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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)

Automated extraction, spot-checked. Advertisements, the business directory, and puzzles are omitted; obituaries appear as individual entries.

In This Issue

The Cabot Chronicle Submission

The Chronicle welcomes letters written with an economy mended to be no longer than 400 words. Letters may author with suggestions for re-submittal. All letters represent the opinions of the authors and not necessarily The Cabot Chronicle reserves the right to reject letters readers. Letters will not be considered for publication ber. We will gladly consider articles and photographs The Cabot Chronicle is not responsible for errors in assume responsibility for claims arising in connection If you have editorial questions or would like advertising

DEADLINE: 15th of the month prior

Coordinators: Jeannie Johnson Cia Considine

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Guidelines

of words. The maximum length is recombe edited for clarity and length or returned to the and commentary published in The Cabot Chronicle the opinions of staff. that may contain unsuitable material for our unless signed and accompanied by a phone numfor publication. submitted material. Nor does The Cabot Chronicle with products or services advertised on these pages.

Letters and other inquiries Cabot, VT 05647.

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Subscriptions

Central Vermont Adult Basic Education 1,200.00 Central Vermont Center for Independent Living 165.00 Central Vermont Community Action Council 350.00 Central Vermont Council on Aging 1,300.00 Central Vermont Economic Development Corp 300.00 Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice 2,500.00 Family Center of Washington County 500.00 Friends of the Winooski River 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. 200.00 Peoples Health and Wellness Clinic 100.00 Retired & Senior Volunteer Program and Center 200.00 Sexual Assault Crisis Team 300.00 Twin Valley Senior Center 1,000.00 Vermont Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired 300.00 Washington County Youth Service Bureau 250.00 West Danville Area Community Club 500.00 Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District Woodbury-Calais Food

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TOTAL

is distributed the first is provided locally free of charge. ~ Mission Statement ~ is to regularly publish local news that will help readers become better

~ Copyright 2011 by The

without express written permission from Cabot of advertising is contingent upon publisher’s loss or expense on claims based upon contents beyond the cost of space occupied by individual

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hronicle

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

(see 2013 Warning, page 3)

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2013 WARNING - TOWN

(continued from page 2) 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 25 TH 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

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By Kitty Toll

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

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Session Report

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 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. kittytoll@live.com ktoll@leg.state.vt.us

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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.

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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,

the Frontier Animal Society, 4473 Barton Orleans Rd., Orleans, VT 05860.

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Margaret L. Johnson

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.

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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 Sup-

03766; or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

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Stacey B. Lafoe

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 .

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Irwin W. Pollack

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

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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.

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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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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;

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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

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EMORIALS

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

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.

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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

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OMMENTARY

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.

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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.

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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

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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

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February 2013 ~ page 5

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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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. round In the 1940''s, they used to 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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ALENDAR

Fundraiser for Cabot Chronicle. For information or vendor registration call

Lego Exhibition , Cabot Public Library, 10:00 a.m. Build an original creation of Lego or Lego-compatible bricks and accessories. 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. Information: 5632721.

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Tuesday, 3/19

Cabot Winter Trail, Cabot Public Library, 6:30 p.m. Come pore over the ski/ snowshoe trail maps, and maybe plan an outing with some new friends! Informa-

Bingo! Every Friday, Old Schoolhouse Common, Marshfield, 1:00 p.m. Come join us for friendly fierce competition and laughter. Seniors. Sponsored by Twin Valley

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Family Contra & Square Dance ,

First Friday of each month. Danville Town Hall, 8:00 p.m., donation requested. Chip Hedler will do the calling and David Carpenter will lead the band. The dances are taught and are easily learned by young and old. Information:

Fiddle lessons with Katie Trautz, Mondays, all ages and abilities. Call 802-2792236 for more information.

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Healthy Living Gentle Exercise Pro-

gram , every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Old Schoolhouse Common, Marshfield, 10:45 - 11:45 a.m., free. Come join us for a free exercise program that strengthens bones and builds balance, strength and endurance. All levels welcome. Wheelchair friendly. Sponsored by Twin Valley Seniors. Knit & Crochet group : meets the third Sunday afternoon of every month, 2:00 p.m. All skill levels welcome. Bring yarn,

or e-mail bonniesd@Together.Net Movie Matinee , every Monday, 1:00, Twin Valley Senior Center, Old Schoolhouse Common, Marshfield.

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Story time and Playgroup , Wednes-

days from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.: Jaquith Public Library. T’ai Chi , sponsored by Twin Valley Seniors, free, Mondays 1:00-2:00 p.m. T’ai Chi will help you reduce stress, increase balance & flexibility, feel relaxed, and improve your overall mind, body

medical release will be required.

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ACTIVITIES

February 9 8:30 a.m. Poker RunTravis Mercy Park Fundraiser, Barre. Barre Town Thunder Chickens http:// www.barretownthunderchickens.com/ Events.htm. Suzanna's Restaurant will be the end point, Chicken Mostaciolli lunch and silent auction. February 9 11:00 a.m. Annual Dick Page Ride In, Groton Town Garage, Route 302. Barbeque Chicken with all the fixings, $10 per person. Hosted by Buck a Roos of 302 and assisted by Groton Volunteer Fire Department. February 10 11:30 a.m. Bean Dinner, Bayley Hazen Road Snowmobile Club, E. Peacham. Baked beans, hot dogs, cole slaw, coffee, hot chocolate, dessert. Adults $10, under 12 $5, Under 6 free. Hollow Woods

www.bhrsnowclub.org February 16 9:00 a.m. VAST Groomer Rodeo with Barre Snow Bees, Bee Hive, 253 Sunset Road, Barre. Coffee, donuts, hot dogs, hamburgers, soda and water for sale. February 16 10:00 a.m. Lyndon SnoCruisers Poker Run, Lyndonville. $5 per hand, must go to 5 different stops. Start at any stop and turn in completed hand at any stop. All hands turned in by 5:00 p.m. Awarding of prizes at 7:30 p.m. at the Valley View Restaurant. First prize $400 cash.

February 17 10:00 a.m. Coles Pond Sledders Annual Sourdough Pancake Brunch. Walden Methodist Church. $5 for children, $10 for adults. Landowners eat for free. Door prizes and 50/50 raffle. February 23 VAST Winterfest/Bare Town Thunder Chickens Snowmobile Freestyle Jump Show. Barre, VT. 10:00 a.m. Winterfest, 3:00 p.m. Freestyle Jump Show. vtvast.org for activities and location details. August 10 Mark your calendar – mVAST Annual Meeting, Jay Peak Resort. Details: vtvast.org

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From the Floor

2 Listers (3 years) 2 Auditors (3 years) Delinquent Tax Collector (1 year) Grand Juror (1 year) Law Agent (1 year)

While no action in advance of Town Cemetery Commissioner (5 years) Library Trustee (3 years) UDAG Committee Member (3 years) Willey Committee Member (3 years)

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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To Buy Local

Rachel Isaacs-Falbel, and Brooke Pearson Go to www.yourfarmstand.com Click on “Sign Up” February 7, 8, 9, 14, 15,and 16,2013 Select “Cabot Community Farmstand” Load funds via PayPal and shop online 7:00 pm Check “Next Delivery” date on upper right corner of web page Grab your order that day at pickup location At the Union Elementary School Auditorium 1 Park Avenue, Montpelier VT

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Tickets: $15 general admission

Sign up first as a member (above) Go to “My Market” tab and contact administrator $12 students and seniors Provide information requested by administrator for your setup Once set up, enter merchandise on Cabot Community Farmstand Receive order(s) via email before delivery time Drop prepaid merchandise at dropoff location at time indicated

Want to be part of it? Sign up at yourfarmstand.com

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9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

• Pancake Breakfast 9-11 a.m. (registration fee includes 2 tickets for pancake breakfast-special vendor seating at 8:30 a.m.) • Craft & Vendor Tables • Silent Auction • Maple Cotton Candy • Sugar on Snow • Maple Delectables • Signature Cheese Sandwiches • Great Family Entertainment Download Maple Fest Vendor Form 2013 at:

Vendor fee $25 before February 28 $30 after March 1 $10 children 12 and under

or email blachly@together.net for reservations

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Where is the Main

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

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Like To Work Out

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?

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Street Plan?

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

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Communications

cover all users but avoid redundancies • Identify contacts for all types of events and organizations—school, theater and the arts, business events, community festivals, etc., from whom we can receive news and to whom we can send questions Next Meeting: Tuesday, February 5, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Willey Building second floor

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Cabot Depends

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,

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Office of the

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

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on Volunteers

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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Governor

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

of

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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.

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Cabot High School Prepares

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

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Budget Proposed,

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

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OMMENTARY

School choice means no local data (testing or graduation rates/college attendance) on students after 8 th 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 8 th 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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Students For Future

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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Outreach Next

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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New Multi-Age Class

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.

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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.

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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

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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 .

Front porch forum has been a great resource for neighbors to communicate on the proposed all terrain vehicle ordinance in Cabot. Sign up, see what your neighbors are saying, and voice your thoughts.

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The Cost Savings

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

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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 oc-

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Little League

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 af-

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of School Choice

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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OMMENTARY

cur 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.

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Signups

ter 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.

Places and dates for registration have yet to be determined at deadline, but please contact Chuck Talbert at Wdchuck@fair

interested in signing up to play. Volunteers are also needed!

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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?

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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, 5632073, or Kathleen Hoyne at the

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Under Orion Farm

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

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Incentive to arrive early

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

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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.

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Reminders:

ο HOURS • Tuesday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ** Story Hour 10:30-11:30 am** • Wednesday 2:00 a.m.-6:00p.m. • Thursday • Saturday 11:00 a.m.-6:00p.m. 9:00 a.m.-2:00p.m. • Closed Sunday, Monday & Friday • Echo Pass – Allows up to 2 adults and 3 youths, $4 each admission price, entrance into the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington.

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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

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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 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

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February 2013 ~ page 11

Sudoku Golf, Masters Loop-Course Challenge is a the following community friends and math challenge done on correctly completed Sufarmers: 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. our The cook donation and volunteers of vegetables to prep allowed 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,

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Rita Copeland, Executive Director

doku 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 (cid:1)

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Poems of a New England Youth

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 17 th 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 (the transformation from a youthful day laborer’s “celtic love of descriptive detail”) to a poet’s sensibility of the honor of the work of hilling potatoes and the passage of a life of work ending in the “going home.” Mosquitoes murmuring in my ears, I gulp leaf-tasting water up. Then back I go to hoe that hill Quickly and quenched, the mosquitoes And I having drunken our fill. Back to the weeds the potatoes, The sun, back to the horsefly song. Now years flit by, and months slide fast, And weeks always do creep along, But even days get done at last, And I will set my hoe aside, Narrow blade down-edged to the ground, And get the knotty lace untied To teeter on one foot and pound The shoe against the fence-post by, And shower back the grit and loam; Tie my shoes under late blue sky; Shoulder my hoe, head down to home. The poet fulfills the charge he set himself in A Lantern ; the assay is good– pure gold. Reading copies of Winter Butterflies are available at the Barre, Montpelier, Plainfield, Marshfield, Hardwick, and Cabot Public Libraries and the Cabot School Library. It may be purchased at The Cabot Village Store, at bookstores in Hardwick, Plainfield, Marshfield, Barre, Montpelier, and from the author.

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← From the Cabot Chronicle