The Cabot Chronicle, February 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 February 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

Cabot's Two Librarians — 414 words
Cabot Business Recognized! — 208 words
Hardware Store Update — 281 words
2013 WARNING - TOWN OF CABOT — 2623 words
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE. Legislative Session Report — 475 words
OBITUARIES & MEMORIALS — 2178 words
OBITUARIES & MEMORIALS — 547 words
COMMUNITY COMMENTARY — 938 words
ADVICE FROM THE TREE WARDEN Invasives and Other Pests — 214 words
By Australian Ballot 3 Selectpersons 2 School Directors From the Floor — 79 words
Cabot Depends on Volunteers — 431 words
Where is the Main Street Plan? — 274 words
WORKING FOR CABOT — 53 words
State of Vermont Office of the Governor — 260 words
STILL SURVEYING - Would You Like To Work Out In Cabot Village? — 205 words
New Multi-Age Class At Cabot School — 955 words
COMMUNITY COMMENTARY — 438 words
Cabot High School Prepares Students For Future — 289 words
Cabot School Board Update: Budget Proposed, Outreach Next — 298 words
FROM THE CABOT PUBLIC LIBRARY — 502 words
The Cost Savings of School Choice — 464 words
COMMUNITY COMMENTARY — 391 words
Chain Saw Safety Course Under Orion Farm February 16-17 — 111 words
Little League Signups — 136 words
Yoga, Meditation at Burlington International Airport — 40 words
Northeast Kingdom Warriors Soccer — 73 words
TWIN VALLEY SENIOR CENTER — 696 words
Winter Butterflies: Poems of a New England Youth — 640 words

Cabot's Two Librarians

Anne Walker and Kathleen Hoyne

by Kathleen Higbee, Cabot Public Library Board of Trustees

How well do you know our librarians? Those nice ladies who sit behind the desk and check books in and out. Seems like an easy job, right? Guess again. A librarian is a professional who has mastered the special requirements of library science. He or she performs a myriad of tasks in order to make your library the special place that it is. Books must be ordered, cataloged, indexed and shelved. Libraries often serve as archives for local and regional material that must be protected and stored for future generations. Librarians provide statistical information that is relevant to a town’s social and economic structure. Preparing a calendar of diverse programs for both adults and young readers is a timeconsuming but rewarding community service. A librarian must be a “people person” who enjoys helping people to use the library to the fullest extent. Finding titles, suggesting new authors, locating information and answering patrons’ questions are all part of a librarian’s day. Encouraging young readers to expand their reading horizons and introducing them to books that not only educate but that instill a life-long love of reading is the goal of every librarian.

Classifieds:

What do Anne Walker and Kathleen Hoyne do in a typical week? Kathleen selects a theme for the Tuesday pre-school story hour and organizes monthly adult programs, such as Vermont History Through Song and Libby’s Loons. She has initiated young adult activities, including after‑school games and the Girls Outdoor Leadership Program. Early in the spring, she begins preparing the Summer Reading Program and in the fall she schedules the Vermont Humanities Council series of book discussion groups. In her spare time, she writes grant requests for available library funds. Anne is equally busy. Along with the afore-mentioned ordering, cataloging and indexing, she compiles statistics, prepares invoices for payment, monitors the budget and manages the library website. Book repair is another of her specialties. Anne and Kathleen share the dayto-day book checking in or out, shelving, interlibrary loans, patron phone calls and dealing with the mail. Both work closely with Cabot School to provide library resources when possible. Both have completed a rigorous series of training programs required for state certification. I think you’ll agree that it takes a lot of work to keep our library running smoothly, and that Anne and Kathleen do it superbly and with both dedication and a smile. See you at the library!

Calendar:

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Cabot Business Recognized!

Cabot’s Bob Searles, owner of The Cabot Village Store, was honored at the Annual Meeting of the Heart of Vermont Chamber of Commerce in January, for expansion and conservation of Cabot’s hardware store;. In addition, Michael Gohl, architect, and Claudia Gohl were recognized for their restoration of two very important downtown buildings in Hardwick as well as bringing “Positive Pie” to Main Street; and Sara Mutrix of Craftsbury’s Art House was honored for exceptional promotion of the arts within the Chamber’s area. The Chamber sponsors both the Spring and Fall craft fairs in Hardwick as well as “Holiday Happenings” before Christmas. Also in the works for 2013 is “Diamonds in the Rust”, a “shine and show” vehicle show scheduled for July 13 in Hardwick. This will be a fun opportunity for people to bring out their restored vehicles, hot rods, and “barn find” treasures. For more information on this and other events; to explore our area; to join, contact us or post a listing on the free Community Calendar, visit the Chamber at www.heartofvt.com. Note to readers: the Heart of Vermont Chamber of Commerce logo is an Adirondack chair with a heart carved in the back. That chair is a Ducharme original from Cabot, and it really exists!

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Hardware Store Update

With the purchase of the Harry's Hardware building on Main Street, the Searles family of Cabot Village Store is working to return many benefits to the community, as well as a few new ones.

WORKING TO BRING BACK:

• Seeking a vendor that will supply gas at a competitive price.

• Trying to find the right hardware supplier that can provide Cabot's most-wanted items. The Searles are looking for input from you, to target inventory to the needs of local businesses and residents, without tying up funds and space with unneeded stock. Vote now for the items you most want by emailing [email protected] or face-to-face at the store with Bobby or Stephany. WHAT'S NEW:

• Butters will be relocating to the luncheonette in the rear of the Hardware store.

• The Searles are working with Sandy Ducharme, former Gallery Director of Artisans Hand Craft Gallery in Montpelier, to provide an attractive, useful section of the Hardware Store to display local art and wares for sale from talented artists . This supports one of the goals selected by community vote Hardware Store to be revived during the Vermont Council on Rural Development community visit process. (The three goals were: Improve Community Communication, Develop a Cabot Agricultural Network and Develop a Cabot Community Arts Center.) If you are at all interested, please call 563-3338.

The Searles Family is excited by this opportunity to serve the community. To insure their success and create a vibrant village center, it's important for the community to patronize these and other local businesses. Dollars spent in Cabot stay in Cabot, which benefits us all, and makes it possible to find the things we want right here in town.

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2013 WARNING - TOWN OF CABOT

The Legal Voters of the Town of Cabot are hereby warned and notified to meet at the Cabot School Gymnasium, Cabot, Vermont, on Tuesday March 5th A.D., 2013 at ten o'clock in the forenoon [10:00 a.m.] to transact the following business: HAUR polls will be open from 10:00 A.M. until 7:00 P.M.]

Art. 1. To elect a Moderator for the ensuing year.

Art. 2. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot vote to approve the minutes of the previous Annual Town Meeting of March 6, 2012?

Art. 3. To elect a Selectperson for a term of three years. [Australian Bal- Y\aJ

Art. 4. To elect a Selectperson for a term of two years. [Australian Ballot]

Art. 5. To elect a Selectperson for a term of one year. [Australian Ballot]

Art. 6. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot hear and act upon the reports of the Town Officers?

Art. 7. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot pay its Real and Personal Property taxes to the Town Treasurer on or before November 21, 2013, with delinquent taxes having interest charges of one percent per month for the first three months and one and one-half percent per month thereafter and an eight percent penalty charged from the due date?

Art. 8. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot elect all Town Officers required by law, according to law?

Art. 9. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot authorize the Library Trustees to apply for and receive grants and gifts and to spend any grants and gifts received?

Art. 10. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot grant to the Cabot Community Association (CCA) the sum of $20,000 from UDAG funds in 2013 for the purpose of helping to hire a part-time Economic and Community Development Coordinator to coordinate volunteer activities in support of economic, educational, and community development in Cabot, write grants seeking funding in support of local economic, educational and community development activities, and undertake such other duties as may be assigned by the Board of the CCA? [Australian Ballot]

Art. 11. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot grant to the Cabot Community Association (CCA) the sum of $7,500 from Town funds in 2013 for the purpose of helping to hire a part-time Economic and Community Development Coordinator to coordinate volunteer activities in support of economic, educational, and community development in Cabot, write grants seeking funding in support of local economic, educational and community development activities, and undertake such other duties as may be assigned by the Board of the CCA? [Australian Ballot]

Art. 12. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot authorize the Cabot Selectboard to appoint first and second constables in accordance with 17 VSA §2651a ? [Australian Ballot]

Art. 13. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot approve the sum of $40,000 to defray the expenses of the Cabot Fire Department?

Art. 14. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot approve the sum of $53,258 to support the Cabot Library?

Art. 15. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot approve the sum of $20,000 to support the maintenance of the Cabot Cemeteries?

Art. 16. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot approve the sum of $11,000 to support the Cabot Ambulance?

Art. 17. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot approve the sum of $500 to support the Cabot Senior Citizens group?

Art. 18. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot approve the sum of $6,000 to support The Cabot Chronicle?

Art. 19. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot approve the sum of $6,800 to support the Cabot Recreation Committee?

Art. 20. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot approve the sum of $350 to purchase flags for Memorial Day?

Art. 21. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot appropriate the following sums for the following purposes:

American Red Cross $ 500.00 Aquatic Nuisance Control Project at Joe’s Pond 750.00 A.W.A.R.E. Circle (formerly Battered Women’s Services and Shelter) 600.00 Cabot TLC 750.00 500.00 Central Vermont Adult Basic Education Central Vermont Center for Independent Living 165.00 Central Vermont Community Action Council Central Vermont Council on Aging

Central Vermont Economic Development Corp Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice Family Center of Washington County

Friends of the Winooski River 350.00

1,300.00

300.00

2,500.00

500.00

400.00 Green Mountain Transit Agency 733.00 Green Up Vermont 100.00 Northern VT Resource Conservation & Development Council 100.00 Onion River Food Shelf 800.00 OUR House of Central Vermont, Inc.

Peoples Health and Wellness Clinic

Retired & Senior Volunteer Program and Center Sexual Assault Crisis Team

Twin Valley Senior Center

Vermont Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired 300.00 Washington County Youth Service Bureau West Danville Area Community Club

Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District Woodbury-Calais Food Shelf

TOTAL

Art. 22. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot appropriate the sum of $1,425,900.00 to repair and maintain the highways of the Town including summer, winter and special treatment, of which an estimated $905,000.00 is to come from income and $520,900.00 from local taxes?

Art. 23. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot appropriate the sum of $631,306.00 to defray the General Expenses of the Town, with an estimated $413,609.69 to come from income and $217,696.31 from local taxes?

Art. 24. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot grant to Faith In Action NCP, Inc. the sum of $2,320 toward the purchase of chairs, tables and refurbished computers from the UDAG funds available for Town Meeting grants in 2013? [Australian Ballot]

Art. 25. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot grant to the Cabot Community Association for the Cabot Chronicle and the Cabot PTSO the sum of $4,800 toward the purchase of Maple Fest and Fourth of July fundraising tools from UDAG funds available for Town Meeting grants in 2013? [Australian Ballot]

Art. 26. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot approve amending Section 3A (iv) of the UDAG Plan to read: “iv. any funds available for granting 200.00

100.00

200.00

300.00

1,000.00 250.00

500.00

750.00 $ 15,648.00 not used in any given year can be used by the UDAG Committee to support economic and community development in Cabot.”? [Australian Ballot]

Art. 27. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot authorize the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District to appropriate and expend a budget of $679,878.00? [Australian Ballot]

Art. 28. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot advise the Cabot Selectboard to identify options, issues, costs and grant opportunities associated with the construction of improvements for traffic and pedestrians along Main Street and VT Route 215 in Cabot Village, potentially including sidewalks, traffic calming measures and streetscape enhancements? [Australian Ballot]

Art. 29. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot instruct the Selectboard to enact the following resolution to protect citizen health and safety, water bodies and other natural resources, in relation to tar sands oil transport through Vermont? [Australian Ballot]

WHEREAS, the oil industry appears to be planning to use an aging oil pipeline, built in 1950, to bring Canadian tar sands diluted bitumen through Vermont on its way to Portland, Maine for export; and

WHEREAS, the mining, drilling, and processing of tar sands requires a vast and destructive industrial operation that emits 3-5 times more carbon pollution per barrel than conventional U.S. crude oil, among many other problems; and

WHEREAS, pipelines carrying tar sands have a greater likelihood of leaks and spills because of the corrosive properties of tar sands, and such spills are more costly and difficult to clean up than conventional oil spills, as demonstrated by a 2010 tar sands spill that contaminated the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: 1. That the Town expresses its opposition to the transport of tar sands oil through Vermont, and its deep concern about the risks of such transport for public health and safety, property values, and our natural resources; and 2. That the Town shall require every fuel vendor, as a precondition for doing business with Town, to provide complete and current lists of the refinery sources of origin for all fuel the vendor sells, and thereby direct the Town’s purchases as much as possible toward vendors whose refinery sources do not use any material derived from tar sands; and 3. That the Town encourage the State of Vermont and other northeast states to support policies phasing out fuel purchases as quickly as possible from vendors whose refinery sources of origin use any form of tar sands, and support policies such as a Clean Fuels Standard to help keep such fuels out of the region’s fuel supply; and

4. That the Town call upon the Vermont State Legislature and the U.S. Congress to ensure thorough environmental impact reviews of any tar sands-related pipeline proposals, including the health and safety impacts of potential tar sands oil spills, along with clear guidelines for tracking the origins and chemical composition of pipeline contents and feedstocks; and 5. That the Town transmit a copy of this resolution to all relevant state, federal and Canadian officials, and the CEOs of Portland Pipe Line Corporation, Montreal Pipe Line Limited, Imperial Oil, ExxonMobil, and Enbridge Inc.

Art. 30. To transact any other business that may legally come before said meeting.

Art. 31. To adjourn this meeting. Dated this 25TH day of January A.D. 2013, Attest: Tara Rogerson, Town Clerk Caleb Pitkin Fred Ducharme Ted Domey Board of Selectpersons

This Warning was recorded before posting, Attest, Tara Rogerson, Cabot Town Clerk The legal voters of the Town of

Cabot are further notified that voter qualification, registration and absentee voting relative to said special meeting shall be as provided in 17 V.S.A., Chapters 43, 51 and 55. The deadline for applying for addition to the checklist is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. The Town Clerk’s Office will be open from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on that day to receive applications for additions to the checklist. The deadline for authorized persons to request absentee ballots on behalf of absent voters is 5:00 p.m., Monday, March 4, 2013. You may contact the Town Clerk in person, by mail or by phone. The legal voters of the Town of Cabot are hereby notified and warned to meet in the Selectboard Meeting Room Cabot Town Hall [also known as the Willey Building] on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. for a public hearing on the following Articles:

Art. 12. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot authorize the Cabot Selectboard to appoint first and second constables in accordance with 17 VSA §2651a ? [Australian Ballot]

Art. 26. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot approve amending Section 3A (iv) of the UDAG Plan to read: “iv. any funds available for granting not used in any given year can be used by the UDAG Committee to support economic and community development in Cabot.”? [Australian Ballot]

Art. 27. Shall the voters of the Town of Cabot authorize the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District to appropriate and expend a budget of $679,878.00? [Australian Ballot]

Art. 29. bShall the voters of the Town of Cabot instruct the Selectboard to enact the following resolution to protect citizen health and safety, water bodies and other natural resources, in relation to tar sands oil transport through Vermont? [Australian Ballot] WHEREAS, the oil industry appears to be planning to use an aging oil pipeline, built in 1950, to bring Canadian tar sands diluted bitumen through Vermont on its way to Portland, Maine for export; and WHEREAS, the mining, drilling, and processing of tar sands requires a vast and destructive industrial operation that emits 3-5 times more carbon pollution per barrel than conventional U.S. crude oil, among many other problems; and WHEREAS, pipelines carrying tar sands have a greater likelihood of leaks and spills because of the corrosive properties of tar sands, and such spills are more costly and difficult to clean up than conventional oil spills, as demonstrated by a 2010 tar sands spill that contaminated the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:

1. That the Town expresses its opposition to the transport of tar sands oil through Vermont, and its deep concern about the risks of such transport for public health and safety, property values, and our natural resources; and

2. That the Town shall require every fuel vendor, as a precondition for doing business with Town, to provide complete and current lists of the refinery sources of origin for all fuel the vendor sells, and thereby direct the Town’s purchases as much as possible toward vendors whose refinery sources do not use any material derived from tar sands; and

3. That the Town encourage the State of Vermont and other northeast states to support policies phasing out fuel purchases as quickly as possible from vendors whose refinery sources of origin use any form of tar sands, and support policies such as a Clean Fuels Standard to help keep such fuels out of the region’s fuel supply; and

5. That the Town transmit a copy of this resolution to all relevant state, federal and Canadian officials, and the CEOs of Portland Pipe Line Corporation, Montreal Pipe Line Limited, Imperial Oil, ExxonMobil, and Enbridge Inc.

By Kitty Toll Adopted and approved at a special meeting of the Cabot Select Board held on Friday, January 25, 2013. Received for record and recorded in the records of the Cabot Town Office, Cabot Vermont on Monday, January 28, 2013. Respectfully submitted, Tara Rogerson

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE. Legislative Session Report

Representative Catherine Toll (D-Caledonia-Washington)

On January 9, the opening day of the 2013 Legislative session, House members were sworn into office and unanimously re-elected Shap Smith for a third term as Speaker. Highlights of the Speaker’s remarks included investment in Vermont’s infrastructure, including roads and broadband access; affordability for Vermont students attending college; workforce training; and climate control. Additionally, committee assignments were announced by Speaker Smith. The eleven House committee chairs from the last biennium were reappointed. I was once again assigned to the House Appropriations Committee. Our first task was to make needed adjustments to the 2013 budget passed last May. The Budget Adjustment Bill was brought to the floor and passed on a voice vote on January 23. Adjustments included additional funds to the following departments: Children and Families, Mental Health and Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL), mostly due to increases in caseloads. The Department of Public Safety budget was adjusted to cover increases in gasoline needs and a necessary upgrade to a Public Safety Answering Point System in Williston. Due to the West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis outbreak in 2012, the Agency of Agriculture and Department of Health requested funds to address this Vermont safety issue. Two lives were lost to an outbreak last year. Funds were requested by the Agency of Commerce and Community Development to increase marketing in the Toronto area and Mid-Atlantic States to boost tourism, to purchase grants application software and to expand the International Airport customs in Burlington. Finally an adjustment was made in the Pay Act for contracts negotiated after the passage of the budget. Expenditures were largely covered by lower than projected enrollment and utilization in Medicaid caseloads and by the transfer of funds from the Human Services Caseload Reserves and General Fund Balance Reserves. Following the Budget Adjustment process in the House, the Governor revealed his 2014 budget proposal to a joint session of the House and Senate, which mapped out the Administration’s plan to solve a $67 million gap. Through base reductions, one-time adjustments and increases in Special and Federal funds, the Administration presented a balanced FY14 budget. Priorities in the budget included investments in childcare, education, health care, energy efficiency, job training and the Working Landscape. This proposal is now being reviewed and revised in the House Appropriations Committee. Vermonters will have an opportunity to voice their concerns at a public hearing scheduled on February 11 from 4:00 – 7:00 pm at all Vermont Interactive Television sites. To find a location near you, please visit www.vitlink.org. To follow actions of the legislature or the status of a bill, visit www.leg.state.vt.us or contact me for information, to share your thoughts and concerns, or to attend a committee meeting. It is an honor to represent our area in the House of Representatives.

[email protected] [email protected] PO Box 192, Danville, VT 05828 802-684-3671

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OBITUARIES & MEMORIALS

Sidney Earl Barnard Sidney Earl Barnard, 79, of State College, PA, died Saturday, January 12, 2012, at his residence. Born May 4, 1933, in Middlebury, VT, he was the son of the late Charles W. and Madeline J. Spencer Barnard. On May 26, 1957, he married June B. Lantman, who survives. Also surviving are four children, Sally B. Landes and her husband, Robert, of Staunton, VA, David J. Barnard and his wife, Terri, of Chicago, IL, Marilyn B. Howell and her husband, Charlie, of Hattiesburg, MS, Gary L. Barnard, and his wife, Jean, of Millerstown, PA; four brothers, George Spencer, of Bakersville, CA, Herrick Spencer and his wife, Barbara, of Pawtucket, RI, William Spencer, of Vergennes, VT, Frank Spencer and his wife, Mary Jo, of Durham, NH; five grandchildren, Ben and his wife, Ashley, Megan and Nathan Landes, Tara and Marie Barnard; and several nieces and nephews. Sidney was a 1951 graduate of Vergennes High School, Vermont. He graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor's degree in Dairy Science and then in 1957 with a Master's degree also in Dairy Science from the University of Vermont. Sidney retired in 1997, after 33 years as a professor of Food Science at Penn State University and was well known for his extension work throughout Pennsylvania. Prior to that he was the Director of Quality at Cabot Cooperative Creamery, Cabot, VT. A funeral was held Thursday, January 17, 2013, at the Park Forest United Methodist Church in State College. Memorial contributions may be made to the Park Forest United Methodist Church, 1833 Park Forest Avenue, State College, PA 16803. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneral home.com.

Madeline D. Davis

Madeline Eileen (Daudelin) Davis, 88, passed away on Jan. 18, 2013, after a brief illness. She was born in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada, on March 29, 1924, the daughter of the late Antoine and Mary Louise (LaPorte) Daudelin. She grew up in Jericho and graduated from Jericho High School. In 1945, she graduated from the Fanny Allen School of Nursing and married the late Richard C. Davis of Jericho on July 21, 1945. In 1948, they purchased a dairy farm in South Walden, where they raised their nine children. Madeline is survived by her children, Michael A. Davis of Westmore, Christopher A. Davis of Sanford, NC, Suzanne M. Davis-Valliere of South Walden, Kenneth F. Davis of Hardwick, Steven C. Davis of Walden, Katherine A. Davis-Kotulak of Underhill Center, Linda J. Davis-Murray of South Walden, Gordon "Joe" Davis of Danville, and Joanne R. Davis-Richardson of South Walden; 25 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; a sister, Alice Payea of Plattsburg, N.Y.; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by a sister, Marguerite Peterson. A Celebration of Madeline's life was held on Saturday, January 26, 2013, at the Hope Community Fellowship Hall on the Bayley Hazen Road in South Walden. Arrangements are under the direction of Northern Vermont Funeral Service, Hardwick. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the Hardwick Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 837, Hardwick, VT 05843; or to the Frontier Animal Society, 4473 Barton Orleans Rd., Orleans, VT 05860.

Stacey B. Lafoe of Concord, NH, and Key Largo, FL, died peacefully on December 27, 2012. He was born on June 14, 1949, in Barton, VT, to Bernie L. Lafoe and Marjorie E. (Labor) Lafoe. He spent most of his childhood in the northeast kingdom of Vermont. He graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy, after which he worked for Cabot Cheese and helped his dad deliver the products to various areas in New Jersey. He raced cars in the NASCAR North Series, when he began his collection of Dale Earnhardt memorabilia. He also worked for Ethan Allen Furniture before moving to Concord, NH, to drive for his sister Jacqueline (Paul's Quick Lunch Truck). He also worked for Phoenix Construction driving heavy machinery and retired from Graphic Packaging when the company moved to North Carolina. He spent his retired years working on and collecting antique cars, watching NASCAR races, sailing, boating, and fishing in the waters of Lake Winnipesauke, NH, and Key Largo, FL. He was a 23 year member of Orleans, VT, Sons of the American Legion squad no. 0023, past president of the Concord, NH, Fraternal Order of Eagles #613, member of the Concord VFW Post #1631, and a member of the Loyal Order of Moose, Key Largo Lodge #2287. He leaves his sister Jacqueline Audet, nieces, aunts, and many cousins. He will be missed for his quick smile, his seasonal toys, and his Donald Duck talk to all the children as well as adults he made smile. A celebration of life was held at the Loyal Order of Moose #2287, Key Largo, FL, on Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. Donations may be made to the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center, 93600 Overseas Highway, Tavernier, FL, 33070.

Irwin W. Pollack Margaret L. Johnson (nee Gruenler), 80, of Park Ridge, NJ, passed away surrounded by her loving children on Tuesday, January 15, 2013. Beloved wife of the late John H. Johnson for 30 years. Devoted mother of Jeanne Johnson and her husband Edward Domey of Cabot and Christian J. Johnson and his wife Barbara of Virginia Beach, VA. Cherished grandmother of Caleb Domey. Dear sister of the late Dorothy Gruenler. Maggie worked for the Woodcliff Lake, NJ, Board of Education for 11 years. She was an active member of Christ Lutheran Church, Woodcliff Lake, NJ. She was a dedicated volunteer and enjoyed traveling, bowling, playing bridge and her active social life with her many friends. Funeral service was held on Saturday, January 19, at Robert Spearing Funeral Home in Park Ridge, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Margaret L. Johnson may be made to Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ, Christ Lutheran Church, Woodcliff Lake, NJ or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Ingrid M. Kennedy Ingrid M. Kennedy, 74, of the Quarry Hill Apartments on the Graniteville Road, died Friday, December 28, 2012, at the Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin. Born on November 15, 1938, in Oberhausen, Germany, she was the daughter of Paul and Margarete (Giesen) Koziol. She attended schools in Germany. Later, she became an LNA, Licensed Nurse Assistant, through a program at Spaulding High School in Barre. On November 5, 1967, Ingrid married Ray H. Kennedy in Tolleson, AZ. Following their marriage, they lived in Arizona, the Philippines and Oklahoma while he was serving in the United States Air Force. In 1973, they moved to Cabot. He died on May 9, 1973. Ingrid first worked for the Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice in Berlin and in private care. Later, she worked as an LNA in Cincinnati, OH, and after returning to VT, at Woodridge Nursing Home in Berlin. While working at Woodridge, she organized tea parties and other social activities for the residents. She always took pleasure in helping people. Ingrid enjoyed spending time with her family and cooking for family and friends. She had a special bond with pets, especially her daughter's and sonin-law's dog, Riley, and cat, Corey. Her other interests included sewing and interior decorating. Survivors include her daughter, Sylvia Kennedy-Godin and her husband Steven of Cabot; her brother, Heinz Koziol, and a nephew, Ralph Koziol, both of Germany; and other relatives there. She was predeceased by her husband and parents. Her funeral service was held on Friday, January 4, 2013, in the Hooker and Whitcomb Funeral Home of Barre. Entombment is in the Hooker and Whitcomb Vault to await a later burial in the Highland Cemetery in Chelsea. Contributions in her memory may be made to David's House, 461 Mount Support Road, PO Box 660, Lebanon, NH 03766; or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Irwin W. Pollack, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurology at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School of Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, passed away on January 6, 2013, due to complications from cancer/mylodysplastic syndrome. He was 85, and resided in Tucson, AZ, and Cabot, VT. A pioneer in the treatment of traumatic brain injury, Dr. Pollack made fundamental contributions to the development of cognitive rehabilitation therapy. Later in his career, he became a Professor of Neuropsychiatry in addition to Psychiatry, and a leader in the field of Behavioral Psychiatry. He was a founder of the National Head Injury Association, and served on its board for many years. Irwin Pollack was born in Philadelphia, PA, on Aug. 14, 1927. He was a graduate of Central High School, and served in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, he attended Temple University on the GI bill, earning his B.S. degree in 1950. After graduating from Temple, he earned an M.S. in Experimental Psychology at Columbia University, and then a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He entered Medical School at the University of Vermont in 1953, and received his degree in medicine in 1956. He completed his residency training at The Johns Hopkins University and served as Chief Resident from 1956 to 1958. After an initial appointment at Hopkins, Dr. Pollack served as the founding chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Mt. Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. He joined the faculty of the Rutgers Medical School in 1968, and served as the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School from 1972 to 1986. Dr. Pollack was a pioneer in the treatment of traumatic head injury. In 1986, he founded the Center for Cognitive Rehabilitation at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and served as its first Director, until his retirement in 1998. He moved to Tucson, AZ, in 2009, and was a resident of the Splendido Continuing Care Community in Oro Valley. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Pollack; three sons, Nathaniel, Joshua, and Jonathan; three grandchildren, Madeline, Thomas, and Olivia Pollack; as well as his niece and nephew, Cynthia and Raymond Rouleau of Cabot. A memorial service for Dr. Pollack was held at Splendido in Tucson, AZ. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Irwin Pollack Scholarship Fund, University of Vermont College of Medicine, 85 S. Prospect St., Burlington, VT 05401.

Mary Ross Mary Ross, 82, died in the early evening of December 26, 2012, at the Woodridge Nursing Home, where she had been a patient since June of 2012. Mary was born on October 15, 1930, in Walden, to Theodore L.

Timmons and Leora M. (Durgan) Timmons. She was a graduate of Plainfield High School, class of 1949. She married her sweetheart, Russell Morrison Ross, on September 18, 1950, in Plainfield, and celebrated 58 years of marriage before Russell's death in 2009. In Mary's early years, she worked as a waitress in various locations in Central Vermont, the Barre Country Club being her last. She was also employed for many years thereafter at the Sprague Electric Company in Barre. Although she worked many years outside the home, her home was where she took great pride. In early years, she helped Russell in their large vegetable garden, preparing and canning good food, which was passed on to her six daughters. She was especially noted for her delicious pickles and chocolate doughnuts. Mary was a "True Friend" to all she met, never a bad word to be said of anyone; she spent many hours listening to friends and colleagues - a kind soul that could always find the "good" in people. In earlier years, Mary and Russell were very involved in the Scottish Clan Ross Organization, where they traveled extensively throughout New England to the various games. During this time, she made many lasting friendships and memories. As a young child, Mary was an avid reader and continued until her death. She left behind a wonderful library of books of which she was quite proud to say, "I have read them all." She was especially interested in cookbooks and cooking shows and could be found at any time reading a recipe or watching a show about food. Mary is survived by her six daughters, Betsy Ross and her husband Reggie Griggs of Barre, Leora Ross of West Lebanon, N.H., Nancy Parks and her husband Steve of Danbury, NH, Andrea Carbonneau and her husband Randy of Plainfield, Susan Lawson and her husband Randy of Shalimar, FL, and Lori Ross of Swenson Falls City, TX. She also leaves behind eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, as well as a stepbrother, Jim Dumont and his wife Pat of NH. Her husband, Russell Ross, and a sister, Rachael Roberts, predeceased her. A celebration of Mary's life was held on Thursday, January 3, 2013, at the First Presbyterian Church in Graniteville, with calling hours on Wednesday, January 2, at the Hooker and Whitcomb Funeral Home in Barre. In lieu of flowers, the family asks any donations to be made to The ALS Association, Northern New England, 10 Ferry St., Suite 309, Concord, NH 03220.

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OBITUARIES & MEMORIALS

Richard A. Spencer, Sr.

Richard Allen Spencer Sr., 63, of Hardwick, died Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, in the comfort of his home with his loving wife at his side. He was born January 9, 1950, in St. Johnsbury, the son of the late Richard H. and Priscilla (Welch) Spencer. He graduated from St. Johnsbury Trade School, in the class of 1969. He first married Linda Hall Pearce. He later married Joan S. Pilbin Smith in Port Charlotte, FL., on January 10, 2006. They spent several years wintering in Florida and making Vermont home during the summer months. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on October 2, 1969, in Albany, NY. Richard served his country in California, the Philippines, Okinawa, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. On March 6, 1974, Richard was awarded the Marine Corps Medal for heroism while serving at the U.S. Naval Base, Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines. Gunnery Sgt. Spencer was honorably discharged on September 26, 1983, with service-connected disability. Dick was a member of the American Legion Post 58 and the Elks Club, both in St. Johnsbury, the Breslin Center in Lyndonville, and the Moose Club on Merritt Island, FL. He loved the time that he spent with his family, many friends and particularly his grandchildren. He enjoyed coaching T-ball, hunting camp, fishing, traveling in his RV, and a little trip to the casinos now and again. Survivors include: his wife, Joan, of Hardwick; a son, Richard A. Spencer Jr., and companion Melissa Bell, of Berlin; a daughter, Bobbi Brimblecombe, and husband James, of Marshfield; stepson Douglas "DJ" Smith, of Hardwick; a stepdaughter, Kimberly "Kim" Bird, of Wolcott; Kelly Smith, of Hardwick; seven grandchildren; four stepgrandchildren; a brother, Theodore "Ted" Spencer, of St. Johnsbury; two sisters, Carolyn Lambert, of Dalton, N.H., and Nancy King, of Lowell; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. A gathering and celebration of Richard "Gunny" Spencer's life was held on Saturday, January 26, 2013, at the American Legion Post 58 in St. Johnsbury. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Caledonia Home Health & Hospice, P.O. Box 383, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819; or to the American Heart Association , Vermont Affiliate, 434 Hurricane Lane, Williston, VT 05495. Northern Vermont Funeral Service, Hardwick, is assisting family with arrangements.

Charles R. Talbot II Charles Robert Talbot ll, of Boca Raton, FL, passed away on January, 4, 2013. He was born December 24, 1921, in Lowell, MA, son of the late Cumner Talbot and the late Eleanor (Hunt) Talbot. He married the late Eleanor Morse in 1943.

They had four children, Carolyn Hamilton of Boca Raton, FL, and Cabot, VT, Gwendolyn of Manassas, VA, David of North Woodstock, NH, and Cabot, VT, and Elaine Hasty of Overland Park, KS; nine grandchildren and nine greatgrandchildren. He had three sisters, Louise Pike of Exeter, NH, Katherine Christison of Delray Beach, FL, and the late Patricia Wallace. He graduated from Lowell High School class of 1939 and Bentley College. He worked as an accountant for General Electric in Everett, MA, until enlisting in the Army Air Corps in World War II, where he was assigned to the Panama Canal. Following the war, he returned to Lowell to run the Talbot Clothing Company with his family. After closing the

Part of this story may be missing here. See the original pages, page 5 onward.

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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

Dear Editor: Big Wind, take two.

Last spring I had the opportunity to hike up to the top of Lowell Mountain to look at the construction going on for a new industrial wind plant. As I crested the top, it became immediately apparent that the “construction” was far less impressive than the “destruction” it was causing. Horrified, I went right back to the legislature to move for a moratorium on such development. As I said at the time, “We should never rape a pristine environment in exchange for intermittent power that has to be subsidized by both the taxpayer and the ratepayer, especially at a time when we have ample power available on the grid.” That effort failed in the Senate, 18 to 11. As a freshman senator in the minority party, that didn’t come as a surprise. What I did find encouraging, however, was the coalition of senators who voted in the minority. Most fell into the category of those who’d been directly affected by these industrial wind projects. My speech on the Senate floor ended with the prediction that “these projects are coming to a mountain top near you.” Since then, wind projects have been proposed or built in Rutland County, Windham County and Chittenden County. Sure enough, senators close to those projects who voted against the moratorium last spring, having now seen the destruction and experienced the social upheaval they bring, are rethinking their positions. Big wind proponents claim these projects are the magical silver bullet that will solve our electric needs and cure man’s contribution to global pollution. Interestingly, George Aiken once used the very same argument advancing the cause of nuclear power. Over time we learned nuclear power had certain drawbacks. We now know big wind also has drawbacks. If we consider big wind as one tool in a toolbox full of alternative energy tools, rather than a means unto itself, it is easier to redefine the conversation. A substantive conversation, without all the ideological rhetoric, would be most helpful for Vermont. We need a plan for evaluating whether use of this particular tool is appropriate in Vermont’s unique and historically-cherished mountain environment. We need to analyze the data now being collected by big wind projects now in existence to determine whether they are actually living up to their promised expectations. We need to develop a comprehensive state energy plan that defines the proper tools for achieving our energy and carbon-reduction goals. These things take time. A three year moratorium would immediately cease further environmental destruction while we get that time. If our studies conclude that this highpriced, intermittent power is worth the environmental destruction and social upheaval it is causing, then a three year time out will not mean the end of the world. If, on the other hand, our studies show this particular tool is the wrong one for Vermont, then our time will have been well spent.

Joe Benning, State Senator store in 1975, he served as director of Lowell General Hospital outreach clinics. He was a real estate broker for Merrill Real Estate, and clothing merchant for McQuade's. In 1981, he moved to Florida where he took a position with Peter Glenn Ski and Sport Shops. Charlie, as he was known by friends, was active in the Lowell community. He was a charter member of Lowell Exchange Club, a 33rd degree Mason in the William North Lodge, served as chair of the Retail/Trade Division of Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, Trustee of Lowell General Hospital, Greater Lowell Pastoral Counseling Center, and St. Paul's Methodist Church. Charlie enjoyed his Bridge and Cribbage games, and was an avid gardener. He particularly enjoyed the White Mountains where his family vacationed each year. In recent years, he spent much of the summers between David's and Carolyn's homes on Joe's Pond in Vermont, and May in Kansas with Elaine, and September in Virginia with Gwen. A memorial service was held at the chapel at St. Andrews Estates South in Boca Raton on Wednesday, January 9. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to "The ACTS Samaritan Fund," 6152 North Verde Trail, Boca Raton, FL 33433 -2430.

Katherine M. Thurber Katherine Mary (Rouelle) Thurber, 92, died Jan. 3, 2013, at her home in Woodbury. She was born in Montpelier October 27, 1920, the daughter of Leon and Alma (Mathieu) Rouelle. She graduated in 1939 from St. Michael's High School. On June 10, 1960, she married Hayden Thurber in Plainfield. Mr. Thurber died in 2007. Mrs. Thurber was employed for several years as a cook and nurse's aide in area nursing homes, retiring from Mayo Nursing in Northfield in 1990. She also worked as a housekeeper and cook for her brother, the Rev. Forrest Rouelle, while he was assigned to St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in South Hero and St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Bethel. She was a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church and CDA. She enjoyed bowling and playing bingo. Survivors include five children, Marian Morrison of Sebring, FL, Barbara Prentice of York Haven, PA, Nancy Durgin of Woodbury, Wilfred Gauthier of NH and James Gauthier of Cabot, 22 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and 39 great-great-grandchildren. Mrs. Thurber was also predeceased by a son, Robert Gauthier, in 2012, and nine brothers. The funeral Mass was celebrated on Tuesday, January 8, at St. Augustine Catholic Church. Burial will be at a later date in Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Randolph Center. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Augustine Catholic Church, 16 Barre Street, Montpelier, VT 05602; or Central Vermont Catholic School, 79 Summer Street, Barre, VT 05641. Online condolences may be sent to www.guareandsons.com.

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ADVICE FROM THE TREE WARDEN Invasives and Other Pests

Hope everyone is having a good winter. Not too much cold at this point. I'm back to Bush Honeysuckle, again. As I moved around during hunting season, I was amazed to see how much of this stuff is growing around town. It is too bad, but once it gets a good foothold, it is hard to stop. The bad part is it will crowd out the native plants and take over and be the main crop. This is how invasives work - they green up early in spring to shade out other plants, then grow and spread to take over. Most use value management By Roland (Slim) Payne

plans now have controlling invasives as part of their action plan. Another pest that was just about eradicated in the 1940-1950's was White Pine Blister, but is coming back again. In the 1940''s, they used to round up students after school closed in the spring or early summer to go into the woods and pull and dig out roots of Goose Berry and Currents, the two host plants of Pine Blister. I think the state paid us $2.00 per day to do this. The safe margin of distance of these two plants from White Pine is 900 feet, so the spurs don't get to the pines.

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By Australian Ballot 3 Selectpersons 2 School Directors From the Floor

2 Listers (3 years) 2 Auditors (3 years)

Cemetery Commissioner (5 years) Library Trustee (3 years) UDAG Committee Member (3 years) Willey Committee Member (3 years)

Delinquent Tax Collector (1 year)

Grand Juror (1 year) Law Agent (1 year)

While no action in advance of Town Meeting is required to be elected from

the floor, it is a good idea to advise the Town Clerk or Select Board member(s) of your interest and arrange for someone to nominate you.

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Cabot Depends on Volunteers

by Jan Westervelt Cabot depends on volunteers and it always has. Town and school government, emergency services, elderly housing, recreation, library, youth activities, adult activities, elder activities, to start a list is sure to leave some out because everything depends on volunteers. Well, volunteers need help too. That is why there are articles on the Town and School warnings to fund a part time position of Economic, Education and Community Development Coordinator. Other Vermont towns like Cabot have taken this step in response to increasing complexity of society and government, and it has worked for them. It makes sense for Cabot to do the same. Here are some reasons why: Volunteer burnout – We all have busy lives and time for volunteer activities gets squeezed out of a schedule that is tight and energy that is finite to begin with. Having someone to schedule meetings, make follow-up calls, respond to calls from away, maintain files relieves the volunteers of administrative chores and increases their efficiency, reducing the load on them. Continuity – America is probably the most mobile society in the world. We move for work, for family reasons, for retirement, for the heck of it. When a Cabotian volunteer leaves, they leave a hole that is often not filled. What they know, the history, the contacts, where key documents are too often goes with them. The result is a hiccup in the program and sometimes that hiccup is fatal. Increasing complexity – The world is increasingly connected and its parts are more interdependent than ever before. That is true for Cabot. Like it or not, some of the essential resources we need, whether intellectual or financial, come from outside our town. Identifying, obtaining and working with those resources is getting more complicated. Identifying numbers, registration in databases, contact information, documentation of performance, reports, meetings - a handshake does not do it anymore and someone has to manage all this stuff. It is not something that many volunteers either want to do or are equipped to do. Managing projects – There are three working groups that formed as a result of the Vermont Council for Rural Development community visit to Cabot this fall: Communications, Arts Working Group, and Agriculture Network. Each of these groups is working to identify community needs with resulting actions to address those needs. If the community decides to take action there will be grants and other external resources to obtain and projects to manage. There are existing groups in Cabot that want to undertake a variety of community projects that will be more successful with administrative support.

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Where is the Main Street Plan?

The Cabot Corridor Revitalization Committee volunteers completed months of collecting community input, applying for a scoping study grant and working with transportation engineers and community members to envision options for making Main Street safe, attractive, and an asset for residents, motorists, bicyclers, pedestrians, and businesses. Most of the recommended changes will result in Main Street recapturing the charm it had fifty years ago - a tree-lined village street with room for cars, pedestrians and bicycles moving at a reasonable pace. The results of this work was presented to the select board at a public meeting in January, to see if the town was ready to apply for a State grant that would pay for eighty percent of the first phase of a long-term project to implement suggested improvements over many years. The process would include public input as each project progressed. The select board decided NOT to make a hurried grant application in January in order to allow more time for residents to evaluate the proposals. A non-binding question has been placed on the Town Meeting Warning about the recent traffic calming proposals developed by Dubois & King and our own Cabot Corridor Revitalization Committee. This will be an Australian ballot question intended to guide the town in implementing some or all of the proposals. The question itself is a yes or no vote - not all that helpful to the select board. What would be more helpful is your attendance at the premeeting hearing on the question, which will be held on February 27 (as described in the Warning). This will provide an opportunity to hear in more detail your questions and concerns

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

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WORKING FOR CABOT

The following groups are working to carry on the projects identified by Cabot residents through the Community Visit Program of the Vermont Council on Rural Development during September, October and November. Please consider joining a group working on a topic that interests you. Call the chairperson or just show up at a meeting.

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State of Vermont Office of the Governor

Friend -

Today, I was sworn into my second term of office as Vermont's governor. It's an incredible privilege to serve as governor, and I'm grateful for this opportunity that Vermonters have given me. My inaugural address (which you can read by clicking here: http://governor.vermont.gov/blog-gov-shumlin -second-inaugural-address-state-of-thestate-january-10-2013 ) focused on creating an education system that grows Vermont’s prosperity. I want you to hear about the initiatives I discussed today. My goal – and the single objective of my administration – remains to grow jobs and expand incomes. I believe that our education system, from prekindergarten to higher education, is the state’s single greatest economic development tool, and today I outlined proposals in four areas critical to our jobs future. My plan starts with the largest single investment the state has ever made to early childhood education. Second, we invest in school lunches for all lowincome students; our kids can't learn when they are hungry, and we can ensure they come to school nourished and ready to learn. Third, we take significant steps to make higher education more accessible and affordable for all Vermonters. And fourth, we place particular emphasis - from grade school through college - on career readiness.

I hope you will take a moment to review my proposals, watch the video of the speech at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6OwzWPhG3Y&feature =youtu.be, and share your feedback. It's a great honor to serve as your governor, and I look forward to the next two years of progress and prosperity.

Sincerely,

Gov. Peter Shumlin

Note: Governor Shumlin's Budget Address can be seen at: http://governor.vermont.gov/ or http://www.wcax.com/story/20670529/govshumlin-budget-focuses-on-welfarereform

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STILL SURVEYING - Would You Like To Work Out In Cabot Village?

The Cabot Community Association is considering acting on the anonymous suggestion of a townsperson to develop a workout facility in the village. We'd like to hear from Cabot residents before making a commitment. We’ve heard from a dozen people so far; if it’s to go forward, we need to know that more than 12 people are interested. Specific questions are: 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. Suggestions include:

Answer survey on , left side of pg.

Posting your thoughts on

Front Porch Forum Emailing

Calling [email protected]

563-3338 and leave message Jot down your thoughts

and leave them at the Willey Building.

Thank you. We hope you will tell us what you think.

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New Multi-Age Class At Cabot School

As final budget reductions were being considered, it became apparent that enrollment in multi-age grade 4/5 was small enough to become a 5/6 multiage class with Mr. Lewis in the 2013-14 school year. At their January 14 meeting, the Cabot School Board approved this change, as well as retaining a .5 teaching position for supplemental instruction. If this change is successful, multi-age classes at every level will stabilize class configurations and curriculum cycles throughout the grade levels. Mr. Lewis, Ms. Fay and Mr. Burfoot attended the January 14 school board meeting and presented their experience with current classes and with multi-age teaching and learning.

Ian Burfoot:

At the school board meeting this week I spoke to the transformation of the current 4th/5th grade student group and its prospects for success in a new 5th/6th multi-age. Parents and school members had expressed concerns that this group had been through a lot of changes and ups and downs over their time at Cabot School. Ms. Fay and I understood these concerns as we began the school year. We have worked extremely hard over the past semester to build a united community of learners. Our classroom today is a place where students feel comfortable expressing themselves and sharing their thoughts and personalities with the class. They lift each other up and support each other. Last week, one of our fourth grade students battled all the way to third place in the school Geo-Bee. The class was ecstatic, cheering and screaming our student’s name throughout the entire competition. Honestly, they all acted like they had won third place themselves! Everyone smiled, hugged and chanted our student’s name in unison. This is a group that defines itself as a unified front and continues to grow stronger every day. The identity of the classroom has been formed and it is a community of learners. They accept each other for their differences and have shed their grade level labels. There are academic and developmental differences that span both grade levels, and academic groupings are always mixed. They know that grade level does not dictate ability level. These students mix and find cross grade classmates who support their individual learning and academic needs. Grade level lines have been broken and these students identify themselves as a 4/5 class rather than as fourth or fifth grade students. This is why I feel confident that this group will be successful going forward into the 5/6 multi-age classroom.

Austin Fay:

Mr. B and I are really excited to move to a 3/4 team. We are able to keep our coteaching instructional practices in place, while shifting content to the younger group. It will be fun and challenging to prepare for the change over the summer. We will have had a year learning to teach together with a smaller group, which will help us in the transition to a significantly larger class. We’ve also had a year to address parent feedback and adopt practices that parents requested in order to maintain communication and lift rigor. These practices will smooth transitions for kids moving into the upper elementary. We are thrilled to keep our coteaching team intact and look forward to next year and our new placement.

Ed Lewis:

When looking at the 2013-14 projected enrollment of elementary students, it is easy to see that the small class size within the current grade 4/5 multi-age configuration will require flexibility as they approach fifth and sixth grade. For many years, class sizes at Cabot School ran between 13 and 18 students for most elementary grades. However, when the projection for next year is seven students for sixth grade, and six for the fifth grade, several considerations have to be addressed. As much as a small class size may seem desirable, when the numbers drop below ten, difficulties in both the academic and social well-being of students develop. In classroom project work, there is often a critical mass class size that allows for balanced levels of activities. Students benefit when they see the contribution they make to a classroom project. They see themselves and their skills as valued. When classes are too small, some of the skills or special abilities that are desirable may be missing. Every classroom benefits from the artists, creative thinkers, and technically savvy individuals. Interests and talents of all sorts create a classroom culture that can be productive, caring, and appreciative of all members. Upper elementary grades are a time for learning self-awareness and social acceptance. When classes are small, the social dynamics within them can become strained, especially when the members are young adolescents trying to discover their own identity amongst peers. Close friendships between two or three students can quickly become an exclusive clique to the detriment of others. Within a larger classroom, these friendships won’t have the same impact and will typically run their course with minimal impact on others. At Cabot School, we have been flexible when class sizes required adjustments to teaching assignments, classroom arrangements, or configurations of students. Over the years, teachers have taught multi-age groups of students at every elementary grade level, and sometimes have team-taught within those multi-age configurations. Teachers have made necessary adjustments in each of these instances and have gained experience from them. We are approaching one of those adjustment times again. For the academic year 2013-14, it has become obvious to us that it would be in the best interest of the thirteen students expected to be entering grades five and six, to enjoy a 5/6 multi-age year with one teacher. Understanding that these students have successfully worked together in the past gives us confidence as we move forward with this decision. Ed Lewis, Ian Burfoot, Austin Fay and Karen Stewart collaborated on this article.

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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

What School Choice Means To Me By Irene Harvey

I lived in Walden, a school choice town, and I moved to Cabot because of the school. One of my children graduated from Cabot in 2011, and is currently on the Dean’s list at UVM. My other child is currently a freshman at Cabot School. I have lived and worked in Lamoille, Washington and Caledonia counties my whole life. I am very familiar with local schools. Coming from a school choice town, this is what school choice means to me: School choice means that the only control you have over the school budget and your taxes is to cut elementary and middle school programs. School choice means that parents find ways to transport their child or children to and from school(s) and related activities. This places a greater burden on low income families. School choice means less access, opportunity and community involvement in Varsity and Junior Varsity sports, which reduces the number of social events in the community in number and quality. In some area schools, parents have to pay for their child to play. School choice means your child adjusting to how that choice school operates. You are not a voter or a taxpayer in that choice school’s town. You do not have the opportunity to try and fix most issues that arise. School choice means no local input into curriculum or methods.

School choice means no local data (testing or graduation rates/college attendance) on students after 8th grade. School choice means increased high school numbers because home schooled students and private school students could access school choice. This means increased taxes. School choice means area schools needing to expand to accommodate our children, which results in increased tuition rates, which again means increased taxes. School choice means our children having differing graduation expectations which could mean more time in high school as area schools decide what credits transfer and what credits do not transfer. This means children may have to stay longer which means more taxes. School choice means our children loosing close contact with their friends, following 8th grade as they go in different directions. School choice means our children spend more time in communities other than our own. School choice means possible discrimination for 504 and Special Education children, as not all schools are able to serve certain populations. In every organization , there will be issues. We have the ability to work on those issues rather than trading those issues for others that we cannot. Closing our local high school and sending our children to other towns for their education is a bad idea.

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Cabot High School Prepares Students For Future

by Rebecca Nally Many news reports in the past several months have featured Fortune 500 company leaders talking about the lack of essential skills possessed by the workforce. Cabot High School is preparing its students for the future by looking forward –not backward. The traditional education delivery system that many of us recognize from our school days is no longer relevant today. The field of technology is changing rapidly, and with it, the skills necessary for employment. According to Quintessential Careers, (quintcareers.com) the skills that business leaders consider essential for workers are flexibility, problem solving, communication and management of multiple tasks. Students develop these through the project-based learning process. The students are required to research a problem/question and then provide written reports and complete the final project. The students must be flexible because their research may lead them in a different direction than they thought; communication skills, written and verbal, are developed in the writing of the reports; and the public presentation of the project and through the entire process the students are managing multiple tasks and meeting deadlines. Additionally, Small Business Chron, ( smallbusiness.chron.com) stated employers are looking for workers with expertise in research, analytical thinking, creativity, ability to work on a team and also being capable of working independently when necessary. During the Bio/Chem class’ research and building of the river access in Plainfield, the students used all of these skills. They researched the necessary elements for a river access, talked with experts about environmental considerations, worked in groups to do the construction of the different sections and were able to adjust and problem solve when faced with obstacles. I believe that Cabot High School is working to help our students develop into competent and employable adults.

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Cabot School Board Update: Budget Proposed, Outreach Next

by Chris Tormey On Monday, January 14, the Cabot School Board approved a budget proposal totaling $3,637,061 to operate the school during the upcoming 2013-2014 school year. At the direction of the Board, school administrators trimmed almost $200,000 from the first draft of the budget introduced in early December. As a result, the proposed budget is just $2,000 larger than the current year’s budget. Despite the relatively small increase, a slight drop in student numbers this year, along with a decrease in Cabot’s Common Level of Appraisal and a change in the statewide base tax rate set in Montpelier, will mean that property taxes to support the school will rise this year, if the proposed budget is approved by voters in March. The school board will hold an informational meeting to present and answer questions about the proposed budget on Monday evening, February 18 at 6:00 p.m. in the school library, and all interested community members are cordially invited to attend. Also in February, the school board will develop an up-to date overview of the curriculum changes currently underway in the high school, and mail it to all town residents. This is the second year that a “project-based learning” approach has been used to guide the curriculum (particularly in language arts and social studies), and there’s been a great deal of progress made during that time in the effective use of this approach. High school students have presented the learning they’ve gained via this new approach on several occasions over the past year in the CSPAC, but relatively few community members (beyond parents, grandparents and siblings) have attended these events. We hope that this mailing will give all Cabot residents a general sense of how this approach has changed the way that our high school students are learning.

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FROM THE CABOT PUBLIC LIBRARY

Programs Lego Exhibition - Attention all Lego builders, engineers, and artists! – Saturday, March 16, 10:00 a.m.

Build an original creation (not from Lego plans) of Lego or Lego-compatible bricks and accessories. Duplo, Megablocks, Bionicle are all fine. It should be primarily Lego materials, but it’s okay to use other things to enhance your creation…paper, fabric, bric-a-brac. Please make sure your work can fit in a space no larger than 1-1/2 ft x 1-1/2 ft and 3 ft high.

Be creative! Cars, robots, ships. houses, castles, spaceports. monsters, mythical creatures, barnyard animals. Diorama, mosaic, collage, mobile… what can YOU build that no one has thought of before?

Opening party on Saturday, March

16, at 10:00 a.m. Bring your creation, and have some cookies and punch while we set up the exhibition. Stay for the “gallery walk”, where you’ll talk about your creation, and learn about the work of your fellow Lego builders.

Pieces will be on display for two weeks. Please plan to pick up your work on Saturday, March 30. Questions? Contact Susie Socks, 563- 2073, or Kathleen Hoyne at the Cabot Public Library, 563-2721, [email protected].

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.

Sugaring – Will Ameden and Chuck Talbert –Tuesday, February 12, 6:30 p.m. Ever wonder how they tap trees, collect sap and make that golden sweet maple syrup? Bring your questions for two local sugar makers – maybe you’ll want to give it a try!

Cabot Winter Trail – Tuesday, February 19, 6:30 p.m. There are several well developed sections of this ski/snowshoe trail throughout our town of Cabot. Come pore over the maps, learn about this winter recreation trail and maybe plan an outing with some new friends!

Film & Discussion - Tipping Point: The Age of the Oil Sands – Wednesday, February 20, 6:30 p.m. A documentary by Canadian filmmakers Tom Radford and Niobe Thompson that details the devastation caused by strip mining in Alberta’s tar sands development. It follows the dramatic struggles of First Nation’s leaders and prominent scientists as they try to speak the truth about the tar sands in a world that is guided more by profit than by concern for the planet and its people.

Yoga & Wellness Classes – Mondays 6:00–7:30 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 so much to Anne Walker for helping us navigate the usage of E- Readers and to Christine Friese for teaching us how to make delicious Italian risotto.

See you at the Library!

Kathleen Hoyne and Anne Walker

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The Cost Savings of School Choice

by Brigitte Codling Recently, Cabot residents have begun cooperative discussions regarding School Choice that will undoubtedly prove invaluable to the academic future of our children and the cohesiveness of our town. It seems clear that most people accept that, statistically, private schools perform better than public schools on average, and that kids benefit from being able to choose a school; but many also assume that the cost of school choice will be huge. However, what people don’t seem to realize is that school choice has proven to save money; this is reflected in the significantly lower tax rates most School Choice towns enjoy. This is why emphasizing the documented cost savings of school choice is so powerful; people are already convinced school choice will help kids, so when we remove the public’s fears about cost, it is easier to have active, open communication about the logistics of making School Choice a reality for Cabot High School students. In Cabot, the School Choice discussion has begun to morph from a town clearly divided to a town willing to deliberate. Some residents have begun contemplating the compromise of opening an Independent High School here in Cabot for the purpose of offering school choice to those who want it and a locally managed High School for those who want to stay closer to home. The town would pay tuition to the local independent school just like to any other school Cabot students attend; this option has also proven less costly for many towns here in Vermont. With enrollment numbers at Cabot School dropping from 228 students in 2011/2012 to an anticipated enrollment of 172 students for 2013/2014, taxpayers will see a drastic and progressive increase in their tax rate, due to the negative effect dropping enrollment has on the tax calculation. Likewise, taxpayers will continue to see a drastic and progressive increase in their taxes as people move away, selling their houses under their home’s appraised value. Offering School Choice would immediately increase enrollment in Cabot, as all Cabot resident high school students would be included in our equalized pupil number. This would include: current Cabot High School students, those currently being privately tuitioned by their parents, as well as any home schooled students who return to traditional learning. This positively affects the tax rate! It has been proven that School Choice is a selling point for homes in towns that offer it. Often these homes are competitively negotiated and sell for more than their appraised value. If School Choice was offered in Cabot, we might see homes that have been on the market for a long time begin to sell, and sell at or above their appraised value. This would positively affect the tax rate! The average taxpayer simply cannot afford not to have School Choice!

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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

Husky Pride

Dear Editor:

There was an article in the January 2013 Cabot Chronicle about Cabot’s college enrollment rates that was very troublesome to me. As a graduate of the 2010 class of Cabot School, I have to say that I was very proud to be part of the class that made Cabot School recognized by the Vermont State Department of Education as being one of the highest in the state for post-secondary enrollment, and higher than most surrounding Division IV schools. It made me very proud to know that my peers and I succeeded in high school and will continue to succeed throughout our lives, largely because of how Cabot School shaped most of us through the 4 to 14 years of attending there. When changing the statistics of an official document, one must take into consideration the changes that will occur throughout all parties involved. One must change the amount of dropouts in every school across the board to even think about changing the statistics of one particular school. For example, how many students dropped out of Essex Community Education Center? How much did their stat drop in this study? Before there is any more changing of statistics, I would like to see it done with every high school in Vermont. The vocational schools, international institutions, military and apprenticeship programs may be left out in this particular study, but we should not forget how many of these graduated students are succeeding in different ways other than going to college. Finally, one may know of the graduated students at Cabot, but that doesn’t mean one knows us personally, what our stories are, or how we are succeeding because of what Cabot School had to offer.

Caitlin Celley for your flight Burlington International Airport has become the third airport in the country to offer a space to practice yoga as part of its terminal amenities. Called the “Yoga and Meditation Practice Space,” it is located in a presecurity area of the airport. The space is available for travelers and local residents alike. There’s no charge to use the area, which is intended as a place to relax and unwind. Donations from local businesses covered the costs to prepare the space. Evolution Yoga provided all of the yoga props, printed instructions for the room and a guest book. Able Paint, Glass and

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

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Chain Saw Safety Course Under Orion Farm February 16-17

You never know when you might need to fell a tree, buck up some firewood, or fend off attacking zombies, and you need to know how to operate a saw safely! Come to Under Orion Farm in February for a fun weekend! The Game of Logging, with instructor David Birdsall will take place February 16-17. The cost will be $250, which includes both days (level 1 & 2) and equipment. If you have your own, by all means bring it! Call or email Will Ameden if you would like to register – 802-563-2351. So far, it's just women signing up…..what do you think, an All-Women course???

Read more about it: http://catamountaviation.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/chainsaw-play/

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Little League Signups

by Chuck Talbert Little League signups are coming soon!.. Hopefully, I will set up at the gym on Saturday mornings during elementary B-ball to take player registrations, as well as volunteer applications. If we’re short on numbers, but your child still wants to play, we’ll try to find a team in a nearby town for you. Fees will be$35 for first child, $25 for second child and $15 for the 3rd child, and tball is a flat $25 fee. These prices are the early sign up prices, and if a parent makes the choice to sign up after March 30, then it is an additional fee of $5 per child, payable with a completed registration form. All these fees go to Little League headquarters and cover the cost of insurance and ALL equipment other than uniforms.

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Yoga, Meditation at Burlington International Airport

Incentive to arrive early Flooring, Woodline Flooring and Sign-a- Rama donated the building materials. No rent is being charged for the space. In addition to Burlington, the international airports in Dallas-Fort Worth and San Francisco also feature free yoga rooms.

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Northeast Kingdom Warriors Soccer

by Michelle Delaney Spring is on its' way! The Northeast Kingdom Warrior Soccer Club will play games in May and June. Practices will begin in April as soon as the weather permits. Teams for the Northeast Kingdom Warriors have to be submitted by February 10 to the Vermont Soccer League. If your child is thinking of playing, time is running out for enrollment. Contact Michelle Delaney at [email protected] for enrollment forms and questions.

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TWIN VALLEY SENIOR CENTER

From the Director Thanks to our friends, neighbors and people like you for supporting Twin Valley Seniors, Inc. I am happy to report that your contributions, in one way or another, allow us to start another year caring for our senior and disabled population in the six communities we serve. After salaries, all donations go directly to support the Center: funds purchase nutritional foods to serve our great meals; supplies to process and deliver our Meals on Wheels; rental of space to perform the tasks to prepare and feed our clientele; rental of gym space for special activities, health related exercises and extended space for times of overflow for meals and celebrations. We operate our organization with a low expense. This is only possible due to consistent hours of dedicated volunteers. These volunteers give many hours of themselves to help us sustain our mission. There is no one organization or person that can accomplish what TVSC provides to the senior and disabled in our communities: to either remain in their own homes, have a social environment, participate in healthy exercise programs, have foot and blood pressure clinics, speakers on important health devices available to assist them, insurances, end of life planning, fuel and food assistance, tax preparation and more. It all happens because of wonderful volunteers. Collaboratively, we work with many local farmers, friends and local organizations. I am very proud to announce that TVSC received from Wal-Mart and CVCOA a check for $1,725 in recognition of a Senior Center in Washington County which served the highest percentage of local foods in 2012. This would not have been possible if it was not for the following community friends and farmers: Rich Mears, a whole steer (purchased at a cost of $3,352, all of which came from the 2012 Annual Appeal); donations of garden vegetables from Bruce MacDonald, Kass & Rich Phillips, Jerry Healey, Earl Kalliasaari, Wilmer Brandt, Mel Burnham, Cate Farm, Wells Springs Farm, Littlewood Farm, Bill Smith, Rivers Edge Quick Stop, Robin, Joyce & Stanley Fowler and Brien & Jeanne Ducharme. Thanks to Bobbi Buchanan of Goddard College and her students for harvesting and delivering vegetables from our local vegetable farmers noted above. The donation of vegetables allowed our cook and volunteers to prep and freeze them for use during winter months, as well as having them during harvest time. I hope I have not overlooked anyone, but, if I did, please know there are not enough words to say how much we appreciate your gift of sharing. We also collaborate with many different organizations from CVCOA, CVHHH, Plainfield Health Center, CVMC, Maple Hill Farm & Community School, Spruce Mountain Inn, and Reach Service. In the future, we hope to be able to collaborate with other organizations in the towns we serve. I am approaching my fifth year as Director of TVSC. It is with great honor and privilege that I serve. I care very deeply about TVSC, especially the people we serve, our friends, neighbors and TVSC volunteers. In the coming year, I hope my vision for taking the Center to another level, to include community activities for all, will become a reality. Finally, we have lost members of our TVSC family in 2012. To their families. please know our hearts ache and we miss them very much. They were a big part of us. I wish each one of you good health and happiness in the New Year. Sincerely,

Rita Copeland, Executive Director By J. Scott Davidson Sudoku Golf, Masters Loop-Course Challenge is a math challenge done on correctly completed Sudoku puzzles. The object of the game is to create an 18 “hole” path with the lowest overall score. You start and end the loop course in the 2nd row 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� PUZZLE EXTRA:

Find paths, then connect loose ends to make a closed loop - Groundhog, Heart, 2/18/13 Hail to the ________ (1-9 = A-I)

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Winter Butterflies: Poems of a New England Youth

by Leonard Holmes Spencer A Review by Ron Lay-Sleeper

This young man has tapped into a hard vein–and how does the assay turn out? He gives himself a serious charge: in A Lantern, he writes,

. . . it’s my mark to make thought Flame, When set within my globe and frame. Writing in the long tradition one may call the New England Ethos (though not limited to New England), he states in his Foreword that his poems are conscious homage to such as Yeats, Frost and Dickinson. The poems of Winter Butterflies are a young man’s vision, brought to light by his adult persona now 50 years removed from the 15 to 18-year-old youth who crafted them. This is revealed in his insightful Foreword, which is a must-read, it in itself being a spot-on review. However, although the adult writes amusedly of his earlier self’s style, perhaps anticipating these will be regarded as merely Juvenilia, these pieces show, and are, to borrow a phrase, “intimations of immortality.” How does the assay of the New England Youth’s mining of the mother lode test out? He offers 76 pages of poems, songs, and several prose narratives. The work begs comparisons with the authors he names as mentors. This reviewer finds Spencer’s work more accessible than Frost’s or Dickinson’s, more humorous, more personable. But it is also serious–a tribute, an homage, to place, time, family, poetry, work, life. The book itself is beautifully constructed and published. There are a number of curious spellings. I hesitate to call them misspellings, or typographic errors, because they may well be some of the whimsy the poet ascribes to himself in his Foreword. In The Man with the Hoe, see him describe the pestilent horsefly as:

Dry, irridecent-hued, they come . . . As long as we are assaying the poems, a word to those readers who may be intimidated by the on-page formal lined structure of the poems: As with all serious works of art, these are best served by several readings and listenings, for poems are music, meant to be sung in the air. Reading 1: the prosaic meaning of the words, their arrangement, their argument. Don’t distract yourself by the line breaks; read for the flow of the statement; pretend it’s prose. Reading 2: Look for the song. The lines can help here. Listen to the end rhymes, the internal rhymes, the lilt of the vowels, the stepping stones of the consonants, the flow of verse, of chorus, the playing with the words, the love of language, the blend of Celtic, Gaelic, Anglo-Saxon, Latin, French, and other elements culminating in “New England American English:” (“dust pussies,” “Calumcluck,”pound the shoe against the fencepost by.” Reading 3: For the Work of the poem, the work of creating the poem-object, and what it stands for, its use, its utility. And here I would place many of Mr. Spencer’s poems with those of the 17th century socalled Metaphysical poets, in that they combine the literal meaning and the song with a combination of humor and ethics and spirituality. So, the pleasant surprise, after several readings, is the multiple levels of pleasure and insight the poet delivers to the reader, from poems based simply on daily labor and observation (much like Thoreau or Emerson); poems ranging from whimsy to spiritual epiphanies, from meditations on the lives of trees to reflections on one’s place in the universe. Especially delightful are the metaphoric turns many of the poems take. In The Man With the Hoe, the speaker is hilling potatoes, beset by hot sun, dust, and the horseflies whining about his head. Weary, he pauses to seek out a cold spring in the hollow of the land, where he drinks. The last three stanzas (used by permission) illustrate the techniques, the use of language discussed above, and the metaphysical metaphor

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

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