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The Cabot Chronicle

November 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 November 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

Rice In Cabot

Did you know that right here in Cabot we grow rice successfully? Center for Natural Living, a Cabot-based non-profit focusing on developing a more sustainable food system, has been growing paddy rice sourced from Hokkaido, Japan, where growing conditions are similar to Vermont. Started with only 30 seeds in 2009, this year's harvest was 200 lbs of edible short grain rice. As we gain more experience with growing rice here in Cabot, we hope to increase the land area to other parts of town as well. If you'd like to grow rice yourself contact us to get your own seeds: Info@rhapsody naturalfoods.com or 563-2172. For more information: http://www.ricenortheasternus.org/.

Part of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 1 onward.

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Cabot School Still Needs Improvement

The following letter was mailed to all Cabot School parents on 9/14/12 following the school’s identification as a “school in need of improvement”.

September 2011

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The Cabot School was identified by the Vermont Department of Education as a school in need of improvement (Year 1 School Improvement) based on student performance in reading for students who receive free and reduced meals. AYP (average yearly progress) is determined using NECAP scores from fall 2011 assessments. The supervisory union, with guidance from the Vermont Department of Education, will be providing technical assistance as we conduct a needs assessment and carry out the required actions issued by the DOE.

Last year we did not make adequate yearly progress in four areas: reading for all students, math for all students, reading for free and reduced lunch students and math for free and reduced lunch students. We are pleased to report that this year the school met the targets in three of these areas, but not in reading for the free and reduced lunch group. The percent of students proficient for this group did improve; from 63% proficient last year to 66% proficient this year, but that was not sufficient to meet the target for 2011. Failing to make AYP for any group of students two years in a row results in a school being identified as a ‘school in need of improvement”. In math we met the targets for both the “All student” group and the free and reduced lunch group, again, showing an increase in (See Needs Improvement, page 8)

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THE FLYING FARMER Preservation Tips

Excerpted from Will Ameden's blog at http://catamountaviation.word press.com/

The colors are starting to change here in Cabot and we have just a few weeks left before we shut the farm stand down for November. The hens aren’t laying quite as much, so no eggs this week, but we are picking the last of our tomatoes, herbs and leafy greens, so come on up the hill and get the last of the harvest!

Preservation tips:

Cherry tomatoes: Rinse, pop off the stems and freeze whole on trays or directly into a plastic bag that can stack flat. In winter, add a handful to give a fresh tomato flavor to sauces, stews and soups. Check this site for good tips: http://www.tomatodirt.com/freezing-tomatoeswhole.html

Slicing and/or Beefsteak tomatoes: Freeze whole as with cherry tomatoes. When ready to use, run under hot tap water to peel the skin and chop with a sharp knife to add to sauces, stews and soups. Whirl in a food processor. Pour into a large pan and allow the pulp to rise above the juices. Skim off the pulp and freeze in containers or freezer safe bags. See the Instructables site for good tips: http://www.instructables.com/id/Freezing-summer-tomato-crop/Alternatively, after processing the tomatoes, simmer the pulp until the water has evapo- rated. Cool and then freeze in freezer safe bags.

Can it safely! Check out this link for good tips. http://kgi.org/canning-tomatoes-step Summer Squash and Zucchini: Pickle or blanch and freeze Try a zucchini spread! Thinking we might try this at home: http://food.visitphilly.com/zucchini-spread/

Herbs: Pesto: Whirl your choice of leafy herbs with garlic and olive oil until a spreadable paste is formed. Add salt to taste. Nuts and cheese optional. Freeze in ice cube trays and transfer to containers or try freezing in small bags and lay flat in the freezer. Dry by hanging in bunches Preserveinsalt : h t p : / /lifeonthebalcony.com/three-ways-topreserve-basil/We found lots of great tips from High Mowing Organic Seeds this week too. Check out their latest blog on preserving the harvest.

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Is the Future of the Cabot Church in Jeopardy?

by Amanda Legare Members of the Cabot Church are struggling to make ends meet. With 70 members (on paper) and 30 active members, the future of the church is precarious. The typical Sunday service sees around 20 seats filled. “It is a challenge for us to keep the doors open,” explained board member Marvie Domey, “We’ve never been a rich church. We have no endowments to give us any wiggle room,” she added. Domey was baptized in the church 75 years ago. “There’s no organization that supports us,” agreed the church treasurer, Sue Bussolotti. I don’t know where people think the funding comes from. It’s only from donations, pledges, fund raisers and private gifts.” The church is not affiliated with “Faith in Action,” which receives federal and state funds. Beth Wade, the newest board member, laments the fact that participation in the church is so small. “That seems to be the way of most mainstream churches these days,” she said. The Pew Research Center confirmed this trend recently. “The number of Americans who do not identify with any religion continues to grow at a rapid pace,” they wrote. “Two-thirds of (Americans) say they believe in God (68%). More than half say they often feel a deep connection with nature and the earth (58%), while more than a third classify themselves as "spiritual" but not "religious" (37%).” “In order to keep the doors open in Cabot, we have to find out what the people want in the community for a type of spiritual leadership and offer it to them,“ Domey said. “They don’t seem to want the old-fashioned kind.” “Basically we are just getting by,” said Sue Freeburn, another board member. “We could only pay our pastor, Laura Cadmus, for quarter time.” After serving “just shy” of three years, Cadmus has had to resign. Cadmus is an electrician and is also completing seminary studies. “I am not leaving simply because Cabot can't afford me,” she said. “I just can't do it all.” “She went far above and beyond for us,” Freeburn said. "We were fortunate that she was here most Sundays and at many Cabot functions as well. She loved Cabot and she loved us. We thought she was great.” Board members are working on a solution to locating a new pastor. Ron Bussolotti thinks one possible solution is to find a retired minister. Rose Bothfeld confirmed the church’s situation. “We had a good minister and she has to leave us because we can’t afford to pay her even half-time.” “We’re just barely paying our bills, Bothfeld added. “The community can Cabot Church, on Main Street in the Village of Cabot, seeks input from the community regarding what they are looking for from their local church.

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From page 2

By Will Ameden not assume we will always be there for them.” In addition to Sunday worship, the church is used for “Home Dem” and AA meetings. The Cabot Chorus rehearses there and the Cabot Play-care (currently inactive) gathered there. It is also used for various private meetings and, of course, for weddings and funerals. The kitchen is often in use and church members have repeatedly provided free meals for the community. Mentoring programs for children have been sponsored and members have reached out to area people in need. Most recently, members of the church, along with a few community volunteers, are working on quilts for each of the five children whose mothers were killed October in a car accident. “If you don’t want the church to close, more people have to step up,” Domey stated. “It’s expensive to maintain the building. We would like to be able to pay a pastor and do more outreach and missionary projects.” “I would really like to know what the community wants us to do,” said board member Skip Bothfeld. “Does the town value the church enough to support it?” Anybody with suggestions for the church board or wishing to support the church in any way can contact a board member.

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√ YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO ASSISTANCE

• Bring the person of YOUR CHOICE into the voting booth with you to help you vote. (Not your employer or union representative.)

• You can get help marking the ballot. Ask an election official for assistance.

• Two election officials will help you.

• (No one can tell you how to vote!)

• Bring a magnifying glass or other device to help you vote.

• If you are disabled or ill, you may ask the election officials to bring a ballot out to your car

• Bring a list of candidates into the voting booth to help you vote.

• (You may not show your list to other voters or leave it in the booth.)

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√ YOU CAN VOTE EARLY OR VOTE FROM HOME

• You can vote at the town clerk’s office or take a ballot home to vote anytime 30 days before the election.

• Call the town clerk or sign a request form and the clerk will send you a ballot by mail.

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OFFICIAL GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT NOVEMBER 6, 2012

To vote for a person whose name is printed on the ballot, mark a cross (X) in the square at the right of the person's name. To vote for a person whose name is not printed on the ballot, write his or her name in the blank space provided for that purpose.

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√ YOU CAN GET A NEW BALLOT IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE

• If you give your first ballot to an election official you can get another ballot to vote.

• You can get up to three ballots.

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√ YOUR BALLOT IS PRIVATE

• No one has the right to see how you voted or to ask you how you voted. Cast your ballot by either folding and placing your ballot in the ballot box or by inserting your ballot into the voting machine.

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√ PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS

• Election officials are here to help you understand how to vote. They cannot help you decide who to vote for and they may not tell you candidate names or party designations

• If you are not sure that you are being properly assisted, ask to speak to the presiding officer.

For more information please call the

Secretary of State’s Office at 1-800-439-VOTE (8683) or email derossman@sec. state.vt.us.

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OBITUARIES & MEMORIALS

Eldora F. Amadon Eldora F. Amadon, 87, passed away in the comfort of her home and family on Wednesday, September 26, 2012. Born in Cambridge on July 29, 1925, she was the daughter of the late Levi and Mildred (Shangraw) Burnor. On August 31, 1940, she married Alfred L. Amadon in Danville. Alfred predeceased Eldora on April 10, 1998. Eldora was a graduate of Cabot High School and went on to a long career at the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury, first as an aide and then, following her graduation from the Vera Hanks School of Psychiatric Technology, as a psychiatric technician, retiring in 1987. She was a former member of Green Mountain Chapter 35 Order of the Eastern Star of Cabot. Her family fondly remembers Eldora's love of gardening, both flower and vegetable, the talent she had for crocheting and knitting, and the many hours she spent canning her garden's plentiful bounty. Eldora is survived by her daughter, Sally Buck, and her husband, Earl, of Liberty Hill, Texas; five grandchildren, Janice Linehan, Carleton Buck, Pamela Champney, Alfred Buck and Stacey Madrano; 14 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren; a sister, Glennis Holton, of Florida; as well as nieces, nephews and extended family. Eldora was predeceased by a grandson, Kevin Buck, and a sister, Arlene Churchill. Funeral services were held from the Perkins-Parker Funeral Home in Waterbury Monday, October 1, 2012, followed by burial in the Waterbury Center Cemetery. The family requested that flowers be omitted; rather memorial gifts would be appreciated to the Waterbury Ambulance Service, P.O. Box 95, Waterbury Center, VT 05677, or to the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org). To send online condolences please visit www.perkins parker.com and Facebook.

Clifton R. Cates Clifton R. Cates, 54, of Walden, VT, and formerly of Charlotte, died unexpectedly Friday, September 28, 2012, from injuries sustained in a wreck. He was born February 25, 1958, in Durham, a son of the late William and Mary (Cox) Cates. He graduated from Raleigh, N.C., public schools in the class of 1976. He was a commercial fisherman for several years in North Carolina. He later was a carpenter and painter. He retired in 2010 due to failing health. Clifton enjoyed fishing. He was a wonderful artist who enjoyed drawing and pottery. He loved camping and the time that he spent with his grandchildren. Survivors include the love of his life, Kathy Cates; a stepson, Matthew Bashaw; three grandchildren; a sister, Patricia Jones of Oviedo, Florida.; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. All services will be private at the convenience of the immediate family. In lieu of flowers contributions in his memory may be made to the Vermont Kidney Association, P.O. Box 244, Burlington, VT 05402. Private online condolences may be sent to [email protected]. Arrangements by Dian R. Holcomb of Northern Vermont Funeral Service, Hardwick, Vt.

Lois I. Domey Lois Imagene Domey was born in Hardwick, VT, September 30, 1915, to Edward and Ruth (Woods) Domey. She moved to Cabot in 1926 and graduated from Cabot High School. She was married to Robert Domey for over 50 years and they lived in Keene, NH, until retirement took them to Florida for winters and Vermont and family beckoned them back in the summer. After her husband died, Lois returned to Vermont permanently. For the last seven years, Lincoln House in Barre has been her home, where she enjoyed rides in the country and she participated in many activities. Lois worked for Ye Goodee Shoppe, where she became a master craftperson at hand-dipping chocolates. She and her husband purchased the candy store in 1958 and continued making the confections 'the old fashioned way' until modern technology took over. Lois was also an excellent cook and baker and a great story teller. She was a member of United Church of Cabot and a life member of Order of Eastern Star. Lois is survived by two brothers: Raymond of Wichita, KA, and Carlton (Marvie) of Cabot, eight nieces and nephews; Bonnie Bonnell of Douglass, KA, Patricia Ducharme of Williamstown, Cheryl Huntley of Cabot, John Domey, Marshfield, Susan Domey-Allen, Pembroke, MA, Robyn L. D. Hall, Coventry, CT, Edward (Ted) Domey, Cabot, Anne Domey, Barre, twelve grand nieces and nephews, and five great grand nieces and nephews. She was predeceased, besides her husband, by her sister -inlaw Mildred Domey last December. Memorial contributions may be made to Activity Fund, Lincoln House, 120 Hill Street, Barre, VT 05641. At Lois' request, there will be no calling hours or service. Private burial will take place in Durant Cemetery in Cabot. Arrangements are under the direction of Des Groseilliers Funeral Home.

Carlene Mildred Evans Carlene Mildred Evans, 90, beloved wife of the late Charles L. Evans, formerly of Newington and Windsor, passed on October 20, 2012, of complications resulting from a fall.

Carlene was a resident of Seabury Meadows in Bloomfield, CT. Born in Walden, VT, on December 15, 1921, she was the younger of two daughters born to Freeman J. Houghton and Mildred Shepard. She grew up on a farm in Walden and in Hardwick, VT, where her father owned and operated a farm equipment and white goods business. Graduating from Hardwick Academy, she attended the Elie School of Hair Dressing in Burlington, VT, and then worked as a hairdresser in nearby Middlebury. There she met her future husband, Charles L. Evans of Windsor, CT, then a Pharmacist Mate in the US Navy. Following the War, they settled in Hartford, CT, and later in Newington, where they raised three children. "Charlie" was a trolley operator and later a bus operator for the Connecticut Company. Carlene worked at Fafnir Bearing in New Britain and later at Travelers Insurance in Hartford, where she was awarded a yearly stipend for life after identifying a potentially serious underwriting liability. In her later years, she enjoyed the companionship of her fellow seniors in the Newington Seniors Bowling League and at senior golf. She never met a person with whom she could not converse. Well into her eighties, she volunteered her services at Jefferson House to "help bring some comfort to the older folks". Carlene is survived by her children, Charles, Jr., a retired Air Force Pilot, and his wife Marilyn of New Jersey, Carlene Ann, a real estate broker and auctioneer and her husband Michael McGlone of Tequesta, FL, and John Freeman Evans, retired Windsor Locks, CT, school teacher and his wife Jane of Windsor. She is survived by four grandchildren, Elizabeth and her husband Nicco Vannelli of Enfield, CT, Jennifer and her husband Walter Felgate of Windsor, CT, Lisa and her husband Billy Hogan of Tequesta , FL, Laura and her husband Jon Spaulding of Tequesta, FL. She is also survived by eight great grandchildren, Colton, Darby, Jacob, Cade, Andrew, Grace, Gianna, and Nina, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister Mae and Mae's husband George Beddie. A service to celebrate her life was held on Wednesday, October 24, at Trinity United Methodist Church in Windsor. Burial will be private at West Meadow Cemetery in Newington, CT, where she will rest beside her beloved Charlie who has waited patiently for over 28 years. Donations may be made to Trinity Christian School, 180 Park Avenue, Windsor, CT 06095, or to a charity of the donor's choice. For online condolences, please visit www.carmonfuneral home.com.

Glen R. Graham Glen Roger Graham, 77, a resident of Marshfield for the past 40 years, passed away at the Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin Monday, September 24, 2012. Born in Craftsbury on September 3, 1935, he was the son of the late Albert and Pearl (Johnson) Graham. On February 23, 1959, Glen married the former Eleanor Perry in Waterbury. Glen attended schools in Craftsbury and then joined the U.S. Navy, where he served on the USS E.F. Larson. Following his discharge, Glen worked at J.P. Stevens Textile Mill in Lawrence, MA, then moving back to Vermont was employed at Sprague Electric in Barre, the Cabot Hosiery Mill in Northfield and then for several years worked a dairy farm in Walden. For the past twenty years, he owned and operated Graham's Greenhouse in Marshfield. Glen's family fondly remembers him for his care, compassion and love for his family, the joy he felt spending time with his grandchildren, especially learning and playing video games that they sometimes let him win at, and for being an avid outdoorsman and the pleasure it brought him. Glen is survived by his wife of 53 years, Eleanor Graham, of Marshfield; his children, Rhonda Larrabee and her husband, Brian, of Waterbury, Terry Graham and his wife, Tina, of Berlin, Michael Graham, of Waterbury, John Graham, of Marshfield, Lisa Graham, of Marshfield, and Michele McLauren and her husband, Scott, of Marshfield; eight grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren; a sister, Lucille Perry, and her companion, Joe Magoon, of Waterbury; two brothers-in-law, Donald Perry and his wife, Joan, of Waterbury, Bernard Perry, of Waterbury; a sister-inlaw, Brenda Degreenia, of Graniteville; as well as nieces, nephews and extended family. He was predeceased by a sister, Delphia Dennett. Services at Glen's request were private. To send online condolences please visit www.perkinsparker.com and Facebook. Assisting the family is the Perkins- Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury.

Jennifer Lee Hurley Lowell, Mass., March 7, 1983, the daughter of Dennis and Maureen (Gauverau) Hurley. Jennifer attended high school in Billerica, Mass., and Providence, R.I. ,and graduated from Community College in Massachusetts for nursing. Jennifer enjoyed the company of her family and friends. She relocated to Vermont two years ago from Lowell, MA. She was predeceased by her mother, Maureen Hurley, in 1997. Survivors include her daughter, Haylee Dumias of South Ryegate, VT.; a son, Jeffrey Dumias of South Ryegate; her father, Dennis Hurley of South Ryegate; four sisters, Christina M. Hurley of Nashua, NH, Angelica R. Morrison of Smithfield, RI, Nicole L. Hurley of South Ryegate, and Jessica K. Hurley of South Ryegate; a grandfather, Eugene Gauverau of Bristol, TN and several aunts, uncles, cousins, and three nephews. A celebration of Jennifer's life was conducted October 13 at Ricker Funeral Home in Woodsville, NH. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Hurley Family, 1276 Creamery Road, South Ryegate, VT 05069. Ricker Funeral Home handled arrangements.

Holly L. Trombly

The graveside service for Holly L. Trombly, 28, who died October 6, 2012, was held Saturday, October 13, in Eaton Cemetery in Marshfield. The Rev. David Mulligan, pastor of Anglican Catholic Church of North America of Marshfield, officiated. A reception took place at Old School House in Marshfield. Arrangements were under the direction of the Pruneau-Polli Funeral Home in Barre.

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OBITUARIES & MEMORIALS COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

Gisele B. Trepanier Gisele B. Trepanier, 80, of Donahue Road, Graniteville, passed away Thursday, October 11, 2012, at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin with her family at her bedside. Born in Ste. Cecile de Frontenac, PQ., on January 22, 1932, she was the daughter of the late Camille and Yvonne (Gregoire) Roy. After her marriage to Albert Trepanier, they resided in Maine and East Barre before moving to Graniteville, where they made their home. She was employed at the former Sprague Electric in Barre for many years. Gisele enjoyed fishing, camping with family and friends and making frequent trips to the Casino. Gisele is survived by her four sons, Roger Trepanier and his wife, Linda of East Barre; Lawrence Trepanier and his wife, Wanda, also of East Barre; Norman Trepanier and his wife, Claire of Washington; Steve Trepanier and his wife, Joanne of Essex; one daughter, Susie Gokey and her husband, Ken of Cabot.

She loved her family, especially her grandchildren, Albert Trepanier and his wife, Melissa of Websterville; Monique Spooner and her husband, Burton of E. Montpelier; Tara Rivet and her husband, Mike of Williamstown; Karissa Trepanier and her companion, Mike Bernier of Williamstown; Matthew Trepanier and his companion, Danielle Spencer also of Williamstown; Dana Trepanier of E. Barre; Elaine Trepanier and her companion, Duncan Taylor of Ireland; Nicole Gokey of Barre and Charlie Trepanier of Williamstown, as well as many greatgrandchildren, nieces and nephews. Gisele recently lost her partner of 30 years, Charles "Joe" Irish, also known as "Papa Joe." Gisele also leaves behind three sisters, Elizabeth, Jacklyn and Angele, and one brother, Claude Roy. Besides her husband Albert, she was predeceased by one brother, Gaston, and sister, Clemence. Contributions in Gisele's memory may be made to Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, VT 05641. The Pruneau-Polli Funeral Home of 58 Summer St., Barre, assisted the family with the arrangements.

All Terrain Vehicles : What’s the Difference?

Why should the state of Vermont allow all terrain vehicles on dirt roads? A lot of small towns in Vermont have been having issues with ATVs on dirt roads and other roads from which ATVs are banned. Currently, in Walden, Cabot, Barnett, and Peacham, ATVs are a big problem. Many people want them banned altogether and some don’t want them banned. There is absolutely no problem with ATVs driving on dirt roads, as long as they are being safe and drivers are wearing the correct protective gear and respecting the town’s roads. What is the difference between a motor vehicle and an ATV? There is not much of a difference at all. If you think about it, dirt roads are not highly traveled. People are complaining about ATVs driving on them because they are noisy, affect the wildlife habitat, pollute the air, and tear up the roads. These non-ATV drivers complain about all this, but do you hear them making a big issue about loud, noisy motor vehicles that travel back roads? Of course, but not enough to make it an issue like people have with ATVs! What’s next? Banning vehicles from roads? Vehicles and ATVs could do the same thing: tear up the roads, drive aggressively, be very loud, and pollute the air. It is clear that vehicles and ATVs aren’t much different and both should be allowed on back roads. ATV drivers have nowhere to ride but on their own property or that of their friends. Why is it that there are trails designated for snow machines and no trails at all designated for ATVs? If the state doesn’t want to spend money on trails specifically for ATVs, why can’t ATVs be allowed on the VAST trails during the seasons when the snow machines are not using them? In three out of four seasons, ATVs could be using the trails, and then during the winter they could be banned from them. Of course, there would have to be rules and regulations for ATVs like those for snow machines. Why is it that only thirty minutes north of Vermont they have over 10,560 miles of trails? Just driving a half an hour north to Quebec, it becomes clear that Canada has made ATVs completely acceptable, and citizens have the freedom and right to drive them on designated trails. Canada has designed a system of laws and regulations for trails that are available to each and every citizen over the age of 16, so why can’t Vermont? There is a large population of Vermonters who grow up hunting, fishing and being outdoors, and driving ATVs is part of this culture. If Vermont adopted Canada’s model for allowing ATVs on snowmobile trails or potentially creating their own trails for ATVs, it would not only make the ATV-riding Vermonter happy, but it could also be a real economic resource for our state. Just think, much like Quebec, Vermont could bring in tourists from all over the country and all over the world. Imagine city folks coming up from Boston or New York City to rent Vermont ATVs and ride Vermont trails, as they do during snowmobiling season. The ATV season would have the added benefit of being much longer than the three or four months the VAST trails are open to snowmobiles. ATVs should be allowed on back roads until Vermont makes trails designated for ATVs. If Vermont had trails for ATV drivers, it would bring people from all around which could help our economy. Since motor vehicles and ATVs are very similar, both types of vehicles should be able to use the road.

Megg Colbeth Cabot Voters:

The wording of the Official Cabot ballot regarding the ATV Ordinance is: Art. 1. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot advise the Cabot Selectboard to adopt an ordinance regulating the operation of all-terrain vehicles (ATV's) YES NO Many people find this vague. A yes vote ALLOWS more ATVs on Cabot roads. NO says current state law, which allows ATVs only on class 4 roads, is right for Cabot. The word ALLOW is not in the ballot, even though that is what this is about. Because this is unclear on the ballot, voters may think YES is a vote to restrict ATV use. IT IS NOT! NO means keep the law unchanged. YES means open up ALL Cabot roads to ATV riders. Vote NO to keep the state law about ATV use on public roads. Tom Considine Cabot, VT

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VA Opens Women’s Health Center at White River Junction

A ceremony October 19 marked the opening of a Women’s Comprehensive Care Center here at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. “This facility is about keeping our promise to the brave women who have served in uniform. 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,” Senator Bernie Sanders said. “I am happy to say that we have made significant progress.” VA health care facilities in the past were designed primarily for the treatment of male veterans, while women were referred to private health care providers in local communities. Now, the VA is focused on providing quality, gender-specific medical care in the most appropriate settings. About half of VA’s 153 Medical Centers currently have facilities for women, as the number of female veterans continues to grow. In Vermont alone, there now are more than 3,000 women veterans, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs The Women’s Comprehensive Care Center at the White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center opened its doors on October 1. The outpatient care center is approximately 4,600 square feet and offers comprehensive health care five days a week. Throughout Vermont, about 8,600 veterans now receive care from five Community-Based Outpatient Clinics. In addition to the Brattleboro facility, VA clinics also are located in Colchester, Rutland, Bennington and Newport. The clinics 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.

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Hardware Store Still Not Open

David Spooner, high bidder for Harry's Hardware Store on Main Street at the auction August 15, informs the Chronicle his plan to acquire the hardware store has fallen through. Julie Ackermann reports there is a potential new buyer and a tentative closing date, and she believes it will remain a hardware store. Stay tuned . . . .

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Two Names Added to Cabot Memorial

Did you know? A plaque was recently added to the Veteran's Memorial at Willey Hall for two veterans that were inadvertently missed when the original bronze plaques were made.

The Cabot Historical Society and Oral History Committee added a plaque to the Cabot War Memorial, adding two names missed on the original inscription.

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Choices for Cabot's Main Street

Come to see and hear about some design options and alternatives for making Cabot's Main Street a better place to walk, ride a bike, live, and do business. The Cabot Corridor Revitalization Committee has been working with a consulting team to come up with several design options to address what we learned about at our public workshop last August.

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Special thanks

…to the community for helping with the Fall Foliage dinner We would like to thank everyone for all their help with Donations Cooking & Serving Turkey Dinner

We couldn't do it without you!

Cabot United Church

The beginning of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 7.

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The Outside Story New England's Wild Rice

by Benjamin Lord There is nothing wild about most wild rice. Most was grown in a “paddy” in California, harvested by machines, processed in factories, and finally wrapped in packages of cardboard and plastic. This so-called wild rice is as much a product of the industrial food complex as corn or soy. But there is truly wild rice out there. And there is an ancient tradition of gathering it that quietly persists across much of North America – even here, nearly invisibly, in New England. While the flavorful grain of wild rice is familiar to most of us, the elegant plant from which it comes deserves to be better known. Wild rice is the common name of two closely related species (Zizania aquatica and Z. palustris). But despite their common name, they are not closely related to domesticated rice (Oryza sativa) at all. Together they are some of North America’s tallest native grasses, at times growing up to 10 feet above the surface of slow-moving waters. Their delicately arching flowers are arranged in two sexes at the top of each arching stem – males on the bottom, females on the top. In late summer and early fall the fertilized females swell to become the much sought after grain (called a coryopsis) which is designed to pierce the soft underwater mud like a harpoon. Wild rice is usually associated with the Great Lakes region of North America, and certainly it is there that wild rice achieves its greatest productivity, covering acres and acres of wild waterways. There, it is famous as a staple food source for many Native American nations. But the range of this plant and its history as a food crop extends far beyond the Great Lakes, from the Great Plains to the eastern seaboard and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. As a wild food enthusiast, I had often dreamed of traveling to the Midwest to gather this savory and eminently nutritious grain. Imagine my delight when I learned that it grows here in northern New England, right in my own backyard. I first found it along the northern shores of Lake Champlain, growing in dense stands along protected waterways. The dark green stalks stood out sharply against the paler, shorter stems of bulrushes. The marshes were full of interesting wildlife but not full of ripened grains of rice. The season for gathering rice is short, about 10 to 14 days at the beginning of September. I had arrived on the last weekend of August and found the grains still tightly bound to the stems. Two weeks later I met a man with a sack full of hairy, unprocessed grains that he had gathered in the Connecticut River just a few dozen miles downstream from my home. Wild rice is found in many of New England’s waterways. But it has fared poorly in the Connecticut, our largest river. The extensive marshes that at one time lined the Connecticut River’s shores are gone. The stands in Lake Champlain persist in part due to protection by state and federal agencies that forbid motorized boat traffic, which can damage the delicate young leaves with their wakes. And while it is true that natural resource organizations have actively planted wild rice as a food source for waterfowl, other human activities have taken their toll on the uncommon and specialized habitat that these grasses require. Agricultural runoff is a danger to wild rice not just because of the chemical pollutants it carries, but because the silt and other particles in cultivated field runoff cloud the water and decrease the amount of light available to the germinating seeds. Dams up and down our rivers have changed the rhythm of the yearly water regimes upon which wild rice depends. So far, the patches of wild rice that I have found in the northern Connecticut River are small, and along the northern sections of this river, wild rice has probably never been overly abundant. It prefers the calmer, more protected coves that are more common as the river approaches the coast. In years to come, I’ll try ricing the southern sections of the Connecticut where a few dense stands remain. I will probably never find wild rice marshes large enough for practical harvest in the northern Connecticut River valley, yet I still seek the little patches out. They are remarkably productive ecosystems, critical stopovers for migrating birds on the Connecticut River flyway, and gracefully beautiful additions to the landscape. Even if one never eats a grain of wild rice, their marshes are places to be savored. Ben Lord is a science teacher in Brattleboro, Vermont, and author of the blog, TheForagingFamily , www.foragingfamily.blogspot.com. 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].

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

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TWIN VALLEY SENIOR CENTER

By Betsy Bolt On November 9, Twin Valley Seniors would like to extend an invitation to all Veterans in the towns of Marshfield, Plainfield, Woodbury, Calais, East Montpelier and Cabot to join us for a special luncheon. This is the seniors’ opportunity to say “Thank You” for your service to our country. The luncheon will be on Friday, November 9, at our Center located at the Old School House Common in Marshfield. Time will be 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. A reservation by calling 426-3447 would be appreciated; if you need transportation please ask to speak with Rita. Seniors age 60 and older are also welcome to join us. Twin Valley Seniors will be hosting their traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings on November 19. We would like to extend an invitation to all of the seniors’ family members, neighbors and friends. Donations age 60 and above just $4.00 and all others a donation of $5.00. A call to 426-3447 for a reservation would be helpful and appreciated, then we can be sure to have the right amount of home cooked food ready. The winner of the chain saw fundraising raffle was Tom Chomentowski of Roxbury. A special thank you to Guy's Repair, 16 Brook Street, Barre, for so generously donating the chain

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

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Recreation Department

As we wrap up another great soccer season, it’s time to start thinking about basketball. Rebecca Nally will be handing out basketball registration forms at school. If your child has not received one and you’d like to sign your child up for basketball, please contact Rebecca at 563-3503. A big thank you to Bernie Shatney and Kenny Talbert, who are finishing the project started by the late Brian Talbert. Brian took a granite grist mill wheel and made a marker to Joe and Esta Perry. The Perry’s are the ones who donated the land that is now our Recreation Field! The wheel will be placed at the Recreation Field near the facility building to acknowledge the gift of the land. As always, we are looking for new members for the Recreation Department. We NEED new members to ensure our children have the opportunity to play Cabot Sports! We meet the second Tuesday of every month @ 6:00 p.m. at the Willey Building, and we look forward to seeing you.

Amber Bothfeld 802-563-2147 [email protected]

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New Soccer Club: Looking for Playing Field

There is a new club in town. The Northeast Kingdom Warriors Soccer Club is forming soccer teams for players between the ages of 8 and 18 that will play in the Vermont Soccer League (VSL) in the spring. The club is headed by Donna MacKinnon and Michelle Delaney. Both coach and referee in this area. Donna was involved in the forming stages of a club in Connecticut, where she raised her children. The club is looking to serve all young soccer players in our area, as the closest VSL clubs to Cabot are Morrisville and Barre.

We are looking for a relatively flat piece of land (around 200 X 120 yards) that can be used for a ten- year period, so that we can apply for grants through the U.S. Soccer Foundation, which has helped countless new clubs get started. They offer grants for field improvement and equipment. We are also looking for other soccer enthusiasts in this area to help with coaching and other club responsibilities. If you would like to enroll your child for next spring or volunteer for the Northeast Kingdom Warriors, please contact Michelle at 563-2427 or [email protected], or Donna at 595- 9429 or [email protected].

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FROM THE CABOT PUBLIC LIBRARY

By Kathleen Hoyne and Anne Walker

Knit and Felt Your Own Small Purse

- Cindy Robbins– Tuesdays, November 6, 13, 20, & 27, 3-4:30 p.m. No previous experience necessary. Come learn with Cindy Robbins how to knit a small purse out of yarn that will be felted. If you have 10 ½ -11 inch needles already, please bring them. Otherwise they will be provided. Sign up early – space is limited! Ideal for 6-8th graders.

Paper Modeling Workshop – Ed Lewis – Wednesdays, November 7, 14, 28, and December 5 & 19, 3:30- 5:00 p.m. In this workshop, children will be introduced to some of the basics of paper modeling. Paper modeling is the art of creating scale models from paper. Nearly anything can be modeled using paper, but the most popular constructions are buildings and vehicles. Card-stock is generally used with pre-printed designs that are available from numerous Internet sites. Models available during the workshop will range from basic level constructions that can be built in about an hour, to ones that may take three workshops to complete. Those who try paper modeling will find it a challenge, as handling of scissors, rulers, and glue often demand a high level of precision. But the efforts are worth it when the final pieces are glued in place and a scale model is ready for display. Sign up early –space is limited!

Improving Your Home Brew - Grateful Hands Brewing – Tuesday, November 13, 7:00 p.m. Do you want to take your home brew to the next level? Cabot resident Ricky McLain, owner of Grateful Hands Brewery, specializes in dark brews and will discuss things he has learned to help improve the quality of beer.

CPR Certification Class - Jen Miner

– Tuesday, November 27, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Come learn and practice this valuable lifesaving technique. Must sign up in advance! Everything will be covered in this one evening for CPR Certification. Cost is $12.00 for the book and CPR card.

Book Discussion Group – November 5, 7:00 p.m. Every 3 weeks, beginning September 24, the Vermont Humanities Councilsponsored Book Discussion Group will meet to discuss the new series, Canadian Cultural Diversity, facilitated by Cynthia Russell. Please visit the library to pick up a copy of these books.

Roy McGregor, Canoe Lake Alistair MacLeod, Island Antonine Maillet, Pelagie- La- Charrette –this month’s featured read Emily Carr, Klee Wyck – December 3

Yoga & Wellness Classes – Mondays 6 –7:30 p.m. Welcome the changing seasons! Nourish your body, mind and spirit! Yoga is an amazing practice to help with the transition of changing seasons! Please contact Alicia Feltus for info about yoga. 802-563 -3220 or [email protected].

Dungeons & Dragons – Fridays 3:00- 5:30 p.m. Join the group, conquer the obstacles, and get out of the dungeon alive! All are welcome.

Thank You!

Thanks so much to Kathleen Higbee for many hours organizing the Open House book display and book sale for this year’s Fall Foliage Festival. Thanks also to Fran Cerulli, Barry and Lorrie Goldensohn, Bob Grenier, Sherry

Olson, and Ellen Bryant Voight – for a wonderful evening of poetry. Many thanks also to Tim Walker – a behind the scenes guy who is always helping us with maintenance projects.

See you at the Library!

Kathleen Hoyne and Anne Walker

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Cabot High School Choice An Option or Merely Discussion

By Brigitte M. Codling Will school choice be an option for Cabot high school students in the fall of 2013, or will residents and parents still be discussing the possibility? This is the question that registered voters of Cabot will likely face on Town Meeting Day 2013 due to a petition circulating to get the question included on the ballot. The proposed article reads: “Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot close the Cabot High School and become a statewide school choice town for grades 9 through 12 beginning with the 2013 / 2014 school year?”. The article poses a very interesting question; one with many possible consequences for our small Town, but more importantly for our high school, middle school, and elementary students. If voters choose to keep Cabot’s high school, the Town will undeniably face continued increases in education taxes to cover such things as the reported 3.5 million dollars needed to complete critical renovations to the array of school buildings. The Town would likely see further decreases in student enrollment, a continued diminution in the quality of academics, increases in parental frustration, and a persistent rise in the per pupil cost to run the school.

If voters choose to close Cabot’s high school, the school could reorganize. All elementary classes could be moved to the main building, eliminating the extensive cost to renovate the failing satellite buildings. All campus resources could be re-focused on our middle school and elementary students, improving their options and creating a more robust academic program for these younger students. Parents of Cabot high school students could then have the option to choose the high school that would best suit their child, personally and academically. There is a national movement underway to offer school choice to students of all ages. Here in Vermont, we have 90 towns that already offer school choice; that is about 33% of the population, and law makers work each year to expand options for school choice. Many of our political representatives support school choice, and the House and Senate Education Committees here in Vermont have worked to expand high school choice. In March, the voters of Cabot will likely find themselves in the position of being able to offer our high school students the option of statewide school choice. How will you vote?

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Poetry Corner

WE, THE PEOPLE - SPEAK

What is the cost of all the lies, the deception, the misrepresentations of our history as told to us by those who have been privileged to guide our evolution from whence we came?

The truth obscured – by power, greed, lust for more – has created an aristocracy borne of a continent of trustful souls, sold into belief for a noble cause.

Rise up, I say! Unearth your eyes and ears, and become unblinded by the voices that have sought to lead us to our death – all for their own pocketful of wealth.

Give rise, instead, to the clarity within, which seeks to guide us toward the path of equality – through grace and generosity of spirit.

Offer yourself no more to be a lamb or merciless soul who fulfills the trumpet master’s call – for that is a path of war and terror and hate – used but for the destruction of the common man.

Let your heart now steer this life, let your voice bear witness of lost truth

– to heal that which was destroyed.

Or sink it further into the abyss.

Wendy J. Heilig © 2010

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Cabot Huskies Soccer

The Cabot boys’ varsity soccer team is 9-2-1. All season long, we have worked hard together as a team to try to get a good place in the playoffs. It’s been a long time since Cabot has gotten past the first round, but this year we hope to go far. Peter Stratman, our coach, has worked us hard at practice and it has paid off. We played well against the harder teams, such as Danville. We lost 2-1 to a goal scored in the last 10 minutes of the game.

We will be losing three seniors after this season; Camden Celley, Zack Ducharme, and Jay Deasy. This year, Camden broke Cabot’s record for goals scored in a single regular season. Billie Waller, former Athletic Director and basketball coach, held the record at 31 goals. Camden broke it and is looking to set it high. We had a good season, developed good skills, and learned how to work as a team. Next year we hope to improve our skills and go far in the playoffs.

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Sixth Grade Apple Pin Project

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 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. (Only one hole in one is allowed) Solution for last months puzzles are shown here� Find connected path for 1st 21 digits of Pi: π = 3.14159265358979323846

8 By: Julia Hoffert On Saturday, October 13, Cabot Sixth Grade students sold apple pins with their teacher, Mr. Lewis, at the Cabot Apple Pie Festival. The pins were made in school as part of a larger project about apples. They had a successful day selling more than 100 apple pins, with earnings over $280. They are saving the money to go on a class field trip to Boston in the spring.

Mr. Lewis had told the students what to do and they made all the pins. “He basically just bought the stuff to make the apple pins. We had lots of fun making the apples,” according to sixth grader Cheyenne. “We really took our time to make them look like real apples.” Be sure to be watching for apple pins all over Cabot.

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Advice From The Tree Warden

By Roland (Slim) Payne

I have seven trees expected about the 22nd of October. Hopefully, they can be planted within a few days. They are being donated by UVM for street shade trees. I will pick them up Monday if they are ready. Sorry, I goofed off this month to go on an eight-day moose hunt in northern Maine. Saw a lot of moose and we got one Friday, October 12. Big - he weighed 874 pounds field dressed, 46- 1/2" wide, 18 points. It was a hard day, but we made it (a do it yourself hunt). Our party was myself, my brother Herb and his friend Mark. I think I am getting too old for this moose thing. Hard work!

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THANKS FOR SUPPORTING APPLE PIE FESTIVAL

Thank you to the community for coming to Apple Pie Festival and supporting the Cabot Historical Society and all our crafters. Thank you, also, to all the community members who pitched in to plan the event, prepare food, judge the baking contest, serve customers, manage crafters and run the silent auction. Special thanks to all who donated items for prizes, the silent auction and food for the food sale tables. We are grateful to Cabot Creamery Coop, Grand Union of Hardwick, Hannaford Market, King Arthur Flour, Price Chopper, Shaws, Cold Hollow Cider, Green Mountain Coffeemakers, Cabot Village Store and Freihofer Bakery. And extra special thanks go to all our bakers. Apple Pie Festival could not exist without you.

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