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The Cabot Chronicle

September 2014 · 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 September 2014 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

Just Kidding Around Cabot 4H Dairy Project 2014

A Cabot Community Association & UVM Extension 4-H Partnership

Long Field Farm will serve as the “classroom” for hands-on learning about dairy goat farming for interested Cabot youth . In collaboration with the Cabot Agricultural Committee and UVM Extension 4-H, Long Field Farm is excited to offer a new agriculture-related learning opportunity to Cabot youth. Ten youth with two leaders will allow for two small groups of five for certain activities. Materials Needed: You can bring a binder and notebook for goat records, journal entries and handouts. Introduction to Goats: Learn about care, health, breeds, and “meet the bucks”. Start notebook with goat record. Explore products from a goat dairy. Barn Management: Learn to milk, trim hooves, start production and kidding record for your goat. Hands-on activities could also include pen cleaning, stacking hay, fence checking, sweeping, cleaning milking equipment. Breeding for Milk Quality: Learn about the bucks, reproduction, and kidding. What are some of the challenges raising goats? Where does the milk go? Field Trip to local cheese plant. Mini Goat Show for family and friends, featuring goat products, presentations and recognitions.

Registration acceptance is on a first come, first served basis. Forms are available at Cabot Village Story, Harry's Hardware and Cabot Community Association Office.

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A TVSC Donation With A Request

By Flo Remmell A donation from our spring appeal came in, along with a request. Charlie Bothfeld, 95, a longtime Cabot resident and recent widower, was willing to share some of his garden bounty with us, if we could offer some help. So, I went to check it out, and found two sizable garden plots. We planted a number of vegetables, and waged war on numerous dandelions. The next trip included a teacher and two students from the Maple Hill School, who donated some lettuce plants. Next came the landscape fabric to keep the weeds down and the vegetables off the ground, poles for the peas and beans. Throughout August, the dogs days of summer, Charlie has delivered beet greens, as well as cucumbers and green beans, finally. The tomatoes have failed due to blight, boohoo. I picked a couple of quarts of blueberries that hopefully will make it into muffins. Summer squash should be available by the time

See page 8 for more information this is printed, as well as tomatoes and radishes. Our center garden has been producing herbs all summer. Charlie is bringing in regularly (every day we're open) what he doesn't use, which is a lot.

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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

By Representative Catherine (Kitty) Toll

For years, Vermonters have debated the most equitable way to fund public schools, and for years, the legislature has grappled with obtaining consensus in developing a plan that is financially fair to all Vermonters, and a plan that provides vital educational opportunities to all Vermont students. Once again, Vermont’s education system will be in the limelight as Vermonters continue to relate concerns, frustrations and successes regarding education funding and opportunities to legislators for action in Montpelier when the Legislature reconvenes in January. In 1997, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled in Brigham vs the State of Vermont that the state’s educational funding system was unconstitutional because it allowed students educated in towns with higher property tax values to receive more funding per pupil than students educated in towns with lower property tax values. The Supreme Court decision required, as a matter of constitutional law, that the state ensure access to “substantially equal educational opportunity for every Vermont child.” The Brigham decision was interpreted as requiring substantially equal access to revenue rather than requiring a substantially equal education. The Legislature responded quickly to the Brigham decision with Act 60, the “Equal Education Opportunity Act.” The core funding mechanism in Act 60 was a sharing pool, requiring towns to pay into a statewide pool to ensure equal access to revenue. Under Act 60, many Vermonters experienced a decrease in property taxes and an increase in funds available for local schools. However, residents in wealthier Vermont towns, which became known as the "Gold Towns", experienced an increase in tax rates and a decrease in revenues for their schools. To attempt to address this situation, the Legislature adopted Act 68 in 2003. Act 68 replaced the “sharing pool” and created a complex formula to determine tax rates as the basis for education finance that still exists today.

Since 1997, income sensitivity, an original provision in Act 60 and later modified in Act 68, has been under scrutiny. This provision allows qualified Vermonters to pay property tax based on income rather than on property value. Since the enactment of Act 60 and Act 68, there have been many alternative funding mechanisms proposed, as well as recommendations to change the design and delivery of education. Proposals have included a plan to shift away from an over-reliance on the homestead property tax; a plan to create a small variable-rate homestead property tax and a fixed-rate income tax; a plan to create a lower flat property tax rate and a progressive income tax rate based on federal Adjusted Gross Income; a plan to expand school districts into larger units for efficiencies and sharing of resources; a plan to restructure supervisory unions into larger education districts centered around regional technical centers; a plan to create 45 - 55 preK-12 districts of at least 1,000 students by 2020, as well as others. The debate will continue in January. Developing a solution remains a challenging task. I appreciate hearing from you. I can be reached by email: [email protected] or by phone at 802-684-3671. To access information on the Vermont Legislature, and the bills which have been proposed and passed, visit the legislative website: www.leg.state.vt.us .

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COUNTRY COMMENTARY

By Laura Lee Saorsa Smith

Times are hard right now, the economy being what it is and not knowing where it will be going. Some people are preparing for the possibility of a crash by becoming more self-sufficient. Easier said than done when you live in town without property. But that shouldn’t stop you. You can always buy things in bulk and get a discount and can or dry the food. I like both, and of course you can always freeze most fresh fruits and what not. You can grow spinach in a window and fresh herbs. Mint is the most hardy, oregano and basil grow well in the house, they just need to be pinched back when they get leggy. Some apartment buildings have a roof that is conducive to container gardening. It is a matter of perspective, space availability and of course a willingness to try these things. I like fresh spinach in the wintertime so we do grow it in the window along with mint and a few other plants that offer up culinary options. Another way to go on the selfsufficiency track is to grow broccoli sprouts or bean, or alfalfa sprouts. These are all great and it take a few days to a week and you have a high in vitamins green that you can grow in a canning jar with a lid that has holes in the top, but if you can buy a sprouter it is nice. If your building has a basement maybe the land lord will allow you to use a section of it as a root cellar. Many things like potatoes, carrots, turnips and other root vegetables store nicely in a root cellar. You can look it up on line how to go about it or get some books. There are books and websites for just about everything. For instance Ball as in Ball canning jars, puts out a book on preserving food and it is reasonably priced but again there are other resources. I encourage anyone to find the cheapest way of getting what they want and/or need. There may come a time when bartering will be even more of a need than anything else depending on where the value of our currency goes. But if you have some skills, hone them and be ready to trade your skills for things that you need. You might be able to help a farmer build onto his house or barn and in return he may give you all the milk you might need or beef. There are a million ways to barter and there are even books on how best to do it, even creating a community bartering system trading one job for something else. There are many books on the bartering system and here are a few books you might want to look into, now remember we have libraries and they may have these books or they might be able to get them; it’s a way to save money! So, here is the short list to get you started; • The Art Of Barter: How To Trade For Almost Anything, by Karen Hoffman

• Barter Book-How To Protect Yourself When Bartering, by Mike Young

• No Cash? No Problem!: Learn How To Get Everything You Want In Business And Life, Without Using Cash, by Dave Wangenvoord

• Local Money: How To Make It Happen In Your Community, by Peter North Now, you don’t have to wait for an economic disaster to start bartering and save money; you can do it right now and save money! Having a few dollars tucked away is helpful, in that, having an emergency, you will be prepared to cover the expenses so you don’t have to put it on a credit card. Credit Card debt is very common, but that doesn’t make it a good idea. If you can get rid of any credit card debt, that would be wise. Buying something on credit if it is on sale when you have debt already isn’t much of a bargain when you factor in the interest you have to pay! That is the crux of the credit card debt cycle, having to pay ever more interest as you put more things on credit. So, be credit wise, buy not when you don’t have the money to pay it off immediately. Simple words to live by, but, if you are addicted to spending, switch the addiction to how much you can save. It is a good idea to put money away for our golden years, for who knows what IRA’s will do; and pensions, if you recall St. Johnsbury Trucking, the retirees lost everything, no pensions, no nothing though they expected to have their pensions. It left a lot of people bereft, and they were hard pressed to find jobs to sustain themselves when they should have been sitting back in an easy chair. I am not trying to be a dooms day daisy, just wanting people to be prepared for the worst, and if the worst doesn’t happen, then you are still prepared and even ahead of the game. Be proactive, think ahead…I hope that the few ideas I have listed here inspire you to handle your money in as wise and useful a way as possible, make your time and money work for you.

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OBITUARIES & MEMORIALS

Wilbur C. Breer Jr., 62, formerly of Plainfield and Barre, died Sunday, July 27, 2014, after a long period of failing health. Born July 25, 1952, in Barre, he was the son of Wilbur C. and Helen (Peck) Breer Sr., and attended local schools, graduating from Spaulding High School. After graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served as a radio equipment operator. Upon his discharge, he returned to Vermont, where he worked in the construction industry, many years for Breer Brothers and other companies, and most recently for himself, primarily doing concrete work.

He was a member of Vet to Vet and The Turning Point. He enjoyed being outdoors, working in his flower garden, and helping others. Survivors include his sons Jeremy of Montpelier, Jeremiah of Cabot, and Jonah of Middlebury. He was also survived by one grandson, one sister, and five brothers, along with several nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his son Joshua; two brothers, John and Jeffrey Breer; a sister, Viola Gajewski; and a nephew. There are no calling hours. A graveside service with military honors was held at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Randolph Center on Friday, August 8. Memorial contributions may be made to the Central Vermont Humane Society, P.O. Box 687, Montpelier, VT 05601- 0687.

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COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

Letter to the Editor:

Zoning Regulations I don't know how many citizens of the town of Cabot have heard this, but it might be a good idea to attend the Selectboard meetings and learn about the proposed new zoning laws. I am VERY concerned about the amount of restrictions proposed regarding your private use of your own property, not to mention the proposed fines of $500 per day for non-compliance as stated in the draft. (Good luck collecting that there fellas, who gets to enforce that, and do they know a good dog and other things can make it to your car faster than you? Wow! It creates the next most popular person next to the listers and the tax collector! And - maybe, the road commissioner on town meeting day.) It reads like you will need a permit to pass gas within 20 feet of your neighbor's property line, but only if all the neighbors approve, proper permits

Letter to the Editor:

Private Property Rights: A Cabot Update The following is an opinion piece and does not represent the opinions of its publisher, fellow petitioners, or anyone else. A petition has been circulating around Cabot which could return zoning regulation decisions to the voters. On August 6, it was submitted to the Cabot Select Board, and, at the time of this writing (August 15), the town clerk is checking the validity of the signatures. Seventy-two signatures were gathered and only fifty-five were needed, so there should be no problem. The petition requires that the following question be put on a ballot to the voters:

Shall all future changes to the Cabot town zoning bylaws, bylaw amendments, rules, regulations and ordinances first be presented to the voters for approval before they are lawfully adopted? The Select Board will most likely post this question during the November 4 midterm election. As explained in previous articles, the petition and ballot question are the only way we can return the power for making zoning regulation changes to the voters of the town. To my knowledge, we are the only town in Vermont which has chosen to make use of this process. Most other towns in Vermont with zoning have already had large revisions to their zoning regulations approved by their Select Boards. One exception to this is Marshfield, whose Select Board decided, on their own, to return this power to the voters because “it was the right thing to do.” It was easy to get the petition signed because most Cabot residents are eager to reclaim their decision-making power. Most folks were surprised to learn their power had been removed in the first place, and were not aware that a complete revision of the zoning regulations was about to be approved without their consent. How is this possible? In one month of petitioning, a couple volunteers contacted about 100 people for their input on this matter, and copies of the zoning regulation proposal were circulated for review. However, the town has hired a consultant to re-write our zoning regulations, at the cost of $23,000, and she’s been working on this for over a year now. How many people in Cabot did she, or the Planning Commission itself, consult for input? Despite the fact that dozens of folks have gone out of their way to give input during the hearings offered on the matter, the document remained the same. A new revision is going to be released soon. If we have the opportunity to vote applied for & subject to a planning study of course. You can view the 147 page document (drink a large cup of caffeinated beverage first) on the Cabot Town website. The previous document is 41 pages. On a more serious note, I STRONGLY suggest Cabot residents read it and consider that the selectboard may vote it in without putting it before the townspeople for a vote. (Can you cure stupid?) AND if they do and someone challenges it in a court of law, and you can bet they WILL, who pays the lawyer bill for the town? (oh, by the way that is more like $500/hour vs. $500/day fines) Yup you got it, you and me,taxes go up. Now I ask you, what clever individuals dreamed this one up? Go back where you came from please. Just sayin'….

Ruth Goodrich, Cabot Resident on the document, perhaps it will more closely reflect residents’ input. For myself, it was fun talking with people around town, and hundreds of more signatures could have been gathered, if time allowed. (There are about 1,050 registered voters in Cabot, out of 1,400 people. It seems the only ones not registered to vote are children!) People from all “political stripes” signed in equal numbers. Nobody talked about profit, or increasing wealth, through use of their land. People’s main concerns had to do with being able to afford to stay. I learned a lot about what it means to live together, as neighbors for the long-term, from the stories I heard. I learned that time and patience eased most of the disputes, not the courts. It appears that we are very reasonable folks, and, given the opportunity, can agree on a few common sense rules so we can all live together. The most important value I learned is that respecting my neighbor’s freedom enhances my own freedom. When my neighbor is allowed to pursue their own happiness and live free on their own land, then my right to do so is also enhanced. The reasons given for revising the zoning rules around the country are “to preserve the community’s character.” However, whenever a process is heavily funded, chock-full of legalize, and passed down from on-high without anyone realizing it is happening, history tells us it is usually not for the common people’s good. Who benefits from such regulations? The proposed rules will do nothing to stop oil and gas companies, industrial-sized farms, prisons, or highways from cutting through Cabot. Instead, they broaden laws that regulate the little guy to death. Who knows what the “character” of Cabot could become in 100 years? Why stifle creativity, when we need it most? Let’s be thoughtful when we have the opportunity to keep our power. We may have an opportunity here, if we take advantage of it. If you want to have your say, either way, come out and vote on Tuesday, November 4.

Amy Hornblas

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Planning Commission Update on Drafting Zone Regulations

By Gary Gulka, Planning Commission Chair

The Cabot Planning Commission is continuing to review and receive comment on draft zoning regulations that are being developed. We completed a first draft in May with the assistance of our consultant, Brandy Saxton, of PlaceSense. Most of this work was covered by a municipal planning grant we received last year. Over the last several months, we have been meeting twice a month and inviting public participation as well as Select Board participation in the review. We have recently developed a second draft with the assistance of Brandy Saxton, who we have retained for additional modifications. The Planning Commission is still in an informal phase of review and modification, and it has been our goal all along that we will not move forward with formal public hearings until we are satisfied that we have a draft that the Select Board will support. Given that, we anticipate it will be several months before we are at that stage, and there may be several more drafts. The Planning Commission generally meets the first and third Thursdays of the month (with some variation), and draft regulation review has consistently been on the agenda. We continue to encourage public involvement in the discussions. Given that these regulations are a comprehensive re-write and update, with inclusion of subdivision provisions for the first time, there are many challenges we are dealing with, such as:

· Consistency with certain state and federal regulations (such as flood hazard and new shoreland development regulations);

· Making the regulations clear, concise, and understandable;

· Deciding what to regulate and what not to regulate; and · Including requirements for many types of development that we rarely see in Cabot, but nevertheless can occur (gas stations, mining of earth and ground water resources). As part of making the regulations more clear and complete, we have included all administrative procedures like hearings, decisions, and appeal processes in the body of these regulations. Currently, one would have to visit the state statutes to find these procedures. Definition of terms used has been expanded, and a separate definition section is necessary for FEMA flood hazard regulations. We elected to include flood hazard area regulations within the body of the zoning regulations (rather than a stand-alone ordinance), again for clarity. All of this adds bulk to our draft regulations. And attention has been paid to make sure that our draft regulations will meet FEMA requirements and Cabot residents will be eligible for flood insurance, if so desired or required by lenders. We are proposing to move to a Development Review Board model to simplify development review, to be heard by only one board (rather than the current two board review of Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment). Many towns have moved to this board structure. In addition, we would like to encourage future growth in ways that can protect the future of agriculture and our natural resources, and to keep our village vibrant and community strong. That is why we are looking at some newer zoning concepts and proposing additional zoning districts. Draft documents will continue to be available on the PlaceSense web site (www.placesense.com), on the town web site, and paper copies can also be made available.

9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Drop-in visits to the C.C.A. office at other times are welcome, but there is no guarantee of an unlocked door. During non-office hours, calling ahead of time to schedule your visit is the best way to insure that someone will be in the office. The telephone number for the Cabot Community Association is also the number to call to reach the Cabot Chronicle staff or the mentoring program, Cabot Connects. That number is 802-563-3338. If no one answers the telephone please leave a message.

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ADVICE FROM THE TREE WARDEN

By Roland (Slim) Payne

By Roland (Slim) Payne

I hope everyone is having a good summer. The weather has been pretty good, with some long fair spells and enough rain to keep things going and green. A few storms were kind of hard on trees with wind, and heavy showers did some washouts, but not too bad. For all the kids that can't wait for school to start, we are almost there.

BUG SEASON There is an infestation on Dubray Road on Cabot Plains on the west side of the road. All the cherry trees turned brown. I went down and checked them out. Looks like leaf rollers rolled and bundled a few leaves together, tied with what looks like spider webbing. I talked with Dave Wilcox and Jay Larkey from Forests, Parks and Recreation. Jay said this is not unusual when two or three different bugs or worms attack the same trees at the same time. This infestation is big - every cherry tree for two or three hundred yards has bugs on every leaf. Jay said they will defoliate the trees this year and probably next year, then they will die out and the trees should come back. Will anyone guess how many bugs and worms there are? I will not count them to see who is right! Now is the time to treat bush honeysuckle. Cut it off six inches from the ground level and within one hour daub the stump with full strength Round Up Concentrate. The time frame is August 15 through September 15. Good luck.

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Seeking Public Comments on the Agency of Human Services (AHS)

& the Department for Children and Families (DCF)

The Governor's Council on Pathways from Poverty, in collaboration with AHS Secretary Doug Racine and DCF Commissioner Dave Yacovone, is seeking public comments on ways the Agency of Human Services can improve the delivery of services to families with children served by the Department for Children and Families.

There are three ways to provide your comments: 1. Attend a Public Hearing: There are two hearing dates; the first was held on August 28, and the second will be September 5 at 2:00 p.m. You can attend at any of the 13 Vermont Interactive Television sites located around the state. For a complete list of VIT sites go to http://www.vitlink.org/location or call (802) 728-1455. 2. Mail your comments: You can mail your comments to the following address through September 30, 2014: Secretary of Agency of Human Services, 208 Hurricane Lane, Suite 103, Williston, VT 05495. 3. Complete an online survey: Complete the survey (anonymously if you wish) at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L3J2T56. The survey has the same key questions discussed below as well as space for additional comments.

Key Questions to Consider:

These questions are only intended to stimulate discussion. Feel free to raise your own questions and provide any suggestions. 1. How can DCF better serve Vermont families with children? 2. How can AHS and DCF avoid duplication of administrative functions and fragmentation of services for individuals and families? 3. Do AHS and DCF have the resources needed to be most effective? Are existing resources allocated properly? How could resources be better employed? 4. What is the most efficient use of state resources in serving families? For example, should divisions and/or functions be separate or integrated? How can communication within DCF be improved to better serve families? 5. How can DCF build stronger relationships between the families it serves and staff working with those families? For example, should enforcement capability be separated from day-to-day case management (that is, should sanction or removal powers be exercised by different people within the department)? Would that help or hinder the department? 6. Are there particular laws, rules, or policies that should be changed to improve outcomes for families? If so, what are they? 7. What is the agency or department doing well; are there existing areas of success the agency can and should build on? The Governor’s Council on Pathways from Poverty is a 30-member advisory body. It is made up exclusively of volunteers, including advocates, direct service providers, housing and development experts and low-income Vermonters. The Agency of Human Services includes several departments that work with low-income and vulnerable Vermonters including the Department for Children and Families.

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Town Garage Update

By Jack Daniels, Selectboard Chair

Zoning Administrator Karen Deasey and Selectboard Member Jack Daniels continue to provide supporting information on our grant application which will be reviewed on September 11by the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (CDBG) Block Grant for Disaster Recovery Committee. We hope to hear by October how our grant application fared. The future site of the new town garage has been brush-hogged and is looking great.

The Town Garage Working Group met in August and developed a plan to get the site ready for building construction next spring, assuming the grant funds come through. Bids have been solicited to construct the entrance road onto the property from the South Walden Road which we hope to have completed this fall. Lastly, Karen has initiated the permitting process which must be completed before any actual road and building construction work can begin.

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Community Market and Picnic in Cabot Postponed

By Jessica Rich Folks have expressed an interest in the Cabot Market and Picnic concept. Due to unforeseen circumstances, this event will not be able to take place this year. Please stay tuned next year, for one or more of these events during summertime 2015. Focus will include local food producers, entertainers, and spending time with our neighbors on the common. In the meantime, for all that have interest participating in planning and volunteering for the events to come, please email [email protected]. Thank you and we will see you next summer!

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WEBSITE VOLUNTEER NEEDED NOW

The Cabot Chronicle needs someone to update the paper's website each month, starting right away. Work involves uploading approximately thirty articles at the beginning of each month, removing outdated material, and occasional mid -month updating when special events are going on, such as the community map for the townwide lawn sale. The need is continuous, but even if you can only help for a month or two, WE NEED YOU NOW! It would be a real help to the community.

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Cabot Unofficial 2014 Primary Election Results August 26, 2014, Total voters: 58

DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Representative to Congress REPUBLICAN PARTY

Representative to Congress Governor Peter Welch Blank TOTAL H. Brooke Page Peter Shumlin Doug Racine Scott Milne Blank TOTAL 30 3 33 9 15 5 1 3 33 Governor Mark Donka Donald W. Nolte Donald Russell Blank TOTAL Steve Berry Scott Milne Emily Peyton Dan Feliciano TOTAL 3 7 6 9 25 1 19 1 4 25 Lieutenant Governor Dean Corren Phil Scott Doug Racine Blank TOTAL State Treasurer 5 3 2 23 33 Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott Total State Treasurer Blank TOTAL Secretary of State 25 Beth Pearce Blank TOTAL Secretary of State Jim Condos Blank TOTAL 25 8 33 24 9 33 Jim Condos Blank TOTAL 1 24 25 Auditor of Accounts Blank TOTAL Attorney General 25 Auditor of Accounts Doug Hoffer Blank TOTAL Attorney General 25 8 33 William Sorrell David Santag Blank TOTAL State Senator (3)

1 23 25 H. Brooke Paige William Sorrell Blank TOTAL State Senator (3)

10 19 4 33 William "Bill" Doyle 13 Dexter Lefavour Pat McDonald Blank TOTAL Ann Cummings Sandra Gaffney Anthony Pollina Pat McDonald Blank TOTAL 21 12 17 1 48 99 13 19 30 75 State Representative Blank TOTAL Probate Judge 25 State Representative Blank TOTAL 25 Catherine "Kitty" Toll 29 Blank TOTAL Probate Judge Jeffrey Kilgore Blank TOTAL Assistant Judge Miriam Conlon Tony Lolli Blank Total State's Attorney Scott Williams Blank TOTAL Sheriff Larry Gochey Blank TOTAL High Bailiff Blank TOTAL 4 33 20 13 33 10 20 36 66 20 13 33 1 32 33 Assistant Judge Otto Kinzel David Santag Blank TOTAL State's Attorney Tom Kelly Blank TOTAL Sheriff W. Sam Hill Blank TOTAL High Bailiff Marc Poulin Blank TOTAL 14 1 35 50 18 7 25 19 6 25

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SQUASH AND CARROT SOUP

From Scott St. John, Cabot School Food Director 2 lbs of winter squash, peeled and cubed l lb of carrots, washed not pealed 1 32-ounce can of chicken broth 1 quart heavy cream 1 12-ounce pkg. Cabot shredded cheese Boil squash, carrots and chicken broth together, don’t drain. Mash or use mixer so all ingredients are blended together. Add 1 quart of heavy cream and whip together. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste. Mix in shredded cheese until melted. Cover until ready to eat. Bon apetit!

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Slow Money Vermont Launch Event

Slow Money founder, Woody Tasch, will speak at Slow Money Vermont launch event to connect entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers and share vision for 21st Century Main Street investing to support a viable and sustainable agricultural economy in Vermont and the region.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

Agricultural and food business entrepreneurs, investors, funders and lenders, and anyone interested in supporting the work of re-building a healthy food system in Vermont.

WHERE:

Vermont College of Fine Arts, The Chapel at College Hall, 36 College Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. For a map and directions, visit http://www.vcfa.edu/maps-directions.

WHEN: September 16, 2014—5:30 -7:30 p.m.

WHAT:

Learn about the vision, goals, and structure of the new Slow Money Vermont Network. Presentations by National Slow Money movement founder, Woody Tasch, Cheryl Devos of Kimball Brook Farm Organic Milk, and leaders of the Slow Money Vermont. Network with entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers interested in building a sustainable local and regional food system.

DETAILS: Free and open to the public. Light refreshments served, cash bar.

PARKING: Free street parking. RSVP to request parking permit.

RSVP:

Recommended for food planning and parking permits. RSVP and inquiries to Caitlin Jenness, co-chair Slow Money Vermont: [email protected], phone: (603) 620-3713.

SPONSORS:

Vermont Farm to Plate, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, Inc., VSJF Flexible Capital Fund, L3C, Clean Yield Asset Management, Merritt, Merritt & Moulton, Sugarsnap Catering, Vermont Farm and Forest Viability Program.

Learn more at www.facebook.com/ SlowMoneyVermont.

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Apple Pie Contest at the Apple Pie Festival, October DK

We look forward to our Fifteenth Annual Apple Pie Festival on Saturday, October 18, 2014. This event will be at the Cabot School gymnasium and the fun starts at 9 a.m. and lasts until 3 p.m. Admission is free. There will be fun for the whole family with a lunch bar, craft fair, silent auction, and pie contests for both adults and youths with cash prizes, ribbons and more. Pies are the heart of the event, and it's the perfect excuse to have pie for breakfast! Claim your fifteen minutes of fame, and help the Cabot Historical Society raise operating funds to maintain two buildings and preserve a massive historical collection. Enter a pie in the baking contest for a chance to see your name on a trophy. Pies must be entered by 10:30 a.m., so come early to be sure yours gets in the contest. There is a fee to enter: $5 for adults, $2.50 for youths, OR you can donate a second pie for us to sell. (All pies in the contest are sold or auctioned after judging.)

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Peregrine Falcon Nesting Cliffs Reopened for Hikers

Vermont Fish & Wildlife has reopened the cliffs closed to hiking and access earlier this spring to protect nesting peregrine falcons. “The young peregrines have fledged, and nesting data suggest the species had a good year due, in part, to cooperation from hikers and rock climbers during this critical nesting period,” said Fish and Wildlife’s migratory bird biologist John Buck. “Peregrine nesting success is also helped by the nearly 40 volunteers who monitor the nest sites from March to the end of July.” According to Audubon biologist Margaret Fowle, who coordinates the monitoring effort, biologists and volunteers monitored 41 peregrine pairs that occupied Vermont cliffs in early spring and summer. Preliminary results indicate of the 41 pairs, at least 37 pairs nested, and 27 pairs successfully produced an estimated 50 young. Two new nesting sites were discovered this year suggesting additional falcon pairs are selecting their territories. “We greatly appreciate the time and effort volunteers put into monitoring the population this year, and we thank landowners and recreationists for their cooperation in protecting nesting peregrines from human disturbance,” said Fowle. “We appreciate the cooperation of the trail and cliff users,” added Buck.

“The success of the peregrine nesting season reflects that this mutual effort was very worthwhile.” Vermont Fish & Wildlife and Audubon Vermont partner to monitor and protect peregrine nesting sites in Vermont. Peregrine falcons were removed from the state’s Threatened and Endangered Species List in 2005. Ongoing cooperation from recreationists and continued monitoring efforts by Audubon and Fish and Wildlife will help ensure the peregrine’s remarkable recovery in future years.

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Kingdom Animal Shelter

By Helen Morrisson Reyna is a survivor! A man brought her to the Shelter as a stray. He was afraid his dog would kill her. Reyna's left eye was hugely enlarged and solid white. We took her to the vet and he removed the eye, explaining that it was probably glaucoma. It must have been terribly uncomfortable. Now, she is peaceful, affectionate, and safe. She is probably around six to eight years old and has many years ahead of her in a quiet and loving home. Come to meet Reyna at Kingdom Animal Shelter.

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A Perfect Ending/A Perfect Beginning

By Helen Morrison Kingdom Animal Shelter has a momma cat and six kittens, snuggled safely into a foster care home. Sounds very cute, but not very unusual. But let me tell you their story. It is really quite remarkable. About a week and a half ago, a friend of a volunteer at Kingdom Animal Shelter was walking along a wooded dirt road in Kirby and came upon a momma cat and four 1-2 day old kittens, right out in the road. Sadly, probably someone had dumped the pregnant cat because they couldn’t deal with her situation. The momma cat had definitely had a rough time of it. She’d been abandoned very recently, she was scared, she was trying to survive while tending to her newborn kittens. In her fear, she bolted away from the friend. But the friend picked up the tiny, vulnerable kittens, and called Nancy, our volunteer who traps. The plan was to trap the mom later. The road was not a safe place for the newborns to be, nor was the woods. Nancy came and picked up the kittens, and took them to her house. She began bottle feeding them with a special milk, a process that needs to happen every 3- 4 hours. One also needs to wipe their “bottoms” with a small warm wet cloth to get them to urinate and defecate. Their mother would lick them to help them do this. Nancy and another volunteer went back to try to catch the mom, but the momma cat disappeared into the woods. The next day, the kittens were brought from Nancy’s to Rod, who is one of our foster parents. A heart-warming number of volunteers (Carol and a friend, Barbara, Gail, Tracy, Courtney) showed up to learn how to properly feed them. After all, they would need to be fed and washed often and regularly, a lot to ask of any one person. Meanwhile, we got word that the mom had been trapped, or at least it was thought she was the mom. She was brought back to the foster home, and with some nervousness and excitement, everyone crossed their fingers that she was the mom and she would accept and begin to nurse the four kittens. The momma cat rolled over, the kittens nuzzled up, momma put her “arm” around them, the kittens began to nurse, and momma began to purr. Success! And a sigh of relief. But...the worry wasn’t over. Someone had seen the momma cat earlier, and at that time, she had six kittens. Where were the other two? Many of us assumed they couldn’t be found, that they were doomed. Nancy went back in the early evening and listened in the quiet for any tiny mewing. None. Nancy went home and went to bed...and woke bolt upright at 2:00 a.m. Something was telling her to go back, that the kittens were out there, that she needed to try harder to find them. She stood in the dark in the road, listening. Nothing but the sound of a coyote pack howling. She went down one path into the woods, thick briars on either side. Nothing. She came back out to the road. She went down another path and stopped to listen. A tiny sound. Maybe a bird making one of those solitary calls in the night. She listened harder. More tiny sounds, this time unmistakably mews. Nancy began to crawl toward the sounds through the briars, flashlight in hand. The mewing became louder, and closer. Finally, there they were, eyes not even open, crawling toward her. She gently scooped them up, crawled out under the briars toward the path, the road, her car. Not easy, crawling with two three-day old kittens and a flashlight. But there they were, safe in her hands. They had been found...out in the middle of the night, in the middle of the woods, in the middle of a briar patch. Incredible. She brought them to the foster home at 4:00 a.m. A sleepy foster parent opened the door, they both took the last two kittens upstairs and nestled them in with their mother and their siblings. A perfect ending; a perfect beginning. Charlotte, the mom, is all black. Charlotte is named Charlotte because there was a spider in her web keeping watch over this little family. Of the six kittens, two are girls and four are boys. Two are grey, and four are black. One of those black kittens has white on him, a tuxedo boy. Charlotte and the Webettes. Kingdom Animal Shelter and its volunteers are excited about naming the kittens with characters from “Charlotte’s Web”. What would you name them? Here is what we have come up with. Mom is Charlotte; the tuxedo boy is Wilbur; the other three boys are Templeton, Lurvy, and Avery. And the two girls are Joy and Fern. In about 8 weeks, these miracle kittens will be ready for adoption. Come and meet them. They have had a long and miraculous journey. All of our kitties have incredible stories behind them, many very rough or sad. But now they have a chance at a loving and safe forever home by that special person who comes in and chooses them.

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Vermont Has Two Bear Hunting Seasons

Vermont has two bear hunting seasons. The early bear hunting season, which requires a special bear tag, starts September 1 and continues through November 14. The late bear season begins November 15 and continues through November 23. The bear tag that comes with a hunting license is for use during the late season, which partially overlaps with the November deer season. The early season bear tag costs $5 for residents and $15 for nonresidents. A hunter may only take one bear during the year. Vermont’s regulated bear hunting seasons help manage Vermont’s bear population, now estimated at about 6,000 bears, according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. The number of bears has increased during the last two decades and is now at the high end of the objective of 4,500 to 6,000 bears listed in Vermont’s Big Game Management Plan for 2010-2020. “Twenty-five years ago Vermont’s bear population was less than 3,000, and bears existed primarily in the mountains and in the northeastern quarter of the state,” said wildlife biologist Forrest Hammond. “Through changes in hunting regulations, at the urging of the public, we successfully encouraged bears to increase in number. The downside of this, however, is that the human population has also increased, with the result that encounters between humans and bears have become more frequent.” “Although bear-human conflicts were once relatively rare,” added Hammond, “we are now seeing more incidents of bears doing damage, primarily where they are attracted to foods such as bird seed, pet food left outside, garbage containers, bee hives, chicken coops, barbecues, livestock, and field corn. “Carefully regulated hunting plays a very important role in wildlife management by helping to control the growth of the black bear population and allowing for the sustainable utilization of black bears for food and other purposes,” said Hammond. Hammond reminds hunters to please collect a small pre-molar tooth from each harvested bear, because, he stressed, “The collection of a premolar tooth from every bear reported is critical to the bear project, as it provides important data for evaluating changes to the age structure of the bear population and for making

“The tooth is actually quite small and easy to loosen with a knife,” he added. “Directions for removing the tooth are on the back of the envelope provided by the check station. We are able to age the bear from the tooth and gain essential knowledge about the status of Vermont’s bear population.” “We also have a video on our website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) showing how to remove the tooth.” (https://w . youtube . c o m / watch ? v=0n3i91OAXGc&feature=youtu.be) Hunters took 556 bears last year in Vermont. A report listing the number of bears taken in each town during the 2013 bear season is available on Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s website at (vtfishandwildlife.com). Click on “Hunting and Trapping,” and then “Big Game.”

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

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FROM THE CABOT PUBLIC LIBRARY

Programs Congratulations and thanks to all those who have participated in our summer reading program –“Fizz, Boom, Read!” There were 61 participants and a record number signing up for the Thousand Page Club, with 29 members reading an estimated 44,600 pages! Please come in and pick up your coupon for a free pint of ice cream (or an equivalent treat). An estimated 1,447 books were read this summer by Cabot youth. We still have some t-shirts and prizes for those who have completed their goals.

Cabot Old Time Contra and Square

Dance – Saturday, September 13 – 7:30 p.m. This dance series starts a new season of monthly dances on the second Saturday of the month September through May. All are invited. The caller for the evening is Luke Donforth. Music will be by the Hull’s Union Suit String Band led by David Carpenter on

fiddle. The dances are taught and are easily learned by young and old. The contra and square dances are traditional Vermont and New England social dances that have been danced for many generations in the town halls, barns, and kitchens around Vermont. The music is provided by piano and an assortment of fiddles, mandolins, guitars, and the occasional surprise instrument. Musicians are always invited to sit in and join with the fun of playing traditional dance tunes. There is a small suggested donation to help cover the cost of the caller. For more info, please call David Carpenter at 802-426-3225 or email [email protected].

Two Students' Travels - Global Explorers Leading the Way/Governor’s Institute of Vermont – Wednesday, September 17 – 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Jeremy Hoyne Grosvenor participated in the 2014 Global Explorers Leading the Way program to the Grand Canyon for 12 days in June, which included visually impaired and sighted students. Jeremy will share some of his experiences with an emphasis on natural sounds and why they matter. Isabella McCallum attended the Current Issues and Youth Activism program at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, as part of the Governor’s Institute of Vermont. She will be sharing her intercultural experiences and world learning classes.

Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project – Tuesday, September 23 - 7:00 p.m. This program is sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council. Drawing on his book, Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project, Middlebury physician and writer Jack Mayer tells the story of a holocaust hero who rescued 2,500 children from the Warsaw ghetto, and how three Kansas teenagers, sixty years later, remarkably helped to bring that hero’s forgotten story to the world. These two intertwined stories—Holocaust hero and contemporary teenagers—offer an inspiring illustration of the power of history in particular and the humanities in general. His book received the 2012 Indie Reader Discovery Award, the 2011 Kansas Notable Book Award, and the 2011 da Vinci Eye Award (Eric Hoffer Award).

Community Book Group – Wednesday, September 24 – 10:30 a.m. The fall series theme is memoir, and the first book will be One Writer’s Beginnings by Eudora Welty. All are welcome to join in! Copies of this book will be available in the Cabot Public Library.

Fiddle Lessons - Katie Trautz – Monday afternoons

All levels and abilities, Ages 4-100! Old time Irish, New England, Cajun and Swedish styles. For more info: [email protected] or 802-279-2236.

Lego Club – Tuesdays in September – 3:00-4:00 p.m. All are welcome! We’ll have Legos for you to build creations with.

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!

Many thanks to all our subs and volunteers who helped out this summer, keeping the programs happening and the library open. Much appreciation to Kathleen Higbee, Kassandra Morse, Sharon O’Connor, Lisa Olson, Beth Wade and Megan Walker.

See you at the Library!

Kathleen Hoyne and Anne Walker Cedric Alexander brought moose antlers to the Cabot Public Library on July 8th for his talk on the Biology and Management of Vermont's Moose.

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TWIN VALLEY SENIOR CENTER

4583 U.S. Route 2 P.O. Box 152 East Montpelier, VT 05651 Twin Valley Senior Center held its first Flea Market at our new location. The day was a huge success thanks to so many people. The dedicated staff of volunteers, Tom & Jackie DiMatteo, Andrea (Andy) Blanchard, Joyce Fowler, Susan Crampton, Flo Remmell and a big thank you to Maria McKnight from Plainfield. Thank you to the many people who gave donations of items for TVSC to sell. To Sally from the Cate Farm for donating 3 flats of the most wonderful organic tomatoes that people were able to purchase from TVSC by donations. We also want to thank the many people that stopped by to shop. We are very grateful to each and every person for supporting the center. At this time I want to say many, many thanks to the wonderful friends of the center that have been bringing us such great fresh garden vegetables. I am not going to mention each by name because I do not want to overlook anyone. The cook and volunteers have been prepping the vegetables for the freezer and making pickles for the long winter months, plus we are enjoying them with our meals. Keep watch for details on the upcoming events at TVSC.

• Sept 6th - TVSC Float at Old Home Days in Plainfield.

• Sept 26th - Take Out Dinner

• Sept 26th - Movie Night at TVSC 7-9pm Vt. Movie Series- Freedom & Unity in collaboration with the Cutler Library

• Oct 13th - Flu Clinic

• Oct 13th - Health Fair at TVSC Alzheimer’s & Supporting Agencies will be present-Watch for details

• Oct 24th - Fundraising event @ Canadian Club, Details forthcoming

• Oct 24th - Movie Night 7-9pm

• Nov 2nd - Good old fashion Boiled Dinner at TVSC-Watch for upcoming details

• Nov 10th - TVSC Veterans Day Luncheon

• Nov 15th - Hunter’s Breakfast

• Nov 28th - Movie Night 7-9pm

• Dec 26th - Last movie night for the series

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

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Cabot Library Reminders

• Tuesday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. **Story Hour at 10:30 am ** **starting September 9**

• Wednesday 2:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

• Thursday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

• Saturday 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

• Closed Sunday, Monday & Friday

• ECHO Pass – Allows up to 2 adults and 3 youths, $4 each admission price, into the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington.

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Did You See Rita Copeland on TV? Named WCAX Super Senior

Joe Carroll interviewed TVSC Director Rita Copeland for a WCAX Super Senior segment that aired Thursday, August 14. To see the story, go to http://www.wcax.com/story/26283454/super-senior-ritacopeland - or just Google WCAX Super Seniors.

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A Message from the Cabot School Principal

By Gail Curtis, Cabot School Interim Principal

The new school year has begun. Welcome back to all community members and students who have attended Cabot School in the past. To students just beginning at Cabot School, we welcome you and wish you a positive experience in the next school year. This year, Cabot School has 97 students in PreK-6 and 80 students in grades 7-12. Although it is a small school, it is powerful in the number of students who excel and move on to post secondary education. Small class sizes, a faculty that is invested in the education of their students and learners who work diligently are the main factors for Cabot School’s success rate. Teachers at this school are committed to Project Based Learning, which reflects the importance of relevance and rigor in the classroom. This school year, Cabot will participate in the League of Innovative Schools, which works with Global Best Practices. The Global Best Practices are organized into three main strands: Teaching and Learning, Organizational Design and School Leadership. The Teaching and Learning Strand incorporates: Equity, Personalization, Academic Expectations, Standards- Based Education, Assessment Practice, International and Multicultural Learning, Technology Integration and Learning Communities. The organizational Design includes: Vision, Mission and Action Plan, School Culture, Multiple Pathways, Transitions, Interventions and Support, Time and Space, Data Systems and applications, and Continual Improvement. Finally, the School Leadership Strand looks at Teacher Recruitment and Retention, Administrative Leadership, Shared Leadership and Moral Courage. In all classrooms, our goal is to help students succeed. The more the school and families are joined as partners in educating, the sooner our most precious commodity - our children - will succeed. Cabot School focuses on collaboration among students, collaboration among educators and collaboration with families and educators. 21st Century learners must be critical thinkers who can problem-solve and make decisions about their learning. They use communication and collaboration as tools for problem solving. They explore skills needed for living in the world, citizenship, life and career and personal and social responsibility. Please join us in partnership to make this year the most successful for all Cabot children.

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 this months puzzles are shown below (upside down)

PUZZLE EXTRA - DATE: 5/26/14 - Memorial Day 2014,

PUZZLE EXTRA - WORDS: AEIOUGRST

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA Masters GREAT TREASURE Their green jackets, (GEORGIA, GREATS reveal a golf image)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 6 8

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Cabot Alumni Association Reunion a Success

START By Kim Dwyer , Thank you to all that attended this year’s Cabot Reunion. We had a great time, as we usually do. It is always fantastic to see all the faces of our little community. There were many issues discussed and some very good conversations had. The Church Ladies did another marvelous job with lunch!! And we played a very fun scavenger hunt put together by Jane and the Historical Society! It was a great way to remember people and events from past years. We would truly love more members to join us. What would you like to see FINISH at your reunion in 2015? Is there an activity you would enjoy participating in? Please let us know how we can make our reunions more enjoyable! You can contact me, Kim Bolton Dwyer, at [email protected]. All suggestions are welcome, and I will be sure to bring your ideas to the committee. We are also ALWAYS looking for more volunteers, so let me know if there is anything you would like to do to help out. We are all looking forward to seeing you next summer, reunion date to come!!

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Seminars Announced for First-Time Hunters

Are you a brand new hunter or archer with no mentor to guide you in your first hunting experience? Do you lack the skills to properly field dress and process your first deer? If so, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has a solution for you. The department is holding a series of free seminars covering the basics to get you started in hunting. “Starting in mid- August, we are hosting a series of seminars in different aspects of hunting to properly equip inexperienced hunters with the tools to be successful in the Vermont outdoors,” says John Pellegrini, hunter education training coordinator. “Our experienced volunteer instructors will be teaching courses on archery, waterfowl, turkey and deer hunting as well as processing, storing and cooking game. You will learn what to wear on your first hunt and how to select a firearm or archery equipment.” The seminars are being held in different parts of the state. With the Vermont deer, turkey and bear populations in good shape, now is the time to give hunting a try. Pellegrini stresses these seminars are for beginning hunters, not for the hunting veteran. “We’ve heard from a number of hunter education graduates who are new to the sport that they need additional hands-on experience before going into the field. These seminars are designed to be the bridge to successful participation.” A hunting license is not required, and equipment is provided for use dur-

Vermont has more than 70,000 licensed hunters. Each year they provide a critical service to the state by helping manage the various game species in Vermont. Additionally, they provide more than $268.7 million in revenue to the state’s economy, according to a recent national study. By training the next generation of hunters, the department ensures this tradition remains strong in Vermont. A list of the seminars with descriptions, dates, locations, and registration information is on theVermont Fish & Wildlifewebsite : ( h t p : / /w . vtfishan dw i l d li f e . c o m /e d u _ hunt _ seminars . c f m ) . For additional information, contact JohnPelegriniat [email protected], or at 802- 272-2909. Register early, as these seminars will fill up quickly.

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

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