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Cabot Historical Society

Preserving the history of Cabot, Vermont · Founded 1965

The Cabot Chronicle

November 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 November 2009 pages (PDF)

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

In This Issue

Ghostly Bayley

(Continued from Page 1) Bayley in Wells River in May 1776, and was finished, or in reality, abandoned 48 miles later by General Hazen in Lowell in 1779. "Well, it was never really a viable military road. The marauding British and indians used it more than the Continental Army,” Book says as he crosses the frost-slicked fields and ducks into the hemlock woods beside Cabot Plains Road, adding, "This is Dick Spaulding's land." The spot where Bayley's work ended and Hazen's began is somewhere in these woods. It's been more than a decade since Book led his students back here. "Wow. There's a lot more blow downs than there used to be. The marker may well be lost under one of these trees. That out crop right there means we're getting close." He stands and scans the bowlshaped landscape filled with yellow birch. "There it is!" Like an infant's headstone, it is small and alone. Book stalks over to the stone and brushes the curled leaves off it. "Hazen's camp" is inscribed on the stone's surface. A 1955 Vermont Life article about the historic road posed the theory that "the whole enterprise" was just "another big land deal with Hazen, Bayley and a few other men getting free government aid in opening up their lands to settlement." Indeed, on November 6, 1780, a year after Hazen's road crew quit, the Town of Cabot was granted. Book has emerged from the woods, and now, thawing in his Ford Taurus, cruises off the Plains onto the narrow one lane road. He is still pointing out the teeny monuments as he steers northward. He's eager to see one in particular. "There it is! No? Is this it? No. This has got to be it. Yes. There it is. There it sits," and there it sat, the stone of the first settler, Benjamin Webster (uncle of Daniel), 1783. In the course of this journey, J. David Book has pointed out six monument stones charting the road's progress through Cabot Plains. To reach the seventh involves a little more bushwhacking. Across Route 215 and a short walk into tall grass, the ghost road continues. "But," Book says, frowning, "the seventh monument is not credible at all. It says General...I forget…was shot here, and he wasn't, he was shot near the Canadian border." Before circling back to the Plains cemetery, he reflects on the hikes he took with Cabot School students and on the process of retracing the path of Cabot's first settlers. Of his course's impact on the young people, he says,

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hear from you!

Send us articles, letters to the editor, photos and press releases. Let’s keep our community communicating!

DEADLINE: 15th of the month prior

Publisher: Cabot Coalition Executive Editor: Jeannie Johnson Coordinator: Amy Hornblas Advertising: Julia Shipley Editor: Anne Nadel Pagination: Todd Jones "Well, there wasn't any vandalism during my curriculum." As for their education, he said he hopes that what survives for the students, long after high school, is a deeper sense of place.

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Ghost Roads, Demystified

A ghost road or ancient road is an established town road that has languished, unused perhaps for decades, even centuries. The Bayley Hazen Military Road, built in the late 1700s, is an authentic traverse-able road in some places, and an ancient road in others. In 2006, the Vermont legislature created Act 178 to help solve property issues created by unexpected re-discovery of dormant town highways. This legislation states that municipalities have until July 1st 2010 to re-discover and add their Class Four highways to their town highway maps. The actual text of Act 178 and related Act 158 (created in 2008) can be found at the Vermont State Legislature web page. An Ancient Roads committee in the town of Hartland,VT created a website (www.ruralvt.com) with an Ancient Roads Practicum (explaining the implications of these laws). Finally, the Vermont Institute for Government has compiled a document entitled "How to Find Ancient Roads," which can be downloaded from the Hartland site.

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By Julia Shipley

"It Is Sweet and Honorable to Die for the Fatherland" by J. David Book focuses on Cabot’s Civil War soldiers, for most people now little more than faceless names on a stone monument at the center of town. Retired educator and author Book said, "There's two reasons for monuments: bereavement and celebration," referring to the stone markers often at the center of small towns. However, not many people know what is inscribed on the monument in the center of Cabot, what this tapered granite column commemorates. When many students admitted they had never read the words on the monument, despite having "played around it since first grade," Book, a former teacher and Principal of Cabot School, decided to investigate. In 1990, Book offered the elective course called "Preserving and Conserving Our Local Heritage" to his high school students. Physically engaging his students in Social Studies, Book’s class cleaned gravestones, catalogued historic documents, helped restore an 1857 schoolhouse, and studied the Cabot monument. They did research at the Vermont Historical Society’s archives and learned more about 36 Cabot Civil War soldiers listed on the obelisk.

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Bothfeld’s Turkey

(Continued from Page 1) “They’re coming in good,” he said. Times change, but the American appetite for Thanksgiving turkey is fairly consistent, and this shows in Bothfeld’s business. “We have some customers going back 50 years,” he mused, saying, “The trouble is, they’re getting old.” The Bothfelds’ original customers may be getting old, but anyone who buys a turkey from the familyrun farm is likely to come back for more. In as much as Bothfeld’s family has been selling the birds for multiple generations, no doubt some Cabot families have been buying them similarly. With any luck, future generations will be able to say they know where, and from whom, they got their Thanksgiving turkey. Anyone who would like to order a turkey from the Bothfeld Farm can call the senior Mr. Bothfeld at 5632386, or his son, Walter Bothfeld, Jr., also known as Skip, at 5632715.

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for the Fatherland

Delving into the stories of those men inspired Book to continue to search for more answers once he retired. His book, which takes its title from the monument's inscription, "It Is Sweet and Honorable to Die for the Fatherland: Civil War Soldiers from Cabot, Vermont," is the culmination of extensive research, driven by questions that arose during the Heritage project. Book wondered, "Why so many dead from one town? What was life like in Cabot like at the time? Where were all these Cabot soldiers buried?" In the course of his research, Book discovered a great deal of intriguing information, including that, "There are actually 45 Cabot soldiers who died. Why were nine men left off? I never came to any conclusions. I never found out who was in charge of creating the monument or the criterion for why names were put on or left off," he said in a recent interview. In the introduction, Book recounts how these questions drove him to spend hours and days in the National Archives in Washington D.C. poring over letters written by the Cabot soldiers and visiting 15 cemeteries where the men were buried including Chicago, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Baton Rouge.

of the month and is provided

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Youth Flu Clinic

(Continued from Page 1)

is most detrimental to those individuals aged six months to 24-years-old. As of this writing, the most severe cases have primarily been in young people, because they have not yet developed natural immunity to the virus. The vaccine has been shown to help prevent the flu, which causes illness ranging from mild to severe. Mary Anne Allen is coordinating the volunteers needed to help keep things running smoothly. Anybody who wishes to help can call her at the Twinfield Union

sign up. Seasonal flu vaccines will not be offered at this clinic. about those, parents For information are encouraged to contact their primary care provider. This program is called “School-Located Vaccination”, and is organized by the Department of Health (in collaboration with the Department of Education). More information about the program in Vermont can be found at: http://healthvermont.gov/panflu/ h1n1_vaccine_schoolclinicplanning.aspx More information about the H1N1 virus can be found at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/parents.

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As of press time, The Cabot Chronicle

has learned that the H1N1 vaccine clinic has been postponed. No further information is available as to a date, but the clinic has not been cancelled.

Cabot's monument to the Civil War dead; most people don't stop to consider this marker often enough. Photo by Julia Shipley Book’s volume includes data gleaned from news clippings, letters, military service records, Birth Death and Marriage Records, Cemetery Indices, and obscure manuscripts, such as, 'Enrollment List of Persons Liable to Military Duty in the Towns of Calais, Cabot, Woodbury, Plainfield, Marshfield, and Worcester, Vermont.' “It Is Sweet” is full of details about these soldier's lives. (Book Review, Page 3)

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Review

(Continued from page 2 Book emphasizes his own recipe for making the monument's story palpable, "Things like battles and military strategy hold little interest for me. It's the humanity part I'm after." From the call to action (in a newspaper article dated May 10, 1861), to the battle field reality, to the actual cost of a funeral in the late 1800's and the emotional cost to the bereaved, “It is Sweet” is a poignant account of a war long since forgotten by most people these days. It, too, is a reminder of the cost of war in general. The call to action describes the decision, “to raise a company in this and adjoining towns immediately…good men came forward and gave their names; and if need be their lives for their country. One of these, Horace Carpenter, is 51 years of age; a good example for young men." Particularly stirring is this account from Gettysburg by Cabot private Freeman Wilson; “I apprehended death during that battle…Many were killed and wounded and the air was filled with deadly missiles and I realized death might be my lot at any moment. I tried to do my duty on that field of battle.” Book found both facts and data, but he also uncovered the human side of the Civil War; “Josie Lance, to whom [Captain] Morrill has been engaged, had withdrawn from her community as a result of the shock from his death. Never to be seen again outside her house just across the Winooski from the gristmill...” "The Civil War was the most horrendous thing," Book says, reflecting on his project's impact on his own understanding, "And it did more to shape an American identity than anything before or since. We were divided," he says emphatically, with a hint of southern drawl. "Death was the defining act of the Civil War that shaped our identity." Since publishing “It Is Sweet.,” Book has uncovered new research that he'd like to incorporate in a second printing. He has sold out of his first printing, though copies can be borrowed from the Cabot School Library and the Cabot Coalition office. Citing the current economic instability as a cause for caution, he says, there is "About a 40% chance" he will do a second printing. Book concedes that the further one gets from the event and the people the monument commemorates, the more abstract the bereavement and celebration become. The children running around the monument now are separated by six generations from the soldiers. However, the 150 year anniversary of the Civil War is in 2011. One of the reasons he wrote this book is to inspire others to learn about their local Civil War soldiers. "You don't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been. Not so much around here, but in the southern parts of the States, there's a lot of people still fighting a Civil War." Through Book's meticulous research and narration, the 36 veterans named on the monument start to seem like distant relatives, or friends of friends. For the author, the process of intense research has given him a sense of what that monument offered the bereaved in Cabot, in the years following the war. "I have this image of the folks gathered on the Fourth of July, 1876 for the dedication of the monument, just over a decade after the end of the Civil War. The veterans would have been there on their crutches, with stumps where limbs had been amputated, to celebrate what would have been also the Centennial of the Declaration of Independence. It would have been a big celebration; the Common would have been packed with maybe as many as two thousand people, all surrounding that monument. I just love imagining that."

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By Julia Shipley, Photos by Julia Shipley

To honor the men and women who serve our country at this Veteran’s Day, the Cabot Shipley, interviewed some brave men and women who have served in the military. She mean to you? How do you think being a veteran shaped your life? What kind make to our community?” The veterans’ answers to these questions follow.

Jeanne Johnson served during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Ashraf, Iraq. Her tour of duty lasted 10 months in 2007, and she held the rank Sergeant First Class/Contracting NonCommissioned Officer. Although Jeanne Johnson was trained in Nuclear Biological and Chemical Defense, her work in Iraq involved equipment acquisitions. She was charged with the day to day details of obtaining items such as printer cartridges, flashlights, computers, smoke alarms, HVACs (Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning Units) and battery operated forklifts. Sourcing these items locally was challenging and cumbersome, often fraught with language, and/ or cultural misunderstandings. In a particularly arduous series of negotiations, a battery powered forklift was sourced, but en route, the delivery vehicle was pulled over, and the driver, (the brother of the fork lift merchant), was pulled out of the vehicle and killed and both vehicles (truck and fork lift) were stolen. "I was in the army reserves for thirty years. I'm a non -conventional, non- traditional soldier, but I always found a task I was good at. It means I'm a part of something way bigger than me and way more important than me, that I can contribute to. “ Seeing how people have to struggle to survive [in Iraq] makes me appreciate what it took for them to do business. I'm involved [in the Cabot community] out of a sense of respect for how important our freedoms are, and supporting them. Some people think we can give up a little freedom here and a right there, but defending every single right is critical because you never get it back. Every bit [you lose] weakens the foundation.” I found a non-traditional way to be a soldier. I found work that needed to be done that I could do well. It [the deployment in 2007] was something that I didn't chose, but having gone, I made a real contribution, and I'm proud of it." Karlyn Schmitt served during Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, for five months in 1991. She held the rank Sergeant 1st Class E7 /Military Police Mechanics' Supervisor. "I'm glad I'm a vet. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. When you get into the politics, that's a whole different game. There's a lot of people in the world who aren't very friendly and we need armed services. It's very important.” “I went straight from high school into the military for fourteen years. Basically, I grew up there. It gave me a lot of things: a sense of values, discipline, a work ethic. I've been out of the service for 13 years, and there's stuff I miss. Nothing compares to the camaraderie and friendship. It's different than the friend you just meet on the street. It's a sacrifice: you have to totally rely on the person beside you. There's also stuff I don't miss.” “Veterans do a lot. If you look, you'll see they are members of the school board, selectmen. I think veterans are inclined to step up and do things when other people won't."

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Frank 'Larry' Thompson held the rank

of Chief Warrant Officer/Torpedo Man, Sonar Man during the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and throughout the cold war. His time in the military spanned 24 years. Thompson was not in-country during the Korean and Vietnam wars, however he spent his military career on four submarines, two destroyers and one ASR (auxiliary submarine rescue), including the first nuclear submarine, the Nautilus, which was also the first vessel to go under the North Pole. When asked if it was difficult to be closed in a submarine, under the ocean, without sunlight, he commented, "It can't bother you, because if it does you wouldn't be down there in the first place." He was reluctant to speak specifically about certain missions because they pertained to national security measures. "Being a veteran, being in the military, at the time, it was job security. For having a family though, we went on a lot of dangerous missions. It means doing whatever was needed to protect the country. We went on classified runs in the North Atlantic. The highlight of my life was when I made Chief of the Boat of the USS Nautilus. Do you know what that means? I was the chief hog!” “For thirty years I've led the color guard on Memorial Day and the parade for the Fourth of July. Most of the participants are family. I'm going to have to find a relief, and I hope Jeannie's (Johnson)

“Well, I had girlfriends all over (when I was young). Girls. They were young and we were young. But we were all over eighteen. Once we were in Venice, walking around the Grand Canal and these girls run right over to us, "Oh my goodness American Sailors!" They were American girls, and pretty glad to see us I guess. " “While I was away, my wife was keeping everything going, taking care of the kids and all. I was the one always going off on adventures, but she's the one who kept it together at home.”

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NNOUNCEMENT

Allison Paige Joyal and Anthony Joseph Silveria married October 10, 2009 in Cabot's "Old Center of Town." Justice of the Peace Fred Ducharme officiated. The bride is the daughter of Peter and Bonnie Dannenberg of Cabot. The groom is the son of Joseph and Judy Ann Silveria of Cabot. The bride was escorted by her father and "given away" by her children; Maid of Honor, Deborah Lynn Walnicki, and Ring-bearer, Caleb Urban Blair. The groom's father

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CABOT

Brian K. Talbert, 45, died after a lengthy illness on September 28 at his home in Cabot. Born in Barre January 26, 1964 he was the son of Kenneth and Rose (Sullenberger) Talbert. Brian was a lifelong resident of Cabot, graduating from Cabot High School. short lifetime he was During his self employed as a logger and he operated an excavation business. Brian enjoyed hunting, trapping and especially, school sports. He is survived by his parents, his longtime partner Sherri Norman

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Do You Know Where This Is?

A door in the air, you may see in passing. well known for “gathering”? This is the fourth in a series of photos where this picture was taken, send your served as best man. The old western themed wedding featured cowboys, hitching posts, spurs, sunflowers, lots of boots and shotguns. A wild-west reception followed at the Willey Building in Cabot with a chuck wagon, saloon and dance hall for guests’ enjoyment. Following the ceremony, the couple rode off into the sunset before they realized this was the wrong direction for their honeymoon in Maine.

and her children Dore’ and Shannon, as well as Brian’s daughter Samantha; his brother Chuck and wife Lilly Talbert, a nephew Willem, as well as aunts, uncles and cousins. Brian also leaves his childhood friend Luke Persons. Funeral services were held Saturday October 3, at the Cabot United Church with interment following in the Cabot Village Cemetery. Contributions in Brian’s memory may be made to the Lamoille

Lake Elmore, VT 05657. Arrangements were in the care of des Groseilliers Funeral Homes Church Street Hardwick.

But do you notice this place that is

from your community. If you know answer to our editor, Anne Nadel, at

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By Jeannie Johnson

WHEY to unnamed perpetrators for violating the small-town trust of an unlocked door on the weekend to break into a desk and steal schoolrelated cash from the Cabot school office. You know who you are! Police are seeking leads into this incident, and anyone with information about this event or who witnessed any suspicious activity in the vicinity is encouraged to contact trooper Ryan Green at the Vermont State Police

or the Central Vermont Crime Stop-

CURDS to Lynn Maxfield for organizing food sales at soccer games to raise funds for the eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. Convenience for parents, relief from hunger for kids, and profits toward the trip! Nice work. Can’t wait for the eighth grade citrus sale! I recommend the grapefruit. WHEY for at least three inches of snow on Cabot Plains in mid-October! It was beautiful, but the fall foliage was still competing for its day in the sun. CURDS to Cabot School’s Young Artist of the Month, Dakota Hough from Mr. Lewis’s sixth grade class. WHEY If you do not have your snow tires on yet, have not had your chimney inspected, or have not had your furnace cleaned. CURDS to Twin Valley Senior Center for their 2009 Everyday Recipes collection. This is not your mother’s cookbook! This book in-

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& Whey

cludes healthy dog biscuits, spinach salad with strawberries and kiwi, wild game marinade and sour pickles, plus desserts to die for. Check it out in the Senior Center article in this edition of the Chronicle. You’ll want to snag your copy before they run out. WHEY for less daylight. In 2009, daylight savings time began on March 8 and ends on November 1. “Spring ahead, Fall behind!” On the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local daylight time, which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time. What will you do with that extra hour? If only it was an extra hour of daylight! Don’t forget to change your smoke alarm batteries at the same time.

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CURDS

for working together. Cabot School is partnering with Twinfield Union School to offer students H1N1 vaccines at Twinfield on Tuesday, November 10, and again on December 8 for those who need a second shot or didn’t get the first one. Cabot students will be bussed to Twinfield to take advantage of Department of Health assistance. CURDS to the Chronicle's own Julia Shipley for being awarded a VT Council on the Arts grant to publish her poetry manuscript. We are proud of you, Julia!

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By Catherine Toll

Amidst nationwide debate over Northeastern Vermont Regional the delivery of health care services, Vermonters should be proud that our state is already doing a lot that is right. Recently, The Commonwealth Fund’s State Scorecard ranked Vermont #1 on health system performance. The scorecard is based on 38 indicators including access, quality, costs and health outcomes. Vermont was recognized for its leadership role focusing on preventing and controlling chronic disease. Over half of the people in Vermont (300,000) have a chronic condition. These illnesses account for between 80 – 85 per cent of all health care costs. In 2006, Vermont passed reforms called Vermont’s Blueprint for Health, to improve care for people with chronic conditions by providing information, tools and support to help them manage their own health. This initiative to improve health care for people with chronic conditions, like diabetes, asthma and heart disease, is now receiving national attention. In September, Governor Douglas and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, were invited to the White House for the announcement of a new federal initiative modeled after Vermont’s Blueprint for Health. Patient-centered medical homes are an integral part of the Blueprint. A patient-centered medical home is a health care setting that facilitates partnerships between patients and personal physicians. Preventing and reducing risk of disease is a priority in a medical home. A Community Care Team, including specialists to help the patient manage his/her chronic illness, support the function of the home. It is essential that people with chronic illnesses get the correct care when it is needed and are monitored by their healthcare team to better control, for example, blood pressure, blood sugar, weight and diet. Examples of specialists could include a nutritionist, smoking cessation counselor, or public health nurse. Higher quality health care, in addition to reduction of costs over time, highlight the effectiveness of patient-centered medical homes. In Vermont, all private insurance payers and the state’s health assistance programs are paying for the services of the Community Care Team. However, the Federal Medicare Program has not been participating. With the recent Federal change in policy, Vermont can now apply for approval to receive reimbursement from Medicare. In Fiscal Year 2009, the five primary care practices affiliated with

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TOWN OF CABOT

Hospital in St. Johnsbury became the first in Vermont to receive recognition as Patient-Centered Medical Homes by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. At the time there were only 4 other practices recognized as medical homes in the country. All have electronic medical records that enable records to follow a patient from personal physician to specialists, labs and hospitals. This will lead to better coordination of one’s care and help to eliminate duplicative services and lead to better quality and outcomes. As a small state, Vermont has been able to be both flexible and innovative in finding ways to improve health care and reducing costs. With so much uncertainty in the delivery of health care services nationally, we are proud that Vermont is in the forefront. More information on Vermont’s Blueprint for Health can be found at www.healthvermont.gov/ blueprint.aspx or by contacting Laural Ruggles at L.Ruggles@nvrh.org.

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Holiday Concert

Rehearsals are in progress for the Cabot Community Choir’s Annual Christmas Concert. The concert is scheduled for Friday December 18, at 7:00 p.m. and will be held in the Cabot United Church. Admission is free.

This year’s performance will include both secular and sacred holiday music. A sing-along will also be featured, during which the audience members are invited to participate in the singing of old favorites. Soloists and small groups will also sing some favorite holiday tunes.

The community is encouraged to be sure to mark calendars and join the chorus for an evening of music with friends and neighbors.

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– LISTER VACANCY

Intermediate computer skills and previous experience preferred. Must be a Cabot resident . Assist with inspections and develop fair market values for various types of properties and annually complete a proposed Grand List for approval by the Board of Listers. Conduct various administrative duties such as change of appraisal notices and notices of hearing results to taxpayers. Effectively communicate appraisal information to property owners and the general public. Develop written analyses supporting property valuations and provide justification of values before the Board of Civil Authority and the State and/or Superior Court. Please send cover letter and resume to Cabot Town Office

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By Chronicle Staff

For more than 10 years, part of Vermont's substance abuse prevention strategy has been to support community coalitions and partnerships to educate the community about substance abuse issues. These coalitions bring parents, schools, youth, clinicians, community organizations, and law enforcement to the table to address the problem collectively, with multiple strategies, based the community's unique strengths and needs. During the years, workforce turnover has challenged the system. Despite this challenge, an ever growing and developing group of local coordinators are carrying forward the work of prevention education and outreach. A more mature prevention system can support more meaningful grass roots action. The Vermont Department of Health Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs’ Vermont Conference on Addictive Disorders acknowledged the coalition coordinators as a group for their dedication, creativity and ability to carry out sometimes complex interventions in a way that is meaningful to the community, hopeful and effective. The Director’s Award was given to three individuals as representative of this group, because of their contributions and consistency over the long term. The commonalities they share are that they have served consistently as substance abuse community coalition coordinators in Vermont since at least 1998, starting as New Directions grantees, and built an invaluable understanding of "how it works in Vermont;" provided statewide trainings on substance abuse prevention, mentorship and support to a new generation of community preventionists including community coalition coordinators, youth and adult volunteers; communicated with the state as a whole about our work, and the measurable prevention outcomes that have been achieved in their communities. They have all done interviews with a variety of media outlets, provided legislative testimony and other presentations. This year’s award recipients are Lori Augustyniak of the Cabot Coalition in Cabot, Cindy Hayford, Deerfield Valley Community Partnership in Wilmington, and Dayna Scott of Connecting Youth in Chittenden South, Shelburne.

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By Chronicle Staff

In order to pay for the Cabot school eighth grade class trip to Washington, D.C., in the spring of 2010, there will be several fundraising events in the next few months. The first is the Cabot Community & Hunters Breakfast Series, located in the Willey Building on Main Street (directly across from Harry’s Hardware). These meals will take place November 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29, from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The cost will be $ 6.50 per plate, and the menu will consist of eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, pancakes, juice and coffee. The eighth grade will also hold a Christmas Cash 50/50 Raffle. For every ticket sold the class will get $5.00. All sales will be completed before December 12, when the drawing will be done. The winner will be contacted by phone and will be awarded half the cash from the ticket sales. Fishing trips on Lakes Champlain, Willoughby or Memphremagog, including travel to and from the 21’ sport fishing vessel The Precious, tackle and eight to 10 hours fishing for one to three people (for salmon, lake trout, bass, etc.) can also be purchased to support the class’ trip. Trips can be purchased outright at $300, or a $5.00 raffle ticket can be purchased for a chance to win a trip. Tickets can be purchased from any Cabot eighth grader. Only 60 tickets will be sold, and then sales will cease. All proceeds go directly to the Cabot School eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C. Anyone purchasing a trip will need to bring a valid VT fishing license, food and drink (although cigarettes and alcohol are discouraged), proper clothing and raingear. Trips can be scheduled through November 2009 and starting again in late April 2010 by calling John Hammer at or email ham12206@gmail.com. Finally, the eighth grade is now selling fresh, tree-ripened Florida citrus fruit by the box or half box. Red grapefruit, navel oranges, tangerines and variety boxes are available to order now through December 7. A box weighs approximately 40 lbs., and a half box, approximately 20 lbs. All fruit will arrive prior to December 20, in time for the holidays. For more information about the citrus fruit sale, please contact Peter

ext. 229, or via email, stratmanpt@mac.com.

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From

Autumn brings the inevitable arrival of comfort food season. To inspire and encourage some home-made goodness, whether for the holiday table or simply a hearty, delicious and nourishing dinner with friends or family, the staff of the Cabot Chronicle offer this selection of some of our favorite recipes. Enjoy, and have a wonderful and hopeful Thanksgiving!

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Pumpkin Pie

(adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook's "No Fault Pumpkin Pie". Note: the ingredients for this pie can be acquired from local farmers except the spices, and, as of this writing, we do not know of any farms that grow pie shells) 3 cups pumpkin puree* 3/4 to 1 cup maple syrup 1/4 teaspoons cloves 3 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon salt 4 eggs 1 can evaporated milk or 2 cups scalded milk Mix in order given. Pour into whole wheat pie shell and bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then 40 minutes at 350 degrees, or till set. Serve with heavy whipped cream sweetened with a touch of syrup. *For home-made pumpkin puree, halve one pie pumpkin. Scoop out seeds and place each half in baking pan face side down. Fill pan with an inch of water and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. When pulp is tender, remove from oven and scoop pulp from skin with a fat spoon. From here you can mush pulp with a potato masher or dump it in the food processor and add other ingredients.

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Amy’s Sweet Carrot Pie

Not everyone is fond of pumpkin pie, and carrots can be easier to prepare than fresh pumpkin. In Colonial days this pie was served as part of a meal. Have it for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast! It’s delicious enough to eat all year round. 1 ¼ pounds carrots ¾ cup white or brown sugar 1 cup milk or cream 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ginger ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon allspice or cloves 3 eggs 1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell

Wash carrots; peel skins if tough. Slice carrots (you need about 4 cups total) and steam until tender. Puree carrots in a blender or food processor. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Add remaining ingredients to the blender/food processor and blend until smooth and mixed evenly. (You may need to do this in two batches. If so, mix the two batches together again before pouring in pie shell.) Pour the pureed mixture into the pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for another 45 minutes, or until set. Cool at least ½ hour before serving.

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Squash Soup

Rich and aromatic, this soup can be served as a light (although your taste buds won’t know it) meal accompanied by a hearty local bread. Sweet autumn squash coupled with chicken broth (vegetable if you do not eat meat) and fat-free half and half make it nutritious and delicious.

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By Chronicle Family, Compiled

Two large autumn squash, buttercup works very well due to its texture One large package (boxes found in soup aisle at grocery store are perfect) plus one can if needed, of fat-free or reduced fat chicken broth 1 cup fat-free half and half 1 teaspoon cardamom ½ teaspoon coriander ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon turmeric ¼ teaspoon ground powdered ginger ¼ teaspoon ground powdered cloves Salt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a baking sheet (or two, depending on the size of the squash) with canola or olive oil spray, or rub with olive oil to prevent the squash from sticking. Halve and seed the squash; place them face down on baking sheet. Bake about 40 minutes or until soft. Scoop the cooked squash flesh into a large pot and mash with a potato masher. Add broth and spices and stir well. Cook for about half an hour or until flavors are well mixed. Add half and half, stir again, season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

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Cranberry Chutney

1 lb. cranberries 1 cup sugar ½ cup packed brown sugar ½ cup golden raisins 2 teaspoon Cinnamon 1 ½ teaspoon ginger ½ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon allspice 1 cup water 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped apple ½ cup chopped celery Simmer cranberries, sugar, raisins, spices and water uncovered in saucepan, stirring frequently until juices are released from berries (about 15 min-

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Famous Creamed Spinach

(courtesy of Todd) 1 lb. Fresh Spinach (or 2 packages frozen) 1 Vidalia Onion 1 cup Milk (whole works best) 2 tbs. unsalted butter 1 tbs. plain flour Salt & Pepper (to taste) A pinch of nutmeg A pinch of thyme 2 Bay leaves If using fresh spinach, trim out the central stalks and wash well (If using frozen, thaw and drain and go to step 2 - Although, fresh is much better). Cook the spinach, covered, in a large saucepan. When the leaves are wilted and cooked through, rinse them briefly in cold water, then squeeze them with your hands to extract as much water as you can before chopping. Put the onion, thyme and bay leaves in a pan with the milk. Bring almost to a boil. Remove from the heat then leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain into a bowl and discard the rest. Melt the butter in the same pan (you don't need to wash it) and stir in the flour to make a loose roux. Simmer gently for a couple of minutes, then add half the seasoned milk and stir in. When the sauce is thick and smooth, stir in the rest of the milk. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for just a minute. Season well with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Next, stir in the spinach. Heat until thoroughly hot, but don't let it bubble for more than a minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and whatever you like. Serve immediately.

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Thanksgiving Sausage Stuffing

(courtesy of Jeannie) 1 large package prepared stuffing (I prefer Bell’s, Mom uses Pepperidge Farm), big bag 1 large onion, diced 4 stalks celery with tops, sliced thin ¾ to 1 pound mushrooms, sliced 1 pound bulk sausage 1 or 2 eggs Chicken stock or water (so it “gets gluey”), or vegetable broth Saute onion, celery and mushrooms until no pink is left in sausage. Prepare packaged stuffing according to package directions, holding back some of the broth or water until you add the vegetables. Add sausage and vegetables into the prepared stuffing, mix well. Add one egg and distribute through stuffing. The egg helps bind the stuffing together, and should make it a little “gluey”. If necessary, add the second egg, but no more than two. If it is still not “gluey”, add a little more stock or water. Keep in mind that, if cooked inside the bird, it will gain moisture from the juices. Loosely pack into cavities of turkey, or place in covered casserole dish and roast in oven with turkey. Finally, the

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Tastiest Turkey Ever

(courtesy of Anne) Cooking a turkey is reputed to be problematic, but if the cook cuts through all the cooking channel hype, the preparation of the main focus of the Thanksgiving meal, the turkey, can be easy. 1 medium sized turkey (we order ours locally, fresh, from the Bothfelds) 1 can turkey broth 1 tablespoon powdered sage 1 tablespoon Bells seasoning Pinch garlic ¼ cup olive or canola oil Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove turkey from wrappings, rinse it under cool water, and pat dry. Put it in large roasting pan. Rub surface of turkey with olive oil, then with the herbs and spices. Pour half the broth into the pan around the turkey to add moisture (reserve the rest for gravy-making). Cover tips of wings and ends of drumsticks with aluminum foil to prevent drying. Tent the entire pan with foil for the first hour-and-ahalf of cooking, to seal the moisture in with the turkey. Put pan in oven and allow to cook. After the hour-and-a-half is up, remove the foil and baste the turkey with liquid from the bottom of the pan. Return the turkey to the oven. How much more time it takes to cook depends on the size of the bird. Allow the turkey to continue to roast until the wings move easily when grasped between the thumb and fingers, and the bird reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees. Remove the foil from the wings and drumsticks, let cook another 15 minutes to brown them, and remove from oven. Let sit for ten or fifteen minutes before carving. This is the perfect time to make the gravy. For gravy, take the juices from the roasting pan and put them in a large saucepan or deep frying pan. Stir in enough flour to make a thin (not pasty) roux, then, over medium heat, add turkey broth, gradually, until the gravy reaches the desired consistency.

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Division,

grades one grades seven through six: through 12: First, Will First, Jeanne Nally; Second, Ducharme; SecToby Cooke; ond, Lynn-Anne Third, Saman- Nunn; Third, tha Hardy; Hon- Ashley Maurice; orable mention, Honorable menEmmett Avery; tion, Olivia BelPieman Award, lavance; Pieman Brooke Hough- Award, Madeton. line Morse.

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of Distracted Driving

New Drive to Life PSA Challenge Part of National Youth Traffic Safety Month Youth are invited to use their creativity to develop a traffic safety PSA and enter to win a trip to New York City and a $1,000 scholarship. National Organization for Youth Safety (NOYS) is teaming up with The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc., a non-profit group that has been producing and distributing free driver education programs to invite young people to help get out important safe driving messages in their own thoughts and words for more than 40 years. The contest sponsors are looking for the best ideas for public service announcements, conceived by young people and aimed at young people, to alert them to the dangers of risky behavior behind the wheel. Students are encouraged to create a treatment and/or script for a public service announcement (PSA) that addresses one or more of the traffic safety issues listed.

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By Amanda Legare

For the fifth year in a row Cabot Chef David Hale is again working with culinary students to put on the “New Traditions Supper,” a gourmet buffet which has become an anticipated epicurean treat in central Vermont. This year’s meal will be served Friday, Nov. 6 at the Cabot United Church. “A group of us got together five years ago and decided we wanted to create an annual supper in Cabot that was different from the chicken pie, ham and baked bean scenario you see in other towns,” Hale explained. “We decided to do something that’s ours and only ours.” The resulting Cabot meal features linen table clothes and gourmet cuisine (see menu) with a buffet format. Hale is the former executive chef for Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley, California. He returned to teach at his alma mater, New England Culinary Institute, where he worked in many capacities since 1995. In 2001 he and his wife, Libby, moved to Churchill Road in Cabot where they live with their two children Eli and Gage. He now commutes in the other direction, east on Route 2, to St. Johnsbury Academy where he is the culinary arts teacher, cooking at the Hilltopper Restaurant with 23 culinary students. We have a great range of students,” he explained. “Some want to continue in the food service industry, others just want to be proficient in a restaurant setting. The students do everything from designing the menu to prepping and serving the public. They are learning transferable skills that will serve them well no matter what they do down the road.” The students at the academy will work with Hale to prepare the Cabot meal. The final stages of prepping and the actual serving will be conducted by students from the New England Culinary Institute as part of their “service learning requirement.” Cabot church and community members work together each year to make this meal a success. “I am not a full time member of the church, Hale explained. “But I understand the integral role the church plays in the community. The people who benefit from this event are neighbors.” my

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Summit

We are not looking for actual videos, but for scripts, treatments or story boards that illustrate your concept for a PSA. The finished PSA should run either 15 or 30 seconds. So, be creative and develop a script or story board for a powerful youth to youth PSA addressing a teen driver safety issue(s) listed below. Traffic safety issues to be addressed may include impaired driving (alcohol and/or drugs), speeding and aggressive driving, drowsy driving (a form of impairment), distracted driving (cell phones, texting, carrying other teens in the car), and seat belt use. The competition is open to anyone in the U.S. between ages 13- and 22-yearsold. Entries will be divided into two age categories, 13 to 16 and 17 to 22. Entries must be postmarked no later than November 21, 2009. For more details and entry forms, visit NOYS on the web at www.drivetolife.com.

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Gourmet Buffet

Chef David Hale of Cabot, above right, a new culinary arts teacher at St. Johnsbury Academy, plates meals at the school’s Hilltopper Restaurant with Josh Martin of Waterford, one of 14 Culinary II students at the Academy. On Friday, Nov. 6 the students will prepare a gourmet meal to benefit the Cabot United Church. Photo courtesy of Amanda Legare.

“I love the camaraderie of this event,” he added. “Everyone gets together to pull this off, students and community members. And I love that joyous buzz of the room as everyone digs into their food.” Reservations are necessary and servings are offered at 5pm, 6:15 pm and 7:30 pm. at the Cabot Church on Main Street. Tickets: Adults, $12; Senior citizens $10; Children 12 or under $6. Take

benefit United Church of Cabot. Cabot Gourmet Buffet Menu: Fifth Annual Cabot New Traditions Community Dinner Anadama bread and dinner rolls Cider braised pork with carmelized onions and rosemary Modern Waldorf salad with frisee, local apples, celeriac and cider-walnut vinaigrette Roasted root vegetables with fresh herbs, olive oil and lemon juice Whipped sweet potato Spinach gratin Cheddar-Apple bread pudding ~ Pear and cranberry crisp “Grammy Hale’s” oatmeal cake

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Those Not Wearing Seat Belts

About half of all of those killed in traffic crashes across America during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend last year were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). As a result, Vermont State Police, Sheriffs’ Departments and municipal Police Departments will be out in force this Thanksgiving weekend, cracking down on drivers and passengers not wearing their seat belts. “Seat belts clearly save lives,” said Jeanne Johnson, Highway Safety Program Chief in the Department of Public Safety. “But, unfortunately, too many folks still need a tough reminder, so police will be out in force over Thanksgiving with a strong ‘Click It or Ticket’ message and enforcement push to help save lives on our highways.” The heavily-traveled Thanksgiving weekend is one of the deadliest times of the year due to low seat belt use. Although a record 84 per cent of Americans now wear their seat belts, up from 58 per cent in 1994, too many people still do not. According to NHTSA, 37,261 passenger vehicle occupants died in traffic crashes during 2008, and more than half of those killed were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. “Too many people, especially young male drivers, teens, pickup truck drivers and passengers, and folks of all ages riding in the back seats of vehicles, still take the attitude that a deadly crash will never happen, ” said Deputy Sheriff Chuck Satterfield, who patrols Cabot on Cabbage Night and Halloween. “But deadly crashes can and do happen every day. So we are going to show zero tolerance for those failing to buckle up. This is not about writing tickets. It’s about saving lives.” In Vermont, seat belt use ranges from 90 per cent for cars and SUVs in Chittenden County to a low of 50 per cent by male pickup drivers in the Northeast Kingdom .

“Because law enforcement officials have seen first hand the severe injury and death that comes from low seat belt use, we are going to be out in force working this issue hard throughout the Thanksgiving weekend,” said Vermont State Police Lieutenant John Flannigan, head of the Traffic Safety Unit. “Unless you want to risk a ticket – or worse, your life – please remember to ‘Click It or Ticket’ this holiday weekend.”

Note: the Thanksgiving holiday weekend time period is defined as 6:00 p.m., Wednesday to 5:59 a.m., Monday

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MARSHFIELD

Despite early clouds and heavy skies, On October 10, folks from Marshfield, Cabot, Peacham and other surrounding towns converged on the village’s tiny center to celebrate the Fire Department’s centennial, including local and national politicians. No doubt, tourists were confused as Marshfield, not usually known for parades, saw U.S. Route 2 closed both eastand west-bound, as well as the intersection with Route 215, to permit the passage of kilted bagpipers and Governor Jim Douglas. Senator Bernie Sanders rode in an open-cab 1917 fire truck, which was part of the procession of antique firefighting equipment. Plainfield’s Fire Department provided the vehicles and manpower that stopped the traffic as the process wove down Route 2 and onto Gilman Street before coming to its destination at the Old Schoolhouse Commons. Once the vehicles and accompanying crowd of people from Marshfield and other towns (most of which have a cooperative arrangement between their volunteer fire department, assistant chief Tim Mordepartments and Marshfield’s to share ris and Safety Officer Darrell Burkservices and support one another) reached halter.

Bagpipers Tim Morris and Iain MacHarg lead the procession celebrating the centennial of Marshfield's Fire Department as a Plainfield Fire Department vehicle stops traffic on Rte. 2. the commons, music, food and commemorative speeches feted the volunteer company’s hundred years. In a brief interview, Senator Sanders, who was instrumental recently in opening a fire training facility at Randolph’s Vermont Technical College, said he is a fan of small-town fire departments, and lauded “That spirit of community…where citizens look out for and take care of one another.” He continued to say he believes that, coupled with the level of cooperation between towns, is part of what sets Vermont apart from other states. The ceremonial part of the event began with the calling of all sirens on the multi-

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for Celebration

Senator Bernie Sanders took a ride in an antique fire truck driven by Tom Maclay.

ple emergency vehicles parked at the commons. Fire trucks, ambulances and other rescue vehicles all howled in discordant unity, to the consternation of the many dogs at the event. A resolution commemorating the Marshfield Fire Department’s century of supporting its community was read by Representative Janet Ancel and state Senator Bill Doyle. The two will introduce the resolution into the Legislature in January. As the skies cleared, Chief Tim Maclay awarded Assistant Chief and Safety Officer Darrell Burkhalter commemorative clock-plaques, commending each man’s 20 years of unerring commitment to their community’s and fellow firefighters’ wellbeing. Tim Morris told an abridged history of the department, beginning with the decision on the part of town voters, after a particularly cataclysmic fire in 1909, to appropriate the hefty sum of $500 in order to start a volunteer fire department. Morris’ history was at times humorous (one man threw his inflamed gas can toward Representative Janet Ancel and the door to get it away from him, thus Senator Bill Doyle read a proclamablocking his escape until the fire depart- tion recognizing the Marshfield Fire ment came to his rescue) and at others, Department's centennial. sorrowful (a young child who awoke his mother to save the family was then lost to the fire). Intermittently, bagpipers Iain MacHarg and Tim Morris, Jr., played for the admiring crowd; food was served by members of the Christ Covenant Church, and a table displaying items telling more if the story of the fire department was visited by those who came to the celebration. Hundredth birthday cakes were served. The conclusion of the ceremony was somber. The Five Bells ceremony features the ringing of four fire bells, five times each, to memorialize, as Morris said, “those who have given of their lives Governor Jim Douglas strolls up Rte. in service to this country," said Morris. 2 during the parade.

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By Anne Nadel

The depressed real estate market surely played a part when the auction intended to sell Rolf and Dolores Muench’s property, which formerly housed the restaurant Goldie’s Gathering, failed to attract so much as one registrant. A number of local people wandered the property, making notes, before the auction was supposed to begin, but in the end, none of them registered for a buyer’s number. Thomas Hirchak, the Morrisville auctioneer hired to run the auction, was disheartened by the lack of fiscal enthusiasm, but says the right buyer is out there somewhere, perhaps right in the Cabot community. “A lot of people liked it, but just did not have the wherewithal to buy it,” he said, adding, “We will list it now.” In addition to auction services, Hirchak’s company sells real estate, and has the exclusive right to list the Muench property at this time. The property includes numerous spaces that can be used individually

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Vermont's Youth Hunting

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and the Vermont Big Game Trophy Club are seeking submissions for the third annual Youth Hunting Memories Contest. "Young Vermont hunters are encouraged to submit a short essay and photo, if available, describing their hunting experience this year," said Mark Scott of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. "Some of the greatest stories told about the Vermont woods in the past two years have come from the hearts of the kids who were out hunting with their family." Each youth must submit an essay about one of their hunting experiences and include why hunting is important to them. Criteria to be judged include ethics, landowner relations, appreciation of wildlife, respect for our hunting heritage, and family values. Entrants are encouraged to send in their hunting photos with their story. The top entry from each Vermont County will win a special prize from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. The Fish and Wildlife Department along with members of the Vermont Big Game Trophy Club and the Vermont 4-

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Building?

for multiple purposes. A portion of it contains the turn-key restaurant space, complete with professional stove, grill griddle and fryer, which can seat up to 50 diners; there are two additional parts of the main house, and a barn that could be used for many purposes. One end of the building was used as office space, and the other housed a suite, rented on a short-term basis as an Inn facility. Behind the main structure, there is a small parking area which sits atop a bank that runs down to the Winooski River. The barn adjoins the building at a right angle, next to the parking area. Built in the mid nineteenth century, the structure was renovated between 19 and 2003. It is zoned for commercial use. Hirchak said the Muenchs are hoping to sell if for $199,000, which is far below the common assessment value of $289,000. “Of course, we are looking for offers,” he explained. Anyone who wants to find out more about the property can call Terry at the Thomas Hirchak Company,

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Essay Contest

H Shooting Sports will select the winners. Winners will be announced at the 2010 Yankee Sportsman Classic Show in January. In addition, the top entry from each county will be eligible to compete for a special big game hunt provided by the Vermont Big Game Trophy Club. Photographs should be sharp, and any game should be displayed in a tasteful manner. Submissions will not be returned. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and Vermont Big Game Trophy Club reserve the right to publish photos and essays, and omit submissions that might be offensive. Submissions must include: hunter's first and last name, address, age, telephone number, county of residence, email address if available, and location of hunt. The contest is open to anyone 16 and younger. Submissions must be received by 4:30 p.m. on December 31, 2009. Email submissions to Ann.Shangraw@state.vt.us or mail to: 2009 Youth Hunting Memories Contest, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, 103 South Main St., Bldg 10 South, Waterbury, VT 05671-0501.

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EWS

The Twin Valley Seniors have a new cookbook 'Everyday Recipes' with many recipes contributed by the seniors and their families. It is dedicated to Winnie Mundinger for her many years of service to the center. The cookbook may be purchased from any board member or by calling the center. On November 11 the TVSC,Inc. will honor our veterans who attend the center, those who volunteer and invited guests. The following is an excerpt from an interview by Stacey Sharp with our local veterans: Fred Harvey of Plainfield served in the Navy Seabees from 1943-1946. He was stationed in Hawaii, Tinian and Okinawa building airstrips, some as large as 30 x 50 feet. Crushed coral was used to make the airstrips. After his service he attended college in New York and New Mexico and spent 18 years at Harvard in the medical and business libraries. Mervin Spooner of Marshfield enlisted in the Marines in 1953 during the Korean War. "If I could get in, I wanted to be with the best," he said. Unfortunately, while at Parris Island, Merv had to leave because of problems from a car accident before his enlistment.

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hronicle

Brian Ducharme from Marshfield served in the US Army 19th Infantry Regiment, landing in Korea two months before the treaty was signed. He provided guard duty for supply trucks and as a truck driver, carrying supplies and food. His first run in the morning was a garbage run and he would search the food for edible leftovers, put it in containers and take it to a local orphanage. Service takes all kinds of heart. Brian and Jeanne later adopted 2 girls from Vietnam and 1 from Korea to add to their own. Casper Lyford served in the Army Detached Enlisted Men's List from 1940 -1945. He spent time at Fort Devens processing draftees and served at Fort Lewis General Hospital in Washington and in France at the General Hospital as chief of the message center. Ernie Penley of Marshfield served in the Marine Corps from 1965-1968. As a member of the First Marine Division, he was in Vietnam, served in Operation Hastings as section leader in charge of mortars, and can recall some harrowing adventures. Ernie has a stepson in the Iowa National Guard who will be deployed in November to Afghanistan with the Vermont Guard to help in transition as the Iowa Guard replaces the VT Guard when their tour is finished. Sincere thanks to all veterans for their willingness to serve, their bravery, and their commitment to our country as we remember them, especially on November 11. For more information about any of the TVS, Inc. programs or events,

a message if you don't reach a live person. Your call will be returned.

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By Anne Nadel

Every year, high school graduates are faced with challenging decisions. What now? Further education and work are the most common choices, but for some, the call of volunteerism is strong, encouraging them to spend some time putting others first, in what is commonly known as a Gap Year. The struggling economy and high cost of education may help some young people make the choice to volunteer, but for others it is a more organic imperative that drives them. Cabot class of 2009 graduate Deborah Walnicki decided to defer college for a year and make a fish-out-of-water choice to participate in a program called City Year. Operated in partnership with Americorps and several large corporations, City Year gives high school graduates the chance to spend a year working full time in public service. According to City Year publications, the youth service orps unites 1,500 young people between the ages of 17- and 24-years-old in projects involving community service, leadership development, and civic engagement. Walnicki is doing her City Year project in New York’s Harlem, a gritty urban environment about as different from Cabot as possible. She recently took a few minutes to answer some questions about her experiences. Anne Nadel: City Year gets applicants from all over the country. Are most from places pretty far removed from the urban environment? Deborah Walnicki: I don’t know the entire corps, but I know it’s very diverse. (We) come from very rural areas to suburban to the very communities we are working in. There are 11 members on my team in PS/MS (Public School/Middle School) 57 in Harlem and we are from Harlem, Miami, NJ, Michigan Connecticut, Mississippi, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Vermont. AN: How does City Year work? Is it something for which you get scholarships? DW: City year is a nonprofit organization…it gets funding from different sources. I know about 25% comes from Americorps. Other money comes from foundations, donations and sponsors. Some sponsors include Bank of America, CSX, Comcast, Timberland, PepsiCo, TMobile, and Aramark. Some teams are sponsored, my team is sponsored by Credit Suisse. City Year diversifies its

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Wanted-

ambitious, driven self-starter to sell advertising for the Cabot Chronicle. Retirees fine, particularly anyone with some experience in sales. Must have own car and be able to govern your time independently. This is a commissioned position. Please send brief resume and contact information to coordina-

the subject line.

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Wanted-

experienced, talented writers to write articles for the Cabot Chronicle. Knowledge of Associated Press style a definite plus, functional literacy a must. May waive experience qualifications with highquality writing sample submissions. Ability to express yourself clearly is the most important thing. This is a freelance job. Please send resume and queries to edi-

subject line.

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EYOND

funding so that if one form of funding is lost, the organization is okay. The money helps pay for many things, including programming and volunteer stipends. A stipend is much like an “allowance.” It is not a salary, because we aren’t employees, we are volunteers. But it’s still taxed. The stipend amount varies at City Year locations based on the cost of living. Basically, it’s just enough to live on. It doesn’t matter how many hours “overtime” you work, you still get the same stipend. AN: Since you have been in NY, you have had the chance to represent City Year at the 9/11 remembrance event. What was that like? Were you the only City Year participant there? DW: I was selected to attend the 9/11 ceremony by lottery, with 40 or so other City Year representatives…(it was) was very powerful. A lot of people spoke, including people who run non-profits, people who lost family members on 9/11 and Hillary Clinton. The theme was the national service movement. 9/11 is now a national day of service and remembrance. The entire day, City Year members worked on various service projects around the city. I helped paint a mural for a pediatric unit in a Harlem hospital. Other people worked at homeless shelters, cleaned up neighborhoods, etc. After doing service all day (and knowing that we’d soon be working in the schools for nine more months of service) it was inspiring knowing that so many people supported our efforts, and that so many others were willing to donate their time, money, lives to a cause. AN: What has been your favorite part of this experience so far? What is good or bad about it? DW: I'm going answer this question by telling you more about City Year, then telling you the best & worst parts. I serve at P.S./M.S. 57 in Harlem with 10 other people, one of whom is our team leader. We arrive at the school at 7:45 am. We run a book club in the morning. I work with a group of seven fourth graders. They are already good readers so this is an enrichment program before school starts. Then we run “Great Leaps" one-on -one literacy tutoring with students who are not reading at grade level. I work with 11 students in Great Leaps. I help run recess with the kindergarten-ers, first and second graders. Some days we run a program called "Bringing books to life," reading a book to the class and discussing it with the students, but making it really

of $2 (not including help wanted or employment

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Hardi Plank, Cedarmill Siding

(Primed) 29 pieces 6 1/4”x 12’ Home Depot Price $5.97 each Asking $5.00 each Sofabed —Best offer

62 Acres of Peaceful Privacy at our 4BR, 2BA home on Tetreault Rd in Cabot. Amazing views of the Worcester Range, stunning wildlife, berries and trails galore! Low taxes ($2500 in 2008) Motivated sellers asking $260,000. Call or email us for more info or photos: 802

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Organic grain-fed, pastured chicken ,

$3.75 per pound. Eggs (organic grain fed, free range)$20.00 for 5 dozen. fun and interesting, while they learn about either values or different cultures. Our after-school programs run from 2:45 until 5:30, and include homework help, "starfish" (a service club for students) and other clubs (I help run game club, leadership club and arts and crafts club. Other people run different clubs). We help with school wide events. The day typically ends at 6:00, but sometimes later, depending on the work we have to do. The long days can be challenging, but they’re necessary to make a significant impact and do a good job. There are also service days that we participate in. We had one on 9/11 where different teams did different service projects around the city. Corporations will also come volunteer with City Year, so we lead their employees in various service projects. City Year is in four different zones this year in New York, with approximately 230 corps members; Long Island City, Harlem, South Bronx and East New York. I'm serving in Harlem. About 60 of these corps members are in Harlem. City year also has a "culture". It's goofy, but fun. There are a lot of call and responses, with games as warm ups. But a lot of the stuff is for the kids. We take all the games and everything we learn into the classroom and share it with the students. We also have something called "unity rally" every Friday; the entire corps goes to Union Square in the morning and does physical training. It's mostly for publicity, because 250 people doing PT in Union Square in bright red jackets definitely draws attention. People talk to us, ask what City Year is all about, spread the word. It's really cool when we're walking around our communities, because people recognize the uniform (especially kids) and will be like "Hey, City Year!" as you're walking down the street. City Year is also really big on personal development. They have college and career fairs and help you develop your personal and professional skills. They are very supportive as far as helping with your "Life After City Year" (LACY) plan…to make sure you leave with an idea of where you're going next. The thing I've heard the most from past corps members is that this will be "the most challenging and rewarding year of your life." So far I’ve found that to be true. I love everything about City Year… everyone in City Year is open-minded, respectful, celebrates diversity and is an all-around good citizen. We are all working together to help address the high school dropout crisis, and empower the

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Housemate Wanted .

Senior looking to hire female live-in for two-bedroom apartment in Cabot -room provided free and, depending on eating habits, board as well. Salary to be negotiated. Depending on results of live-in search, am also looking for caregivers and respite providers able to provide regular hours on a weekly basis. If interested, please call Mike Attley at

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November 2009 ~ page 11

youth we work with. My favorite things about City Year (include) the approach we take to our service. Our “motto” is Spirit, Discipline, Purpose and Pride. That is evident in our daily work. We also care about the students we work with. When a child is having a behavior management problem we try to find the root of the problem…work to solve that—not simply punish the child. We work to empower students… help them succeed. My other favorite part of city year is the students. If I’m having a bad day I remember this isn’t about me—it’s about them. I love forming a relationships with the students and seeing their progress. Celebrating their successes is just as rewarding for me as it is for them…their success can be something as minor as them being on time for once, lining up in a straight line quietly, or as awesome as them finally learning how to read a new story. They are the reason I’m in City Year. I want to make a difference in their lives. The most challenging part of being in City Year is working on such a diverse team…it isn’t always a picnic. Everyone comes from different backgrounds, has different leadership styles, different ideas. We do a lot of teambuilding…have a pretty strong team. Thus far I think we have done some great service. However there are times when conflicts arise. Not everyone is always happy with all decisions. It’s challenging, but I think it’s a good experience. Working well with others, being open-minded and flexible, and using effective conflict resolution tactics are skills that can not only help us in city year, but in all aspects of our lives. AN: Do you see your life including volunteerism after City Year? DW: Absolutely! I love volunteering, knowing I can make a difference, helping others. It’s something I’m very passionate about. If I can find a way to turn volunteerism into a career I’m going to do it. AN: Do you miss the rural character of your life until now, or do you love life in the Big City? Can you find time and place to just sit and be internally quiet like rural life allows you to be? DW: I love life in the city, feel more at home here than I ever did in a rural setting (except for missing my family). Whenever the fast pace of the city is too much for me I can always find time to “just sit and be internally quiet”. My apartment is my sanctuary. I also really enjoy just heading to a park (especially Central Park) and relaxing with a good book and a hot chocolate.

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Therapeutic Riding Program

is recruiting volunteers to serve as horse leaders and side walkers during the day and after school. High school age youth and adults who are comfortable with horses and people with disabilities and encouraged to apply. Rhythm of the Rein is hosted at Water Tower Farm in Marshfield. For more information please call Libby Hale, 917-

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← From the Cabot Chronicle