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 July 2012 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
- Cabot Confidential: The Cabot Historical Society — 639 words
- Vermont’s Major Role in Our Independence — 591 words
- Letterboxing in the Green Mountains: Join a Century Old Treasure Hunt! — 622 words
- Black-flies, Hiccups, and “Tedding The Dew Off” — 371 words
- Cabot School Board Forum Minutes — 272 words
- School Choice in Vermont — 774 words
- Cabot School Board Meeting Minutes — 506 words
- A is for the Abbott’s bovine winner, Anita, — 63 words
- F is for a fundraising idea: in 1925 a cov — 32 words
- Change to the Governance of Vermont's Educational System — 327 words
- Summer Food Service Program For Cabot Children — 238 words
- OBITUARIES & MEMORIALS — 1339 words
- Untitled item — Richard N. "Dick" Pape, 74, of East Calais,… — 389 words
- HARRY FOSTER — 50 words
- Notice To Taxpayers — 211 words
- Green Mountain Club Elects New President — 474 words
- What Zone Are We? — 214 words
- Our Pets - Insect Bites — 283 words
- Cabot Corridor Revitalization Committee Contractor Selected for Scoping Study — 174 words
- Cabot Recreation Department — 282 words
- TWIN VALLEY SENIOR CENTER — 569 words
- Cabot Worx: What Are We Up To? — 579 words
- Vermont Council On Rural Development Community Visit Program - Cabot Was Selected! — 284 words
- Commentary: Do You Know What the No. 1 Littered Item is on Roads and Beaches? — 386 words
- FROM THE CABOT PUBLIC LIBRARY — 824 words
- A Public Dialogue About Belief One Essay At A Time — 642 words
- ο HOURS • Tuesday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. **Story Hour 10:30-11:30 a.m.** — 152 words
- Advice From The Tree Warden — 348 words
- Johnathan Maxfield Named to Dean’s List at Saint Michael’s College — 75 words
- WANTED — 26 words
Cabot Confidential: The Cabot Historical Society
By Julia Shipley On a sultry June afternoon I met with three members of the Historical Society: Jane Brown, creator of the userfriendly Cabot Historical Society Website: http://www.cabothistory.com/and the driving force behind archiving and indexing Cabot history; Bonnie Dannenberg, the CHS President, who specializes in genealogy, and Joanne Luce, the CHS secretary, who says if this article doesn’t entice you to visit the Historical Society, well then it must mean you “ just aren't 'old' enough." But for anyone wondering just what’s going on inside that white clapboard house situated between the Cabot School and the Willey Building….here’s the scoop:
What is the Cabot Historical Society?
Jane Brown: We have two buildings, this one on Main Street and the West Hill School, mainly open in the summer or by appointment.
Bonnie Dannenberg: We like to collect photos, diaries, documents, objects for example, Maurice Morey’s old clock. We hope people with Cabot connections think of the Historical Society first, not Ebay. We’re collecting the history of Cabot
Jane Brown: We’ve got vital statistics, cemetery records, yearbooks, town reports. We have indexed albums of obituaries. We’re lucky, some towns don’t even have a historical society, for example, St. Johnsbury doesn’t have one.
What are some of the most precious things in your collection?
Jane Brown: We’ve got the Osgood Papers in three big albums and one legal sized album, comprised of postcards, bills of sale, tax inventory, school tax records, collections receipts—some of Cabot’s earliest documents, all dating from about 1796 to 1858. These documents have all been scanned, so we have digital copies as well. And “The Contact Papers,” which are a collection of mimeographed letters published by Reverend E. H. Nickerson and sent to about 100 Cabot service members in WWII. Issued from March 1943 until July 1946, they were typewritten and mimeographed and stapled, and had a kind of pep talk feel to them. They included letters received back from soldiers, jokes and light verse about folks missing each other, and it was a way of keeping in touch with the Cabot-born men and women scattered all over the globe.
Have you solved any mysteries lately? Jane Brown: One mystery we’d like to solve is: where did their photos go? At one point, Rev. Nickerson had photos of all the servicemen displayed in the Hardware Store window, and supposedly, after they were taken down they went to the Library, but nobody has found them. Bonnie Dannenberg: I solved one yesterday: the mystery of Peter Gray. My husband was reading about this man named Peter Gray from Cabot with a distinguished career who also was class valedictorian. He said to me, “You grew up here, so what was he like in high school?” I’d never heard of a Peter Gray. So first I began looking in the yearbooks. I remembered it said in the article that Peter got his PhD in 1972, so that meant he was in high school somewhere around 1965. Next, I sent out an email to some folks who might know, and they forwarded the message on. One of the recipients got back to me and told me he was called Peter G. Carlson back in 1962 and his mother was our eighth grade teacher. Solved! The other mystery that comes to mind relates to the voting booths. These hand-made voting booths with the pencil tied to the string, and curtains on a string were donated to the CHS when Cabot got new voting booths a few years back. I started to wonder, who built them? I asked around, but nobody remembered. Then I happened to pick up a 1941 town report to confirm the year my grandmother died, and there it was in the warning: H. A. Heath built them and was paid $21.50 for his services.
Raking….. See the Flying Farmer, page 2.
Vermont’s Major Role in Our Independence
By Senator Bill Doyle When we celebrate the Fourth of July this year, we should remember the contributions made by Vermonters in the fight for independence. In his “History of Vermont,” Walter Crockett made reference to Ethan Allen and the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. Crockett wrote, “The first surrender of a British fortress in the long struggle for American Independence was made to Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, and in the history of the military affairs of the United States, the capture of Ticonderoga hedged the list as the first important aggressive movement in the Revolutionary War.” Charles Jellison, in “Ethan Allen: Frontier Rebel,” wrote that Ticonderoga, “Must be considered a major military victory, for it drastically altered the power potential in the northern colonies and may very well have meant the difference between success and failure for the Revolutionary cause.” In the winter of 1775-76, George Washington, Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, found himself short of military equipment needed to drive the British out of Boston. Henry Knox, colonel of the artillery, suggested to Washington that captured military supplies from Crown Point and Ticonderoga could be transported to Boston. Washington, in a letter to Knox, wrote the following: “You're to immediately examine into the state of the artillery of this army, and take an account of the cannon, mortars, shells, lead and ammunition that are wanting. The want to them is so great that no trouble or expense must be spared to obtain.” In December of 1775, Knox removed heavy military equipment from Ticonderoga. He floated the supplies on Lake George, and then transported the equipment by land with 42 sleds and 81 yoke of oxen. When these supplies reached Boston in March 1776, the British decided to evacuate and Washington’s military strategy prevailed.
School Page: Classifieds:
The following excerpt was printed in Earle Newton’s “The Vermont Story”: “Fort Ticonderoga's immortal guns go to General George Washington ... in the winter of 1776 ... over hundreds of miles of roadless, trackless, snow-clad mountains and valleys, through thick forest, over ice-covered lakes and rivers … on sledges pulled by oxen … in the charge of General Knox and his artillery men in their red-trim regimentals, who deliver the guns at Dorchester Heights. There, roaring down at the enemy, they drive him out of Boston Town.” The next year, in 1777, Vermonters fought with valor at the Battle of Bennington. Edward Conant said that the battle led to the British surrender of Saratoga, often referred to as one of the decisive battles in the history of the world. Washington was impressed by the fighting qualities of Vermonters, and was of great assistance to our joining the Union. On January 15, 1777, Vermont declared its independence from Great Britain and New York. Vermont's Declaration, influenced by the American Declaration, stated that “we will, at all times, consider ourselves as a free and independent state and the people have an inherent right of ruling.” The Vermont Declaration went on to support the War of Independence. While Vermont fought to win American independence, Vermont was not admitted into the Union until 1791, 14 years later, to become the 14th state. The American Declaration of Independence proved a great example for Vermont to follow. When we celebrate the Fourth of July this year, we should remember the role of Vermonters in a Revolution that changed the course of history. Senator Bill Doyle serves on the Senate Education and Senate Economic Development Committees. He teaches government history at Johnson State College.
Letterboxing in the Green Mountains: Join a Century Old Treasure Hunt!
By Todd Jones, Looking for a summer adventure or an ongoing hobby for the whole family? Look no further than your own back yards. Were you aware that there is an ongoing treasure hunt that is all around you, it’s all over the world, it’s over one hundred years old, and best of all it is completely FREE!!!! In a nutshell, Letterboxing is an ongoing hobby that combines the skills of hiking, the thrill of treasure hunting, and the creative expression of arts and crafts. Letterboxes are found by following clues from either another letterboxer or through one of many online websites devoted to this growing hobby. When a letterbox is found, it contains a blank book and a rubber stamp (usually hand carved). The letterboxer (that’s you, now) has their own book and a personal rubber stamp they have created or purchased that means something to them. The letterboxer stamps the image from their own stamp in the book in the box and stamps the image from the box stamp in their own book. They then record the location, time and date of the find. Over time, the letterboxer collects quite a variety of unique and artistic stamps. Some stamps are store bought, but most are hand carved or custom made from unique art work. All anyone needs to begin letterboxing is a blank book (even a homemade one), an ink pad, a trailname (a letterboxer name you choose) and their own personal stamp. Stamps can be carved out of simple erasers and can be anything you want (just keep it clean, after all, this is a family oriented hobby). Once you have those things, you are ready to get started. Clues can be found from websites like www.letterboxing.org or www.atlasquest.com by simply entering the area you wish to find letterboxes.
These websites will provide a list of all the letterboxes within a 30 mile or more radius and links to the clues on how to find them. The origins of Letterboxing date back to 1854 in Dartmore, England, when a Victorian gentleman named James Perrott hid his calling card in a bottle. Little did he realize this simple act of early social networking would grow into a worldwide hobby involving literally millions of people from across the globe. Today, the Dartmoor National Park has several thousand letterboxes hidden there! As a result, Dartmoor is the Holy Grail for many American letterboxers. The very first letterbox in America was planted right here in Vermont. Soon after a 1998 article in Smithsonian Magazine, a Vermonter known as “VermontViking” planted the first American letterbox in the small town of Bristol, Vermont. This particular letterbox (known as “Prayer Rock” letterbox), has been maintained by several different letterboxers over the years. In 2007, the original “Prayer Rock” letterbox was lost due to a major flood that washed it away. However, it has been replaced and remains active to this day. Currently, it is estimated that there are more than 20,000 letterboxes in North America alone, and the number continues to grow almost daily. Letterboxes can be found in nearly every country in the world,
If you are interested in trying this addictive hobby, just check out one of the websites above. They are full of information to help new letterboxers get started. If you would rather talk to someone local, send an email to Todd Jones at [email protected]. If there is enough response, maybe we can start our own local group. Happy Hunting.
This is an example of a local letterboxers personal stamp. Maybe you can find one of his planted boxes This is an example of a typical letterbox containing a log book and a stamp carved out of an eraser as can letterboxers.
Black-flies, Hiccups, and “Tedding The Dew Off”
By Will Ameden We have been haying for 14 days straight! What is it about this year? We had practically no snow during the winter, and the cold was not even too bad. Sugaring was a bust, one fast, warm week and it was over! No black flies and no complaints – I wonder if Adamant had its Blackfly Festival? And now haying… I do not ever recall such a long stretch of good June haying weather (rain free days and nights with a nice little breeze blowing) in my 40 years of farming. While in the midst of the intense and very long days of the haying season, I find all distractions somewhat bothersome…having to go to the dentist, graduation ceremonies, a weeklong bout of hiccups (I am not kidding), a son’s 16th birthday, Fathers Day, even a fly-in pancake breakfast in Rutland. Seems like everything should just be put on hold for making hay. As a kid, I remember any plans that I or my siblings made, my dad seemed to always respond, “depends on haying”. With no distractions, the grass would be mowed in a timely fashion, tedding (an implement that spreads out and turns over the hay, putting the green side up or as some call it, “fluffing”) would be done early and often, fields would be raked and baled and hay would be stacked in the hay mow. Dad still uses that line today.
“tedding” one of the hay fields.
When I first moved to Cabot, I would get a ribbing from the local farmers for my “tedding the dew off” which Dad always said would hasten drying time up to three hours. His unscientific belief was that it breaks the surface tension of dew water droplets, which would then evaporate faster. Always made sense to me, so I would respond to those skeptical farmers that the only reason their fathers did not tell them to “ted the dew off” was because they did not have their morning chores done early enough! So, with close to 3,000 bales stacked in the hay mow, and just two more fields to mow, one more that is ready to bale, this crazy summer is working out just about right.
Cabot School Board Forum Minutes
Approved Monday, June 11, 2012 Present: School Board: Chris Tormey, Ry Hoffman, Sharon O’Connor and Paul Stecker. Administration: Karen Stewart, Principal and Nancy Thomas, Superintendent. Absent: Jackie Folsom. The meeting was called to order at 6:06 pm by Facilitator Judy Cyprian. Public Forum regarding Communication: There were approximately 40 faculty, students, parents and community members present to participate in this discussion. Karen and Nancy provided updates on project based learning and the process of updating job descriptions. Participants then selected one of five topics to be discussed at selected tables. After 25 minutes, participants could select a second topic in which to participate. People were asked to make a list of what was working, what needed improvement and suggestions on how to make those improvements on the following topics:
Enhancing Information Dissemination Developing Effective Feedback Loops Understanding Discipline and the Creation of a Safe Culture Developing Grade Level and Course Syllabi Fostering Opportunities for Student “Voice” and Dialogue Following the discussion, the lists were posted on the wall and each person was asked to identify the two areas they felt were a priority for the board to address. Chris informed the group that the top two topics would be discussed at the next board meeting and the community is welcome to attend. It is the board’s intention to have a plan, by the end of August, to address two areas within these topics. The remaining topics will continue to be discussed in the fall. The board indicated that these brainstormed lists would be available for review on the school website. The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Cynthia Epinette, Transcriber
School Choice in Vermont
By Brigitte M. Codling Webster’s Dictionary defines “School” as an organization that provides instruction and “Choice” as the power of choosing. When these two words are put together as School Choice, they tend to evoke a variety of thoughts and emotions. The concept of school choice has been around for a very long time. Before the mid-1800s, elementary and secondary education was based entirely on parental choice. However, time passed, local populations changed, the structure of schools changed, and ideas related to schooling changed along with them. By the early 1900’s, all public schools, including the one-room school houses, were regulated by state government. Parents have always had the right to home school their children, but not all parents can, are comfortable doing so, or even want to; but they do have that choice. "The fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments of this Union repose excludes any general power of the state to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the creature of the state." [Pierce v. Society of the Sisters, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling]. “America's founders did debate a bit as to whether or not to force children to attend schools, and they decided to leave such decisions to individual families and local and state governments. The words "education" and "school" appear in none of our founding documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights. Some of our most famous inventors, writers, and politicians were self-taught, learning through mentoring or apprenticeships, conversation and reading, and this route to adulthood continues today” [Plent, 1999 & Gordon, 1990] Currently, there are two versions of School Choice in Vermont; Regional High School Choice and Statewide High School Choice. Regional High School Choice is a statewide network of high schools that have been organized into regions by geography. Schools can choose to either participate in Regional School Choice, or file for an exception asking to be excluded. If a school chooses to participate, they also choose how many of their students can apply to enroll in another high school, as well as how many students from another high school will be accepted to their high school. Currently, Cabot High School participates in Regional School Choice as a member of the Winooski Valley Region Public School Choice Collaborative. Cabot has chosen to allow five (5) students to leave and five (5) students to come to Cabot School, which can be no less then 5% and no more than 10% of the resident student body per State Statute. Over the past four years there has been an increase in the number of students applying to leave Cabot High School: 2009/2010 - 0 students left; 2010/2011 - 3 students left; 2011/2012 - 3 students left; and in 2012 - 8 have applied to leave for the 2012/2013 school year. When more than five (5) Cabot students apply, such as in 2012, there is a lottery held and the first five (5) students drawn are able to attend another high school within the region; the remaining students are not able to leave under the Regional High School Choice program. Regional High School Choice has no tuition requirement, unless the sending school and the receiving school agree to a different arrangement, or if special education costs apply. Special Education costs are paid by the sending school. Statewide High School Choice is a system employed by those towns that do not have their own high school or towns that choose to close their high school. Students are either tuitioned out to the high school of the town’s choice (this is called a Designated School) or the high school of the parents choice. With Statewide High School Choice there is no application process and no lottery is held. For the 2010/2011 school year, the State’s average allowable tuition per pupil was $12,584. Here in Cabot, the tuition per resident student attending Cabot School was $15,746. [http://education.vermont.gov/documents/EDU Data_2011_Allowable_Tuition_Secondar y_Grades.pdf] The concept of School Choice is growing here in Vermont. On May 3, 2012, the Senate passed H.771, “a bill that modesty expanded public high school choice in Vermont” [http://schoolchoicevermont.com]. In short, this bill removes the geographic boundaries of school choice regions and broadens enrollment rules for those parents looking to send their child(ren) to an alternate high school. [http://leg.state.vt.us/docs/2012/journal/SJ120502.pdf] Beyond “Regional” High School Choice, there are also efforts to make Statewide High School Choice available to all Vermont students, whether they live in a town with a local high school or not --- more to come on that in the August issue of the Cabot Chronicle.
Cabot School Board Meeting Minutes
Approved Monday, June 4, 2012 Present: School Board: Chris Tormey, Ry Hoffman, Sharon O’Connor, Paul Stecker and Jackie Folsom. Administration: Pat Johnson, Curriculum, Assessment and Professional Development Coordinator, Karen Stewart, Principal and Nancy Thomas, Superintendent. Absent: The meeting was called to order at 6:07 pm. Public Comment: Lisa Olsen expressed appreciation for how well the June Term is going. Consent Agenda: Paul made a motion, seconded by Sharon to approve the consent agenda. The motion carried with a vote of 3-0-1. Approve May 21, 2012 minutes. Reports: Superintendent’s Report: Data Collection: Nancy informed the board that the data collection reporting, grades, course description, student/teacher information, required by the federal government has been started. The PowerSchool program has helped save a lot of time.
Moisture Concerns: There was a concern about a moisture problem in one of the satellite buildings. Vermont School Board Insurance Trust (VSBIT) was notified and an outside organization came in to evaluate the concern. They did not find a problem but suggested a thorough cleaning of the buildings and removing the carpets. An air quality test will be performed, in the future, as well. Principal’s Report: see attached. Community Meeting Planning: Karen Alexander, spokesperson for a group of concerned people, distributed a list of seven areas that were suggested as points of focus for the June 11th meeting, a) community communication, b) school transformation, c) administrative/personnel responsibilities, d) constructive feedback, e) incident documentation, f) class expectations and g) student voice. Board Discussion: Volunteer Procedures: Nancy distributed a copy of the potential volunteer disqualifiers. She requested guidance from the board on refining disqualifiers versus potential disqualify- ers. The board decided all volunteers will complete the child and adult abuse registry check, Vermont Internet Sex Offender Registry check and the Vermont Conviction check. Volunteers needed to transport students, or accompany students on overnight trips, are required to complete the criminal record check process as well. Only the Human Resources Administrator and Superintendent will have access to the criminal record check results. End of the Year Survey: Pat Johnson distributed a copy of sample surveys compiled from multiple sources, for the board’s review. The board would like the surveys for seniors to be distributed before graduation. The survey for community members will be distributed at town meeting, parent surveys will be mailed and teacher surveys will be distributed before the end of school. Pat also distributed the results for the FY11Youth and Adults Transforming Schools Together (YATST) survey for the board’s review. Summer Food Program: Cabot School will sponsor Hunger Free Vermont Summer Meals beginning July 9, 2012, four days a week. Hunger Free Vermont is a program that is available to Cabot and Twinfield residents who are 18 years and younger. The program will make lunches available four days each week for six weeks. Adults may purchase lunches for $4 per meal. The board went into executive session at 8:46 pm to discuss a personnel matter. Executive session was concluded at 9:15 pm. The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Cynthia Epinette Transcriber
A is for the Abbott’s bovine winner, Anita,
…the 20,000# (output of milk, not live weight) Hall of Fame Cow commemorated in an embroidered panel ing and Heating Business based out of the building that is now the Cabot Historical Society dle cut short the horns of cattle those worn by Hubert Wheeler and Bertha Pike in 1900. It’s also for West Hill School, the other museum operated by the CHS
The beginning of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 3.
F is for a fundraising idea: in 1925 a cov
…erlet embroidered with Cabot family names was created to raise money for Coolidge’s presidential campaign Store Grocery and Meats winnowed grain, and here is his winnower memorabilia (They built the Willey Building)
Part of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 3 onward.
Change to the Governance of Vermont's Educational System
By Representative Kitty Toll Vermont spends approximately $1.5 billion annually on the education of our youth. In May, the Governor signed into law H.440, an act relating to the creation of an agency of education and secretary of education. This is a major change to the governance of the state’s educational system. This act establishes that the Commissioner of Education will become a cabinet level position and replaces the Department of Education with an Agency of Education. The Agency will be under the oversight of the newly established Secretary. Relative to our investment, Vermont has successful outcomes compared to other states. The intention of this change is that the Secretary of Education, within the governor’s cabinet, will develop and convey a unified vision of our educational system and improve outcomes that will ultimately improve the quality of education in our state.
This legislation gives the Governor the authority to select the Secretary from a pool of at least three candidates proposed by the State Board of Education. Candidates must have expertise in education management and policy and demonstrated leadership abilities. The Secretary will assume all the powers and responsibilities of the Commissioner of Education as of January 1; the Commissioner will continue to serve until a Secretary is appointed. The Secretary is required to prepare a budget for the agency and submit it to the Governor after review by the state board. By September of each year, the Secretary must present the administration’s educational proposals to the Board for consideration. For complete information of all bills and actions, visit the State of Vermont website at www.leg.state.vt.us or contact me at [email protected] or by phone at 684-3671 or 563-2627. I want to thank the voters of Cabot, Danville and Peacham for giving me the opportunity to represent our communities in Montpelier. It is an honor to serve as your State Legislator. I look forward to seeing you over the summer as we prepare for a new legislative session.
Summer Food Service Program For Cabot Children
Cabot School is participating in the Summer Food Service for Children. Funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, the program is designed to ensure that children who rely on free or reduced price meals during the school year continue to have adequate nutrition throughout the summer. Meals will be provided to all children without charge and are the same for all children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. Meals are available to all children 18 years of age or younger. While more than fifty percent of children in Cabot school qualify for free lunches, the program is not limited to people with low income. Anyone can participate for a sliding scale fee. Scott St. John is working with area farms to provide fresh, local food for the program, and welcomes help from community members who are interested in supporting the effort. Free summer snack and lunch at Cabot and Twinfield Schools for birth- 18 years is available in the school cafeteria Monday through Thursday from July 9 – August 26. Snacks are available at 8:00 a.m. and lunch is served from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Parents are also welcome – adult lunch is $4.00. Friday lunch, sponsored by Cabot United Church, will be held in the church meeting room. For additional information, contact Scott St. John at 802-563-2289 or 563- 2117.
OBITUARIES & MEMORIALS
Joyce L. Barnett Joyce Lizabeth (Gardner) Barnett, formerly of Essex Junction and South Burlington, died Saturday, June 2, 2012, at Woodridge Nursing Home in Barre, surrounded by her loving family. Joyce was born May 18, 1918, in Three Rivers, Massachusetts, the daughter of Jesse James Gardner and Ellen Odell Gardner. She attended schools in Barre and Cabot (Cabot High School Class of 1936) and graduated from the University of Vermont in 1940 with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. Joyce began her lifelong career as a music teacher in Newport, VT, continued at Riverdale Country School in New York City, and following the birth of her only child, Rebecca, taught in Essex Junction, where she spent the remainder of her teaching career. She was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa and the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction. Joyce enjoyed gardening, quilting and playing the piano. Survivors include her daughter, Rebecca (Barnett) and her husband J. Dearold Bressette of Barre; her grandson, Troy J. Bressette, his wife Meg and their son Chase Gardner Bressette of Pelham, New Hampshire; and her granddaughter, Amy Lizabeth Bressette and her daughter Madelyn Maxwell of Barre. She was predeceased by her sister, Beryle E. Gardner. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions in Joyce's memory be made to Vermont Foodbank, 33 Parker Road, Barre, VT 05641; or to the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction, 1 Church St., Essex Jcunction, VT 05452.
Helen Alice Blodgett
On June 30, 2012, the family of Helen Blodgett held a brief remembrance service at the Sunken Garden in Durant Cemetery in Lower Cabot. Helen Alice Blodgett died October 18, 2011, at Brownway Residence in Enosburg Falls, after being in residence for a year. She was born January 30, 1935, in Montgomery, to Dean Wesley Blodgett and Amy Goodspeed Blodgett. She graduated from Cabot High School and Lyndon State College in 1957.
William E. Gamble
William Edward Gamble, 85, of Walden died Tuesday June 5, 2012, at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin. He was born April 16, 1927, in Cabot, the son of the late Edward and Gertrude (Baylaw) Gamble. He attended Cabot Plains public school. On October 22, 1949, he married Reta Elaine Shepard in Danville. He farmed on the family dairy farm and was employed as a farm hand by Bill Bolton. For more than 31 years he worked for the State of Vermont Highway Department. He was a member of the Moose Lodge #1391 in Barre. He enjoyed fishing, the outdoors and mowing the lawn. Survivors include daughter Lorraine Cochran of Walden; two sons: Stephen Gamble of Lyndonville and Garry Gamble of Walden; 10 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; a sister, Ellen Dimick of Morrisville; several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his wife, Reta, on June 10, 2011; son, Douglas Gamble; infant daughter; sister, Marjorie Rodger and three brothers, John, Richard and Robert Gamble. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Copley Manor Nursing Home, Activity Fund, 204 Washington Highway, Morrisville 05661 or to the Berlin Health & Rehabilitation Center, Activity Fund, 98 Hospitality Drive, Barre 05641. Northern Vermont Funeral Service in Hardwick is in charge of arrangements.
Charles Edward Luneau Charles Edward Luneau, 87, a resident of St. Albans since 1931, passed away on Saturday, May 26, 2012, his sixty-sixth wedding anniversary, at the Franklin County Rehab Center in St. Albans, with his loving family at his side.
Born on September 2, 1924, in St. Remi-de-Tingwick, Quebec, he was the son of the late Joseph and Laura (St. Cyr) Luneau. On May 26, 1946, at Holy Angels Church, in St. Albans, Charles married Jacqueline Montagne who predeceased him on June 13, 1987. Charles attended the former Bell School (corner of Lower Newton and Dunsmore Road), Holy Angels Grammar School and Bellows Free Academy. He retired in 1982, after 39 years of service to the Central Vermont Railroad. Charles was member of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, the United Brotherhood of Trainmen, Central Vermont Railway Historical Society, Knights of Columbus, Council 297 and was a former Town of St. Albans Lister. He enjoyed his service to his community and was proud to do his part. He was an avid hunter, enjoyed fishing in Canada, ice fishing on Lake Champlain, playing golf, skiing, tending his garden and a good game of cribbage. Survivors include his children, Louise and Jon Haynes of St. Albans, and their family, Stephanie Ross Cleary and her family, Katie, Molly, and Silas, of Sheldon, Allison Haynes and Kenneth Colbert and their son, Alex, of Albuquerque, N.M., Richard and Kerrie Ross and their sons, Nicholas and Ian, of Berkshire, Nora and Patrick Garrity and their daughter, Mae, of New York City, and Hillary Haynes and her fiance, Daniel Fisher, of Bondsville, Mass.; Daniel and Karen Luneau of St. Albans, and their family, Joseph and Margaux Luneau and their sons, Charles and Samuel, of St. Albans, Peter Luneau and Annie Waltz and their daughters, Faye and Marie, of Astoria, N.Y., and Adam Luneau of St. Albans; Marc and Patrice Luneau of Walden, and their family, Lindsey and Frank Gelormini of Bridgewater, N.J., Ashley Luneau of Morrisville, and Taylor Luneau of Walden; and Paul and Laura Luneau of Jeffersonville, and their family, Jason Luneau of Jeffersonville, and Emily and Jesse Hanley of Waterville. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Thursday, May 31, 2012, at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in St. Albans, followed by interment in the family lot in Mount Calvary Cemetery. Those wishing to honor Charles' memory are asked to contribute to Charles E. Luneau Charitable Memorial Fund, c/o Peoples Trust Company, 25 Kingman St., St. Albans, VT 05478.
Eva M. Hale
Funeral services were held Wednesday, June 6, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Norbert's Catholic Church in Hardwick for Eva M. Jackson Hale of Walden, who died January 20, 2012, in St. Johnsbury. Burial followed in the family lot in the Fairview Cemetery in Hardwick. Northern Vermont Funeral Service, Hardwick, handled arrangements.
Richard N. Pape City Hospital, he was the son of Richard "Bud" Pape and Ella (Holmes) Pape. Dick grew up and attended schools in the Barre-Montpelier area where he resided until enlisting in the Navy. He married Frances LaRow in 1958, and together they raised two children until their divorce in 1974. Dick worked beside his father in the plumbing business until Bud's death in 1966. He then worked construction and carpentry until his retirement. He married Mary Edson in 1976, and they later divorced. He met Beverly Stevens, and they married Aug. 2, 1985. For the last 30 years, they made their home in East Calais, growing magnificent gardens and flower beds that Dick was very proud of. Dick was an active member of both the Barre Moose Lodge and the American Legion, where you could find him enjoying his favorite pastimes of dancing and singing karaoke mostly with Sherri's Jubilee. As the families were united, one of the favorite memories they all shared is a photo opportunity of Dick with all three of his wives during Christmas 2005. To this day, they all remained the closest of friends. Diagnosed with Parkinson's a few years back, Dick still maintained as active a life as possible which included tinkering and building at home, motorcycle rides throughout Vermont and New Hampshire with his wife, dinner at the Wayside Restaurant, Thunder Road and Bear Ridge Speedway racing, Frost Heaves basketball games, Mountaineers baseball games and spending time with his family. He is survived by his wife, Beverly; his son, Howard Pape, of Barre; his daughter, Wendy Singer, and her partner, Brian, of Graniteville; stepdaughter Joyce Stevens, of Cabot; stepsons Chip Stevens and his partner, Bonnie, of East Corinth, Dan Stevens and his partner, Stephanie, of Randolph, Chicky Stevens, of Barre, Gary Poulin, of Elmore, and Kevin Stevens, of Texas; brothers Ronald Pape, of Richmond, Va., and Philip Pape, of South Barre; and sisters Beverly Pape and Cheryl Lashomb, of Randolph. Dick also leaves 20 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents.
From page 5
Richard N. "Dick" Pape, 74, of East Calais, died June 10, 2012, at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin. His daughter and granddaughter were by his side. Born Dec. 8, 1937, at the Barre of Clinics in VT U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Newport Mayor Paul Monette, Dr. Michael Mayo-Smith, network director for the VA New England Healthcare System and Marc Levenson, the acting director of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center at White River Junction, VT, helped cut a ribbon at a ceremony marking the opening of a new Newport Outpatient Clinic for veterans.. “As a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, I have worked hard to make sure that Vermont veterans get the quality health care they have earned and deserve,” Sanders said. “I am happy to say that we have made significant progress.” In Newport, the new Department of Veterans Affairs clinic opened its doors on June 1. The new, larger facility replaces a clinic housed at the North Country Hospital. “As word spread about the availability of VA services, more and more veterans began to enroll. For some, it was the first time they had ever received health care services from VA,” Sanders said. Throughout Vermont, about 8,600 veterans now receive care from Vermont's five Community-Based Outpatient Clinics located in Newport, Colchester, Brattleboro, Rutland and Bennington. The clinics, including two new ones in Brattleboro and Newport, operate as satellites of the VA medical center in White River Junction. “That means that in the very northern part of the state and in the very southern part of the state, veterans can get the primary health care they need without having to travel long distances,” Sanders said. Another major change at all of the VA clinics in Vermont is the use of cutting-edge technology known as telehealth. Using secure, encrypted television and computer technology, specialists at White River Junction are treating veterans in rural areas. Telehealth care is especially beneficial to those veterans who would experience discomfort by traveling a long way to see a provider. Opening later this summer is a new Women Veterans Comprehensive Care Center at the White River Junction VA Medical Center. The number of women veterans enrolling in the VA health care system has increased dramatically in the last decade, therefore VA is taking aggressive actions to meet their gender-specific health care needs.
HARRY FOSTER
The family of Harry “Nookie” Foster extends gratitude to family and friends for their support during our loss. Your cards, phone calls, food and visits were much appreciated. A special thank you to Michael and Karen Gates for the wonderful picture of Nookie. God bless you all. Martha and family.
Notice To Taxpayers
Notice is hereby given in accord with 32 V.S.A. §4111 that the undersigned listers within and for the Town of Cabot have this day completed the abstract of individual lists (abstract) of property owners as of the first day of April, 2012. The listers have this same day lodged the abstract in the office of the clerk for the inspection of taxpayers. On the 9th and 10th days of July, 2012, at 9:00 a.m., the undersigned listers will meet at the Listers’ office at 3084 Main Street, Cabot, to hear appeals of taxpayers aggrieved by actions of the listers from whom timely grievances have been received. To be timely, such grievance must be in writing and received (postmarks not accepted) by the close of business on the 9th day of July, 2012. At the close of grievance hearings, the listers shall make such corrections in the abstract as were determined upon hearing or otherwise. Unless cause to the contrary is shown, the contents of said abstract will, for the tax year 2012, become the grand list of the town of each taxpayer named therein. Signed at Cabot in the County of Washington this 25th day of June, 2012. Listers of the Town of Cabot:
Carlton E. Domey Tara Rogerson Jeanne Johnson
Green Mountain Club Elects New President
The First NEK Chapter Member Elected to Top Volunteer Post
The Green Mountain Club announced the election of its 41st president, Jean Haigh of Craftsbury. Haigh is the first Northeast Kingdom section member to serve as volunteer president of the 102year-old, 10,000-member founders and maintainers of the Long Trail. Haigh is the inspiring leader behind much of the club’s work in the Kingdom, especially on the former Champion Lands. Haigh also helped guide the club in accepting its additional management responsibilities on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont. "I am so very honored to be elected president of such an amazing organization,” said Haigh. “Amazing because of its hundreds of dedicated and committed volunteers; amazing because of its very talented, skilled and incomparable field crew and amazing because of its extraordinary and extremely competent and capable staff. The strength and resilience of the Green Mountain Club is only possible because of the hard work these people do in the protection, maintenance and stewardship of the Long Trail and the mountains of Vermont – including our new trail in the Northeast Kingdom.” Haigh led the way in establishing the Northeast Kingdom section of the club and the establishment of the Kingdom Heritage Trail system on the former Champion Lands. The club opened the first section of this roughly 14 mile trail last year after more than a decade of work scouting and working closely with the state of Vermont, Northwoods Stewardship Center and Plum Creek Timber.
“Jean is a truly great leader and will continue the club’s century-old tradition of strong, inspiring volunteer leaders,” said Will Wiquist, executive director of the club. “She has earned this position through years of hard work and calm leadership, both in the Kingdom and in work on trails across the state.”
Haigh grew up in Rutland, VT, taught at Johnson State College for many years, and still serves as an education consultant for the state in northern Vermont. For the last several years, Haigh has led the club’s Trail Management Committee, along with numerous other posts. The president of the Green Mountain Club is elected by its volunteer Board of Directors for up to three years. At this year’s annual meeting, the board voted unanimously to elevate Haigh from vice president to president. The board is itself elected by the club’s general membership. Haigh was preceded by Marge Fish of Londonderry, who served the maximum three years as president. “From expanding education programming to shepherding us through our centennial year, Marge has been a steady hand and strong leader for three successful years at the Green Mountain Club,” said Wiquist. The club’s four officers are elected every year by the board. In addition to Haigh’s election, John Page of Montpelier was elected vice president, Tom Candon of Shelburne was elected secretary, and Dick Andrews of Springfield was reelected as treasurer.
What Zone Are We?
By Amanda Legare Years ago, it was typical to have your garden hit with a hard frost in early September. We grew a lot of fall mums then, and people appreciated a fresh pop of color. Mum sales are down now because gardens are often still blooming into fall. This warming trend was confirmed in January, when the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) released its new version of the plant hardiness zone map, the first revamp since 1990. The new map is generally one 5-degree Fahrenheit half-zone warmer than the previous map throughout much of the United States. The USDA website offers a “find your zone” function using zip codes. Cabot is rated 4A (-30 to -25), while Marshfield gets a gentler 4B (-25 to -20)! Vermont has five different zones, from 3B in Newport to 5B in Brattleboro. When David Hale used to make the morning commute from Bothfeld Hill to Montpelier, he told me that in the winter, the temperature on his car’s thermometer would go down as he went from the higher altitude towards Route 2. It always reached its lowest point as he drove by my house. Of course, we all have “micro-climates” on our properties, protected areas where borderline plants will survive. Conversely, valleys do create “cold pockets”
Our Pets - Insect Bites
By Andrea Gilbert, DVM What bit my dog?
After a day spent outside, your dog comes back and something is amiss. What caused it and what should you do? Here is a list of some of the more common insect-related problems we see.
Red circular lesions on furless or lightly furred skin The belly is the most common location. This is caused by black fly bites. No, it is not lyme disease. Dogs usually do not get the bull’s eye skin lesion from lyme disease. No treatment is necessary. But consider a repellant wipe made for dogs or a topical monthly flea/tick treatment that also works on flies. Consider keeping your pet inside during the height of the season.
A swollen face and/or hives
This is some sort of allergic reaction. And it might need treatment. Severe allergic reactions can be life threatening.
You should call your veterinarian for advice.
Scabs on the ear tips or lightly furcovered parts of the face This is probably due to bites againmost likely deer flies. The lesions should resolve. But they can be itchy. Call your vet if your pet is uncomfortable. And consider the topical flea/tick treatment that also repels biting flies.
An attached tick
Pull it off with tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Don’t worry if you think a part of the tick stayed in the skin. Clean the attachment site with alcohol and wash your hands after disposing of the tick. Talk to your veterinarian about tick prevention.
Fur is missing at the base of the tail
This is most likely fleas. But patchy fur loss can be different problems. Schedule a vet visit to help sort this problem out.
Cabot Corridor Revitalization Committee Contractor Selected for Scoping Study
The primary work of the June 7 committee meeting was chosing a contractor for the scoping study authorized under Cabot’s Traffic Enhancement Grant from VTrans, to provide the town options for improving Main Street for residents and users. Seven people read technical proposals from five firms, the proposals were scored and ranked, and the clear score leader was Dubois and King of Randolph. Once agreement was reached on the preferred firm, the cost proposals, which were packaged and sealed separately, were opened. The Dubois & King cost proposal was within the budget provided by the grant. The committee reported their findings to the select board, which accepted the committee’s recommendation. The contractor’s research will begin fairly quickly, and input from the community will play an important role in helping the contractor develop recommendations. One of the tasks of the contractor is providing opportunities for townspeople to share their thoughts and concerns. The more residents participate in the planning process, the better the recommendations generated will reflect the needs, wishes and personality of the community.
Cabot Recreation Department
By Amber Bothfeld School’s out and it’s time to sign up for Soccer Camp! Camp will take place the week of July 30 through August 3. It will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. The fee is $50.00 for the entire week. To sign up your child, please contact Rebecca Nally at 563-3503. I would like to thank Libby Hale for her years of service with the Recreation Department. With that said, we are always looking for volunteers. Before we know it, we will be preparing for the Fall Soccer Season and will be looking for coaches, assistant coaches, refs, etc…. We will have more information about the upcoming season in the beginning of August. As you may have noticed, the preparation and repair of Larry Gochey’s Ball Field is almost complete and should be ready for fall soccer. Thank you to Larry Thompson for the use of his tractor that was used for the rototilling. The Rec Committee is also in the process of getting some new picnic tables at the pavilion and for the Common. Thank you to Dan Dunham and Netdahe Stoddard for building these tables for everyone’s use. I also want to thank Rebecca Nally and Libby Hale for welcoming me to the Rec Committee. I will be taking over a great part of Libby Hale’s tasks, and look forward to working with many of you. We encourage anybody with ideas to share or who just want to be part of the Recreation Department to join us for our meetings, the second Tuesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. at the library. I can be reached at 563-2147 or by email [email protected] if anyone has questions.
TWIN VALLEY SENIOR CENTER
By Rita Copeland Meals on Wheels (MOWs) have always been a part of TVSC. Prior to 2009, MOWs were prepared by New England Culinary Institute of Montpelier. In March of 2009, TVSC started cooking, packaging and delivering the same home cooked meals that congregate members receive at the Center. The food is cooked at the Center by Joni Brown & her volunteer staff and the menu choices are overseen by a registered dietician. We prepare our food from the best cuts of meat, best possible vegetables we can obtain, and meet the dietary requirements of all, which include diabetics, vegetarians, etc. We also provide one quart of 1% milk with the weekly meals. A donation of $4.00 per meal is requested, but if unable to pay, meals are still provided. It is your health and your individual nutritional needs that we want to help with so you remain in your own home. If recovering from a hospital stay and need assistance with food preparation just for a short time, unable to shop for meals, disliking cooking for 1 or 2 people, or needing assistance because your spouse is laid up, TVSC MOWs program can help. We are available to assist you by just calling 426-3447 and your meals will be delivered to your door. As Director of Twin Valley Senior Center, I would like to share with you some testimonials from some of our clients who receive Meals on Wheels from the center. Some of the testimonials’ are:
• Without these meals I couldn’t take care of Rodger, here where we are happy. Meals delivered are a benefit in so many ways, including the pleasant chats with the delivery person.
• I am very happy to have the Senior Center meals delivered to my house, not only because it is good food, but, also because it is very difficult for me to get around and prepare meals for myself. I thank everyone at TVSC for helping me.
• I enjoy every bite of the meals, except when gravy is put on potato, it is very salty. Your delivery person is very dependable and we enjoy having him come. Thank you for this very delicious service, we really depend on the meals, as I cook very little.
• I don’t care for some of the vegetables, but I’m sure others do. I generally enjoy each meal and think you do a good job. It helps me stay at home and gives my family a break. I can get my own breakfast and supper.
• Hold on to the cook, Joni - A1. Shirley is so nice, even on days that I’m not feeling well. I always feel better just to see her. She is tops! The meals help a lot. I have no transportation and very few neighbors, and I don’t know what I would do without Shirley.
WE WANT TO HELP Through generosity of some local residents, TVSC has received some good used medical equipment assistance items that we would like to make available for residents in the six communities to borrow. These items can be expensive to purchase and Medicare does not pay fully the purchase price. So, if you or your loved ones are in need of any of the following items, please call us at 426-3447to borrow any of them.
• Walkers
• Shower chair
• Commodes
• High Rise seat for toilet
• Walking Canes
Cabot Worx: What Are We Up To?
One of the topics explored early in our meetings was the subject of ‘Geotourism’. Defined by National Geographic as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place – its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and well-being of its residents”, it serves to preserve a way of life while also working to enhance the economic viability of a particular geographic area. It certainly has the potential for “if you build it, they will come” here in Cabot, since Vermont is one of the leading states for good old-fashioned family vacationing. Coupling it with the current wave of ‘agritourism’ (agriculture-based tourism) in the surrounding areas, Cabot is poised to be part of this growing trend – if we choose to be. In order to help support conversation surrounding this topic, two Worx group members attended a meeting June 13 held by the Northeast Kingdom Travel & Tourism Association (NEKTTA) in St. Johnsbury. Cabot is one of the few ‘fringe’ towns NEKTTA considers working with and supporting, if the town is interested. According to the information presented, Vermont’s tourism is a critical economic engine. Overall, Vermont saw about 14.3 million visitor trips last year, which brought in approximately $1.6 billion dollars to the state. The NEK (North East Kingdom) consistently outpaces other regions by a 4% growth margin and was identified as a ‘star’ sector in the 2011 NVDA (Northeastern Vermont Development Association) Strategic Industries Report. NEKTTA’s Director, Gloria Bruce, stated that a simple 5% growth in tourist dollars in the NEK equaled about $80 million. That’s quite a sum to have a chunk of here in Cabot! The challenge, they said, is that tourism is fiercely competitive, with most travel planning now done online through dynamic online-based industry tools. This leaves most NEK tourism operators limited by time and resources to effectively develop or market their products. To help support regional operators, NEKTTA is willing to assist interested towns in their destination development. The model they discussed utilized the building of hubs – or ‘pods’ – around the region that are a network of towns or areas working together to help drive tourist traffic to each location. NEKTTA will help work with and provide links to resources available to those towns wishing to be part of this growth effort. Two towns discussed at the meeting who were supported in their recent efforts were Burke and Newport. Each area had a strong group of committed citizens who voiced their interest in tourism growth. Information provided included their situational starting point, the challenges they faced, what they did, and where they are currently. NEKTTA is now challenging its communities to look at ways to pull together in order to get a piece of that $80 million dollar pie. We here at Cabot Worx believe we are uniquely situated as a tourist ‘gateway’ to all locations leading to the Kingdom. As such, we are working toward building key relationships with resource providers and towns wishing to partner in this very exciting effort. We have a ways to go yet, but feel very optimistic that we can best serve the town by helping to create a more secure outlook in Cabot’s long-term economic development.
If you are interested in helping us make it possible, too, then simply call us at 563-3338 with ideas or projects you are interested in being a part of or email [email protected]. We will then work together to help make Cabot an even bigger ‘star’ on Vermont’s tourist maps!
Vermont Council On Rural Development Community Visit Program - Cabot Was Selected!
In the June issue of the Chronicle, we reported that Paul Costello, Executive Director of Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) in Montpelier, met May 24 with a handful of Cabot residents to talk about the Council’s Community Visit Program. The Council was meeting with representatives of a few communities to set their work plan for the coming year. At that meeting, the Cabot group decided to ask the Select Board at its next meeting June 7 to make an official invitation to VCRD to consider Cabot for the Community Visit Program. The Select Board agreed, and an invitation was extended. As the July paper goes to print, we learned that VCRD has agreed to assist Cabot this year. The Community Visit Program is a way for towns to engage and bring together their residents, set common goals and directions in a neutral and facilitated structure, and access resources that will help them take action on those goals. The Community Visit Program, provided at no cost to communities, gets citizens engaged in working for their communities and connects them to the resources they need to be successful. For more information, go to www.vtrural.org and click on the Community Visits box. Community Visit Program reports from other towns will illustrate what has been accomplished in the twenty communities that have been visited since 1996. Watch for additional information in the Chronicle, on Front Porch Forum and through emails, posters and signs, and please plan to participate over the next few months in three facilitated meetings that are critical to the process. All points of view should be represented and the process will benefit from the widest range of ideas. Please come to add your voice.
Commentary: Do You Know What the No. 1 Littered Item is on Roads and Beaches?
By Dr. Cheryl G. Healton
If you don’t know the answer to this question, you’re certainly not alone. Here’s a hint…it’s not plastic bags, plastic or glass beverage bottles or aluminum cans. Stumped? It turns out that you have a lot of company. According to new research conducted by Legacy®, more than half of the Americans surveyed last month did not know that cigarette butts are the No. 1 littered item every year on U.S. roadways and beaches. In observance of Earth Day, Legacy is working to raise awareness about the negative impact cigarette filters and discarded cigarette butts have on our environment. Research shows that cigarette butts have potentially toxic effects on ecosystems. In one laboratory test, one cigarette butt soaked in a liter of water was lethal to half of the fish exposed. Cigarette butts contain heavy metals that leach into waterways, posing a lethal threat to aquatic life. They are costly to local communities to clean up and dispose of, as well. According to environmental cleanup reports, nearly two million cigarettes or cigarette filters/butts were picked up internationally from beaches and inland waterways as part of the annual International Coastal Cleanup in 2010, including more than one million from the U.S. alone.
Misperceptions abound about whether cigarette filters are readily biodegradable or inconsequential as litter. These toxic pieces of trash can only decompose under the most ideal conditions, and generally they merely break up into small particles of plastic waste. While a majority of those surveyed (78 percent) know that cigarette butts are not biodegradable and recognize their toxicity (89 percent), tobacco products are still the single most collected type of litter along U.S. roadways and on beaches. In honor of Earth Day, let’s start a national conversation about this last acceptable form of litter. According to the tobacco industry-funded annual report, The Tax Burden on Tobacco 2011, 287 billion cigarettes were sold last year. Where did all those cigarette butts go? When you step over them on the streets where you live and work and at beaches and parks you enjoy, remember that cigarette butts are a potentially dangerous and costly burden. Help us bring awareness to this issue and start changing social norms around littering cigarette butts. Formoreinformation , visit: www.legacyforhealth.org/environment. Dr. Cheryl G. Healton is President and CEO of Legacy®
FROM THE CABOT PUBLIC LIBRARY
Please join us for the Cabot Public Library’s Summer Reading Program! Children of all ages are welcome to sign up. We’ll help them keep track of the books they’ve read and win t-shirts and prizes! Last summer, ten youth participated in the Thousand Page Club and read over 24,330 pages! Read to young children over the summer months – it will help them maintain and improve their reading skills. Encourage older children to spend time this summer reading. We also have a wide selection of audio books for your car rides! People of any age – please consider submitting a “This I Believe” essay – see an example in this issue of the Chronicle
– thanks!
Dream Big – READ! Daytime Story Hours in July - Most Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, July 3 – Dream Big at the Beach!
Come dressed to get wet. We’ll start with beach stories and end up outside with beach volleyball, bubbles, water games and cold treats!
Tuesday July 10 – Follow your Dreams – Super Heroes!
Come dressed as your favorite Super Hero – we’ll read super hero stories and make our own super hero challenges and Bat Mobiles.
Tuesday, July 17 – It’s a Pajamarama! Come dressed in your favorite pajamas and bring your favorite stuffed animal for the best bedtime stories and songs ever. We’ll have bedtime snacks and make our own dream catchers.
Tuesday, July 24 – Creatures of the Night
Get lost on wonderful adventures of bat friends in these fun stories of these fascinating mammals whose forelimbs form webbed wings capable of flight.
Friday, July 27 – Bats at the Library
– at the Jaquith Public Library Jerry Schneider, a Vermont native, has performed nature programs for the past ten years using wonderful slide photographs by Merlin D. Tuttle and Bat Conservation International. This program introduces audiences to local and tropical bats. Audiences learn about bats in our attics, building bat houses, vampire bats, migration and hibernation.
Tuesday, July 31 – Look Whooooo’s Reading!
We’ll read about adventures with owls and about 3 owl babies on their own in the middle of the night!
Dream Big–READ! - Evening Programs
Shivery Tales! - Tuesday, July 3, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Join funny, scary guys – Ron Lay Sleeper and Russ Brown - around the campfire for some tales to make your bones shiver! Afterward, we’ll make our own tie dye t-shirts! Bring your own tshirt or buy one for $1.00 at the library.
It’s a Star Party! - Tuesday, July 10, 9:00 p.m. Join our Cabot stars, Paul Wade and John Hammer, for an evening of stargazing at the night skies. We’ll meet at the Cabot Plains Cemetery. Back up evening in case of stormy weather will be the following Tuesday, July 17. Remember – Keep looking up!
Swing Peepers -Tuesday, July 24, 6:30 p.m. Enter the cozy nighttime world of faerie houses, the ‘big ole moon’, hibernation sleep overs, constellations, bedtime mixed-up nursery rhymes and other dreamy wildness with the Swing Peepers! The Swing Peepers Matthew Witten and John Hadden are accomplished musicians who have been performing in Vermont and elsewhere in the Northeast for over 20 years.
Owls and their Calls at the Jaquith Public Library, Wednesday, August
1, 6:30 p.m. sharp! This program by VINS -Vermont Institute of Natural Science- features two live owls along with a presentation that includes owl calls for the local owls of Vermont and touchable artifacts. Discover the incredible adaptations owls have that enable them to be fierce predators in our nighttime skies.
Yoga & Wellness Classes - We will be taking a break for the month of July – stay tuned for info about August. For more information contact Alicia: 802-563-3220 or [email protected]
Dungeons & Dragons – Thanks for a great year! See you in September!
Universal Class
Universal Class is an educational service providing high quality online courses for patrons interested in the lifelong pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. Over 500 online Continuing Education courses are available for free. These classes are provided by Recorded Books, Vermont Department of Libraries, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. For info on registering, stop by the library, call us at 563-2721, or email at [email protected]
Thank You!
Thanks so much to Beth Wade for a great year of Story Hours and to Kathleen Higbee for countless hours of helping to get the books back on the shelves for you to borrow. Many thanks go to Karen Alexander for her thoughts on pruning apple trees in our second in a series of “This I Believe” essays. Thanks to Lisa Olson for all the Dungeons and Dragons days. Thank you to the Cabot Creamery for helping to sponsor the Summer Reading Program.
The Cabot Public Library would like to thank Julie Jurkiewicz for her wonderful painting depicting our Summer Program ,"Dream Big - Read!"
See you at the Library!
Kathleen Hoyne and Anne Walker
A Public Dialogue About Belief One Essay At A Time
Featuring Karen Alexander
We arrived in Cabot not quite eight years ago, moving onto the slope of a meadow encircled by stands of maple, ash, beech, birch, cedar, spruce and pine. There are also the apple trees; ancient things, gnarled and scarred, rooted in a different time. In the few short years that we have been here, I have come to believe in the peace, the connection and the slow creativity of pruning. This hillside was once part of an orchard and sheep meadow that stretched all the way to the Hardwick line. The forest has reclaimed both the meadows and the orchards, and the cellar holes lie abandoned, but the apple trees -wild and leggy, blooming in a Spring froth of pink and white- are still there. A grove of yellow transparents tops the ridge, and closer to the South Walden Road, what I assume are three of those original orchard trees grow in my meadow. A visiting botanist friend identified them when we had been on the land only two years. "Those" she said, pulling down a gorgeous yellow and pink striped apple and running her thumb over the tiny brown freckles, "are Alexander apples." She paused. "Now, isn't that strange?" I love pruning, especially neglected trees. The process of reclaiming an ancient apple begins on the ground and in depths of winter dormancy. I walk a slow circle of the tree, looking at the architecture of the boughs, looking for the negative space that must be created to give the tree light and air and room for new growth of leaves and fruit. The possibilities in the large decisions of pruning -the limbs riddled with rot and sapsucker holes which must come down
- as well as the small ones regarding which lateral buds to encourage, speak to a kind of stewardship that will take years to realize. Caring for the remnants of an orchard planted more than a century ago roots me to this land and affirms that I have a purpose and a place here.
In a more immediate sense, I do not know another culturally sanctioned way where, as a woman well into her forties, I could put on an old sweater and soft shoes in February to climb trees. My neighbors see me, bow saw hanging from one shoulder and bypass shears poking holes in the back pockets of my blue jeans. They look but they do not stare; they are doing exactly the same thing this time of year. Meanwhile, I wrap an arm around the waist of the main trunk and step out into the arms of old branches while reaching to direct the growth of the coming season.
This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values and beliefs that guide their daily lives. As part of the Cabot Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, Dream Big – READ, we invite people of any age to participate – here are some suggestions to guide you through the process:
Tell a Story – be specific. Your story need not be heartwarming or gut – wrenching – but it should be real. Consider moments when your belief was formed, tested, or changed. Be Brief – 350-500 words. Name your belief – Consider focusing on one core belief rather than writing a list. Be Affirmative – say what you do believe- not what you don’t believe. Be Personal- Make your essay about you; speak in the first person. Edit and simplify it until you find the words, tone and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.
For examples of essays visit www.thisibelieve.org Please submit to the Cabot Public Library either in person or by mailing to: Cabot Public Library, P. O. Box 6, Cabot, VT 05647 or emailing to [email protected] And thanks for participating!
ο HOURS • Tuesday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. **Story Hour 10:30-11:30 a.m.**
• Wednesday 2:00 a.m.-6:00p.m.
• Thursday 11:00 a.m.-6:00p.m.
• Saturday 9:00 a.m.-2:00p.m.
• Closed Sunday, Monday & Friday
• Echo Pass – Allows up to 2 adults and 3 youths, $4 each admission price, entrance into the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington. From April 14 to September 3, ECHO will be hosting Our Body: The Universe Within, which features plasticized anatomical specimens exploring the wonder of the human body. Due to contractual arrangements with the exhibitor, they will need to charge an additional $8-$10 for admission to this exhibit.
• Vermont State Parks Pass – Allows free entry into State Park day areas for up to 8 people in one vehicle. Go to www.vtstate parks.com for more info.
• Historic Sites Pass – Allows free entry into the Vermont State Historic Sites for one family or groups of up to 8 people. Go to www.historicsites.vermont.gov for more info.
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Advice From The Tree Warden
Bush Honeysuckle Giant Hogweed
By Roland (Slim) Payne 563-3234
Invasive species
Do you have any invasive species on your property? The answer could be yes. Vermont has 58 invasive terrestrial plant species. Let’s start with two. 1. Bush Honeysuckle. It can grow to 15’ to 18’ tall. It flowers in the spring, then has red berries in summer. Birds and wind spread the seeds. One way to stop it is to pull it and hang it in trees or bushes with the roots up so they dry out. Small ones can be pulled by hand, large ones should be pulled with something like a tractor and placed with roots up to dry out. If roots left in the ground sprout, they can be pulled by hand as they come up. 2. Giant Hogweed Be careful with this one. Sap causes photodermatitis (which is similar to poison ivy). There is not a lot of it in Vermont, but it spreads rapidly. There is a patch of it on Elm Street in Cabot. I am going to treat some of it this fall when it flowers. It is a pretty plant unless you get the sap on you.
By J. Scott Davidson Sudoku Golf, Masters Loop-Course Challenge is a math challenge done on correctly completed Sudoku puzzles. The object of the game is to create an 18 “hole” path with the lowest overall score. You start and end the loop course in the 2nd row (2=1st, 3=18) as indicated. Add the squares as you go and find the path with the lowest total, as in golf. You may move to any adjacent square not already in the path, including diagonals. You may also only have a single “hole-in-one” (pass by the number 1, once). Because a Sudoku has only one 2, 3, etc. in each row, the lowest score must have at least 7 rows in the path. Solution for last months puzzle is shown here, can you do better? � KIDS CHALLENGE What are the missing numbers in the top row? Can you find them using math?
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Johnathan Maxfield Named to Dean’s List at Saint Michael’s College
Johnathan Maxfield, son of Lynn and Norris Maxfield, was named to the Dean's List for the spring 2012 semester at Saint Michael's College. Maxfield, a Junior, is a Psychology major at the liberal arts, residential Catholic college located in Burlington. Students who complete a minimum of 12 credits and achieve a grade point average of at least 3.4 at the end of a semester are recognized for their scholarship by inclusion on the Dean's List.
WANTED
WANTED – Photographer to make portraits of Cabot community members for documentary project - portraits will appear in the Cabot Chronicle. Please call Kathleen at 563-3338.