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The Cabot Chronicle

December 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 December 2009 pages (PDF)

Text extracted from the original pages and checked for reading order. Advertisements, listings, the calendar and puzzles are omitted. Where part of a story could not be converted cleanly, it is marked and the full story is in the PDF.

In This Issue

Isaac James to Perform Organ Recital at Cabot United Church

Organist and pianist Isaac James will perform an organ recital at the Cabot United Church on December 6. Photo by Amanda Legare.

By Amanda Legare CABOT

Isaac James, the organist at Christ Covenant Church in Marshfield, will be presenting an organ concert at the Cabot United Church on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 4:00 p.m. The concert will include what he considers to be some of the most beautiful Christmas music ever composed, including “Walking in the Air” by Howard Blake. In addition to his role as organist, James is also a concert pianist who has studied under some well-known performing artists, including Drs. Robert Auler, Andrew Russo, Jonathan Mann, Christopher O'Riley, and Andre Watts. In addition, he has studied organ with Kyle Ramey, Yitzak Rabinowitz, Robert Goldman, Israel Steinberg and John Scott, a famous organist from St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England. Music comes naturally to James, whose six siblings and both parents play instruments. His father is the pastor of Christ Church in Champion, NY. James started playing piano at age six and began lessons at age 13. “In my high school years I was a complete music geek,” he admits. “I would practice eight hours a day. All of my teachers were very strict.” By the time he was 16 he was ready to compete in an international Chopin competition where he placed third. Rather than attend a music institution, James continued studying directly with private teachers. Although his early years were spent at the piano, James fell in love with the pipe organ at a church while attending an open house . “It was six years ago in a huge Episcopal church,” he recalled. “The ceilings were high and behind the marble columns was a gigantic pipe organ. This one had six manuals (keyboards) and 150 rank.” He continued, “It was unbelievable. You could feel the sound. After that I said ‘I have to learn - it was too beautiful not to’.” James is now living with his grandparents in East Calais where he is a piano technician and rebuilder as well as a performing artist. He is currently working on three “higher end” pianos which will all be resold. He is a Steinway technician and in the process of becoming a “Steinway Artist,” which means he would only perform on Steinway concert grand pianos. At the youthful age of 21 James knows exactly what he wants to do with his life. “I can’t imagine doing anything else other than tuning and performing and rebuilding pianos. I have been blessed,” he said. James will perform for one and one-half hours at Cabot’s organ concert, with a 15 minute intermission. “The organ in their church is small, but it is intact and makes very beautiful music,” he stated. It is an 1896 Hook & Hastings pipe organ with seven ranks and James says it is unusual to find these instruments still functioning and maintained in smaller churches. The bellows have been replaced, a new pedal board has been installed as well as a new blower. (Before modern times, a child or willing adult would pump air with a hand bellows, filling the organ reservoir and wind chest with air). Suggested donations to attend this concert are $5 - $15. Church members will use the funds for continued maintenance and improvements on this historic organ. Refreshments will follow the event.

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New Owners for Marshfield Village Store

By Anne Nadel CABOT On November 10, the Marshfield Village Store was sold via a bank auction, and new owners Tim and Val Roberts of Marshfield have some old plans for their new enterprise. The Robertses own Tim’s Convenient at the far other side of Marshfield from their new business. That store, hanging on the verge of Plainfield village, is a classic gas station and convenience store. An array of products from pre-made sandwiches to windshield washer fluid, beer and cigarettes is available at the generic commercial store. According to the couple, the Marshfield Village Store, creaky, clapboarded and charming with its broad porch, will represent a departure from Tim’s Convenient.

“It will be more general store-ish (than the other store), and will have a less rushed atmosphere,” Ms. Roberts said, adding that she wants to see the store be “an old-style market.” Tim Roberts agreed, saying he hopes the store will go back to the way it operated early in the decade, as a hub for the residents of the village and surrounding areas to meet, and pick up groceries and other necessities. Until approximately five years ago, the Marshfield Village Store was owned and operated by Jean and John Bernek of Marshfield. The owners between the Berneks and the Robertses attempted to make the store more tourist-focused, and lost a large number of the local residents who once shopped there. The doors of the store closed more than a year ago, and the November auction via TranZon Real Estate Auction Company in Maine was the eventual result. The Robertses paid $120,000 for the property. Operating as a mercantile since 1852, the Marshfield Village Store is one of the oldest country stores in the nation. The store was the filming site for the 1983 movie "I am the Cheese," with Hope Lange and Robert Wagner. Mr. Roberts said the initial effort will be to open the basic grocery operation, but he hopes to expand to use some of the space over the existing store to include hunting and fishing supplies and clothing. “Of course,” he said, “that’s part of the five-year plan.” He added that as of now, the plan is for the couple’s adult children, Tyler and Ciara, to run the day-to-day operations of the store. Val Roberts said she is just looking forward to completing the closing on the property, which should be complete by the first of December, and to getting all the village permits in place to open the store. As to when that will happen, she answered, “As soon as legally possible.”

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Cobb Retires After Seven Years at United Church of Cabot

By Jeanne Johnson CABOT The Reverend Doctor Bill Cobb will retire from his post as pastor of the United Church of Cabot on December 31. His final service will be on Christmas Eve. The Chronicle’s Jeanne Johnson sat down to interview Rev. Cobb about his decision to retire, his time at the church, and what comes next in his life.The narrative that follows details the conversation.

I sat down to talk with Bill Cobb about his decision to leave the office of Pastor of the Cabot Community Church. I thought I was wellorganized, having developed questions to ask him, thinking that a little planning would lead to a wellstructured, concise interview. I discovered that Bill Cobb had a lot to say, and it wasn’t necessarily covered in my few prepared questions. He had an astonishingly varied career path before being called to the ministry. I found it challenging to keep up with him, but I captured as much as I could. It turns out that a great deal of his seven years as leader of the church involved aspects of peoples’ lives that are way too individual and personal for publication. But, in addition to recommending a number of reading assignments for me, these are the printable insights he gave me.

When asked why he has chosen to step down as pastor, Rev. Cobb said he’s got at least a couple of books in him, and it’s impossible to write a cohesive thought in the few hours of uncommitted time his present responsibilities allow him.

When I asked him what the books were about, he said, “If you talk about it before you write it, you won’t write it.” But the title of one is “The Divine Prescription.” I asked him if there is anyone he would particularly like to thank or acknowledge. He answered, “There are so many people who played a positive role that I couldn’t possibly thank them all; but they were all critical to the success we had. I didn’t do it all – everyone helped. My wife, Mary, started and nurtured a community chorus – which has recently been passed on to a new Director, Lynn McKinney.” “We introduced a lot of music – concerts in church, on the common, outdoor services, study groups. We

– the church – have been trying

(Cobb Retires, Page 2)

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Cobb Retires

…new things; open worship, less liturgical, searching for the truth of God and Jesus Christ. We’ve been available to people in and out of church for whatever need they may have – whatever they want to talk about. Many repairs have been done to the church – some was under way before I got here, and we continued that work.”

I asked Rev. Cobb what accomplishments he would like to be remembered for. “Having come into ministry in midlife, I hope the legacy is concentrated messages and ministry on the truth that I’ve learned about God and Jesus – very patient, astoundingly forgiving, super creative, loving and persevering.” He said, adding, “I hope I have helped people understand God is approachable and wants to have a relationship with us; he dwells in the heart and soul of every individual; that will lead to a very successful human life and will lead to peace on earth and good will to all. In the hugeness of the universe, it is amazing that God even cares for us, but as the writer of Psalm 8 says, God made us ‘a little lower than angels,’ and that is amazing in and of itself.” “We worked with community in the church with healing prayers for people. As Dr. (M.D.) Larry Dossey points out in his book, Healing Words, prayer works at a distance on everything from germs and single cell systems to people and machines, he recounts the many scientific studies demonstrating that things can be influenced by prayer close up or at a distance from the other side of the world.” Over the years, Rev. Cobb has been present for important moments in the lives of town residents. I asked him to relate some of the most memorable ones. “In ministry,” he explained, “one is privileged to be with people at their most happy times and most trying times – marriages, new babies and the passing of loved ones – and you thereby occasionally get to witness miracles.” “There was a woman from this community who had to go into a nursing home in central Vermont; she was very understanding, did it gracefully. In the end, I happened to be there the Saturday her family was called in because she was expected to go. Then, her noisy roommate, who had vacated their shared room the night before, came noisily barging back in, and the lady came back from the edge and told us who she had seen in Heaven.” “The privilege of being a minister is to be there when people are touched by the spirit; sometimes they walk away, and sometimes their lives are forever enriched and changed by it. God created us in his image, and we have some of the healing power of faith and the creative nature of God. We have many divine attributes which we may use for higher things.” I asked Rev. Cobb what he plans to accomplish that is still on his “to do” list, or on what he might like to see his replacement focus at the church. “It is not for the former minister to be involved with setting a church’s future course, but we have been trying for some time to increase the involvement of youth with the church. What the church and community need to get together on is creating youth programming so there is that dimension for young people – so they can later decide for themselves right now, many don’t know it exists. Some good things are beginning to happen; the Thursday morning playgroup at church; other people willing to work on youth missions and ministry. It’s a great time for young parents and young families to get involved – would be a major step forward for church and its community involvement. Watch for our second year ‘Elves Workshop’ performance December 12, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m..” Finally, I asked Rev. Cobb just what he most looks forward to after his retirement. “It’s been seven and a half years – that’s a long time, and with Faith In Action, it was like having two full-time plus callings. It’s time for me and it’s time for the church – I want to move on to more time on Faith in Action, the writing projects and whatever else God may call me to do.”

The beginning of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 2.

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Cabot Roads Crew Prepares for the Worst, Hopes for the Best

By Anne Nadel Roads Commissioner Larry Gochey says no matter what winter throws down on the Cabot roads, he and the crew are ready, as Vermont heads into the snowy season. His only regret is that winter means a life full of instability for the men who drive the plow trucks. Stocks of sand and salt are at the ready, as are the three trucks that fling them on the roads as the plows sweep the snow out of the way. Just how much sand sits waiting is hard to say, according to Gochey, because there was some left over at the conclusion of last winter. He added that it is difficult to speculate just how much may be used in a given year. “It’s a craps shoot,” he said, explaining, “Some years we might have used a lot by this time, and now we may use a lot later in the year.” “We can’t hold a lot of salt, either,” he said of the spatial constraints involved in salt storage. For a town with more paved roads, that might be a problem, but the larger percentage of roads in Cabot are unpaved, backroads. “There are about 78 miles of back roads in town,” Gochey said, adding that all are locally maintained, with no assistance from the state. Three trucks and three drivers are responsible for maintaining all the roads in town. Gochey and the three drivers all attended school together, and their combined experience represents decades of job experience. The crew is made up of Rusty Churchill, foreman, David Pike and Charlie Filpin, and it is for these men Gochey’s sympathies lie. These guys can never plan,” he said, describing the life of a man who runs the plow in winter. “I hate it for the men. You can’t plan, you don’t know when you’ll have Christmas. They keep the roads open so we can have Christmas,” he explained. He added that at least the road crew does not have young children anymore, so at least there are no disappointed youngsters waiting for their fathers on holidays that include snowfall. As for this winter, Gochey said they are all waiting to see what comes. “You can’t control nature,” he said, adding, “and that’s what determines our lives in winter.”

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FROM THE EDITOR Editorial: Lean Times Should Encourage Generosity

By Anne Nadel The Cabot Chronicle recently received a submission from a woman who lives in South Walden (see page 4). In it, the author, Francese Cochran, reminisces about a time in her life when the unquestioning compassion of complete strangers may have, quite literally, saved the lives of her family. Ms. Cochran’s story, coupled with a correspondence I have been having recently with a dear friend, gave me pause to consider how humans react when life gets hard, either nationally, or more profoundly, on a personal level. In Ms. Cochran’s case, during a moment at which her family was in peril due to floodwaters, and for the days to come, strangers reached out to her family and sheltered them against the elements. In the case of the friend with whom I have been writing, the fact that his job and home were tied together meant that the loss of his job also resulted in his becoming homeless, the only positive thing being that he lived at the time in a southern city. He wrote to me daily on a public library computer, to which he walked from the homeless shelter in which he was sleeping. When we were in high school together, I never would have expected to be having this correspondence some 30 years later, let alone for him to be homeless. Because he is a veteran, he has landed in what is called transitional housing, a temporary residence for veterans operated by the same charity that runs the shelter where he had been staying. This allows him to have an address and base of operations while he looks for employment and a permanent residence. Once more, a person in need could look to others to help, although, sadly, this is not always the case. As winter descends on Vermont, and the costs of living grow with the dwindling temperatures and shortened daylight hours, we are also encouraged by the marketing machine to go out and spend, spend on whatever gadget is the hot thing now or whatever fashion the garment merchants are telling us is the new trend. Forget that there are people out there with no home, no food on the table, forget your woes and consume. It is, after all, the American way. Instead of buying into the hype surrounding the various winter holidays as the season of shopping, we people would be so much more enriched by giving. And by giving, I do not mean running off to the nearest mall to buy snowman shaped soaps and cheap plastic toys imported from far-off shores. Giving does not have to include holographic gift wrap and electronics, long lines and bored and irritable sales clerks, despite what the retail bombardment tells us every day from before Halloween until two weeks into the New Year. This year, take a cue from Francese Cochran’s story, from the needs of a homeless veteran, from the appeals by the food shelves and human services agencies. If you cannot afford to make financial gifts, give your time and your creative energy. Donate a few hours to the Vermont FoodBank or an animal rescue. Sing holiday carols with a senior center group, cook a meal for an unemployed friend, offer a bed to someone you know who is down on his or her luck, if only for a few days. There is no way to quantify the gift you get when you make this sort of gift to others. For a number of years, my family gathered donated blankets, hats, scarves, gloves and mittens each fall and laundered them, and in winter months took them to distribute to homeless people. For a while my parents would drive into New York City to the places with the largest concentrations of homeless people, where they would hand out these items, usually with a bag containing a sandwich and an apple, always with a “good luck and happy holidays.” Many of the recipients cried at the generosity, which in turn, often made my parents tear up, too, but never daunted their travels. Never once did anyone refuse the gifts or become belligerent with them. For so many, it had been long since they had been given a gift of any kind. When my parents aged, they began taking the donations to a homeless shelter closer to them. By this time, the items had expanded to include children’s outerwear, bars of soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste. The joy my parents got from knowing they had made the lives of others better, warmer, was reward enough for their efforts. Much lip service is given to the concept of “paying it forward,” doing good for no reason other than the recompense of knowing you landed on the side of good. Celebrities do it to get positive publicity, and news programs hype the value of “one individual who makes a difference in his or her community,” but what if a whole town, a whole state, a whole world of people began to think about the people outside their walls? Or the people who have no walls, or the people who feel trapped by their walls and alone. It is time to reach out and truly embrace this season of giving. I bet you’ll find that if you do, it comes full circle, and the greatest gift is your own. Here’s hoping you have happy, generous, and peaceful holidays, and every day. May your life improve with every new morning.

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From page 3

Walter Ackermann, Co-owner of Harry’s Hardware Store “A pool hall and bar, but for all ages, like a youth center that starts after school and then changes at a certain point [in the evening] and becomes a place where someone can have a beer or two.”

Todd Ambroz, Vermont State Police “A family.”

Sherri Norman, Cashier at the Cabot Village Store “A restaurant-- hamburgers and fries, nothing fancy-wancy. Creemees for the kids, something fun.”

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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

To The Editor:

On behalf of the Cabot Historical Society I'd like to thank all the individuals and businesses who helped make our tenth annual Apple Pie Festival in October such a success. We couldn't do it without so many contributions from local businesses and volunteers. We very much appreciate the help of the entire community. Thank You.

Bonnie S. Dannenberg, President, Cabot Historical Society 2009 Apple Pie Festival Chair

To The Editor:

I am sorry Connie Koeller is leaving our Cabot library. Almost as long as I have been in Cabot, Connie has been our library director. Wisely she has lead us (on rare occasions even kicking and screaming) through a long period of remarkable growth and accomplished this during some pretty hard times. Connie is herself an artist and well connected to the arts community, our good fortune. Her broad outreach has brought wonderful programs to us right in our own back yard. The many grants she has sought out and received have Tammy Christman, Deli counter at the Cabot Village Store “Another little restaurant, even if it was nothing more than lunch and dinner, or a bakery. There’s some good people around here that can bake some phenomenal stuff.”

Part of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 3 onward.

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New Director Chosen for Library

With the recent departure of Connie Koeller from her job as Library Director, the Board of Trustees for the library was faced with the task of finding a new librarian. Late in November, the group named Kathleen Hoyne to the post of Library Director. Hoyne will share the job with Anne Walker, who has been interim Director since Koeller’s departure this past summer. Walker will continue to work at the library, focusing on operations, while Hoyne’s primary work will involve programming. The two will work together on most aspects of library service. Each woman will work 17.5 hours per week. Hoyne is already well-known within the community for her work with the Cabot Mentoring program. She officially starts her work at the library on December 1st.

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COMMUNITY NEWS Opportunities for Generosity and Volunteerism

Many folks feel drawn to be generous with their time and energy during the holidays. While opportunities for volunteerism abound throughout the year, the following list includes some seasonal ideas to provide inspiration. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and we welcome submissions of other volunteer efforts for future issues. Here are some local activities to consider:

Holiday Gifts for Children:

Funds are gathered annually to purchase gift cards for families in need through the Cabot School. If you would like to give a donation, you can offer it through the United Church of Cabot (563-2278) or the Cabot Coalition (563- 3338). Over the last 10-12 years the Hardwick Children's Holiday Project provides new and like-new gifts to children in families in the Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union (includes Hardwick and Woodbury). For questions, to volunteer your assistance, or to sign up to receive gifts call Mary Wheeler at 472- 3843. Gift drop-offs can be made at; Halls Market, Gagnon's Video, Hardwick Area Community Coalition and the East Hardwick Post Office. Gift Giving Trees will be located at the Center for an Agricultural Economy on Main Street and at the Merchant's Bank in Hardwick. The Giving Trees have tags providing information concerning a child's age and a wished for gift. The Children's Project accepts gifts of new and "like new" toys, games, hats and mittens. Cash donations are used exclusively to purchase gifts, and checks should be made out to "Hardwick Children's Holiday Project" and mailed to Mary Wheeler, PO Box 213, Hardwick, VT 05843. Support Neighbors Helping Neighbors work by helping disadvantaged families and their children this holiday season. Monetary donations can be made by sending a check made payable to Jo Romano with Neighbors Helping Neighbors noted on the bottom of the check to 21 Guernsey Avenue, Montpelier, VT 05602. Money will go directly to a family and gifts will be purchased and delivered personally by Romano. For information, 802-522- 8498 Toy Joy takes place in Montpelier and gathers good to new toys for distribution. Toy drop-off is at Bethany Church in Montpelier on December 18, and toy pick-up for folks needing presents is on December 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information call Rose Wheeler Stillson at 802-479-1890. She could use help spreading the word about the program, gathering local toys, helping to distribute toys, and feeding the volunteers who show up. Be a Mentor. To share your time with a young person in Cabot, call The Cabot Connects Mentoring Project at Food Sharing:

The Hardwick Area Community Supper happens at the United Church every Thursday at noon. Meals are free (donations welcome) and delicious. Volunteers are always welcome to help prepare the meal starting at 9:30 a.m. and to help clean up starting at noon. Faith in Action hosts a Food Share Give Away twice monthly. Folks can always help pick up (pick-up trucks are needed), sort and distribute the food that is given out. Faith in Action members also do numerous other helpful things for local folks, including repairs, activities for senior citizens, and preparing meals for activities. If you would like to help FIA in its work, call Bill Cobb at 563-3144. Local food shelves are always in need of volunteers, food donations, and funding. They are: Onion River Food Shelf in Marshfield, 563-2257; Woodbury/Calais Food Shelf and Elder Care Program, 456-7024; Hardwick Area Food Pantry, Inc. in Hardwick, 472-5940. The Salvation Army in Barre offers free meals three days per week, and a food pantry four days per week. The organization is always in need of volunteers for these and other projects. For more information call 476-5301.

Homeless Shelters:

The following shelters are often in need of volunteers, food, and clothing: Good Samaritan Haven in Barre, 479- 2294; Battered Women’s Services and Shelter in Barre, 476-6010; Sexual Assault Crisis Team Shelter in Barre, 479- 5577.

Animal Shelters:

(they are lonely at the holidays, too)

The Central Vermont Humane Society welcomes volunteers to help care for the animals. To find out more, call 476- 3811 and ask for Amber. North Country Animal League also welcomes volunteers. The shelter hosts an orientation for new helpers twice a month. For more information call 888- 5065. Donations to support their work can be sent to NCAL, 3524 Laport Road, Morrisville, VT 05661.

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Memories of the Flood of 1927

By Francese Cochran Some people say that since I was not even 6-years-old, I can’t remember that horrible event, but all that it takes is for me to see turbulent, whirling water and it comes back to me. My mother told me some of these facts in later years. My family was living on a farm in Craftsbury at the time, and had gone to Morrisville for weekly supplies. On the return trip via North Wolcott we came upon a sea of water, with no road in sight. My father, being of a stubborn nature, vowed he knew where the road was. Well, he didn’t, and the car stalled before we could reach dry land. An elderly couple that lived on a small knoll above the riverbank saw our dilemma, and had a horse and ropes, ready to help. The current was so swift my father couldn’t walk though it (we had watched cows, horses and up rooted trees being swept down stream.) He crept to the front of the car, turned the hand-crank. Miraculously, it started and he drove it to where the man with the horse could help us. In the back seat were two 100 lb. bags of grain, the groceries, three screaming kids and a crying mother with my two-week-old baby sister in her arms in front. This wonderful couple, whom we did not know, took us in. We had to stay with them for nearly a week until bridges and roads were temporarily repaired so we could get home. My father walked home through the woods before we could return, getting over swollen streams and crossing on fallen trees. He had cows that he needed to tend, feed and milk. This lady fed us well. They had two cows so had their own milk, butter and cheese, potatoes and other vegetables plus canned meat in the cellar. I remember helping to cut up sheets to be used as diapers for the baby, and we used old coats on the bed to keep us warm. Because I was the oldest, I had to help with household chores and watch the younger ones. We felt so lucky to be alive we didn’t mind. When my father came for us he tried to pay our hosts, but they wouldn’t hear of it. I guess they could tell we didn’t have any extra. In fact later that winter, to supplement the farm income my father did some logging on Eden Mountain with his team of horses. He cut and split a load of firewood and hauled it to this couple as a gesture of gratitude. Within a few years, our family increased in size to twelve children. Thinking of this time reminds me of the modern song that says “Don’t let the chain of love end with you.” (Ms. Cochran is 87-years-young and resides in South Walden, VT.)

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Share a bit of Cabot with Family & Friends living out of town and support your local newspaper.

Present the Cabot-wannabe or Cabot used-to-be on your gift giving list with a full year subscription to The Cabot Chronicle for only $12. Your gift subscription includes a blank gift card and copy of the December issue of the Cabot Chronicle.

Fresh, fragrant, double-sided holiday balsam wreaths (22") made by Cabot Smith Farm. Wreaths are complete with an adjustable bow, holiday decorations and blank gift card. Each wreath is packaged in a mail-ready box at no extra charge. $20

Part of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 4 onward.

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~~~~~~~~~To Order~~~~~~~~~

Call 563-3338 Or email [email protected].

Or clip and mail this order form.

� Cabot Chronicle 1 year Subscription. � Fresh Cabot Smith Farm Wreath � Wreath & Subscription Combo Package.

All orders must be pre-paid by cash or check.

Orders will be available for pick-up at the Willey Building at the end of November.

$12 $20 $30

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Curds & Whey

CURDS to Ilse Krutak, recipient of the 2009 Senior of the Year Award by Central Vermont Council on Aging. Thank you for supporting the Cabot Community in all the ways you do.

CURDS to Cabot eighth-graders for touring, cleaning and marking a new trail that runs from the Willey Building, up to the old center of town, and back to the village. Special thanks to Connie and Rick Hourihan for allowing the trail to pass through their property.

WHEY for shorter days and the routine of both going to school and work and coming home in the dark. Can’t wait for the days starting to get longer!

CURDS to Lyndsay Christman for 2009 Rookie of the year and second in points behind her mother Joanna Christman, 2009 Track Champion at Riverside Speedway, and to Kenny Christman for his second place finish in the Junkyard Warrior Division at Thunder Road. Curds to his pit crew, too: Mindy Bartlett, Scott St. John and Tyler Placey-Noyes.

Speaking of driving; WHEY for the need to move from summer tires to snow tires. If you haven’t already made the transition, better make plans to do it now, before you’re sorry you put it off.

CURDS to new lives for old buildings. The Marshfield Village Store recently sold at auction, and Goldie's Gathering could be a prime location for someone else to start something new....

CURDS to buying your holiday meal locally, supporting neighbor farms and food producers.

CURDS to giving of yourself rather than of the box stores. It may result in your best holiday ever.

WHEY for gossip; if your conversation is about someone else’s life and concerns, rather than your own, you may be gossiping, and it can have consequences for the object of your conversation that you never imagined. Set higher standards for yourself.

CURDS to Jonah Jarvis, Ashley Maurice and Hugh Burke for representing KAPOW! (Kids in Action emPowering Our World) at the 2009 VT Kids Against Tobacco Training. This training teaches youth about the importance of preventing tobacco use by youth and how the tobacco industry targets youth in advertising. Thanks for your leadership!

CURDS to Cabot School’s Earth Science Class for taking action by studying global warming and climate change. As a result, many students decided to participate in an International Day of Protest against global warming. They created a video to raise awareness about the 350 movement, which is an international campaign dedicated to creating a fair global climate treaty that lowers carbon dioxide below 350 parts per million, the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide--measured in "parts-per-million" in our atmosphere. The Cabot students submitted the video into a contest hosted by 350.org, a Bill McKibben and Middlebury College creation. To view the Cabot students’ video, look at the third page of cabotschool.org. To view other contestant’s videos, check out 350.org.

Group photo of the tree-planting river stewards of Cabot.

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Improving Winooski Water Quality, One Tree at a Time

By Abbey Willard More than a dozen community volunteers came out on a frosty mid- October Saturday morning to help plant trees along the Upper Winooski River in Cabot. These dedicated stewards planted 65 native tree species of Sugar maple, Red maple and Balsam fir along 650 linear feet of un-treed river bank in lower Cabot on Connie Gould’s property. The tree planting event, held in conjunction with Cabot’s Apple Pie Festival, was part of the Winooski Headwaters Community Partnership (WHCP) effort, coordinated by the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District (NRCD) and Friends of the Winooski River. Both of these non-profit organizations help facilitate water quality and river restoration projects in the Upper Winooski watershed, focusing on projects primarily in the towns of Cabot, Marshfield and Plainfield. In an attempt to improve the water quality in the Winooski River, forest riparian buffer planting projects are a priority restoration strategy utilized in the watershed. These stream-side buffers provide stream-bank stabilization; sediment, nutrient and overland flow attenuation, aquatic and terrestrial habitat, and aesthetic value to our rivers and land. Since 2006, the WHCP has planted 2,300 native tree and shrub species, approximately 1400 linear feet of willow fascines, on more than 7.2 acres of stream-bank. This was done with the help of more than 360 community volunteers. In the case of the Gould property, both Peter and Connie Gould want to see the health of the Winooski River maintained. Many rainbow trout have been seen in the river from their property and they say they want to see this healthy ecosystem continue to flourish. The WHCP project will return to the Gould property next spring, along with a few other stream-side properties within the watershed, to finish planting more trees and shrubs along the stream -bank. The organization will be seeking interested volunteers, landowners interested in supporting tree planting efforts on their property, and on-going community support for these Winooski watershed restoration and protection efforts. Anyone who is interested in participating can contact either Ann Smith at Friends of the Winooski River (802-655- 4878) or Abbey Willard at Winooski NRCD (802-828-4493 x110).

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By MaryEllen Mendl

Vermont 2-1-1 is an Information and Referral program of the United Ways of Vermont. By dialing 2-1-1 from any phone in Vermont, you will receive up-to-date information and referrals on health and human services across the state. By dialing 2-1-1 information is much easier to find. 2-1-1 is a local call for free and confidential community information and referrals. When you call Vermont 2-1- 1, you will receive person-toperson assistance, 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Language translation services are also available. Vermont 2-1-1 is the entry point for the Fuel and Food Partnership, H1N1 clinics and information as well as serving as the Public Inquiry Line for Vermont Emergency Management during an incident or emergency. Vermont 2-1-1 staff will assist callers with evacuation routes, shelters, commodity points of distribution locations, federal reimbursement procedures and more. Vermont 2-1-1 collects town, county and statewide data and feeds it back to communities to help make systemic change. Monthly reports showing the needs of your town are available. The top five reasons residents of Cabot called Vermont 2-1-1 in 2009 (January – mid-November) were for financial resources, donated automobiles, business registration and licensing, child care provider referrals, and consumer education. Dialing the simple three digit number, 2-1-1, can become as automatic to anyone with a health and human service need as dialing 9-1-1 is in an emergency. We can make sure Vermonters have access to community, faith and state based services to help them with everyday needs and in difficult times. For further information dial 2-1 or 1-866-652-4636 or visit us on the web at www.vermont211.org.

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Cabot Students Learn to Help the River

Courtesy of the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District

Charlie Wanzer’s Cabot High School science students are taking an interest in the water quality in their own back yards. In late October, the students visited properties along the Winooski River in Lower Cabot with their teacher and Abbey Willard from the Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District. Before their excursion, the students met in the classroom to review the history of human and river interactions, discuss people’s changing relationship with their environment, and then take a peek outside to try and determine how well humans practice stewardship of the land and water at the local level. Students visited two very different properties in the local watershed. One site is currently under a forest riparian restoration project, with some trees planted at the site earlier this fall, and anticipation of additional plantings to follow next spring. The other site is in active agriculture and the landowners are interested in what they can do to continue grazing and provide water access to their animals while also improving the water quality practices on their property. Students were asked to use the knowledge they received in the classroom and, in addition, what they may know from personal experience to determine what restoration practices they might recommend for the two riverside properties. Though the students admitted they are not river scientists, they agreed that planting trees might make a difference in the water quality of the Upper Winooski River. They also determined that they think finding a way for people to continue to use their land as a working landscape is important to Vermont’s rural and agricultural character. Hopefully these same students will be involved in on-going classroom discussions about water quality and strong natural resource stewardship. They will have the opportunity to participate in riparian tree and shrub planting along the Winooski River next spring.

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A MULTI-CULTURAL HOLIDAY FOODS PRIMER

Many different holidays are celebrated around the time of December 21, the Winter Solstice. The most commonly known and celebrated are, of course, Christmas and Chanukah, but in Sweden the ancient holiday of Jul predates the Christmas holiday now celebrated there, and many African Americans celebrate the modern holiday of Kwanzaa. As our holiday gift to you, we at the Chronicle offer up this variety of ethnic foods. Merry Christmas, happy Chanukah, good Kwanzaa, and a joyous time, no matter what your personal tradition.

By Chronicle Family, Compiled and Edited by Anne Nadel

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Grandma Taube’s Kugel

Kugel is a baked pudding, served both as a main course or side dish at Jewish holidays. This version, made with noodles, is rich and filling. Courtesy of Amy Hornblas.

1 lb. extra-wide Light and Fluffy egg noodles 2 eggs ½ to ¾ cup granulated sugar Salt to taste Cinnamon to taste ½ teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon melted butter 2 apples, sliced thinly ½ cup raisins 1 tablespoon currant jelly

Boil noodles until al dente, strain. Add 2 eggs, slightly beaten. Add sugar and cinnamon to taste. Sprinkle in some salt, and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and mix it in. Add apples, sliced thin and in small pieces, and raisins. Add 1 tablespoon of currant jelly. Pour all ingredients into a buttered pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm or cool.

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Latkes from Mom's Kitchen

(potato pancakes)

Like sufganiyot, these are fried in oil. My mother used to shred the potatoes with a table-mount grinder, but these days the food processor is the preferred and easier method. This recipe serves four hearty appetites.

Ingredients: 6 medium russet or Yukon gold potatoes, cut in wedges 1 large onion, cut in wedges 3 tablespoons matzoh meal or all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 1-2 eggs (2-4 egg whites) vegetable oil for frying Optional: applesauce, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt .

Place shredding disc of food processor into mixing container. Pack potato and onion wedges into feed tube. Use food pusher to press potatoes and onion onto shredding disc as the processor runs. When done, remove shredding dish and food from mixing container. Place steel cutting blade into container. Mix together matzoh meal or flour, salt, baking powder and white pepper into mixing container. Process while adding eggs. Stop, unplug unit and scrape down sides of mixing container with rubber spatula whenever necessary. Add shredded potatoes and onion and process for a few seconds until mixed. In one or two 12-inch skillets, heat oil to a depth of approximately 1/4 inch. Drop potato mixture by large spoonfuls into the oil. Flatten each mound slightly and fry in batches over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels, changing the towels frequently as they absorb the oil. To keep the finished pancakes warm and crisp while you fry the rest (or to reheat them if they were fried in advance), place them on a rack set over a cookie sheet in a preheated 300 degree oven. Between batches add more oil to the skillet if needed, and make sure that it is hot enough before dropping in more potato mixture. Serve hot with applesauce.

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Benne Cakes

(a traditional Kwanzaa treat, Benne cakes are a food from West Africa. Benne means sesame seeds. The sesame seeds are eaten for good luck. This treat is still eaten in some parts of the American South.)

You will need: oil to grease a cookie sheet 1 cup finely packed brown sugar 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 egg, beaten 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup toasted sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Mix together the brown sugar and butter, and beat until they are creamy. Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and sesame seeds. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto the cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are browned. Enjoy!

Sufganiyot

(Jelly donuts)

Many Chanukah foods are fried in oil, to signify the oil that lasted, miraculously, longer than any rational mind had the right to expect. The miracle of the long-lived oil is the impetus for the Chanukah holiday, or Festival of Lights as it is sometimes known. These fried donuts are sweet and savory all at once, and as good for breakfast as dessert. The latkes (potato pancakes) that follow are also a multi-tasker. Courtesy of Anne Nadel

Ingredients: 2 (1/4 ounce) envelopes dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F) 1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk or soymilk 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 6 tablespoons shortening or margarine 5 cups flour oil, for deep frying 1 (13 1/2 ounce) jar strawberry jelly (or other fruit jelly) confectioners' sugar

Sprinkle yeast over warm water and let stand five minutes or until foamy. In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and two cups flour. Mix for a few minutes at low speed. Beat in remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about five minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about an hour or a bit longer. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into circles. Let rise again until doubled in bulk. Heat 4 cups of oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 350. Carefully slide doughnuts into hot oil using a wide spatula. Turn the doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Doughnuts are ready when both sides are golden brown. Fill with 1 T jelly using a pastry injector, or by cutting a small slit in the side of the doughnut and inserting the jelly with a baby spoon. Close tightly; roll in confectioners' sugar.

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Grandma Johnson's Gehacktes

(German ground beef sandwiches) This was traditionally served by my mother on Christmas Eve. While everyone turns their nose up when they hear what it is, our family and my mother's neighbors learned to look forward to it every year. Courtesy of Jeanne Johnson

1 pound double-ground top round beef (my mother always knew the butcher she bought it from - the old-fashioned neighborhood kind) 1 to 2 fresh raw eggs salt and pepper to taste party rye bread slices softened butter chopped onion capers (optional) anchovies (optional)

Mix one egg and salt and pepper into cold ground beef with your hands

- don't handle it any more than you have to. If it still seems dry, you can add the second egg, but you don't want it to get too wet or slimy from the eggs, so only add it if you need it. Keep refrigerated while you prepare the bread and condiments. Spread the rye bread slices with butter. Top the bread with a thick layer of ground beef, spread evenly from edge to edge. Arrange the slices of Gehacktes on a serving tray; you can layer them artfully several rows deep if you want. Serve with dishes of chopped raw onions, capers and anchovies. My family only uses the onions, and among close family, you can just take your open-faced sandwich and press it beef-down into the dish of onions to get maximum coverage without waste! But in polite company, you'd want to just spoon them onto your sandwich or plate. Capers and anchovies are traditional additions, but my family never opted for them.

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Everton Toffee

A welsh recipe, and a holiday tradition. What makes it so special is not as much the toffee, as the fun of everyone making it. There is also a variation for butterscotch. Enjoy! Courtesy of Todd Jones

Ingredients: 1 pound of powdered loaf sugar 1 teacupful of water ¼ pound of butter 6 drops of essence of lemon

Put the water and sugar into a brass pan, and beat the butter to a cream. When the sugar is dissolved, add the butter and keep stirring the mixture over the fire until it sets, when a little is poured on to a buttered dish; and just before the toffee is done, add the essence of lemon. Butter a dish or tin, pour on it the mixture, and when cool, it will easily separate from the dish. Butter-Scotch, an excellent thing for coughs, is made with brown, instead of white sugar, omitting the water, and flavored with ½oz. of powdered ginger. It is made in the same manner as toffee.

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Glogg (Glögg)

This is a traditional Swedish beverage served at Jul, and now at Christmas. Serves 25 four ounce drinks.

Ingredients: 2 qt. Wine-Claret or Cabernet Savignon or Takay 1 fifth blended Whiskey (Rye) 1 pt. Brandy Raisins Cinnamon Sticks Almonds Cut up Candied Fruit: Apricot, Orange, Lemon 1 c. cube Sugar

Simmer all ingredients, except sugar, for 2-3 hours. Just before serving, put cube sugar in flat bottom strainer. Dip in glögg liquid to soak sugar. Raise strainer above liquid and ignite. Sugar will melt into glögg mixture. Continue until all sugar is melted. Serve hot with fruits. Be sure to prevent beverage from boiling at any time.

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Two-School Vermont Youth Conservation Corps Off to Constructive Start

By Chronicle Staff According to Katie Johnson, instructor with the joint program linking Cabot and Twinfield students with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, the school year has been a success thus far. The program currently has six high school students from Cabot High School and two students from Twinfield. The students in the program are Corey Magoon, Brooke Tetreault, Lynn-Anne Nunn, Dylan Tetreault, Ben Younce, and Aren Keene from Cabot and Gerard Ducharme and Alam Farnham from Twinfield. The students learn skills that will be applicable to careers after high school, while at the same time, completing jobs throughout the community that might otherwise go undone. Their instructors and mentors in the program are Johnson and David Schilling. Each week, the young people also complete educational assignments, as they are earning five credits for being in the program. Johnson said the assignments “have included learning mechanical advantage in using pulleys, finding averages of rating their weekends, and writing persuasive letters on issues they care about.”

Some of the projects the students have done include working on an accessible trail on the Cross Vermont Trail in East Montpelier, and another section that was not designated as accessible but is for both motorized and non-motorized use in Groton. They also worked on the Mallory Brook Trail in East Montpelier. Projects around Cabot have included cleaning the hill in front of the Cabot Senior Housing, and packing boxes for the foodshelf at the Cabot United Church. Currently, the program’s participants are working on clearing a sledding hill for the students at the Cabot school, and after Thanksgiving, they will begin a project constructing a ski and eventually hiking and biking trail in the Cabot Town Forest. The program is partnered with the Barre Technical Center, and as a result, the students have had the opportunity to tour the Technical Center, individuals have shadowed Technical Center programs, and as a group have had opportunities to collaborate with other VYCC school groups that operate a program in conjunction with the Barre Technical Center.

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Cabot Planning Commission Seeks New Members

The Cabot Planning Commission has been short of members for some time now, but hopes to be back up to speed by December. There are many important issues facing the town as it works toward developing a new town plan and zoning regulations. Anyone who is interested in serving as a town official, and has an interest in Cabot’s future, should consider becoming a member of the Planning Commission. Prior experience is not necessary. The Planning Commission generally meets once per month. For more information please contact Gary Gulka at 563-2284.

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Cabot Recreation Department Update

This month, the Recreation Department will re-start Bingo, Dinner and Open Gym on Saturday, December 5th. The open gym is co-hosted with the Cabot Coalition and will offer gym time to families from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., middle school ages from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and high school ages from 8:30 to 11:00 p.m., as the monthly Teen Center. Pasta dinner is free of charge at 5:30 p.m., and bingo is from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. with 50 cent cards and winners taking 50% of the profits. The gym will be well supervised throughout the evening. The Recreation Department is also cohosting a Third Saturday Movie Night throughout the winter. Keep an eye out for more details about this at a future date, as well as details about Steve Towne’s very popular Basketball Program for kindergarteners through second graders. This will take place Sundays for eight weeks in January and February. The Boosters will be operating the concession stand during the home basketball games this winter, and the group is seeking folks who want to help out. Proceeds will go toward school-related extracurricular activities and events, and will be made available to individuals or groups with approval of application. Trail work is happening in two locations. The Recreation Department would like to thank Peter Stratman and the eighth grade class, and the Hourihans for their work and guidance. Their assistance allowed for our first recreation loop to be completed. There is now a complete loop, start and finish behind the library. Signs marking the trail will be up soon. Where it does not follow the VAST trail, we are creating four season non-motorized recreation trails (4SNMRT). The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps is marking and making a 4SNMRT loop trail in the town forest, near the Old Pike Farm. It should be completed with signs by skiing and snowshoeing time. Efforts are underway under the auspices of a collaboration of groups and individuals to bring a new and improved skating rink to the common for the winter. Plans are also underway for a Coalition and Recreation Department hosted New Year’s Eve Event to provide local, safe and fun activities. More information will be available as the count down begins.

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COMMUNITY NEWS Legislative Update

By Kitty Toll There was good news concerning the Vermont economy announced in mid- November. It appears that we are no longer free falling into a dark hole, but have hit what economists call the bottom. Vermont is hopefully on the road to recovery, but the numbers indicate that it could be until 2013 before this is complete. The next two years are going to be very difficult with more cuts a certainty. The Legislature’s Joint Fiscal Committee projects a $237 million General Fund operating deficit for 2011 and 2012 combined, unless cuts are made. In 1978, Vermont adopted the Current Use Program to ensure the continued uses of our agricultural and forests lands. The thought behind this legislation was that valuing land at “use value” would ultimately achieve tax fairness, help to keep agricultural and forests lands viable, and preserve the rural character of our state. Presently, 17,000 parcels of land are enrolled in Vermont’s Current Use Program. At the end of this year’s Legislative session, Vermont’s Current Use Program was brought to the table for review. Changes in policy were proposed in the 2010 budget, but these changes were removed with the understanding have been placed on the tree during previous ceremonies. Additionally, silver and white ornaments are added to the tree each year by organizations, groups or agencies who work to prevent alcohol and other drug related tragedies. The red ribbon has come to symbolize the importance of preventing impaired driving and is a reminder to everyone to buckle up at all times. Wearing a safety belt can be the best defense against an impaired driver. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the annual “Tie One On” campaign to remind other drivers to avoid alcohol while driving and in so doing prevent needless tragedies on Vermont roads. The Red Ribbon Tree Ceremony is sponsored by the Vermont Victims Impact Panel Program and the Vermont Safety Education Center. Please plan now to attend this important event. If you are interested in placing a ribbon on the tree, contact Carol Rose at the Vermont Safety Education Center, 229- 2949 or [email protected].

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Teens Making a Difference

Seven young people and their adult advisors attended the 2009 Governor's Youth Leadership Conference (GYLC) on November 23. GYLC workshops and presentations focus on prevention and wellness issues including alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, traffic safety and other risk taking behaviors. Youth are empowered to consider their own decision making and help encourage healthy decisions by their friends and family. Representing Cabot this year (pictured left to right) were: Carrie Harvey, Lori Augustyniak, Daniel Hoyne Grosvenor, Laura Nally, Aubrey Keene, Shelby Maurice, Caleb Domey, Lindsay Christman and Jeannie Johnson.

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Red Ribbon Tree Ceremony at the State House

Attendees of the annual Red Ribbon Tree ceremony gather to remember the many Vermont lives that have been affected by drinking drivers. Each year many Vermonters including members of the Victim Impact Panel and their families, law enforcement, SAP Counselors, prevention program students and advisors, and other community partners remember Vermonters who have been injured or killed as the result of alcohol or drug-related crashes. This year the Red Ribbon Tree Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, December 2nd beginning at 4:00 p.m. in the House Chamber of the Vermont Statehouse, followed by a reception in the Cedar Creek Room. Everyone is invited to attend and to honor family members or friends affected by impaired drivers by creating a personalized ribbon to hang on the tree that is prominently displayed in the Statehouse throughout December. Prior to the event, members of the Vermont Victims Impact Panel and the Vermont Safety Education Center will decorate the tree with hundreds of ribbons that the 2011 budget would reflect a $1.6 million in savings in the program. A group representing seven Vermont organizations met throughout the summer to address possible reforms to Current Use that would achieve the state’s targeted savings, as well as to ensure the continuation of land use policies for Vermont’s future. The seven organizations represented were VT Woodlands Association, VT Land Trust, VT Natural Resource Council, VT Farm Bureau, VT Nature Conservancy, Rural Vermont and Audubon Vermont. When considering changes to the program, the group was guided by the following criteria: effectiveness, efficiency and fairness. Ideas that will be brought forth include increasing the Current Use Homestead Exclusion, establishing a fee schedule for applications, addressing staffing issues, creating electronic administration of the program, changing the Property Transfer Tax rate for enrolled lands; and changing the method of assessing and collecting the Land Use Change Tax. For detailed information concerning these and other proposed changes to the present Current Use Program by this group go to www.vlt.org/current-use or contact me at [email protected] or 684.3671.

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New Documentary "Life in Washington County" Premieres in Montpelier

The premiere of the historical documentary "Life in Washington County" by Bill Doyle, history professor at Johnson State College (JSC) and state senator, will be held at the Capital Plaza Hotel Conference Room in Montpelier, Thursday, Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. "Life in Washington County" is the sixth documentary produced as a collaboration between Bill Doyle's Vermont Government and History class at JSC and Vince Franke of Peregrine Productions of Waterbury. In developing the documentary, Franke and the JSC students interviewed 16 Washington County residents, including Lola Aiken, wife of the late Sen. George Aiken, about life in the early 20th century.

The other five documentaries - focusing on Grand Isle, Chittenden, Lamoille, Franklin and Orleans counties - also were developed with the help of students in Sen. Doyle's Vermont History & Government class at JSC and produced by Peregrine Productions. Like the other documentaries, "Life in Washington County" blends interviews and images of local people in the first half of the 20th century. More than 200 historical photographs provide a visual record of life in the region. DVD copies are $15 and are availa bleonlineat : www.peregrineproductions.com or from Sen. Doyle at 802-223-2851. Proceeds from the film will be donated to local historical societies.

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From page 8

• Install photoelectric smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the home. Keep a 3’ clearance between any heating equipment and anything that can burn - or in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. Never leave portable space heaters and candles unattended - turn off heaters before going to bed. Clean chimneys and vent pipes annually – put ashes in a metal container out side away from any building. Un-vented heaters should have a carbon monoxide alarm in the same room. Never use lighter fluid, kerosene, diesel fuel, or gasoline to start a fire. Always use the proper grade and type of fuel for heating equipment. Plan and practice escape plans several times a year. Install heating equipment in accordance with codes and manufacturer’s instructions. It’s best to have a professional install the equipment.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

The tumbledown stone walls that flank many a wooded road in Vermont and New Hampshire stand as picturesque reminders of former pastures and times gone by. They also have an ongoing function. Their nooks and crevices are homes and hiding places for numerous creatures, from spiders and snakes to small mammals. One fall I glimpsed a small face peering between wall stones, and at first I thought it a squirrel. Yet it was strangely piebald in brown and white. Not a squirrel at all, but a weasel, changing from its summer coat to its winter coat. Later, in winter, I would see weasel tracks in the snow along the wall. Two weasel species, the longtailed and short-tailed weasel, live in our area. The two species differ in size, the long-tailed being larger, 11 to 22 inches versus seven to 13 inches. (These measurements include the length of the tail, which is 40 to 70 per cent of the head and body length.) Of course, there is some overlap, because male weasels are considerably larger than females. In regions of snow, both species change their coat from summer brown to winter white. The white hair, which is longer and denser, replaces the brown over a period of three to five weeks. The color change starts from the belly and spreads upward. In spring, the process is reversed. Only the tip of the tail, which is black, remains unchanged. Interestingly, the ability to change color is genetically programmed. Weasels from the south do not change color even when they are transplanted to the snowy north. Likewise, northern weasels still turn white when moved to a southern climate. The change in color is triggered by length of daylight, not by temperature. That means weasels face special risks during any winter of on -again, off-again snow. Northern weasels can’t help but turn white even when the earth remains brown

– which makes them easy targets for predators. Historically, the skins of weasels in winter pelage were highly prized. Their fur is known as ermine (as is the animal itself in its winter whites), and in ages past it symbolized purity and innocence. According to medieval lore, the weasel would risk death to avoid soiling this beautiful coat. All a hunter needed to do was smear a weasel’s lair with mud while the animal was out. According to the theory, the exhausted weasel would surrender before running through mud. The weasel in white thus came to symbolize noble notions of “death before dishonor,” and its fur began adorning the ceremonial attire of monarchs. As recently as 1937, a total of 50,000 ermine pelts were sent from for the coronation of King George VI. More appropriately, the weasel should symbolize courage. These small carnivores, weighing between two and 12 ounces, are muscular, ferocious and fearless, and will often attack larger animals. Highly curious, they constantly move about to explore for food. They are agile climbers and can swim, and their long thin bodies and short legs help them pursue rodents in burrows. In fact, female long-tailed weasels hunt mainly underground, while the males, being larger, tend to hunt above ground. This division may allow males and females to coexist without competing for food. Their prey is chiefly mice and voles, so the presence of weasels usually indicates a substantial population of these rodents. Those who spot and follow the tracks of a small rodent in snow may encounter those of a weasel. I once tracked a mouse near the Ompompanoosuc River in Thetford, Vt., where I live. Eventually its patch intersected with the bounding tracks of a weasel. After that only weasel’s tracks were apparent, as it had carried off the mouse for its next meal. Weasels have a bloodthirsty reputation. Their “killing sprees,” however, should be viewed as an important survival strategy. They are active, sometimes covering three miles in a day in search of food. Due to their elongated bodies and lack of fat, they do not retain heat effectively. They keep warm by eating at least 40 per cent of their weight in food daily. Surplus kill is often stored in a side chamber (a vacated rodent borrow) of the weasel’s den as insurance against unlucky hunting times. Predators hunt, and they are hunted. The weasel’s natural enemies are owls, hawks and foxes. And this is where their black tail tips enter the picture. In experiments, hawks presented with a stuffed weasel without the black tail tip easily identified it as vulnerable prey and struck at the weasel’s head. However, when the stuffed weasel had a black tail tip, hawks often hesitated until finally attacking the tail. The black detail, a blotch on ermine purity, gives the fighting critter a fighting chance.

Li Shen is an adjunct professor at Dartmouth Medical School and a member of the Thetford conservation commission. This column is illustrated by Adelaide Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine, is sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of New Hampshire Foundation, and is used here with permission from Northern Woodlands magazine.

Artwork from Adelaide Tyrol

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SENIOR NEWS

Halloween was observed at the center with pumpkin carving under the direction of Twinfield students Ashley Copeland and Emlyn Crocker. Prizes were awarded to Gene Reid, Athalie Blackburn and Priscilla Harvey. Seniors, volunteers, and the Green Mountain Transit Association bus driver dressed in costume, and trick-ortreat bags were given to all who attended the event. This fall, Audrey Huntington made and donated a pansy motif afghan to be raffled off in a benefit for TVS, Inc. The winner of the afghan was Priscilla Harvey. Recently, Commissioner Joan Senecal of the Agency of Aging and Independent Living, and Rob Hoffman, Director of Human Resources, State of Vermont, were visitors at the center to observe its operation. The director took them on one of the Meals On Wheels routes and they enjoyed lunch with the seniors. On Veterans Day, the veterans at the center were guests of the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ (VFW) center in Montpelier for special activities and lunch. Thanks to the VFW for including our group. The seniors also signed Christmas cards and written notes to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan to be sent at holiday time. A Foot Clinic will be held December 28. Please call 426-3200 to schedule your time. The fee is $15.00. In addition to this service, meals are served Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12:15 p.m. A Bone Builders Exercise program meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11:00 a.m. for one hour. This program is open to anyone who needs and/or wants to improve balance, gently strengthen your muscles, and generally improve your overall health. Come to a session and learn how to sign up. A doctor's permission is needed and most health care providers are glad to have their clients exercise! There are trained, qualified leaders and more will be trained in the near future. Volunteers are always needed in all areas. Call the center at 426- 3447 if you have any time to spare.

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PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH AND MANUFACTURERS OF AMERICA

Protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility. To do your part, do not flush unused medications and do not pour them down the sink. Follow these three simple steps to help safeguard lives and protect the environment:

• Pour medication into a sealable plastic bag. If medication is a solid, crush it or add water to dissolve.

• Add kitty litter, sawdust, or coffee grounds to the plastic bag.

• Seal the plastic bag and dispose in the trash.

For more information, consult your pharmacist or visit our website at smarxtdisposal.net.

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SPORTS SCENE Poaching Tip Line Helps in Wildlife Law Enforcement

Vermont State Game Wardens are constantly striving to curtail wildlife poaching, but their job is challenging because they can't be everywhere. Wardens have five to seven towns in their own districts, and they often are covering neighboring warden districts due to work schedules. A telephone tip line called "Operation Game Thief" enables you to help if you know of a poaching incident. Vermont's "Operation Game Thief" (OGT) is a joint non-profit program between the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. A tip can include as much information as you are willing to provide, but it also can be anonymous. The Federation offers cash rewards for tips, but in many cases, people reporting violations do not want the reward. "Operation Game Thief is an important tool in wildlife conservation and law enforcement," said Vermont's Chief Game Warden David LeCours, adding, “Some of the poaching cases discovered through OGT tips have resulted in major poaching operations being discovered, investigated and the perpetrators prosecuted. Some cases might not have been discovered without a helpful tip." The OGT telephone number is 1- 800-75ALERT, or 1-800-752-5378. Callers do not have to reveal their names, testify in court or sign an affidavit. Rewards may be made if an arrest is made or if a citation is issued. The Fish and Wildlife Department also has provided an OGT reporting form on their website (vtfishandwildlife.com) under "Law Enforcement." To help fund these rewards, contributions may be sent to Operation Game Thief, P.O. Box 8523, Essex Junction, VT 05451-8523. The reward fund is administered by Operation Game Thief volunteers under the auspices of the nonprofit Federation Fund for Conservation and Training, and contributions are tax deductible.

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A Bit of Vermont History

"I love Vermont because of her hills and valleys, her scenery and invigorating climate, but most of all because of her indomitable people. They are a race of pioneers who have almost beggared themselves to serve others. If the spirit of liberty should vanish in other parts of the Union, and support of our institutions should languish, it could all be replenished from the generous store held by the people of this brave little state of Vermont." President Calvin Coolidge said the above after viewing the ravages of the 1927 flood in the State of Vermont. He traveled through the State of Vermont in September of 1928, not to campaign, but to connect with friends and observe the results of federal and state efforts to clean up and repair the state.

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Cabot School Board Positions in March

There will be two elected positions on the Cabot School Board of Directors for the 2010 March Town Ballot - a two-year term and a three -year term. The School Board consists of five community members. Interested Cabot residents are encouraged to contact a current Board member and/or attend a school board meeting to learn more about school activities and the role of the Board. Prospective candidates wishing to attend a Board meeting are welcomed to contact the Washington Northeast Supervisory Union at 454-9924. Meetings are open to the public.

Procedures to become a School Board candidate on the

March ballot:

Complete a petition with fifteen signatures of Cabot residents and submit to the Town Clerk’s Office by 5:00PM on Monday, January 25th, 2010.

Complete a signed consent form to be listed on the ballot. Petition forms are available from the Cabot Town Clerks Office (563-3232) or at the Cabot School Office (563-2289).

Cabot School Board: Ann Cookson Chris Tormey 563-2406 563-2942 Linda Gabrielson 563-2510 Niall McCallum

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