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The Cabot Chronicle

August 2012 · 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 August 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

Irene Harvey, Lumberjill of the Year

Irene Harvey and Laurette Russell compete in 2-woman crosscut event.

The Tupper Lake (NY) annual Woodsmen’s Day invitational contest is one of the first lumberjack events of the season, an invitational showcase for the top lumberjack competitors from New York, Pennsylvania, and New England. Irene and Shannon Harvey and Frank Kampf participated. Events ranged from axe throwing to spring board, and given the inherent risks of the sport, everyone was happy that no one was injured at the end of the day. The show started with women's log roll. This year, it was a long and relatively heavy log, which the women had to roll down the track using a peavey from one set of pins to another, hit the pins, then roll it back. The log was thicker at one end than the other and rolled off to one side, forcing the competitors to quickly react. Irene teamed up with her long-time competition partner, Laurette Russell of Maine, to roll the log in the best time. Even though they had to drag the log sideways (cross haul), they did so in a time that would have bested many men's teams. Irene went on to surprise herself in the axe throw event. Many Cabot residents saw a demo of this event at the last Maple Festival and the recent July 4th demo on the recreation field. Competitors had four throws, with the first throw being practice. Irene was expecting not to do well when her first throw went over the target. She adjusted by stepping back from the throw line and with her final three throws scored 12 out of a possible 15. This was the best women's score and put her in first place. The sawing events are Irene's favorite and her forte. Since she currently holds four world records in bowsaw, everyone expected her to do well. But besting all her opponents by a second and a half was quite a feat. She attributed some of the speed to her newly sharpened bowsaw blade, but all of us in the sport know that most of it is her talent at that event. Irene went on to place second in the two-women crosscut event, sawing with Laurette. Along with a third place finish in Jack & Jill crosscut (man and woman), and respectable finishes in the horizontal chop and stock chainsaw, she was awarded Tupper Lake's Lumberjill of the Year. Irene was not the only Cabot lumberjack or lumberjill at Tupper Lake. Irene's daughter, Shannon, has started competing, and participated in the axe throw event. Though she did as well as most of the other competitors, she wasn't able to place in the money. It was a good experience at her age, and she may start competing in the bowsaw event soon. Irene's partner, Frank Kampf, also competed in many of the events, and under Irene's tutelage, he has learned well how to bowsaw. He posted his best time ever at just under six seconds, putting him in eighth position, a very respectable placement, considering all the talent at the show.

Obituaries:

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Cabot Land Grant by Governor Chittenden From CabotVT.US Documents Online

Anniversary of the Granting of the Town of Cabot by Governor Chittenden This is an excerpt of the text from the original declaration made on August, 17, 1781. The declaration in its entirety can be viewed at CabotVT.US Documents online ant, Frederick Leavenworth, Jonathan Heath, Eunice Johnson, Thomas Lyford, Edmund Chapman, Benjamin Webster, David Blanchard, Jonathan Elkins, Jonathan Elkins Jun’, William Chamberlin, Ephraim Foster, Abiel Blanchard, Benjamin Ambrose, Wheelar Douglass, Asa Douglass, John Hancock Douglass, Alanson Douglass, Beriah Palmer, Martha Douglass, Ebenezer Jones, Jesse Gardineer, Mary Andrus, William Douglass, Content Douglass, Asa Douglass Jun’, Zebulun Douglass, Lyman Hitchcock, Nathaniel Wales, Sophia Hitchcock, John Batchellor, Eliphalet Richards, Jonathan Pettit, Matthew Walton, Ezekiel Tiffany, Abel Blanchard, Peter Blanchard, Reuben Blanchard, Jason Cross, Solomon Johnson, Robert Hawes, Samuel Rusel, David Waters, Thomas Chittenden, Paul Spooner, Joseph Fay, Abigail Gunn, and Barabas Morse, which together with the five following Rights, or equal Shares reserved to the several piblick Uses in Manner following, include the whole of said Tract or Township, viz. One Right for the use of a seminary or college, one Right for the use of County Gramma Schools in said State, Lands to the amount of one Right to be and remain for the Purpose of Settlement of a Minister or Ministers of the Gospel in said Township forever, Lands to the amount of one Right for the support of the social Worship of God in said Township, and Lands to the Amount of one Right for the support of an english School or Schools in said Township which said two Rights, for the use of a Seminary or College, and for the use of County (See Cabot’s Anniversary, page X)

Calendar:

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The Governor, Council, and General Assembly of the Freemen of the State of Vermont, To All People, to whom these presents á{tÄÄ come, Greetings.

Know ye, that whereas Captain Jesse Leavenworth, and his associates, our worthy friends, have by petition, requested a grant of a Tract of unappropriated Lands within this State, in Order for vetting a new Plantation to be created into a Township we have therefore thought fitt for the due Encouragement of their laudable designs, and for other valuable considerations as hereunto moving; And do, by these presents, in the Name and by the Authority of the Freemen of the State of Vermont give and grant, the Tract of Land hereafter described and bounded unto him the said Jesse Leavenworth, and to the several persons hereafter named, his associates in equal shares, viz. Jesse Leavenworth Jun’, Mark Leavenworth, William Leavenworth, Eneas Munson, Isaac Doolittle, Robert Fairchild, Ebenezer Craft, Timothy Newell, James Lane, Elias Townsand, William Holmes, Richard Mansfield, Nathan Leavenworth, Moses Beecher, James Whitlaw, Alexander Hervey, David Bri- School Page: Classifieds:

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From page 1

The Town of Cabot and the Cabot Corridor Revitalization Committee are considering how to make our village a safer and more attractive place to walk, bike and live. Please join us for a workshop - we want to hear your ideas! The workshop will be held on Wednesday, August 15, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at the Cabot School Performing Arts Center, and will include a walk about the village, weather permitting. For information, contact the Cabot Corridor Revitalization Committee:

Brigitte Codling 563-2397 - Jeanne Johnson 563-3147

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Primary Candidate Listings

CONTEST FOR NAME ON BALLOT TOWN OF RESIDENCE PARTY US Senator Windsor Republican JOHN MACGOVERN US Senator Washington Republican H. BROOKE PAIGE US Senator Burlington Democratic BERNIE SANDERS Rep. to Congress MARK DONKA Hartford Republican Rep. to Congress PETER WELCH Norwich Democratic Governor Underhill Progressive MARTHA ABBOTT Governor Swanton Republican RANDY BROCK Governor Putney Democratic PETER SHUMLIN Lt. Governor Montpelier Democratic CASSANDRA GEKAS Lt. Governor Montpelier Progressive MARJORIE POWER Lt. Governor Berlin Republican PHIL SCOTT State Treasurer BETH PEARCE Barre City Democratic State Treasurer DON SCHRAMM Burlington Progressive State Treasurer WENDY WILTON Rutland City Republican Secretary of State JAMES C. CONDOS Montpelier Democratic Auditor of Accounts DOUG HOFFER Burlington Democratic Auditor of Accounts VINCENT ILLUZZI Derby Republican Attorney General THOMAS "T.J." DONOVAN Burlington Democratic Attorney General JACK MCMULLEN Burlington Republican Attorney General WILLIAM H. SORRELL Burlington Democratic

State Senator

State Senator ANN CUMMINGS

State Senator WILLIAM "BILL" DOYLE Montpelier Republican

State Senator DEXTER LEFAVOUR BERNARD "BUDDY" BARNETT Barre City Republican

Montpelier Democratic Middlesex Republican State Senator ANTHONY POLLINA Middlesex Democratic State Representative CATHERINE "KITTY" TOLL Danville Democratic

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Spider Cake and Hand Pies

By Will Ameden Like many of us may do, the recollection of my grandmother (Emma, or “Grammy-o”), are intertwined with memories of home comfort, family meals and always…food. On a door rack in the lower cupboard of the Hoosier Cabinet in my kitchen, sits the recipe book that was inspired by my grandmother’s cookbooks. Her 3ring binders with handwritten recipes and cut-out clippings glued onto paper pages, inspired me to start my own after I graduated from high school and lived in a cabin in South Londonderry. In it, I copied down my favorites of her recipes. As I looked through her cookbook, I loved how over the years she would write in her own changes: other ingredients, cooking times as well as references to other recipes and their corresponding page numbers. Though I am convinced she had many of these recipes memorized and could have made her signature “Blond Brownies” in her sleep, she always had her recipe book open on the counter next to her. After receiving some requests for another recipe post, I opened up my cookbook and found two of Grammy-o’s recipes that seemed to pair very well together, (though I do not remember her pairing them): Meat Hand Pies and New England Spider Cake. Using Under Orion Farm’s beef (of course!) and apple slices I dried from my trees last fall, the hand pies were very, very good and perfect for a rainy night. Paired up with the warm, creamy spider cake alongside a fresh green salad and it’s a meal I will be making again in the near future. I share them here, and ask that when you try these, say a thank you to Emma and to all the other grandmothers who have not only cooked for us, but who have saved and passed down these wonderful recipes for us and our children to enjoy. Thanks Grammy-o!

Meat Handpies 1/2 cup mixed dried fruit, cut into 1/4″ pieces 2 T vegetable oil small yellow onion, chopped 1 small apple, chopped into 1/4″ pieces 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1 lb ground beef 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground pepper Pastry dough, chilled, enough for a two crust pie 1 egg 1 T cream 1. In a small bowl, cover dried fruit with water and let soak. Set aside. 2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil. When hot, but not smoking, add onion and saute until soft (about 5 minutes). Add cinnamon and cloves and saute another 1 minute. 3. Add beef, salt and pepper, breaking up the beef as it cooks. Drain fruit and add to beef mixture. Let cool. 4. Whisk together egg and cream. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8″. Using a large biscuit cutter (3 1/2″), cut out an even number of circles. 5. Place 1 T of beef mixture on half of the pastry rounds. Brush edges of pastry with egg wash. Top with other half of pastry rounds and crimp shut with a fork. 6. Place handpies on an ungreased baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. 7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush rounds with egg wash and bake 30 to 35 minutes. Serve hot.

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Statewide School Choice

By Brigitte Codling With the increasing instability of Cabot’s high school academic program, some parents have begun seeking alternate ways to meet the educational needs of their children. Parents have reported employing options such as relocating, home schooling, tutors, supplemental courses, and Regional School Choice. Residents have also begun discussions on offering Statewide School Choice as an option; which would require the town to close the Cabot High School. In 1999, Vermont’s General Assembly determined that a "shift from the current [education] system to a statewide public school choice system should begin with incentives for exchange programs and intensive study of methods to remove any barriers to the implementation of a public school choice system…” (http://education.vermont.gov/new/pdfdoc/laws/act150/school_ choice_99.pdf). Since then, the Vermont Department of Education has studied collaborative as well as competitive models of school choice and has taken steps toward offering school choice options for Vermont’s pupils, including Act 150 - Regional School Choice, which in 2012 was expanded to increase the number of participating students and the removal of geographic boundaries. Other steps have included refinements to the Statewide School Choice program. Currently, Title16, Section § 822 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated states that each school district shall offer a high school for its pupils unless the residents vote to have their school board close the existing high school and provide the education of its high school pupils by paying tuition. Tuition for its pupils shall be paid to a public high school or an approved independent high school (not including religious schools) to be selected by the parents or guardians of the pupil(s). Title 16, Section § 827 authorizes voters of a school district that does not have a public high school to designate another town’s high school as their high school. This section also gives parents who are dissatisfied with instruction offered at the designated high school the opportunity to request that their school board pay tuition to another high school that may better serve the pupil; the local board’s decision is final with no appeal option. The substance, as well as the effectiveness, of the academic programs we make available to our children is vital to the ultimate success of our children. The Statewide School Choice model not only puts schools in healthy competition for education dollars, it offers parents options as to where and how their child (ren) will learn, which provides an option to take parents and children out of potentially unhealthy and ineffective academic and social situations. Bills are introduced in both the House and Senate Education Committees annually and changes can be realized through legislative actions; it is the school boards’ responsibility under School Choice law to inform students and their parents or guardians of all options for school choice. Parents can follow actions related to school choice by visiting the Education Committee webpage at http://www.leg.state.vt.us/Committee01.cfm and the School Choice Vermont’s webpage at http://www.schoolchoicevermont.com.

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Cabot School Board Meeting Minutes

Unapproved - Monday, June 18, 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. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm. Public Comment: none. Board Discussion: Follow up on Communication Forum: The board reviewed the list of what works, what needs improvement and suggestions for improvement that were gathered at the meeting on June 11th. The two areas the community, students, parents and faculty designated as priorities were (a) Fostering Opportunities for Student Voice and Dialogue and (b) Enhancing Information Disemination. As a result of the suggestions made, the board would like to move forward by (i) inviting students to serve on the school board, (ii) revitalize student leadership/council, (iii) create regular communication between teachers and students to provide constructive feedback, (iv) utilize PowerSchool announcements more, (v) include student work, school calendar, posting approved minutes, etc. in the Cabot Chronicle and (vi) contact Will Walters about creating a Cabot Newswire. Technology Plan 2012-2015: The Vermont Department of Education requires a technology plan at the Supervisory Union level. Holly gave an overview of the technology that is in process now and the future. She suggests this plan be reviewed each year. Consent Agenda: Sharon made a motion, seconded by Paul to approve the consent agenda. The motion carried with a vote of 5-0. Approve June 4, 2012 minutes, with corrections; Approve June 11, 2012 minutes. Reports: Superintendent’s Report: Nancy shared a letter she received from Vermont School Board’s Association, commending Nancy and David Schilling on their presentation regarding the transformation program at Cabot. Nancy reminded the board about the WNESU meeting on June 21, 2012. Principal’s Report: Course of Studies Meeting held on June 20th went well. Demonstration of Learning with the middle school went very well. The students did an excellent job. Graduation went well. 10 faculty members will travel to High Tech High in San Diego, and participate in a three day workshop. Board Action: Tax Anticipation Note (TAN): Chris made a motion, seconded by Paul to accept the bid from Merchant’s Bank. The motion carried with a vote of 5-0. Audit Bid: Chris made a motion, seconded by Jackie to accept the bid from Mudget, Jennett and Krogh-Wisner as recommended by administration. The motion carried with a vote of 3-2. Technology Plan 2012-2015: Jackie made a motion, seconded by Sharon to approve the Technology Plan for 2012- 2015. The motion carried with a vote of 5 -0. PreSchool Teacher: Sharon made a motion, seconded by Ry to approve Shannon Casey as the PreSchool Teacher. The motion carried with a vote of 5-0. Tuition Waiver: Chris made a motion, seconded by Ry to approve a tuition waiver request from Austin Fay, for the 2012-2013 school year. The motion carried with a vote of 5-0. The board went into executive session at 8:36 pm to discuss the negotiations update. Executive session was concluded at 9:03 pm. The meeting was adjourned at 9:10 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Cynthia Epinette, Transcriber

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Cabot High School June Intensive

By Karen Stewart, Principal

Cabot High School students completed classes before the Memorial Day holiday and chose one of several intensive June Term offerings for the final three weeks of the school year. June Term provides a strong finish to the academic year by briefly re-energizing students in a special interest learning area. June Term intensive topics were: Multi-media travel troupe, white-water kayaking, intentional agriculture, Scottish dancing, basketmaking, planning for your future & powerful language. These write-ups were provided by staff and students.

INTENTIONAL AGRICULTURE

One of the offerings for the 2012 June Term session was Intentional Agriculture. This in depth investigation into intentional agricultural design offered students the opportunity to delve into such topics as agricultural sustainability, diversity, and green farming initiatives. As part of this study, students investigated the ways that various agricultural centers have adapted their farming techniques in order to maintain and grow their farms. Students had the opportunity to visit a variety of agricultural centers (dairy, goat, beef, maple, vegetable, fruit trees, etc.). Students also had the opportunity to design a business plan for their own agricultural center. As part of this study students read The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality In Local Food. The author, Ben Hewitt, came to Cabot School to meet with students for an author’s visit. Students investigated essential questions based on the daily topic. Some of the essential questions that students considered were:

• What kinds of changes do people make in order to sustain their agricultural center?

• What types of farming can be done on small lots?

• What are the benefits to raising your own food?

• What are the various types of agricultural products in this area?

• What is sustainable agriculture?

• What are the laws regulating land use, agriculture, forestry, the maple industry?

• What are the tax benefits to land use?

• What are the benefits to buying local?

• What trends are apparent? What are people willing to buy? What the students had to say about Intentional Agriculture and June Term in general: Personally I think that June Term was fun and inspirational. I took the Intentional Agriculture class with Lee Penniman. I thought that the general idea of having a specific thing to study, understand, and do in depth with was interesting. I learned more and realized the truth and reality of agriculture and economy around me. I think I understand and am more aware of my community. I am sad to be leaving this year, but am happy that other students will have this opportunity to study, learn, and experience different things. - Lexie Simmons June Term went well for me. I got to go off school grounds and do some hands on things. I really liked going to the goat farm, and getting to pet the goats. We got to see what they used to milk the goats and where they milk. Next, we met their horses, April (draft) and Gipsy (Appaloosa). Another trip I liked was to the Provender Farm. I really want to see the UVM Morgan Horse Farm on Monday. - Ginny Foster I really enjoyed June Term. I learned a lot about farming and agriculture. I liked being able to get out of the classroom and getting to visit someone’s farm. It meant a lot to me that they were willing to take time out of their busy day to show us around and talk to us about their farm or business. -Brittany Houghton June Term really meant that I didn’t have to sit down all day in the classroom. I could actually go outside and do something that I like; go out and look at farms and explore stuff. Because it’s really no fun to explore a classroom, there’s nothing in it but books and rulers. With this special term at the end of the year, I could make the transition from school to summer much easier than to go right from reading a textbook to splitting a cord of wood. It also helped me to understand that a lot more people than I realized actually like to have their own crop and meat supply, to be able to live off their own plot of land. - Ian Nally I like the idea of having June Intensives because it’s a time to learn things out of the classroom. - Forrest Paquin

SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE

Eight students participated in a three week June intensive, where they studied and learned many country dances of Scotland under the direction of Cabot teacher, Bill Tobin. The class began with an immersion into the footwork which included a quick change travel step, pas de basque setting set, and a strathspey traveling and setting step. This study grew into learning figures in Scottish dancing, such as allemandes, reels, rights and lefts, grand chains, rondels, double triangles, petronellas, diagonal reels of four, and their favorite, circling! After learning numerous figures, they began putting these intricate patterns into reels, jigs, and strathspeys, including dances such as the Reel of the Royal Scots, the Bees of Maggieknockater, The Australian Ladies, and the Postie’s Jig, to name but a few. During their first week they attended classes in Lancaster, NH, and Fairlee, VT. At the end of the week, they attended the 17th Annual Spring Frolic in Lancaster, NH where they danced up to sixteen dances. Ray Danforth of the White Mountain Scottish Country Dancers spoke well of the young dancers when he said, “The word on the street is that if you want to know how to dance any dance on the Spring Frolic program, go ask a Cabot Student!” The second week of dancing included a visit from native Glaswegian, Gerry Tobin who spoke to the class about her homeland, read a Scottish story to them, and played several slow airs for the class on her fiddle. One night during the week, their teacher, Bill Tobin, taught a class in Cabot at the Willey Building where many parents, friends, and dancers from throughout the area came and danced many Scottish dances with the students. The next day, the students took a trip to Massachusetts, to visit some museums, camp out in tents on the ocean and dance with the “Wee Bluets” of Salem. The second week culminated with the Inaugural Cabot Fling on the Friday night, where the students hosted many dancers from as far away as Massachusetts, who came to dance a program of fourteen dances. The third week of Scottish dancing included dancing all of their favorites, as well as teaching the younger children of Cabot School some of Scotland’s dances. By the end of the experience, many of the students were tired, but still very enthusiastic about the experience. Cypress Ellen, a sophomore at Cabot School said, “I liked dancing with all different people and hearing lots of beautiful music. It was a tremendous experience!” When asked if this intensive met her expectations, freshman Maya Morse said. “Definitely! I think it totally and completely blew my expectations off the map! I really wasn’t sure how I felt about the dancing and though I knew it would be fun, I had no idea how awesome it really was!” When asked about his June Intensive, Cabot Sophomore, Carter Maxfield, said “I really enjoyed it and if I did a June term again next year I would do it again!”

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My parents let me make gunpowder and nearly blow up the basement. Is that why I became a scientist?

By Paul Plotz This article first appeared in Slate Magazine on June 8, 2012, and is reprinted here with permission. I am a physician and scientist, 74 years old, and have been studying and working in those professions every day since entering medical school nearly 54 years ago. I would like to convey an accurate account of how that happened. Shortly before my eighth birthday, the A-bombing of Japan and then the end of the war became our era’s sputnik in schools, though I was too young to notice. They also ignited a huge interest in Lise Meitner, Otto Hahn, Einstein, Fermi, Oppenheimer, and the squash courts beneath the stands at Soldier’s Field in Chicago.* My parents—father, a practicing physician who clung to Osler’s prescription to read an hour a day outside of medicine; and mother, a well-read woman with an astonishing knowledge of poetry—heartily approved of comic books since they made you read. They also brought into the house Mr. Tompkins Explores the Atom; One, Two, Three, Infinity; Mathematics for the Million; You and Heredity; Microbe Hunters; and Crucibles but didn’t force-feed them to us. My father’s office was in the house. I passed through it every time I went out to play, and in the evenings, some or all of us would gather in his consulting room to do homework while my mother would help my father keep up his medical reading notes. He would be talking on the phone to his patients and to the doctors who had sent him patients or to the doctors to whom he sent patients. Without consciously listening to him, by the time I got to medical school, my part in such conversations seemed to come naturally. Two other features of my home life stand out as more formative than anything I’ve mentioned so far. First, my father hired Miss Eichel, who had just graduated from Brooklyn College, as his lab technician, and he converted an unused room in the basement to a lab with a centrifuge and microscope and chemicals. Miss Eichel taught me the tasks of her trade and let me help her do them. And when she wasn’t there, I could do what I liked, such as taking note of the various chemicals, including concentrated sulfuric acid. Second, a chemistry set came into my hands—probably a birthday present from my parents. Chemistry sets were common in those days. My wife Judith, also a doctor’s child, tells me that she had one, too. The chemicals all came in stout little wooden cylinders, and there was a booklet describing all sorts of experiments, which my friends and I rapidly ran through, I’m sure. Not just turning wine into water and water into wine but also some genuine chemistry. I was particularly drawn to the blue lumps of copper sulfate. They led to the first failure of my experimental career. I tried to copperplate a small bracelet of my mother’s using a solution of copper sulfate and a battery hooked up overnight. Maybe I got cation and anion confused—I still do—and hooked things up wrong. After the tears subsided, someone, possibly the young physician working as a junior partner in my father’s office, set it up so that it worked. The emotion surrounding the failure and the succeeding relief of the success still vibrate around within me from time to time. But that was just the beginning. When we were in our early teens, a couple of my friends, Warren and Paul—both were doctor’s sons and became doctors themselves—and I discovered somehow the ingredients of gunpowder. We had charcoal and sulfur, but not potassium nitrate. One of us found out about a place that would sell chemicals to any warm body that walked in the door. Also magnesium tape for a fuse. We took the subway to a seedy place in downtown Manhattan and bought—no questions asked—what we needed. Back in the basement lab, we did all sorts of things involving gunpowder—sometimes just on the floor, sometimes in a small crucible from the lab, sometimes noisy, sometimes smelly, sometimes smoky, often in combination. Eventually we graduated ourselves into buying potassium permanganate and using the concentrated H2SO4 and other things we found in various ways, leading to outcomes we had not anticipated. We didn’t know anything about lab coats, gloves, or goggles (nor about bicycle helmets or seat belts) in those days. The moment I have never forgotten was igniting something or other in the crucible and causing a great smell and noise, and a whoosh of smoke shooting up to the ceiling, leaving a black smear, which was still there when I cleared the house after my mother died half a century later. The point of this story is that, through all of this, my parents and my friends’ parents, perhaps sensing that we were not psychopathic or silly, left us alone. They didn’t hover (as I did over my sons when they were playing with their chemistry sets, which may explain in part why they turned to words for a living) or ask where we were going, or what we had bought, or what we were doing anyway. In addition to being curious and to being skeptical, we were free and we were trusted. On reflection, that seems to have been central, and had to have been deeply formative. I became a scientist. I majored in physics, but despite my love for it, it seemed natural for me to yield to years of my father’s gentle nudging, spend a summer being stuffed with organic chemistry, and become a physician. My school and college exposure to science was also helpful in reinforcing an already developed interest. In the small private elementary school and then in the huge public New York City high school I attended, great math and science teachers were in abundance, such as the justly famous biology teacher, Mr. Thomas Lawrence, a wonderful and inspiring spats-wearing Southern gentleman whose students were two of the 40 national Westinghouse finalists my senior year (not me) as well as fistfuls of honorable mentions. In college, great science teachers were also in abundance: for example, Leonard Nash, E.M. Purcell, and William Moffitt. But in high school and college, and even in medical school, the didactic laboratory experiments of the classroom always seemed artificial and boring. When I got to medical school, a physician uncle suggested that I call his friend Bernie if I wanted to work in a lab. Bernie had just joined the microbiology department. I did, was thrown into Bernie’s lab the next day, and began (badly, I might add) to experiment. These were the first real experiments I had done since coming up from the basement at home in my early teens. All through medical school and during a year off supported by a Post-Sophomore Fellowship of the United States Public Health Service, I worked in Bernie’s lab at the school or at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Except for a pause of a couple of years during internship and residency, I continued doing research at the National Institutes of Health for the next 45 years, until I retired in 2011.

That marvelous institution has its home base and its great research hospital, the Clinical Center, in Bethesda, MD, with outposts in other parts of the country, but almost 90 percent of its budget takes the form of grants and contracts to support biomedical and clinical research at universities and research institutes in the United States and abroad. Its mission is “to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.” The research supported by NIH, by the National Science Foundation, by the Veterans Administration, by the Department of Defense, and by a number of other parts of government is responsible for a great deal of the basic knowledge that underpins the development of new therapies. Furthermore, it supports the education of vast numbers of scientists from other parts of the world who come here to train and then return to their home countries or remain here in our scientific and medical communities. The idea that our still unstudiable genetically determined temperaments shape life choices underlies my own reflections on “me and science” and “me and medicine.” But what I really know or at least remember about my family, upbringing, household, schooling, and the world of the 1940s and ’50s still makes a pretty good case for environment. What it doesn’t explain is why my older sister (librarian), younger sister (artist), and brother (lawyer) were not similarly drawn to science or medicine, but my siblings have taught me well enough about their lives for me to know deeply that no two children in a family have the same parents even though they share genes drawn from the same set and live in the same household. Finally, I do not know how to translate my own life experiences—fortunate and happy—into a prescription except to draw on the observation that I was set on the path to becoming a scientist and a physician early in life by direct opportunities to experiment and to observe afforded to me by the good fortune of my tolerant and nurturing family and later the welcoming support of schools and institutions—in my case almost all government institutions – designed to foster a career. I will close by telling of a recent encounter with fourth-graders at a science fair in a local public school. A couple of projects struck me as outstanding—one on the unlikely subject of whether a soccer player’s preferred kicking foot is on the same side as the preferred writing hand. It was based on a sensibly designed plan with a group of soccer players on the teams in the experimenters’ league. The project took less than half a day to execute and not much longer to analyze. The design was excellent, and the two kids who had done it pointed out to me (the judge) every obvious way it could have been improved. I told the teacher privately that these kids did a terrific job and that they should think about becoming scientists. She leapt up, fetched the kids back to the gym from out of their classes so that I could tell them what I had said to her—which I did, with the suggestion that they think about a life in science. When they had left, the teacher told me that the lower grades had lost their science teacher for next year and that most of her fellow classroom teachers did not like to teach even the little science they knew and said why not drop science entirely since money is short. My own experience strongly suggests the benefits of having interesting real science experiences for children when they are young, supported by useful math skills and scientific thinking all though their education, taught by enthusiastic and good teachers.

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2012 UDAG Scholarship Recipients

CABOT SCHOOL GRADUATING SENIORS:

Willa Burke, Thomas More University Kelley Gochey, Castleton State College CONTINUING EDUCATION RECIPIENTS:

Lillian Alexander, Harvard University Bryden Considine, University of New England-College of Osteopathic Medicine Shane Gochey, Saint Michael’s College Carrie Harvey, University of Vermont Theron Lay-Sleeper, Tufts University VOLUNTEER UDAG SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Ann Cookson, Chair R. D. Eno Cathleen Maine Ed Pcolar Regina Quinn

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OBITUARIES & MEMORIALS

Francese G . Cochran Francese Grace Cochran, 90, a long time Walden resident, died Friday evening, July 21, 2012 at the Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury. She was born April 8, 1922, in Craftsbury, the daughter of the late Albert and Elsie (Sheltra) Lanphear. She attended Lowell and Walden public schools. In 2008, she was the recipient of an Honorary High School Diploma from St. Johnsbury Academy. Francese started working at the age of 13, housekeeping, babysitting and waitressing. In 1938, she met her future husband, Wilfred Robert Cochran, while working for his parents, Orlin and Ella Cochran. They married on October 12, 1939, in Cabot, and made their home in Walden, where they raised five children. Francese continued to work; helped farming, cooking hot lunch for the Walden Heights School, worked for Walden area grocery stores, sewed for Hardwick Wear Knitters, cooked and cleaned for the summer residents on Caspian Lake, and wrote local news for the Hardwick Gazette and Caledonian- Record. She was a member of the Walden United Methodist Church, a charter and life member of the Walden Home Demonstration Group, a 25 year member of the Morrisville V.F.W. Auxiliary, as well as a past member of the Cabot Creamery Co-Op. Francese was very devoted to her family and loved her community. She enjoyed watching the birds, cooking, flowers, music, taking pictures, dancing and trips to Westfield for weekly jam sessions. As an act of kindness, she went to many of the area nursing homes to visit patients and get them up out of their chairs to dance, and sent hundreds of cards each year to family, friends and anyone who needed good wishes. Survivors include: a daughter, Diane Cochran of Walden; four sons: Ronald Cochran of Walden, Donald Cochran of South Walden, Dennis Cochran of Danville and Reginald Cochran of Walden: two brothers: Alfred Lanphear of Hardwick and Dale Lanphear of Durham, North Carolina; six sisters: Ruth Lamell, Gloria Godfrey, Dorothy Spaulding and Marion Houghton, all of Morrisville, Sybil Ainsworth of Hardwick and Jeanette Neis of Feeding Hills, Mass.; 14 grandchildren, 6 step grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren, 11 step great grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; Several nieces, nephews and cousins. She was predeceased by her husband, Wilfred, on February 19, 1993; three siblings: Wayne Lanphear, Richard Lanphear and Verlie Tillotson; a grandson, Terry Cochran, and a step grandson, Kelsey Nore. Funeral Services were held on Friday July 27, 2012, at the Walden United Methodist Church in Walden, followed by burial in the South Walden Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the Walden United Methodist Church, c/o Diane Cochran, 20 Cabot Road, Hardwick, VT 05843, or to the Hardwick Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 837, Hardwick, VT 05843. Arrangements under the direction of Dian R. Holcomb of Northern Vermont Funeral Service, 60 Elm Street, Hardwick.

Nelson Knight Abbott Nelson Knight “Bud” Abbott, 63, died unexpectedly, on July 1, 2012, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was born June 27, 1949, in Barre, the son of Knight and Ruth (Nelson) Abbott. He graduated from Cabot High School in the class of 1967. On August 8, 1986, he married Yolanda “Yogi” Hall in Woodbury. In his earlier years he was a machinist for Elltee in Barre, The Vermont Machine Copany in Hardwick, Estabrook Engineering in Derby, and from 1979 until he retired, he was employed by Russell Supply Company in Burlington. Bud was a member of Always Live in Vermont, The Green Mountain Masonic Lodge #68 in Cabot, the Mt. Sinai Shriners and Elks Club, both in Montpelier. He enjoyed collecting guns, trips to Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada, playing cards, gardening and the outdoors. Survivors include a daughter: Louanna Dutil and her husband, Rick, of Plainfield; a son: Daniel Abbott of Cabot; three brothers: David Abbott of Tetonia, Idaho, Tim Abbott of Fairfield, and James Abbott of Cabot; a sister: Diane Thompson of Barre; 4 grandchildren; two aunts, one uncle, many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his parents; his wife, Yogi in 2010; a son, Douglas Abbott in 1997; two brothers: Knight Abbott, Jr., in 1947 and Richard Abbott in 1977. A Memorial Service was held on Thursday, July 5 , 2012, at Northern Vermont Funeral Service with the Rev. Ernest Machia of the Hope Community Church in South Walden officiating. Burial followed in the family lot in the Durant Cemetery in lower Cabot. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, Vermont 05641. Arrangements were under the direction of Dian R. Holcomb of Northern Vermont Funeral Service, 60 Elm Street, Hardwick.

Pauline Pearl Andrews

Pauline Pearl Andrews, 77, formerly of East Hardwick, died Sunday, July 22, 2012, at Greensboro Nursing Home. She was born December 10, 1934, in Wolcott, the daughter of Elmer and Catherine (Alexander) Fleming. She graduated from Hardwick Academy in 1954. She first married Ephraim Salls Sr. in Greensboro on July 20, 1955. She later married Alfred Andrews in East Hardwick on June 2, 1985. In earlier years, she cleaned for local campers, and she later was employed by Trans Continental Michigan selling equipment to farms. She retired in 1993. She enjoyed helping the Girl Scout leaders in Walden, bingo and sewing. Survivors include two children, Ephraim W. "Buddy" Salls Jr., of Hardwick, and Cindy Bishop, of Wolcott; four stepchildren, Frank Pinette, of Georgia state, Paul Andrews, of Cabot, Dianna Green, of Tampa, Fla., and Audrey Bellavance, of Barre; a brother, Leslie Fleming, of North Springfield; three sisters, Evelyn Cleveland, Gladys LaPlante, both of Springfield, and Judy Laundry, of Gilman; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; 10 stepgrandchildren; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. She was predeceased by her husband in 2004 and three sisters, Vera Corliss, Arlene Fleming and Jeannie Jewell. The graveside service was held Saturday, July 28, in Sanborn Cemetery in East Hardwick. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hardwick Fire Department, PO Box 1279, Hardwick, VT 05843. Arrangements under direction of the Northern Vermont Funeral Service in Hardwick.

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WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT

Jeremy Hogsett & Jessie Persons where united on June 9, 2012, at Firemans Point in Columbus, Montana. Jessie is the daughter of Lucas & Terri Persons of Walden. They are currently living in Billing, Montana, with their daughter, Gracie Lila Hogsett.

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Cabot’s Anniversary

(Continued from page 1)

Grammar School, as aforesaid, and the Improvement, Rent, Interests and Profits arising there from, shall be under the Control, Order, Direction and Disposal of the General Assembly of said State forever, and the Proprietors of said Township, are hereby authorized and impowered, to locate said two Rights justly and equitably, or Quantity for Quantity, in such parts of said Township, as they or their committee shall judge will least incommode the general Settlement of said Tract or Township And the said Proprietors, are further impowered to locate, the Lands aforesaid, amounting to three Rights assigned for the Settlement of a Minister, and Ministers for their Support and for the use and support of English Schools, in such and in so many Places, as they or their Committee shall Judge will best accommodate the Inhabitants of said Township, when the same shall be fully vetted, and improved, laying the same equitably, or Quantity for Quantity, which said Lands amounting to the three Rights last mentioned, when located aforedsaid, shall together with their Improvements, Rights, Rents, Profits, Dues and Interests remain unalienably appropriated to the Uses and Purposes for which they are respectively assigned, and be under the Charge, Direction and Disposal of the inhabitants of said Township forever. Which Tract of Land hereby given and granted as aforesaid, is bounded and described as follows viz. Beginning at a stake and stones near a Maple Tree marked No. 1 standing on the North side of a Hill, thence running south fifty four Degrees east six Miles to a Beach Tree Marked Cabot Corner, standing on the south Side of a flat Beach Hill, thence running South thirty six Degrees, west, six Miles to a great Hemlock marked Cabot Corner, a little North of a large Brook, thence North fifty four Degrees west six Miles to the Southwest corner of Woodbury, a stake and Stones near a large birtch Tree marked Cabot Corner, a little south of a small Brook, thence North thirty six Degrees east six Miles to the Bounds began at. And that the same be and hereby is incorporated into the Township by the Name of Cabot, and the Inhabitants that do, or Shall hereafter inhabit said Township are declared to be enfranchised and entitled to all the Privilidges and Immunities which the Inhabitants of other Towns in this State do and ought by the Laws and Constitution of said State to exercise and enjoy.

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Guest Musicians – The Sears Family

Dr. David Sears – composer, performer and educator Permelia Sears – Masters in Organ Performance, Educator and Violist Dr. Rebecca Sears – Doctorate in Classical Philology, Violinist Dr. & Mrs. Sears are members of the Organ Historical Society Convention, which will visit Cabot in summer 2013. The Sears’s travel throughout New England donating their time and talent for church fund raiser endeavors.

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Cabot Worx: Ongoing Efforts

By Wendy Heilig Small steps continue to be made by the Worx group. Recent efforts by our group and the UDAG committee helped Cabot secure assistance from the Vermont Council on Rural Development. This will be a tremendous opportunity for community members to steer Cabot’s direction into the future. Another project we quickly pulled together was a generic Cabot t-shirt, to be used as a mechanism for fundraising efforts. This initial design was beautifully created by Frank Kampf. It was successfully launched at the July 4th festivities. The t-shirt’s simplicity allows any Cabot organization to include it in their fundraising efforts for added value, and is also available for general purchase by anyone interested in supporting Cabot’s ongoing development. Next on our list of projects is the upcoming 2nd Annual Town-Wide Lawn Sale, set for Saturday, August 11th, 2012. The date for this event was timed to coincide with Cabot’s Old Home Days, Alumni Reunion and the Route 15 annual duck race events on August 11-12. Many more projects are waiting in the wings, so please come to one of our Cabot tee-shirts can be purchased on Cabot’s online farmers market at yourfarmstand.com, click on Cabot Community Farmstand, then What’s for Sale?

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

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Alcohol More Harmful For Women

Source: NY Daily News Alcohol in any amount can be dangerous to anyone but it affects women more than men, with increased health risks like liver and heart diseases and infertility for them, according to experts. According to Monika Jain, a senior hepatologist with Fortis Hospital, "the female physiology is such that it allows for greater toxicity with lesser amounts of alcohol and in lesser time, as compared to males." "A woman's body doesn't break down the alcohol as quickly as a man's body does. This results in greater levels of alcohol in blood, resulting in greater toxicity," Jain told IANS. "The enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) which breaks down the alcohol in stomach is produced in smaller quantities in women resulting in slower action as compared to men," Jain added. According to a publication by the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), women who drink heavily face greater health risks than men who drink heavily, with women alcoholics being more prone to liver disease, heart damage and brain damage. Amongst the other problems, the report claims, chronic heavy drinking can lead to menstrual problems, infertility, and early menopause while drinking during adolescence can interfere with puberty, growth, and bone health. But the most vulnerable are the pregnant women who drink because in their case, even the unborn child is at risk from alcohol, which is a teratogen, a substance that can harm a fetus. "Alcohol consumption by pregnant women can induce problems like Fetal Alcohol Disorder (FAD) and Abruption," Shivani Gour, a gynecologist and director of Isis hospital, told IANS. "FAD is a major problem with ill-effects ranging from mental retardation to delayed physical growth. Any amount of alcohol consumed by an expecting mother is enough to harm the unborn child. And then there is abruption, which means premature detachment of the placenta," she added. "The women are more vulnerable to alcohol because of increased percentage of fat as well as estrogen, which delays alcohol breakdown and increases alcohol toxicity in women," said Gour. However, the damage is not just physical. Beyond the physiological ill-effects, the NIAAA report claims heavy drinking can make a woman more vulnerable to violence, including sexual assault and they are twice as likely as men to die from alcohol-related causes such as suicide, accidents, and illnesses.

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Cabot Resident Welters Recognized for Excellence

Competing for Cash in Business Competition Finalists have been selected to compete for $22,250 in prizes in Vermont Tech’s 2012 Food and Farm Business Plan Competition. The competition for food- and farm-related businesses encourages new business development. Open to residents and students in Washington, Orange, and Windsor Counties, prizes totaling $22,250 will be awarded. “We were truly impressed with all of the competitors, and are particularly excited about this group of finalists,” said Steve Paddock, director of the Vermont Tech Enterprise Center, a business incubator designed to support growth companies. “It’s great to see so many entrepreneurs and growing businesses with cutting-edge ideas about how to make food and farm production meet the challenges of the 21st century.” The competition is open to farm and food individuals and businesses engaged in food production, processing, distribution, packaging, or retailing including restaurants. Finalists have until October 5, 2012, to complete their full business plans, which they will present to a panel of judges on October 12, 2012, at Vermont Tech. Winners in each category will be announced that day, following the presentations.

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Finalists, selected in three categories, include

Student Category:

Douglass Calderwood of Echo Hill Farm will compete for an award of up to $3,000. Calderwood, who will be a senior at Vermont Tech next year, is creating a plan for goat dairy in Craftsbury.

New Business Category:

Katja Evans, Raven Hill Farm Natural Meat, Braintree Ignacio Villa, Vermont Whey Fed Pig Company, Waitsfield

Existing Business Category:

Catherine Bacon, Freedom Foods, Randolph Lisa Johnson, Yummy Yammy, Norwich

Zachary Stremlau, Green Mountain Flour, Windsor Solenne Thompson and Jean

Newberry, Tulsi Tea Room, Montpelier Sjon Welters, Rhapsody Natural Foods, Cabot

For more information, contact Steve Paddock at [email protected] or 802-728-9101.

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Poetry Corner: Along The Way

By Bill Cobb As if by appointment beside this sandy way in the morning’s angled sun a spider’s perfect web, its confident artistry spun of instinct, need and purpose anchored twixt tall grasses, cedar and bayberry ensnared my soul.

For me, the one who’d all night labored not, nor need be fed by its success, a work of grace, and art equal from either side. A holographic jewel of dew, light and craft here joined as one while against the sun, wild geese, their low tide feeding done, wing noisily inland toward fresh water.

And as I am want to do with perfection beyond my understanding I shake the dewy anchoring grasses. Enslaved not by mere mathematic design, the web stands flexibly firm absorbing my fear of grace, prepared to feed its artisan and thankfully the soul of one who’d happened by this cross starred August morn.

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TWIN VALLEY SENIOR CENTER

By Betsey Bolt TVSC seniors are going on a boat trip on Lake Memphremagog August 10. The center will be closed. The boat ride & picnic on the boat will occur rain or shine. The cost per person is $20.00. Seniors from the six member towns are eligible, however, space is limited and the trip is on a first come, first serve basis. Please call Rita at 426-3447 by August 3. On August 8 we are hosting a visit from an AARP Representative who will speak on Medicare & Social Security. This program will begin at 12:45 p.m. On August 15 there will be a foot clinic at the Center. Call Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice for an appointment. On August 17 from 1-2:00 p.m. at the Center we will be celebrating the 100th birthday of Plainfield resident Lyndol Hutchinson. You may recall Lyndol from his farm stand located south of the village.

August 22 Paul Haigh from Edward Jones will do a presentation at the Center at 12:45 p.m. August 24 picnic at Rita's---Center closed. There will be another picnic at Rita’s in August, but the date has yet to be determined. Please call the center for the date. Monday September 3 closed for Labor Day. Monday meals will be delivered on August 31.

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Our Pets - Toxins

By Andrea Gilbert, D.V.M.

Top 5 Pet Toxins

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center in Illinois received 165,000 calls in 2011 regarding exposures of pets to potentially poisonous substances. The top 5 toxins that prompted calls were as follows:

Prescription Human Medications

A large percentage of these calls were about heart medications and medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Keep all your medications in a spot that is inaccessible to your pets. Also, keep your pets’ medications out of their reach. Some pet medications are made to be palatable So, if one tastes good, the whole bottle tastes even better! And the whole bottle might cause your pet serious health issues.

Insecticides

11% of the calls concerned insecticides, such as lawn, home and flea and tick products. Read directions carefully before using these chemicals. If something is unclear, call the 800 number on the package.

Over-the-Counter Human Medications

18,000 calls were about over-thecounter medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen (Advil and Tylenol). Some of these drugs have a sweet coating and can be very tasty to your pet. Keep these out of reach. And never give an over-the-counter medication to your pet unless specifically directed by your veterinarian. I personally have seen dogs die after one dose of Aleve, which was given with very good intentions.

People Foods

More than 7,600 calls concerned chocolate. Many other foods can be toxic to animals. For example, xylitol (the sweetener in gums, low sugar candies and a number of other foods), raisins, grapes, onion and garlic can all be toxic.

Household Items

The center received nearly 12,000 calls about general household items such as paint, fire logs and drain openers. The center’s 24-hour hotline is (888) 426-4435.

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Lyndol Hutchinson Turns 100

By Betsey Bolt Lyndol Hutchinson, a regular at the Center, who travels to us via the GMTA bus, is approaching a very important anniversary. He will turn 100 in August, born in 1912 on a farm in Greensboro, Vermont. As a boy, he moved to Connecticut, where his father, Frank, found work at Loomis Institute, responsible for the garden and grounds. That gave Lyndol the opportunity to attend this prestigious boarding school as a day student. Upon returning to Vermont, he graduated from Plainfield High School, and attended Green Mountain Junior College in Montpelier, where he played tennis. He attended for one term before leaving school for work.

Work was starting “Hutchinson Gardens” with his dad Frank. This 13acre farm was located along Route 2 in East Montpelier just over the town line, where the Plainfield Hardware Store is today. They produced for sale to local markets, restaurants and for their own roadside stand dozens of kinds of fresh vegetables. They also raised chickens and he delivered fresh eggs to Barre and Montpelier homes, stores, and restaurants. He bought "down-country" fruits, and local apples, honey, cider, maple sugar and syrup, as well, for resale at the "stand".

Lyndol has one sister, Phyllis Foster, who is living in Florida with one of her daughters. He married Edna Beatrice Scott of Websterville and they had three children: Joan, born in 1944 and now living in California, Ed, born in 1947, who lives in Plainfield, and Cheryl, born in 1962. Lyndol lives in the family home on School Street. Cheryl and husband Tom live in the apartment above. Edna died January 12, 1984.

Lyndol continues to enjoy fresh fruit & vegetables and is especially fond of “sweets”. He loves to sing and entertains us at the Center, singing wellknown hymns. He joined the Macedonia Baptist Church about 40 years ago. He and Edna were part of the Plainfield community that brought the Macedonia Baptist congregation to Plainfield (Marshfield) from it’s prior location on Elm Street in Montpelier. Both Lyndol and Edna were very active in the church bible study. He sang tenor in the Church choir for 20+ years before his hearing began to fail. Ed reports that as children, he would sing any time the family took a long trip in the car. He also taught Ed how to sing harmony to a melody.

Lyndol explained he now gets to sit in the front row at services. He also enjoys attending Project Independence in Barre. As we closed the interview & I thanked him, Lyndol said: “You betcha!”

Lyndol still ambulates from his house to the bus with the help of his walker and the railing along his walk. He climbs up into the bus and has a reserved seat: right behind the driver. Sometimes the Bassett hounds try to come along as well!

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Hay Bank Grants Help To Horses & People in Need

The Vermont Humane Federation’s (VHF) Equine Welfare Coalition recently awarded funding to PETS of the Kingdom in Derby and Spring Hill Horse Rescue in N. Clarendon from its newly formed “Hay Bank”—a means of providing feed support to horse owners in need. PETS of the Kingdom is still caring for six draft horses seized in Jeffersonville by the Vermont State Police in January. The horses are in foster care awaiting the outcome of the owner’s criminal trial. The Spring Hill Horse Rescue recently took ownership of Nellie, a mare who was blinded and suffered from severe chemical burns to her face from a toxic plant in Essex last month. Nellie’s owners didn’t have the resources necessary for her long-term recovery, so she has been placed in foster care until she is ready for adoption. Two grants were already awarded to needy horse owners in Chittenden and Lamoille Counties. The mission of the VHF’s hay bank is to provide horse owners facing financial hardship with temporary hay and feed assistance. Horse rescue organizations, sanctuaries and law enforcement agencies are also encouraged to apply. The creation of the hay bank has been a goal of the Federation’s Equine Welfare Coalition for some time, and was made possible by a $4,000 grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (ASPCA) Equine Fund. “Times are tough for pet owners, and the horse community is no different,” said Joanne Bourbeau, president of the Vermont Humane Federation. “While dog and cat owners can often turn to their local shelter or food pantry for food assistance for their pets, there is nowhere for horse owners to turn. At the same time, the rescue and sheltering community is often feeling the squeeze, especially when animal cruelty seizures require the long-term care of large animals, who must be held as evidence while the case is being adjudicated. These expenses ultimately fall on our local shelters and the private sector—not the state of Vermont.” The Vermont Humane Federation is a state-wide non-profit professional association for animal shelters, rescue groups and animal welfare advocates. For more information about the hay bank, including how to download an application or make a donation, visit www.vermonthumane.org or contact Joanne Bourbeau at 802-368-2790 or email [email protected]

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Cabot Recreation Department

We Hope that everyone is having a great summer. We are excited to see that Soccer Summer Camp has a good number of kids signed up so far. Summer goes by so fast, so remember to look for information on Fall Soccer Sign-ups coming up soon. Larry’s Ball field has been seeded, so it should be ready for the upcoming season. There has been a new picnic table placed on the common, so please feel free to take advantage. We are also expecting two new picnic tables at the pavilion. I am looking for a volunteer to paint some picnic tables at the pavilion. If this is something that you’re interested in helping out with, please contact me so we can set up a time. As always, we welcome new volunteers and members. We meet every second Tuesday of the month in the Library. Amber Bothfeld [email protected] 802-563- 2147

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FROM THE CABOT PUBLIC LIBRARY

Please join us for the last few weeks of 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! This summer, we have 15 youth participating in the Thousand Page Club so far. 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 Chroniclethanks!

Dream Big – READ! - Evening Program 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 Sciencefeatures 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 - Please contact Alicia Feltus for info about yoga during the month of August. 802-563-3220 or [email protected] Dungeons & Dragons – 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] Closed week of August 19th to the 25th

Once again, we ask for your patience as we close the Library for a week to reorganize the “flotsam and jetsam” of a year’s worth of accumulated projects. We will not be open on Tuesday, August 21, Wednesday, August 22, Thursday, August 23, and Saturday, August 25. Thank you for understanding.

Thank You!

Thanks so much to Julie Jurkiewicz for the amazing artwork for our Dream Big – READ! theme, which is hanging on our children’s reading room wall. Thanks so much to Beth Wade and Lyrica Stelle for all the reading and fun at Story Hour. Many thanks to Kassandra Morse for the brilliant authorship of the Murder Mystery. and to Timothy Mueller-Harder and Clementine O’Connor for co-facilitating the evening of mystery and intrigue. Thanks so much to Russ Brown and Ron Lay Sleeper for a fun evening of true mysteries and shivery tales. And many thanks to John Hammer and Paul Wade for bringing their telescopes up to Cabot Plains and showing us a close up view of Saturn and other planets, moons and stars. We are grateful for the community sharing of expertise. Thanks to everyone who participated in our recent survey. Your responses will help us to determine how well the library is meeting community expectations and will aid us in planning future events. Again, thanks to all.

See you at the Library!

Anne Walker and Kathleen Hoyne

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A Public Dialogue About Belief One Essay At A Time

By An Anonymous Submitter

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.”

~John Milton – Paradise Lost Our interpretation of events, especially of events that happen to us, determines how we feel about them. If an event is seen as natural and consistent with our expectations, the event is considered acceptable, even if the event is painful or unsought. So the range of our expectations is important in establishing what we accept as natural and therefore can more easily accommodate. But how do we manage our expectations so that mishaps are seen as “haps” and a natural part of things as they really are? I think the key is to soften our usual judgmental attitudes and drop our pervasive preferences that say, “this is how I want things to be – anything else is not right”. While our narrow range of preferences may deliver dependably safe experiences, they limit our view of acceptable events, and create grounds for complaint, when complaint is either foolish or not justified. Complaints are foolish when we can’t control the course of events, anyway. Complaints are unjustified when the unexpected occurrence contains the surprise of learning or enlightenment. In fact, the unexpected, unscripted event is often richer than the event that we had planned – but only if we can see it that way.

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

~Wm. Shakespeare, Hamlet Everyday occurrences provide opportunities to switch expectations to good effect. Breakdown of mechanical equipment – think cars – is usually seen as something gone “wrong” – and so it is from our self-centered viewpoint. In the larger context of the laws of nature or physics, the breakdown is exactly “right” – in perfect conformity with the intricate principles of order and chaos, persistence and entropy. If we take on this interpretation of the breakdown event, we are participating in the grand scheme of cause and effect (or indeterminacy, if modern physics is to be believed), an experience more profound than the minor inconvenience of a change of our plans. We have just replaced one experience with another. The richness of our lives can be measured by the quality of engagement we bring to our contacts with the world around us. To the extent that we can broaden our constructive engagement as we meet things as they are, we can more fully participate in this wonderful world, in this, the best life we will ever have.

“Our life is the creation of our mind.”

~Siddhartha Gautama Buddha

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Cabot Library Reminders

…ο HOURS • Tuesday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.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 **Story Hour Takes a** **Break in August.** • 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.

• New this summer – Vermont History Museum Pass – Allows free admission for one family to the Vermont History Museum located in Montpelier in the Pavilion Building.

The beginning of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 10.

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Invasive Plants Of Vermont

By Roland (Slim) Payne, Cabot Tree Warden

Monitoring for and treating invasive species is one of the most important things Vermonters can do to take care of our woodlands. I have already treated the Giant Hogweed on my property. The Giant Hogweed on Elm Street should be treated by the time this paper goes to print. I have already cut the flowers off so they can’t go to seed.

The photographer went to meet Slim when he chopped off the huge flower clusters of the Giant Hogweed growth along Elm Street, Cabot. He started at 6:00 a.m., and by 6:15, he was done. He works early in the day to avoid the sap, which, in combination with moisture and sunlight, can cause severe skin and eye irritation, painful blistering, permanent scarring and blindness.

For information on any of these, go to: www.VTInvasives.org.

Trees and Shrubs Common Buckthorn Asiatic Bittersweet Japanese Knotweed Japanese Barberry Morrow’s Honeysuckle Norway Maple White Poplar European Black Alder Black Locust Sycamore Maple Princess Tree Amur Maple Tree of Heaven Russian Olive Glossy Buck Thon Multiflora Rose Bell’s or Bush Honeysuckle Dwarf Honeysuckle Burning Bush Tatarian Honeysuckle Japanese Spirea Autumn Olive Amur Honeysuckle Common Barberry False Indigo Narrowleaf Bittercress Privet Japanese Butterbur Wild Chervil (photodermatitis) Giant Hogweed (photodermatitis) Goutweed Perennial Pepperweed Galic Mustard White Sweet Clover Wild Parsnip (photodermatitis) Wall Lettuce Butterfly Bush Moneywort Lesser Celandine Yellow Sweet Clover Cypress Spurge Yellow Flag Iris Garden Loosestrife Big Flowered Foxglove Wineberry Purple Lose Strife Spotted Knapweed Dame’s Rocket Fox Glove Plowering Rush

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Vermont’s 1777 Constitution

By Senator Bill Doyle Vermont's Constitution, written in 1777, was penned one year before our nation declared its Independence in 1776 and twelve years before our national constitution was written in 1787. The year 1777 was especially important for Vermont. We declared our independence from England and New York and prevailed at the Battle of Bennington, which led to the Battle of Saratoga, the turning point of the Revolutionary War. On July 2, 1777, a convention of delegates from the East and West side of Vermont met in Windsor to write a constitution. Borrowing phrases from the U.S. Declaration of Independence, Article 1 stated: “that all men are born equally free and independent, and have certain natural, inherent and unalienable rights, among which are the enjoying and defending of life and liberty; acquiring, possessing and protection of property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.” The first article concluded with a clause prohibiting slavery, Vermont being the first state to do so.

Vermont was also the first state to adopt universal male suffrage. Article 8 provided: “that all elections ought to be free, and all free men have a right to elect offices, or be elected into office.” McMaster, in his History of the United States, wrote that under most of the early state constitutions, “none but property owning, tax paying men could give that consent from which government derives it's just powers. Nowhere, save in Vermont, did manhood suffrage exist. Elsewhere no man voted who did not pay a property tax, or rent a house, or own a specified number of acres or have a specified yearly income.” Other rights guaranteed by the Vermont 1777 Constitution included freedom of speech, press and assembly, protection from search and seizure, and the right to bear arms. Article 16 read: “frequent recurrence of fundamental principals, and the firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, industry and frugality, are absolutely necessary to preserve the blessings of liberty, and keep government free.”

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A Moth’s Fatal Attraction

By Madeline Bodin Jim Hedbor of Grand Isle County, Vermont, has been collecting moths for decades, but he has a distinct memory of one special night of moth hunting. He was on Cold Hollow Mountain in northern Vermont. It was the darkest of nights. “There was not an artificial light to be seen,” he said. Hedbor’s basic moth trap is a bright light shining on a white sheet. When he returned to his trap that night, he found dozens of Vermont’s largest and most colorful moths. There were luna moths (which have pale green wings that can span over four inches), cecropia moths (reddishbrown wings tipped with tan and dotted with eyespots, spanning five inches), and other moths in the giant silkworm family. Of course, with this set-up, the moths were trapped by nothing but the light itself. When Hedbor turned the light off, the spectacular insects flew off into the night. Why are moths attracted to artificial lights? People have wondered about this since ancient times. The way a moth is drawn to a candle flame has symbolized destructive attraction since at least Shakespeare’s day. Because of this age-old fascination, it may be no surprise that one of the most enticing explanations for the phenomenon is over 100 years old. Many scientists believe that some moths navigate a landscape of air currents and wafting scents using the moon as a compass. The idea is simple: if a moth flies at a 45-degree angle to the moon, the brightest object visible, it can fly in a straight line for a very long distance. You may have noticed this phenomenon if you’ve ever driven a long distance on a straight road. Miles later, you can still see the moon (or the sun) in the same spot out the car window. For the moths, the degree of the angle they fly varies, of course, depending on where they want to go. But when a porch light or a campfire is the brightest thing the moth can see, this navigation system falls apart. Because the light is so close, relative to the distance of the moon, the moth can’t fly in a straight line for long. Flying at the same angle to a nearby source of light guides the moth in a circle. That circle gets smaller the closer the moth is to the light, until the moth is in direct contact with the light bulb, still circling. It’s a theory backed up by everyday observation. Moth hunters like Hedbor have noticed that it’s easiest to catch moths when your trap is the only light around. That’s why his night on Cold Hollow Mountain was so successful, he guesses. Even competition from the moon can cut down on the number of moths caught, said Hedbor. “The dark of the moon is best for collecting – also cloudy nights.”

Another theory states that some moths settle down near bright lights because the light fools them thinking that it is daytime. For a moth, daytime is rest time. Some people have suggested that moths are attracted to light because the night sky is brighter than the bushes and trees, guiding the moths away from predators and entrapment in the underbrush; or that the ultraviolet light given off by bulbs and flames taps into the moths’ attraction to the ultraviolet light reflected by night-blooming flowers. Moth hunters use both white and black lights, which emphasize ultraviolet light and attract moths. Hedbor knows that some species are more likely to be attracted to one type of light or the other. He marks each of the specimens he collects with the type of light it was caught with. Some moths, it should be noted, do not come to light at all. “When you collect a specimen, you are providing a basic unit of raw data,” Hedbor explained. Someday, an interested scientist may analyze his collection, as well as others, and figure out which moths are attracted to broad spectrum light and which to ultraviolet. This could help scientists figure out which theory is correct. Hedbor uses a mercury vapor light when setting a white-light moth trap. This light has a lot of blue in it, and not much yellow, and the moths seem to prefer it to other types of light, he said. Another potential clue. While Hedbor has certainly read the various theories on why moths are attracted to artificial lights at night, he hasn’t singled one out as being more convincing than the others. “I run the lights and the moths come,” he said. “I don’t really question it.” Madeline Bodin is a writer living in Andover, Vermont. The illustration for this column was drawn by Adelaide Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine and sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: [email protected].

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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4th of July Photos

Bread and Puppet Theater, regular participants at the Cabot Independence Day Parade, bring their creativity and messages to onlookers.

Mark Bromley vends Cotton Candy from his bicycle for Cabot Connects Mark and Aiden Codling decked out their golf cart to represent their business, Cabot Heights Property Maintenance.

Various local farmers show off their tractors in the Cabot Independence Day Parade.

Thank you to all community members who donated photos from the festivities.

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