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The Cabot Chronicle

April 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 April 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

Summary of Cabot Annual Town Meeting Proceedings March 1, 2011

This is an abridged version of the business transacted at Town Meeting 2011. Most of the discussion and debate has been removed for space consideration and only the vote outcome reported. For the official, more detailed meeting record, please contact the Cabot Town Clerk at [email protected] or the Town of Cabot website www.cabotvt.us. The 223rd Cabot Town Meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by the Selectboard Chair, Caleb Pitkin. Article 1 – To elect a Moderator for the ensuing year; Ed Smith elected Moderator unanimously by voice vote. Article 2 – Shall the Town vote to approve the minutes of the previous Annual town Meeting of March 2, 2010? Article 2 adopted by unanimous voice vote. Article 3 – To elect a Town Clerk for a term of three years? Discussion not allowed. Article 4 – To elect a Town Treasurer for a term of three years? Discussion not allowed. Article 5 – To elect a Selectperson for a term of three years? Discussion not allowed. Article 6 – Shall the Town vote to issue bonds in an amount not to exceed $150,000 for the purpose of acquiring a new Fire Department (FD) pumper truck? There was discussion about options available to the town and new standards for fire safety equipment. The Article was approved by Australian Ballot; YES - 166 No – 121 Article 7 – Shall the Town vote to hear and act upon the reports of the Town Officers? Caleb Pitkin stated that this will be the final Town Meeting with Larry Gochey serving as Select Board Member - Larry served the last fifteen years as a Selectman, Wastewater Superintendant, Road Commissioner, unofficial custodian of the Willey Building (WB) and Recreation Field and selfappointed Town flower waterer, and in all this time has only missed one meeting –we are thankful for his dedicated service to the Town of Cabot. Corrections to the annual report were noted: Marvie Domey stated that Fred Pike and Richard Spaulding were omitted from the page 27 Cemetery Commissioner Report. Susan Carpenter made corrections to the page 23 Delinquent Tax List, indicating that she has collected $19,104.69 since the beginning of the year. Tara Rogerson noted one change to the 2011 Town Report on page 8, Article 15 – Change the Library Appropriation request from $53,668.32 to $50,419.00. Lengthy conversation about various accounting practices ensued. Article 8 – Shall the Town vote to pay its Real and Personal Property taxes to the Town Treasurer on or before November 10, 2011, with delinquent taxes having interest charges of one percent per month for the first three months and on an one-half per month thereafter and an eight percent penalty charged from the due date? Article 8 was adopted by unanimous voice vote. Article 9 – Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot elect all Town officers required by law, according to law? Moderator called for nominations for the following offices: LISTER – Carlton Domey elected for a 3 year term. LISTER – Duncan McKinnon elected for a 1 year term. AUDITOR –Cathleen Maine elected for a 3 year term. DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTOR

– Susan Carpenter elected for 1 year term by standing vote. FIRST CONSTABLE – Ken Gokey elected for 2 year term by standing vote. SECOND CONSTABLE – Ken Christman elected for 2 year term by standing vote. GRAND JUROR – David Pike elected Grand Juror for a 1 year term by voice vote. LAW AGENT – Chip Taylor elected Law Agent for a 1 year term by voice vote. CEMETERY COMMISSIONER – Deb Bothfeld elected Cemetery Commissioner for a 3 year term by voice vote. LIBRARY TRUSTEE –Jon Vara elected Library Trustee for a 2 year term; Margaret Trautz elected Library Trustee for a 2 year term; Paula Davidson elected Library Trustee for a 3 year term; Kathleen Higbee elected Library Trustee for a 3 year term. UDAG COMMITTEE – Gary Katz elected to the UDAG Committee for a 2 year term. Caleb Pitkin stated that, with the merger of the Village and Town, the Selectboard would prefer the Village Trustee appointed UDAG member become an elected position. Any person nominated and elected by the voters at this meeting would be considered advisory to the Selectboard and made official at the next Selectboard meeting. Chuck Talbert was recommended to the Selectboard for membership to the UDAG Committee. WILLEY BUILDING COMMITTEE

– John Christman elected to the Willey Building Committee for a term of 3 years. Caleb Pitkin announced that appointments are going to be made at the Select Board meeting the night of Town Meeting for the positions listed on page 7 and any interested persons should contact a Selectboard member. Article 10 – Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot authorize the Select Board to apply for and receive grants and gifts and to spend any grants and gifts received in the current fiscal year, excluding UDAG funds, block grants and unrestricted gifts. A motion to amend the article to read “Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot authorize the Select Board to apply for and receive grants and gifts and to spend any grants and gifts received in the current fiscal year, excluding block grants and unrestricted gifts?” was approved by voice vote. Gary Gulka asked why it was being amended. Caleb responded that the Selectboard would like to make use of the recent amendment to the UDAG Plan to apply for UDAG Grants. Motion to amend the Article to read “Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot authorize the Select Board to apply for and receive grants and gifts and to spend any grants and gifts received in the current fiscal year, excluding block grants and unrestricted gifts?” approved by voice vote. Article 10 adopted by voice vote as amended. Article 11 – Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot authorize the Library Trustees to apply for and receive grants and gifts and to spend any grants and gifts received? Article 11 adopted by voice vote. Article 12 – Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot forgive the remaining principal (approximately $108,000) due on the 1994 UDAG 30-year loan of $225,000 at 0% interest to the Town of Cabot for renovation of the Willey Building and direct that 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 WB. Article defeated by standing vote; YES – 48 NO – 66. Article 13 – Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot elect two additional Select Board members for terms of two years each, pursuant to 17 V.S.A. §2650(b)? Results from paper ballot: YES – 79; NO

- 42 Article 14 – Shall the Town vote the sum of $30,350 to defray the expenses of the Cabot Fire Department? Article 14 adopted by unanimous voice vote. Article 15 – Shall the Town vote the sum of $53,668.32 to support the Cabot Library? Allison Joyal-Silveria moved to amend the amount to $50,419.00; seconded and adopted Article 15 as amended adopted by unanimous voice vote. Article 16 – Shall the Town vote the sum of $18,000 to help toward the maintenance of the Cabot Cemeteries? Article 16 adopted by unanimous voice vote.

Article 17 – Shall the Town vote the sum of $10,000 to support the Cabot Ambulance? Article 17 adopted by unanimous voice vote. Article 18 – Shall the Town vote the sum of $500 to support the Cabot Senior Citizens group? Article 18 adopted by unanimous voice vote. Article 19 – Shall the Town vote the sum of $6,000 to support The Cabot Chronicle? Article 19 adopted by voice vote. Article 20 – Shall the Town vote the sum of $4,000 to support the Cabot Recreation Committee? Article 20 adopted by unanimous voice vote. Article 21 – Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot appropriation the following sums for the following purposes:

American Red Cross $ 500.00 Aquatic Nuisance Control Project at Joe’s Pond 750.00 A.W.A.R.E Battered Women’s Services and Shelter Cabot TLC Central Vermont Adult Basic Education Central Vermont Center for Independent Living 165.00 Central Vermont Community Action Council Central Vermont Council on Aging Central Vermont Economic Development Corp 300.00 Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice 2,000.00 Family Center of Washington County Friends of the Winooski River Green Mountain Transit Agency Green Up Vermont 100.00 Northern VT Resource Conservation & Development Council 75.00 Onion River Food Shelf 500.00 Peoples Health and Wellness Clinic Retired & Senior Volunteer Program and Center 200.00 Sexual Assault Crisis Team Twin Valley Senior Center Vermont Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired 300.00 Washington County Youth Service Bureau 250.00 West Danville Area Community Club Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District 500.00 Woodbury-Calais Food Shelf TOTAL

Article 21 adopted by unanimous voice vote. Article 22 - Shall the Town vote to appropriate the sum of $1,053,500 to repair and maintain the highways of the Town including summer, winter and special treatment, of which an estimated $476,000 is to come from income and $577,500 from local taxes? Article 22 adopted by voice vote. Article 23 - Shall the Town vote to appropriate the sum of $871,293.67 to defray the General Expenses of the Town, with an estimated $554,304.94 to come from income and $ 316,988.73 from local taxes? Article 23 adopted by voice vote. Article 24 - Shall voters of the Town of Cabot grant to the Cabot School the sum of $33,145 toward a Foundation Drainage 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, from $43,300 of UDAG funds available for Town Meeting grants in 2011? Article approved by Australian Ballot; YES - 210 No - 90 Article 25 - Shall voters of the Town of Cabot grant to the Cabot School Farm to School Committee the sum of $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 pre-packaged and frozen foods, from $43,300 of UDAG funds available for Town Meeting grants in 2011? Article approved by Australian Ballot; YES - 221 No - 79 Article 26 - Shall voters of the Town of Cabot grant to the Cabot Chronicle $7,950 for the purpose of purchasing supplies 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, from $43,300 of UDAG funds available for Town Meeting grants in 2011? Article approved by Australian Ballot; YES - 159 No - 136 Article 27 - Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot authorize the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District to appropriate and expend a budget of $631,300? RD Eno explained that the NEKWMD Charter necessitated budget approval of all member towns; this ballot Article will appear every year. Article approved by Australian Ballot; YES - 181 No - 97 Article 28 - To transact any other business that may legally come before said meeting. Moderator read the Article. Larry Gochey thanked Dave Pike, Rusty Churchill and Charlie Pilbin for their years of service and hard work and asked that the Town consider the construction of a new Town Garage. Allison Joyal-Silveria asked that drivers please slow down in Town, especially during school hours. Article 29 - To adjourn this meeting. Article 29 adopted by voice vote; meeting adjourned at 2:38 pm.

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Are Cabot’s Renewable Energy Investments Paying Off?

By Michael Socks Before making an investment in a renewable energy system, the wise investor asks “How much will I save?” The answer is complicated by a number of technical and financial matters, until one is left with a somewhat unsatisfying “estimate” of performance. Fortunately for those of us in Cabot, two heating systems using renewable energy have been operating long enough to fairly judge how these systems perform under real world conditions. Cabot Commons Senior Housing installed a solar water heating system during the fall of 2008. The system employs four 4’ x 8’ solar collectors, a storage tank, circulation pumps, and temperature controls. Without the solar heating system, the existing fuel oil boilers alone would provide heat to the 120 gallon tank that supplies all eight apartments and the common kitchen and laundry with domestic hot water. According to the Central Vermont Community Land Trust, the property manager for the building, the system has saved approximately 800 gallons of fuel oil per year since it was installed. During the summer months, the system can provide almost 100% of the hot water used in the building. Overall, the system has reduced fuel consumed for water heating by 65%. J.C. Myers, Facilities Manager at CVCLT, expects the system to save $3,000 per year at current oil prices and notes the importance of keeping operating costs low when managing affordable housing. The Cabot School is a second community institution heating with renewable energy. The woodchip heating plant was operational for the entire 2009-2010 heating season. During the season, the School purchased 320 tons of chips and the system met 83% of the School’s heating needs. The remainder was provided by the backup oil boiler. The School saved 54% (or $33,577) on heating costs in 2009-2010 by burning Classifieds:

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COMMUNITY CLOSE-UP

By Staff Writer FARM TO SCHOOL COMMITTEE

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

Group: Cabot’s Farm to School Committee. Overarching Goal: to increase awareness of, access to and consumption of locally-produced, high quality foods within and beyond the school.

Chronicle: What do you and your volunteers do?

Group: We help facilitate and encourage more fresh and local options in the school cafeteria, more farm connections and nutrition education in the classroom, and more awareness and appreciation for fresh, local foods among community members.

Chronicle: When do you meet?

Group: We were meeting monthly until the deep winter set in. We will be starting up again in the spring.

Chronicle: Where do you meet?

Group: We usually meet at Cabot School, in the library or the cafeteria.

Chronicle: How does someone get involved?

Group: Let the coordinator know your correct email address! (A few folks have given us addresses, but they are not currently working. Those folks can send us the updated information if they have fallen off the list by now.) You can also just give us your phone number, and we'll call you and let you know about upcoming meetings and events. The coordinator, Amy Hornblas, can be reached at: [email protected] or 426-3083.

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Cabot Kids Shine at State D.I. Meet

By Jane Youngbaer Great news from Cabot Destination ImagiNation! At the Vermont D.I. Tournament on March 26, Cabot teams were honored with several significant awards. Lela Jones received The Taylor Vigne Brightest Spirit Award, given to one individual in Vermont each year for helping others, extraordinary sportsmanship, creativity, and dedication to D.I. in the spirit of Taylor Vigne, a devoted young D.I. team member who died unexpectedly. Lela and her team members, Anna Lyons, Billie O’Connor, and David Moody, also received a third-place trophy in the Elementary Level of the Challenge, “Verses! Foiled Again!” They had to build a strong, light structure out of wood, glue and foil, and incorporate poetry into their performance. Their 21gram structure held more than 80 pounds. The Middle Level team, Wyatt Ameden, Alisha Celley, and Isabella McCallum, got a first-place trophy for “Triple Take Road Show.” This Challenge required them to present a story in different styles to three pretend audiences, with different travel methods among them and a technical spectacle. The team is now eligible to attend the Global Finals in Tennessee. In addition, this team was honored with a Spirit of Discovery and Imagination Award, given once annually for exceptional teamwork and spirit, exemplified this year by these three Cabot students. In the non-competitive level called Rising Stars, the Challenge was “Big Bug’s Bad Day.” The team members are Alec and Brody Moran (who celebrated their birthday on Tournament day), Luca DeRuzza, Mae Dunham, Victoria Mayo, Mia Preston, Lucia Elementary team (clockwise from top) David Moody, Lela Jones, Billie O’Connor, Anna Lyons. Photo courtesy Lynn Jones McCallum, and Erik Younce. The Appraisers complimented their costumes, scenery, creative story, and how well they worked together. All teams participate in a short, secret Instant Challenge that they have never seen before. This gives teams an opportunity to show how they use teamwork and creativity to think on their feet. The scores (other than Rising Stars) become part of the total points that determine winners. It is a great honor to receive all of these awards, and it is especially sweet that Cabot kids were rewarded this year for exemplary kindness and collaboration. Team Managers were Alison Panzer, Todd Jones, Lynn Jones, and Jane Youngbaer. Jamie Gokey also assisted with the Rising Stars team.

The Chronicle asked several visitors at the recent Maple Fest:

What are your sure signs of spring?

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Kathleen Doychak,

Torrington, Connecticut: I know it’s spring when the buds come on the trees, when the robins return and when my crocus appear. I also know it’s spring when I visit Vermont and the roads are the muddiest!

Saratoga Springs, New York:

When it is spring, my cats want to be outside all the time.

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Erin Bermingham,

Saratoga Springs, New York:

Spring means mud and that my horse is shedding clumps of hair.

When the Snow Drops poke through the snow.

When the back roads dry up and the ruts are gone.

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CORRECTION

…regarding the Historical March

Cover Photo of Lucia Hill Barbara Carpenter identified that the picture of George Hill’s mother shows her tending a sugaring off pan on a sugaring off arch and not an evaporator, although Barbara admitted they are somewhat similar.

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

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Do You Know Where Your Child Is?

April 20 has become a national holiday of sorts for marijuana smokers, and the event and the term "420" is part of the commercial mainstream. Simply put, 420 is a symbol of cannabis and its culture. Today, April 20th events are international, and 4:20 pm has become sort of a world wide "burn time". The White House of National Drug Control Policy now issues alerts on 420, and the term has become synonymous with an invitation to get high. There are lots of myths about how the term “ 420” (pronounced fourtwenty, not four hundred and twenty) originated. Regardless of where the term came from, it is a flag for parents that don’t want their kids using marijuana. When you see the symbol 420, be aware of what it represents. And now that you are looking, you will see it often in movies, on tshirts and kids’ notebooks.

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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

Dear Editor, On Saturday, February 19, I was given a surprise 50th birthday party at the Willey Building in Cabot. I would like to thank Julie Ackermann for cooking all the great food, Trish & Steve Cox for helping my husband, Paul Andrews, with all the planning and all the work that went into it. Thanks to Debbie Brown from Hardwick for doing the invitations and everyone that helped to make it such a special event.. Thanks Again!

Gail Andrews

Dear Editor, I would like to thank the voters at Town Meeting Day for their support of the The Cabot Chronicle. I was so moved to hear from townspeople who value The Chronicle as a community building tool and source for local information. When we first started having conversations about creating a local paper, several voices at the table advised us “No paper is better than a failed paper.” We understood the caution, but decided it was better to try and fail, than not try at all. Five years later, we are into our third year of publication and regularly gaining momentum toward our mission of connecting citizens with each other and the information that affects the town they call home. All of us at The Chronicle table know there is plenty of room for improvement in our publication – increased advertising revenue, comprehensive coverage of local government and greater coverage of community events. With your help, we will continue to strive to publish the best newspaper we can for you. And please join us! We welcome anyone who wants to write, proofread, promote or distribute The Cabot Chronicle. We meet every Thursday at 4:30 at the Willey Building.

Lori Augustyniak

Dear Editor, We are grateful to the voters of Cabot for approving the UDAG Town Meeting Grant for the Cabot Chronicle and other community organizations for fundraising tools. Thanks to Walt Ackermann of Harry’s Hardware and Bobby Searles of the Cabot Village Store, we were able to obtain all the equipment requested just in time for Maple Fest, no small feat considering the short time between Town Meeting and Maple Fest. The eighth grade seemed to enjoy being first to use the brand-new cotton candy machine to sell maple cotton candy as a fundraiser for their Washington, D.C. trip. The ice shaver worked flawlessly for Anson Tebbetts to serve sugar on snow to about 100 in the mobile sugar shack. The signs helped publicize the event and identify Maple Fest activities, and, as observed by one participant, brought credibility to the event. In addition, we can’t imagine how we would have managed the silent auction, taste of maple sales, food sales and vendors without the supply of new tables, which fold into a size and weight that can be moved without requiring a pickup truck. We appreciate the new equipment, and will take responsible care of it. We expect many other organizations will enjoy using it for their functions and fundraising activities to support their work throughout this year and many more. With thanks, Jeanne Johnson Dear Editor, A Wonderful Run As many of you know, I retired from teaching high school science at Cabot School in 2004. I had been at Cabot since 1982. I found, however, that I really missed teaching those Cabot kids. So, when I was asked in 2006 to come back part-time, I happily agreed. Since then, I have had five wonderful years of alternating teaching AP Biology and AP Chemistry, with a few Bioethics classes thrown in. As one friend said to me, it has been a great run. But now, it is time for me to truly leave. I have been mulling this over for some months, and it is now clear to me. I have loved being back in the Cabot School community, teaching our young folk, interacting with my colleagues, connecting with parents. But there are a number of reasons for me to wind down, both professional and personal. And so, I will be retiring at the end of the 2010-2011 school year. That said, I want to make clear my absolute joy in having Meghan Hewitt teaching science to our high school students. I have the utmost faith in her ability, her significant scientific knowledge, her enthusiasm for opening up new opportunities, and her heart-felt care for each and every student. I also know that she will be just fine and is excited about teaching AP Chemistry and AP Biology. And Michael Crocker is ready to take the challenge of teaching AP Environmental Science in the high school, alternating with Marine Biology. As you can see, we will maintain the high level of science offerings and expectations in the high school. In addition, I am excited about Karen Stewart’s leadership for the high school. I believe she has the strength and the vision to make the expectations and relevance and excitement in the high school reach an even higher level. In closing, I have so enjoyed my time teaching at Cabot. As I look back over the 28 years connected to our wonderful school, I feel very proud to have been a part of all that Cabot School has achieved. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with our very fine young people.

Helen Morrison

Dear Editor, We, Jackie and Jenny Taylor, began the Cabot High School Choice Group because we believe that every child in the town of Cabot deserves to be provided with excellent educational opportunities. In light of historical and fore-casted declining enrollment, as well as the most recent NECAP scores which indicate that an educational crisis may be at hand, we are providing information to sincerely interested residents. We are particularly concerned that grades 9-12 have reached a level of enrollment too low to provide a decent and cost-effective education. We believe that while we support well-thought out innovation, budget-driven experimentation endangers not only the breadth of curriculum once offered at Cabot High School, but also threatens the very basic fundamentals that are necessary for our children to have choices after high school such as college, vocational training or direct entrance into the work force. Our primary objective in the short term is to present our research on tuitioning the entire 9-12 grades, while retaining a vibrant and quality PK-8 grade school in town as well as invite like-minded residents to get involved. This investigation and outreach is particularly prescient in light of the recent focus by the DepartmentofEducation on consolidation of smaller schools (Act 153). Merging may lead to the closing of all grades and permanently tie our tax rate another town/towns (under Act 153, after four years, the Town of Cabot would lose its ability to veto a decision by a combined school board to close our entire school). If you are sincerely interested in hearing our School Choice presentation and participating in a question and answer session, please come to the Willey Building 2nd Floor meeting room (be sure to enter from the back door from the parking lot) on Tuesday, April 26th at 7:00 PM. If you would like further information, please contact us at 563- 2591, or at jtaylor@bambinomoun tain.com Jennifer Taylor

Dear Editor, I am writing this letter to ask Cabot residents to please support my bid to become a member of the Select Board at the special election on May 3rd. For those who don't know me, I have lived in Cabot for 37 years, been an educator for 43 years and have been a small business owner for the last 26. I was a Principal in the Boston Public Schools for 5 years and a teacher in Vermont from 1974-84. I founded and directed the Caledonia Early Education Project, CREEP, a program of early intervention and prevention of school failure in 1979, which became a model for early education and is still operating successfully to this day. I built and operate Emerson Falls Hydro, an electric generating station on the Sleepers River in St. Johnsbury, which came on-line in 1985. Over the past 26 years I have owned or administered nine Vermont statelicensed child care and preschool programs in Cabot and St. Johnsbury. Currently, I own and direct two centers, Cherry Street PlayCare in St. Johnsbury and Camp Laughing Turtle in Cabot. My past civic involvements have been helping develop the Tax Reappraisal Study Plan which was adopted by voters in 1976, helping create the Cabot Enrichment Program and serving on the Board of Adjustment from 1988 to 1991, acting as Chair in 1991. In 2001, I became a member of the committee exploring the feasibility of developing senior housing in Cabot and served as VP and now serve as President of Cabot Commons, Inc. I am also President of VIPPA, Vermont Independent Power Producers Association, and a Directing member of Vermont Early Educators United. There are many challenges facing our town as we chart and navigate our course of action over the next few years. I will learn about governance, regulation and decision-making at the town level, and to that add what I already know - that everyone has a stake in the process and that the Select Board has a responsibility to seek input, listen to and respond to its constituency. I am dedicated to that purpose and I will devote my best energy to consider all matters that come before the Board. I also feel strongly that there are unique opportunities for all of us to work with respect and positive commitment in facing the challenges, big and small, and working for solutions. I am invested in the Cabot Community. It deserves all our guidance to prosper and to become the best it can be for all residents and for upcoming generations. Respectfully, Judy Pransky

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Bentley Austin Young

A sweet boy, Bentley Austin Young, arrived at 1:01 p.m. on February 25 to proud parents Ashley and Arthur Young. Grandparents Billie and Shon Marcotte are thrilled to have a grandson.

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Sergey Radivil

1992 Cabot High School graduate, Violetta HAXNPU\_cNJ Radivil and her husband, Albert, welcomed a son, Sergey, into their family on March 11, 2011. Viola attended Cabot School through a Project Harmony exchange and now lives in Sochi, Russia.

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Two Selectboard Seats to be filled by May 3 Special Vote

At town meeting, the town voted to add two more selectperson seats to the selectboard. A petition then followed to call the special election to fill those two new selectboard seats. The election was warned on March 25. Several candidates have posted their applications, including, Jackie Folsom and Daniel Dunham (1-year seat), Judy Pransky and Allan Perry (2-year seat) . . The election will be held on May 3 in the Cabot School Gymnasium, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

By Kitty Toll It was a pleasure to see so many of you at the annual pancake breakfast. By the number of cars in the village, the maple festival was obviously a huge success. I did not participate in more of the day’s activities because I quickly returned to Danville to attend the service honoring Corporal Ian Muller, who tragically lost his life in Afghanistan. Ian was truly a remarkable young man. The House Appropriations Committee has completed its work on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 budget. Many very difficult decisions have been made in order to balance the budget in these challenging economic times and with no federal stimulus funds. After several weeks of testimony, the committee continued its work by “marking up” the Governor’s proposed budget, making revisions and preparing a modified budget to present to the House. Vermont has always passed a balanced budget, and this year will be no exception. Decisions have been carefully made to prepare for possible federal cuts and a proposed $41 million gap in FY 2013. The well publicized gap of $173 million in the state’s 2012 budget made it clear that serious cuts would have to be made in order to balance the budget. The budget, as proposed to the House by the House Appropriations Committee, includes substantial cuts to the Agency of Human Services. Respite care for the elderly is reduced from 720 hours to 540 hours per year; IADL’s, instrumental activities of daily living, are cut from 4.5 hours a week to 3.5 hours a week. Some of the Governor’s recommended cuts have been partially restored. Designated Agencies, located throughout the state to coordinate programs for the elderly and disabled, are cut 2.5% instead of the 5% recommended in the Governor’s budget. SAP’S, Student Assistance Professionals, hired to provide substance abuse education and counseling in Vermont’s local high schools, are cut 75% instead of zero funded as recommended in the Governor’s budget. The Governor looked for a $5 million savings by proposing to roll Catamount Health into the Vermont Health Access Plan. Complications were identified in this merger and House Appropriations is proposing to keep Catamount Health separate, increase the deductible, but decrease the monthly premium for those enrolled. This move will save $2.1 million. As of this writing, the budget is being considered by the House. When passed, it will move to the Vermont Senate for further consideration. Also to be considered by the House of Representatives in the final days of March is the Miscellaneous Tax Bill, the Capital Bill, the Transportation Bill and H.202, An Act Relating to a Universal and Unified Health System. A report on these bills will be included in my May Legislative Update. To read the bills in their entirety as presented for debate, please visit the state’s legislative website at www.leg.state.vt.us. Please feel free to contact me anytime to share your thoughts: State House: 828.2228, Home: 684.3671, Email: [email protected] , Mail: PO Box 192 Danville, VT 05828.

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DANIEL F. MACKINNON

Daniel F. MacKinnon, 86, died from complications of heart disease on March 17, 2011. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, on December 1, 1924, a son of Daniel A. MacKinnon and Isabelle (Schutt) MacKinnon. He is survived by Peggy, his wife of 64 years. They met on a tennis court in Ann Arbor, Michigan, when they were both in high school. They married in 1946. Dan enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942 and served 10 years. He graduated from Colgate University and received an M.A. from the University of Michigan. For a while, he was a teacher, but then spent many years working in manufacturing companies, among them General Motors and Joy Manufacturing (mining machinery). In 1973, he took the position of Director of Prison Industries at Somers State Prison. Later, he founded the Maverick Corporation in North Hartford, funded by the Ford Foundation, a work program for ex-convicts and juvenile offenders. He was Commissioner of Administration during Governor Grasso's administration. In 1978, he ran for Congress, but was defeated. He was a vice president at Merrill Lynch for 12 years. At the same time, he ran a small sheep farm in Suffield. During lambing season, he would get up at 5 a.m. to feed the animals and tend to ewes and lambs. Then he would change into a suit and drive his pickup truck to Hartford. For 14 years, he was a docent at the Wadsworth Atheneum. He was also working toward another graduate degree at Trinity College. Over the years, he was active in the town of Suffield, serving as chairman of both the Library Board and the Board of Education. He was also a volunteer in a number of organizations, including the Emergency Aid Association and the AARP Tax-Aid Foundation. He was an avid reader throughout his life and will be remembered for his relentless and singular sense of humor. In addition to his wife, Peggy, he is survived by six sons, Donald (and his wife, Hyun Ju) of High Point, North Carolina; Duncan (Donna) of Cabot, Vermont; Malcolm (Susan) of New York City; Stephen (Diana) of Santa Paula, California; Neil of Suffield; and Ian (Rebecca) of Cambridge, Massachusetts; a daughter-in-law, Paula, of Salem, New Hampshire; 12 grandchildren, Kathy, Dan, Callum, Cailean, Sean, Samantha, Nicholas, Matthew, Duncan, Connor, Mariko, and Tom (Pany); and two great-grandchildren, Cristina and Niki. A memorial service was held Thursday, March 24, at First Church of Christ Congregational, 81 High St., in Suffield. Memorial contributions may be made in Dan's name to First Church of Christ Congregational, 81 High St., Suffield, CT 06078; or the Suffield Public Library Foundation, 50 N. Main St., Suffield, CT 06078. Nicholson & Carmon Funeral Home in Suffield has care of arrangements. Please visit at www.carmonfuneralhome.com for online condolences.

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ILA MAY SHATNEY

Ila May Shatney, 88, of Cabot, passed away Tuesday, February 15, 2011, in Cabot at her home. Ila was born September 24, 1922, the daughter of William and Gladys Nunn. Ila and her husband, Delore "Buck" Shatney, farmed together on Cabot Plains and at their home, where Ila has lived 67 years. She attended school in Peacham and worked cleaning summer camps and several years at Cabot Creamery. Her husband, Delore, passed away in 1978. Ila is survived by her son, Bernard, and wife,Mary Shatney; grandchildren Tammy Turmel and husband Leon Turmel of West Burke, Terri Shatney of Barton, and Monty Shatney and wife, Janet, of Woodbury; greatgrandchildren Kristina St. Hilaire and husband, Mark, of West Burke, Monica Vigeant and husband, Jeff, of Rhode Island, and Elizabeth and William Shatney of Woodbury; great-greatgrandchildren David Garrity and Mathew St. Hilaire of West Burke, and Saphira Vigeant, of Rhode Island; also many nieces and nephews. She is survived by sisters Arlene Miller, Irene Brown, Bernice Adams, Blanch Ross and Marian Meiggs and her brothers Lyle Nunn and wife Shelbey, and Arnold Nunn. Ila was predeceased by brothers Oliver Nunn, Eugene Nunn and Kenneth Nunn, and sisters Cerese "Buddy" Sicily and Charlotte Hutchinson. Ila enjoyed many activities throughout her life. She took pleasure from flowers and her many plants, and loved cutting firewood. She delighted in dancing, bingo and getting together with her family and friends. Interment will be at Durant Cemetery, located at Lower Cabot, in the spring. Arrangements are by des Groseilliers Funeral Home of Church Street in Hardwick.

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Economic Development Work Session for April 4

By Irene Nagle In April, the Planning Commission begins the process of putting together all the draft sections of the Plan in preparation for a public hearing on the Draft 2011 Cabot Town Plan. While public work sessions have been scheduled for every section of the Town Plan beginning last year, the work session on Economic Development scheduled for March 7 was cancelled due to the snowstorm, and has been rescheduled for Monday, April 4, at 6:00 p.m. In addition, a second work session on Land Use will be held on Monday, April 25, at 6:00 p.m. Among the issues to be discussed at the April 4 work session are the significant growth in population and housing that Cabot has experienced since 2000, how investments in infrastructure may help to channel growth to the Town’s economic benefit, what programs may help spur economic revitalization, and what group in town may take on the job of coordinating economic development efforts. Community development and economic development go hand-in-hand. A vibrant local economy can provide us with the resources we need to pursue a more sustainable future for Cabot and a better quality of life for all residents. A preliminary draft of the Economic Development section is available at the Town Clerk’s Office, or email [email protected] to request an electronic copy.

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OU DIDN

Wow! Sno-kidding! We got the blizzard dump last month, even after Rusty Churchill’s remarks about not having ‘real snow’ accumulation like we used to ….. So, as everyone scrambles to find means and places to move all this snow, we should not forget to think about our older neighbors, who may need our help digging out. These neighborly actions go hand-in-hand with memories of big snowstorms of recent years. Another reminder is that now, more than ever, the snowbanks are menacing for trying to see oncoming traffic when you leave your driveways and side roads onto main roads. Take extra precaution to look hard before you proceed. One Cabot Plains resident remarked that she has to ‘gun it’ to just get her car through the snowplow wake that is left at the end of her driveway and, in doing so, she is casting all bets that there are no cars coming. Maybe she’s praying more than betting, and maybe she’s praying that someone will help her shovel that wake away from her driveway. A little thing for some, a big thing for others. Emails to the Washington Northeast Supervisory Union have been kicking back as delivery failures. The Super U is looking into this problem, so, if you are waiting for an email reply from someone, you might want to call. A Directory of Cabot Organizations is now available on the Cabot Chronicle website. Data is being updated and added as we receive it. Thank you for everyone’s help.

Thank you Michael Socks for your report on our Cabot Energy investments. Special thanks to Jenn Rafuse, the Clinic nurse that expedited a much needed home visit for a doctor to a who arrived after us was relegated to the cushioned floor. We arrived at the Laos border to get our visas around 6am in the pouring and very cold rain. We had to pay an additional “overtime” fee because it was a weekend, and another one they called a “stamping fee.” Even more amusing was the fact that the Laos immigration building had no electricity so we filled out all the forms by candlelight. We had been told by a number of people to skip Vientiane -- that it was boring and not worth our time. However, as we were in no rush, I convinced Jade and Kade that it was worth it. It ended up being a really nice, quiet, small city, perched right on the banks of

Part of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 7 onward.

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ROM ME............ PONDER THIS

Cabot family. This is what makes small -town living so great! In fact, Roz Daniels was recently asked by one of her colleagues at the State House, “What do you DO in Cabot on the weekends?” She begins to rattle an easy list… “Well, we snowshoe right out our front door, or go for a crosscountry ski, visit with our neighbors at recycling, enjoy a folk music program at the library or go Contra dancing. .. and sometimes we carpool with friends to a neighbor’s home for a wine-tasting featuring Italian wines!” The library sponsored a wine-tasting that was hosted by Niall McCallum and his wife Jeannie. It was a wonderful, informative evening that was enjoyed by all. Thanks so much to the library and the McCallums for adding to Cabot’s emerging sophisticated cultural landscape! Thank you, also, to everyone that contributed donations and/or volunteered at our Third Annual Cabot Maple Fest. It was a fun day full of activities that many came out and enjoyed. After that last note, do you really need an April Fool’s story? With the expectation of Spring and trips to the stadium for baseball games, we have learned a valuable stadium tip from a seasoned hotdog vendor. For the freshest hotdogs at a stadium, you should refrain from ordering your ‘dog’ until the 5th inning. That way, leftover hotdogs from the previous night’s game have been since sold (yes they are often recycled from the buns), and you are insured a fresh from the package frank. Who says that we don’t cover enough sports? And there’s another sports story...ask Jackie Bromley about the sports car she bought recently.

By Lori Augustyniak Most Cabot Youth Don’t Drink, But Those That Do Choose

For U.S. teenagers who drink, hard liquor is the beverage of choice, according to a new study. And the same is true for underage drinkers in Cabot. Most Cabot youth (68%) report that they had not consumed an alcoholic drink in the previous 30 days. But of youth who had drank, 72% say they drank liquor. Beer was a distant second, with 24% of teens indicating that was their alcoholic beverage of choice. Twelve ounces of beer, five ounces of wine and one ounce of 80-proof hard liquor have approximately the same alcohol content. The study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine also notes that teens who liked liquor best were also more likely to report having been in a physical fight and to report carrying a weapon, among other risky behaviors. The Cabot data is derived from the 2009 VT Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 8th through 12th-graders.

Alcoholism. All In The Family?

We know alcoholism runs in families -- children with alcoholic parents have quadruple the risk of developing a drinking problem later in life than those without -- but is the link genetic or the result of other influences? Research from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism provides compelling evidence that alcoholism has roots in nature versus nurture. For instance, boys born to alcoholic fathers are nine times more likely to develop a drinking problem. Children with an alcoholic birth parent who are adopted in infancy have almost the same risk for alcoholism as they would have had they been raised by that parent. Not everyone with an alcoholic parent or a genetic variation associated with alcoholism becomes an alcoholic. People with a family history of alcoholism can choose to not drink.

Part of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 7 onward.

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Roz’s Musings from Asia

By Roz Vara

Roz Vara has been traveling in Asia since last November. Below are a couple of excerpts from her travel blog. To read these blog entries in their entirety, and several other of Roz’s Asian experiences, visit www.rozvara.blogspot.com From “Farewell for Now”

As of now, I have no solid plans. I learned HaU_\bTU my travels] in India and Nepal that plans never really work out the way you expect them to -- and they often make you miss out on other opportunities. Thus, I am going the plan -less route. All I really know for sure is that I will meet my friends Jade and Kade in Phnom Penh on Friday morning. In addition to Cambodia, we hope to go to Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos – and as always I’m making a plug for Nepal.

From “Greetings from Thailand”

We crossed into Thailand after a spectacular month in Laos about a week ago. We spent all of our time in the northern part of the country, beginning in the capital city of Vientiane, right on the Thai border. We took an epic 24 hour bus ride from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Vientiane – Jade and I literally got the last two seats on the bus and everyone was how few motorbikes there were and how many cars there were. We saw families driving in cars, rather than on motorbikes, as in Vietnam, and to a lesser degree Cambodia. In addition, while everyone in Vietnam honks their horns every five seconds, in Laos no one honks their horns. Ever. What a breath of fresh air.

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FROM THE CABOT PUBLIC LIBRARY

By Kathleen Hoyne and Anne Walker

Programs Lifting the Yoke by Ron Krupp Tuesday, April 5, 6:30 p.m.

Ron Krupp has been involved with local farm and food issues in Vermont for 39 years and does regular farm and garden commentaries on Vermont Public Radio. In his latest book, Lifting the Yoke: Local Solutions to America’s Farm and Food Crisis, Krupp focuses on Vermont as a model of sustainability and all its challenges. Topics will include the globalization of food and farming, the battle of the bulge, and sustainable markets and regional solutions.

Basic Bike Maintenance

with Jon Vara Saturday, April 30, 10:00 a.m.

Get your bike ready to ride this year! Bring your bike (and questions) for cleaning, lubricating, inspecting, and evaluating. This workshop will be held at the Masonic Hall Parking Lot.

Yoga & Wellness Classes Tuesdays 6-7:30 p.m., April 5, 12, 19, & 26 with Alicia Feltus, by donation. To register or for more information, contact Alicia at 802-563-3220/ [email protected] Knit – Crochet Group Sunday, April 17, 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.

New! Dungeons and Dragons Club

Come and create a character to battle monsters, use magic and have a lot of fun!

Game Club - Wednesdays, 3-4:00 p.m., Ongoing - Fridays, 3-5:30 p.m.

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.

Thank You!

A huge thank you to Niall and Jeannie McCallum for welcoming folks into their home and for donating and presenting five delicious Italian wines as a fundraising event for the library. Also, many thanks to Erica Burke for making scrumptious Irish soda bread for our March program, entitled The Irish “Wave” in the Green Mountains by Vincent Feeney.

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].

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OUR PETS New Thoughts on Heartworm Prevention

By Andrea Gilbert, D.V.M.

Heartworm disease is the most serious parasitic disease affecting dogs in North America. The heartworm’s official name is Dirofilaria immitis. It is a white worm that is about 1 foot long. The larvae enter through the skin from a mosquito bite, mature one stage in the tissues under the skin, and then migrate into the bloodstream and reside as adults in the heart. Heartworm infection in dogs causes severe heart and lung disease, which makes them sick and then results in death. There are about 250,000 cases of heartworm reported annually. However, the number of cases is assumed to be much higher, since many cases are not diagnosed or treated. The good news is the prevention is very effective. But an emerging issue is that some of the worms are not as sensitive to the medicine. And if there is a delay of longer than 30 days from time of exposure to time of giving the preventative, the medicine is much less effective. The current recommendation is to give the prevention year round and at the same time every month. You have the best chance of killing the parasite in its most vulnerable stage. It is impossible to be 100% accurate timing your medication with mosquito season. And an added bonus is that the preventatives also deworm for a number of common intestinal parasites. There are a number of heartworm preventatives on the market today. Talk to your veterinarian about the pros and cons of each one, and then decide which one is right for you and your pet. While treatment for heartworm disease exists, it is expensive and painful. Dogs are sedated prior to giving the medicine, as it hurts so much. Preventing this disease is the best way to go.

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Morin Horseshoeing

Cabot welcomes Morin’s Horseshoeing. Tom Morin and his family have recently moved to East Cabot, after months of trying to find a home central to Tom’s customers, which span northern Vermont and New Hampshire. Tom Morin apprenticed with Bruce Matthews, former President of the Vermont Farrier’s Association, and he is a graduate of Butler Professional Farrier School in Nebraska. He is skilled in all aspects of Farriery, serving all breeds and specializing in Draft horses. Although Tom serves New England, he has several Cabot customers, who are thrilled to have him close by. Tom Morin comes highly recommended by his Cabot clientele. To contact Tom call ( 6 0 3 ) 9 8 6 - 0 3 5 9 oremail : [email protected]

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FRIENDS OF CABOT LIBRARY NEWS

By Friends of the Cabot Library Team

We’re now in the home stretch to Spring (even if it doesn’t seem it, some days), so the Friends have set about planning the next event – the annual 4th of July Book Sale. Anyone wishing to donate their fairly recent novels, do-it -yourself, or children’s books, movie DVDs or music CDs in good condition, for our event – please contact the library or email us, and one of our members will call on you to set a time to review and pick up the items. Your contributions help make this a much anticipated event by visitors every year, so please help make it a success once again. Also, if you’d like to donate your time as an occasional volunteer or become a member, just let us know – we certainly can use more help! Reporting on the Friends’ last event

– our 3rd Annual SOUPFEST – we’d like to say it was our best and biggest event ever! An unprecedented 12 soups were featured by our group (with a little help from a few kind Cabot volunteers), and every taste and diet was accommodated – including vegan and gluten-free! They were all so wonderful that many customers had a tough time choosing. Some even came back for seconds! If you missed it, then please make a note for February on next year’s calendar – I’m sure you won’t want to miss out on this great feast again! We wish to thank everyone who stopped by and took advantage of the great soups and snacks available, as well as the extra Cabot cooks who donated their wonderful soups to our event. Also, we give a big “shout out” to one of our long-time members, Janet Westervelt, who played a grown up “Girl Scout” at work, generating 20+ soup sales all by herself! Way to go, Janet! If you would like to become a Friend, have books to review for donation, have event ideas, or simply have questions, please email us at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!

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Practice Limited To Horses

Our website is being updated. Submit suggestions, questions, classifieds to: [email protected] Even though our house is for sale, we will be staying in the area and continuing business as usual, including yearly vaccinations, dentistry, health, purchase, and lameness exams, reproductive services, Coggins testing, emergency coverage, etc.

• Routine health care/dentistry

• Lameness evaluations

• Reproductive services

• Purchase exams

• Educational programs

• Radiology

• Ultrasound

• Endoscopy

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$25 each 50 varieties. Heritage varieties. Cold-hardy. Certified Organic

Browse our on line catalog to find the best variety for your family’s needs and tastes.

If buying local & supporting family farms is important to you,

you can be assured that our trees are grown on our farm in Walden, VT, not shipped in from other states.

To reserve your trees, you must mail, phone or email your order before April 30.

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From page 9

TWIN VALLEY SENIORS CELEBRATE NATIONAL VOLUNTEER MONTH AND NEW SPACE By Stacey Sharp

Twin Valley Senior Center has been growing by leaps and bounds these past two years. We serve growing numbers of seniors in our nutritious meals programs, deliver more and more Meals on Wheels, run ongoing programs of exercise, bingo, nature, health, finances, and entertainment, and provide assistance to our seniors with issues they may be facing. We have been able to achieve this only because of the valued help of our dedicated volunteers and active volunteer Board of Directors. On behalf of the elderly that are home bound and the elderly that come to our center, we want each and every one of our volunteers to know how outstanding and remarkable you are for giving your time to touch so many lives. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities available for community members who have a free moment to help, from fund raising to preparing or delivering meals, providing an hour of song or your art to reading your poems, publicity, to simply enjoying and talking with our seniors, everyone is welcome!! Whatever your interest is, we can find a way to have you be a valuable asset, whether it’s for a one-time program or as an ongoing member of our Center. Our goal is that no senior in our six towns will go hungry or be lonely – and you can help! April 2 is the day! Twin Valley is readying new dining and activity space right here in Marshfield. There’ll be more seating space, a puzzle table, picture albums of the Center through the years, a TV for movies, plenty of room for our guest programs, room for cards and games, a comfy reading chair, and so much more. The room is bright and sunny, and we’ll be able to move about freely. If you haven’t wanted to come to the Center because it was simply too crowded, now’s your chance to take a second look. There’s plenty of room for everyone and everyone is invited. Winter’s coming to a close, time to head on over and see all that we do.

Two of seven lambs born at Deb Bothfeld’s this spring season. Her sheep are a breed called, Jacob Sheep, which are smaller, piebald (black and white spotted) and unusual in that they will grow four to six horns from their heads (four is most common). Top left is Teddy (born on President’s Day and so named). The other is Lucia. Both have striking Caribbean blue eyes.

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The Christian Holy Week Explained

By Pastor Laura Cadmus, United Church of Cabot

The celebration of Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent in the Christian calendar, a season of contemplation and preparation lasting 40 days, ending with Easter Sunday. Holy Week is the final week of Lent immediately preceded by Palm Sunday and culminating in jubilant celebration of the risen Christ on Easter. Through the worship, ritual and prayer of Holy Week, Christians participate annually in the active remembrance of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. On Palm (or Passion) Sunday, Christians remember and reenact Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, in which he is received by jubilant crowds as the great king that will save them from Roman oppression, persecution and poverty. While this is ultimately true, the cheering crowds that throw palms of welcome in his path become disillusioned and angry when he is arrested and they discover he is not the great and powerful political saving king they expected. The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is fraught with irony, as he is indeed the saving king but not at all in the manner they expect; Jesus saves through self-giving love of God, rather than the political and military might of the world. Maundy Thursday is the day in which Christians remember the Last Supper, the Passover Seder meal that Jesus shared with his disciples, and the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. The word “Maundy” is derived from the Latin word for “mandate” or “command.” The command Jesus gave to the disciples at the Last Supper was that they should love and serve one another, which he exemplifies in washing the feet of disciples before the meal. During this meal, Jesus took the bread and wine, blessed them and told his disciples, take and eat, take and drink, this is my body and my blood, do this in remembrance of me, instituting the ritual of Communion. Christians remember the ministry, love, suffering, sacrifice and future return of Christ through the reenactment of this meal during the service of Holy Communion. The service of Good Friday is a somber service in remembrance of the arrest, trial, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus. It is a service of contemplation and examination of the darkness of betrayal and violence which crushes our hope and gives us a feeling of estrangement from God, ourselves and one another at the same time as we hold out hope beyond hope for the promises of renewed life. It is a day in which the tensions of belief and doubt, hope and disillusionment are held together in faith that Easter will dawn and the promise of a risen Christ will be fulfilled. Holy Saturday is the day in which Jesus rested during the Jewish Sabbath day in the tomb. An Easter Vigil is often held through the day and night of Holy Saturday in remembrance of the hope for the promise of Jesus’ resurrection even in the midst of grief. The vigil concludes with the Good News of Christ’s resurrection, celebrated in a sunrise service on Easter morning. Easter is the most holy day of the Christian calendar, and is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Good News of redemption, hope and new life. In the joyous celebration of the Risen Christ, Christians celebrate the promise of salvation: the healing of our brokenness so that we realize our wholeness in communion with God and one another through Christ.

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Twin Valley especially wants to thank the following volunteers

Brien & Jeanne Ducharme, Dick & Carla Payne, Tom & Jackie DiMatteo, Tink & Joyce Copping, Jules & Helen Rabin, Frank Lyford, Gwendolyn Douse, Ira Wheeler, Ricki Duke, Joyce Fowler, Judy Carpenter, Kass Phillips, Nancy Clay, Sandy Copeland, Shirley Boardman, Stacey Sharp, Gina Mazer, Roger Huntington, Dwight Baker, Judy Fowler, Earthwalk, and The Maple Hill Community School students. We also want to thank all of the wonderful community members who have brought music, poetry, history, financial programs, health programs, and a slew of other programs to our Center over this past year. Our Board of Directors at TVSC are also volunteers and we want to say a heartfelt "Thank you" to them for their work in overseeing the administrative staff and giving guidance to direct our center. The Board of Directors are Michael Caccavo, Wanda Berte, Karen Taylor, Tori Hodgkins, Fred Ducharme, Christina Byrom, Joyce Fowler, James Jamele, Dick Payne and Mervin Spooner. If we’ve missed a person, please know that it’s just a ‘senior moment’ and not because we don’t appreciate you

Part of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 9 onward.

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Paddle Through the Heart of Vermont on the Winooski River Sojourn

Montpelier, VT - Friends of the Winooski River is hosting the 4th Annual Winooski River Sojourn June 21-26, 2011. This six-day paddling trip down the Winooski River draws participants from across the Northeast to canoe or kayak through Lake Champlain’s largest tributary watershed. The trip begins in Marshfield, just downstream from the Cabot Headwaters and ends at the mouth of Lake Champlain in Burlington. Each day participants experience new aspects of the river from narrow, winding channels on day one to wide, flat gentle flows on day six, along with breathtaking views. The Sojourn is a guided river tour led by kayak and canoe instructors, as well as an expert Vermont naturalist. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the birds, mammals, fish and plants of the Winooski, as well as the geologic history of the watershed, during daily presentations. In addition to natural history, paddlers will also get to experience some of the great food offerings of Central and Northern Vermont, including Red Hen Bakery, the Cider House and On the Rise Bakery, as well as Cabot Cheese. At 90 miles in length, the Winooski River flows from Cabot to Lake Champlain, traversing a wide variety of landscapes, including agricultural land, forested areas and some of Vermont’s largest urban centers. It passes through three spectacular gorges, including the Middlesex Gorge, the Lime Kiln Gorge and the Essex Dam Gorge - the former and latter are present day hydro power generation sites. The Winooski River Sojourn offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore one of Vermont’s most important rivers. Participants can choose to paddle for a single day or all six days. Food, camping and transportation are included for multi-day paddlers. Food and morning transportation is included for single day paddlers. Single days start at $55/person except Sunday, which is $30/person. The six day trip is $330/person. To learn more visit our website http://www.winooskiriver.org/Sojourn

Friends of the Winooski River is a nonprofit dedicated to the restoration and protection of the Winooski River and it’s tributaries. We work throughout the 1,080 square mile watershed to protect habitat, stabilize stream banks and improve water quality. We are also committed to providing people with access and opportunities to enjoy the river. To learn more about our work visit http://www.winooskiriver.org goes out to Coaches Brian Hale, Brett Bellavance, David Hale and Beth Herrick, as well as ALL the support staff that assisted, ran the clock, did the books and officiated the games. Little league and spring soccer signups are underway, and we are looking forward to a fun and busy spring sports season.

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Recreation Department Update

By Libby Hale Wow! April already. Over the winter, we had four groups learning more about basketball. 3rd thru 6th grades had three competitive teams who did well in their seasons. At the time of this printing, the 5-6 boys are still going in the St. Johnsbury Rotary Tournament. Great job, guys!! A huge THANK YOU!

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Cabot Cub Scouts Donate $300

By Rita Durgin Cabot Cub Scouts Pack 746 entered the drill hall in Lyndonville as the soldiers of C Troop, 1/172 CAV (MTN) IBCT stood in formation. The Scouts carried their Pack flag and the U.S. flag, then invited the soldiers to join them in the Pledge of Allegiance. They proceeded to thank the soldiers for their service and presented a check for $300. There was a yellow ribbon cake to share afterwards. This is the message the boys read to the troops:

C Troop (Charlie Troop), 1/172 CAV (MTN) IBCT - Lyndonville, VT . Cabot Scouts left to right: Daniel Durgin, Enoch Schumaucher, Hunter Lubas, John Schumaucher, Matthew Durgin and Robert Nally. Adults left to right: Kristine Pittman (representing the Family Readiness Program), SSG Christopher Haggett, SGT Wayne Pittman, CPT Lehenman and SPC Matthew Kaye, with two Pittman infants.

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From page 10

Welcome Home Charlie Troop!!! We are the Cabot Cub Scouts – Pack #746. During your recent deployment, we showed our support by making & selling Christmas Wreaths to raise money. The way we decided to spend part of our money was to help our soldiers. A portion of the money we raised was used for postage on items that we collected by donation to ship overseas to Afghanistan. We also have a donation of $300 for your Family Readyness Group to help throw an awesome summer party for your unit. We are very proud of our soldiers and want to thank you for serving our country.

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Spring, Freshening

By Cecile Johnston Just something light, for today This morning made featherweight Sun glinting on frosted blades of grass Rosehips leftover from fall, red almost black glistening Sparkling in the early. Rivers opening, now the water Quickens like eager youth, Letting go the ice sheath that kept them still, Pawprints in the snow at water’s edge Secret runner at night at home in your den. Breathe, waken, fresh cold earth smell Frost and earth and first bird All stretching, opening, crackling and moaning. Shoots yearning to burst forth waiting underground Limbs of trees, limbs of me, craving the longed-for Spring.

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The Isn’t Winter Over Yet Blues

By Cecile Johnston (who would get a huge kick out of it if someone would put this to music!)

It's the 24th of April, there's a foot of snow on the ground, I got the "isn't winter over yet?" blues. I just packed up my skiis, I want my garden in the ground, I got the "isn't winter over yet?" blues. Well, my baby's gone and my bed is cold, my feet are froze and the snow is old, I got the "isn't winter over yet?" blues.

My pipes froze in December and my wood ran out last month I got the "isn't winter over yet?" blues. The TV's on the fritz and the car is out to lunch I got the "isn't winter over yet?" blues. Well I oughta just go back to bed, but I went and wrote this song instead.... Cuz I got the "isn't winter over yet?" blues

Part of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 10 onward.

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TLC News

By Lindsey Scott TLC, Cabot’s after school program, is in full swing five days a week, providing a safe and enriching environment for kids needing after school care, while also helping kids to gain life skills and self respect and having fun beyond school. Our TLC community has grown and settled nicely into the routine of our little space in the corner of the café. And with growing comes pains of fighting off cabin fever, braving the elements each day so we can get outside, and waiting patiently, sometimes sweating, while our friends dress layer by layer for the snow-covered playground. To sum it up, TLC has been fabulous, and we are excited to continue learning, exploring, sledding, painting, dancing, playing and, of course, growing. We would like to thank and acknowledge some of our community members and families that helped us along the way. Suzy Remington, disguised as a Pilgrim, taught our children about the first Thanksgiving between Natives and Settlers. We loved having Suzy as a special guest. Peggy Gravel has visited us more than once. In December, she taught us how to spin colors into glass Christmas ornaments, resulting in beautiful bulbs with a tie-dyed effect. In January, Peggy returned with an assortment of plaster molds that the kids chose and painted. Peggy is a true artist and gracious in helping. TLC sends Peggy huge thanks! And Judy Pransky graciously donated bookshelves and small furnishings for TLC. Kids are now able to access games, books and a comfy space, which they take advantage of after homework time, participating in long matches over chess boards, Uno cards and mancala. Thanks Judy! Any student in 1st-5th grade is welcome to TLC one to five days a week. We meet after school in the cafeteria, have outdoor free play, a snack and an hour of enrichment activities, followed by homework time and quiet games. Pick up time is 5:30 p.m. Interested parties should contact TLC staff at 802-563-2289 Ext 233 or email [email protected]. We are also excited to announce middle and high school students can participate in TLC. Activities like juggling, theater arts, claymation, and chess tournaments will be offered by Ellis Jacobson Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays! TLC mission’s is to provide safe, educational, healthy and nurturing after school activities for the students of Cabot School. Our goals are academic achievement, social/emotional development and physical activity. See you after school!

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Garden of Whirligigs

By Julia Shipley Yellow leaves flecked across rock the butter color flaking through the green shows now; sun hunts the sky’s far side.

A real duck squawks above my garden of whirligigs where everyone goes nowhere but spends wind trying: Humorous Canada goose unwinding furious wings, futile—

I took my spackling knife and scraped the wings of living moths out of wet paint. In spring I’ll find the road pocked where rocks fit, little caves, their stones all rolled aside.

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C ABOT M APLEFEST

Joanna and John Christman flip pancakes Gage Hale kinda likes Maple Cotton Candy Mary Ann Tormey of Farm to School Old-fashioned Sugar-on-Snow Belgians Duke (left) and Ted Above: Pyramid Black Belt Academy Tae Kwon Do demonstration. Below: Taste of maple goods Tech Students assemble new signs in time for Maple Fest Aaron Bushey, Ravensong Forge Amy Hornblas of Farm to School Kitty Toll and her mother, Catherine Beattie, choose from several local syrups for their pancakes.

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The Sugarhouse Gang - Tapper’s Delight

(Inspired by the Sugarhill Gang - Rappers Delight. Sing it with a beat!)

It’s the end of February and we’re out in the woods Among the sugar maples and we’re feeling good ‘cuz the days are getting longer and the nights are freezing cold and the sap is gonna run and so we’re drilling holes

I say M.A.P.L.E S.Y.R.U.P, I say M.A.P.L.E S.Y.R.U.P

On some trees we’re hanging buckets and on some we’re running line If the weather holds with luck we’ll be boiling it tonight Forty gallons worth of sap to your one of fancy light, But it’s the Grade B Amber that’s the Tapper’s Delight

I say M.A.P.L.E S.Y.R.U.P, I say M.A.P.L.E S.Y.R.U.P

Well some people come on sleds and some people come on skiis When we have our sugar party two hundred thirty four degrees Is what it takes for syrup to reach the soft ball stage Better get your pickles ready - Sugar-on-snow today!

(mouths stuck together) Mmph! MmMmMmMmph! MmMmMmMmMmph!

It’s a party at the sugarhouse - it happens once a year To all our sugarmakers we’re shouting out a cheer Have your pickles ready and raise your donuts high And come down to the sugarhouse before the sap runs dry!

I say M.A.P.L.E S.Y.R.U.P, I say M.A.P.L.E S.Y.R.U.P etc

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

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Greetings From France

By Molly Pitkin I’m currently spending the year abroad in France as an Au Pair, and loving every second of it! An Au Pair usually is a girl or young woman between the ages of 18-30 who travels abroad to live with a family for a year, taking care of their children while hoping to gain a sense of culture (and/or language) of the place she visits. I’ve learned that most Au Pairs seek employment and families through online websites and agencies, but I was lucky enough to find my family through my French aunt. Having just finished a year working as a paraeducator outside Boston, I knew I still wanted to work with children, but the travel bug bit me yet again, and when I heard there was a family looking for someone to come for the year, I knew right away I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I am living in a tiny town (that can’t often be found on a map!) just across the border from Geneva, Switzerland. The family I live with is amazing! The mother is an optician who has her own shop in Geneva, and the father is a web designer who works from home. The kids are 3 and 5, a girl named Mya and a boy named Gabriel, respectively. I’ve learned through my own fortunate experience, as well as, sadly, the unfortunate experiences of others here, that the family you live with truly makes all the difference. For the “Au Pair Visa,” I’m required to take French language classes, which have been an amazingly helpful experience. I go twice a week while the children are in school (yes, even the 3 year old!) and have met most, if not all, of my friends through my classes. There is actually a really great network of Au Pairs here from all over the world, so while isolation was something I was slightly worried about at the beginning, it has never been a problem. On weekends, we mostly take the 15-minute bus ride into Geneva for some exploring. The only downside is that you have to prepare in advance for lunch, because Geneva is an incredibly expensive city! For a meal of a sandwich, drink and a desert, you can’t really spend less than 30 dollars! The wonderful thing about Europe is that everything is so (relatively) close together. I’ve been able to travel to Ireland, Paris, Geneva, and countless other small towns in Switzerland and France. Coming up, I have some weekend trips planned for Madrid and Milan for roughly 60 dollars round trip each! I’ve been back to Paris twice, now, since I went in high school, and each time I am thoroughly amazed at the amount of things to do and see there. Each time I also feel incredibly thankful for my Cabot French trip experience and scratch my head wondering just how we were able to see so many incredible things in such a short amount of time. The food! I’ve just returned from a week of vacation with the family in the French Alps, where we skied every day, even the little guys! My favorite parts of it all, however, were the wonderfully cozy mountain meals that we had after. I can pretty much sum it up with one small word; CHEESE! I won’t get into it too much, but I’ll start by (not including help wanted or employment classifieds).

Molly Pitkin is working as an au pair and living in an alpine hamlet in eastern France, called Pregnin. It is situated 1.6 miles from the Swiss border, and 6.5 miles from downtown Geneva. saying that France produces over 365 cheeses and each is specific to a town or region. Mont D’or, which is a delicious soft cheese in a wooden box in which you mix with some white wine and put in the oven to melt and crackle. When it’s ready, you can spoon it out onto your plate of potatoes and ham or sausage. And, of course, fondue! It’s a good thing for my health that we only stayed for a week. My family here eats a very interesting variety of things, from homemade pureed soups to Thai food, steaks and barbeque to traditional French dishes. They also subscribe to a farm share, so we have fresh vegetables (and homemade wine!) weekly. Anyway, that’s just a tiny sample of my life here thus far. I will stay until the end of July and then travel around Europe until the middle of August. If there’s one thing I miss (besides family and friends, of course) here, it’s been snow! I’m sure many of you are excited to finally be seeing the beginning of the end of it, but besides a week at Christmas and a week staying in the mountains, we haven’t had snow here at all! I would also just like to take a second if possible to recognize the wonderful Cam O’Brien and Cabot Schools French program. If it weren’t for my positive experiences in high school I’m not sure I would be in France today. While I was convinced before I left that I had lost all of the French I learned 5 years ago it’s quite amazing how quickly it all comes back. Anyway, I would just like to express my gratitude for all your help Mrs. O’Brien and also to the community for Cabot for helping to finance the wonderful trip year after year! À bientôt!

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BED & BREAKFASTS RIVENDELL Bed & Breakfast

“Magical rooms, culinary wizardry!”

A woodland Bed & Breakfast in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom,

offering dinner upon request Newark, VT (802)467-1121 for information and reservations. Visit Us at www.myrivendell.net

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