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Cabot Historical Society

Preserving the history of Cabot, Vermont · Founded 1965

The Cabot Chronicle

February 2011 · 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 February 2011 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

Farm to School News

By Amy Hornblas, Cabot School’s Farm to School Coordinator

In March, the voters of Cabot will be asked to approve a UDAG grant to provide equipment for the Cabot School cafeteria. The Farm to School grant proposal was approved by the UDAG committee in December. Now it’s time for the citizens to decide. The needs described by the Food Service Director, Scott St. John, follow:

Compact Manual Slicer ($568): Scott says that the slicer they have now sounds like a chainsaw and malfunctions all the time; he has to use a cloth and a potholder to handle it. He has needed a new one for awhile now. Slicers are not just for meat; he plans to use it to slice vegetables, including tomatoes for sandwiches. With a slicer, he can make sure the food is portioned correctly, and can prepare fresh foods more efficiently.

30-Quart Brazier with Cover ($153): With this large cooking pot, Scott will be able to prepare large quantities of foods, such as homefries for the whole school. This will be really helpful next year, when a school-wide free breakfast program is expected to begin. We will also be able to use it to prepare fresh foods for storage, such as the winter squash and corn the Farm to School committee processed this fall.

Heater/Proofer ($1262): This multi-tiered proofing oven can be used to warm yeasted items so that they rise evenly. This will be very helpful for the bread oven project, planned for the school this spring. However, Scott will be able to use it every day to keep foods at the right temperature until served, therefore freeing up the oven to cook more foods from scratch.

Classifieds:

Raquel Bigelow delivers healthy snacks twice a week to Cabot’s elementary classrooms as part of the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program. This week she was serving oranges purchased from the 8th grade fundraiser. The produce is purchased locally, when available.

The total grant request is $2,204.74, and includes a freight charge of $221.74. Matching funds come from the supplies budgets in the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program and the Farm to School grants. If community members have questions about the Cabot School Farm to School Committee UDAG request, they can contact the coordinator or the Food Service Director at the school.

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January 11, 1811 - January 11, 2011

Cynthia Thurston, Manager of Post Office Operations for Northern Vermont, and Cabot’s Officer In Charge, Claudette McAllister, greet customers on the Bicentennial day, January 11, 2011.

By Staff Writer

Just 36 years after Ben Franklin established the first post office in 1775, there was a post office, maybe more like a post stop, in Cabot. In fact, January 11, 2011, marked the 200-year anniversary of that post office. Back when the Cabot area would have been considered the ‘Wild East’, it is interesting to know that the first postage stamp was issued in 1847, the town of Cabot was incorporated in 1866, and the Pony Express was not established until 1900, according to the USPS.gov website. Claudette McAllister, Cabot Post Office’s current Officer In Charge, has served in Cabot for ten years now. She was informed by the Postal Service of Cabot’s Post Office Bicentennial. The Marshfield Post Office also had a bicentennial date pass over the holidays, and since it was such a busy postal time, they chose a more subtle acknowledgement of the day. Claudette, however, was looking forward to celebrating. She and her daughter, Kristine McAllister, who is the Postmaster for East Hardwick, enjoyed lunch at the hardware store. Later in the afternoon, the Manager of Post Office Operations for northern Vermont, Cynthia Thurston, stopped in for a congratulatory visit. In addition to the usual post office sweets, there were lovely miniature brownies. Claudette remarked, “I always celebrate birthdays and anniversaries on the day, and so I had to get the Cabot Post Office ready for the occasion.” Indeed, the post office was festive with streamers, a banner and photographs from over the years. Claudette, herself, wore a stately red, white and blue top hat for the day.

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Petitions Filed by Town Meeting Deadline

Petitions for town offices: Tara Rogerson Frederick Ducharme Selectboard

No petitions were received for the two vacancies on the Cabot School Board.

Petitions for action: Shall the voters forgive the remaining payments on the 30-year UDAG loan to the Town of Cabot for renovation of the Willey Building, and direct the money which would have been budgeted for loan repayment each year for the remainder of the loan term to be appropriated instead to a reserve fund for the repair and maintenance of the Willey Building?

Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot authorize the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District to appropriate and expend a budget of $631,300.00?

Other Cabot business: Watch your mailbox for the Town of Cabot Annual Report, which contains the full warning for Town Meeting action, from the floor and by Australian ballot.

Town Clerk Town Treasurer

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CABOT CONFIDENTIAL Cathie & Israel Helfand: The Love Doctors

By Julia Shipley

What is Helfand Retreats?

Helfand Retreat, LLC, encompasses Marriage Quest and Sexploration, this is 90% of our business. We also do an occasional outdoor program called Corporate Quest or Soul Awakening. FYI- There’s only one other certified sex therapist in the state. Also, a lot of social workers, clinical mental heath workers, psychologists and psychiatrists can all establish practices with little to no coursework in marriage and sex counseling.

What brought you to Cabot and when did you move here? We were looking for a farm we could afford, something that needed some work. We found this place and one other, in southern Vermont. We liked that this farm was at the end of a dirt road, for privacy, and we liked the school, because it has all the grades, K- 12, so our kids wouldn’t have to go to a different school for high school. I remember we drove through a snowstorm to our closing in 1997 with all our chickens in the back of the truck. We never even saw the actual land until the snow melted in the spring.

What’s the story behind the name of your road? The story goes: the man who used to farm here used to say, “You know you’re getting closer as the ruts get deeper.”

Do you still rent the portable hot tub? No, we sold it, but that was a blast.

What’s the most gratifying part of your work? We see couples from all over, one couple at a time, for a three-day retreat. They come from as far away as India and Scotland; we’ve counseled Southern Baptist couples, and couples of arranged marriages, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, millionaire entrepreneurs, celebrities… in what amounts to 12-13 back to back therapy sessions from Friday through Sunday…[Israel says:]I love saving marriages—I’m a romantic underneath it all. I see couples that are having a really rough time, and it’s amazing to witness them palpably flip and fall back in love. H0NaUVR says:] This work feels good: to believe in what we offer, so that the marketing part comes naturally, and to help people, and to have them come to us, instead of us going all over, and to be financially well compensated for what we offer. [Israel and Cathie Helfand together in their cozy counseling room at their farm.

Part of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 2 onward.

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Peggy and Bob Miller

Bob's mom worked for my dad and when we were nine a co-worker of theirs got married. We were seated with each other at the wedding reception.

What is your anniversary date?

We started dating in high school when we were 17 and 18 and dated for eight more years before we got married the 'first' time. We got married on 3/19/82 in a very small ceremony on Fort Lee in Virginia to get on the married housing list, as Bob was in the Army and we wanted to live on post. Most people did not know about the 'real' marriage date, as we had planned a renewal of vows on 5/22/82 in our hometown of Elyria, Ohio, with family and friends where I wore a gown, Bob his uniform, and my dad gave me away.

How many years have you been married? We have been married for 28 years.

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Carlton and Marvie Domey

Where did you meet?

We grew up just down the road from one another.

How many years have you been married? We were married in 1958, so this August will be 53 years.

What is your anniversary date?

August 30.

Any words to the wise for other couples? Quoting from a recent Hagar the Horrible comic—One person has to be boss—make your spouse think it’s him.

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Cabot, Our Town

…to turn left….Once you’re in the village—well hang on… Might not look like much of a village to you. Used to be a store there, Murphy sold farm equipment and such…Murphy’s wife ran off with the feed dealer and he shut the place down and never reopened….the place you’re looking for is where those hippies used to live—the ones who tried raising pot bellied pigs and marijuana. They lived in that old school bus and the whole town came to watch when they drove it away…(etc!)” When Cia Considine tells you how to get from there to here, where she lives, it sounds like a “choose your own adventure story.” She says, “Well, from the village there are three main ways to get here—one is really twisty and serpentine, it’s the best choice when there’s snow, but people who don’t live on this road don’t know its bends and so they tend to go off the road. Then there’s another way that’s convoluted, with a hard right angle turn at Talbot’s Sugar House—it’s steeper—you can’t drive very fast. And last, is a pretty straight three- mile route up from lower Cabot, a steady incline, steep at times, which can be tough if you don’t get some momentum or traction.” And if Cia Considine’s map were a book, it could either be a series of short stories, including one called, Boys Town. “When we first moved here, this hill was predominantly boys—and predominantly all Churchills!” Or, the book might be a kind of Farmer’s Almanac as neighbors, largely farmers, worked the fields. “If Rusty Churchill or David Houston were not cutting hay on a nice sunny day during haying season, well, then, we knew that, despite the present clear blue skies, a good rain was imminent. We tolerated the wake of the manure spreader, knowing that the ensuing acres of ‘dandelion glow’ would be spectacular.” One of the book’s main characters would undoubtedly be the hill’s matriarch, Pauline Churchill, who showed Cia where to find wild onions, chives, currants, berries, the best apple tree on the hill for pies (shown on Cia’s map) and the best time to pick those dandelions for greens and for winemaking. Finally, there is the mystery caper of Cia’s address, “Well, it was originally Rural Route 1, Box 199, then, when road signs began to come on the scene, it became 199 West Hill Pond Road” (there’s that Hill theme again), “but then one day it changed name and number altogether (probably due to emergency management readdressing). Now we live at 1123 Coits Pond Road…” I don’t know if my great aunt ever came through Cabot on her sojourn through the states, but if she’d had a chance to read Cia’s

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

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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

Grateful Heart I just finished looking through the album compiled by Erma Perry, with pictures and articles about the progress of the construction of Cabot Commons. It really made me realize all the time and effort that went into making the dream of Susan Carpenter and others truly a reality. I am very thankful for all the many people that worked on the Cabot Commons Project. It is truly an awesome facility and I am very thankful to be living in one of the

Dear Editor, How many times have you missed a community event because you forgot it was today? Or, as an event organizer, have you wondered how many more people would have attended if your announcement were seen by more people? A sampling of town groups agree that one of the most difficult tasks, without a budget, is letting people know about events. So, on behalf of all the organization in town, the Cabot Chronicle personnel developed a UDAG Town Meeting Grant application to address this need and others that will help maximize fundraising and overall activities being done by these groups: •Seven portable signs to post event information at all the major roadways leading to town— such as Routes 2, 215, Walden Road, Houston Hill Road, Danville Hill Road and in front of Cabot School and the Willey Building. •Cotton Candy Machine and base to avoid rental costs for making cotton apartments. It has many great features, like the large common room with the full kitchen. Being so close to all the many activities in Cabot Village is a great advantage. Also, a truly GREAT blessing for me is to be living right across the street from my kin folks, the Maxfield family. How special is that?!! So, thanks again to everyone that was a part of the incredible project of Cabot Commons.

Gratefully, Betty Boisvert candy as a fundraising activity at Maple Fest and other community events. •Ice Shaving/Snow Cone Machine that can be used both to provide clean “snow” (a big problem the last two years with insufficient snowfall in March) for Maple Fest Sugar-on-Snow sales, and by other organizations to sell Snow Cones throughout the year. •Folding, Lightweight Tables for community events that can take up minimal space when not in use, but are small and light enough to be easily transported by men, women or students in personal vehicles to various locations in town as needed. This equipment will be available for all town groups and organizations, such as Apple Pie Fest, Belize and France auctions, Old Home Days, Fourth of July, etc. Community support for this Australian Ballot item on Town Meeting Day would be very much appreciated town-wide. Sincerely, Jeannie Johnson

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From page 3

A column about mapping a sense of place (fifth in a series). Dear Editor, Map by Cia Considine Column by Julia Shipley

My great Aunt Hope, who set out to visit all 50 states after she and her husband retired from dairy farming, said she’d rather read a map than a novel any day. But, perhaps, a map is a kind of novel. Maybe maps are the forerunners of the graphic novel, in that, with their jumble of words and images, symbols and numbers, they portray characters, themes, and a plot. For example, take page 47 in the Vermont Gazetteer featuring Cabot. You’ll see Menard Road, Urban Road, Bayley Hazen Road— roads are named for the people who passed there or lived there, the map’s equivalent of characters. Then, scrutinize some more and you’ll find: Houston Hill Road, Olney Hill Road, Danville Hill Road, Bothfeld Hill Road, West Hill Pond Road…get the idea, or theme? And then, of course, there’s the beginning of the map --if you’re reading left to right, the story starts in Woodbury, Marshfield, proceeds through Lower Cabot, Cabot village and Cabot Plains, and ends in Danville and Walden. But, of course, there’s hundreds of ways to read a map, and therein lies my aunt’s joy: the joy of selecting her own path through the territory, the joy of investigating the mystery of a place. And, as for mapmaking: there’s the joy of being the author, and writing the story. Author-naturalist, Stephen Trimble, writes in his essay, ‘The Scripture of Maps, the Names of Trees,’ “…a University of Pittsburgh team of psychologists emphasizes that children and adults begin their description of environments with landmarks. Tying together a sequence of places works even better if those sites are connected by stories. One’s own stories work best—the ones we create while walking to school or exploring a neighborhood gully.” Ed Shamy, publisher of the County Courier newspaper in Enosberg Falls illustrates just how landmarks serve as story prompts when he parodies the way we begin an epic narrative by giving directions to the lost. Listen to him string all the landmarks together, telling tall tales of a small town in the process. He writes, “You’re going to go straight down this hill until you come to the spot where the big Rainville barn used to be, until the big fire…bear right until you come to the Thibault’s place. There should be lots of Jerseys out pasturing. Don’t get fooled by the Guernseys—they’re the next place over, at Bouchers…follow the road down the dip to the sharp curve… Soon as you come to the place where the Parent boy tipped over the silage truck—Lord that must have been twenty years ago…you’re going to want

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

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Cabot Community Theater Performs Fresh Tales February 11 & 13

By Cabot Community Theater

What happens when the Fairy Godmother goes on vacation? How do you defeat a dragon and a troll with only your wits? The answers to these and other puzzling questions will be revealed this month in "Fresh Tales," the first production of Cabot Community Theater. This energetic theater group includes 21 actors, both kids and adults, almost entirely your neighbors in Cabot. Production staff is local as well, with direction by Karen Mueller-Harder, set design by Lars Torres, costumes by Cecile Johnston, flyer design by Tamara Feldman, and publicity coordination by Todd Jones. Lighting and sound design is by the CSPAC student technical staff, and students from the Barre Tech Outreach Program at Cabot are assisting with set construction. The four one-act comedies for all ages will be performed in the Cabot School Performing Arts Center on Friday, February 11, at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, February 13, at a 2:00 p.m. matinee. Admission is $5 at the door, with a special family rate of $20. All proceeds beyond the cost of the production will be donated to CSPAC. Please come and enjoy an evening or afternoon of homegrown energy and talent!

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A FRIEND IN THE BUSINESS Todd Jones - Cabot Creek Creations From Joes Pond Blog

By Lynn Jones Like a Marvel Comic superhero, Todd Jones is a man of dual identities. Mild mannered Behavior Specialist, taming the wayward ways of children everywhere by day and bold entrepreneur by night. It began as a quest. More like an obsession, really, to create a lotion to help heal the dry, sore splits and cracks of his wife’s hands. All other products had failed. So, like a mad scientist in his lab, he began to mix various ingredients in the kitchen of their Cabot home. Being a man of artistry and creativity, he became energized by researching the properties and beneficial qualities of each essential oil, herb and other ingredients. Being conscious of the environment and caring of animals, Todd was determined that his creation would be all natural and only tested on humans. Then, one day, it happened. Todd discovered the perfect balance. It was the birth of the Lotion Stick. Solid like a Chapstick with the healing properties of a lotion. His first test subject? His wife. She applied the lotion stick before bed and in the morning a miracle had happened. The painful soreness of her cracked skin was gone and the splits in her fingers showed signs of healing. Soon, Todd was able to convince family and friends to try his product. They reported similar results. Some reported they had found it helpful for other conditions, such as eczema, as well. It has been about five years since the invention of the Lotion Stick. Todd has since expanded his creations to include a lip balm and a lotion. After much encouragement from family and friends, Todd has begun to market his product at our local Cabot Village Store under the name of Cabot Creek Creations. Having experienced local success of his product, Todd hopes to expand to other local markets. And who knows, perhaps one day he will leave his mild mannered daytime persona behind and become a fulltime “Marvel”.

By Jane and Fred Brown http://jpacurrentnews.blogspot.com/

Thursday, January 06, 2011

We had a cold day - in the single numbers early this morning, but it warmed up a bit during the day - into the teens. There was a hint of sunshine from time to time, but it never really got through the mist of snow and (I suppose) ice particles that hung over Walden and West Danville. We went to St. Johnsbury - at the right is W. Shore Rd. as we started off this morning… …We got about half a foot of very light, fluffy snow over night and the roads were well salted so everyone's vehicles were plastered with grungy sand salt. It was the kind of day that when you get out of the car there's a wet smudge on your jeans from the rocker panel and if you brush against the car when you're loading your groceries, C your jacket is decorated with a white stripe. Then you get in the car and when you make a sharp turn, the tire grinds against the icy build-up in the wheel well and if you're lucky, there will be a big glob of dirty snow behind you when you look in your rear-view mirror; and if you don't see it, you'll find it melting in a big dirty, salty puddle in your garage after you get home. That's the kind of day it was.

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Community Close-Up Cabot Historical Society

By Jeannie Johnson Who are the organizations and groups that make up our Cabot Community? What is their work? Our new feature, ‘Community Close-Up’, will profile the groups we can identify and will be available collectively through our Cabot Chronicle website.

Chronicle: What is your group’s name and mission?

CHS: Cabot Historical Society, Inc. The purpose of the Cabot Historical Society is to foster in whatever way practical, a respect and love for the history of Cabot, Vermont, and to aid in its discovery, preservation and study.

Chronicle: What do you and your volunteers do?

CHS: We own and maintain two buildings, the West Hill School and the museum on Main Street. Our goal is to collect and preserve artifacts related to the history of Cabot. We're particularly interested in photographs, documents, letters, genealogies and diaries that pertain to the history of Cabot.

Chronicle: When do you meet?

CHS: Our annual meeting is in May. We meet as needed at other times. We have occasional programs and other events. The Main Street building is always open on the Fourth of July, usually on one day during Old Home Week, and sometimes on Fall Foliage Day. We try to open the Main Street building on several Sunday afternoons during the summer.

Chronicle: Where do you meet?

CHS: Usually, at the Historical Society building on Main Street.

Chronicle: How does someone get involved?

CHS: Bonnie Dannenberg, CHS President, can be reached at 563-3396 or e-mail [email protected]. Annual memberships are $5. Life memberships are $50. We always need many volunteers for our annual fundraiser, the Apple Pie Festival. We have other projects we're working on and more we'd like to start working on, if we had more volunteers.

Chronicle: What else would you like our readers to know?

CHS: Your local historical society is an important part of the community. Our job is to preserve the history of our town. THINK before you throw it away, or put it in your yard sale, or on e-bay. It's worth a phone call to see if the item is something the historical society would like to add to the collection. TheCHSwebsiteis www.cabothistory.com and the general e-mail address is [email protected]. CHS has an extensive resource center at the Main Street building, with much of the paper collection now indexed and available in albums. This includes documents, photographs, magazines, newspaper clippings and various artifacts.

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OUR PETS What Your Pets Don’t Know Can Hurt Them

By Andrea Gilbert D.V.M

Now that winter has come, our pets are spending more time indoors and getting bored and restless. They are then more likely to get into things. And we all also have special foods or plants around the house that might be especially interesting to your pets. Our houses contain many things that are poisonous to your pet. Even medications prescribed by your veterinarian can be poisonous if ingested in large amounts. And many animal medications are made to taste good so your dog or cat will eat it readily. Your dog does not know not to eat all 60! If you suspect your pet has ingested something poisonous, contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s 24-hour hotline at 888-426-4435. There is a consultation fee when you call the ASPCA. If your pet needs treatment, the ASPCA will help guide your veterinarian towards the best treatment. The ASPCA reports what poisons it gets the most calls for. Human medications tops their list. Pets snatch pill vials from counters, pocketbooks and nightstands. A pill rolling by them on the floor looks to be a tasty treat. Medications meant for us can cause serious problems for your pets. It is essential to keep your medications tucked away where your pets cannot easily access them. And take your medications in an area away from your pets-just in case one slips out of your hand. Insecticide exposure is another reason people call the poison hotline. One of the most common incidents involves the misuse of flea and tick products. Many products made for dogs can be fatal to cats. So consult your veterinarian if you are using a product for the first time. We all know that food that is safe for us is not necessarily safe for your pet. And they keep finding new foods that are dangerous to pets. We all have heard to avoid chocolate. But grapes, raisins, onions, chives and garlic can cause serious problems. Xylitol, a sweetener in many products, can also be dangerous. So, if your dog eats your package of sugar free gum or candy, call your veterinarian right away! A veterinarian never minds a call to find out if something is a problem. We would rather be proactive. Vomiting as a decontamination method only works in the first 2 hours. Once the poison has moved out of the stomach, vomiting is ineffective. www.aspca.org is a good web site with lots of practical information.

Andrea Gilbert grew up in Concord, New Hampshire, and graduated from the University of Illinois Veterinary School in 1997. She feels very lucky to be able to live and practice in beautiful northern Vermont. She lives in Cabot with her husband, along with a chocolate lab and two lovely cats. Send your pet questions for Andrea

and check out Dr. Gilbert’s website at www.hardwickvet.com.

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Town Groups to Explore Options for Cabot’s Community and Economic Development

By Staff Writer On January 11th, there was a gathering of town organizations and groups, called, You Don’t Have To Do It Alone. which was sponsored by the Cabot Coalition and the Friends of the Cabot Library. Eighteen organizations were in attendance. The forum’s intent was to assess the needs of each individual group, the assets that each group has and the possibility of collaborating collectively to allow each group to accomplish their own missions, while ultimately making Cabot a better community. The discussion included consideration of a social enterprise to benefit all town organizations, the need to make the Village more accessible and appealing and other strategies on how the town can benefit from the 50,000 tourists that visit the Creamery Visitors Center each year. Sue Freeburn, who works at the Creamery Visitor’s Center, explained that the visitors ask over and over, “what else is there to do here?” They want to eat, shop, sample wine, buy baked goods, visit farms and soak up local color. Gary Gulka, of Cabot’s Planning Commission, emphasized the importance of having an economic development plan, which would facilitate getting funding for such projects. He commented that there is a lot of work that the town could do. [For example,] “people are taking lots of interest in local agriculture and economy.” Other ideas that surfaced were maintaining a town-wide scheduling calendar, beginning a time bank for bartered or volunteer services, establishing a Chamber of Commerce and making the Village more of a destination. The calendar would be maintained to insure that important meetings do not overlap and that events can be planned to compliment each other instead of conflicting. The time bank could allow for services to be bartered or traded and volunteer needs to be better met. The Village, as a destination, might include a few picnic tables for use on the Common or the improvement of the walkability between the Creamery Visitor’s Center and the Village – maybe signs or sidewalks. It was apparent through the discussion, that there is a lot of interest to move forward. Jan Westervelt suggested that a stable organization take on the oversight of coordinating this movement. An organization that can act as an umbrella, keeping all the subgroups/organizations informed and to also serve in administering projects and funding. Jan also suggested that the Cabot Coalition would make the most sense to assume this role, in that it is a centralized office with regular business hours. The Coalition is already invested in community health and wellness, while the Cabot Chronicle keeps a pulse on the community as one of the town’s important communication platforms. The group committed to several follow up meetings to explore community and economic development resources. Area business owners, organizations and the public are encouraged to attend the upcoming community development meeting. Bill McMaster, Community Resources and Development Specialist for UVM Extension, has been invited to a discussion on developing a community and economic development plan for Cabot on February 8, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Willey Building. Bill has worked with a number of nearby towns on economic development and market analysis plans, and will discuss the programs available to Cabot to improve Cabot’s economic vitality, including our village business district and other businesses in town. He will also discuss how these programs can help to sustain a vibrant local economy and utilize tourism to the town’s benefit. Bill has worked with Cabot over the years on the Take Charge Program and more recently in facilitating a process to develop a vision for the future of Cabot. His programs are action-oriented with a goal of identifying strategies that can be implemented. (For more information on UVM Extension Programs see: http://www.uvm.edu/extension/community/? Page=business.html&SM=business_me nu.html). There are more than 46 organizations and several businesses in Cabot. Although there were several groups at the first forum, others are encouraged to join in. The following organizations were represented at the first forum on January 11:

• Cabot Planning Commission

• Faith In Action

• Cabot Conservation Committee

• The Cabot Chronicle

• Cabot Library

• Cabot Connects Mentor Program

• Friends of the Cabot Library

• Cabot Commons

• Cabot Roamers

• Cabot Coalition

• Cabot Skylighters

• Cabot PTO

• UDAG

• Farm To School

• Cabot Recreation Department

• Cabot Community Chorus

• Cabot Church

• Cabot Community Trails

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Tuesday, February 8 6 p.m.— 8:00 p.m Willey Building

Consult with Bill McMaster, Community Resources and Development Specialist for UVM Extension Dessert and coffee will be served There is tremendous potential in working together to ease the amount of work we all do and to improve our community.

Sponsored by the Cabot Chronicle and the Friends of Cabot Library.

For more information call the Cabot Coalition at 563-3338.

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COMMUNITY NEWS YOU

By Staff Writer Cabot Roads are not so easy to navigate. Ask the driver of the hired bus, that drove into a ditch, on his first day of his Cabot bus run. Ask the woman who, despite her SUV with all-season tires, swerved dangerously to and fro coming through this side of the Groton Forest. When her car came to a stop just short of a sign post, she exited the vehicle and exclaimed to the concerned motorist that stopped to help, “I’m from Boston!” Or ask the many unsuspecting winter visitors to Cabot, who have relied on GPS directions and been directed from snow-covered third-class roads onto beautifully groomed fourthclass roads, a.k.a. VAST Trails, having their vehicles eventually break through a snow-packed snowmachine path and finding themselves stranded, with little or no cell phone signal.

Thank you to the two list serve email recipients that alerted us here at the Chronicle that the posting for our monthly deadline was off by one month! Slip of the key – hate when that happens!

Ice skating and ice fishing are popular this time of year. Did you ever wonder what to do if you should break through the ice on a lake or pond? First, don’t panic. Move back to the area where you fell through, where you know the ice was somewhat solid. Lay both arms up on the unbroken ice and kick hard with your legs. This will help you to boost yourself onto the ice (a couple of ice picks when you are out on the ice are helpful tools for pulling yourself in an emergency). Finally, roll away from the ice opening until you have reached solid ice. Good to know.

According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil, the infamous ground hog, sees his shadow on February 2nd, when he emerges from his den, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring. Two thoughts: If Phil is in Pennsylvania does, his prediction carry over to Vermont? Based on our recent weather, one could safely predict that a Vermont groundhog will NOT see its shadow (no sun, no shadow). Therefore, we can predict… perhaps an early Spring.. and..

That Will Ameden may be among the dancers at the upcoming Cabot Contra Dance. It was heard that Will attended the recent Gubernatorial Ball, cat-licked and dancing among many Green Mountain State Socialites. In fact, he was said to have cleaned up SO well that he was barely recognizable! (photo courtesy of Chronicle-azzi)

The Farmer’s Almanac has predicted this winter to be colder than most. Keep warm. Keep moving. Enjoy the fluffy snow.

Momentum is gaining and interest is high among several community organizations to formalize a plan for community and economic development for Cabot. Everyone invited to join in, bring your ideas and vision. Watch for meeting dates.

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Mpwf!Opuft!

“J- It's amazing “Susie– Thanks for sharing your talents on the ice with the kids. Happy Valentine’s Day!”

������� “Moni & Dada— You’ve given us everything AND the bathroom sink! We love you -”

������� “Bobby & Steph— On this sweet day we’d like to thank you for bringing creamies to Cabot!”

������� “Tara– Happy Valentine’s Day and we wish you a happy BIRTH day.”

������� “Roses are red, Violets do grow. We love Cabot basketball, Go Huskies Go!”

������� “Kyle & Alisha—Happy Valentine’s Day. Love you.”

������� “Coach Dave, Happy Valentine’s Day to a guy whose love of basketball is contagious. Thanks for sharing your passion!”

������� “KMH— Thanks for bringing community theater back to Cabot. We love acting!”

������� “Dearest Chuck— love you and your fashion sense, your laugh and your devotion to all your fuzzy friends. You are a sweetie!”

������� “KAPOW !

Keep up the good work — you make a difference! Can you just do the work a little more quietly?” ;)

������� “Apollo, Happy Valentine’s Day! From your brother from another mother…. Roo “ ������� "Happy Valentine's Day" to our Gram in CT-Lois (Pike) Pratte, and our Gram in Cabot-Betty Boisvert!! We want you to know that we're thinking of you and love you lots!! your grandsons Chris, Josh, John, Carter, Caleb and Jeremy Maxfield

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Ponder This

By Lori Augustyniak Energy Drink Consumption Is Strongly Linked With Risks Of Heavy Drinking and Alcohol Dependence ScienceDaily (November 17, 2010) —Many adolescents and college students innocently ingest large amounts of energy drinks to stay awake. But, new research shows that energy drink over-use is strongly linked with increased risks of engaging in episodes of heavy drinking and developing alcohol dependence. Get the full story at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101116181949.htm Live More. Drink Less.

According to the Vermont Behavioral Risk Surveillance System, 36% of 18-24 year olds in Vermont binge drink. Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks in a few hours. A new website, http://www.livemoredrinklessvt.com aims to reduce binge drinking among young adults, ages 21-25. It features a system called E-Check Up To Go, which is a free anonymous tool that allows users to enter information about their drinking habits and compare themselves to others in their age range in the United States. The purpose of having people answer questions about their own drinking and viewing the results is to get them thinking about where, when, why and how much they drink.

Lowering Drinking Age Would Not Reduce On-Campus Bingeing

New research suggests lowering the drinking age would not reduce oncampus binge drinking. Researchers from several institutions collaborated to develop a mathematical model that could predict patterns of on-campus consumption if the drinking age were reduced to test the theory. Campuses near drinking establishments with low enforcement of underage drinking laws (i.e., those that do not check IDs frequently), or those in which students grossly overestimated the amount that constitutes "normal" drinking by peers, might see a reduction in on-campus bingeing. However, binge drinking could increase on campuses with no or low "misperception levels" present, according to the study. Since there was no evidence that high misperceptions of peer drinking are the norm, it was highly unlikely that lowering the drinking age would reduce student binge drinking, said Jawail Rasul, Ph.D., a researcher at BioMedware Corporation in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and lead author of the study. An additional risk to consider, said the authors, is that alcohol-related problems, such as driving under the influence, tend to go up when alcohol is more readily available to young adults. The study was published in the January 2011 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

“Happy Valentine’s Day til Kringler Sveiseservice Sandblosing, koselig hilsener fra oss her pa Apex Computer Service.”

������� “our sweetest roses are white, a few of them pink after more than a quarter here, one would think that our love might be old, covered with mold but it’s light and it’s fresh and it’s passed in a blink hang on for the rest of this joy ride and relish the pride of what we’ve made of it all, singing and laughing and loving these years on the back street with our dears – truly yours”

������� “LuLu, On a daily basis, you make our life complete. Happy Valentine’s Day! Love Mom & Dad”

������� “J & J, Sending Valentine’s Greetings across the miles. Cabot � Gelsenkirchen. xoxo Miss you”

������� “My baby, my love, forever and always we’ll be. From now until the end of time, I know you’re mine.”

������� “I love Jena, Chet, Kelly, Becca, Jed, Kayla, Charlotte, Caleb, Connor, Lyndsay & Theron!!!”

������� “Hey, Sweet Pea!

You are the love of my life and my sunshine. Love, Kanie-Lou Who”

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Planning Commission to Discuss Transportation and Energy

By Irene Nagle Are you interested in energy conservation or alternative energy options at the local level? Do you see a need for improved pedestrian or bike routes, or are you concerned with traffic safety in Town? If these or any other concerns regarding energy or transportation are on your mind, then you should attend the public work session on the Transportation and Energy sections of the Town Plan, to be held Monday evening, February 7, at 6:00 p.m. at the Willey Building. All Cabot residents are invited to attend, and light refreshments will be served. The Town Plan sets the framework for future decisions regarding land use, housing, conservation of natural resources, and capital investments in transportation, recreational facilities, and other public facilities. It is a way for the community to plan for a sustainable future and establishes a means by which to measure improvements. By State statute, all Town Plans must be updated every five years, so ,while the Town Plan looks at the long-term health and vitality of the Cabot community, there is an opportunity to measure progress and realign goals if necessary every five years. Among the benefits of having the Town Plan approved by the Regional Planning Commission are that Cabot can adopt new or revised land use regulations, is eligible to receive grants only available to Towns with approved plans, and has greater influence over Act 250 Decisions, since the District Environmental Commission must give weight to approved local land use plans. In order to be approved by the Regional Planning Commission, the Town Plan must be consistent with the state-wide planning goals and compatible with the plans of other towns in the region. Preliminary drafts of the Transportation and Energy sections are available for review at the Town Clerk’s Office, or you can request an electronic copy of the drafts by emailing [email protected]. Although an RSVP is not required, it is appreciated. If you plan to attend, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. As always, public engagement is critical to the long term success of the Town Plan. We hope to see you there!

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Cabot Real Estate Transactions 2010

Format is: recording date, seller name, buyer name, property address (all addresses are Cabot unless otherwise noted), property description and selling price, as were registered in the Town Clerk’s records.

6/2/10, Dorothy Noyes to Dorothy Noyes Trust of April 2010, 1559 West Shore Rd., .15 acres plus dwelling, $0.

6/2/10, Robert Noyes to Robert Noyes Trust of April 2010, 1559 West Shore Rd., .15 acres plus dwelling, $0.

6/11/10, Paul Andrews to Paul and Gail Andrews, 3252 S. Walden Rd., 32.72 acres plus dwelling, $0.

7/8/10, Russell Bell, Randall Bell Trustee, and Cora Bell, trustee to Anthony Ingraldi, Bricketts Crossing, 23.0 acres plus dwelling, $54,700.

7/8/10, Charles and Suzanne Bolton to Ripple A Landscaping, LLC, 175 Tetreault Rd., 26.25 acres plus sugar house, $175,000.

7/18/10, Brian and Suzanne Roberts to William Kittredge and Laura Knowlton, Lovely Rd., 2.0 acres land, $34,000.

8/6/10, Richard and Jennifer Riendeau to Joshua Thompson and Jessica Conley, legal trail off Urban Rd., 21.55 acres, $35,000.

8/23/10, Kevin Diffily to Cecile Johnston, 318 Last Rd., 14.0 acres plus dwelling, $0.

8/27/10, Rolf and Delores Muench to Gary and Lauren Smith, .31 acres plus commercial building, $99,000.

8/27/10, Stuart Maclaren to Tracey Maclaren and Anthony Jarvis, 908 Lovely Rd., 4.2 acres plus mobile home, $70,000.

8/27/10, Rolf and Delores Muench to Keith and Johnnye Burtt, VT Route 215, 4.2 acres land, $22,000.

9/1/10, Melinda and Derek Allen to Bank of NY TTEE of Cwalt Inc., 2262 S. Walden Rd., 4.0 acres plus dwelling, $20,000.

9/20/10, Ian and Ashley Ackerman to Ian Ackerman, VT Rte 215, 12.37 acres, $0.

9/29/10, Louise Doucette to Stephen Doucette and Mark Carozza, 1246 Bricketts Crossing Rd., dwelling, $0.

9/29/10, William Bermingham trustee and Norma Bermingham to Jeffrey and Nancy Mendonca, Danville Hill Rd., 50.46 acres, $150,000.

10/6/10, Karl Pongratz to Kathrin Koslicki, Coits Pond Rd., 82 acres, $0.

10/8/10, Dawid and Susanna Steenkamp to Andrew Willette and Rhonda Carrier, 729 Lovely Rd., 10.6 acres plus dwelling, $265,000.

10/14/10, Richard Young to Francis Kamph, 84 McKinstry Rd., 15.0 acres plus dwelling, $215,000.

10/15/10, Jill Edson, Karen Crane, and Constance Krueger to Kempton Randolph, Lovely Rd., 58.0 acres land, $129,200.

10/19/10, Johannes and Maria Welters to Johannes and Maria Welters, 7752 Danville Hill Rd., 2.03 acres plus factory, $0.

10/21/10, Bertrand and Sandra Tremblay to Joseph Tremblay, TH19 Urban Trail, 12.0 acres plus dwelling, $0.

10/26/10, Pledged Property II, LLC, to Whole Loan Trust 2010 LLC, 3153 Main St., $0.

11/2/10, Kathrin Koslicki to Richard and Jennifer Riendeau, Coits Pond Rd., 82.0 acres land, $111,000.

11/17/10, Michael and Jamie Gokey to Craig and Barbara Cook, 7.0 acres, $60,000.

11/18/10, Tracy May to Earl Kalliosaari, 1001 Whittier Rd., 2.0 acres plus dwelling, $105,900.

11/30/10, Neal Sargeant Jr., to Kimberly Sargeant, 23 Ennis Rd., 5.0 acres plus dwelling, $0.

11/?/10, Richard Bushey to Kari and Erik Larson, 1205 Bricketts Crossing Rd., 3.51 acres plus dwelling, $190,000.

12/14/10, Estate of Alton Rodger to Cedric Houston, 133 Cathy Rd., 2.2 acres plus home, $47,000.

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It’s the Law - and It Makes Good Sense

Stations throughout Vermont. You can find the most convenient location for you on the web site. When your child turns 8, you can determine if she/he is big enough to use the vehicle belt without a booster by using the 5-Step Test with your child. If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, your child still needs to ride in a booster seat.

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat? 2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat? 3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm? 4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs? 5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip? Safety professionals recommend that children under 13 years old ride in the back seat of the vehicle, which is much safer for them because most crashes occur to the front of the car, and children’s bodies are more vulnerable to injury than adult’s fully-developed bodies. Since it is safest for children to ride in the back seat, place a child in the front only if necessary. The front seat should be pushed back as far as possible to keep the child away from the dashboard, and NEVER put a child in the front seat if it has an active air bag. For more information about Vermont law or the least expensive way to give your child the best protection, call 1-888- VMT-SEAT.

By Jeannie Johnson Proper use of child safety seats can help keep children safe from death or injury in a crash or emergency maneuver, such as breaking hard to avoid hitting an animal in the road. As a parent, you may find it difficult to sort out conflicting or confusing car safety seat information as your child develops and grows. Child safety seats work best when used correctly. But how do you know what’s correct? Vermont’s child safety seat law defines age limits but not weight and height. It also states that a child must be "properly" secured in the vehicle. For example, you may believe your 8-yearold daughter is big enough to graduate from her booster seat because of her age. But your daughter may be small in stature and, when you put her in the car's seat belt, the shoulder belt rides up on her neck. This means that she is improperly secured and she should stay in a booster seat longer. Vermont’s Be Seat Smart web site (BeSeatSmart.org) is designed to draw attention to the importance of child safety seats and to help parents understand the 4 Stages of Seat Safety that every child progresses through. See which stage your child is in below and check the web site to find out how to buckle your kids in their car or booster seat safely. Certified safety technicians are available to help you at free special Child Safety Seat Checks and Fitting STAGE 1: Rear-Facing Seat

For the best possible protection, keep infants and young toddlers in the back seat, in a rearfacing child safety seat, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit STAGE 2 : Front- Facing Seat

Children may ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the seat (usually around age 4 and 40 STAGE 3: Booster Seat

Once children outgrow their forward-facing seat, they should ridein booster seats, in the back seat, until vehicle seat belts fit properly.

STAGE 4: Seat Belt

When children outgrow their booster seats, they can use the adult seat belt in the back seat if it fits properly. Kids over 4’9” usually

Part of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 8 onward.

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UDAG Town Meeting Grant Applications To Be Voted On At Town Meeting 2011

This year, $43,300 is available for Town Meeting Grants. Any application that receives a majority of “yes” votes is eligible to be granted; the application that receives the greatest number of “yes” votes will be granted first, followed by the others in descending order until the available money is committed. This year, the total of all eligible grant requests is $43,299.74, which means that all requests approved by the voters can be granted. The UDAG Committee has found these grant applications to be in conformity with the requirements of the current UDAG Plan. But the Committee makes no endorsements and only places the requests before Town Meeting for voters’ decision by Australian Ballot. These are summaries of the grant requests. The full grant applications are available at the Town Office or by email from Jan Westervelt, the UDAG Committee chair ([email protected]).

FOUNDATION DRAINAGE PRO- JECT: applicant Cabot School; amount requested $33,145 toward a project to move groundwater away from the foundations of Cabot School’s various buildings in order to preserve the structural integrity of the buildings and ensure classroom space is consistently useable, in a cost-effective way.

EQUIPMENT PURCHASE: applicant Cabot Farm to School Committee; amount requested $2,204.74 toward the purchase of a heater/proofer, brazier, and slicer, in order to prepare more student meal items from scratch using fresh, whole, local foods, thereby reducing reliance on prepackaged and frozen foods.

EQUIPMENT PURCHASE: applicant Cabot Chronicle; amount requested $7,950 for the purpose of purchasing equipment and materials to assist the Chronicle and forty-plus Cabot organizations/town committees with community building and fundraising activities; cotton candy machine and cart, portable folding tables, weatherproof event information signs and an ice-crushing machine.

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COMMUNITY NEWS. Support Sought for Chronicle at Town Meeting

At Town Meeting on March 1, Cabot voters will be asked to make a contribution to the costs of printing and distributing .The Cabot Chronicle. In 2007, the Cabot Coalition secured grant funding and brought together community members to start the paper. Since that time, the Chronicle has been well-received, and enjoys the status of paper of record for most community organizations. Chronicle staff and volunteers have developed a business plan to continue the paper once grant funding is exhausted (June 30). It costs $18,000- $20,000 per year for the printing, mailing and the funds to ensure key staff members are compensated. The business plan depends on a funding strategy of one-third fundraising, one-third advertising and one-third town appropriation.

Fundraising -Volunteers are making plans for the annual Maple Fest on March 19, the primary fundraiser for the Chronicle. It is hoped that the UDAG grant application for event equipment will be approved by voters at Town Meeting, so that volunteer efforts for Maple Fest and other town fundraising can be more productive and financially successful.

Advertising - Our advertising revenue is growing slowly, but surely. This area of income would be greatly enhanced by additional sales people, who work for a 20% commission. Anyone with an interest in supporting the paper, a little free time and not afraid of sales, should contact us ASAP!

Appropriation - The third component of the funding plan is a town appropriation of $6,000. This amount reflects the cost of printing and mailing the newspaper to each Cabot household. In previous years, the Coalition requested an appropriation to support the Cabot Connects Mentor Program. There are no funds requested from the town to support the Mentor Program this year. As the Cabot Coalition works with the community to help guide them in determining their next steps as funding expires, it is hoped that, whatever the Coalition’s future, the community will make an investment to assure the continuation of our local community-based newspaper.

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Legislative Outlook

By Kitty Toll The 2011 Legislative session convened on Wednesday, January 5. The Speaker of the House announced all committee assignments on the first day. This year, I have been assigned to the House Appropriations Committee. This committee considers state appropriations and, most significantly, reviews the state budget and ultimately makes decisions on the spending of state revenues. Testimony in Appropriations began following the Governor’s Budget Address on January 25, 2011, where the state budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 was presented. Prior to starting our work on the state’s budget, the Appropriations Committee reviewed the Governor’s Budget Adjustment proposal for the 2011 state budget, a mid-year process to modify estimates and adjust expenditures and revenues to the FY 11 budget. The Blue Ribbon Tax Commission released its final report on January 13. This commission was charged with reviewing Vermont’s tax policy and recommending to the Legislature changes that will make the state’s tax structure less complex, sustainable, equitable and economically competitive for Vermonters. No changes to the state’s tax policy have been made at this time. Discussion and changes will take place in the House Ways and Means Committee. I encourage all who are interested to read the report, which can be found online at www.taxreform.org and express thoughts directly to the Ways and Means Committee or to me. The report indicates that this is not an attempt to raise additional taxes, but recommends restructuring our tax system for fairness. Of course, with any changes, there are always winners and losers. The Blue Ribbon Tax Commission will continue its work on Vermont’s property taxes, and we can expect to have that report in September. A presentation was given to the Legislature on the future of health care in Vermont by Dr. Hsiao. He is a member of a group commissioned by the Legislature to develop options for a new heath care system for Vermont that would provide universal coverage with a common benefit package, reduce waste and inefficiencies, and limit health cost escalation. All Vermonters have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the recommendations in the report. The report can be found at www.leg.state.vt.us/jfo/healthcaredesign.aspx. All public comment will be accepted until 4:30PM on Thursday, February 3, 2011. This is a unique opportunity for Vermonters to weigh in and express concerns. Comments can be sent to [email protected] or mailed to William Hsiao, 124 Mt. Auburn Street, Suite 410 South, Cambridge MA 02138. The revenue forecast has been improved by $27 million for FY 11 and $10 million for FY 12. With the Governor’s hiring freeze, the state should see an additional $12 million in savings in FY 12. However, we still have an estimated $111 million deficit to fill, as presented by legislative fiscal analysts, due to continued challenging economic times. Decisions will be tough again this year. The Government Operations Committee is working on a broad scope of issues, including Public Records/Right to Know legislation, Campaign Finance, Public Safety, Local Government Issues and Reapportionment. Every 10 years, reapportionment occurs where we redraw the lines of the House and Senate districts to make adjustments for changes in the population. This ensures that all Vermonters have equal representation. The new motto for the House Agriculture Committee is “Vermont Agriculture Means Business!” The newly appointed Secretary of Agriculture, Chuck Ross, will work closely with the Ag Committee to help realize the positive impact that Vermont agriculture can have on the state’s economy. Deputy Secretary, Diane Bothfeld, reported that the Vermont Innovation Center, one of four in the country, has been managing grants that provide technical/business assistance, and market, workforce and professional development to Vermonters. I am excited to continue my work this year. There are many new challenges to face and old ones still to be addressed. Please feel free to contact me anytime with concerns:

State House: 828.2228 Home: 684.3671 Email: [email protected] Mail: PO Box 192 Danville, VT 05828

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Con Hogan’s Latest Book Reflects on Vermonters and Others

By Staff Writer Cornelius “Con” Hogan has authored his third book in a short-story series. Finally Met Along the Way is the last book in the series about his encounters with people of Vermont. Unlike his two former books, Finally Met features Vermonters, yes, but also other wonderful folks Con has met along his way. Below is an excerpt from his short story, “Daisy Mae”, that briefly mentions his association with a current Cabot resident.

Con Hogan, former Commissioner of Corrections, Human Services Secretary, healthcare leader and advisor on a national level, independent candidate for Governor, and bluegrass musician, has served Vermonters in many ways through his state positions and appointments. He remains active on issues of importance to him and lives on East Hill Road in Plainfield.

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From page 9

“After Dick Snelling” was elected to the office of Governor in 1990, I was privileged along with Tom Moore, his campaign manager, to be the first folks on the transition team. You can imagine the intensity of that period. The situation was super complicated due to the looming financial deficit. I was working from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. Soon thereafter, the Governor was filling out his team with terrific people like Doug Wasik, Dick Chapman, Wibs McLain, and Jan Eastman. During the week between Christmas and the New Year of 1991, we were having an 8 a.m. staff meeting with the Governor-elect. There were six or seven of us on board by that time. Jeanne Johnson, the Governor’s personal and longstanding secretary, came quietly into the room with a personal note for me. Governor Snelling did not like interruptions, so Jeanne was very discreet in giving me that note. The note told me that my wife, Jeannette, was in the outer room of the Governor’s State House Office and needed to see me for a moment, and that she had some fresh clothes for me (which I badly needed). I considered the wisdom of simply getting up and leaving the meeting for a moment but thought better of it. Finally, in a moment of temporary bravery, I interrupted the meeting and said to the Governor, “ I have to leave for a moment. My wife would like to see me. However, would you mind taking a one-minute break and come explain to her why I’m spending more time with you than I am with her?”….

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SENIOR NEWS Twin Valley Senior News

TWIN VALLEY SENIOR CENTER FOCUSES ON HEARTS By Stacey Sharp

February is Heart Healthy Month. Twin Valley Senior Center is doing all it can this month to focus our efforts on making central Vermont senior hearts healthy as they can be. The winter doldrums are upon us all and cabin fever is rising. Come and join us for some of our heart healthy activities this month. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we’re serving nutritional and delicious meals – with spices and care in cooking, Waneta and the crew are teaching us how delicious heart healthy eating can be. Everyone is welcome – we ask a $4 donation from those 60 and older, $5 for the youngins. The laughter and socializing are always free! Our free Healthy Aging Exercise Program has openings for those who have made their New Year’s resolutions to live a healthier life. We will be focusing on heart health this month, along with stretching, balance, and strength training. Everyone is welcome and the classes are wheelchair friendly. Come join us in making central Vermont seniors heart healthy! Learn how to breathe deeply with the ancient technique of Qigong breathing. You will learn breathing techniques that will relieve stress and bring energy. Classes are $5 each – call 223-1878 for the schedule. January weather played havoc with our schedule, and many of our speakers have been rescheduled for February. Mary Alice Bisbee will be here at 1:00 p.m. on February 16 to talk about ways to save money on funerals, memorial services, burial benefits for veterans, and many other topics “usually avoided in polite society”. Keep an eye out for information about the date and time for Cindy Brusseze from the Vermont Ethics Network, who will join us to learn about living wills, advance directives, and other ways to ensure we receive the type of medical care we want if we are no longer able to speak for ourselves. The folks from Earthwalk will be here on Valentines Day with their multigenerational outdoor program. Come teach the youngins about Vermont weather and nature, come learn and enjoy the energy they bring. Our monthly foot clinic will be held on February 7th – give a call to 426-3447 for scheduling. Last, but surely not least in the realm of heart stressors, keep an eye out for our annual free Tax Preparation and Assistance Program.

During this cold month of February, we at Twin Valley ask everyone in the community to take a moment and check on an elderly neighbor. It’s difficult for many seniors to get out and about with the snow and ice, and isolation becomes a serious issue. Perhaps just bring them some soup from the pot you just made, maybe stop in before you head to Price Chopper or Kinney, perhaps teenagers could offer to clear some ice from a doorway, or maybe you could just stop in for a visit. Bringing a little laughter and warmth to an isolated senior will bring you so many rewards within your own heart. And it is Heart Healthy Month after all!!!

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LIBRARY CORNER From the Cabot Public Library

Programs Wines of Italy by Niall McCallum Friday, March 4, 7:00 p.m.

Come taste five specially selected wines from Italy with descriptions from Niall about each one. This is a fundraising event for the library and space is limited, so please call ASAP to reserve your place. Tickets are $15.00 each and light fare will be served.

Yoga & Wellness Classes Tuesdays, February 1, 8, 15 & 22, 6-7:30 p.m. with Alicia Feltus by donation. Yoga is a time-honored practice to enhance well being in body, mind and spirit. Yoga postures and core strengthening improve flexibility and strength, ease tension and boost the immune system. Breathing practices increase energy, improve circulation and harmonize the nervous systems. Deep relaxation relaxes the body fully to help improve sleep, be more mindful and experience peace within. Alicia will also share nutrition and exercise tips to nurture you in attaining vibrant health! Each class will be taught to the beginner student while engaging more advanced students to deepen their practice. Alicia Feltus, Certified Yoga Instructor and Reflexologist, has 17 years experience leading classes and workshops in all aspects of health, and is currently enrolled in a Nutrition and Wellness Coaching program. To register and for more information contact Alicia 802-563-3220/ [email protected]

Knit – Crochet Group Sunday, February 20, 2:00 p.m.

All skill levels welcome! Bring your yarn, hooks/needles- For more info, call Bonnie Dannenberg @ 563-3396. Meeting on the 3rd Sunday monthly.

Game Club - Wednesdays, 3-4:00 p.m., Ongoing Back by popular demand! Bring your own game or come play ours - all are welcome! Light snacks provided. Computers will be turned off during Game Club.

Community Outreach

If you or someone you know has difficulties getting to the library and would like to receive home deliveries of library materials, please let us know. We would be happy to arrange for home library services to any patrons in the Cabot area. You can call us at 563-2721 or email us at [email protected].

See you at the Library!

Kathleen Hoyne and Anne Walker

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Friends of the Cabot Library News

The Friends are busy getting ready for our first fundraiser of 2011 – the 3rd Annual “SOUPFEST” – being held on Thursday, February 17, 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. Currently scheduled for the Willey Building Meeting Room, the location may change as we investigate other possibilities which could make it more convenient to everyone. Watch for signs and news on the final location as we get closer to the event. A variety of homemade soups/stews/chilis will be available to try out, along with a few accoutrements to finish out your meal. Please note that our soups take into account most dietary considerations – whether you’re a meat eater, vegetarian/vegan, or require gluten-free

– we have something for everyone! Pricing for the Soupfest’s complete meal will be $5.50, which includes soup, muffin, cookie, and beverage. Other pricing will occur as you eliminate or add items to your meal (to accommodate those light or hungry eaters!). Preorders for soups will be taken this year, if you are interested in doing take-out. Forms will be available at the library beginning February 1. Pre-order cut-off date is February 10 (payment is required at time of ordering). Pick-up times for pre-orders will be after 4:30 the day of the event in order to allow time for packaging. Mark your calendars so you don’t miss this great annual event! Additionally, as in years past, cookbooks and craft books will be on hand for sale, along with recipes of our soups so you can enjoy your favorite(s) all year long! Also, please take advantage of our recent donations this winter by stopping by the library Wednesday afternoons – check out a movie and get a bag of fresh popped popcorn to go with it! A great FREE service happening all winter to help keep a little money in your pocket! Finally, one last reminder to the community to CALL the library before dropping books for donation. A review team will come out to you to determine what books can be used by the Friends or by the library for our individual needs. We know how precious books are to our community of readers, but neither organization has the capacity to warehouse outdated or non-salable books – nor the manpower to move and stock them. Please note we are investigating creative ways to help get good, useful books into the hands of people/organizations who might have a use for them, but we simply haven’t arrived at an answer or means in how to do it yet. In the meantime, if you cannot wait to have us review them and/or need the space, please dispose of them another way. We would truly appreciate your cooperation with this effort. Enjoy the snow – it won’t be here too long!

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Faith In Action Community News

Our free Community Dinners will be offered twice a month, every second and fourth Monday throughout the year. These dinners have become a big hit and attendance is growing each month. It has become an excellent opportunity for a community-enriching event. The Senior Adventure Morning program is scheduled for February 15, 2011. The 61” wide screen television and the accompanying DVD player we acquired in December will allow us to show movies and videos during the Lunch and Laughter program that we are organizing for March. We have a group of excellent old comedy movies and videos to share as part of this program. We are also still in need of a Baby Grand Piano. If anyone has information about one, please let us know. We are still planning a computer literacy class. If you are interested, give us a call and become part of the learning experience.

Upcoming Events

Event/Program Name Date Time

Community Dinner 2/7/11 5 –7 pm Free Food Share Distribution 2/9/11 12 –2 pm Senior Adventure Morning 2/15/11 10 – lunch Community Dinner 2/21/11 5 –7 pm Free Food Share Distribution 2/24/11 2 – 4 pm Remember, every program, event and service offered by FIANCP is free of charge! FIA is also looking for a creative individual or team to lead our Handwork & Craft Social, along with volunteers who would like to join us in developing a community garden here in town. Anyone interested should give us a call. (802) 563-3322.

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Cabot Office Coordinator

Twenty plus hours per week. Ability to coordinate volunteers, staff within and outside the office

setting. Candidate must be a motivated individual who is computer literate. Personal experience with elder services a plus and a heart for our mission a

must. Would love to consider over-qualified recent retiree or couple with transferable skills who truly want to make a difference.

Position with great future possibilities to learn and grow. Resume and letter of interest to:

Faith In Action Northern Communities Partnership, Inc.

Box 157 Cabot, VT 05647 No Calls Please

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Van Fleet Takes on New Role

The Vermont Alliance for Arts Education, a statewide non-profit devoted to ensuring that the arts are an essential part of K-12 education for all students in Vermont, has announced that Janet Van Fleet has been hired as the organization’s Executive Director. “Janet is a former public school teacher, a practicing artist, and one of the founders of SPA, a community arts center in Barre,” said Walter Judge, Chair of the Alliance’s Board of Directors. “We believe her skills, enthusiasm, and contacts will help us do great new things in arts advocacy, programming, and support for teachers.” Van Fleet added, “The arts are a necessary and enriching part of being human. They expand our minds, open our spirits, and are proven to enhance academic and occupational success. Investing in arts education pays us back many times over.” The Alliance was founded in 1975, and is a member of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network. It works throughout the state with the professional associations of teachers of dance, drama, music, and the visual arts, as well as the Vermont Arts Council, the State Department of Education, and other organiza- Janet Van Fleet, new Executive Director of the Vermont Alliance of Arts Education. Says Janet, “Cabot has been a leader in arts education in many ways, so I think it's appropriate for a Cabot resident to be at the helm of this organization!”

Part of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 11 onward.

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6th Annual Statewide Survey of Girls

Who: VT Teen Girls (grades 6-12)

What: 2011 What VT Teen Girls Say Survey When: New Year's Day – January 1, 2011 to March 1, 2011 Where: Online survey link at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QFWB557 Contact: For more information, please contact Wendy Love, Executive Director of the Vermont Comm isionWomen , [email protected] or 802-279- 6347 Who do Vermont girls turn to with problems? What do they feel are the most important qualities in a friend? How do they use social media to communicate? The Vermont Commission on Women and the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains want to know. Their 6th annual statewide online survey of 6th through 12th grade girls launches on New Years Day and will focus on relationships and use of social media. What makes this survey special? Survey questions are created by a panel of girls. That panel also presents survey results to legislators at the Vermont State House in the spring. “What Teen Girls Say” survey results from other years captured the attention of Vermont legislators, community officials, schools, and the media. Previous topics included: planning for jobs or college; making, saving, and spending money; bullying and harassment; health and wellness; and growing up in Vermont. Executive summaries of past surveys can be found at:

http://women.vermont.gov/publications-VCW+publications. Adults are encouraged to share the survey link with teen girls in 6th through 12th grade, and girls are urged to invite their female friends to complete the survey, too. Access “What Teen Girls Say, 2011” at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QFWB557

or by visiting the following websites: Vermont Commission on Women or Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains http://women.vermont.gov http://www.girlscoutsgwm.org *** The Vermont Commission on Women (VCW) is a non-partisan state agency dedicated to legislative, economic, social, and political fairness. Volunteer commissioners and representatives from organizations, including the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, concerned with women’s issues guide VCW’s public education, coalition building, and advocacy efforts. For additional information, contact: Lilly Talbert, VCW Communications Coordinator, 802-828- 2841 / [email protected].

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Recreation Department Update

February is here and basketball is well underway, and we should all be outside enjoying the brisk air and the great outdoors!

Basketball teams at all levels are doing well and learning lots. We want to thank everyone who have been helping put this basketball season together, coaches, referees, assistants, book keepers, time keepers, schedulers, varsity boys (and coach), parents and all the rest! It really does take a bunch of volunteer effort to keep this going. Come out and cheer them on at some of their home games! Please see the schedule below.

Trails are coming along, new signs are almost done and ready for the trails. Landowner permissions are dribbling in and some very generous community members have offered their knowledge and expertise to find, mark and map the routes. If you are interested in helping in any way please give A call, the more the merrier (and the quicker). Unfortunately, after an enthusiastic beginning the cheerleading squad is unable to continue at this time. If there is increased interest in the future we might entertain the idea again. Looking forward to spring and Little League please look into your schedules and consider helping out. We can use help on many levels from coaches and assistants to umpires and dug-out “crowd control” to book keepers and concessions and field maintenance. The circle needs to expand so if you can help in any of these areas please let us know.

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Cabot Cub Scouts Pack 746

By Rita Durgin The boys were very busy over the holidays. They had sold Christmas wreaths and received incredible support from family, friends and the community. They almost doubled their sales from last year. We are currently making plans with some soldiers from Task Force Warrior and the Family Readiness Group out of Lyndonville for a presentation to make a monetary donation. The scouts have worked really hard to make this a success and are very excited to meet the soldiers.

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Brownie Scout Troop 719

TROOP 719 gathers for a photo at the Cabot Food Shelf, where they donated their time over the holidays. From top left: Michelle Delaney and Kim Mayo, co-leaders. On the bottom is Victoria Mayo (Kim's daughter), Mia Preston (Michelle’s daughter), Mae Dunham and Abby Searles. Abby is in her 2nd year of Brownies and the others are in their 1st year. Missing are Angelica MacKenzie and Lucia McCallum.

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From page 11

“I look forward to reading the Chronicle every month. It's a great way to keep in touch with what is going on in town. I have attended meetings, joined groups, and had access to community resources I wouldn't have known about at all if it weren't for our community paper. I also like the fact that it prints information about the town's history, people, and controversies. I truly hope it sticks around!” Anonymous

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From page 11

“We very much enjoy the local content found in the Cabot Chronicle and look forward to each publication. All family members (including our kids) read it. We think it is a great resource for bringing the community together and disseminating information. We also like thewebsite , h t p : / / !” Jeannie and Niall McCallum

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Cabot Fire Department New Truck Status Report

By Walter Bothfeld, Jr.

As residents of the Town of Cabot may be aware, for the past several years, the Town has been saving money in a sinking fund for the replacement of our now 21-year-old fire pumper. At this time, your fire department wants to update you on the progress we have made and what steps we have taken to choose the best vendor and apparatus to serve the town of Cabot for the next twenty years. We have spent many hours, as outlined below, developing specifications and requirements for the Town's needs. In March of 2010, a Truck Committee was formed with six Cabot Fire Department members (4 of whom hold the position of Chief or Assistant Chief). The Committee started meeting every Monday night to review all reasonable options, keeping goals like safety of the fire fighters, safety and protection of the community - both now and for the next 20 years, Town hazards and exposures, types of calls to which we respond, cost effectiveness options, flexibility of the apparatus layout, and the possibility in 20 years to "refurbish" this truck. (Fire apparatus that is well built and in compliance with rigid National Fire Protection Association standards has the potential of being refurbished at the end of its nominal 20 year life cycle. This could provide a significant cost saving to the Town over the purchase of a new truck the next time.) In April, a list of past truck issues and concerns was made, and current Nation Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes were reviewed. A list of ten fire truck vendors was drawn up. All these vendors were selected based on their experience building fire trucks. In May of 2010, we contacted each vendor and gave them a detailed list of what the Cabot Fire Department's needs were. From June to August we held long and detail conversations, and exchanged emails and letters with these vendors. The responses, suggestions and cost saving ideas from each vendor were then carefully reviewed. In September, the list was shortened from ten to five vendors, and interviews were arranged for each of these vendors. We also visited other fire departments to see trucks that were built by various manufacturers and how well they were holding up after being placed into service. And we attended regional trade shows where multiple fire trucks were on display. During October and into November, and following preliminary interviews, the vendor list was shortened again from five to two. Then the final two vendors were interviewed a second time. During these interviews, we discussed in detail items such as warranty, NFPA specifications, and having a "demo" truck come to Cabot so we could see firsthand the type of construction and workmanship quality that was performed (just to name a few areas we examined). By the end of December, your Fire Department Truck Committee had spent over 984 unpaid hours on this project, broken down as follows: 630 hours worth of meetings 250 hours worth of proposal reviews 61 hours worth of visiting departments / trade shows 146 communications via email 43 hours worth of computer comparison charts 52 telephone calls made / received from vendors As a result of this effort, Minuteman Fire and Rescue Apparatus, a vendor of Pierce Manufacturing (maker of Pierce fire trucks), was selected to provide a new fire pumper truck for the Town of Cabot. Over the next ten months, the Cabot Fire Department Truck Committee is preparing to spend an additional 1,000 + hours to oversee this complex purchase for the Town. We currently have $185,000 saved in our sinking fund. We will be asking this March at Town Meeting for funds to cover the balance of the cost, and we ask for your support. Your Fire Department will be holding an Open House on Saturday, February 19, at 9:30 a.m. -noon to allow you to have a close, up-front look at the condition of our current 21-year-old truck and to allow you to learn of the new standards that are required by the NFPA (and perhaps have you join the Department!).

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