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The Cabot Chronicle

January 2013 · 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 January 2013 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

2013 National Black History Theme

At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality:

The Emancipation Proclamation and March on Washington

A Long History

When Carter G. Woodson established Negro History week in 1926, he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public. The intention has never been to dictate or limit the exploration of the Black experience, but to bring to the public's attention important developments that merit emphasis. The theme for 2013 is: At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington. For more information about this year's focus and facts about past and future initiatives, click on http://w . asalh . o r g / blackhistory themes.html.

The Abolitionist Map of America

Part of a Series called American Experience, Public Broadcasting System has produced a three-part film called The Abolitionists and an interactive map to record key events in a story the filmmakers call a "transformative moment in American history that stemmed from the actions of ordinary individuals." It is the story about how five abolitionist allies turned a despised fringe movement against chattel slavery into a force that literally changed the nation. Explore the story of the abolitionist movement in America through the interactive map. Dozens of museums, institutions and PBS stations have partnered with American Experience to bring you archival images, documents and videos related to abolitionism.

The Vermont Story The Leahy Library at the Vermont History Center in Barre (part of Vermont Historical Society) has been adding images to this new online map of the U.S. abolitionist movement. Here are some highlights:

• birthplace and school of the great abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens, 1792- 1868 (see Danville and Peacham)

• Addison County Courthouse where Judge Theophilus Harrington demanded to see a "bill of sale signed by God Himself" (see Middlebury)

• Col. Jonathan P. Miller (1796-1847) who introduced a resolution in the Vermont legislature to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia in the 1830s and participated in the underground railroad (see Montpelier) The interactive map uses the popular online mapping software known as HistoryPin. To see Vermont Historical Society HistoryPins, click http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexper ience/features/interactive-map/abolition istsmap/. Learn more about the abolitionist movement in the U.S.: PBS American Experience - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperi ence/Association for the Study of African American Life and History - ttp://w . asalh . o r g / blackhistory themes.html Vermont Historical Society - http://www.vermonthistory.org/index.php/programs/martin-luther-king-jrprogram.html

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

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Hardware Store Changes Hands

Harry’s Hardware finally has new ownership, and plans are moving forward!

The Searles family took ownership of Main Street's Harry's Hardware building on Friday, December 7. Bobby and Stephany Searles, owners of Cabot Village Store, participated in the Hirchak auction on August 15, but were outbid by David Spooner, owner of Spooner Specialties in Montpelier. When that deal fell through, the Searles' had the opportunity to acquire the store. A spring reopening is planned, but in the meantime, some useful inventory will be moved to the Cabot Village Store. Look for new selections, including household goods, oils, lubricants, shovels, gloves, hats, etc. The Searles' plan to maintain the hardware business, and would like to hear from community members about what items they need on a regular basis so they can build a stock that is useful to the community. The Searles’s are working on bringing gasoline back as soon and as competitively as possible.

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Vermont Council on Rural Development: Cabot Community Visit Report Now Available

You can go online to http://vtrural.org/taxonomy/term/202/all or stop at the Town Clerk’s office to pick up a print copy of the Cabot Report. VCRD produces a final report for each Community Visit, which includes detailed notes of each session, identified priorities, task force action plans, resource team recommendations and a list of participants. This will serve as a useful tool for the task forces and other community planning. This report documents the work of Cabot Community members as the Vermont Council on Rural Development facilitated a series of three Cabot community meetings in September, October, and November. It began with a series of focus groups and a community wide discussion where residents championed their ideas for the future of the town. Jan Westervelt served as local chairperson to keep the community informed and involved as the program progressed. On September 25th all members of the Cabot community were invited to participate in the first forum on Cabot Community Visit Day. This first event in a 3-month process of addressing important challenges before Cabot and building priorities for action included focus forum discussions and a free community dinner. At the “Cabot Community Meeting” on October 25, over 50 residents worked to consider key priorities for the future of Classifieds:

Cabot. The priorities that residentified included:

Build a Cabot Agricultural Network, Improve Community Communications, and Develop a Community Arts Center. Now residents will join Task Forces to help take action on the priorities. At the final meeting on November 27, Community Members gathered with Resource Team members to select projects and assign tasks. The task forces will continue working together toward their goals, with access to Resource Team members at the community, regional, state and federal levels as needed. Since that time, task forces have met to begin work on their projects, and welcome additional community members to help guide the work. Email [email protected] or contact a task force chairperson directly to sign up for a committees. ⇒ Agricultural Network: Richard

Hourihan and Chuck Merriam ⇒ Improve Community Communications: Christine Friese and Ann Walker ⇒ Develop a Community Arts Center:

R. D. Eno Calendar:

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Community and Church, Church and Community

By Gwendolyn Hallsmith

Little white churches shape our mental image of New England villages – picture postcards capture the bucolic streetscape, taking us back to a simpler time. In many of our towns, the church was the first community building constructed – they often predate the town halls, schools, and other public facilities. Historians have noted that the church in New England was the gathering point, the place where community formed. Our traditions of town meeting, and of municipal government itself, go back to these little white churches. Back in England, the church kept the vital records, and taxed people for the support of the minister and buildings according to the property they owned. When the first settlers came here, the church maintained this practice, and over time played even a more important role, shaping the life of the early communities in critically important ways. The revolutionary new religion that led the Pilgrims here was exceptional in that the churches believed that pastors should be called by the congregation rather than being appointed by the church hierarchy. The town meeting form of church, in other words, was an important part of the inspiration for the town meeting form of government. In other parts of the world, municipal governments do not have the same role as they do in Vermont towns. The budgets come from central government, and the vital records are kept at large urban centers, far from the farm fields of small towns. In some places, even the town leadership is appointed by the central governments; town meeting form of government seems like a fairy tale from a distant planet.

(See Cabot Church, page 5)

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THE FLYING FARMER The New Farm Store

By Will Ameden Excerpted from Will Ameden's blog, at http://catamountaviation.wordpress.com.

Big cedar posts, hand split granite, recycled roofing and Under Orion Farm lumber combine to form the beginnings of the new Farm Store. This past August we opened the farm stand for selling our maple syrup, grass fed beef, Canopy Coffee and baked goods, as well as vegetables from Shane & Christy and Alden Tebbetts. The farm stand was a success! Not only did we sell these fine produce, it also added a fun meeting place to the neighborhood. Stories were swapped, hot coffee was shared, sweets were enjoyed, and folks stocked up on vegetables. As the stand grew, we realized there was need for a little more space, and the idea of the Farm Store was born… The little farm stand that started it all.

The Cedar—My friend Graham built the exterior shell of the Farm Store and had requested 16′ long “big” cedar posts. The structure itself is pole barn construction – no foundation, just poles sunk 4-6′ into the ground – and the exterior siding came from the woodlot below the house. We do not have much cedar. I am always having to look elsewhere for cedar fence posts and lumber, but the little I do have I save for special projects. These fine big cedar logs measure about 14″ at the base, which is big for cedar in my woods. They will make up the corners of the building and be left exposed.

Splitting granite.

Hand split granite - I assume this piece was left over from the building of the farmhouse foundation in 1903. The stone was quarried from a granite outcropping in the woods, just off our north pasture. One piece was used for our fireplace mantle almost 15 years ago. The piece we needed for the Farm Store was to support the face of the building which needed a window and a door. Graham, who works in the granite industry, feels right at home working with stone. He borrowed some “feathers and wedges” to split the granite piece to the desired length, the same method used in 1903. He started by drilling holes around the area to be split off, then insert the “v” shaped feather in each hole, insert the wedge in each feather and, continuously working around each hole, tap in with a hammer. Eventually you hear a crack and the whole piece just breaks off! Cool beans!

Recycled roofing-The roof is metal and red! It came off a barn in Marshfield. The sheets were long and did not have an over abundance of old holes to fill. I love to ponder the sights and stories these inanimate objects could tell if they only could – the lives of the folks who built the first barn it covered, or the animals that it housed.

Lumber from the farm.

Under Orion Farm lumber -We used a combination of hemlock, spruce, and white pine. The rafters that I milled were 3″ X 6″ spruce and 18′ long. The hemlock was made into 2″x6″ for beams and braces, and the white pine is for siding, the door, and trim.

In the left corner you can see the cedar posts The Farm Store-Built on to the side of the existing farm shop, the Farm Store will take over the duties of the small farm stand (not quite as cute, but I hope more useful). It will house a washing station for vegetables, a walkin cooler (a “Coolbot” cooler – more on that later), freezers for meat storage, and more amenities for our visitors; coffee makers and dispensers; retail outlet for farm products sold by Under Orion Farm, Dancing Carrot Farm, as well as from friends and neighbors.

The Grant- We have applied for a grant through the Farm Viability Program of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to help finish the Store. It still needs an insulated concrete floor and the walk-in cooler construction. The cooler will be a super efficient cooling system that links an in-window air conditioner with a Coolbot that reprograms the air conditioner to cool at lower temperatures for longer periods of time.

We find out about the grant in January. While we are keeping our fingers crossed, we will continue to keep the farm stand open for beef, coffee and syrup pick-ups. We might also offer hot drink specials for snow travelers!

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From page 2

The Chronicle welcomes letters written with an economy of words. The maximum length is recommended to be no longer than 400 words. Letters may be edited for clarity and length or returned to the author with suggestions for re-submittal. All letters and commentary published in The Cabot Chronicle represent the opinions of the authors and not necessarily the opinions of staff.

The Cabot Chronicle reserves the right to reject letters that may contain unsuitable material for our readers. Letters will not be considered for publication unless signed and accompanied by a phone number. We will gladly consider articles and photographs for publication.

The Cabot Chronicle is not responsible for errors in submitted material. Nor does The Cabot Chronicle assume responsibility for claims arising in connection with products or services advertised on these pages. If you have editorial questions or would like advertising information, call our office at 563-3338, visit

can also be sent to: The Cabot Chronicle, P.O. Box 245, Cabot, VT 05647.

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What Do Mentors Do?

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul

then the way in which it treats its children.”

Thanks to the kindness, caring and generosity of folks here in Cabot, we have over 25 mentors spending time with their mentees. Various diverse activities are scheduled each month by the program, but these are optional. Mentors have done some meaningful things with their mentees, such as, visiting places outside of Cabot, biking, playing games, doing arts/crafts projects, baking, riding horses and even doing farm chores. They go apple picking, do personalized projects, hike, picnic, fish, watch movies and sometimes just hang out together and talk. Mentors and mentees are carefully matched according to interests and personalities. Mentoring is as rewarding to the mentor as it is to the child, if not more!

Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa

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A Year’s Worth Of Fun In A Day

By Tobias Cooke

Inspired by Ray Bradbury

I enjoyed the Kingdom Trails mentoring trip a great deal. I personally think it is a good thing to have a local program for kids that provides something to do, whether it be just playing pickup hockey in the town common, or an allexpense paid ticket to ride for a whole evening on the local bike trails in East Burke with your mentor. It was probably one of the best biking trips I’ve ever gone on, partially because of the trails and also because I was riding with a lot of people I knew. I know my mentor Jim, particularly liked the long downhill switchbacks, where as I preferred, the trail called, Kitchel, because of the jumps and banked corners.

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Letter from a Mentee

For most of my life Cabot had been a rather stable place, my sensitivity was more of an asset than a liability. I have a pretty good support system of friends, and teachers and my family is quirky but well-meaning. The perfect storm I faced in 9th and 10th grade came in the form of peers. While I'm comfortable talking with adults and family and a rather small group of friends I see most people my age as either 50 -foot, city destroying monsters or paradoxically ants in a colony, sometimes simultaneously. I sometimes wished that I could have home schooled. The combination of more emotionally stressful material (The Crucible, Of Mice and Men for instance) and classmates who didn't seem to care about anything but socializing created a lot of anxiety for me. I couldn't cope with the juxtaposition of characters facing wrenching choices and the callous attitude of my classmates. It took a lot of work and meetings and finally taking English and history classes as an independent study. About this time I also began working with a mentor in town. She encouraged me to write newspaper articles for our local paper, we spend a lot of time together, and she's become one of the best and most supportive friends I know. She reminds me that being sensitive really is an asset, because you notice more.

Mentors and mentees spend time together doing the things they love to do like hanging out on tractors!

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10 Things To Do For National Mentoring Month

1. Become a mentor in the Cabot Connects Mentoring Program. 2. Learn more about mentoring. 3. Join the Cabot Connects Mentor Advisory Board along with Lori Augustyniak, Raquel Bigelow, Mark Bromley, Greg Burtt, Richard Bushey, Cia Considine, John Hammer, Connie Hourihan and Lynn Rockwell. 4. Join "I Am a Mentor" Day on January 10. 5. Think about the mentors in your life, post a tribute to them online, then tweet

about them using the #NationalMentoringMonth hashtag. 6. Give us a good idea for a fundraising event. 7. When you see these folks in town who are mentors, thank them - they are

making a difference for our community. 8. Support a match for a month or a year! 9. Go to YouTube on Thank Your Mentor Day™ (January 17) and make the

National Mentoring Month videos the most popular of the day. 10. Explore ways to help children succeed academically through mentoring.

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BIRTHS

Mathew Paul Watkins Sara and Stephen Watkins of Marshfield, VT, announce the birth of their son , Mathew Paul Watkins, at 12:45 p.m. Oct. 25, 2012, at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital. Mathew weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. Maternal grandparents are Mary Linda and Mathew Anoniello of Peabody, MA. Maternal greatgrandmother is Jacquelyn Frederiksen of Salem, MA. Paternal grandparents are Gloria and Dale Watkins of Cabot, VT.

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OBITUARIES & MEMORIALS

Daniel D. Corey Daniel David "Danny" Corey, 60, of Walden, died unexpectedly Monday, December 17, 2012, at his residence. He was born October 8, 1952, in Hardwick, the son of Alton E. Corey and Thelma (Rathburn) Corey. He was a member of the last class to graduate from Hardwick Academy. Danny had been married to Cathy DeGoosh. He was a self-employed painter. He made his home in Walden with caregivers for more than ten years. He enjoyed motorcycling, snowmobiling, camping, auto racing, water skiing and music. Survivors include his mother, Thelma Corey of Montpelier; a brotherin-law, Lennie Stockwell of Braintree; aunts and uncles, Clifton and Ruth Rathburn and Delma and Kenneth King, all of Woodbury; a niece, Megan Beachum and her husband, Curt, of Woodbury; a nephew, Kip Stockwell and his wife, Amanda, of Randolph Center; grandnieces and grandnephews, Kagan Beachum of Woodbury, Howard Stockwell, Avery Stockwell and Grace Stockwell, all of Randolph Center; and his caregivers, Carl and Roxanne Corrow of Walden. He was predeceased by his father, Alton Corey, in 1998; a brother, Wayne F. "Joe" Corey, in 2000; and a sister, Elaine Stockwell, in 2011. A memorial service was held on Saturday, December 22, 2012, at the Northern Vermont Funeral Home, 60 Elm Street, Hardwick, with the Rev. Ernest Machia of the Hope Community Church in Walden. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Brain Injury Association of Vermont, PO Box 482, Waterbury, VT 05676. Arrangements were under the direction of Dian R. Holcomb of Northern Vermont Funeral Service, 60 Elm Street, Hardwick.

Peter Garofolo, Jr.

Peter Garofolo, Jr., 85, died peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones in South Walden on November 26, 2012. Mr. Garofolo was born January 4, 1927, in New York City. He was the oldest of three children by Peter Garofolo Sr. and Filomena Leone Garofolo, and he was a former resident of Copiague, Long Island, NY, for more than 50 years. He graduated from John Adams High School, Ozone Park, NY, and received both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degree from New York University in New York City. Mr. Garofolo became a member of the Boy Scouts of America in 1939, becoming an Eagle Scout in 1945. He received the Order of the Arrow and, in highest recognition of distinguished service, the Silver Beaver Award in 1968. Peter served as Boy Scouts of America district commissioner and assistant council commissioner for Pwamas District, Suffolk County, N.Y. He joined the U.S. Army at the close of World War II in 1945. He served at Camp Blanding in Florida and also served in the New York National Guard at Camp Smith. Mr. Garofolo taught industrial arts for 38 years at Island Trees High School, Levittown, NY, and for a time served as department chairman. Upon his retirement in 1984, he expanded his work in stone, fine metals and jewelry, establishing Panache Studio with his wife, Emelyn, an established fiber artist. Both Peter and Emelyn continued work under the Panache Studio name for 22 years.

Peter was a talented craftsman, metalsmith and dedicated educator and teacher. He was a longtime member of the Long Island Craft Guild and had served as past co-president of the guild with his wife. Peter and Emelyn both taught at the NY Guild for the Jewish Blind in Manhattan, where they first met, and later at Buck's Rock Work Camp in New Milford, CT. Together, they participated in numerous residencies at Haystack School of Crafts, Deer Isle, ME, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, and Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC. Peter taught and participated in numerous workshops through the Long Island Craft Guild. He taught jewelry and metalsmithing classes at Garvies Point Museum, Glen Cove, NY, for over 15 years until 2008, when he moved to Vermont. He is survived by his daughter Pia Lyn Loeper, of Orinda, CA, her husband, Gerald Kurt Loeper, and their daughter, Lindsey Ellyn Loeper; his daughter Lian Brehm-Lavelle, of South Walden, and her husband, Douglas P. Lavelle; his sister Mary Ellen (Garofolo) Bourne, of Coram, NY, and her husband, Fred Bourne; his sister-in-law, Barbara (Reiss) Garofolo, of Copiague, NY; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his loving wife of 53 years, Emelyn (Brehm) Garofolo, and his brother, Louis Leone Garofolo. A memorial gathering will be held at Peter's apartment and studio in South Walden on Saturday, January 19, 2013, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. All friends are welcome. Memorial contributions may be made to the Long Island Craft Guild, c/o Lynda Katz, 41 Quintree Lane, Melville, NY 11747-1832. Arrangements are in the care of des Groseilliers Funeral Homes, Church Street, Hardwick.

Robert A. Gauthier

Robert A. Gauthier, 68, died Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin. He was born October 10, 1944, in Montpelier, the son of Wilfred and Katherine (Ruel) Gauthier. He graduated from Montpelier High School and attended Goddard College. He married Alberta Prentice on Dec. 24, 1965, in Franklin, N.H. He was a veteran of the United States Marines, having served during the Vietnam War. He worked in road construction for many years, managed the Cumberland Farms Store in Northfield, and worked for more than 10 years at Cabot Hosiery in Northfield doing facility maintenance. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and working on automobiles as well as other motorized machines. Survivors include his wife; his mother, Katherine Thurber, of Woodbury; five children, Robert Vachon, of Franklin, N.H., Terry Gauthier, of Concord, N.H., Lisa Gauthier, of Northfield, Melanie Perry, of Middlebury, and Heidi Fleury of Plainfield; five siblings, Wilfred "Bill" Gauthier, of Franklin, N.H., James Gauthier, of Cabot, Marion Morrison, of Florida, Barbara Prentice, of Pennsylvania, and Nancy Durgian, of Woodbury; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. A memorial service was conducted Monday, December 3, at the Kingston Funeral Home in Northfield. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 1460, Williston, VT 05495- 1460.

Marvin Courtney Greaves, Sr.

Marvin Courtney Greaves, Sr., 88, a lifetime resident of Walden and Cabot, died after a short illness Tuesday, December 4, 2012, at Central Vermont Medical Center, surrounded by family. He was born May 14, 1924, in Walden, the son of the late Carrie (Greaves) Lawson. Upon the loss of his mother at the age of 12, he and his brother were raised by his grandparents, Frank and Pauline Greaves, and their children. He was educated in Walden and Hardwick schools. He married Anna Pike and had Marvin Jr. (Hazel), Rebecca Pinette (Frank), Cherry Gochey (Larry), Tim (Gail) and Connie Gould (Peter Lanoue). He later married Georgette Brosseau and had Jeannine, Brian, Laurie Coolbeth (Warren), Randy, Bonnie Bellavance (Brett), Jeremy (Kandi). He farmed with family from childhood until 1978. He picked up other farmers' milk to deliver along with his own to the Cabot Creamery. He enjoyed being a member of the Walden Volunteer Fire Department. In 1978, he and his son Tim purchased Greaves Building and Farm Supplies in Hardwick. He retired in 1985. He and Georgette wintered in Chipley, Florida, for fifteen years, making lasting friendships with people who shared his love of John Deere tractors and draft horses. Marvin raised Percheron horses and enjoyed driving them in local town parades and giving wagon and sleigh rides to family, friends and school children. He is survived by his wife, his children, 20 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren, his brother and best friend Malcolm Lawson and his wife Dorothy of Wolcott, and his sister Marilyn Greene of McMinnville, Oregon. He was predeceased by his mother Carrie and stepfather Ralph Lawson, sister Myrna McAllister and his beloved aunt and uncles. Funeral Services were held Monday, December 10, at the United Church of Cabot. He will be buried at the Walden Heights Cemetery at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the United Church of Cabot, VT 05647. Arrangements are under the direction of des Groseilliers Funeral Home.

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WEDDINGS

Domey/French Valerie (Anne) Domey wed Thomas French on December 14, 2012, at The Chapel at the Ohio Masonic Home in Springfield, Ohio. Anne is originally from Cabot and is a Cabot High School graduate. Tom is originally from Springfield, Ohio. They currently reside in Barre Town.

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Cabot Awarded State Planning Grant

By Gary Gulka The Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development (DEHCD) awarded $14,867 to Cabot in state Municipal Planning Grant funds for comprehensive revisions to local zoning regulations. Cabot successfully competed against 61 communities and was one of 46 funded. Annually the Municipal Planning Grant program supports a range of locally identified initiatives to improve the quality of life and promote efficient growth and economic development in Vermont. “Cabot has recently completed major revisions to the Town Plan, and it’s been a long time since we’ve addressed zoning comprehensively so that we can be promoting the type of development desired by the community,” according to Gary Gulka, Cabot Planning Commission Chair. “Clear standards and a regulatory process understandable to the public are priorities.” Cabot will have a year and a half to complete this project and intends to issue a Request for Proposals in the coming weeks for consulting services to assist with the effort. Noelle MacKay, Commissioner of the Department of Economic, Housing, and Community Development added, “These planning grants help turn the residents’ aspirations for their community into action and are critical as we all work hard to revitalize our downtowns and villages, prepare for our economic future and build stronger neighborhoods.” Since 1998, the Municipal Planning Grant Program has provided over $9.1 million to over 227 cities and towns across Vermont. Click on the link below to learn more about the Municipal Planning Grant Program. h t p : / / a c d . vermont . g o v /strong_communities/opportunities/funding/municipal_planning_grants By Roland (Slim) Payne

and Recreation. The information will be available to anyone with access to a computer. I went to Berlin to meet with representatives of UVM Extension Service to kick this thing off. I didn't know it wasn't already up and running. Now I get to help start it up. If anyone is interested in volunteering some time to help with this survey, call me at 563-3234. This will be a windshield survey, so it won't need a lot of walking. Just drive slowly and stop near a hazard tree, take a GPS reading and take notes of tree type, condition, and hazard rating. If there is enough interest, I will have a meeting at the town office to go over this with more detail. I only have two GPS units, so this won't go too fast, and no-one will have to do a lot. Maybe one or two roads, then I will go to Berlin and download it into the program. So if you have any interest, give me a call: 563-3234.

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From page 5

1. Would you use a gym in Cabot? 2. What equipment would you want in the gym? 3. What hours would you like to see it open? 4. Would you work out there if it was not staffed at all times and you had access through a card entry system (like hotels use)? 5. Would you pay $50 per month for a membership? 6. If not $50/ month, what would you pay for a membership? 7. Would you be interested in having healthy breakfast options available? Please share your thoughts in a way that is most convenient to you.

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ADVICE FROM THE TREE WARDEN Looking for Tree-Sitting volunteers

The holiday season is upon us and I hope everyone has a happy season. It just doesn't seem like it - no snow - no cold. But, we get what we get. I am about ready to start on the back road hazard tree survey to identify unsafe trees. Information to be collected on hazardous trees includes:

1. Tree type 2. Tree Condition 3. Rotten - dead - broken - laying on wires - split, or whatever. 4. Hazard level: Low- Medium - High Global Positioning System (GPS) reading, latitute/longitude and which side of the road will be loaded into a Geographic Information System (GIS) and plotted on a map. This system is just being set up by the University of Vermont Extension Service with the State of Vermont Department of Forests, Parks

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Sanders Details New Effort to Make VT Gas Prices More Competitive

Websites to find best prices U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders announced a new website to help consumers track gasoline prices in Vermont, where prices in the northwestern part of the state are 30 cents above the national average. Sanders also said he plans to work with Vermont state lawmakers to hold hearings and draft state legislation on gas prices. Some fuel dealers in Vermont, Sanders said, “are keeping gas prices artificially high simply because they can.” In addition to highlighting the best gasoline pump prices in Vermont, Sanders’ website,“Consumer Watch: An Eye on Gas Prices,” explains how prices are set by tracking wholesale gas prices, profit margins, taxes and transportation costs for fuel haulers. Gas prices in northwestern Vermont are significantly more expensive than in the rest of the state and country. For seven consecutive weeks from mid- September through October, northwestern Vermont was one of the ten most lucrative markets to sell gas in the 13state northeastern region of the United States, according to the Oil Price Information Service, one of the leading national organizations that track fuel prices. So far this year, the region comprising Chittenden, Grand Isle and Franklin counties ranked as the tenth most profitable market in the United States to sell gas. “We are in the midst of a terrible recession and many working families who drive long distances to and from work are hurting. Gas station owners have a right to make a profit, but they don't have a right to rip people off,” Sanders said. Sanders, who serves as a member of the Senate energy committee, held a Senate field hearing in Burlington last August to continue his investigation into why prices are so much higher throughout northwestern Vermont. The central finding: the concentration of ownership of filling stations in that region results in limited competition and prevents prices at the pump from falling as wholesale gas prices decline. One of the reasons for the lack of competition may be directly related to the fact that the three largest gasoline distributors in northwestern Vermont (S.B. Collins, Champlain Oil, and R.L. Vallee) own more than half of the filling stations in the region. Sanders invited the head of each company to speak with him about why they are charging upwards of 30 cents a gallon more than in other parts of Vermont. He has called on them to be more competitive. “No one is disputing that gasoline distributors have a right to make a profit,” Sanders said. “In my view, however, they should not be ripping people off in these tough economic times.” To read “Consumer Watch: An Eye on Gas prices,” enter www.sanders.senate .gov/consumers/ into your web browser. You can also search for lowest gas prices by zip code at www.VermontGas Prices.com.

(Continued from page 1)

The building blocks of community, of making a place more than a cluster of buildings on a map, comes from a sense of shared values, and from ways of caring for each other that go beyond family ties. The values that shaped Cabot back in time, and that continue to guide us today, are rooted in the ancient Christian-Judeo traditions in ways people don’t even see. You don’t need to be a religious person to agree that laws protecting people from overwhelming debt are important to have on the books, for example. If you attend local service clubs like Rotary or Lions or Elks, the volunteer spirit and commitment to community service they represent have deep roots in faith and wisdom traditions, even as the expression of it has become almost completely secular. Coming together in a place where people can feel confident they will be heard, where they feel safe and cared would be if we were all the same, anyway. Easier - but boring!

• Lose the phrase: "It's none of my business." Women have been beaten, children abused, and elderly taken advantage of within eye-and-earshot of other people. We've seen what's been going on around us in the world. And, yes, we all have enough of our own problems to handle. But remember that there's usually some forewarning before disaster strikes. You don't have to handle the problem, but you might be able to help by letting someone else know about it. Don't think of it as turning someone in - think of it as assisting someone who can't ask for help.

• To the extent you can, help out. Maybe it's just allowing a child a safe place to spend time in a loving environment and having a cookie; maybe it's donating things you don't need to the toy or clothing drive; or maybe just calling the neighbors to make sure they're okay. Trust your gut if you sense something doesn't feel right, and make sure someone knows.

• It's the start of a new year, an opportunity for a fresh start. We are the stuff of which this world is made. It is said, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Try to be a positive force in the world. It is your choice. The world can be better for you being here, no matter your circumstances. With hope for a better 2013, Jeanne Johnson

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Editorial; New Year Resolutions

The New Year is a traditional time for rededicating ourselves to doing better. My resolutions usually revolve around losing weight, saving money and using my time more wisely. And I certainly do need to do those things. But, seeing what's going on in the world, maybe it's time to go a little deeper and reach out a bit farther to improve the world we live in. I believe we could see a positive change if each of us just took the time to:

• First, accept yourself for who you are, flaws and all. Yes, we all have ways we'd like to improve. But we also have strengths and attributes. It's easy to put little value on the things we do well or easily, and common to put a lot of weight on our weaknesses. But recognize the imbalance in that. We are the way we are for a reason - nature and nurture. Accept it and work from that base.

• Love your friends and family members. Forgive past slights and move on. Remember past kindnesses and shared history. Realize that other people think and feel differently, and believing you understand why they do something is folly. Have you read about how men are from Earth but women are from Venus? Similar differences in perspective stem from different life stories. Don't imagine you know what someone else is thinking. Give them a chance to tell you, if you can. And don't expect others to be like you. Think how boring the planet for, and where group endeavors can easily happen, these are important elements of community life. The little white churches in our midst foster this community spirit – they need our support to keep going. Losing a church is a sad moment for a town, no matter what you feel about a particular religion. In Cabot, there is a chance this will happen if people don’t contribute to the life of the church. I have faith that we can rally to maintain the United Church as a place that serves as a sacred center, where we celebrate important life events, and where we come together in a spirit of sharing and community.

Gwendolyn Hallsmith is the Director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Montpelier, the founder of the Headwaters Garden and Learning Center on Danville Hill Road in Cabot, and the “substitute preacher” for the month of December at the United Church in Cabot.

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Cabot School Budget Presentation Meeting: December 10, 2012

By Chris Tormey, School Board Chair The Cabot School Board held a forum at the CSPAC on Monday evening, December 10th to present and discuss their first draft of the 2013- 2014 budget for Cabot School. The Board also presented a comparison of the estimated cost of keeping the high school open versus shutting it down next year. With the assistance of WNESU superintendent Nancy Thomas, WNESU business manager Rob Billings, and Cabot School principal Karen Stewart, board members highlighted areas in which the draft budget varied from the school’s present budget. The draft version presented at the forum was $212,000 (or 5.85%) larger than the present 2012-2013 budget. Contributing to the increase is a new contract agreement with Cabot School teachers and support staff as well as increases in technology, health insurance, and facilities maintenance. According to Superintendent Nancy Thomas, the new teachers’ contract was negotiated jointly with Twinfield and Cabot School staff, and brings the salary schedules of the two schools closer together. The presentation also included an overview of how the town’s homestead property tax rate would be affected if the draft budget was eventually agreed upon by the Board and approved by Cabot voters. If the draft budget presented at the meeting were to remain at its present size, it would increase the residential tax rate from 1.3799 to 1.5775, an increase of 14%. In addition to the budget figure, a drop in the number of students from 208 to 202 and an increase in the state-set base education tax rate are working to raise this year’s tax rate. After a good deal of discussion among school officials and the twenty community members in attendance about specific features of the budget as well as the rationale behind specific changes, a number of people expressed concern about the size of the projected budget and its potential impact on property taxes. The discussion turned next to the potential financial impact of closing the high school. According to estimates made by school administrators and presented at the meeting, closing Cabot High School and tuitioning the 65 students elsewhere next year would cost taxpayers more than keeping the high school going in its present form.

WNESU business manager Rob Billings described in detail the figures that he used to make that estimate. Mr.Billings outlined that closing the high school next year would save $585, 674 by eliminating one support staff position and 6.7 teaching positions, as well as a variety of other services, coaching salaries, and equipment. However, in closing the high school, the school would no longer receive income from students now tuitioned in to Cabot High School from other towns; that figure is estimated to amount to $130,575 next year. Mr. Billings also presented a list of the “announced tuition” costs of neighboring high schools, and explained that he had used the average figure of $12,381/year to calculate that the cost of tuitioning Cabot’s 65 high school students next year would work out to $804,751. Mr. Billings cautioned that the rates he used for his calculations were for the present school year, and that schools can legally raise their “announced rates” within a given year if their actual costs rise. In summary, according to the estimates and calculations presented by Mr. Billings, the $804,000 cost for tuitioning out Cabot’s high school students combined with the projected $130,000 loss of revenue from tuition students would mean that it would be $405,658 more expensive to tuition out Cabot’s high school students next year than it would be to keep Cabot High School open and continue to educate those students in Cabot. More discussion followed this part of the presentation, with a number of participants drawing attention to the need for increased and ongoing communication between school officials and community members. Additional public forums, town-wide mailings, online postings, and informal neighborhood meetings were all mentioned as worthy options. Several speakers spoke of general concern about the future cost of maintaining and renovating school buildings, and encouraged school officials to address those concerns as part of a larger discussion about the school’s future. At the end of the meeting, school board members and administrators expressed their appreciation for the valuable input provided by the community members in attendance, and announced that the final draft of the Cabot School budget for the 2013-2014 school would be approved by the school board in early January.

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School Choice - Cabot is the Choice

By Rebecca Nally How many of you remember your school days quotes, such as “When will I ever need to know this or “ I will never use this in real life?” I know I said some version of those more than once while I was in school. Cabot High students don’t need to say these sayings or anything like them. Cabot School students are using the skills and knowledge learned in the classroom in the real world. Recently the 10th grade biology/chemistry students were invited onto the UVM Lake Champlain research vessel to take water samples from the lake and then go in to the laboratory to study the samples and see how the information could be used to help make plans to protect the lake. Last year, Cabot High School implemented project- based learning. Unlike creating a project at the end of a unit study like we did in school, project based learning uses the process to enhance a student’s knowledge, skills and demonstrate learning. Project based learning also uses many different avenues to educate students thus being able to reach all students not just some of them. Instead of learning subjects in isolation; math, sciences, history and English are used to create the projects. This mimics real life; such as when a lawyer is researching a case, a mechanic is diagnosing a vehicle’s problem or an engineer is designing a new device. In all of these cases the professional needs to use skills and knowledge from different areas to solve a problem or create a finished product. Cabot is a leader in this area of learning. Cabot students and staff have been invited to present at conferences around Vermont and New England. They were the inspirational speakers at the Vermont School Boards Association Meeting in the Fall of 2012, presenters at the New England League of Innovative Schools in March of 2012, and at the Vermont Superintendents Conference in the Spring of 2012. Cabot is also one of 6 schools to be charter members of the League of Innovative Schools. Earning an award of a $50,000 grant to begin project based learning and an additional $10,000 to continue implementing this program of study. Additional real life skills that the students develop include poise in public speaking situations, critical thinking skills, asking probing questions and confidence in different situations. This article is the first in a planned 3 part series to support keeping Cabot High School open. Closing Cabot High School actually starts to limit school choice. As small high schools are closed it limits the number of educational opportunities available to students. There is already choice in Cabot. Through the regional lottery students can apply to attend other high schools at no additional cost to their families.

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Cabot School Has Highest College Enrollment Rate In Vermont

Posted on Front Porch Forum, by Karen Mueller-Harder

I'm truly sorry some Cabot residents have not found that Cabot School works for their kids. Most of the parents I know have found it to be an excellent "choice" for our kids. It's hard to ignore anecdotal experiences when looking at the big picture. Here is some objective data to take into account when thinking about sending kids to Cabot School versus another nearby option: A recent report by the Vermont State Department of Education ranks Cabot School highest in the state for the postsecondary enrollment rate of Vermont high school graduates, surpassing the statewide enrollment rate by nearly 20 percentage points.

The Department of Education report indicates that the report "represents Vermont students who graduated in SY2009-10 with a regular high school diploma and enrolled in an institution of higher education within sixteen months of their high school graduation date. These percentages were derived using post-secondary data collected by the National Student Clearinghouse."

Here's the full Department

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Another Look at Cabot College Enrollment Rates

By Brigitte Codling There was a post on the Front Porch Forum on December 11, 2012, that brought up the subject of college enrollment rates for Cabot graduates; specifically for students that graduated with the 2010 class. The information presented appeared incorrect to me, so I decided to calculate the college enrollment rates myself. I have personally known most of the students who have graduated from Cabot High School over the past five years and would like to offer a local perspective on Cabot’s college enrollment rate:

• In 2009 – 2010 Cabot High School had 15 students that graduated, 10 of them went to college; 2 immediately dropped out leaving 8 enrolled in a postsecondary program. That means of the 2009 - 2010 Cabot graduates 66.6% enrolled in college (53.3% if you count the drop outs).

• In 2010 – 2011 Cabot High School had 16 students that graduated, 10 of them went to college. That means of the 2010 - 2011 Cabot graduates 62.5% enrolled in college.

• In 2011 – 2012 Cabot High School had 15 students that graduated, 6 of them went to college; 1 immediately dropped out leaving 5 enrolled in a postsecondary program. That means of the 2011 - 2012 Cabot graduates 40.0% enrolled in college. (33.33% if you count the drop out). To remain consistent with the Department of Education report (the report cited on December 11, 2012) I excluded proprietary trade, vocational, international institutions, military, and apprenticeship programs from my numbers. I believe the reality is that Cabot does not have the highest college enrollment rate in Vermont (certainly not 80%) and in fact the number of students enrolling in post secondary programs has dropped dramatically over the past three years. As a parent, this is of great concern to me, and I felt that it was important to provide a more realistic view of how many of our students are actually enrolling in post secondary programs after leaving Cabot High School.

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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

Dear Editor:

Re: Project Based Learning (PBL) and the Student:

Project-Based Learning is a studentdirected approach to education that is designed to engage students in investigation of authentic problems. Projects are intended to be realistic, not schoollike. However, the implementation of PBL in classrooms presents a number of significant challenges and in turn issues. Project Based Learning initiatives can quickly dissolve into unfocused chaos. Some educators believe that PBL has the ability to address students' various learning styles or "multiple intelligences" (Gardner, H. (1991). The Unschooled Mind) but in fact there is no research to support this hypothesis. Research has shown that students who performed well in traditional classrooms typically are less successful as part of a PBL initiative, and students who perform poorly in traditional classrooms can do well in “well executed” PBL activities. (Rosenfeld, M. & Rosenfeld, S. (1998). Understanding the "surprises" in PBL: An exploration into the learning styles of teachers and their students.) There is also a great deal of research that strongly relates individual differences in students' self motivation to student success as part of PBL. Students with little self motivation will do poorly as part of a project based, student-directed program. Project based learning is just not for every student and has the utmost potential to fail a majority of our students by not adequately teaching them the critical skills (math, science, literature, writing) they need to succeed.

Brigitte Codling, Cabot, VT

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Middle School Basketball

By Frank Kampf The Middle School basketball season has gotten off to a busy start. Both the Cabot boys and girls have had four games in their first week of play. The first game was against Washington in the St. Monica’s gym. A first game is always challenging, and made more so in a gym with an unfamiliar rubber floor. Both the Cabot boys and girls stepped up to the challenge with wins, the girls won 23-17 and the boys won 26-16. Next up was Waterford, just three days later, the first home game of the season. Both teams were scheduled to play in the Waterford Tournament the following weekend, so this game would be a preview of the next game. The Cabot girls may have been tired due to the short break between games, or in need of more practice, and it became evident that Waterford was a talented and aggressive team. Cabot girls struggled to keep up and lost 36-23. The Cabot boys were more than prepared and came out flying up and down the court, manhandling their opponent for a win, 23-20. Then, the weekend was upon us, and Friday night started the Waterford Tournament. The girls had a rematch against Waterford and the boys would be up against Good Sheppard. Before the game, the coaches were informed of a rule change: pressing would not be limited to the last two minutes of a half. This changed how the Cabot girls would have prepared for the game, and suited the defensive strengths of the Waterford girls in a very small gym. The Cabot gym is cavernous compared to the Waterford gym. Alas, the girls struggled again with poor shooting, and lost 30-13. The Cabot boys faired little better, and found it hard to execute their offense in such a small gym, resulting in a loss of 48-20. On the final day of the tournament, the Cabot girls and boys were playing for third place, each against Gilman. After two losses in a row, the Cabot girls were hungry for a win and came out on their toes, making every effort to get the ball. The scoring was spread across more then half the team, and many turnovers were forced as they won 43-22. The Cabot boys played next, and the game started out evenly matched, ending at half time with a one point lead, 11-10. But, at the beginning of the second half, the Cabot boys were firing with all cylinders and took a commanding lead, driving to a win, 40- 27. Alisha Celley and Jordan Hale were named tournament MVPs. The Cabot Middle School basketball teams play next on January 3 at 5:30 p.m. in Craftsbury. Then, on January 8 at 5:00 p.m. in Cabot against Good Sheppard, and again on January 11 at 5:00 p.m. in Cabot against Twinfield.

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Free Online Courses for Cabot Students

By Ruth Kaldor The Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative (VTVLC) online program is an arrangement among schools across Vermont. Cabot School was one of the first partner schools. A partner school has at least one teacher who facilitates online courses in addition to their regular teaching assignment. I started teaching online three years ago. In return, a partner school may enroll up to 25 students each semester tuition-free. The $300 per course fee is waived for students from partner schools . Students may enroll in online courses taught by partner school faculty from any participating school in Vermont. Cabot students took 73 online semester courses over the past three years at no expense, for a total savings of $21,900. A listing of VTVLS.com course offerings shows: seven advanced placement courses; foreign languages such as Chinese, Latin and Spanish; and numerous math, English, science, and history courses, as well as many electives. What are the advantages of taking an online course? There are quite a few. Students can take courses not offered by their school at times that do not conflict with their other classes. Toby Cook, age 12, said, “I wanted to take Latin and it was available online.” Online courses also meet the learning styles of many students who don’t function well in group learning environments. Some students are unable to attend school for health or other reasons. Others may only need one or two credits to graduate. Online courses teach learners the importance of being independent learners. Heidi Cookson, grade 10, is taking Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics. She confirmed the importance of independent learning, saying, “It’s really important to have a good support system, to be interested in the subject, and to be a responsible learner.” Although course requirements are clearly explained, students must rely on themselves to accomplish course requirements in a timely manner. This is an important life skill to develop. However, should learners need extra help, there are several available resources, including the online teacher as well as counselors and technical service people at the student’s home school. Alex Yu, grade 10, is taking Physics, and offered this advice, “Ask questions when you need help.” This experience has been wonderful for me because I learned a lot about online teaching while earning 15 graduate credits and Online Certification from Marlboro College, a VTVLC partner. The opportunity for Cabot students to take online courses without expense is icing on the cake.

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Cabot Recreation Department

By Amber Bothfeld The ice rink will be up and running soon. The border is in place and plastic is ready to be laid down. We are just waiting for some constant cold weather. We are starting this basketball season with three teams up and running! The teams are formed and they are ready to go. Pre-K-second grade basketball will be starting in January. Check your child’s backpack for sign ups. If you don’t have one and would like to sign your child up, call myself or Rebecca Nally for a sign-up sheet. As always, we are looking for members. Whether your child plays sports is NOT guaranteed unless we have members to help.

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Northeast Kingdom Warriors Soccer

Register before February 10 Still looking for Land By Michelle Delaney The Northeast Kingdom Warriors Soccer Club is taking registration for players between the ages of 6 and 18 (children born from August 1998 forward) through the spring. We serve all young soccer players in this area, as the closest clubs to Cabot are Morrisville and Barre. Games are played in May and the first half of June. Practices will begin as soon as we can get outside in April. Teams need to be registered by February 10 with the Vermont Soccer Association.

We are still looking for a relatively flat piece of land (around 200 X 120 yards) that can be used for a ten-year period for a soccer field. The US Soccer Foundation offers grants for field improvement and equipment and has helped countless new clubs get established. However, in order to get a grant, we need a piece of land to use. We are always looking for other soccer enthusiasts 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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WATCH FOR CABOT KIDS IN

A little birdie told us - Yankee Magazine's March/April 2013 edition will include a story about mapping places you love, which will feature the work of Cabot School third graders and Cabot Chronicle contributer Julia Shipley. You may have read Julia's articles about community mapping and working with Cabot school children at the public library and school in past editions of the Cabot Chronicle. In addition, the January/February issue of Yankee Magazine (freshly arrived at news stands) features Rusty Churchill (the resident Road Scholar) talking about keeping Cabot's roads drivable, also by Julia Shipley.

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FROM THE CABOT PUBLIC LIBRARY

Stop in and see our miniature Holiday Village, thanks to Ed Lewis and all the youth who participated in the paper modeling workshops.

Programs Figuring out your new E-Reader - Anne Walker - Thursday, January 10, 6:30 p.m. Did you get an E-Reader for Christmas? Would you like to download free e-books from Listen Up! VT? We will work with you to get your new Kindle, Nook, iPad, or another e-Reader working with Listen Up! VT.

Italian Cooking with Christine Friese – Tuesday, January 15, 6:30- 8:30 p.m. Join us for an evening of Italian food at the Cabot Public Library. We'll make risotto and talk about method and some variations. And we'll have an Italian salad and maybe even a sweet treat. While cooking, I am happy to share information on the Italian language.

Community Book Group – Monday, February 4, 10:30 a.m.

All are welcome to join in! We will be meeting monthly on Monday mornings and the first book will be The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed by John Vaillant. Copies will be available in the Cabot Library. John Vaillant takes us into the heart of North America's last great forest, where trees grow to eighteen feet in diameter, sunlight never touches the ground and the chainsaws are always at work. When a shattered kayak and camping gear are found on an uninhabited island, they reignite a mystery surrounding a shocking act of protest. Five months earlier, logger-turned-activist Grant Hadwin had plunged naked into a river in British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands, towing a chainsaw. When his night's work was done, a unique Sitka spruce, 165 feet tall and covered with luminous golden needles, teetered on its stump. Two days later it fell. The tree, a fascinating puzzle to scientists, was sacred to the Haida, a fierce seafaring tribe based in the Queen Charlottes. Vaillant recounts the bloody history of the Haida and the early fur trade, and provides harrowing details of the logging industry, whose omnivorous violence would claim both Hadwin and the golden spruce. Yoga & Wellness Classes – Mondays 6 – 7:30 p.m. Welcome the changing seasons! Nourish your body, mind and spirit! 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 again so much to Ed Lewis and Cindy Robbins for many fun afternoons of knitting/felting and paper modeling. Much appreciation to Ben Scotch for a thoughtful discussion on how decisions are made about going to war. Many thanks to Rachel Brandt, Helen Sawyer, Beth Wade, and

Megan Walker for a really fun Holiday Crafts workshop. Thanks so much to all who participated in our special Holiday story hour, especially Raymond and Amber Bothfeld. And thanks to Cynthia Russell for helping to facilitate our new Community Book Group. We are truly lucky and thankful to have so many people willing to help out in our library.

See you at the Library!

Kathleen Hoyne and Anne Walker

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A SALUTE TO OUR SOLDIERS WITH A VERMONT WINTER WEDDING MILITARY COUPLE TO WIN A FREE WINTER WEDDING IN VERMONT

A Salute to Our Soldiers honors our servicemen and women with a complimentary Vermont wedding valued at $70,000 for one deserving couple.

The contest to find that couple began December 15 and is organized by three Vermont businesses: VT Enchanted Events, VermontWeddings.com and The Mountain Top Inn & Resort. Entries will be reviewed and one couple will be selected to receive a wedding package for up to 200 guests, hosted on December 15, 2013, at The Mountain Top Inn and Resort, in Chittenden, VT. Couples nationwide are encouraged to submit their love stories at Vermont- Weddings.com between December 15, 2012, and April 1, 2013. The contest is open to engaged and currently active, reserve, or retired members of the United States Armed Forces – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, or National Guard. Often, our country’s military personnel miss out on life’s most precious moments due to deployments, casualties and injuries. In gratitude for their service, A Salute to Our Soldiers wedding give-away enables Vermont’s wedding vendors to give back just a little to one worthy couple. Due to the generous spirit of Vermont businesses, the growing list of donating vendors includes:

• 822 Weddings

• Barrie Fisher Photographers

• Carman Brook Farms

• Cuisine Lucette

• Creative Muse Floral

• Cynthea’s Spa

• Dayve Huckett

• Five Elements Salon and Day Spa

• Hawley’s Florist

• Irene’s Cakes by Design

• Keepsake by Nana

Several of these Vermont wedding vendors also extend military discounts to couples planning their weddings. About the Organizers: VT Enchanted Events: Wedding planning that ranges from the bare basics up to complete wedding services tailored to fit all budgets. Each individual has their own unique style and flair that they will want for their wedding; the goal is to gain insight and bring it to life and present it like a page turning in a book. After all, this is a love story being told to family, friends, and most important of all, to each other! The Mountain Top Inn & Resort: Just 11 miles from Killington, The Mountain Top Inn & Resort is the ideal location to host a Vermont destination wedding. The Resort’s Barn accommodates 250 guests, with a lake and Green Mountains as the back drop. Classic lodge accommodations, menu planning to meet each couple's personal tastes and an array of activities for friends and family complete the package for couples to create perfect memories for their wedding. Visit mountaintopinnweddings.com. VermontWeddings.com: Vermont’s largest, most comprehensive online directory of wedding resources including locations, professional services, guest accommodations and activities. VermontWeddings.com provides couples with online tools to research, plan and share information about their picture perfect Vermont wedding. Visit us at VermontWeddings.com, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

• Lake Champlain Chocolates

• LoveBuzzPhoto

• New Leaf Organics

• Perennial Studios

• Shear Heaven Salon and Day Spa

• SuperSounds DJ

• The Linen Shop at Occasions

• Truly Noted

• VickeryHill.com

• Vermont Bride Magazine Please help us get the word out.

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TWIN VALLEY SENIOR CENTER

By Elizabeth Bolt Travel Stories Hour!

On Wednesday, January 16 from 10:30-11:30 a.m., join Neighbor to Neighbor AmeriCorps member Peggy Ramel for an hour spent sipping tea/coffee and sharing travel stories through photographs. Bring five photos depicting some of your favorite travel adventures—local, international, recent, or long ago. Contact Rita Copeland at 426- 3447 to RSVP.

Thank You All

Thank you to all contributors to TVSC Annual Appeal. Your generous and thoughtful donations are very important to our continued success in helping seniors at the Center and through the Meals on Wheels program.

Assistance Please If you are out on the roads and see a disabled vehicle with a sign that says "TWIN VALLEY SENIORS VOLUN- TEER", please stop and offer your assistance. Our dedicated Volunteers are on a mission and may have car trouble. As you know, cell service in our area is not good, and we worry about our volunteers on the roads they travel. If you cannot assist them, please place a call to 426- 3447 so we can. Through the generosity of United Way, we were able to purchase these signs to identify our drivers as TVSC volunteers so citizens will stop in case of need to offer their assistance.

Exercise Classes Tai Chi - TVSC

Starting February 6, a free Tai Chi class will be held on Wednesdays from 1:00-2:00 p.m. at the Twin Valley Senior Center. Rooted in Chinese tradition, Tai Chi is a low-impact form of exercise consisting of a series of gentle, fluid movements performed in rhythmic slow patterns; benefits of practicing Tai Chi include further development of muscle strength and flexibility, pain and stiffness reduction, and balance improvement. To sign up for the free class, please contact Rita Copeland at 426- 3447 by January 30.

Growing Stronger - Cabot Commons Starting January 29, Growing Stronger—a free 12-week strength training program for older adults—will be held in the Community Room at the Cabot Commons Senior Housing complex. The program consists of exercises tailored to strengthen all major muscle groups in the upper and lower body. The class will be held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2:00-3:00 p.m. and all equipment will be provided. An introductory meeting at Cabot Commons will be held on January 8 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. for all interested individuals. To sign up for the free course, please contact Jen Messier at 802-595-3323 by December 31.

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Birds of a Feather, They’re Not

By Doug Morin “That’s a downy. No wait, it’s a hairy – definitely a hairy. Well, hang on...maybe it is a downy.” I admit it: I’ve had this happen to me more than once. With the onset of winter, downy and hairy woodpeckers become more apparent– knocking away in our woods and stopping by our birdfeeders. With strikingly similar feather patterns, the two can be hard to distinguish if one only catches a glimpse. Both have black wings with white markings; white bellies, sides, and backs; and distinctively white- and black-striped heads. Males of both species have red patches on the backs of their heads, which females lack. While seasoned birders can tell the difference between the two birds’ calls and the shade of white on the tail feathers, the most reliable visual differences are that hairies are larger (by about 1.5 inches and 2 ounces) and have more solid, longer bills than downies. Because of such striking similarities, one might assume that downies and hairies are very closely related, even that they’re probably each other’s closest relatives (“sister species” in evolutionary biology lingo) – just like our white tailed deer and the west’s mule deer are. Evolutionary biologists had reached exactly the same conclusion – that is until DNA sequencing allowed them to bypass comparing traits like weight, size, and color and go right to the source when determining evolutionary relationship. What the genes show is that downies and hairies aren’t evolutionary sisters. The two species are related: they are both in the genus Picoides. But, the genus is separated into two branches. In one group is the downy woodpecker, with its closest relatives: the Nuttall’s, the ladder-backed, and the lesser spotted woodpeckers. The other branch contains the hairy woodpecker and its closest relatives: the Arizona, white-headed, and red-cockaded woodpeckers. But how can two species look almost identical without being immediate relatives? One theory is convergent evolution. Think of bats and birds, which both have wings, but aren’t close relatives, or crocodiles and hippopotamuses, which both have eyes on the tops of their heads, but also aren’t close relatives. When species evolve from different backgrounds toward a similar state, it’s called convergent evolution. So, if this is the cause of the woodpecker similarity, then the ancestors of these two species looked different, but slowly evolved to look similar to each other over time. Support for this idea comes from the observation that hairy woodpeckers living well outside the range of downies (in Central America) have begun to morph in color: they have brownish underparts, as opposed to the white found on birds in the northeast. It’s almost as if they are free to change appearance when downy woodpeckers are not present, but when the two live together, they are constrained to look the same by some force of evolution. What could that force be? Convergent evolution occurs for a variety of reasons. For instance, our harmless eastern milk snake evolved to look like the venomous northern copperhead snake. This similarity benefits milk snakes, which predators may confuse for venomous copperheads and avoid, losing out on an easy meal. In the case of our woodpeckers, however, we have no evidence that either species is venomous. Instead, some scientists suspect that the similarity between downies and hairies could be related to territoriality. Both woodpeckers compete for limited resources: food and trees that provide nesting cavities. Converging on a similar look may be a way for birds with brains the size of a pea to identify competitors more easily: all they have to do is shoo away any bird that looks like them. The territoriality hypothesis hasn’t been tested yet, though, so we don’t know the full story. What we do know is that even some of our most familiar birds hold riddles that we have yet to decipher.

Doug Morin is an ecologist living in Burlington, Vermont. llustration 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].

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CABOT CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION COMMITTEE

Public Presentation:

Wednesday, January 9, 7:00 p.m., at the Willey Building

Options for Main Street : This will be a public presentation of the Scoping Study Report, reflecting work done over more than six months by the committee and participating community members. This Scoping Study was necessary in order for Cabot to be eligible to apply for VTrans construction grant funding. The plans to be presented as part of the Scoping Study Report will be conceptual in nature and do not necessarily reflect actual projects to be constructed. All projects pursued as part

of any VTrans construction grant in the future will be subject to public input.

Grant Approval Meeting:

Wednesday, January 16, 6:30 p.m., at the Willey Building

VTrans Alternate Grant: This will be a public presentation to the Cabot Select Board of the application and associated documentation related to the first project to

be pursued as part of a VTrans Alternate Construction Grant. The area to be focused on is the intersection of South Walden Road and Route 215 at the north end of Main Street. There will be no public input at this meeting, as the application is

only an attempt to secure grant funding. If Cabot is selected, there will be many meetings at which the public will be given opportunities to help guide the development of actual construction plans and design details.

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LOVE NOTES

The Cabot Chronicle is creating a special section in February.

If there is someone special you’d like to send your valentine’s greetings to in the next issue of The Cabot Chronicle, simply send us your greeting along with proper payment before January 15, 2013.

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FOR HIRE

HOUSE CLEANER FOR HIRE –

Reliable, Affordable, and with Great References, that’s me. I know how it is; you work full time, have kids, or are just too tired to even want to think about cleaning the house, or folding laundry, among other things. So call me, Jennifer at 563-2058, I have a love for cleaning and organizing and I look forward to hearing from you.

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