. The other night, I heard the fox screaming from her den in the woods. I’d only heard that scream when a predator approached. What was she doing? Ah ha! I realized she was probably giving birth. Earlier in the day I had completed my daughter’s “senior letter” for her yearbook. These two events led me to consider upcoming Mother’s Day. For most of the last 18 years I have been a single mother. Originally I was disheartened by this. I come from a family where everyone married young, stayed married until death and raised children as a couple. I had no concept that my life should be any different. Of course there were struggles. Single mothers speak of the guilt that comes when playing dual roles; full-time provider and nurturing mother don’t mesh neatly. I am fully aware that both aspects of my life may have grown more, had things been different. If I did not work so much I could have been heading to playgroups, story hour and so-forth. If I was not a single mom, I could have greatly furthered in my career by now. I believe that in my life, things happened as they were meant to. I may not have a triple figure salary but if I did, it would have meant sacrificing time with my children. Time, once lost, cannot be reclaimed. I feel blessed that one of my first jobs was as a nurse in a Veteran’s Admini-

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& Whey

CURDS to thoughtful drivers who yield to the Cabot Roamers as they begin their bike-touring trainings. CURDS to Cabot Girl Scout Cookie Share Cookies. Fourth-grader Makayla Tiffany delivered cookies to each of the seniors at Cabot Commons on April 9. Pauline Churchill helped coordinate. The Brownie troop handed out 46 boxes at the Faith in Action Food Giveaway at the Cabot Fire Station on April 4. CURDS to Chris Tormey, who won a Governor's Award for Outstanding Community Volunteers. Chris was nominated by Vicky Palmer. He has been invited to attend an awards ceremony on April 25. Congratulations Chris. You certainly deserve the recognition! CURDS to Anson Tebbetts for spending time to promote healthy agricultural endeavors in his community. CURDS to Alden Tebbetts for working so hard at the Sugar on Snow Shack at the 2009 Maple Fest. What a trooper! CURDS to Jane Brown for her tireless efforts, volunteering for the Cabot Historical Society. Things are so much better because of your work Jane. Thank you. WHEY to the mud and ruts. Thanks to the road guys for getting rid of them.

stration Hospital on a Hospice ward. Men were there to die. How is this a blessing? I sat holding hands, listening to last tales as the new life of my daughter grew within me. Each dying man had similar advice; enjoy, appreciate and cherish your family. Some of these men were homeless, some had made fortunes. Either way, each had the same regret; not enough time spent with family. Well, I must work and I enjoy it. I also intend to be the best mother I can. I have figured out another aspect of my life that needs constant attention; leisure. People who throw themselves completely into their responsibilities end up bitter, tired, cranky and eventually resentful. This affects everyone around them. So my life is a constant pursuit of not happiness, but balance, which for me leads to happiness. My happiness leads to my children’s happiness. And happiness is the theme of our household. The children are encouraged to follow their dreams – even if they do not meld with my dreams for them. We play music at all hours, invoke joyful dispositions when speaking and try to be kind to each other above all else. It’s practically a rule. As I grow older, and watch my children grow, I realize, there is no perfect mother. But we all impart lessons upon our young. If there is one message I hope my children carry with them through life, it is this; be joyous and pass it on.

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By Peter Dannenberg

It started with e-mail problems. No incoming messages would download, though we could send mail. We could see some Web sites, but not others. The computers just blinked at us. There were no error messages until our computers timed out waiting for a response, any response. I spent most of the day scanning our computers for problems. They were clean. So I was pretty sure there was something wrong with our provider's server. I had to leave and could not call Fairly Pointless (as I shall call them) at that time. The next morning, I picked up the phone-no dial tone. I tried the extensions-no luck. I went outside and looked for blown down wires-nothing obvious. I had to leave for a newspaper meeting. I borrowed their phone to call Fairly Pointless. The service number in my old phone book had changed. I found the new number. The Pointless computer put me on hold. The recorded voice assured me that my call was important to Fairly Pointless and my wait would be brief. The voice continued to chant this and other soothing mantras in my sweaty ear for the next 40 minutes. I felt increasingly guilty about tying up the office phone, but also fearful that if I lost my place in line, I'd face another endless wait. Finally a disembodied voice asked me to key in my phone number. I did and the computer said Fairly Pointless could not find my account. I thought this odd; they send me a monthly bill without fail. After reentering my phone number a half-dozen times, I selected, "I am not a Fairly Pointless customer," and returned to the darkness of hold. After another 15 minutes, a real human asked for my phone number. I recited it and told her my phone was out of order. "Are you calling from that number?" "No, it doesn't work." Then I learned I am a Fairly Pointless CLASSIC customer. So she switched me to a different, apparently secret, number. There was a click. I heard, "If you want to make a call, please hang up and try again." I did that, even though I felt like a stubborn jerk and was ashamed to tie up the office phone for so long. I went through almost the same routine, although a bit

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Now?

faster, after the Pointless computer asked me if I was calling from some number it recited that was in a different area code. After another 20 minutes on hold, I told a live voice that I wanted a Fairly Pointless CLASSIC service supervisor and I didn't want to be disconnected again, or else. She assured me she would stay on the line until I was connected. This time I didn't even get the, "If you want to make a call," message, just a dial tone. The meeting ended without me. My daughter offered to call Fairly Pointless from her next stop. Of course, there was no way she could let me know if she got through, until she got back in town at night. By mid-afternoon, no service truck appeared. We needed to make some calls and read our e-mail. I decided to drive to my wife's cousin and beg to use her phone. Once there were devices called pay phones. Now they are in airports and museums. I dialed from Joanne's sunny deck. I went through the now familiar routine for 25 minutes. This time I made it to a Fairly Pointless Classic service representative who told me my daughter had gotten through (after a long wait). She also said it was suspicious that both my computer line and voice line did not work. She then told me to go home, unplug all my phones and check the line from the terminal box outside our house. If the line reset, I should call back, to avoid a service charge. "The technician will get there later today," she said. "Oh wait, he's stuck in a snow bank. He'll get there tomorrow." I looked at the field and saw only a few patches of melting snow. I hung up. At home, I unplugged my phones. Outside, I plugged a phone into the terminal. It worked. Kids walking home from school stared at the crazy man in the mud puddle with a phone to his ear. Back inside, nothing worked, despite moving things to different jacks and yelling a lot. I went through the insideoutside ritual three times. Next day, the technician found a wire outside drooping in the mud. He fixed it. Then he said Pointless had changed settings in their central office and he had to reconfigure my modem. He did it in one minute. I forgot to ask about the snow bank.

rights reserved. Used here with permission.

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CABOT and surrounds

For nearly a century Americans have been encouraged to plant vegetables during times of United States military involvement and economic hardship. The concept of the “Victory Garden” (also known as war gardens or food gardens for defense) came about early in the twentieth century to empower civilians and reduce pressure on the public food supply. Nowadays, there is a revival of the victory garden, with new reasons for people to get involved with growing their own food. During World War I, the government originated the victory garden campaign, encouraging civilians to plant vegetable, fruit and herb gardens. Posters promoting the concept were hung in public places, and documents and short films were produced to teach gardening techniques to the segment of the population unfamiliar with growing food. The government agency responsible for the promotion considered it a civil morale booster that empowered people through their contribution of labor while also rewarding them with the literal fruits of their labor. The original idea that harvesting one’s own produce has an empowering effect on citizenry still holds true for modern gardeners in today’s challenging economy. Today, for more and more gardeners a growing concern about the origins of their food is behind their choice to plant. Much of what Americans consume is transported long distances. As a result, the mere act of transferring food to the stores uses vast resources of fuel and time. A growing number of people are joining what is known as the localvore movement. These individuals are committed to consuming food grown or produced locally. Just what constitutes “local” is a matter of interpretation, but to most people it means food grown within 50, 100 or 150 miles of their residence. The localvore movement, coupled with a poor economy, has given new reasons gardeners can be considered victorious. Amanda Legare, owner of Amanda’s Greenhouse, said in a phone interview, she believes people want to know the origins of their food.

Summer Snacks - Shauna Taylor of Craftsbury, (R), wait on a customer at the newly opened The snack bar is located on Rte. 14 across and operated by the same people as the Mountain ously worked at the Cabot Village Store deli.

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Again

“I am sure people are going to be growing more vegetables this year. It’s not just due to the economy, but people are more aware (of where food comes from), and really, it just tastes better fresh,” she explained. Legare, who says half of her annual profits come from her greenhouses, and the other from perennial plants she sells, will be opening her greenhouse May 1 this year, and she already has some perennial herbs growing. According to Michael Wilson, University of Vermont (UVM) Agricultural Extension’s 4-H educator for Washington County and the central region, the focus of members in the 4-H gardening program is shifting for the same reasons. “The consciousness has changed . . . now they are really trying to grow food to eat. Attitudes have shifted. We give premiums of a few dollars for blue ribbonwinning produce, too, so 4-H gardeners are actually seeing benefits, financially, too,” he said. Wilson added that in past years, members have donated quite a bit of their harvest to food banks, and he thinks the poor economy last fall may have unfortunately made it more necessary for the members to eat what they grew, as the donated quantity was smaller than in previous years. He explained that because the program, run jointly by UVM Extension and the Central Vermont Rotary Club, is limited in membership to 25 participants, it is hard to gauge the effect the resurgence in gardening is having on membership. He added that the program teaches its young participants the true value of food, not just financially, but through the labor expended to grow it. Young or just young at heart, almost anyone can grow a garden, even in containers on a windowsill. It is one small way everyone can be victorious, and know the exact origins of what they eat. Coming next month: garden writer Henry Hohmeyer visited Jaquith Library in Marshfield to plant some gardening ideas.

(L) and Brittany Butler of Cabot, Mountain View Snack Bar in Hardwick. from the D&L Beverage store and is owned View in Morrisville. Butler previPhoto Courtesy of Will Walters

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CABOT and surrounds

If you have a little space, chickens are a wonderful livestock option, entertaining animal companions, as well as sources of home-grown food. They are social, funny, and have many benefits to your table and garden. Many of our parents and grandparents grew up with chickens in the yard, but with the emergence of factory farmed chickens and eggs, the number of backyard flocks diminished over the past several decades. The flagging economy has created new interest in these feathered critters. The presence of small chicken coops is a growing trend in suburbia as chickens’ value as both pets and food source catches on with people who previously only considered these animals in their corporate wrappings at the grocery store. Even those who are squeamish about slaughtering animals can appreciate a nice laying hen. A small flock can provide plenty of eggs for a family, with a few to share. Chickens come in many breeds, colors and sizes, with some suited to use for meat, some for eggs, and some dualpurpose birds that can be used for either food source. Heritage breeds, like the Barred Plymouth Rock, Delaware or Jersey Giant, are native to North America, and are large, hardy birds with pleasant dispositions. They are both good laying birds and large enough to be good meat birds. The Chantecler is Canadian in origin and is very cold tolerant, also with a distinctively gentle personality. Some smaller bantam breeds, like the Old English game bird and the Asian Silkie, will lay eggs, albeit smaller than those of the larger breeds. Silkie chickens are sweet in temperament, and very appealing to look at, as they have feathers that lack the barbicels that make most feathers smooth. As a result, they are furry in appearance, more like angora rabbits than chickens, though lacking ears, and one pair of feet, and with beaks. Many people who have never seen a fresh egg are surprised the first time they crack one open. Unlike the flattened yellow yolks of the mass produced eggs, fresh eggs have yolks that are almost orange, and the yolk keeps its round shape. The flavor is distinctive and pleasant, unlike mass produced eggs.

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Chicken droppings are beneficial as fertilizer for the garden, and the birds are great at controlling pest insects. This writer keeps a flock of about 50 assorted chickens that wander loose at all times, and sleep at night in the same barn as the horses. Last summer there were more flies in the house than in the barn, and slugs and snails all but disappeared. Chickens are very effective exterminators. They are also antic creatures, entertaining to watch as they go from place to place like a throng of tiny feathered busybodies, eating insects and leaves. It is fairly simple to keep a free-range flock, although many people keep their chickens in pens with small coops for housing. Chickens are animals of simple requirements for a happy life: food, water and shelter. Our chickens live in the barn, perching on shelves at night and wandering free during the day. They get commercial feed twice a day and fresh water. In winter, we give them piles of lose hay to nest into for warmth, although they are just as likely to perch in groups of three or four for body heat. Egg production, which in most chicken breeds is stimulated by sunlight, tends to slow during winter, but one of the surest and earliest signs of spring is the obvious increase in eggs. Certain breeds continue to lay eggs fairly consistently during winter. We keep a few roosters, with the accompanying chicks. As a result, our flock is self-sustaining. We sold a few young chickens last year, because we have yet to make that leap to eating them. But it is comforting to know if we had to, we could raise them for meat. Chickens can be ordered through local stores including Agway and Guy’s Farm and Yard in Montpelier, or via catalogs, including several on-line sources. The hatchlings are shipped day-old, as young birds hatch with the residual protein from the egg in their systems. The Vermont Bird Fancier’s Club has a web site with links to sources for chickens and all the supplies one might need to start a small flock - www.vbfc.org. The club also hosts swap/sale events where anyone interested can purchase healthy animals from the farmers who hatched them. At just a few dollars per young bird, chickens make a sound investment in backyard farm stock.

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By Anne Nadel

Ed Smith has done it again. Nearly ten years after the publication of his book “The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible,” Smith has gone back to the raised-bed scene of the grime and, if possible, made it better, richer and more fertile. The second edition of the successful volume will be released by Storey Publishing in 2010. A short conversation with Smith revealed part of what makes the book so appealing. His “anyone can grow their own vegetables” attitude is at once surprising and refreshing. Almost everyone knows someone who claims he or she can’t grow anything and kills every plant for which the individual is responsible. According to Smith, nobody is immune to the occasional herbicide. He quoted a friend, saying, “there’s only one way to learn how to garden and that’s by killing a lot of plants.” He laughed and added, “Just because you have a history of killing plants doesn’t mean you can’t learn to grow them. The garden keeps you humble . . . learn from the bad experience.” Smith says the garden is your best teacher when it comes to determining what it needs, and plants can take a fair amount of abuse and still survive and produce for the grower. According to Smith, if a gardener has any success, the enthusiasm from that experience can lead to further efforts. The key piece of advice he has for greenhorn green thumbs is to start small. “Don’t make your first garden too big. Each plant requires a certain amount of care,” and a gardener should plan to grow what he or she can care for in terms of time and effort. Fortunately, he also believes there is no shame in a garden growing compactly, in containers or pots. In fact, he has another successful book, also published by Storey, called “Incredible Vegetables from SelfWatering Containers,” which shows how to grow a good harvest on a patio, pavement, or windowsill. His book has certainly survived and produced, with more than 250,000 copies printed in its first edition. The book features many varieties of vegetables and how to grow them and the new edition will feature an even greater assortment. Smith said he and his family have tried numerous plants to see how they grew and what they are like, so he could write about them. One such vegetable is cardoon. “It’s a relative of the artichoke but instead of eating the flower, you eat the stalk,” he explained, adding, “It’s popular in Italy. I would call it pleasant, but I’m not sure I’d grow it again.” A quick browse of Smith’s book makes it obvious this is a tome meant to please the most novice gardener to the most experienced, as it offers up information about everything from soil ph to fertilizer, from pests to harvest, and everything in between. His advice is simply stated and the pictures very helpful to someone not sure what he

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Releases

or she is looking at in his or her own garden. It is a definitive guide for the person looking to learn enough to feel confident planning a garden. Not simply regional, it offers tidbits of wisdom on plants that might not be suited to Vermont’s northern climate and short growing season, like sweet potatoes and peanuts. Sales staff in Rivendell books said the book is almost always in stock, and almost always selling, a highly popular tome for folks who either garden or aspire to grow food. To folks in Cabot, Smith is a familiar face and name, but one of the advantages to having written one of the most widely read gardening references he says is, “having the most popular gardening book, you can remain anonymous. Not like Stephen King.” The book is also available in Spanish and French editions. Smith says he believes the French edition was largely done for the Canadian market. Does he believe the current economic crisis will make the home vegetable garden more essential in our lives? Smith said, “Like, bingo!” Smith believes many people don’t understand just how inextricably connected the oil and banking systems are tied to how most people eat. He is a strong proponent of the local food, localvore movement. “Most of the farmers borrow money to buy seed, feed, the animals they grow to sell, and if the banks aren’t making loans they can’t keep going . . . and many Americans will buy fruit from California because it’s cheaper than local, right now,” he said. He added that people are gradually becoming more aware of the need to grow and buy local food. “It’s already happening. People are much more aware of the gradual decrease in availability and increase in price of petroleum products. All of this is has a lot to do with the availability of food.” “Local food is going to be the savior of a whole lot of people. As things are going, we are not going to be able to get our food the way we have been. The only way we’ll survive if is we have a very serious localvore response.” Smith said one sign that people are coming to their senses about food sources while offsetting a bad economic climate is that two of the nation’s larger seed catalog companies, Burpee and Park’s have posted dramatic increases in home growing supplies. “Seed, fertilizer, tools – if it has to do with vegetable gardening, it’s seen a 20 percent increase in sales,” he said. Perhaps that will also be reflected in sales of Smith’s books. Does he refer to his own books for his gardening efforts? Smith laughed. “Oh, absolutely! I can’t keep all that stuff in my head!”

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By Amanda Legare

When I moved to Cabot more than 20 years ago, I thought it would be fun to order a Canadian heirloom tomato called ‘Cabot’ offered by Vesey Seeds. It performed well, developing early tasty fruits on semi-determinate vines, and I continued to grow it (and then sell it) every year. But Veseys no longer lists ‘Cabot’ seeds and it was difficult to find this year. Heirloom tomatoes are open-pollinated and are not considered profitable by the big seed companies. The seeds have been handed down through generations of growers and they will not store indefinitely. They are valued for their taste, unusual markings, color and shape. Hybrid tomatoes are crossbred from two or more different plants and they are created for a particular purpose (disease resistance, color, shape, etc.) Their seeds will revert back to one of the parents, and unlike heirlooms, they are not reliable to grow from saved seed. I’m one of those people who doesn’t bother with tomatoes when they’re not in season and ANY tomato coming out of my garden is going to taste better than a tomato from the grocery store. I’m not a total purist when it comes to hybrid vs heirloom, but it does seem a shame that seeds which could be easily saved are disappearing in favor of newer varieties hyped by the big companies. The American nursery trade is a 39.6 billion dollar a year industry. The business of heirloom seeds is not even a drop in this bucket. In 1981 there were approximately 5,000 vegetable seed varieties available in the mainstream U.S. catalogs. Today there are less than 500. I recently read that six companies - Du Pont, Mitsui, Monsanto, Syngent, Aventis and Dow, control 98 percent of the world's seeds. Fortunately there are many gardeners out there obsessed with growing heirloom tomatoes and saving the seeds. One of them is a friend I made through the internet, Carolyn J. Male. She has grown more than 1,200 varieties of heirloom tomatoes in upstate New York and has published a book called “100 Heir-

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By Anne Nadel

In a town known for its cheese, it is time to make room for another kind of food. Tempeh is coming to Cabot, courtesy of Sjon and Elysha Welters. The Welters’ own and operate Rhapsody Café in Montpelier, and are the energy behind the non-profit Center for Natural Living. According to Sjon Welters, most people are eating in a way that is intrinsically unsound, because most of their food comes from far from their homes. Their newest venture is the soon-to-be-built Rhapsody Natural Foods production facility, which will be constructed on their farm. “More than 90 percent of the food consumed in Vermont is produced elsewhere,” he said, explaining, Rhapsody’s goal is to educate people, “about food and food origins, to promote a more natural way of living.” Welters said he and his wife have been making tempeh in the Montpelier restaurant, but that the facility is too small for more production, which will also expand to include locally sourced ami-

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May 2009 ~ page 7

loom Tomatoes for the American Garden.” There is even a tomato, ‘Dr. Carolyn’, named after her. Carolyn does not hide her bias towards heirloom tomatoes. “The best of the heirlooms far exceed the hybrids when it comes to taste,” she writes. “And that’s what tomatoes are all about drippy, taste.” delicious, mouth watering

Of course the flavor and texture of a tomato depends a lot on the growing conditions. Last year’s constant rain drowned most of my plants and the best tasting survivor was a delicious new hybrid cherry called ‘Sunsugar’. The year before that my taste prize went to an heirloom, ‘Cosmonaut Volkov’. Alan Lepage, a respected organic grower from Barre, recommends the heirloom paste tomato, ‘Orange Banana’. Lou Pulver of Surfing Veggie Farm in East Hardwick, stands by the French heirloom ‘Rose de Berne’. Cabot’s own Ed Smith likes the performance of the unusual paste tomato, ‘Polish Linguisa’. Locally, High Mowing Farm in Wolcott grows many of their own seeds. I have purchased heirloom seeds from Seed Savers Exchange, Sandhill Preservation Center, Baker Creek and Southern Exposure. While I will certainly grow the ever popular ‘Early Girl’ and ‘Big Beef’ as well as many other hybrid tomatoes, my list this year also includes 20 different heirlooms. And I just may try to save some of the “Cabot” seeds.

zake, a rice beverage, and eggrolls, which Rhapsody sells commercially. A portion of the vegetables used at the café is grown on the Welters’ farm, Rhapsody Farm. While most people have at least a passing acquaintance with tofu, the somewhat bland, spongy soy product that is integral to many Asian recipes, far fewer people have ever eaten tempeh. Like tofu, it is made from soy and has a mild flavor amenable to varied flavoring, but that is where the similarity ends. Tempeh is made from the whole soybean, and so contains the carbohydrates and textural elements lost in the tofu-making process. While tofu is soft and somewhat glutinous, tempeh offers chewy mouth-feel and substance, and has a consistency like cooked poultry. The Welters’ facility will produce cubed, seasoned, ready-to-eat tempeh in several flavors, including maple and barbeque. Welters said it is very important to him that as many as possible of the ingredients for the Rhaposdy products be sourced locally, either within town or from nearby producers. He explained that for the amizake, a farmer in Putney (See Tempeh, Page 8)

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By Anne Nadel

What do you get when you mix chocolate, radio and community? The answer was evident at the 4th annual WGDR Chocolate Lover's Fling and Silent Auction, held the second weekend in April at Goddard College’s Haybarn Theater. The event was a fund-raiser for the community radio station, which broadcasts from the basement of Goddard’s library, but is driven by and features programming by community members. People from the greater Plainfield community (which for the sake of the event, stretches from St. Johnsbury to Waterbury) fashioned decadent and imaginative creations with chocolate as the central ingredient. Attendees sampled and voted on the offerings. There were several divisions in which the chocolate creators could enter their masterpieces; professional, amateur, and children’s. The professionals seemed to focus primarily on sculptural pieces, with children’s literature being an obvious source of inspiration. A chocolate rendition of one of Maurice Sendak’s monsters from “Where the Wild Things Are,” the clock-eating crocodile from “Peter Pan,” and Michael Bond’s marmalade eating “Paddington Bear” all graced one table featuring the creations

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Tempeh

(Continued from Page 7) has had some success with growing rice, and he will be attempting a trial “on a small scale” to see if that is possible on his Danville Hill Road land. The soybeans purchased for the tempeh are grown in Charlotte. At this time, Rhapsody uses 20,000 pounds of soybean per year. Welters and his wife both hail from the Netherlands. Sjon is from Amerssoort, in the central region of the country, and his wife Elysha is from Haarlem, near Amsterdam. Their business is family run, but he said they will probably need to hire additional help in the future. He

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By Anne Nadel

Fresh and local are largely considered words that denote food quality, yet for decades, the predominant foods served in schools have been laughingly described as “mystery meat” and “inedible.” In the Cabot school, that is about to change, thanks to efforts by teachers, parents and farmers. Fourth grade teacher Mary Ann Tormey discussed the school’s new Farm to School program in a telephone interview. “Farm to School is a national program,” designed to get fresh, local farm products into school cafeterias, she said, explaining that the school got a planning grant from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture in order to explore local options for food for the school’s students. Tormey said a committee of community members, teachers and local farmers has met several times to begin exploring how more locally grown food can make it into the cafeteria’s meals. She added that after the plan-

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Hosts

of professional bakers. Among the most humorous offerings by amateurs was Plainfield’s Dorothy Wallace’s “Oh Fudge!” Wallace’s creation was a fudge hillside topped with chocolate sculpted to resemble mud, with a toy car hopelessly mired on top. This offering garnered Wallace the award for the best looking amateur creation. The chocolate “Paddington Bear” claimed the Willy Wonka Award (best overall) for it’s creator, New England Culinary Institute student Joselyn DeFazio. Amateurs and professionals focused on flavor and creativity. Among the stranger entries were chocolate embedded with bacon and chocolate-covered roast garlic cloves. Surprisingly, both were reasonably tasty in this writer’s opinion. Throughout the event, live music was played by Dave dZendron on piano and Jairo and Gabe Sequeira on guitar and mandolin. Silent auction items were available for bidding in the center of the room, from area merchants and service providers. All proceeds from the event, which had more than 100 attendees, support the on-going operation and development of community radio at WGDR. is also hoping the community will get involved in what he is doing. As of now, the building process is waiting on the Act 250 permits, which Welters said he expects in May, and he hopes they will break ground for the new building soon thereafter. One third of the building will be housing for his daughter and her family, and the other two thirds will house the production facility. He explained, in keeping with the family’s ecological and social convictions, the building will be truly green, right down to the cellulose insulation and locally grown wood. For information about Rhapsody Natural Foods, visit the Web-site, www.rhapsodynaturalfoods.com.

ning and trial stage of the project, another grant proposal will be written, the proceeds of that grant being used to implement the program the committee develops. “The first thing we had to do was determine the connections, what the needs are, who the farmers are,” she explained. The school is already active in other eco-friendly activities like composting, and has greenhouses and raised bed garden areas. Tormey said the next step, incorporating locally grown food, seemed both timely and obvious. “Scott, who runs the food service, is really excited,” to be using local food in his meal planning and preparation, she said, adding that among other sources for ingredients, the school will be buying some of its beef from local farmer Paul Stecker. According to Tormey, Lee Blackwell, of Blackwell Roots Farm, has also been instrumental in working on the project. Tormey’s fourth grade class recently took a field trip to the farm, getting a chance to help feed chickens and collect eggs, and see the green-

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CHOCOLATE - Where The Wild Things Are.

Seth Herrick-Trombley rode his bike around the village with a signboard on his back to publicize the Destination Imagination offer of Rent-A-Kid for Green-Up Day, May 2. Persons who wish to have kids help them in exchange for a donation to DI should con-

houses, where they got a chance to sample some fresh spinach. According to Tormey, the students loved the experience and are very eager to see food produced by their families, friends and neighbors show up on their school lunch trays. The committee has been working in conjunction with Danielle Pipher from VT FEED (Food Education Every Day), the organization that originated the state’s drive to incorporate more locally produced food in the diets of Vermont public school students. The Northeast Organic Farm Association (NOFA) and Shelburne Farms have also been instrumental in developing the program statewide. “The kids are so excited,” Tormey said, and explained that when students are given ownership of the food choices they make, they are likely to make better choices. “This will help raise kids’ awareness of what constitutes healthy food,” she said. The committee will meet again on May 6 from 4 to 6 p.m., in the Cabot School Library. Tormey said anyone who is interested in helping, from parent to farmer, is welcome to attend and participate. For further information; makt930@hotmail.com, or

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By Tony Lolli

What’ll it be – rivers and streams or ponds and lakes; hard water (ice fishing) or soft; bass, pike and perch or trout and salmon; popular places with lots of company or places so remote you’ll be lucky to find your way out? The choices are yours. Vermont has it all.

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The Big River

The Connecticut River separates Vermont from New Hampshire – probably due to bad blood back in colonial times. It’s been described by some as the greatest fishery in New England. You’ll have to decide. Unlike every other state boundary river, the Connecticut River is controlled only by one state; New Hampshire. Why? I don’t know. It’s probably due to more bad blood from colonial times. However, you can fish the river from either bank with a resident Vermont or a New Hampshire license. Sort of evens things out, don’t you think?

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Smaller Big Rivers

The Winooski and Lamoille rivers have plenty to offer close to Cabot. In nearby Plainfield, the stretch of the Winooski starting along the ball field and downstream for half a mile gets a lot of attention. According to state biologist Rich Kirn, recent stream surveys turned up some nice sized Rainbows and Brown trout. Over on the Lamoille, is a beautiful stretch below Ithiel Falls, just west of Johnson. Access is along Hog Back Road, off Rte. 15. This can be fast, deep water so some caution is advised. Also, you’ll have to play mountain goat to get down to, and back from, the river so be careful. Brian Kipman, another state biologist who’s tired of talking to me, recommends the Ten-Bends area of the Lamoille downstream of Hyde Park. It’s a 3.7 mile stretch with special regulations: two trout in possession; 16 inches or longer; and, artificial lures or flies only. The special regulations start at the Ten Bends Road bridge and continues downstream to the railroad bridge just upstream of Johnson. Be sure to pick up a free permit and drop off your survey form at the site. Page 67 of 2009 Vermont Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Trapping has all the details.

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Little Rivers

Some say there’s a fish behind every rock in Vermont. Others say there aren’t any rocks. Either way, there are plenty of small rivers, streams, creeks, cricks, rills and runs. Many are stocked while others hold native Brook trout. The Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains portions of several rivers under special regulations. These regulations address either special seasons or special stocking

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VERMONT AGENCY OF NATURAL

Here’s a great opportunity for young people to give fishing a try. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has released a list of more than 60 upcoming fishing events, most of them intended just for kids. The department has a “Children’s Fishing Program,” which provides kids with the opportunity for a successful fishing experience at locally organized fishing events. The program provides free trout to the children of the state. Organizers of these events often are charitable, community, or non-profit groups such as fire departments, fish and game areas with unique creel limits. A copy of the Vermont Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Trapping is supplied with each license and lists all regulations and exceptions. You can also read it online at vtfishandwildlife.com. Rich Kirn also suggested checking out Great Brook, the tributary that enters the Winooski at the ball field. Further upstream from town, Rich said there are Brook trout. Locally, Jug Brook, a tributary to the Winooski, has native Brook trout. Its small water is better suited for bait than fly fishing. Above Cabot Village, the water near the Recreation Field is also eas-

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May 2009 ~ page 9

Cabot’s fifth and sixth grade basketball team and their families celebrate the ily accessible for Brookies. Or so they tell end of the season. After posing for their team photograph they rapidly broke me - but it’s hard to tell if you’re on a wild goose chase until the chase is over. for pizza. Photo Courtesy of Will Walters.

Know what I mean? You’ve probably An Afternoon of

been there and done that, too.

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Basketball and Pizza

No doubt about it – Lake Champlain gets the lion’s share of fish stocking. But By Lynn Maxfield & Dylan Wright hey, this is a BIG lake, more than 150 miles long. If it swims in Vermont you’ll On a cold,rainy, Sunday afternoon, a find it in Lake Champlain. That in- few weeks ago, there was a cludes Loch Ness Champ, monster. Vermont’s However, answer there’s to the no "happening-thing" going on at the

open season on Champ so you’ll have to local school gym. The fifth and sixth practice catch and release. grade basketball team took on an enthusiastic group of parents . . .

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Little Ponds

and even some grandparents! The You have lots of choices here, too – everything from roadside farm ponds to two opposing teams played pretty backwoods hike-in ponds. Each is home close until the last quarter (do you to either warm-water species like bass think that possibly the parents were and pike or cold-water species like running out of steam?!). The salmon and trout. Some little mountain younger ones pulled ahead for the gems are managed exclusively for brook lead and won the game! It was a trout and are located along the Long close one! They were very gracious Trail in the Green Mountain National Forest. Closer to home there are many stillwater opportunities such as several in the Woodbury Lakes region and Marshfield Reservoir, Peacham Pond, Osmore Pond, Kettle Pond and Caspian Lake. There are also countless wilderness ponds, far from roads or trails. Many are so wild you may see moose, beaver and loons. Every now and then you’ll find one so remote you stand a chance of honestly saying, “I claim this pond in the name of whoever finds my desiccated body.” (A good reason to travel with a compass and/or global positioning satellite direction finder.) Any Vermont fishing trip begins with a copy of the Fish and Game regulations. Not only will it keep you legal, it makes with their win and showed great sportsmanship with a quick line-up of "high-fives" and "good games"! Everyone had worked up quite an appetite and enjoyed some delicious pizza from the Cabot Village Store,compliments of Coach David Hale. A good time was had by all! We're all looking forward to another exciting basketball season next year, but until then, we'll enjoy soaking up some of this beautiful sunshine!!

a great kindling for starting a signal fire Bicycle Built For You: Cabot Roamers met at the wood chip storage barn for a road in the event you are the first to discover trip to Marshfield recently. Some of the Roamers continued to ride through the winsome new super-wilderness pond, but ter. The Roamers is sponsored by the Cabot Coalition. Persons interested in joining unable to find your way out.

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RESOURCES

Click “Fishing,” then “Kids Fishing Events.”

clubs, Rotary, Lions, town recreation committees, 4-H clubs, and scouts. Most kids fishing events are open to the public, although they may be restricted to town residents or to a particular group of individuals. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department provides about 20,000 eight-to-ten inch trout for the program, each event receiving 150 to 300 fish. Kids’ fishing events generally start in late April and continue through June. A list of the events, which is periodically updated, appears on Fish & Wildlife’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). Vermont Fish & Wildlife also has a “Let’s Go Fishing” Program where trained volunteers teach and encourage young people and their families how to fish. The volunteer instructors teach fishing skills, how to use different types of tackle, the importance of good aquatic habitat, fishing ethics, and fishing regulations. Clinics are planned throughout the state during the spring and summer months. Check your local newspapers and bait shops for clinics in your area. You can learn more about “Let’s Go Fishing” on Fish & Wildlife’s website (vtfishandwildlife.com) under Fishing or Youth Pages.

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By Libby Hale

Well, I guess spring is really here now. Robins, flowers, grass on the fields. Baseball games are starting this week. Thanks to the hard work of many folks we have volunteer coaches for all the teams, Larry’s field is all cleaned up and the dugouts are finished and ready for opening day! We will open the concessions stand for most if not all the games so bring a few bucks for snacks (or dinner). If you can help with the concessions please let us know. The game schedule is as follows (but you need to check home or away) T-BALL - Sat 10:30 a.m. FARM - Sat 11:30 a.m. MINORS - Tues and Thurs 6 p.m. MAJORS - Mon, Wed (some Fri) 6 p.m.

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CABOT HUSKIES!

We are planning the annual Cabot Memorial Day Celebration for Monday May 25 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.. PLAN TO BE IN TOWN AND JOIN IN THE FUN! We’ll start the day with the sports equipment sale at 10 a.m., Duck races start at 11 a.m., lunch at 12 noon, bingo at 1 p.m. and of course there will be horseshoes, mini golf, volleyball, frisbee, paper airplanes and other crafts. There should be a representative from our Armed Services to facilitate a Memorial Day observance at 12:30 p.m.. So, with the equipment sale in mind, clean out and collect your family’s outgrown and no-longer-used (but in good condition) sports stuff and bring it to

ment need not be season anything sports, fitness from A to Z. Walking paths are in the The equipspecific, bring or recreation

planning and should be up and mapped before too long, watch for details coming later.

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A t e n t i o n

Cabot gardeners can help support visitors to their gardens by participating take place Saturday, June 20. The by Friends of Cabot Library, and they who would like to host tour participants. So far, six Cabot gardens are on welcome. If you would like your garden

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By TVSC Director, Rita Copeland

In April the TVS,Inc. started our own home delivered meals program. With our chef and volunteers, we are able to finally get this long anticipated program up and running. If anyone in our service area needs MOW please call the Center. TVS,Inc. in collaboration with a very caring couple will offer free rototilling of garden plots to low income and elderly residents in the Cabot, Marshfield, Plainfield area. Please call for more details. TVS,Inc. recognizes anyone 55 or older as a senior and this entitles them to meals at the Center for a $3 donation. For those under 55 a $5 donation is requested. The May schedule is full and varied. May 6, 1 p.m. "I Can't Hear You " - A program about hearing loss, resources and support presented by Amber Wilhelm of the Hearing Loss Advocacy Network. Come check out helpful devices, learn how and where to get help with costs and helpful communication tips for those living with hearing loss. May 9, SATURDAY- Perennial Plant Sale – 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Rte. 2, across from Tim's Convenience, Plainfield. Anyone with plants to donate may call

TVS,Inc.

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youth programs in Cabot.

Mervin Spooner and Audrey Huntington the seniors made during a recent activity May 11, 12:45 p.m. - Mother's Day Tea - Bring a friend, child, mom or just yourself along with stories of love and appreciation to share while sipping tea with cookies. May 15 – 1 p.m. - Movie Time - The Lucy Show - Laugh at Lucy as she reminds us of old time family life and early television shows. May 18, 1 - 3PM - Knitting Stitches to Make a Difference . Donna from Neighbor to Neighbor will help those who wish to get started knitting or you may bring your own project. Easy patterns, yarn, and needles will be provided. Please sign up in advance so we can contact you with more details.

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By Bonnie S. Dannenberg

My favorite thing in the world to do is plant fall bulbs. Like the bulbs resting just below the surface of the earth, your Historical Society volunteers take a break for winter. Sort of. Like the blossoming daffodils, spring is when we wake up to work again. Cabot Historical Society's annual meeting and pot-luck supper will be Sunday, May 31, at 5 p.m., at our Main Street Building and Museum. Everyone is welcome to join us. We'll elect officers and decide our priorities for the coming year. You can look at "The Blodgett Papers," a book we recently published, thanks to Jane Brown. This is a history

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May 27 - Needlepoint with Leslie

from Neighbor to Neighbor . She will bring donated projects to work on and these may be taken home. The Center is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday for meals and activities. If transportation is needed call the Center.

of Cabot from around 1900 to 1950. In June, we need help to clean the building. If you can volunteer a few hours, please contact me. We hope to complete the inventory of our collection this year. If you can help with this important task, please contact me. The Main Street Building and Museum will be open to the public on the Fourth of July. Stop by for coffee and homemade doughnuts. You'll want to see Jane Brown's DVD of our historic Cabot photo collection. Come hear The Declaration of Independence read aloud at 1:30 p.m. Our building will be open to the public on Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. in June and July. Please consider donating items of importance to Cabot's history, such as photos, diaries, letters or other documents. If you can't donate originals, we can copy or scan them to add to our collection.

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Mystery Dinner & Movie , Hazen

Union Cafeteria, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m., Price: $1: Search for menu clues to order your 'Mystery Dinner." Dinner followed by a showing of "Shout It Out," a musical based on true stories from the lives of teens. Appropriate for families with children 11 and older. Proceeds to benefit the Hardwick Food Pantry. Please bring a non-perishable food donation.

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Healthcare Is A Human Right

Rally , Statehouse Rally, 12 Noon - Join thousands of Vermonters to demand health care as a basic human right for all. The largest healthcare rally in Vermont's history. Part of a campaign coordinated by the Vermont Workers' Center to change what is politically possible for healthcare reform. Invited speakers include Senator Bernie Sanders and Dr. Deb Richter. Help build a movement to make healthcare a public good for everybody. Transportation is being coordinated across the state. Learn more at workerscenter.org/healthcare or call

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Green Up Vermont Day : This annual

event began in 1970 and is held in towns and cities across the state. Volunteers are needed to participate in this great annual clean up Vermont event. To volunteer: contact Gary Gulka, 5632284, Gulka@fairpoint.net. Bird Walk , meet at the trailhead behind the Hazen Union School parking lot, 7 - 9 a.m., FREE: Come and see who's singing in the woods. Info: 4726517. Fiddlehead Festival , Randolph Center, The third annual Fiddlehead Festival celebrates farmers, fiddlers and ag-

tival.com.

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Summit on the Future of Vermont ,

Burlington, Dudley Davis Center, UVM Campus, $40 (includes lunch) 9 a.m. -5 p.m.: The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) presents the Summit on the Future of Vermont: conversation on the values, goals, and priorities of Vermonters as they look to address the challenges and opportuni-

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Sat, 5/16

Feng Shui Workshop , Jeudevine Memorial Library, Hardwick, 2 p.m., FREE: Feng Shui ("wind and water") is the ancient Chinese metaphysical science or art of living in harmony with your environment in order to promote health, wealth, and happiness. Info:

Bird Walk , meet at trailhead behind the Hazen Union School parking lot, 7 9 a.m., FREE: Come and see who's sing-

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Green Mountain Opera Festival ,

Waitsfield & Barre: concerts, open air events, free open rehearsals, and free master classes, culminating with performances of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at the Barre Opera House on Fri. 6/19 at 7:30 p.m. and Sun 6/21 at 3:00 p.m.., and Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love at the Joslyn Round Barn in Waitsfield on Thursday, 6/11 at 7:30 p.m.. Info: www.greenmountainopera festival.com.

(See Also Happening, Page 12)

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Wanted-

Motivated self starters needed part time for the advertising sales department of our community based newspaper. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Maintaining existing accounts; Developing new accounts; Attending sales staff meetings; and Providing feedback on changes to newspaper to improve advertising sales. Compensation is based on a scaled commission base with performance bonus. Interested candidates should contact Tom at 802-5633178 or mail resume to cabotcoalition@fairpoint.net attn: Tom.

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← From the Cabot Chronicle